Well, I'm back! I thought now was as good a time as any to start posting part two! I'm going to go through and italicize this time, so I'm only going to post a chapter a week or so. Plus, I love building suspense. :) This one picks up right after part one! Yay! Set in the same slight-alternate universe.

Soul Eater (c) Atsushi Ōkubo and Studio Bones

All Original Characters (c) Me

PART TWO

Chapter 1: Before The Storm

Soul sat at the table, his finger twirled around the telephone chord. The receiver was held close to his ear. He tapped his foot and listened to someone scream at him from the other side. Since he had gotten back late, all he really wanted to do was sleep. But that wasn't going to happen. Azusa, the woman on the other line, continued to yell furiously.

"And what am I supposed to do about the people who just left for battle? Do you know that Kid himself didn't come because he was too worried about you? What do you think this is? A tea party? This is war, Soul Eater! You can't just leave without permission! Without telling anyone! I know you're new to this, but honestly! How am I going to explain this to Lord Death? All Death Scythes excluding Spirit were supposed to be in the first regiment! What were you thinking? Just tell me that. What the heck was going through your mind?" she berated. Soul rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Azusa."

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't answer my question!"

"We were attacked by a witch! What do you want me to do about it?" Soul snapped. He had arrived home with the sole desire to get some sleep and call it a night. Of course, he should have known that acting on impulse would have gotten him in trouble. But he didn't care. The witch Calypso was dead now. He just wanted some peace and quiet.

"How dare you speak to me like that, Soldier? I am your superior! You have no right to have done what you did!" she sneered. "Your duty is to this city."

"My duty is also to the people I care about," Soul said in a cool tone.

"I'm sorry to hear about your brother," she said solemnly. Soul sighed. His brother, Wes, had been hurt badly in the battle and was recovering in the hospital. He was almost killed saving Soul's life. There was still a chance that he could die. "But that doesn't change the fact-"

"Azusa?" Another voice was heard over the speaker. It was a smaller, sweeter voice. One that Soul could easily identify. "Let me talk to him." There was a rustling sound before the voice spoke again, this time up close to the sender. "Soul? This is Marie." Soul relaxed a bit.

"Hey," he said.

"How are you? How are you feeling?" she asked in her usual sun-like tone. "Have you heard from the hospital yet?"

"No," Soul said. And he was starting to worry, too. "Nothing yet."

"And how is Maka? You're with her, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Soul looked over at his partner who was sitting on the couch in her pajamas reading a book. "After the night we've had, just dropping her off didn't feel right."

"I see," she said pensively. "Say, Soul. There is another regiment leaving in two days. Stein and Spirit will be leading that particular charge. So...if you'd like..."

"No!" Azusa tried to grab the phone away from Marie. "We need him here now! I was supposed to get him in the first regiment! This is going to screw up the entire battle strategy!"

"There's nothing we can do! He's in no condition emotionally or physically to fight on the front lines right now!" Marie yelled holding it away from her. Soul could hear the static from the other side. "Soul, if you want, you can wait and come with that squad. We won't start our first attack until the end of the week when everyone is available. Does that sound fair?" Soul nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said.

"You'd...better confirm it with Azusa." She handed the phone back to the annoyed head of commission.

"Soul?" Azusa said. "We will wait for your arrival in two days. Don't miss this one. We need as many Death Scythes on the battlefield as possible." She was quiet for a moment. "Stein will be expecting you then. Be home by normal time." Soul gulped. He twisted his finger tighter around the chord.

"Actually," he began, his heart starting to pound. "I'm staying with Maka tonight." The other side went silent for a while.

"What?" Azusa finally said, as though he had just asked for a raise.

"I said-" he began. But she cut him off.

"No."

"Just for tonight."

"No!"

"That wasn't a request," Soul stated. "I'm staying here for the night. I'll return to Stein tomorrow, I promise."

"Of course you can, Soul," It was Marie's voice this time. "You've been through a lot."

"Marie!"

"Oh, come now. It's only for one night. Let him have his time of security." She was smiling. Soul could tell.

"Fine," Azusa said. "But you'd better report to Stein 7pm tomorrow evening, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Roger. I hope you know what you're doing, Solider." And with that, the line went dead. Soul hung up the phone and sighed. That was just as brutal as I had expected, he thought. He looked over at Maka, who was still engrossed in her book, or so it would appear. He walked over and plopped himself down on the couch next to her, letting out an exasperated groan.

"So," his partner finally spoke up. "How much trouble are you in?" Soul stretched his back against the back of the couch.

"Well, let's see. I left to find you mere hours before I was supposed to leave for the war. I missed my ride to camp. Not to mention I completely skipped curfew to see someone I'm not really supposed to engage with anymore. Then, I had the audacity to ask for a day of leave for my brother. Yeah, I wouldn't say I'm exactly off the hook." He grinned. He didn't care if he was in trouble. Maka was finally safe. The witch was dead. For once he could just ease into an evening without worry. Compared to that, a little extra punishment from his superiors hardly seemed troubling.

