Yao ran his long fingers along the side of his cell phone, wondering if he should call or maybe text Kiku he was going to be a little late getting home today.

While he despised the case itself, Yao had thrown himself into it with the fervor to rival a desperate parent's. Within days he'd covered most of the city with cops searching, missing posters, and sent a warning reaching the darker levels of his jurisdiction that there was a cop on the prowl and he wasn't to be trifled with.

There wasn't a particularly high level of crime where Yao operated, the random thief or mail fraud here and there, but that didn't mean it was free of drug abusers and dealers, gangs, or thugs that liked to prowl the night. Yao knew Sadik and Heracles' stories like well read books of the times they'd brushed death, yes it was a bit exaggerated but the level of danger they'd faced had been very accurate, and come away clean or the smallest of scars. Yao himself had nearly been shot in the neck once during his time as a beat cop.

He sighed, collapsing backwards across his chair and staring at the large board they'd set up in an unused conference room. Peter and Wendy's school pictures smiled back at him, unaware of what was probably happening to them in real time right now.

Yao struggled to think of what step to take next. He'd covered most of the basics; Mrs. Micnat's husband had been a figure in the wind since Wendy had been in diapers, the two of them living separated yet never actually filing for divorce. Yao had to wonder if it was due to lingering passions, or sheer laziness.

Nevertheless, efforts to contact Mr. Micnat had been one avenue Yao had pursued early on. Perhaps, with any luck, this was all because of him. Maybe he'd grown to miss his daughter, despite not having visited in three years, and taken Peter along as well? Wendy would willingly go with her father, and if the two worked together to persuade Peter he might go along as well, right?

This was shot down in a matter of hours however, as Mr. Micnat answered his phone in Sydney, Australia and was shocked to hear of his daughter's disappearance.

"That bimbo's fault, I expect." He hissed into the receiver, voice low and shaking before he promised to be on the next plane for the States and hung up. Yao wondered, not for the first time since contacting Mr. Micnat, why a man could leave his daughter alone without a word for three years, barely making himself apart of her life to begin with before that, and still be angry at her mother. Was he really doing any better of a job?

Yao had then thought to look into Peter's father's involvement, applying the same logic as if it had been Mr. Micnat.

Peter's father was so far out of the picture, Mrs. Micnat had joked he wasn't even near the wall it hung on. She revealed privately to Yao, red faced and reluctantly, that it had been a failed relationship a year before she'd met her currently estranged husband. The two had parted ways before she'd even had a chance to tell him she was pregnant with her first child, and she hasn't heard from him since.

"The only thing I've got left of him are Peter's eyebrows." She remarked, sitting back in the chair in Yao's office and sighing, "And considering how things ended, I'm glad. I don't want him in my life anymore-he's from a different time in my life and he'd only drag me down…"

When Mr. Micnat entered the station he did so with a storming gait and a slam of doors. He demanded to speak with whoever was in charge, although Yao suspected it would be to more yell at than speak. He was proven right when Officer Karpusi pointed him to Yao's door and the man head straight for him with a dark look on his face.

"Where's my daughter?" He demanded angrily.

Yao regarded him coldly, stepping to the side and offering the man an invitation into his office.

"If you'd like to take a seat, I'd be happy to speak to you." He said.

Mr. Micnat huffed, looking annoyed as he entered and flopped into the seat. Yao sighed, internally counting to ten before turning around as he shut the door. He leaned against the front of his desk, looking Mr. Micnat over once before swallowing and clearing his throat in an effort to waste time.

"So far, we've discerned that no one Wendy or Peter knew personally were responsible." He said slowly, waiting for Mr. Micnat to huff in disbelief before continuing, "All their friends and their families had valid alibis, the neighbors and their staff too. Mrs. Micnat and her running group were obviously out of the picture as was their housekeeper."

Mr. Micnat glowered silently at Yao, who paused to breathe before continuing.

"We've interrogated all nearby registered sex offenders, repeat child criminals, and anyone who's come through here who might have had something to with it. We've searched every nook and cranny of this city, and I'm running patrols everywhere, so far we've turned up nothing-"

"So you've essentially accomplished nothing?!" Mr. Micnat snarled.

"Actually, it means we've accomplished a great deal," Yao said coolly, "It means we know where they're not. Later I'm planning to meet with some other detectives of the nearby jurisdictions and we'll be continuing the investigation from there."

Mr. Micnat was silent, still glaring at Yao, but then he sighed, his body deflating.

"Just… just tell me there's a chance Wendy's still alive."

Yao bit his lip, knowing that a child's still being alive past the first forty eight hours of abduction were slim. Yes, she and Peter very well could still be alive, and yet then again they could just be searching for a corpse at this point.

