The Frost Alchemist

Chapter 33: I Swear

A month. A month of planning. A month of watching over my uncle and praying for something to happen. Anything to happen. We had so many people helping us counteract everything Father was doing, we were going to end it soon. We just needed the right time and hopefully, Father will never appear again. 

I had taken to sleeping in my uncle's room just so someone was always there in case he woke up or... or he leaves us. But someone had to be there, the only times I would leave is if someone else took my place. I was up late reading the proposed plans of actions from several of our heavy hitters those being my mother, Ed, Mustang, and Ling to name a few. Everyone who was part of the planning force was reading the same plans, even if they had made one themselves. We were to get back together in three days time to discuss what we should do. 

"Levy," a voice whispered and I jumped a little, not expecting any sound this late into the night or I guess this early in the morning. I looked to my uncle, but still, he was motionless other than his breathing. 

"Uncle Alex?" I asked almost hesitantly. 

"Sorry Levy, it's just me," Selim said as he came out of the darkness. 

"You scared me," I commented.

"I'm sorry, how's your uncle?" he asked.

"No change, we don't know how much longer his body can take being like this," I explained looking at him. "I almost think it would be better if he died, then he wouldn't just be hanging on like this. He wouldn't be in pain. I wouldn't have to see him like this anymore."

Selim put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. "Your uncle is strong, he'll pull through and you all will be laughing together soon."

I moved away from Selim. "I'm sick of people telling me he's strong! I know that! I know how strong and stubborn he is! I also know he's been through hell! He's been through so much! He's only human for god's sake!"

"I'm sorry Levy, I know. I know it must be hard for you. I lost my mother when I was a kid, she got sick and I had to watch her just waste away. So I know what it's like, I'm here for you," he said, trying to calm me down. He got closer to me again and I let him. He placed his hand on my shoulder and I looked at him, he seemed so tired, so very tired.

I took a deep breath. "You came here for a reason, it wasn't just to talk about my uncle so what is it?" 

"My father is getting angrier, you all keep messing up his plans. He's gonna act and soon, I think he's going to try to take all of you out," he explained.

"How? We barely know where Ling is, the Fuhrer is so underground it took weeks before his son found him, the rest of us are in the most fortified place in the entire country. How is he going to kill us?" I questioned.

"Levy, I don't know I swear it. I think he's suspicious of me," he said. "You should leave here Levy, I can take you somewhere, somewhere he won't think to look for you."

"I can't leave Selim, I can't. They need me, they all do," I said. 

Selim knew he wasn't going to win that argument or any argument with me, it was purely pointless. "Just promise me-" he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear -"you'll be careful. I can't lose you."

"Aren't I always careful?" I asked playfully trying to break some of the sudden tension in the air and Selim smiled. 

"No, you're not. You Armstrongs fight first and think after," he chuckled.

"Everyone tells me I'm an Armstrong, that I have so many of their qualities. But I'm not, not really," I said quietly.

"But Olivier raised you with the help of Alex of course, that what makes all the difference. Father raised me and I was a psychopath, partly because I really had no other qualities in me. My mom raised me and made me who I am, even though technically I was still the same person. 

"Blood doesn't decide who you are," he said.

"So inspirational now, aren't you?" I asked.

"You're still getting to know me, you have a lot to learn," he commented.

"You say that as if you know everything about me," I uttered.

"I know there's some I still don't know, but I'm willing to learn," he breathed. We were no more than a breath away from each other, the tension building again. 

"What are you doing?! Let Levy go!" Olivier shouted as she burst into the room sword drawn, but I stepped in between her and Selim, and her reflexes were still quick enough that the sword didn't get too close to me.

"He's on our side Mom, he's been helping us. He's the reason we found Uncle Alex's attacker," I explained quickly. "Don't hurt him." I held onto his wrist, not letting him disappear into the shadows like I know he wanted to do.

"He betrayed you! He hurt you! He's Pride!" she shouted.

"He did it to save me! Father would have killed me otherwise! We needed someone on the inside and he's our man, he's the only reason we got this far and he came here to warn us. Father is going to try to kill us, all of us so he can keep going on with his plan," I defended.

"And you believe him?" she asked.

"He hasn't lied to me yet, not once," I said. "I believe him and I'd stake my life on it."

"Your life hasn't always meant that much to you," she commented.

"You life. Uncle Alex's. The Elrics. The Mustangs. My mother's and sister's graves, I swear on it all. Selim is telling the truth," I said. She eyed me and then him the only sounds in the room, was our breathing and the machine tracking my uncle's steady heartbeat and it was absolutely deafening. But I wasn't backing down, not from this fight, not ever. 

"The Elrics won't be so easy to convince, they have a harder history with Pride," she said as she finally sheathed her sword.

"Selim isn't Pride," I stated and his hand squeezed mine. 

"I need to go, Father gets more suspicious the more times I leave and the longer I'm gone," Selim said. Olivier nodded and I looked back at him before letting go of his hand. 

"We will finish that conversation," he said before disappearing into the darkness.

"I would be happier if you chose the Mustang boy over him," Olivier commented.

"It wasn't really a choice," I replied before sitting back down with the plans.