"I'm sorry," Maka said setting the book down. "This is all my fault. I completely fell for Calypso's trap. You were right. I need to be less impulsive." Soul flashed her a toothy smile, as he often did.

"That's right. It's stupid and reckless." He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "But if it wasn't for you, I would have never known my brother needed my help." The air grew thick. The look on Soul's face changed from content to worry. It was true, he still hadn't heard anything from the hospital. He was beginning to worry that his hopes wouldn't be strong enough.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Maka asked. Soul shook his head.

"I'm not sure. But there's no sense in worrying about it now." He stretched his arms up as to act casual. He turned his head to look over at Maka. Her face was red and she was staring at her hands. This wasn't good. He could see she blamed herself for his brother's injury. For not being cautious and letting the witch take advantage of her.

"Soul..." She couldn't help but feel terrible. Wes was Soul's only family he could truly trust when he was young. Now, he might be gone forever. She would never get to truly know him. Never get to hear him play the violin. But as she felt tears starting to well up, a firm hand perched itself on her shoulder. She looked at it, then at its owner, who was facing straight ahead.

"I know." He pulled her in close to his chest. Maka's face grew hot. She could hear his heart beating, his deep, controlled breath. She wondered how he could be so calm. She secretly hoped he was just glad to be back, just like old times. Only now things were different. She sighed. He hadn't spoken a word to her about the kiss. It was most likely an act of impulse, she figured. She wasn't going to bring it up. But the way her heart kept pounding, she couldn't help but feel nervous around him. That was definitely abnormal.

"I don't think..." Maka began hesitantly. "I ever really thanked you." She relaxed into his arms. He loved feeling her next to him, as though nothing could tear her away. He blushed at the question.

"What was I going to do, just let my meister die?" he chuckled. Maka shook her head.

"No, I mean..." she trailed off again, slapping herself for even mentioning it in the first place. "For staying. All this time." This took Soul by surprise. "I know you and I tend to fight a lot, and I'll admit there are some things about you that drive me crazy! And I would be stupid to think there weren't aspects of me that you couldn't stand."

"Maka..."

"But even through all of that, you put up with me for all these years. Even after you became a Death Scythe, you could have left...I mean...you got all those letters..." She couldn't find the strength to continue. She wondered what he would say. That it was convenient to stay with the meister he had? That he felt like she wouldn't be as strong without him? But Soul's hand slipped down from her shoulder to around her waist.

"I never considered it for a second," he said bluntly. And it was the truth. Maka was his partner. He had never once thought about leaving her, not even when they fought. He had made a commitment, sure, but it was something more than that. He needed her ambition, her drive to succeed. Sure he could get that elsewhere, but he had never met another person quite as determined as she was. It scared him sometimes, though. How she would act without thinking based on the sole desire to accomplish something. He hoped she needed him in the same way. To keep herself steady and on her feet. But deep down, he worried that he was never motivated enough for her. That he always wanted to take the easy way out.

"Really? Never for a second?" she inquired.

"Nope." He said. "Not at all."

"Why?" Maka said as she yawned.

"Because no one else seemed capable of keeping you in your place," he teased with a smirk. Maka play punched him in the gut. "No," he said as he calmed down. He lifted his hand from around her waist and gently stroked her hair. "I was just comfortable with the way things were. I didn't want them to change just because I has a higher rank. You and I...had done so much. We had become..." he blushed. "I guess what I mean is, well, we had been through a lot together. In battles, in fights. I just got used to you being around all of the time. That wasn't exactly something common, you have to understand, it was- the first time I ever felt like I needed someone. And it was bad. I couldn't be apart from you for more than a day, without feeling the side effects of withdrawal. I tried to burn the letters, but I couldn't. So, I have them stashed away somewhere. I think in the bookshelf or something like that. I still get them, you know. Every once in a while. And I don't feel bad about turning them down at all. They should know by now..." He closed his eyes and inhaled. "I can't be with anyone else." There was nothing but silence coming from his partner. "Maka?" Still nothing. He could feel her chest rise and fall. He smiled to himself. There Maka lay on his chest, fast asleep. He snuggled in close to her and let her slip farther onto his lap. I'll tell her later, he thought.

***

Soul awoke to the sound of the telephone ringing. He lazily tried to get up to answer it when he noticed Maka still knocked out on his chest. Had he really been there all night? It was possible. He had slept better than he had in weeks. He stood up and made his way over to the kitchen where he had last set down the phone.

"Hello?"

