Chapter 21

"Take Asher and go upstairs," Edward said seriously as he picked him up and gently handed him off to me. Asher had a look on his face like, Where are we going? I thought I was going to play with daddy?

     "It's okay," I said, ignoring the knocking on the front door and calmly walking up the stairs. "we're going to play upstairs now while Edward talks to the person at the door, alright?"

     As I topped the staircase and walked down the hallway, I heard the front door open. My pulse was pounding in my ears.

     He's at our house. He's at our house...!

     Edward began to speak to him, and I walked into Asher's room, closing the door behind me and locking it.

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Edward

 

I waited until Lucy was all the way up the stairs before looking at the door again. The guy outside was still knocking.

     I took a deep breath and calmly walked over to the door, opening it casually. Standing on the porch was a man wearing a postal service uniform, and he looked to be around Colonel Mustang's age, if not a little younger. He didn't look like a bad person, but looks can often be deceiving, something Lucy and I know very well.

     "What do you want?" I asked him.

     "Delivery," he said again, a brown envelope in his hand. "for your wife."

     "I live alone," I lied. "My wife passed away a while ago."

     "Such a shame, for one so young," the mailman said. "but, I know you're lying. She took her son upstairs, right?"

     "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to sound calm, even though I started panicking. "My wife died because of a sickness last year. Lucy isn't around anymore. We never had a kid."

     "Sir, just give this envelope to your wife--"

     "I'm done with this conversation," I said, attempting to close the door.

     In a blur, his hand shot out and pushed the door back open, taking a step inside. "You think I'm stupid, don't you?" he asked in a rough and familiar sounding voice.

     "Envy," I said, my voice low, knowing it was him without a doubt. He grinned, and a white light enveloped him, leaving Envy in his human-like form, his spiky hair included.

     "I thought Lucy killed you," I said. It was more of a statement than a question.

     "Didn't she tell you what she went through last year?" Envy asked, leaning against the door frame. "I possessed her! Made her go insane! All to build up my strength, reclaiming the lives she took from me."

     "I don't understand," I said, clenching my fists.

     "Remember when she speared me?" Envy asked, talking to me like I was some little kid. I remembered. Envy was a dragon. It was after both Lucy and I escaped from Munich. Lucy used alchemy to make a spear from glass and shoved it through Envy's chest, striking his Philosopher's Stone; his core.

     "What about it?" I asked.

     "When she did that, the lives that went into my stone we absorbed back into her," Envy said, a grin flickering on his face. "Remember, her only use to us before that was to harbor those souls around. The same thing happened again: I possessed her and took back the souls, making me strong again. This time, neither you nor she will get in my way!"

     "Leave us alone!" I shouted, clapping my hands together, using alchemy to turn my AutoMail into a dagger. "Just get out of here!"

     "You can't stop me from killing her," Envy said, a grin still plastered on his face. "no matter where you chase me to, I'll always beat you back here, Fullmetal Pipsqueak."

     That made me angry. Extremely angry. I lunged at Envy, aiming for his head, but his foot shot out and got me in the stomach.

     I doubled over, stifling a moan, and tried to get up. There was no way he was getting to Lucy and Asher. I wasn't going to let him.

     "Pathetic, truly pathetic," Envy sneered, turning back towards the door. "It's not even worth my time to kill you three."

     Three?!

     "Don't bring Asher into this!" I screamed. "He has nothing to do with it!" Envy just laughed and walked out onto the porch.

     "Why don't you come and stop me--" he began. He turned around, the grin still there. "--if you dare!"

     The front door slammed closed by itself, and I screamed.

     It was just too much. Lucy and I just got married. Our son is only two months old.

     Envy was going to attempt to tear it all apart.

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Lucy

 

Edward was screaming.

     I heard everything from the start of the conversation with Envy to the end of it, and I felt like screaming, myself. I had gotten Asher to sleep, and I couldn't help but listen to what was going on downstairs.

     I was terrified. Truth be told, I had completely forgotten about Envy. And now that he was back, I felt paranoid, as if he could suddenly be Asher and spring up from the crib and kill me.

     There was a soft knock on the door and I jumped.

     "It's me," came Edward's voice, quiet, from the other side. I unlocked the door and let him in, hugging him immediately when I saw him. He hugged back, and I felt him trembling.

     "It's okay," I whispered. "It's okay, Edward, it's okay. We're all okay."

     "It isn't okay anymore," he whispered, trying very hard to keep his voice in control. "Envy's back, Lucy. He's back..."

     "I know," I whispered, sitting him down in the rocking chair. "I heard the whole thing after I put Asher to bed for a nap."

     "I'm scared," he said, his head down and his voice barely audible. "I'm scared."

     "So am I, Edward," I said, putting my hand on his AutoMail, which he turned into a dagger with alchemy. He hadn't changed it back yet.

     "He challenged me," Edward said. "He challenged me to go after him."