"I believe that until there's proof to the contrary," Yao said slowly, "Your daughter to be very much alive."

Mr. Micnat smirked, "Thanks… doesn't help as much as I thought it would… but thank you."

"You're very welcome." Yao said, standing and moving to his chair on the other side of the desk, "Now, Mr. Micnat, what's your relationship with your wife and child like?"

Mr. Micnat barked a laugh, "I'm being questioned?"

"You are connected to the case after all."

"But I can't even be considered a suspect."

"You still might possess a clue and not realize it." Yao said patiently, "I've talked to everyone I can, except for you."

Mr. Micnat rolled his eyes, sighing and nodding before saying, "Victorrie and I… aren't really on the best of terms with one another."

"Would your marital problems ever lead her to take it out on the children?"

"No!" Mr. Micnat gasped, looking horrified, "Heavens no!"

"Would it ever lead you to take it out on the children?"

"No!"

"Do you know of anyone that might want to harm you or your family?"

Mr. Micnat chuckled, "Maybe a few business competitors, but they can manage that legally enough without having to resort to kidnapping my daughter."

"What is your relationship with your daughter?" Yao asked, genuinely curious, "Mrs. Micnat says you don't have much contact with them."

"No, I don't have much contact with her." Mr. Micnat said, "I talk to my daughter every other week or when I'm not so busy that I can have a decent length conversation with her."

"Does your wife know about this?"

"I assume so, she hasn't tried to stop the calls after all, though Wendy's said that our relationship is a bit of a sore spot for the woman."

"Do you talk to Peter at all?"

"No," Mr. Micnat shook his head, "He's always been a bit distant with me, even when he was younger. I sometimes wonder if perhaps he always knew I wasn't his dad, and when it came out before I left once on a business trip he took it far better than I ever expected."

"What's your relationship with him like?"

"There is none, I haven't seen or spoken to him since I left. Wendy keeps me updated, but I haven't actually spoken to him since the last time I visited over… three years ago?"

"Right." Yao nodded, scribbling into his pocket notebook, "Thank you Mr. Micnat, I'll be sure to let you know if I learn anything."

Mr. Micnat shook his hand, "Christopher, please, and thank you."

"You can't be serious!"

"Gilbert everyone gets time off, and frankly you could use a break."

Gilbert snorted in disgust, "And if I say no?"

Roderich sighed, leaning back in his chair and staring at his cousin with a pained expression, "Don't make me go that route Gil…"

"I can't leave!" Gilbert insisted, trying in earnest to get Roderich to understand, "What if something happens?"

"I doubt anything's going to happen-"

"That case a few jurisdictions over, what if it's connected-"

"Don't you do dare do that." Roderich snapped, leaning forward, "Don't do that to yourself, don't do that to them. I don't see how Ludwig could be connected to the case, when his is nine years old and the trails cold and this has nothing relating to it."

Gilbert snarled, "I can't leave!"

"It'd only be for a few days Gil!" Roderich cried, exasperated, "Please! You're overworked as it is, any more like this and you're sure to collapse!"

"I won't collapse just because a few thugs have to be chased down." Gilbert said belligerently.

"You will after weeks of no rest. Vash says you nodded off in the car during patrol today."

"I don't think-"

"You were at the wheel Gil! You especially need to be alert in that part of the car!"

"Don't pretend my sudden need for a vacation has anything to do with my physical health Roddy!" Gilbert shouted suddenly, "This is because of that case!"

"Don't do this again," Roderich groaned.

"Every time a kid goes missing nearby, our jurisdiction or not, you start pressuring me to take time off." Gilbert continued, "It's almost like you don't want me around when the subjects are raised."

Roderich sighed, leaning far back in his chair and removing his glasses. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted before slowly replacing his glasses and leaning forward over his desk. He fixed Gilbert with a hard look, all signs of familiarity gone and in its place a stern police commissioner.

"I don't." He said, voice hard, "Gilbert you're obsessed. You admitted to me once the only reason you joined the force even was to make an effort to find your brother, and it's exactly the reason I can't have you getting obsessed over every missing persons case that floats our way or around us."

"What are you saying?" Gilbert whispered.

"I'm saying you're a danger to these kinds of cases!" Roderich cried, "You'll try to connect them to Ludwig somehow, even if the connection just isn't there and that's not fair to anybody! Gilbert, I can't let you do that to yourself, do you realize how bad it could be?"

"You're not letting me look for my brother… or help anyone else in my exact position… because you're afraid of something I might do?"

"Something I know you'll do!" Roderich's voice was rising in pitch, "You do it now! Looking through every perp book we have, scouring every story and report about unidentified bodies, the trips I know you take on your vacations to try and uncover fresh leads for a nine year old case that's gone nowhere… Gilbert, you need a break, an actual break. And now is the best time to take it."

