A:N/ had this idea for awhile too (what ideas do I NOT have for awhile). Anyway, took my first final today, have all day Tuesday off, and then ill be back to school for testing Wednesday. Then the rest of my week shall be for you guys! Enjoy this new story. I've never liked Maka's mom. I mean come on! She basically abandoned her with a man she hates, tat don't seem like love. And Spirit is always getting crap from Maka, so he needs to be the good guy for once.

Enjoy!

"Mama, where's Papa?"

The little girl stood there, teddy bear held tight in her tiny arms. She looked at a woman sitting in a darkly lit room. The woman looked tired and haggard, worn down from years of wear and tear. The woman did not respond, so the child continued to stare with her innocent green eyes.

"Where's Papa?," she repeated, a little more firmly.

The woman sighed. It wasn't tired, as the girl expected. It was frustrated. Having never heard that sound directed towards her before, the girl flinched. She even jumped when the woman turned to finally answer.

"He's out, Maka. Out with some… friends," she whispered. The girl had to struggle to hear, for she dared not get any closer to this strange woman in her dining room.

"Why don't you ever go out…Mama? Why don't you have friends like Papa?," Maka asked. Even though she could tell something was wrong with her mama, something very wrong with this woman, her childlike mind was too immature to even comprehend the greatest act of betrayal coming her way. She continued on with her questions; "where's Papa?" "why aren't you with him?" "do you ever go out Mama?," never sensing the woman's dwindling patience.

"I DON'T NEED FRIENDS LIKE HIS!," the woman suddenly exploded. The little child literally jumped back in fright, mouth scared shut, eyes wide. The woman was out of her chair now, taking slow steps with each snarling sentence.

"I DON'T NEED HIM AND HIS WHORES! I DON'T NEED HIM! HE DOESN'T LOVE ME OR YOU!," she yelled louder, getting closer and closer. The little girl stepped back into the wall, trapped.

She was truly frightened. This wasn't her Mama! Her Mama was a kind person who always made her feel safe and loved. This strange woman in her house made her feel threatened, like she needs to run away now! But she couldn't move. The closer this woman got, the more fear crept into the little girl's body, rendering her unable to move.

But this was her mother, the girl reasoned with herself, her mother! She was just angry at Papa for something and didn't know what she was saying. Of course Papa loved them! He loved them most of all!

"But…Papa loves us, Mama," she tried, head filled with determination to make her mother see the truth, but her voice wavered with uncertainty.

"HE DOESN'T LOVE US!," the woman shrieked. She was seething, boiling over, frothing at the mouth. No words could describe the anger in her. Her mouth opened and closed, like she was trying to talk, but couldn't form words. The little girls eyes shifted to the woman's hands. They clenched and unclenched over and over. That was when the feeling of needing to run away felt the strongest. Why didn't she run?

Distracted by the hands, the girl didn't even notice when one of them was risen against her.

Distracted by the shock, she didn't even notice when it came down towards her face.

Distracted by the pain, she didn't notice she was falling to the floor.

Distracted by the hurt, she was unable to see the hate in that woman's eyes.

This was not her mother. Not anymore.

Maka slowly opened her eyes. She stared above her at the white ceiling for a few seconds, trying not to think. Just a dream, she thought. All she wanted to do was forget. She had to forget. She had to get up and make breakfast for Soul before he "died" of hunger. She smiled sadly to herself.

He didn't know what hunger felt like.

She was sitting with Soul and her friends in class when the phone call came.

"Maka! You gotta call waiting in Lord Death's room!," Sid called up to her seat. She and Soul both glanced at each other before she hopped down the stairs. Soul watched her with worry as she made her way to the door. Why would she need to go to the Death room for a stupid phone call?

"You should go too, Soul," Sid said, then continued grading papers. Soul put his hands on the desk and slowly rose from his seat. He wasn't in a rush to catch up. Having heard Sid, Maka waited, her hand on the doorknob. Their friends watched as the two left together.

"Why would they have to go to your father's room?," Black*Star asked Kid, but he shook his head. He didn't even know. "Must be important though," Kid commented.

"Helloooo Maka! Soul! Welcome, welcome! Come on in, don't be shy!"

The chipper voice of the Death Lord greeted the pair as they walked into his room. The black lighting bolt shaped cartoon character bounced from side to side, humming a funny tune to himself. Well, at least he should have.

Instead, when they walked in, he was silent. His back was turned to them, facing his mirror, not even acknowledging their presence. He was not alone. Also in the room with him were Professor Stein, Marie-Sensei, Spirit. They too did not say anything.

