They walked the streets in silence as the sun started to rise over the horizon. They had been up all night but neither of them had seemed to notice. Finally the silence was broken by the sound of Edward’s stomach growling.
“Maybe we should find somewhere to get breakfast,” he said laughing trying to lighten the mood a bit.
Natalie didn’t seem to notice though; it was like she was off in her own little world.
“Natalie?” He put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. When he did she snapped out of it.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, breakfast,” she replied. They would have to handle this the same way they had her change of clothes unless they could find a way to get some money. She noticed a small bakery and a woman trying to load a cart. “I think I have an idea, wait here…” she said to Edward as she ran off to talk to the woman.
A few minutes later she returned. “I made a deal with her. If we help her with her delivery, she’ll give us a few loaves of bread as payment. It’s not much but it’ll do for now.”
“Sounds good to me.”
They both went over and helped the lady finish loading her cart. Once that was complete they went with her to make the delivery and then came back. As the baker had promised, she gave Natalie and Edward two loaves a bread a piece. She also gave them each a scone for no other reason than they had been much needed help.
Out in front of the bakery was a small square with a fountain in the middle. Taking their payment they decided to sit on a bench in front of the fountain. Again in silence, they set to eating. Finally Edward just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Is there something wrong Natalie?”
Natalie stopped eating and just started picking at the crust of the bread. “Sorry Ed, it’s just seeing that girl with her dad, well, it made me sad.”
“Why?”
“My dad took off on my mom and me when I was little. He was never there, never worried about me like that. If it hadn’t been for my best friend Amy’s parents I wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of things. My mom had to spend a lot of time working to make sure we always had a place to live and food on the table. I suppose it’s a lot like how you and Al were with Winry’s family.”
Edward put his things down and hugged her; she just looked like she needed it. He had a pretty good idea of how she felt, his father had just up and left too when him and Alphonse were small. It had only been a few years ago when he’d seen him again.
Natalie didn’t say anything to the hug; she already knew where it was coming from. She knew all about Hohenheim and the type of relationship they’d had once he’d come back into their lives. She even knew about how he died.
“Aw, now isn’t this simply touching.”
They quickly let each other go and turned to see who was addressing them. It was Sebastian.
“I thought I’d asked you to leave this place Ferryman, though you never did answer me as to why you’re here.”
“Did you follow us?” she asked him sounding agitated. She was already in a mood from thinking about her father; the last thing she wanted was to deal with Sebastian.
Sebastian just nodded. “Master asked me to keep an eye on you once I explained to him the nature of who you are.”
Natalie sighed and got up. Edward made to do the same but she shook her head. “Don’t Ed,” she said softly but sternly. The last thing she wanted was for him to get into the middle of this. She figured if she had to have this conversation with him she was at least going to have a little fun with it, take her frustrations out on him. “I just came here for my own reasons, nothing else. I promise Sebastian, I’m not here to cause you or Earl Phantomhive any trouble. I don’t see why he even cares what I do anyway.”
“The Master knows much of what goes on in London young lady. Your presence makes him nervous. As you know, there are many unsavory characters in London’s underground and with you around, he wonders what trouble might be brewing that the Queen will ask him to take care of.”
“Yeah, that’s because he’s the Queen’s watch dog, or is it her lap dog? I can never remember.”
Edward was confused by this conversation. She was talking to him like she knew him and this guy wasn’t questioning it. She was even going so far as to poke fun at this guy’s master. What was she thinking? When this was over, he made a note to himself to ask her about all of this.
Sebastian just chuckled. “You’ve done your homework young lady, very good.”
“But I wonder Sebastian, is it him that’s worried about me or is it really you? The Earl has a strong soul and you’re afraid I’m here to take it before you have a chance to eat it, am I right?”
Sebastian didn’t say anything to her but his eyes narrowed. Seems she had struck a nerve.
“You know what Sebastian, just go back to being the ‘hell of a butler’ that you are and leave us be alright? I don’t have the patience right now to deal with a demon with a possessive obsession.”
That had done it; she had pushed a little far. “Fine, if you will not leave on your own then I shall have to deal with you myself,” he said, his red eyes glaring at her.
Natalie back peddled a bit. “Oh crap,” she said to herself. “Hey now, wait a second Sebastian, I didn’t say we weren’t leaving. I just…”
She wouldn’t get a chance to finish that thought. Sebastian lunged forward making to strike Natalie. She managed to get out of the way but she stumbled on a lose stone in the cobble stone around the fountain and fell. Sebastian took his throwing knives from inside his jacket. Edward saw this before Natalie did and before she could recover the knives were in the air headed straight for her. There was no way she could dodge them in time and there was no way, even with how fast he could transmute, that he’d be able to construct a barrier in time. He leapt up from his seat…
“EDWARD!!!!!”
“There, now you’ll leave,” Sebastian said as he walked away. He had done what had been asked of him anyway. The Master wanted her gone and with her friend in this state she would have no choice but to leave and seek medical attention for him, if it wasn’t already too late for that. If it was, well it served her right for not leaving when he’d originally asked her to.
Natalie hurried to her feet and rushed over to Edward. He laid there on the stones, bleeding from multiple wounds in his chest and stomach. He had taken the knives for her and with the intensity that Sebastian had thrown them, each had gone nearly straight through. He had already passed out. Tears fell in rivers from her cheeks. “Ed come on, wake up,” she said pulling him up into her lap, holding him close, sobbing. “Come on Ed, please, please wake up. You can’t die, not like this…”
There was only one hope left. Quickly transforming, she lifted Edward up off the stones and opened a portal. There was only one person she knew of now that might be able to help her.
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