     "Edward," I said, alarm rising in my mind. "why don't you go lay down?"

     "Not alone," he whispered, taking my hand in both of his. "Not by myself, Lucy."

     "I'll go with you," I reassured him. "just calm down and think things through."

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"I figured out what I'm going to do," Edward said at dinner that night. I had just given Asher his dinner, and he was sleep in his highchair.

     "What is it?" I asked him, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.

     "I'm taking Envy's challenge," he said. "I'm going after him. I won't let him stay alive for very long, now."

     "Edward--" I started, but he cut me off.

     "I'm not letting him bully you!" Edward shouted. "He's a danger to us, our family, and your mental state. I'm going after him!" Edward slammed his fists on the table, and Asher woke with a start, his eyes wide for a minute, and then he started crying.

     "I'm not talking to you until you've calmed down," I said over Asher's crying. Edward was very angry, and I didn't want to be part of it.

     I picked up Asher and calmly walked up the stairs, patting his back and shushing him. He had finally stopped by the time I got to his room. I quickly changed his diaper, slipped him into his PJs with the little bears all over them, and sat in the rocking chair with him, humming, until he fell asleep. Lucky for me, Asher rarely started crying during the night. He slept like he was dead, most of the time, unless there were loud noises, like Edward shouting and slamming his fists on the table.

     I got up and gently laid Asher in the crib, on his stomach, and covered him with his blue and white striped blanket.

     "Goodnight, Asher," I whispered before I turned for the door. I left it open a crack, just in case he did start crying again. I then went back down the stairs to the kitchen, where Edward was still sitting at the table. His right fist was clenched, and his left hand was ruffled in his bangs.

     "Are you calmed down enough now?" I asked him. He took a shaky breath and nodded, unclenching his fist and folding his hands on his lap. "I'm sorry."

     "Tell that to Asher when you see him tomorrow morning," I said, sitting down next to him.

     "I'm sorry to you, too," Edward said. "I'm leaving. You'll be by yourself taking care of Asher while I'm away trying to get Envy."

     "Why can't I go with you and just leave Asher with Winry and Pinako?" I asked. "Ed, I don't think you can do this by yourself."

     "I have to," he said. "If you come with me, there's a chance you could get hurt, possibly die. I won't have Asher grow up without a mother."

     "I won't let him grow up without a father, either," I said, reaching over and taking Edward's hand.

     "It can't be avoided," Edward whispered, entwining my fingers with his. "I'm sorry, Lucy, but I have to leave you to do this."

     "Stay married to me," I said, panic entering my voice, thinking that he wouldn't come back. "Please Edward, promise me you will and that you'll come back when it's finished."

     "I promise," he said, without hesitation. "that I'll stay married to you and I'll come back when it's all over.

     "I don't know how long it'll take," Edward continued. "or if I'll be able to stay in contact, but I'll try. I love you, and I don't like this any more than you do."

     I felt like I was going to cry. I stood up, dropping Edward's hand, and I walked over to the sink, crossing my arms and staring out the window. Edward really was going to leave.

     He was behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry that things have to be this way."

     "When are you leaving?" I asked him.

     "I was planning on...well, tomorrow," he said. "I can't waist any more time."

     My heart felt like it was literally breaking in two. Edward was leaving, and I would have to take care of the baby on my own for a little while.

     I didn't have the heart to say what I was really thinking, so I just said, "Okay. Promise me again that you'll come back, and try to stay in contact."

     "I promise," he said, kissing my cheek. "I promise."

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I stood on the porch, baby in my arms, still half asleep. I had gotten him up earlier than usual so we could both see Edward off.

     Edward had packed his suitcase the night before. He was already carrying it down the steps.

     "Before I forget," Edward said, digging in his pocket. "the keys." He handed me his keyring, which contained the car key and house key. I hesitantly took them, walking down the steps to Edward's eye level.

     Asher was awake enough to realize what was happening, and he reached out and took hold of Edward's shirtsleeve.

     "I have to go, now," Edward said to him, gently releasing Asher's grasp on his arm. "You're the man of the house, now, take care of mommy."

     I smiled, despite the bittersweet moment. "Goodbye, Edward," I whispered, gently patting Asher's back; he was falling asleep on my shoulder.

     "Goodbye, Lucy," he whispered back, reaching his left hand out and wiping at a stray tear that I didn't know was there. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, whispered goodbye, I love you, one last time, and began walking down the path to the train station, carrying his suitcase, and not looking back once.

     "C'mon," I said to Asher, once Edward was almost out of sight. "let's go back to bed, you still have another hour or so." He was already asleep. I was already numb.

Reviews

[Anonymous]

I'M GONNA CRY I'M GONNA CRY I'M GONNA CRY!

[dachildofevil]

:(( well, way to prove me wrong about the story being too happy. but you talking about Lucy killing envy reminds me of how much youve changed her character. :P she too soft and vulnerable now.