The hustle and bustle of the town square was something Maes always enjoyed. It was nice to watch people just going about their busy lives as he went about his. There was just something soothing about it.

He pulled out his shopping list, scanning over it once more. His beautiful Gracia had asked him to pick up some vegetables on his way home, and where better than the farmer's market on the square? Putting it back in his pocket, he began to closely inspect the produce. Only the best would do for his Gracia.

He was interrupted by the sound of clanking metal. Odd. He looked up and was greeted with the sight of a giant man in a suit of armor holding a notebook, a little girl in tow. He furrowed his brow in confusion. The hell?

The man seemed to perk up upon seeing Maes, racing toward him. "Excuse me, sir! You're military, right?" a surprisingly high-pitched voice asked, gaze turning to his uniform.

He nodded. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked cautiously.

The armored man nodded frantically. "Yes, sir! Something really bad has happened to my brother and a state alchemist did it!" he exclaimed, desperation coating his voice. "Here, I have proof! Just look at the most recent entries!" He held out the notebook to Maes. He took it, flipping through the pages until he found where the entries ended. His eyes widened as he read through them.

Human transmutation? Maes didn't need to be an alchemy expert to understand what these notes were implying. And he said something bad happened to his brother…was he used in a transmutation? He'd have to consult Roy about this. But first, he had another problem to deal with.

"Can you two come with me? I'd like to discuss this a bit more in private," he asked. The armored man nodded, following Maes as he walked away from the busy square, taking them to a corner free from other people.

"Okay, can I get your names?" Starting out with the basics was always the best course of action.

The man nodded. "I'm Al. Alphonse Elric. And this is Nina Tucker."

"And your brother and the state alchemist?" he continued. Al slumped slightly at that, and Maes couldn't help but pity him.

"Edward Elric," he answered. "And the state alchemist was Shou Tucker. I think he's called the Sewing Life Alchemist."

Tucker? "Any relation to Nina here?"

A nod. "He's her dad."

Maes looked back down at the notebook. Edward and Nina had both been mentioned in the pages. He reread the entries with this new information in mind.

Oh, god. He'd planned to transmute his own daughter? Maes was not a man quick to anger, but he was filled with rage at this realization. He couldn't imagine doing that to your own child. He was already in love with his own kid and they weren't even born yet, still maybe another week until they were due. How could someone care so little about their child?

He took a deep breath. He had to learn more. "How old is your brother?"

"Twelve. Thirteen in a few days." Maes shoved down the anger that was once again growing. He was just so young.

"Do you know where he is? Have any idea at all?" Maes asked, keeping a calm front for Al and Nina's sakes.

Al shook his head. "I don't know. He went missing a few days ago. I'm not even sure how human his mind is anymore." His voice cracked a bit at the end, and Maes was overcome with the urge to comfort him.

He placed a hand on Al's shoulder, which was a bit awkward with the height difference. "Hey, I'll do everything I can to find him, okay? And I've got a friend who's a pretty good alchemist. We'll help your brother, I promise."

Al leaned into his touch, which was a bit surprising. Not what you'd expect from a guy who walks around in a giant suit of armor, huh? "…Thank you," Al managed.

Maes smiled at him. "I'll need to call my friend when I get the chance. In the meantime, do you two have anywhere to stay?"

Al shook his head. "We were staying with Mr. Tucker, but, well…" he trailed off. No elaboration was needed.

Perhaps it wasn't the best idea, but Maes pitied them. Alphonse certainly didn't seem like a bad guy. It would be okay, he decided. "How do you feel about staying with me, then? We've got plenty of room, and me and my beautiful Gracia would love to have you!"

"…Really?" Al asked, sounding awfully young as he did so. "Oh, thank you, sir! We really appreciate it!"

"Of course! It's no problem at all!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out the small photo album he always kept on him. "While we walk, let me tell you about my wonderful Gracia! This picture was when…"

As soon as he arrived home, he greeted Gracia with a kiss, apologizing for the lack of groceries and letting her know Alphonse and Nina would be staying the night. She took it in stride, being the wonderful person she was, taking Nina by the hand and guiding her to the living room, Al following close behind. Maes allowed himself a moment to smile at the scene, imagining his own child in Nina's place one day, before walking over to the phone, dialing Roy's number.

"Mustang," the voice greeted over the phone, formal as always.

"Hey, Royboy!" Maes began, loudly and cheerfully as he always did. He could practically see Roy jerking the receiver away from his ear, and couldn't help the grin that spread over his face at the image in his mind.

Roy sighed loudly. "What do you want, Hughes? I'm a little busy. I don't have time to hear about your wife again."

"As much as I love regaling you with stories about her, I'm afraid that's not what I'm here to talk about. It's a little more work-related this time."

Roy's voice sobered. "What is it?"

"Well, I've got a little alchemy problem here, and I'm not really equipped to deal with that. I know you just took a day off, but do you think you could take another one to look over this with me tomorrow?"

