Riza: Roy, I'm worried about Lt. Sakura; she hasn't been herself lately and no one has seen her since she left the office earlier

Roy: I'm sure she's fine

Riza: If something happens to her, the Fuhrer won't be the only one looking to punish you for actions against a subordinate

Roy: thinks

Riza: While he does this, here's the disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist and all related characters, locations, and objects are not owned by either of the fan fiction authors.

Roy: Let's get going Lt.

Riza: Right

Erin and Amanda: Man, they are in for a shock...

Lt. Hawkeye had been silent during most of the ride to and from the pharmacy and from Lt. Sakura's home, but she couldn't help but think that there was something on the Colonel's mind as he watched the rain hitting the passenger window of their small car as she drove him home. She didn't dare bring up the subject of Sakura or anything concerning the Elrics and their lack of telling the Colonel that Sakura had fallen ill; the Lieutenant knew that the Colonel cared a great deal for the girl, but she didn't know how deep his feelings, feelings between a brother and sister, how deep those feelings ran.

"Sir, is there anything wrong?" Lt. Hawkeye finally asked as she turned the corner towards the Colonel's home.

"No, why would you think such a thing, Lieutenant?" Roy asked as he turned painfully in his seat to face the curious Riza.

"It's…nothing sir, it's just that…." Riza started to say, but the words just didn't want to come out the right way.

"Yes, what is it?" Roy pushed the question more fiercely this time.

"It's just that seem distance now and again…I feel that it may be due to Lt. Col—I mean Brigadier General Maes Hughes and his sudden death that has you on edge about wanting to protect those close to you…especially Lt. Sakura," Riza said as she pulled up to the Colonel's front door.

Mustang pondered what Riza said and in her eyes he could tell that she worried about him. It had been almost three weeks to a month since his dear friend's death, a mysterious death, had occurred and lately he seemed to cast a more watchful eye over Sakura. He knew that she had no living relatives, or so she had told everyone and she was willing to work as hard as she could to prove herself to be a strong member of the State Military, but lately, she had been seeming distant since his visit to help her get better.

"Was something about that mysterious Lt. Thompson being in the room that made her mood change?" Roy pondered as he got out of the car and walked up to his front door.

"I think this where we part ways sir," Riza said as she walked the Colonel up to his front door.

"Yes, but…" Roy said hesitantly.

"But, what sir?" Riza asked puzzled as she saw a fiery passion of lust in his eyes.

"I was wondering about something," Roy said as he started to move towards the Lieutenant, but she became skittish.

"Good night sir," Riza said as she saluted the Colonel and turned back towards the car and soon pulled out of sight.

"I was wondering if you would consider going on a date with me Lieutenant?" Roy asked to the wind as he watched the back taillights of the Lieutenant's car pull away into the night.

Sakura woke up the next morning, a dead feeling settled in her chest as she got up, a red coat sliding down to pool around her. She looked over and saw Ed sleeping on the couch, Al nowhere in sight. She felt as though she had died from the inside, and could still feel the tears coursing down her cheeks, unceasing since last night. Last night…

Last night she had realized the truth: She was never ever going to see Daisuke or her mother again. Roy, Riza, Maes, Ed, and Al….didn't need her. She felt useless. She had done the research she had to and now there was nothing left. She stood up and quietly gathered her things together, not wanting to wake Fullmetal. She slung a bag full of her precious things over her shoulder and, looking back at the apartment one last time, exited from the doorway and headed for the next caravan to Kokoro no Kizu, a small town in the desert at the border to the far east.

I'm going back brother. That's where it started. And that's where I'll end it. She thought as she boarded an unmanned camel and began the pilgrimage back home.

Al wondered back into the house where found his brother drooling in his sleep and his red trench coat draped across his face and it rose and fell with each breath.

"Oh brother," Al said as he moved over to Ed and removed the red trench coat from his face.

"Uh, what? Oh, morning Al," Ed said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and as he got a better perspective of the surroundings he found something out of place.

"Al….does something feel out of place to you or is it just me?" Ed said as he got up and started to search the house for Sakura.

"No, I don't brother, why do you ask?" Al asked as he followed Ed through the house.

"I don't know, I just have this uneasy feeling that something or someone is missing!" Ed said as his pace increased in the search of the house for Sakura, but to his dismay…he wouldn't find her.

"Brother….you don't think Sakura would go after Envy?" Al asked as he bypassed a note that lay on the table with Sakura's handwriting.

Edward and Alphonse,

If you find this note, then you will know that I am gone…I have not gone to find Envy or Lt. Thompson or whatever name he plans to go by to deceive me in my feelings for him, but I have returned to my hometown to retrace my thoughts and steps to continue my search for my brother…I'm sorry, but please tell Colonel Mustang that as of today I am resigning from the State Military as a Second Lieutenant and as it's top Researcher… I'm truly sorry once again…goodbye.

Lt. Sakura Takahashi