Roy Mustang's P.O.V.

One of my workers brings in a letter from an unknown address they say. But I know all too well that this address is where she is.

My niece, Jade Mustang.

I open the letter carefully and remove the parchment. I wonder what could be happening. Her foster parents have never sent me a letter before. I wonder if she died… No, she couldn't be dead.

I smooth out the piece of paper and begin to read.

Dear Roy Mustang,

I regret to inform you of the incident that occurred earlier in our town. A group of men, for unknown reasons, began kidnapping women here. I'm sorry, but they took Jade. None of the people that were taken have been seen again. We don't know if she's alive or not, or what's happening to her. The men that took her seemed like THOSE kind of people. She requested for us to tell you, just as they were taking her away. Even though she doesn't know you, Roy, you are the only living family the girl has left. I hope she's alright, and I hope you care for her wellbeing as well.

Sincerely,

John and Mary Evans

I have to reread the letter to make sure I understand this right. Jade was kidnapped by some thugs? How long has she been gone? They better not have hurt her in any way.

I sigh and think back on the day she was brought to me. I remember it so clearly, but she was only three months old then.

The rain pounds hard against the window as the storm rages outside. A car pulls up to the front of a house, and a man carrying a small baby runs up to the front door and rings the bell.

The sound echoes through the rooms, and another man answers the door to find the man and the baby crying out. "Roy, this is Jade. She's your niece. Please, she has to get out of the rain. May we come in?"

Roy lets the man in and shuts the door behind him. "Tomas, what is she doing here? She should be with her parents, right?"

Tomas frowns sadly as he rocks the baby to get her to sleep. "Then you haven't heard."

Roy looks at him in confusion. "Heard what Tomas?"

Tomas sighs and the baby continues to cry. "Roy, I'm sorry. But your sister, Kathryn…" He takes a deep breath before continuing. "She died. Giving birth to Jade."

Shock stabs at Roy's heart at this news. "W-what? She-she's dead?"

Tomas looks at his friend sadly. "But that's not all Roy. Her husband Jacob died of cancer last night." Jade screams out again, her crying never stopping. "Shh now baby, don't cry."

Roy looks over at Tomas and Jade. No, they can't be dead. Not his sister, his brother-in-law. They can't be gone.

Tomas sighs. "The poor thing, she won't stop crying."

Roy walks up and gently takes the baby out of Tomas's arms and rocks her gently. "Jade, it'll be alright." He says softly and she gradually stops crying.

"Well now, it seems she's taken a liking to you Roy." Tomas smiles gently, but his voice turns serious. "You must know now that you're the only living family the child has."

"I can't raise her, I know nothing about it." Roy exclaims and Jade looks up at him sadly, tears brimming in her eyes again, threatening to burst.

"Who else can raise her if not you Roy?" Tomas asks seriously. "I'll send her away somewhere. To a place where she won't have to be involved in any way with the State. She'll be safer that way." Roy replies, looking down at his niece.

"Very well. I'll respect your decision. I just hope you won't regret it."

I realize now that I do regret sending her away. But it was for her own safety. Who knows what people would've done if she had stayed and grown up here. She must be, what, twelve years old now?

"Sir? Is everything okay?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asks me, her voice full of worry. I must have been absorbed in my thoughts too long.

"Yes, everything is fine." I lie, glancing back at the paper.

"Sir, with all due respect, it's obvious that something is troubling you. Please, tell me what's wrong." She knows me too well, and I sigh, knowing I won't get away from this one. I'm just glad the others in the room have left on their lunch break.

"It's about my family, the letter." I say, trying to think of how to say this. I've never told anyone about Jade or her parents, only Hughes. Lieutenant Hawkeye looks at my, urging me to continue. I sigh again; I'm just going to tell it straight. "My niece, she's been kidnapped."

Her eyes widen in surprise, but whether it's from hearing I have family or that they've been taken I don't know. "I never knew you had a niece." Is her simple reply, yet her tone is begging me to explain.

"I had a sister, Kathryn, who moved away with her husband. I had heard that she was pregnant with a child, but when an old friend showed up at my house in the middle of a storm with a crying baby girl, I never thought that would be my sister's child. She died giving birth to the kid, and her husband died from cancer three months later. I was her only living family, but I couldn't take care of her. I couldn't."

I don't meet her eyes as I finish. "I sent her away to be raised elsewhere, and the letter is from the foster parents. She's been taken, and has been missing for a while now."

"I'm so sorry." Lieutenant Hawkeye says quietly and I feel her eyes burning into me sadly.

"Call in Fullmetal. I have a mission for him."