Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Replacement ❯ To Repair a Broken Family ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: While I do not own FullMetal Alchemist I have to claim this plot as mine, enjoy and hate me for my treatment of beloved characters, well, Ed anyway.

 

~*~

 

4-To Repair a Broken Family

 

~*~

 

 

“What do we do now?” Al whimpered, hugging the two automail limbs to him as he had been since Woodgrove had ordered everyone to go to sleep and come back the next morning.

 

“The Detective will let us know what to do next,” Hawkeye stated as she patted the large armor that seemed so much like the young teenager whose spirit was housed within it.

 

“Sadly, Al, I think we may not be able to do much more than pray,” Roy sighed and they opened Woodgrove's office door.

 

“…calm down, Catherine. I'm sure Jordan is going to come back. I know, but you are not the only one with bad luck with men,” Woodgrove was on the phone, not looking at the door. “No. Not recently. Well, there was a cute State Alchemist three weeks ago, but he was just a stress reliever. Please, he was twenty and a ball of hormones. I'm sure she's spinning in her grave with Dad. Mmmm, maybe, well if he's got pale skin and dark hair you know I'd do him. As different as Dad and the boys as I can. Oh, my nine o'clock is in. Yes, I'm sure he'll come back, you're five months pregnant and Markie won't let you leave his sight. Jordan loves his son and he loves you. You two just have explosive tempers.” She indicated that they sit.

 

“Yea, another one got taken. Yep, down to the missing leg and arm. Yeah. I know. He's a State Alchemist. Well if you didn't get knocked up I wouldn't be handling all this alone. Yes, I blame you for it, you're the woman, you should have thought about that when you slept with your husband,” she laughed and wrote several things down. “Well, this would go faster if we both could keep off tangents but what pair of sisters can do that? Yes, Madcap Maggie was trying to break into the basement, she might just have been trying to find something to steal. No, the Captain understood and, sadly, no one really cared about poor, old Maggie. Well the State Alchemist and military dogs that are his friends are here to help me. You concentrate on raising Markie and tell him Auntie will be there to see him at dinner tonight. Yeah, kisses. Bye.” Woodgrove placed down the phone and handed a piece of paper to Roy.

 

“What's this?” he asked and then read it as a proof of property ownership.

 

“That is the deed to that piece of crap we raided. It belongs to an Andy Menklin. Nice fellow, I knew him well when I was a kid,” Woodgrove stated as she pulled out another piece of paper and held it out to Roy. “This is Andy's death certificate.” Roy stared at the pieces of paper and then looked at Woodgrove.

 

“The property was bought after Menklin's death?” Roy asked and Woodgrove nodded.

 

“The plot thickens. I have about four monkeys down in the pit digging out the property files for the Hollows as well as a check on the owners of said properties,” Woodgrove stated as she headed into the next room.

 

“So your sister was on the case as well?” Hawkeye asked and Woodgrove nodded.

 

“Yes, Catherine and I are the two best detectives on the force. She's old school, poor thing couldn't transmute a cup of water into ice, however, she's far better at getting into a killer's mind where as I'm the much better bloodhound. Being a dog of the military gives you a nose for certain things and a better feel for your instincts,” Woodgrove stated as she moved to a map on a bulletin board that had been added to the room. There were five pins marking the sites where the bodies were found and then several question marks on buildings throughout the Hollows.

 

“Will we find Brother?” Al asked, the armor creaking and Woodgrove sighed.

 

“Mr. Elric, do not hold your breath, but pray. This is the first clue we've had since the last body two months ago,” Grovewood stated.

 

“Detective Grovewood, you have to come see this!” an officer cried out and the group looked at the disheveled officer.

 

“What is it?” Grovewood asked, giving the officer a glare that rivaled Hawkeye. The officer whimpered before gulping and standing at attention.

 

“We've found a weird body,” he stated and the Detective didn't look amused.

 

“Why am I being pulled from my case when it finally starts going somewhere to look at a body?” she asked and the officer began looking at the additional people in the room.

 

“It's not human…Chapman thinks it was once a chimera,” the officer stated and the room froze.