Maka didn't hear much of the conversation, though she didn't mind. Lying on Soul, having him close to her after all that time was worth it. She smiled and snuggled into the couch. The phone clicked off and she heard the rustle of movement. She opened her eyes to see her partner sitting on the edge of the couch, slipping on his shoes. She blinked, not knowing what to do. Soul turned his head and looked at her, smiling. He scooted himself over as she sat up. He put a hand on her cheek and stroked back her hair.

"Was that..." she began. He nodded and put his other shoe on. His silence was an indication that wherever he was going, he wanted to go alone. Maka understood. It's to see Wes, she thought to herself. Tears started to trickle in her eyes.

"I'll be back, soon" he said releasing her from his grip. He stood up and headed out the door. She couldn't tell whether it was good or bad news, but he didn't seem particularly frantic either way. She frowned. Why couldn't he just let her in? What happened to his brother was just as much her fault as it was his. Why did he always have to carry the burdens alone? Maka slunk back into the couch. Those were questions for another time, she thought. Right now, she needed to let him do what he thought was necessary.

***

Soul entered the white building and shuddered. He hated hospitals. They made him feel vulnerable and exposed. Since coming to the Academy, he had spent many hours in the infirmary either recovering himself from almost getting killed on multiple occasions or for his friends who themselves couldn't seem to get out of trouble. But that wasn't this place. This was a real hospital where people were sent to die. He would never forgive himself if he let his brother suffer the same fate. The guy was a jerk, sure. But family was family, Soul understood that better than anyone. The woman on the phone had told him to come as soon as possible. This wasn't going to be good. How would he tell his parents? What would he tell his parents? If he told the truth, they would never let him return to the academy. Maka would be heartbroken. Soul shook his head. He shouldn't have been thinking about troubling things like that before they even happened. It wasn't productive to worry.

A woman wearing a knee-long white gown came up to him and smiled. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"Uh...yeah," Soul said pulling himself back into reality. "My Name is Soul Ea-Evans," He hadn't used his last name for anything in so long he had almost forgotten it was his. "I got a phone call telling me to come right away?"

"Ah yes," The woman said. "You're Wes Evans' younger brother. The one who was with him when he was injured?"

"That's right," Soul gulped. Here it comes, he thought. Sweat dampened his neck. The woman noticed his nervous stance and smiled brighter.

"You don't have to worry, your brother is going to be alright. The operation was a complete success." She put a hand on his shoulder. Soul felt the worry melt away from his body into a puddle on the floor. Wes was alive? He was more than alive, he was alright! "You may see him, if you like, but I don't think he's going to wake up for a while." Soul thanked the woman and darted off to see Wes, only returning a few moments later to inquire his actual location.

Soul finally located the room, after almost getting lost three times along the way. He went to open the door, when a nurse walked out, passing him without a second glance. He watched her leave and swallowed hard. Taking the handle of the door, he entered the room. It was a simple hospital bed, something Soul had grown accustomed to seeing. There were wires and tubes sticking out every which way, attaching his brother to machines that hummed and buzzed in the air. He inched his way towards the bed where his brother lay sleeping.

"W-Wes?" he asked. The man didn't move. "You asleep?" When the man didn't respond again, Soul crept around to the other side of the bed. He pulled out a chair and sat down in it, staring at him. He looked so serene in the light of the morning. Soul felt a tug at his chest. This was his fault, all of it. "You mind if I just...hang out for a bit?" he asked into the motionless room. The silence remained as Soul began to hear his own breathing. "Thanks. I knew you wouldn't mind."

He sat there for a long time, watching him sleep. He thought that might be a little creepy, but there was nothing else he could do. He didn't know what to say to him, not after everything he had been through. He sighed again, leaning forward onto his knees.

"You know," Soul said after a long pause. "I was always jealous of you. Ever since I was little." He pressed his hands to his head. "That...um...probably doesn't mean anything now. I just thought, in case we don't see each other in a while, I should tell you what's what. See, I'm trying this whole 'being honest' thing. I'm a beginner so it's gonna take some getting used to." He laughed to himself. "But I think everyone I know would be better off for it." Wes' eyebrows twitched, but he didn't wake up. "I'm...kind of an idiot," he confessed. "And I don't always know the right thing to do. I wished I could be like you. Smart, sophisticated, always knew what to say and when to say it. I wanted to be a good musician...for Ma and Pop..." his voice trailed off as he could feel his throat getting caught on his words. "But that wasn't really who I was supposed to be. I know that now. So I came to say that...I don't want to be you anymore. That's not an insult or anything! I just...I found out I can do so much more when I'm me." He slapped himself in the face. "Okay...now that sounds stupid." He frowned. "Totally uncool." But the more he thought about it, the more the words rang true. He stood up and stuck his hands in his pockets. "But, maybe now that I've found my purpose..." he blushed. "We can, I don't know, just be brothers. Like we're supposed to?" There came no response. Soul sighed. "Eh...what do you know?" he teased, making his way out the door. A smile crept across his face.

