Maka had received a letter that day from her mother, like some of them it only contained one word: Love. She assumed it meant love for her, as her birthday was coming up soon, but it could have meant so many things with the prior being the most logical choice.
Spirit, Death's Personal Death Scythe, sat next too his old Meister Stein on the ground.
"What is it Spirit? You usually won't come 10 meters from this place and here come 10 meters from this place and here you are sitting on my floor next to me in my lab." Stein gave him a bored but inquisitive look, this was obviously puzzling if Spirit was in a funk and as he wasn't crying, blubbering, and being all about loud it wasn't due to Maka.
"Shouldn't you be at some Hostess bar or something?" he tried cajoling the Weapon into telling him something.
"Maka got a letter from her mother," Spirit stated his voice empty of any discernable emotion. His soul though was a flurry of emotion, worry being the key one taken over.
"Oh?" Stein just replied. Spirit just gave a strange cough than laugh.
"You know there's times where I think how did I get Maka into my custody? Then I remember what she's done and I realize it." Stein just made a noise of agreement, looking like he was focusing on his work when he really was paying attention to his old Weapon. "I mean there's the obvious I live here and Maka goes to school here, and that Maka's mother travels everywhere but there's more to it then that."
"Irreconcilable Differences. That's what she put down on the papers wasn't it." Stein said flatly for conformation.
"Yes, though who started it I do not have a clue anymore."
"Well you were cheating," Stein cast a wary eye over to his old Scythe, but both knew who really started it, both knew that Spirit still loved his wife more than any woman he would flirt with or date.
"And it was her fault on that. She started cheating first."
Spirit came home from the park with his little, two-year-old Maka on his shoulders, he lifted her up from his shoulders and carried her in his arms when they crossed the threshold into their house and kissed his darling daughter's forehead, she was the greatest gift he could have ever asked for. His wife giggled and he looked up and kissed Kami soundly on the lips. He always wondered how he was every lucky to deserve the two of them, he then thought back, well Stein was a part of it, and now he was Maka's Godfather, though hopefully it would never come to that. Maka's mother had made a delicious dinner for the three of them and Spirit had the job of making sure Maka ate everything and then put her to bed. Kami received a call and had to go and see Lord Death after dinner.
It was a couple of hours after Maka fell asleep, just the bed time ritual, putting pajama's on, quick bath, etc., and a quick story was enough the little girl to sleep, when a loud crack echoed throughout Spirit's house. Immediately Spirit ran to his daughter, but someone was already there. A woman, a witch, was holding on to his daughter, smiling and cooing at her.
"Let go of her!" Spirit yelled, part of his body transforming into his weapon. The witch just laughed.
"Now, now you wouldn't want to wake the child, would you?" Spirit growled the witch's spirit was huge; she had definitely been a live for a long while, most though it was his wife who contained the ability to see spirits, when both of them had it.
The witch stroked Maka's face and Spirit growled, "The daughter of a Meister and a Death Scythe, I wonder what her future's going to be." The witch screamed, Spirit had ran straight into her ramming his transformed Scythe into her before grabbing Maka and getting out of the witch's immediate range. A person ran up the stairs in his house, hopefully it would be his wife, his Meister. He took a quick look. It was Stein, he normally would have freaked a bit, but now he had a witch in his house.
"Hey be a good Godfather and take care of your Godchild. I have a witch to hunt." Spirit passed Maka over to Stein.
"Godchild?" he raised an eyebrow over to Spirit.
"Yeah, congratulations," Spirit took off towards the witch, he was a Death Scythe, he would be able to take the witch on his own without a Meister if needed. The witch was good though, managing to keep him away with certain spells and block him with a weapon she conjured, she couldn't attack though, he wouldn't let her.
"Spirit!" his wife's voice called him. He immediately went to her side, it was just like they were hunting for Kishin and witches together again, and transformed into his full weapon mode. She was just as trained, it was as if she never stopped hunting.
