Chapter Three:

Why, Riza?

Mustang was crying, for the first time in his life. Havoc, too, was shedding tears. The doctors, who knew not these people, were crying as well.

But the one who was crying the most was the daughter of Riza Mustang. Jennifer Edward Mustang.

"Mommy! Mommy!" she cried, her face red from sadness.

Riza... Mustang had never felt this horrible. He felt worse than during the times of the Ishballan War.

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Havoc drove the grieving daughter and father home. He then drove himself home, although it was only a few houses away.

"I should have been there..." muttered Mustang. "It's all my fault..."

Jenny was still awake, and crying. "Daddy...why did mommy get run over by that car?"

Mustang's eyes started welling up with tears again. "I don't know, honey...I don't know..."

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The day after the accident, Mustang decided that the funeral was to be scheduled seven days from the accident.

He left the preparations to Havoc (who offered) as he went to the scene of the accident, where there were officers present.

"Have we found the culprit yet?" asked one officer to another.

"Nope." replied the other officer, "But we're about to give up hope. We don't have any leads to go on...the only witness was a little girl, apparently. And she went to a neighbor's house, since it was the closest one to where she was."

So that's why Havoc knew about it. Thought Mustang.

"But geez..." said the first officer, "Once cars begin to become popular, something like this happens. That'll teach us not to invent new things."

The second officer laughed. "You got that right."

Mustang walked away from there. The only thing that he could find in a place like that was more pain for himself.

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Five days before the funeral, Jenny decided that she couldn't miss school.

"Mommy wouldn't have wanted me to." she said.

On her way there, she saw some children walking together in a group, three of them. They were happy. And behind them were three adults...the mothers of the children.

Mommy... thought Jenny.

She moved on to get to school.

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No one mentioned the death of her mother to her during Language, History, or Math. This is what she was glad for. But what she wasn't glad for was that someone mentioned it to her after science class, which was her last class before she got to go home.

"Ah, Jenny." said the teacher, Mr. Elric, "Could you stay back for a second?"

"What is it, Mr. Elric?" asked Jenny.

"Please, sit down." he said, gesturing to a desk. "Let's talk."

She sat down. It was pretty obvious what he wanted to talk about.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" asked the teacher.

"N-not really." she said. "I'd rather forget about what happened."

"Well..." said Elric, smiling warmly. "I'll be open for talking at any time, so feel free to say anything to me."

"Yes, sir." said the girl, "Thank you, sir."

"Please." said Elric, "When we're talking like this, you may call me Ed."

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Mustang sat alone, three days before the funeral. He held in his hands a Martini. His tenth one.

"Riza..." he cried, he moaned...

"You left me, Riza Mustang...you left Jenny, too...you left us all alone...

"Why, Riza? Why..."

"It's not my fault, and yet I'm still sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. If I had said for you to shop the day after...or if I had gone for you..."

"If you had gone, then Jenny and I would be left without you. Like Gracia and Elicia..."

"Oh, and how's that different from this situation? Besides the sex of the parent remaining, I mean."

Riza smiled. "Do you always have to be right?"

"Riza..." he whispered, tears falling downhis face as he watched her after-image faded away.

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Author's Note: Thank you MoonStarDutchess for reviewing. And both of the chapters, no less. Well, as for anyone else who might read this, I ask you please to read and review it.

Well, just for the sake of saying it normally...please R&R!