Maes swore he could hear Roy's grip on the receiver tighten on the other end. "…Yeah. Be here tomorrow morning," the man instructed. "And while you're here, I could use some help from you, as well. Something tells me our problems may be related." And with that, the receiver clicked.

Interesting. Their problems, related? Well, Roy's hunches weren't usually wrong. Perhaps Maes would be able to make progress on this case quicker than he thought. He set the alchemy notes down next to the phone, ensuring he'd remember to grab them before he left the next day.

He walked back into a surprisingly empty living room. Soft voices carried through the walls. The savory smell of cooking meat and vegetables wafted through the room. He peered into the kitchen, careful not to interrupt whatever they were doing.

His heart melted at the scene unfolding before him. Gracia was standing over Nina, hand around her wrist, gently guiding the little girl through cutting carrots. Alphonse was carefully dumping what appeared to be chopped celery into a steaming pot. Gracia must've been cooking before he'd come home based on how strong the smell was now. He must've missed it, too distracted by the prospect of speaking to Roy. It was awfully sweet to watch. Gracia was going to be an excellent mom.

"Al, dear, could you help me get started on cutting the potatoes?" Gracia requested as she helped Nina finish slicing the last of the carrots.

"On it!" he said, rushing over to help with a childish glee.

Al was surprisingly endearing, Maes decided. He was sweet and innocent, almost childlike, quite the opposite of what you'd expect based on his size and his armor. Which he still hadn't taken off, for some reason. Surely that couldn't be comfortable, right?

"Mmm, smells great in here, Gracia!" he said as he fully walked into the kitchen, finally announcing his presence. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Thank you, dear, but between Nina and Al, I've got plenty of help," she said with a smile that made Maes' heart soar. He really was the luckiest man alive. "Besides, we're almost done."

She was certainly right about that. Only fifteen minutes later was she done, setting down bowls of stew as Al, still eager to help, set out silverware. Nina dug in immediately, swaying happily in her seat as she ate. Maes followed suit, taking a bite of his own.

"Delicious as always, Gracia!" he complimented, earning him yet another beautiful smile. He ate a couple more bites before realizing something. Al wasn't eating. He turned to him, frowning in confusion. "Everything alright, Alphonse?" he asked.

Al started at that, evidently not expecting to be addressed. "Oh! Uh, yes, sir!" he responded a little too hurriedly.

"Are you sure? You're not eating anything."

Al shifted uncomfortably in the seat far too small for him. "Uh, well…"

Gracia had put her spoon down, concern painting her face. "Wouldn't you at least like to take that armor off?" she asked. "It can't be very comfortable."

Alphonse seemed to shrink under their questioning, an impressive feat for someone his size. "I…no, I'm okay, thank you." He hung his head slightly. "I'm really sorry I'm wasting the stew you worked so hard on, Ms. Hughes. I just can't eat anything right now."

Maes' gaze softened as he realized what was going on. "I'm sure you're worried about your little brother, but I doubt he'd want you to go hungry."

"Little brother?" Nina piped up, tilting her head. Al seemed to grow impossibly stiffer. "But Big Brother Ed always said he was the oldest!"

"…What?" That couldn't be right. He looked to Al. He did not correct the girl like Maes expected.

"Uh huh!" she said, kicking her feet. "I thought he was just being silly at first 'cause he's so much littler, but Big Brother Al said it was true!"

Al was still not moving. If Maes didn't know any better, he'd think he was a statue. He still made no move to deny what Nina was saying. A feeling of dread washed over Maes. "…Al? Just how old are you, anyway?"

Al somehow shrank in on himself even more. Oh, god. It couldn't really be true, could it? This case is turning out to be far worse than I thought.

"Al?" his wife prompted, which seemed to finally break his resolve. He gazed at the table below him, refusing to meet their eyes, and began fiddling with his hands.

"…Eleven," he finally managed. "I…I'm eleven." His voice sounded on the verge of breaking, like he was about to cry. He was shaking, slight but still noticeable.

Eleven. God, he was practically a baby. Strangely large for his age, but still a child all the same. His behavior was suddenly making a lot more sense.

Gracia was already on her feet, rushing to comfort the upset boy. Maes quickly followed suit, joining his wife in wrapping his arms as best as he could around Al. He felt Nina walk up beside him, hugging Al's leg, the only part of him she could reach.

A million questions were running through Maes' mind. Where were Al's parents? Why were such young children wandering around on their own? Why had they been staying with Tucker in the first place?

…Well, answers could come later. For now, comforting the distressed kid came first. "Hey, everything's going to be okay, Al," he reassured. We'll find your brother and get him back to normal, alright? And we'll make sure Tucker never hurts anyone again."

Maes was not a violent man, but he thought he may become one. Tucker had hurt not just two, but three innocent children, and for what? His own curiosity's sake? Some depraved attempt at advancing alchemic science? He couldn't fathom what kind of monster the man must be. If he accomplished nothing else in his life, Maes would be sure to make good on his promise to Al.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said once again, and he'd never meant anything more.