"Come on, lets resonate," he called for his wife, but she hesitated, she hadn't done that in years, it meant she was hiding something, "Come on!" They started to resonate, "Soul Resonanace!" He immediately knew what Kami was hiding. She was working with a new weapon, a younger one. Maybe Lord Death asked her to do it, he tried fooling himself, but she asked for it, she asked for a new weapon. She asked! He started to get upset but then the witch cackled, he focused on the battle, if he wasn't careful, if he didn't focus, that witch might get Maka.
"Witch Hunter!"
The two of them together made quick work of the witch, but something had been started between them, Spirit could feel it, a rip that wouldn't be able to heal, a rift that had grown larger.
"Stein?" Stein looked up at his old weapon, most likely thinking that Spirit and Kami did well together, "Why don't you take Maka and spend the night with her, get to know your Godchild you know? However if there is any test or experiments on her I will kill you." Stein nodded, seeing his weapon was completely serious, and the glare his wife gave was also intimidating.
"Godchild?" Stein last heard as he was walking away.
"Yeah, you got to choose the Godmother I get to choose the Godfather and I chose Stein."
"I saved you from him remember?" Kami was getting upset, he knew her secret and now he made someone she wasn't particularly fond of, though for some reason Spirit liked him, Godfather.
"He'll be a good one, he'll make sure to take care of her and if something does happen to us he'll treat her as his own. Besides that isn't the point. New Weapon! What the Hell!"
"They allow Meisters to get new Weapons just as much as they allow Weapons to get new Meisters! Or have you forgotten!"
"But most Meisters and Weapons aren't married and have a child! Besides if you told me about it instead of having me find out because of Soul Resonance where we can't hide anything really than I wouldn't be this upset! Were you ever going to tell me?" They argued through the night to the point where Spirit had enough and went to sleep at Stein's place, the place where he promised to never sleep there again years before.
Spirit saw the Weapon, now that he knew about it, more often than not, he refused to have Maka anywhere near the Weapon though, if the Weapon was over Maka was with her father or Stein. His wife just rolled her eyes, seeing she was near the Weapon Maka wasn't to be with her mother. One day the five of them went to the park. Stein was just going to sit there and relax while Maka and Spirit played at the park. Maka's mother and her mother's new Weapon had to do other things, and if Kami wanted to join them, like a true family would and how they were supposed to be, the new Weapon had to be left with Stein, and his wife didn't trust Stein at all. So the Weapon and his wife trained and practiced.
As the sun was setting a woman came up to Spirit and Maka who was finally being worn down from the day of playing.
"She's adorable," the woman cooed at Maka and gave Spirit a flirtatious smile, Spirit just smiled his stupid dad smile and agreed saying she was his pride and joy. The woman tried flirting more with him going so close to almost lean against him, "You must be a wonderful dad."
"He is," his wife came and wrapped her arms around one of his, and glared at the woman flirting with him before giving him a smile he hadn't seen in days, one that made his heart stop every time and made him smile back showing all the love he had for her, even if he was terribly jealous of her new Weapon. "He's a wonderful father and a wonderful husband."
"Oh," the woman said a little surprised, "You're married! I'm surprised I mean your wife wasn't there the entire time you were playing with your little girl I just assumed."
"Yeah well you know what they say about assuming," his wife spat back. The two women were glaring at each other and Maka yawned.
"Oh looks like Maka is all worn out," Spirit smiled, "looks like I need to go home and put her to bed. It was nice talking to you miss," he smiled at the woman who was shocked by his sudden intrusion that wasn't trying to break up their little cat fight by going: 'now, now girls,' Kami looked surprised too. "Let's go home love," he cooed to his wife before turning himself and her around. Kami turned to the other woman only to glare once more before pulling herself closer to her husband.
"We're going home," Spirit told Stein, "thanks for coming." and gave him a smile who gave a small smile back, before going to the Weapon, "My wife, will see you later," as the weapon tried to follow Kami piped in, "we aren't training tonight, go see some of your friends or family, tonight's family night for us." Spirit was a little surprised but couldn't help but smirk at the new Weapon's dejected face which grew as Spirit brought his arm even more around his wife and pulled her closer to him.
