"Soul, c'mon, seriously! You don't need to molly-coddle me all the way back to the apartment!" Maka hissed as she stumbled upon the stairs to their apartment building.

"Well, the Doctor said you should take it easy right now," Soul snapped back, though he held her arm delicately as he guided her up the stairs. "You're really hurt, Maka. He said one wrong move could very easily puncture a lung you're that fragile right now. And he wasn't joking."

"Yeah, yeah," Maka huffed, obviously putting on a brave face as she tried to hide the way her face scrunched up with pain at every step. "Not like I haven't had worse."

Soul clenched his teeth. That was true.

Finally, they made it all the way up to their apartment, Maka instantly collapsed onto the couch. "Well, I do not want to go through that again."

Soul simply grunted in response. Maka sat up and frowned irritably at Soul.

"Is everything okay, Soul?" She asked, a little gentler. "You've been really short with me lately. You know, um, ever since you – Well, you know cri-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" he snapped before clamping his mouth shut at Maka's surprised expression. Soul took a deep breath before composing himself, speaking in a tone Maka had never even heard before. "It's just been a bit of a stressful week. My daughter nearly died."

Maka blinked in bewilderment. "No, she didn't Soul. I did."

Soul waved his hands dismissively. "No, you nearly died preventing my daughter from dying and I'm grateful. Happy?"

Maka frowned at him nastily, before making a move to stand. "No, I'm not." Soul's eyes softened somewhat as she grunted in pain.

"No, Maka – Maka, sit back down please,"

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked sharply, standing straight when he moved to stand in front of her, trying to push her back into a sitting position.

"I didn't do anything wrong," she insisted angrily. "Actually, I did the opposite. Soul, Mara would have, without a doubt, died if I hadn't done anything. I saw the cab, the angle it was coming from and measured where about it had to hit me for me to survive. It's fucking basic shit, Soul. I'm not stupid."

Soul blinked at her before shaking his head, again gripping her arm and attempting once again to pull her down into a sitting position. "That's not the point Maka,"

"Then what is the point?!" she barked back, pushing him away from her with strength she hadn't had for days.

"Forget it Maka,"

"No. Soul, talk to me - "

"Maka, I am warning you,"

" – please, all I'm asking is for you to just tell me the – "

"Enough, Maka!" Soul roared, swinging his arm back in fury and knocking the lamp off the coffee table as he turned away. Maka backed up until her knees hit the back of the couch and she finally sat back down.

"Soul – " she choked out, her eyes wide and careful.

"Just – Shut – Up." He said very slowly and precisely before glancing up angry at the clock. "Amara will be ready to be picked up soon."

Maka tilted her head in confusion. "It's only eleven, Mara won't be ready until three."

Soul just shook his head. "I'll see you later. If you need anything – help or whatever – call Blackstar." With that, he turned on his heels, grabbing his coach from the side table beside the door before leaving.


"And - and then he just left. I don't know! I don't know where he's gone, or who he's with Tsubaki, I even rang up Mara's school to ask if he's been there but he never showed."

"Maka, I'm sure he's just stressed," Tsubaki said gently. "Like he said, he has had a stressful week and he's probably just freaking out because he wasn't there to protect you."

"Or Amara." Maka whispered.

"Right," Tsubaki agreed. "He has this whole new responsibility and it's probably just hitting him all at once. Don't overthink it. Just give him some time."

Maka took a deep breath before nodding. "You're right. It's just… I really, really need him right now. You know we've been… intimate lately and – "

"How intimate is intimate, Maka?" Tsubaki asked softly. Maka sighed in exasperation.

"We've nearly been together three months now Tsu, how intimate do you think?" Tsuaki only giggled.

"Well, what does that have to do with you needing him? Couples fight Maka, he'll get over it."

Maka swallowed thickly and nodded after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah. Anyways, I need to ring him now. It's nearly three and I don't know whether he is picking Amara up."

"Okay Maka. Just call if you need anything."

Maka smiled. "Sure."

