I don't own anything.
Spirit felt like he was on top of the world. He had just recently become a Deathscythe, and he was going to ask Kami, his meister partner and the girl of his dreams to go steady with him. He might have only been fifteen, but he could tell that she was the one, and with laws the way they were in Death City, he would only need to wait till he was seventeen before they could get married.
The red haired scythe boy was walking down the street as if he was the king of the world, with a bunch of flowers in one hand, and a box of chocolates in the other.
However, his mood took a hit when he noticed someone leaning against the bridge he was about to cross. Spirit froze and took a gulp of air as he recognized the stitched clothes of his old partner, Franken Stein. His ashe gray hair and the giant screw in the size of his head made in next to impossible to mistake him for anyone else.
"Oh no... maybe he hasn't noticed me yet." Spirit said, preparing to take a different route in order to avoid the psychotic boy. But then he noticed something in Stein's hand as the other boy looked out towards the grinning sun. He had a letter bottle of pure Russian vodka in his left hand, one that seemed to be about half empty. His shoulder's were down and he wasn't doing anything.
Spirit paused, watching his old partner for a few seconds. He had never known Stein to be an ideal or brooding kind of guy. Something must have been wrong, and no mater how much he hated it, he was probably the closest thing Stein had to a guy friend.
"Hey Stein." Spirit said as he approached the gray haired boy. Stein's head lifted slightly, he had been surprised, not paying attention to his soul perception. Not a good sign.
"Oh, Spirit. It's been a while." Stein said glumly. His voice even more depressing than usual.
"Where did you get the vodka?" Spirit asked.
"Bought it." Stein replied shortly. He seemed to be trying to edge away from Spirit, as if ashamed.
"You're a minor, didn't they check you for ID?" Spirit said, sounding a bit worried.
"I didn't really give the guy a choice about selling it to me." Stein mumbled. He had assaulted the man. That figured.
"Did you kill him?" Spirit asked, a slight bit of tension in his voice. Stein shook his head, and Spirit let out a sigh of relief. "Stein, what's going on? Why did you go through all the trouble of getting this?"
"I... Marie and I had an argument. She's really cross with me right now." Stein said his shoulders falling even further. Spirit blinked in confusion. He had thought that Stein and Marie were stable at the moment. She was a sweet girl when off the battlefield and they had been together for a year, ever since she had become Stein's replacement partner. They were such a good team that he had already gotten her to Deathscythe.
"Come on Stein, pull yourself together. You know Marie couldn't hold a grudge to save her life. I'm sure this will all blow over before you even get back to the dorms. Kami and I have our little spat all the time. No relationship goes without them." Spirit said, carefully putting an arm around Stein's shoulder.
"Spirit... Marie's pregnant." Stein said weakly, still avoiding eye contact. Spirit stopped cold as that last word slowly sank in.
"...WHAT!? Stein... how!? Why!? You're only fourteen! What were you thinking!? Why would you of all people do something so stupid!?" Spirit shouted as his heart felt like it was going to rip itself out of its chest in shock.
"Like you're one to talk. The whole dorm knows what goes on between you and Kami." Stein grumbled.
"We use a condom!" Spirit shouted, though he did have a blush on his face.
"So did I... I just accidentally used a soul force during orgasm. The condom was destroyed." Stein said with a sigh. He lifted up the bottle of vodka to drink, but Spirit pulled it out of his hands.
"You've had enough of this." He said in a harsh voice. "Stein, when did this happen?"
"Three weeks. We just found out because she missed her monthy bleeding." Stein said looking at the bottle in Spirit's hand. He was so miserable, he couldn't even motivate himself into taking it back.
Spirit winced. He hated to see the guy like this. Okay, so he hated to see the guy period, but this was in a different way. "Stein, I'm sure that Marie is in shock, just like you are. Once things come down we'll figure things out. You know how much Marie loves kids. I'm sure the two of you can work things out."
"I suggested we abort the fetus." Stein answered simply, his head dropping again. "She didn't take it well."
Spirit's face hardened a little more. "Stein, you know how Lord Death looks on that." Spirit said coldly.
"Yeah... I know. But it is the safest option." Stein mumbled. "Spirit... what if it is like me?" Stein said, something in his voice that Spirit had rarely ever heard there; genuine fear and regret. He looked up into Spirit's eyes for the first time.
"Stein... I..." Spirit didn't known what to say, he just stared back into Stein's pale golden eyes. He could see the distress in them, but he could also see something else. Something that was always there. Something that was so deeply seeded inside of his being that they could never get it out, no mater how hard they tried; the Madness.
"How could I live with myself if I bring a monster like that into this world. If I force a child to live that kind of life." Stein said, his breath's starting to become more rapid. "Or worse... what if I did something. I can't be trusted with something so innocent. So perfect. So... defenseless. So... ready for..." Stein bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as his right hand flew to the screw in the side of his head and starting twisting it as fast as he could. So much that Spirit was starting to worry he would hurt himself. Tears were coming to the mad boy's eyes. "I can't be trusted Spirit. The child is better off never being born than having a father like me."
Spirit was silent for a second as he patted Stein's back. The boy leaned over the edge of the bridge and throat up some of the alcohol that had been in his stomach. Stein was a mess with guilt. "We'll figure something out. Can't you put the kid up for adoption?"
"And risk having someone like me in the outside world?" Stein said with a short chuckle through his sob. "I wonder how many hundreds would die. What kind of parents would know how to control something like that? You know what I was like Spirit, and that was with Death hanging over me. If I have been on the outside..." He didn't need to finish it. Spirit shivered at the idea of what might have happened if Death had never taken in the psychotic kid and bound him to the side of 'Order'.
It was true. Very few would be strong enough, and knowledgeable enough about the nature of the soul to help the child. Very few outside of the DWMA's main staff, but they weren't exactly in a position to adopt.
Then a thought accrued to Spirit. "What about Kami's sister, Masaki?" Spirit suggested. He had only met the woman once before. She had been around six years older than Spirit himself. "She had to retired after her weapon partner's soul was damaged in a fight with a witch and he lost the ability to hold his weapon form. She has the same anti-demon soul wavelength as Kami. That would be able to keep any madness the kid might have under control."
"Masaki..." Stein said, the name rolling off his tongue. "Would she do it?"
"I heard from Kami that she married her old partner and they've been trying to have kids, but she miscarried." Spirit said with a nod and a smile. "See, sometimes things just fall into place. You should trust me more."
Stein gave Spirit a thankful look before nodding. "Thank you, Spirit."
Ichigo, the son of Stein. We now know where Hollow Ichigo came from. His bat shit crazy father.
Open to suggestions, though I kind of want Maka and Ichigo to be partners. So one of them will have to be a weapon. Also involve a subplot with Maka having a crush on Ichigo, but thinking that he is her cousin. Maka's father not being happy about it, and Stein not wanting to confront Ichigo about being his real father, still believing that it would be better if he was not involved, but taking the job as teacher in order to keep an eye on him.