They stopped at the corner store on their way home, and Anya and Ed both agreed they had far too little junk food in their house, a problem that needed to be remedied immediately. Forty minutes later, arms full of groceries, they were walking up the stairs of their porch. Ed executed an impressive balancing act that involved momentarily resting a paper bag on Anya’s head and got the front door open. Anya grumbled and hauled her share of their purchases towards the kitchen while Ed set his own down just inside the door so he could take off his boots and his jacket.
Just as Ed picked up the groceries, Anya shouted. “Papa! We have… a guest.”
Ed hurried down the hall, panicking for the second time that day despite the fact that Anya didn’t sound worried. He entered the kitchen to find a familiar girl sitting at his table, eating his leftovers. He froze for a moment, bit down his initial anger and the rude words that tried to make their way to his lips. Settled for, “Switching to burgling houses now?”
She shrugged. “I ain’t stupid enough to burgle you. You’re the Fullmetal Alchemist. They say…” she trailed off, obviously not sure if she should repeat what they said. “Well, I ain’t stupid. You don’t burgle a guy who can take out cities with a clap of his hands.”
So he could take out cities with a clap of his hands now? Well, it was probably true. He’d just never tried it. Ed put the groceries on the counter, and went about putting them away. “So, what do you want? Besides food.”
She gave him a shit-eating grin that reminded him uncomfortably of his wife. “This is really superior food, by the way.” She bit into her chicken sandwich with relish.
Ed rolled his eyes. “Lana, was it? This is my daughter, Anya. Anya, this is the girl who tried to pick the General’s pocket.”
Anya smiled at Lana. “Hello.”
Lana mumbled something that might have been a greeting around the food in her mouth.
Ed and Anya put everything away and Ed got out the ingredients to make dinner. He looked to Lana. “Are you still going to be hungry when you’re done with that? Because you can stay for dinner if you want.”
Lana looked at Ed almost suspiciously, and Ed could understand why. She’d broken into his house, raided his fridge, and he was now inviting her to dinner? “Why?”
Ed shrugged. “We have enough for three.”
“What are you getting out of feeding me? What did you get out of sending me to that damn shelter?”
“So you did go?” Ed asked, curious. He had only half expected her to.
“It’s getting colder, and the military’s been rousting us out of the warehouses.” She said, her tone trying to convey that it was not because Ed had suggested it. “Why did you tell me about it?”
Ed shrugged again. “Why not? I know the man who runs it.”
“He said that you… that you helped him make it.”
He shook his head, directed Anya to fetch him the butter. “Nah. I just fixed the building after I blew it up, and then forgot to mention that to my superiors, so they sent him a check for the damage. He made it what it is on his own.”
“Why did you let me go?”
Back to that. Ed wasn’t sure how to answer. Because you looked hungry. Because I was in a good mood. Because for a moment, just a moment, you reminded me of my niece. I couldn’t save her. Couldn’t help her. But I can help you, can’t I? “I told you. I was too hungry to bother with you. Besides, you gave back what you stole. No harm done, the world spins on.” He looked at her over his shoulder. She had finished the sandwich and her gaze was darting between Ed and Anya. “So, what possessed you to track me down- and how did you do it?”
Lana crossed her arms and sat back. “It wasn’t that hard to find you.
... but I am probably going to scrap it. (Like, 99.9% sure I don't want to use it.)
*pulls at hair* It's all the RL stress! It is eating away at my ability to write something that isn't total crap!!!
no subject
They stopped at the corner store on their way home, and Anya and Ed both agreed they had far too little junk food in their house, a problem that needed to be remedied immediately. Forty minutes later, arms full of groceries, they were walking up the stairs of their porch. Ed executed an impressive balancing act that involved momentarily resting a paper bag on Anya’s head and got the front door open. Anya grumbled and hauled her share of their purchases towards the kitchen while Ed set his own down just inside the door so he could take off his boots and his jacket.
Just as Ed picked up the groceries, Anya shouted. “Papa! We have… a guest.”
Ed hurried down the hall, panicking for the second time that day despite the fact that Anya didn’t sound worried. He entered the kitchen to find a familiar girl sitting at his table, eating his leftovers. He froze for a moment, bit down his initial anger and the rude words that tried to make their way to his lips. Settled for, “Switching to burgling houses now?”
She shrugged. “I ain’t stupid enough to burgle you. You’re the Fullmetal Alchemist. They say…” she trailed off, obviously not sure if she should repeat what they said. “Well, I ain’t stupid. You don’t burgle a guy who can take out cities with a clap of his hands.”
So he could take out cities with a clap of his hands now? Well, it was probably true. He’d just never tried it. Ed put the groceries on the counter, and went about putting them away. “So, what do you want? Besides food.”
She gave him a shit-eating grin that reminded him uncomfortably of his wife. “This is really superior food, by the way.” She bit into her chicken sandwich with relish.
Ed rolled his eyes. “Lana, was it? This is my daughter, Anya. Anya, this is the girl who tried to pick the General’s pocket.”
Anya smiled at Lana. “Hello.”
Lana mumbled something that might have been a greeting around the food in her mouth.
Ed and Anya put everything away and Ed got out the ingredients to make dinner. He looked to Lana. “Are you still going to be hungry when you’re done with that? Because you can stay for dinner if you want.”
Lana looked at Ed almost suspiciously, and Ed could understand why. She’d broken into his house, raided his fridge, and he was now inviting her to dinner? “Why?”
Ed shrugged. “We have enough for three.”
“What are you getting out of feeding me? What did you get out of sending me to that damn shelter?”
“So you did go?” Ed asked, curious. He had only half expected her to.
“It’s getting colder, and the military’s been rousting us out of the warehouses.” She said, her tone trying to convey that it was not because Ed had suggested it. “Why did you tell me about it?”
Ed shrugged again. “Why not? I know the man who runs it.”
“He said that you… that you helped him make it.”
He shook his head, directed Anya to fetch him the butter. “Nah. I just fixed the building after I blew it up, and then forgot to mention that to my superiors, so they sent him a check for the damage. He made it what it is on his own.”
“Why did you let me go?”
Back to that. Ed wasn’t sure how to answer. Because you looked hungry. Because I was in a good mood. Because for a moment, just a moment, you reminded me of my niece. I couldn’t save her. Couldn’t help her. But I can help you, can’t I? “I told you. I was too hungry to bother with you. Besides, you gave back what you stole. No harm done, the world spins on.” He looked at her over his shoulder. She had finished the sandwich and her gaze was darting between Ed and Anya. “So, what possessed you to track me down- and how did you do it?”
Lana crossed her arms and sat back. “It wasn’t that hard to find you.
... but I am probably going to scrap it. (Like, 99.9% sure I don't want to use it.)
*pulls at hair* It's all the RL stress! It is eating away at my ability to write something that isn't total crap!!!