He didn't feel the need to thank him for saving him or apologizing for what he did. Wes was his older brother. Taking care of him was his job. Huh...guess we're not so different after all, he thought.

***

Mia sat in her chair, drinking her tea. She stared across blankly into the eyes of her table companion. This is...kind of awkward, she thought to herself. The eyes belonged to a young boy, about twelve years of age. He had rich brown hair and olive, almost italian looking skin. He was fiddling with the fork, trying to stab the last pea from his plate. He was so strange, Mia noticed. She sipped on her cup, unsure of what to do or say.

"I...um..." she started, but stopped when his eyes locked with hers. "Thank you for lunch."

The boy smiled. "It's the least I could do after what happened," he managed to say, though deep down he was just as nervous as she was.

Mia frowned. It had all happened so fast. She was in the dorms of the DWMA when she had seen a spider. All of the other girls wanted to kill it, but Mia couldn't find it in her heart to harm any living creature, especially those with a soul. It didn't matter if it was dark outside, she decided to take it out and set it free. She scooped it up in a cup and headed outside. That's when the man attacked. He wasn't just a man, he was a chainsaw. He kept shouting at her and swearing at her for murdering someone. Mia was confused. She had never murdered anyone! The man was about to slice her in half. That's when he came.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked. "What were you doing outside in the middle of the night?"

"I was...I was just trying to free a spider that had snuck into the dorm," she confessed weakly.

"Oh," the boy said. "You couldn't have just waited until morning?"

Mia shook her head. "They wanted to kill it! I couldn't let them do that!"

The boy looked at her curiously. "...they?"

Mia sank. "The other girls in the dorm."

"Oh," the boy said, trying once again to stab his pea with his fork. It was a poor attempt. "You know I heard about this guy before. Giriko. They say he used to work for the witch Arachne, but couldn't find any work after that." He took a sip of his own drink and leaned back. "Then he joined up with Noah's gang. You know, the ones who kidnapped Lord Death's son that one time?"

"He did that?"

The boy nodded. "They thought he had died, but apparently he didn't. He must still be blood thirsty. You had a spider so that could have made him target you. I'm sorry." He looked at the girl for a long time. "You shouldn't go around without your partner nearby. It isn't safe, especially since the DWMA is going to war soon."

Mia blushed. "Oh...but I don't have a partner. I was training with Miss Maka for a while, but I still haven't found one." She put her hands on her face. "I'm so ashamed."

The boy blinked harshly. "Whoa! Girl...don't...don't do that! It's not the end of the world if you don't find a partner right away. This kind of thing takes time," he reassured. "Like, I had a partner I got with the first day of school and realized it just wasn't working out. Nothing's going to happen on your first try!"

"Y-you don't have a partner?"

The boy swallowed hard. "No, not anymore. But you don't see me in a frantic hurry, do you?"

Mia smiled and wiped her eyes. "No, I guess not." She paused for a while, taking in his wavelength. She could almost sense it, a strong stability and practicality.

"My name's Blake by the way," he finally said, holding out his hand.

"Mia," she said as she took it. She remembered how he had used a stick to ward off the scythe man while the two of them made a run for it. "You're a meister?" she asked. His ears perked.

"And you're a weapon," Blake noted.

Mia blushed. "Yeah...I'm a knife."

"Sweet!" he said, showing a sort of boyish charm. "My dad used to be a chef so I would help him sharpen his knives all of the time. They're good weapons too, I'm sure you'll do great in hand to hand combat!"

Mia's eyes grew wide. "Do you really think so?"

Blake nodded and stabbed his pea finally with his fork. After a slight moment of mental celebration, his attention turned back to Mia. "You wanna test it out sometime?"

Mia felt her heart begin to pound. "You mean like...as partners?" she stammered.

"Sure, why not?" he said. "Sorry, if that's a little sudden for you..."

"No! No!" Mia shouted, holding her hands up in protest. Blake laughed at her and stuffed the pea in his mouth. "I would really like to try it! Thank you!"

Suddenly there was a buzz from the above screen monitor of the restaurant. "Attention Students of the DWMA," Sid's voice announced. "We have requested all of you come to the plaza of the school for an urgent message from Lord Death. Be there by 2:00pm sharp. This meeting is not optional. All must attend. That is all."

Mia gulped. What could it be? What could Lord Death have to say? Could it be something about the war? she wondered. Blake immediately stood up.

"Guess we'd better get going, then," he said offering his hand to Mia. She nodded and took it. Hopefully whatever news Lord Death would have to give, it would be good.

Writer's Note: I have discovered that I enjoy putting peas in my stories. Kind of funny, cause I do that.