That night was something he had his wife hadn't experienced in a long while, since before she started working with her new Weapon, Spirit supposed, perhaps longer; but he definitely made her realize who her husband was, who her Weapon was, or at least he hoped. The next day however, she treated him like she did before the woman started to flirt with him, with indifference. He took Maka to Stein to complain and for her Godfather to see his Goddaughter, he would have to get used to the fact that he has a family to look after now. Kami was back with her new Weapon and Spirit just glared, he couldn't take it anymore, if this was how she was going to be then fine.
Once more he and Maka were out on their own, just him and his daughter, Kami wasn't taking an active part in his daughter's life anymore. He was getting so tired of it, of her not being there, of being with this new Weapon over their family. Maka was so excited to be there with her daddy though that he just pushed it to the back of his mind. Maka came first over his jealousy and their petty fights, Maka came first. Another couple came by with their own child and cooed at Maka as he cooed at their child. A young boy with almost white hair, he felt something similar within the boy. Another little boy older than Maka and their boy, came running up to his mom and dad, he looked similar in looks to his brother.
"You're not from here," he stated looking at the young child who was smiling at their parents.
"No, how did you know?" the woman's voice had a musical lilt to it.
"Just a guess, that and you don't seem used to Nevada's heat," he smiled, both parents smiled at each other before smiling at him.
"No," the husband chuckled, "We're used to New York's weather. You have a beautiful daughter." Spirit chuckled as well.
"Thanks," Spirit looked at both sons again, "Looks like both of your sons will be heart breakers."
"I hope their musical talent will be as great as their heart breaking will be if what you say is correct," their mother giggled and ruffled her eldest son's head affectionately to which flashed a brilliant smile.
"What's their names?" Spirit asked holding his daughter closer to him.
"This is Wes," the father said placing his hand on the elders head, "and this little one is Soul." The father smiled at his youngest son and held his wife close to him. The six of them went out for lunch when Kami and her new Weapon saw them and asked to join. Spirit wasn't happy about it but it was more of me being unhappy about the Weapon being with my family and the Evans family, he shouldn't be there. His wife did show affection though, that she still loved him whether that was because the Evans were there or she truly did have affection for him Spirit didn't know. He kept an eye on his wife secretly and saw the lingering touches and gazes she gave her new Weapon. The two were together in more ways than Meister and Weapon, and the Evans saw it as well from the sad looks they shot to him and Maka. Spirit just put on a smile and pretended as if he couldn't see it, as if nothing was wrong, but the Evans could tell.
The waitress was really friendly to all of them but was flirty with him, especially when she saw Maka, she exclaimed, "Oh you must be a good father to have such a beautiful baby like her." The Evans chuckled as Spirit became all starry eyed at his daughter and started saying on how great of a daughter she was and how she slept through the night. The waitress went on to Soul and Wes saying that they were beautiful children and how they looked exactly like their parents as well. She chuckled about how cute it would be if Soul and Maka became friends or dated when they were older, and the Evans and the waitress giggled when Spirit became overprotective. As the waitress kept flirting with him though his wife was getting upset and started to stop flirting with her Weapon and more towards her husband and glared at the waitress to back away. Spirit sighed and looked at his wife, it was time to be done with this bull shit.
When Spirit and his wife got home, without the Weapon, and they finally fought.
"What the Hell?" Spirit asked his wife.
"What is it Spirit?" Kami rolled her eyes annoyed.
"If you're going to cheat Kami," she looked at him shocked, his voice was dangerously low almost growling, "keep him away from my daughter and away from me. Not only have you proven it once. No…twice, but you're now showing it in front of people we are just meeting. If I see him again, I will fight him and you will not like the result, and if it continues, I'll take Maka."