Maka heard Soul gulp quietly to himself as they mounted the stairs. They stood their side by side in silence, waiting for someone to say something. Maka opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but she was interrupted.

"Maka…," Spirit said. She looked at her father, more slumped over than usual. His face also was a lot more pasty. He looked scared. No, more like frightened. Like he'd just been told his "precious daughter" was going to die. Oh God, don't get ideas, she whined to herself.

"Papa?," she asked and he extended his arms towards her. She was genuinely surprised. The only other times he had made any attempt to touch her was when he was being stupid and crying at her feet or crushing her in a phony hug. But this seemed very genuine. Like he wanted her in his arms. Needed her close to him.

She gave soul a sideways glance before reluctantly walking into her fathers arms, where he turned her to face the mirror, and hugged her from behind. Spirit closed his eyes and leaned in close to Maka's ear, where no one else would hear him.

"I promise you, Maka," he whispered, "I swear to you, I will let nothing touch you. No one will hurt you while I'm here."

His voice had transformed from that of whiney man to a grown parent. She didn't need to question him, she didn't need to make him promise anything, she could here it in his voice. He was ready now to be her father. He will protect her. And for once in her life, she believed.

"I know," she whispered back. He hugged her once more, then released her and gently pushed her closer to the mirror.

She stood there beside Lord Death, starring into the dark depths of his mirror. Neither one turned away from it.

Finally he spoke. "Need I say who's one the other side?" He was referring to the call.

She shook her head once. "I think I have a feeling."

"Uh, yeah…I'd kinda like to know!"

He was so quiet, she'd almost forgot Soul was even here. He could probably see her in the mirror's reflection, so she quickly took a moment to collect herself. All she wanted to do was run as far away from this room as possible. But Soul knew that was not her, or at least the façade she normally put up. Doing something so out of character for him, but in character for her, would raise more questions from soul. Ones she didn't want to answer.

Putting on her brave face, she looked at his figure reflected in the mirror. "You always wanted to know what my Mama looked like, right Soul?," she stated, not really asking.

He slowly nodded his head. "Yeah…"

"Well, you're about to find out."

It was silent again except for the beating of her heart. She watched as Soul digested what she said. He looked even more confused as he looked around the room, at the solemn looks on Stein, Marie and Spirit's faces. He looked back at Maka.

"I don't get it…Why's everyone one so friggin' gloomy lookin'? Shouldn't you be happy that she's calling?," he asked, voice giving away the growing panic he felt inside. This was all wrong.

He looked wide eyed at Maka's own eyes in the mirror, silently pleading for an answer, but she was looking past him. Her eyes had glazed over and she cautiously brought her hand close to the glass. She laid her hand flat just above the cool surface, it looked like she was giving the stop signal. Soul watched as she took a deep breath and held it as she pressed her palm to the glass.

A voice from the mirror, a computerized woman's voice, said "Accepting incoming call from Kami Albarn."

One beep sounded through room as the call was put through. Maka was still holding her breath as she brought he ahnd away from the shiny glass. Soul held his breath too as the screen stayed pitch black, only a fuzzy sound emanating from it. He looked to Lord Death who still had not moved. Spirit was looking at Maka, caring less about the woman supposedly making a call. He was more concerned about his daughter.

Soul looked to Stein and Marie. Marie had not turned away from the mirror, waiting, staring at it. Stein was much the same.

It was completely silent in the room. The only sound heard by one person was their own heart beats. Then finally, finally, the fuzzing stopped. Slowly, the darkness began to fade away, revealing what appeared to be a woman, it was still so blurry thought.

Seconds went by as the image focused, all blurriness gone. Soul gasped at what he saw, the only sound in the room at that moment. The woman looked exactly like Maka!

The woman's emerald green eyes scanned the room, meeting the eyes of everyone. Soul froze as she stopped on him, but she looked at him with blank eyes only for a fraction of a second before she settled on the last person. Maka.

The blank look left then. It was replaced with a sick emotion. Soul had only experienced this look once before in his life. It was from his mother. It was morbid amusement.

"Hello Maka."

A:N/ Ah? (nudges Julia) Ahh? Ahh? (nudges her harder with elbow until she's bleeding on the floor) AHHH?

Julia: it sucks (sticks tongue out, just daring me to elbow her again)

Me: Okay! Ima post it! (whispers to Julia as she cowers on the floor: ill get you my little pretty. And yur little humpy happy dogs too!)

Okay I'm done. Reviews will prevent WW3!