Marie lay asleep in bed, Franken in a cradle against the wall on her side of the bed. Her blonde hair was spilled gracelessly over the pillow, some of it cascading haphazardly onto Spirit's. The red headed death scythe looked down at the album he had and sighed. He was stopped on the page that held the picture of their graduation day. Everyone was present- Azusa, Sid, Nygus, himself, Stein and Marie, along with a ton of others, most death scythes or three star meisters now.
Or dead.
Marie reached out in her sleep, and Spirit unconsciously slipped his hand backwards to catch hers. Her grip tightened for a moment on his before relaxing again into sleep. Her voice was quiet and he barely heard it, but what he did hear twisted his heart. He loved Marie, would do anything for her.
But she still loved Stein, and her slip just then of calling him Franken tore him to pieces. In her dreams it wasn't him that held her, he wasn't the one that loved her. It was still Stein. He slid out of the bed quietly, moving away from the two sleeping individuals, and dressed quietly. It was early for him to go into work, but Shinigami-sama would be there regardless, and right now, he needed the time to himself.
'Don't be stupid, Spirit. You just filed the papers to adopt Franken. Marie loves you or she wouldn't be with you right now.' Spirit slipped on his suit jacket and sighed. 'I know she loved Stein more than anything- she's still grieving, in her own way.'
Spirit stood beside Shinigami-sama, watching the events through the mirror. The death scythe had his hands in his pockets, his head bowed almost to where he couldn't see what the mirror was showing. With a wave of his hand Shinigami-sama dismissed the image and looked finally at his death scythe.
"Spirit-kun, you're early. What's-a-matta?" The being asked, his happy voice sounding like he was talking to a toddler.
"It's nothing, Shinigami-sama. I just couldn't sleep and didn't want to disturb Marie and Franken."
The being looked at him quizzically, his head tilted to the side. "Franken?"
"Marie's son. She named him Franken, after Stein." Spirit explained.
"Well, congratulations are in order! You both shouldn't be coming in, I mean, you'll be wanting to spend time with Marie and your son!" Shinigami-sama clapped Spirit on the back.
"He's Stein's." Spirit said before he could stop himself.
"Ah, well, he needs a father, and you're already taking care of Marie, yes?"
"I filed the adoption papers today and Marie gave him my last name." Spirit said quietly.
"Then why so glum, Spirit-kun?" A table and some tea appeared in front of them and Shinigami-sama motioned the death scythe over to join him.
"I'm not glum, sir." Spirit said, sitting down cross legged but not taking any tea.
"You only "sir" me when something's on your mind, Spirit-kun." Shinigami-sama said gently.
It was obvious that Spirit was warring with himself and suddenly he sighed and looked up at Shinigami-sama. "Do you have anything stronger than tea?"
Shinigami-sama cocked his head but an instant later some sake appeared on the table, along with two shot glasses. Spirit poured for them, downed a shot and shook his head. He poured himself a second shot and spun the glass around for a second before starting.
"It's Marie; she's still not over Stein. I can understand wanting to call her son Franken, but she called me Franken this morning. It's not the first time it has happened either." Spirit threw the shot back and winced a bit as it burned going down. "I love her, damnit! But I know I'm not her first choice."
Shinigami-sama matched his death scythe shot for shot, the sake bottle never going empty. Eventually Spirit had told the total of the tale to him.
"Spirit-kun, she's grieving. She'd give anything to have him back and you know that. But she has you, and you make her happy. She gave her son your last name, even though the two of you aren't married and it would seem that you have no plans on marrying her. You said that you're adopting Franken as your own? Marie-chan wouldn't allow that if she didn't love you too, Spirit-kun."
Spirit looked glumly at his now empty shot glass. "You're right, you know."
Shinigami-sama chuckled. "I didn't tell you anything that you didn't already know, Spirit-kun."
"I just hate to see her unhappy. I love her… but if I could bring her Stein back, I would." Spirit said.
Shinigami-sama remained quiet for a moment. Softly he finally responded, "That's… impossible, Spirit-kun."
"I know." Spirit said as he stood to his feet. "You said I could have some time off?"
"Take as long as you need, Spirit-kun. I'll call you when you're needed. And don't worry about your pay, you'll be paid for maternity leave, I'll see to it."
Spirit bowed as he left.
The table disappeared, along with the sake and tea as Shinigami-sama walked out among the soul graves. He stopped at the one labeled "Dr. Franken Stein" and tapped on the cross. A second later an apparition, scarcely visible, appeared in front of him. It reached up and twisted a faint screw that seemed to be piercing its skull.
A hollow voice echoed forth, "Shinigami-sama, you interrupt my rest."
"Stein-kun, you are resting comfortably?"
The apparition nodded. "Quiet, peace. The only sound is the occasional tear that falls near here."
"You still hold sway on a living soul."
The apparition tilted its head, what might be smoke rising from its mouth. "I apologize."
"The next time the tears fall, you must not reach out. You must let her go." Shinigami-sama said quietly.
"The tears fall for me?"
"Marie weeps still for you, Stein-kun. She needs her strength though, your son has been born and she needs to help him find his way."
"Marie? My son…" The apparition was quiet for a moment. "I'm Dr. Franken Stein." It said suddenly.
"You were, and I'm sorry to interrupt your rest just to ask this of you, but I need you to let her go."
The apparition stared him straight in the eyes, and it was obvious to Shinigami-sama that it was regaining memories quickly. "You know that I would do anything to keep her safe, Shinigami-sama. If that means being alone, here, then that is my choice."
"Thank you, Stein-kun. I will let you rest again now."
"Shinigami-sama… his name?" The apparition said quickly.
"Franken Albarn."
A smirk crossed the apparition's steadily solidifying face. "Spirit is taking care of them, then. I can rest easy."
"Yes, you can old friend." Shinigami-sama said as he released his hold on the soul in the grave and the apparition faded. Even now he could hear the other soul's clamoring to be heard, but he blocked them out, something he had long ago grown used to doing.
Marie stood in front of the soul grave, holding her now three month old son. Spirit stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder as she talked to Stein. Always before she had felt some trace of Stein, but this time she didn't, but she kept talking as a tear fell to the ground in front of it. She felt something, a flash, when it hit but it was gone as soon as it happened and she told herself she had imagined it.
Spirit slid his arm around her back as they walked away from Stein's grave and Marie smiled up at him. He felt at peace for the first time in a long time and looked over his shoulder at the grave before they left and nodded once.
Marie, cooing to Franken then, didn't hear his quiet whisper.
"I'll take care of them both, Stein. I promise."
A/N: I hope you enjoy the new update. Hope it's not too out there for you to believe, but Shinigami-sama is the god of death, and in most religions, souls don't actually die, they are eternal, so I used that for that part.
I don't own Soul Eater.