A Possible Lead

"Mmmm! Thes' 're great!" Havoc sort of said while he munched on another sugar cook that was cooling on the cookie rack. He reached for another one and popped it in his mouth. "If you don't take anything else from this little excursion at least you've learned how to cook."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Kouri turned from her mixing bowl and stomped her foot at the man. She had been in the kitchen all day with Mrs. Havoc baking an assortment of desserts. Her clothes, including the sunflower decorated apron she was wearing, and her skin were spotted with flour and other baking items.

"Honey, I love you, but your cooking was some of the worst I've ever tasted. I'm surprised you and Mustang haven't starved," Havoc said as he grabbed another cookie. "I guess that's why you two eat out all the time."

"You're cooking is nothing to boast about either, Jean!" Kouri shot back and blushed at Havoc's honesty.

"I'm a single man. My cooking is suppose to be bad."

"That's a lame excuse and you know it!"

"Cute, aren't they?" Mr. Havoc said as he and his wife watched Kouri and Jean's little spat.

"Just like a brother and sister," Mrs. Havoc replied as she dried her hands on her apron. She turned her own eyes to the two as they continued to argue over who's cooking was worse. Of course their arguments were never serious and you could always tell there was a playful tint to them. It was always in their eyes. Even though Kouri hadn't been with them long it didn't take Mr. and Mrs. Havoc much time to pick up on how attached this girl was to their son. And it was clearly the same with Havoc. Just that little episode with Mori made it clear that their son would kill for her if the need arose.

"I think it's more of a mix."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, look at them. Right now they are like brother and sister. But surely you've noticed that Jean is also like a surrogate father to her. Like when they're together after work. She's always by his side. She never questions him when he gives her an order or even a request. Then sometimes he's seems more like her uncle. Giving her more space than a father would."

"That's true. But there seems to be something else on your mind."

"It's nothing,"Mrs. Havoc looked at her husband and noticed a tiny glint in his eyes.

"It's never nothing when you have that look in your eyes," Mr. Havoc looked at her then back at the two arguing then motioned her to follow him.

"I think Jean is hiding something about that girl," Mr. Havoc said when they were out of ear shot of the two in the kitchen.

"Well, he is former military. So it's possible…"

"That's not what really what I'm talking about."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you find it odd that a single man in the military would just adopt a child after being in a war? War always has a negative effect on people. Why would anyone take on the responsibilities of an unknown child?"

"Dear, I'm sure if our son is hiding something he has a good reason for it. You know him. And she is his ex-superior's daughter," Mrs. Havoc placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"I know you're right. I just wish he'd trust us enough to tell us who she really is," Mr. Havoc said. Mrs. Havoc wrapped him up in a hug. Both unaware that their son was in the hall listening. Havoc frowned then turned and headed back to the kitchen.

…

"Sir?" Hawkeye asked when Mustang stood up. They were currently in a house outside of the city. A few rooms over was the large homunculus, Gluttony. That, however, wasn't what was on the Colonel's mind at the moment. It was the two black haired people from Xing, what the man from the camping trip had said and of course Kouri that was plaguing his mind.

"I'll be back," Mustang said as he left the room. He made his way down the dark hall until he reached the desired room. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Once invited in he opened it and stepped inside. Ed and Al just came around the corner and saw an odd look in Mustang's eyes before the man disappeared into the room.

"What's he doing?" Ed asked curiously. Al said nothing as he moved closer to the door as quietly as he could. "What are you doing sneaking…"

"Shh!" Al hushed his older brother. Ed groaned then moved closer to his brother.

"Al, why are you spying?"

"The camping trip," Were the only three words Al said. Ed immediately remembered and remained quiet as they listened.

Inside the room...

"What's up?" Ling asked from his position of leaning against the wall as Lan Fan was leaning on some pillows.

"There's something I need to ask you both," Mustang said as he kept his eyes on the floor. The room went quiet for a while.

"Ok then. Are you going to ask or are we just going to stand here in uncomfortable silence?" Ling asked.

"I'm sorry. This isn't an easy thing for me to ask about," Mustang replied quietly. The two remained quiet and waited for him to speak. Mustang, keeping his eyes on the floor, swallowed hard then struggled to find his voice and ask his question. "H-Have either…of you two…ever known anyone from your land to have…the ability to control ice?"

Ling's eyes popped open as Lan Fan's widened. Ling looked over at Lan Fan then back at the man standing before him. "I take it you know someone with this ability?"