"You…you can't do that!" Kami looked worried and she would have continued but Spirit's glare cut her off.
"Try me. I will not let our daughter grow up with a cheating mother in front of her own face!"
"And what about you!?" Kami yelled back, "I saw the way those women were flirting with you?"
"What?" Spirit glared, he loved his wife but this was a little much, "I never cheated, or flirted, with anyone but you. You are my wife! My Meister! The one I love more than anyone else! This betrayal, first by Meister next by Wife, what's next Kami by Mother? I think you've already done that." His wife looked upset, she wasn't expecting this, she wasn't ready for this.
"Are you divorcing me?" She looked as if she was going to cry, damn, Spirit looked away, he never could take her crying, his heart ached he still loved her too much. He couldn't do it.
"No, not yet, I'm letting you look like a good mother, as Maka grows older, if we divorced or anything, I will let you look like a good mother. He's not allowed near her, this house, or me, cause if I see him, here or near Maka I will hurt him." That ended their conversation and he slept in the guest room for the first time that would become a series of nights.
Needless to say he never saw the Weapon near their house or Maka, but if it was just him and Stein sometimes they would happened upon his Wife and the Weapon, he would glare such an icy glare that his spirit would cut the air. Stein once made the comment that it looked like some insanity was creeping into his eyes, the green eyed monster yes but insanity he denied vehemently. They didn't even sleep in the same room anymore. They would pretend to love each other, or at least his wife pretended to love him, for Maka. In all reality they were pretty much divorced in everything but name.
When he and Maka would go to the park, store, wherever and a woman would flirt with him, he'd recognize it, and instead of not flirting back like he usually did, he started to flirt back. When his wife would recognize she'd get jealous and that was what he was looking for, it really was but at the same time it wasn't what he fully wanted. He wanted her to ditch the new Weapon and stay with him and Maka, like it was supposed to be, apparently it would never be that way.
They spent many years like that, and in Maka's view he was the bad guy for flirting, which was what he wanted, he didn't want her to think her mother was a bad person. Finally when he was about to do it he had an idea, he slid the papers over to her and said that she should be the one to ask for it.
"You're divorcing me?" she asked him, clearly upset she wasn't expecting that.
"Yes, but to Maka, you're divorcing me, I've made her look at me as the bad guy in this. Same restrictions though, your new Weapon-"
"He's been my Weapon for years now!"
"I don't care, your new Weapon, is allowed no where near her, and I'm guardian of Maka, you will not take her away from me Kami, you do not have to see me again, but I'm tired of you stringing two guys along. I'm done with this."
When Maka came home, when they knew she was watching but didn't think they knew she was there, Kami put down the divorce papers, and he played it like a ham. Maka went away and cried a bit, she didn't want her mom and dad to divorce. His wife, for she will always be his wife or Meister, cried as well.
"You will always be my wife," he whispered as he pulled her into a deep hug not wanting to let everything go their past and everything they stood for, "but I can't take being second fiddle, being second best, I can't take spending so many years of being cheated on blatantly even if I was flirting I have done nothing more than flirt. Even in the future, you will always be my wife." He kissed her once more, one last and final time saying goodbye and she signed the divorce agreement.
Stein stretched before looking at his scythe, who was shaking his head out of his memories.
"Still love her huh?" Stein asked. Spirit's eyes fogged saying everything.
"Very much, even though she cheated, even though she has a new Weapon, no matter what I still love her. Just hurts, that's all." Stein nodded.
"Dad!" Maka's voice clearly rang out through Stein's house, "Daddy? Are you here?" Stein just smiled at Spirit who was in a mixture of happiness and apprehensive. Stein watched as he went from Spirit to loving, overprotective dad mode.
"Maka sweety!" Stein smiled as Maka was attacked by her loving father and Maka just apologized for her father and took him home. Stein just chuckled, his goddaughter and old Weap- best friend were a funny combination, it was a shame that Spirit's wife wouldn't be able to see that, or see Spirit for what he really was.