I'm actually quite glad I went back to daily updates. Writing a chapter a day is a little challenging, but it's good practice and it's fun.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Ten: Hidden Children

"Excuse me, are you Doctor Marcoh?"

The man turned around. "I am." he nodded. "I'm assuming you're Roy Mustang?"

Roy nodded. "That would be me. My colleagues are waiting for us a café near here, Doctor."

"Please, just call me Tim. Only my students call me Doctor." he smiled. "Please, lead the way."

They arrived at the café in good time, and once introductions were made, they went straight to business.

"The Elric boys, hm? Bright boys. Very, very bright boys... I would even go so far as to call them geniuses. As I recall, they were both very good at science and maths, far beyond what I would normally expect of boys that age. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had grown up to be even smarter than their father, but..." he trailed off. "...Well. It's such a shame- two kind, intelligent young children murdered, and goodness knows why."

"It's tragic." Maes agreed, eyes serious. "Which is exactly why we plan to find out who is responsible. I assure you that we will find justice for the Elric family, Tim."

Roy gave his friend a concerned look. He knew Maes hated cases with children, and the constant focus on the Elric brothers was bound to be getting to him... they would have to have a chat later, maybe a drink or two. Rizembul had five pubs; surely one of them had to serve good beer.

"Thank you." Tim gave him a tired smile. "Now... what was I saying? Ah, now I remember. There was something interesting... even though I was their tutor, the boys did a lot of private study that I was never allowed to interfere with. I don't know what it was about, but I'm quite certain that whatever it was must have been related to science for Edward to be so very keen on it. Whatever it was, I know that they used to spend several hours a day either in the library or in the study."

"The study? Didn't they bother the Professor?" asked Riza.

Tim looked surprised for a moment. "Oh, of course you wouldn't know. I'm sorry, I don't know why I assumed... there was a little storage room that the boys used to call their study. Interestingly enough, nobody else was allowed in there- not even their parents, which I must admit I found a little odd. It is one thing to encourage independent study, but it seemed a little strange that the boys should be left to learn by themselves, especially when they were so young."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "That is a little strange... did anyone find a room like that at the mansion? I don't recall seeing anything..."

"No, you wouldn't have done," said Tim before they could answer. "You see, there was a maid who went in there once, and after that, they dismissed us all from the house for a while. When we came back, it was just a storage room. The boys went somewhere else to study after that, and I have no idea where."

"What happened to the maid?" asked Kain.

"She was fired," answered Tim. "I don't know what she saw, but I remember her name... and trust me, she won't be too hard to find. She was on the news last year; a suspect in the Phantom Thief case in Aquroya. They never managed to prove it, I am quite sure she was guilty... her name was Clara Taylor."

"I remember that," Breda nodded. "Wasn't she a nun or something? I remember the newspapers were making a big deal about it."

"I believe she was," nodded Tim. "She was a teacher before she worked at the mansion, and when she left I seem to recall her saying something about becoming a nurse. It wouldn't surprise me at all if she flitted about from job to job... she had a habit of snooping where she shouldn't, and once told me she could never hold down a career for very long."

"Did you know her well?" asked Roy.

"Not particularly, but she was a talkative woman for the most part, and as she tended to work at the same time as I did, so we often ended up taking our breaks at the same time, too. I'm sure she'd only be too happy to help you, she always was fond of the boys; Alphonse in particular."

"Speaking of the boys, could you tell us a little more about them? As their tutor, I'm sure you knew them quite well..."

"Yes, of course." Tim shut his eyes for a moment, deep in thought. "Edward was the elder, and always very protective of his brother... a stubborn, determined child, with a voracious appetite for knowledge once you caught his interest. He was a very sweet boy, really, and very loyal... although he could get quite het up about little things, and he was often quite rash. He was often the one to lead his brother into trouble, although he got them out of it just as frequently, and all in all, he was a good lad."

"And Alphonse?"

"I daresay I have never met a kinder or sweeter child than Alphonse," said Tim fondly. "He was very compassionate. He would often bring home small animals, particularly cats; although he was never allowed to keep them- Mrs Elric was allergic. He was a hard worker: whereas Edward could be lazy when it came to things he found boring, Alphonse would always soldier on... and he was a very down to earth boy. He was always tagging around behind his brother, trying to make sure he didn't get too out of hand, which often lead to me wondering which of them was really the oldest... Poor Edward. He always got quite upset whenever someone disputed his claim to the title 'big brother'. He really was quite proud of that."

Maes smiled sadly. "They sound like wonderful kids."

"They were." Tim nodded. "Forgive me, but do you have children? You have the look of a family man."

"As a matter of fact-"

Roy groaned. Maes's eyes shone, and out came the photographs.

"Maes, I'm not sure now is the time..." Roy sighed.

Tim took one of the photos and smiled. "What a lovely little girl you have, Mr Hughes. You have every right to be proud of her."

"Now you've done it." muttered Roy. Maes, on the other hand, was delighted, and began to inform all and sundry of just how glorious his little angel was. It did not take long for Riza to decide that enough was enough, though, and after a pointed cough the photographs were reluctantly returned to his pocket. Tim looked on with amusement.

"Sorry about that..." Jean smiled ruefully around his unlit cigarette.

"Not at all," said Tim, with a shake of his head. "No, I don't mind at all. Did you have any other questions?"

"Not at the moment," Roy said. "We'll give you a call if we do... if that's alright?"

"Of course." Tim nodded. "Well, I bid you goodbye for today, then. It was a pleasure to meet you all, and I thank you... I was beginning to lose hope that the culprits would ever be caught."

"They will. I promise you that."