Maka took another long breath as she dialled Soul's number into the phone and pressed it to her ear. Her stomach dropped as the dial kept ringing before Soul's voice finally rang through the line.

"Maka," he sighed. Maka's stomach clenched. Guess his mood hadn't improved after all.

"Hey," she choked out, trying to hide the fear in her voice. Why is he being like this? "I really need to talk to you about something, but I was just wondering if you're going to pick up Mara or if I should – "

"I am!" he snapped, his voice suddenly furious. "She's my daughter!"

Maka couldn't suppress her gasp. How could he say that?

"She's mine too Soul!" she hissed back. "You said so yourself. I don't understand why you're being like this!"

He was just quiet for a few moments, Maka could hear nothing but his angry breathing before he replied shortly. "I'm getting Amara. I'll see you later." And the line went dead.

Maka stared at the phone in her hands for a few minutes before jumping into a standing position, despite the complaints of her injuries, she ignored the agony and ran towards her bedroom door.

"Ma perché non ha la mamma farmi? (But why didn't Mama get me?)"

Soul sighed for the umpteenth time as he led Amara into the apartment along with Blackstar, who shot him a blank, angry look.

"Yeah, Soul?" Blackstar asking, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Where is Mama?" he roughly translated. Soul cast him a dark look before glancing back down to his daughter.

"Mam – Maka is in the house. She's still too hurt to move around; she needs to stay still to get better."

Mara "Oh"-ed before walking a little quicker, making Soul sigh. She wants to get home to Maka.

"So what if she wants to get back to Maka?" Blackstar hissed, reading his thoughts. Soul gave him a dry look.

"Blackstar, you don't get it," Soul began, only to be interrupted.

"No Soul, you don't get it," he snapped, he cast a glance at Amara who walked a few steps ahead of them before lowering his voice. "Maka is just as much as a parent to that kid as you are, no matter how much you like it. And anyway, why wouldn't you like it? Maka's been your dream girl forever, now you basically have a sweet little family in a sweet ass apartment and now you're going to throw it away because…"

"Because I am fucking freaking out, Blake!" Soul reeled on him. Blackstar paused in shock. Soul knew he hated people calling him by that name.

"Every fucking woman I've loved has died. Shit, everyone I've ever cared about has died. My Mum, my Dad, my brother… They just, die. And then, Maka nearly dies. Do you have any idea how much that woman means to me? How much she's done for me?" Blackstar remained quiet as they walked, casting another cautious glance towards Amara. Soul went on.

"I need to… I need to get her away." He uttered, sounding absolutely defeated. "I can't protect them both from me. And Amara needs me more than Maka. I need to let her go, Star."

Blackstar was silent for a few more moments before scoffing, making Soul's head snap up.

"That was the most stupid thing I have ever heard."

Soul gaped. Was he being stupid. Paranoid? Soul shook his head. He didn't think so. He'd thought this through so much. He'd agonised over it. It made sense. Didn't it?

He sighed, hanging his head.

"I'm being really stupid, right?"

"Yup."

Soul sighed, tears pricking his eyes. "It's just… Wes. He died, Star, in a car accident. And then – Then, Maka - "

"Hey, hey," Blackstar punched Soul lighting, looking him sternly in the eye. "We both know Maka's much stronger than she looks. And smart as hell. Don't doubt her, or worry. She'd hit you very hard for that."

Soul laughed gruffly. "Yeah."

By this time, Amara has skipped happily (and hastily) to their apartment door, looking at Soul with large eyes as she waited for him to open it.

"Voglio vedere la mamma ora! (I wanna see Mama now!)" she more or less shouted, Soul laughed though his stomach clenched with dread.

"Okay, okay!" he said as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. Mara ran in ahead of him, running around the apartment in search of Maka. Soul followed in a little slower, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to think of an apology. He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes as he thought of the horrible, unforgivable things he had said.

"Star, I said some real shitty things," he admitted quietly, knowing Blackstar was stood a few feet behind him as he listened intently. "Some stuff I'm not even going to repeat because you will want to beat the living shit out of me just for thinking them, never mind saying them. And, hell, I'd let you." Blackstar didn't laugh which wasn't a very good sign. Soul sighed heavily and turned around to meet Blackstar's hard eyes with his pained ones.