 

“It was? What's wrong with the body?” Woodgrove asked and the officer sweated.

 

“The skin…it was turned into a bag around the body…” the officer stated and the detective and officer stared at each other for a moment. “It was also found near where the Lion-eyed Killer victims were found.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Ed sat in the bath, his arm and leg secured to the edge of the tub as the sheets were changed. The woman was humming as Ed soaked in the steamy water, the gag in place and the tub alchemically altered to keep him from moving. He watched the woman as she finished making the bed and then moved over to the doorway. She began mopping and looked at him smiling.

 

“Mommy is so happy, Marcus, I have you, I have the Pets, and those fools have no idea where we are. I saw the big, metal fool and several military lapdogs staying at the inn. They were heading for the Hollows. Can you believe that? As if I would keep you anywhere near those filthy Hollows,” she laughed as she scrubbed the blood from the floor. “Mommy followed them, they must be helping the police. Those Traitors won't take you away from me again, Marcus, I lost you to them once, never again will I see you taken away. Mommy will kill us both to keep her Marcus from those Traitors.”

 

Ed stared at her as she finished moping up the chimera's blood. She carried the bucket over and dumped it into the toilet before she began to clean it. The woman looked at Ed and smiled, moving over to ruffle his hair lovingly and Ed fought the urge to dunk his head.

 

“Mommy missed you so much Marcus, she couldn't stand it when she realized that last Non-Marcus wasn't you,” the woman stated as she looked at him with such a tender and loving gaze, Ed was disarmed for a moment. “Marcus was always Mommy's favorite. Mommy still remembers when Marcus was born. The others all screamed because you were less than they were. Mommy would have none of that, Marcus was Mommy's precious baby, he was less than the others, so he needed Mommy more than the rest.” She washed her hands before she used a cup to dump water on Ed's head.

 

Ed fought the urge to panic, for the past day all he wanted to do was scream and scream and scream until his lungs burst. Of course, Ed knew he was becoming hysterical and fought with tooth and nail to prevent that. The woman began washing him, singing another nonsense song as she cleaned him. Ed closed his eyes and thought about his Mother, her smile, her smell, and the way Al's eyes looked just like hers.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The group stood and watched Woodgrove and several other officers stare at the body. A few officers were writing down everything that was said by Woodgrove and the other officers. Woodgrove nodded and a few officers lifted the body and carried it over to the road beside the dock.

 

True enough, the `bag' looked like it was made out of fresh skin, but there was no seam. Beneath the skin it was clear something not quite human was contained in the bag. Havoc looked green as Woodgrove began to press around the bag and shake her head before talking with a few of the other officers. A patty wagon came and the bag body was placed into it before Woodgrove returned to the group and lit a cigarette.

 

“What do you think?” Maes asked and she looked disappointed.

 

“I think I'm going to miss a great home cooked meal tonight and spend this evening with a chimera corpse trying to decipher if it was once one of the missing boys,” she groaned as she let out a long plume of smoke.

 

“You…you don't think its Ed do you?” Al asked and Woodgrove shook her head.

 

“While it's not impossible that it was Ed, I doubt it. So far we know that the kidnapper and killer is an alchemist, we know that five bodies have been found, four haven't been found, not including Ed, and finally, I felt two arms and two legs,” she stated as she took another drag.

 

“The limbs could have been replaced by the animal agent in the transmutation,” Roy stated and Woodgrove shook her head.

 

“True, however, if that was the case then the limb substituted by the animal agent would be unaltered. All four limbs were altered in the same manner, meaning both agents in the transmutation had all their limbs,” Woodgrove stated. “I'll have to do the autopsy.” She looked miserable.

 

“Will you need any help?” Maes asked and Roy and Armstrong immediately looked at him. Woodgrove looked at Maes and shook her head.

 

“I don't think so, unless any of you are good with chimera transmutation,” she stated and Al stepped forward. “Who taught you?”

 

“Ed and I stayed with Mr. Tucker while Ed was becoming a State Alchemist,” he stated and she smirked.