"My…baby," Mustang mumbled barely audible still keeping his eyes on the floor unaware of their reactions.

"You have a child?" Lan Fan asked.

"Yes," Mustang nodded then finally raised his eyes to Ling and told them about Kouri.

"Well," Ling said then paused to gather his thoughts. "We were only kids when it supposedly happened."

"When what happened?" Mustang asked.

"In the eastern area of our land there's a group of mountains. I was only five when it happened, but there was major freak storm that popped up out of no where over those mountains. There were some small village scattered over those mountains. When the storm hit only a few people made if off the mountains. Not many of them would talk about it but the ones that did kept mumbling or screaming about a snow beast that caused the storm. Soon rumors began to spread like wildfire. Rumors about that storm being created by magic. So my father sent a team of a thousand soldiers to investigate the claims of magic being on those mountains. Only one of those thousand ever returned. He was frozen and didn't survived. He only survived long enough to talk about a murderer with the ability to create and use ice to their will."

Ed and Al gasped.

"W-What did this person look like?" Mustang asked as he tried to keep himself from shaking.

"We don't really know. All we know is this person, if it was a person, had unusual dark blue hair," Ling paused as Mustang clenched his fists and looked back down to the ground looking like a dagger had plunged into his heart. Ling felt bad as he remembered the description the man gave him about Kouri. "I'm sorry to say, but if those stories are true then your child might indeed be that murderer."

"No!" Ling, Lan Fan and Mustang faced the door when Al shouted and threw it open.

"A-Alphonse?" Mustang asked.

"Kouri is not! S-She's not a murderer!" Al screamed.

"Sorry, Al. I didn't mean any disrespect. I was just telling what I know," Ling replied.

"You don't know anything! She's not a monster! She's not a killer!" Al walked over to the teen, grabbed him by the front of the shirt and shook him, occasionally knocking him against the wall. Lan Fan moved to prepare to attack, but Ling raised a hand to stop her. Ling knew Al was just upset. They all could tell that Al's voice was doing the crying that his armor eyes couldn't do. "Don't you dare speak like that about her! Don't do it! Don't ever do it again! I'll hurt you! I'll hurt you if you do! I promise I will!"

"Al!" Ed shouted and grabbed his brother's arms. "He didn't mean any harm!"

"He shouldn't have said it! He should have just kept quiet!"

"I know, Al. Just let him go now. He's not an enemy. You know that." Ed said soothingly in hopes to calm his brother down.

"You care a great deal about her, don't you, Alphonse?" Ling asked softly. Al lightly gasped and his hold on Ling loosened.

"Kouri has come to mean a great deal to all of us," Mustang said. "She's no killer. Of that I am sure."

"Colonel, I hate to asked," Ed said. "But how do you know? She very well could be. You know that to be a fact."

"Brother!" Al snapped.

"It's alright, Al. It's a reasonable question," Mustang put his hands in his pockets and looked at the boys. "Al, understand that I'm just as upset as you about this new information. However, Kouri doesn't have the eyes of a killer. And I know what those eyes look like. I've seen them far too often. She is no killer."

"Then there must be someone else with the same abilities as hers," Ed said.

"The only way to get those answers would be to go to those mountains. No one from Xing will set foot on there, but outsiders won't be stopped. However, you might never return as many others have already tried and have never returned."

Mustang and the boys soon left the room after that. Once out in the hall Ed turned to Mustang. "So? Will you go? Or send someone?"

"I'm not really sure what to do at the moment. It's quite a lot to process and right now we have more pressing matters to deal with," Mustang said as he walked past the boys.

"Are you going to tell her?" Al asked.

"I don't know." Mustang replied quietly and honestly.

…

"Huh?" Kouri stopped walking and looked up at the sky.

"Hm? Kouri?" Havoc turned around he no longer sensed her by his side. She was a few feet back staring up at the sky. "What is it, Kouri?"

"I thought I heard and felt Al."

"Huh?"

"He was crying," Kouri looked at Havoc. Her eyes were glistening with tears. "I only felt it for a few seconds, but his heart was hurt."

"Do you feel anything now?" Havoc asked.

"No."

"Then I'm sure he's fine," Havoc smiled.

"Yeah," Kouri smiled and nodded before returning to his side.

Hi's to everyone! And thanks for the reviews ya'll are sending me ^.^ I'm glad ya'll like my story! I'm a bit surprised at how it's shaping up. I never expected Al to become so caring towards Kouri. Too cute, huh? Well enjoy!