"What if she never forgives me?" he asks brokenly. Blackstar stayed quiet, at loss of what to say. Thankfully, a small voice saved him from having to say anything.

"Daddy?" Soul whipped around to see Amara running towards him. "Where's Mama?"

Soul swore his heart skipped a beat. "Huh, baby?"

"Maka isn't home." She chimed. "I looked around for her… Where is she?"

Soul was at a loss for words. He turned his head to see Blackstar with his phone pressed to his ear. He pulled it away and looked up to Soul.

"She's at mine and Tsu's place. Tsu is bringing her home now."

Soul closed his eyes with relief, but felt dread building in his stomach. What was she thinking, leaving the apartment? He bent down towards Amara to give her a hug.

"See baby, she'd just with Auntie Tsubaki." Amara nodded.

"Okay! Can I go play with my dollies now?" Soul nodded.

"Sure, sweetheart."

"Wait, she what?" he heard Blackstar hiss as Amara ran away. Soul snapped his head towards him. He was nodding.

"Yes. Yes, I will. Okay, shit." He snapped the phone shut and slowly looked up to Soul once more.

"Um..." he took a step forward. "Maka wants me and Tsu to mind Mara today. She wants to speak with you." Soul rubbed his temples. She must be mad to get Amara out of the way.

"Shi… Fine. Fine."

The door creaked open and Soul felt his throat tighten. Tsubaki guided Maka inside carefully. Maka didn't look up once.

"That was quick," Blackstar remarked as he kissed Tsubaki's cheek.

"We were already on the way when I called." Soul frowned. Why was she acting so strange?

"Okay, well let's go," she said in a hurry, her eyes never remaining on Soul for long. "Will you go get Amara?"

Blackstar nodded.

"Um, Maka…" Soul made his way towards her. She held her hand up.

"Wait." Was all she said. Soul stopped and the tightness in his throat grew.


"Alright, we ready?" Blackstar said once Amara had said her goodbyes to Maka.

"Ci vediamo dopo? [I will see you later?]" Maka smiled weakly.

"Of course baby, very soon."

Soul gave her another kiss before the door closed. The tension in the room could be sliced in two. Maka slowly made her way to the couch before slumping down and hanging her head back. Soul rolled on his heels before he made his way towards her.

"Maka, I – " he cut himself off, not even knowing where to begin. Maka shook her head.

"Save it, Soul." She said in a very tired voice. "I get it." Soul frowned.

"You do?" Maka opened her eyes and nodded slowly.

"Obviously you're freaked out. Your daughter nearly died, I nearly died, in the same kind of collision that recently killed your brother. Obviously you're freaked out." Soul was already shaking his head, though Maka went on.

"But I'm still mad at you..." she whispered. "I really need you right now Soul, more than ever. And I was just in an accident, scared horribly, and then you turn against me?" Soul squeezed his eyes shit, but then something clicked.

"What do you mean by you really need me, right now?" He moved so he was standing in front of her. Maka looked up to him slowly. He stood still in front of her. His brows furrowed and his hands buried in his pockets. She sighed as she drew her legs up to hug her knees.

"I'm kind of in a fragile... place." She began. "Minus the injuries from the accident." Soul folded his arms.

"What do you mean? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine! It's just – Uh, Soul! I really need you for the next eight or whatever months! So you can just stop with all your stupid – Stupid, theories like everyone you love dying!" Maka jumped to her feet.

"I'm not everyone else, Soul!" she raged on. "I'm Maka. I'm your partner! I made you a fucking death scythe and killed countless Kishin! How can yo-"

"Wait," Maka's jaw snapped shut and she froze. Soul was stood in the exact same space, one hand was risen up. "What do you mean the next... What? Seven to eight months?" He asked very slowly. Maka clasped her hands together as she looked away.

"Exactly what you think," she replied. "They found out while I was in the hospital. I'm pregnant, Soul."