 

“Thanks for the offer, Mr. Elric, but I know more than Tucker, like I told you, my father tutored Tucker,” Woodgrove stated before pulling off her jacket. “However, I'm going to go to Roll in the Hay, any of you want to come?” The group looked at her in shock.

 

“You're going to do what?” Hawkeye asked and suddenly Woodgrove began to laugh.

 

“Sorry, you probably haven't been to the local pub, the local bar where most cops go to is called Roll in the Hay,” she chuckled. “I was asking if anyone wanted to get a drink before you head to the hotel and I head to my date with the chimera.” Havoc, Hawkeye, Roy, and Maes accepted and the five went for a drink.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Ed lay on the bed as the woman finished cleaning the wall. There was something horribly disturbing about how all the writing on the wall was gone. She obviously hadn't bothered to do that before since there had been so many different handwriting samples.

 

“Mommy is so happy to have her Marcus back. Finally, after all those Non-Marcus, Mommy has you back,” she stated as she drew a transmutation circle on the broken bureau and then the light flashed and Ed stared at the repaired bureau. “Maybe Mommy can trust you with clothing. Would Marcus like clothing?” Ed looked at her and nodded.

 

“I…I would really like some clothing, M-mommy,” he whispered and the woman smiled before nodding and heading out of the room, closing the heavy door behind her, the locks clicking in place.

 

Ed closed his eyes and took deep calming breaths. His heart was pounding so fast, he was more than a little thrilled about no longer being naked.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The five sat around the table, each drinking while only Hawkeye and Woodgrove actually ate something while they drank.

 

“Sorry about your dinner with your sister and nephew,” Maes stated as he sipped his whiskey. “I'm missing out on dinner with my wife and daughter, Elysia. Want to see a picture?” With that the other three Military personnel groaned while the detective politely looked at the picture before smiling.

 

“She's adorable, this is my nephew,” she stated and pulled a deck of pictures from her jacket. Roy, Havoc, and Hawkeye all felt ill as the two began playing some hellish form of poker only using pictures as the cards and the chips!

 

“Wait…who's this?” Maes asked and Woodgrove looked at the picture before pulling it out of his hands and staring at it for a moment.

 

“Ma…my son,” she stated as she stroked the picture. “He was my son.” Roy looked over her shoulder at the picture at the beautiful little boy with big gold eyes and light brown hair, probably only three or four.

 

“What happened?” Havoc asked and Woodgrove closed her eyes before making the picture vanish into her jacket like a magician. She looked at her drink for a moment before sighing.

 

“My ex-husband and I met shortly after I was dishonorably discharged. We lived in Central, I was working for a repair shop while he worked for a local hospital,” she stared into the amber liquid in her cup. “We got married and soon we were pregnant. When he was born he had a malformed arm. The doctors stated it was unavoidable, probably a genetic trait from my family, I had close family members with similar conditions. My baby had to have his right arm removed and I blamed myself for it.” The picture appeared and she stared at it.

 

“Then he got sick. I had to quit my job, not that it was a big deal, Al…my ex-husband could handle the bills and such without me, I could have stayed at home all I wanted anyway. I worked to keep myself sharp and up to date with my alchemy,” she stated as let the picture vanish up her sleeve. “It went in cycles, he'd get sick, I'd stay home, he'd get better, I'd go to work, and then he'd get sick again. I had to spend every hour with him some days. He was my baby.” A tear fell from her eye.

 

“He never got to see five,” she whispered sipping the rest of her drink. “He would have been twelve this Friday. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have had this last drink. The pressure gets to you after a while. His birthday, the case, missing dinner, I'm kind of a mess.” She started to get up, but Maes stopped her.

 

“No, I can't imagine losing Elysia,” Maes stated and Grovewood looked at them.

 

“You need to sober up before you work on that chimera anyway,” Roy added and Grovewood smiled slightly.

 

“You're right of course,” she stated.

 

“Need a cigarette?” Havoc asked and the detective and the soldiers smoked in silence.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Mommy made this such a long time ago, hopefully Marcus hasn't grown too much since then,” the woman stated as she approached Ed's bed. Reaching out she pressed a mark on the chain and Ed's wrist slipped free.