"Oh really? What makes it the perfect time, huh?"

"This new case…" Roderich sighed, seeming to deflate a bit, "One of the kidnapped kids looks a bit like Ludwig did at that age. I don't want you obsessing over this just to get your heart broken in the end."

Gilbert snarled, glancing at the coarkboard on Roderich's office wall where the missing posters of Peter and Wendy Micnat hung. Peter had the eyes and the hair sure, but those eyebrows? No… there's no way Gilbert would ever get the two confused. Ludwig would be much cuter than him, easy.

"Please," Roderich sighed again, "I've already drawn up the paperwork. I'll expect you to hand it in by Monday or else I'm going to be forced to take steps." He was holding a bundle of papers out to Gilbert, fingers clutching the paper tightly in case Gilbert tried to knock them out of his hand (he had before).

With a last snarl, Gilbert snatched the vacation request forms out of his commissioner's hand and stormed out of the office, not bothering to catch the door before it slammed back into place behind him. No one dared look in his direction as he sat down at his desk, grumbling over the pages as his eyes looked them over scathingly. For the rest of his shift, he sat there in silence, anger brewing over and rage coloring his vision so red he almost couldn't drive.

He didn't really think about where he was headed, only knowing that by the time he was pulling the car into a nice, long driveway he'd arrived at Roderich and Elizabeta's house. The lights inside were on, and he only saw Elizabeta's car sitting just ahead of his.

Getting out, he crossed a well-manicured lawn and banged his fist against the door, nearly punching Eliza in the face when she opened it, looking cross. Her expression melted a bit into a more concerned frown when she saw Gilbert, or more accurately, the look on his face.

"Come in," She sighed, stepping back.

Gilbert breathed deeply, "Cooking dinner?"

"It is almost dinnertime."

Gilbert rolled his eyes, collapsing on a stool at the breakfast bar as Elizabeta returned to cooking.

He'd known Elizabeta for almost what he figured was seven years now. Meeting her in highschool, his first glimpse of the brunette was when she'd appeared out of virtually nowhere to peck his cousin on the cheek and dash back through the halls of the highschool again. It'd be another three hours until lunch, when he'd get a formal introduction and a sweet smile.

He'd been instantly smitten.

However, Elizabeta's eyes never even wavered from Roderich, even when their relationship hit a low point and everyone was certain they'd be breaking up, instead they turned around and got married. Gilbert served as best man at the wedding, finding it hard to tear his eyes away from the bride as she jumped Roderich, kissing him passionately like you see in all those cheesy romance movies.

Elizabeta hadn't been ignorant about Gilbert's feelings though, and even now as he sat watching her looking drained of the very will to live, she offered him a kind smile and an arm squeeze before turning to open the oven door. Gilbert supposed he should feel lucky, how many other women could he honestly say would have stuck through all the years of Gilbert's craziness? Between trying to find his brother, and breaking down from failing at trying to find his brother, Elizabeta had probably been there for more than Roderich had, and Gilbert had lived with Roddy.

"So, was it a case, or did my darling husband say something?" Eliza asked.

"I'm taking time off," Gilbert sighed, "There's a new case… and Roderich wants me out of the station."

"Well… perhaps it's not such a bad thing." Eliza muttered.

"You too?" Gilbert groaned.

"Gilbert, look in the mirror," Eliza sighed, leaning forward on the counter and fixing him with a stern look, "You're tired. You're running on fumes."

"I am not-"

"Not to mention," Eliza continued, "We're worried about you."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before-"

"Obviously not! You look worse than you did last week at the field!" Eliza snapped, "Gilbert obsessing over this, though a noble cause, is killing you. Would Luddy want that?"

"He'd want me to find him!"

"And then? Gilbert please, at least take a few days to let yourself breathe." Eliza sighed, reaching out and taking his hand, "For us at least? Don't make Roddy and I watch as you waste away into some… some obsessed and depressed corpse. Ludwig wouldn't appreciate it, I'm sure. In fact it would hurt him."

"But Lizzy…" Gilbert sighed, "What if something does come in? And I'm not there?"

"If something did come in Roderich would have you on the phone and back to the station before they had time to blink." Eliza said, "He knows this means to much to you to do anything else."

Gilbert sighed, the exhaustion causing his body to ache.

"And in exchange," Eliza said, "Get in your car, drive somewhere nice, and get some sleep."

Looking at the big brown eyes staring at him, Gilbert ran an affectionate hand through Elizabeta's thick hair and sighed again, reaching forward to peck her on the forehead before standing up and making his way for the front door.

"Not staying for dinner?" She called.

"Can't," He said, opening the door, "Gotta start packing."

And with that he shut the front door, got into his car, and passed Roderich's as they both travelled home.