 

“Let Mommy help Marcus up,” she stated as she placed the garment down, pulling Ed into an upright position. “Here we go.” With that she guided Ed's head into the shirt, helping him pull the sleeve down before she let go and smiled.

 

Ed stared in complete and utter shock at the shirt. It was a dark red, similar to his jacket, completely missing a right sleeve. The shirt was perfect for a person missing their right arm and Ed's world slammed to a halt in terror.

 

“Mommy has to leave,” she stated as she pulled the shirt down to cover his groin region, the shirt ending at his mid-thigh. “You be good, Marcus.” With that she pressed him down and kissed his forehead before shackling his wrist again.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The group headed out, they hadn't talked much since Woodgrove had explained about her son.

 

“I expect to see you all tomorrow afternoon,” she stated and the group looked at her. “The pit monkeys are suppose to bring me their findings in the morning, plus I need to make my official report on the chimera tomorrow morning, I won't be able to talk to you till then.” She smiled at them, her eyes lingering on Havoc as if seeing him for the first time before she turned and headed out into the night.

 

“Al must be worried,” Hawkeye stated as she walked next to Roy while Maes began the famous Elysia tortore on Havoc. Roy stared at the street for a moment as they walked.

 

“I'm worried about Ed. He isn't known for his obedient nature,” he stated. “I'm worried about him exploding on this alchemist. He has to be in serious trouble if he hasn't used his alchemy to escape on his own.” Hawkeye nodded.

 

“Well, he is missing his arm, we all know Ed relied on his non-transmutation circle alchemy. Without his arm, Ed's been cut down in fighting ability,” Maes added.

 

“He still can draw a circle with calk,” Havoc added, lighting a cigarette.

 

“All of Ed's clothes were in that trunk,” Hawkeye reminded as she pulled out her room key as they approached the inn.

 

“He could still use a rock, dust, blood, anything,” Havoc shot back and the group went silent. “You…you think they'd have found a body…you know…” The sentence went unfinished.

 

“Like the detective said, Havoc, the arm and leg were made from equal parts, I don't believe that the chimera is Ed. But, I'm still not convinced we should feel any relief until we have Fullmetal back,” Roy stated.

 

 

~*~

 

 

The door opened so suddenly that Ed was certain it was a rescue squad, but instead it was the woman, looking incredibly happy in what seemed a rather rushed together outfit, as if she had rushed to get dressed.

 

“Oh Marcus! It's wonderful! Mommy saw her Alexander! He's come back to me! Isn't it wonderful Marcus? Daddy's back!” the woman cried as she danced around the room giggling. “I wasn't really looking at those Military Dogs, but when I stopped to do so, don't you know, Alexander was with them! Soon, Marcus, soon we'll have the family back again…I know it!”

 

Ed's heart began beating faster with fear this time for his friends. True, he really didn't think much of the Cornel and the crew, but they were very good to him and Al. They had to be watching out for Al now, so Ed felt somewhat responsible for what happened to them. Hawkeye was very nice to them, Fury treated them like they mattered, Armstrong was more of a father than his biological father, for all his petty whining and bitching, they did look out for him and his brother even when they didn't have to.

 

As the woman danced around Ed wondered who was going to become `Alexander'. The irony if it was Roy would make Ed vomit, the person Ed was counting on the most to find him getting kidnapped too. That would just be too ironic. The woman approached the bureau she had fixed and drew a circle on it, suddenly another bed was in its place and Ed felt sick.

 

“Soon, Marcus, Mommy will have her family back, even if she has to take them back one at a time by force,” she said and the light in her eyes was too terrible, Ed whimpered and closed his eyes, wishing he could just curl up into a fetal position. “Soon, we'll be one big, happy family again!” Insane laughter resounded back from the walls of the cell and Ed couldn't help but cry from the fear.

 

 

~*~

 

AN: So what do you all think of this chapter, can you guess who's going to be taken...probably I made it rather obvious...but I want to hear some thoughts. If you noticed I was nice enough to give Ed some clothing, but he's still chained to the bed. On the plus side, he's going to have some company soon. ^_^v