A/N: Hello, everyone! I know it's weird to get this new update notification and then have it be the same chapter. There was something wrong with the Chapter Nine update that I posted a few hours ago so I'm reposting it. Let's hope this works! This is another fairly short chapter, but I don't want to get into too much all at once. Let's take our time closing this series, okay? (; DISCLAIMERS: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER! Happy reading! Leave a review! :D (:

CHAPTER NINE:

MAKA'S P.O.V

Technically speaking, I've been in here for two days. To me, it feels like an eternity. Time ticked, but for me it seemed to have stopped altogether. I wanted out, but the only out that I got was the call for a two-minute phone call once a day. That's how I've been keeping track of the time I've spent in here. So far, they've called me twice to make a quick phone call. Not that it mattered either way. Mama was long gone and Papa was hung up at work all the time so who else would there be to call?

"Albarn, make your phone call. You've got two minutes. Hurry it up," one of the guards instructed as he messed with the locked cell door. Looks like I don't have a lot of time to figure that out. I hoisted myself up off of the metal bench inside my cell, echoing with the sounds of jangling keys and creaking metal. For the third time, I continued my walk of shame next to the unforgiving policeman all the way up to the phone. He handed me two quarters and stood guard next to me while I contemplated on which number to dial.

Mama's out of the question, Papa would freak out if I called him and he'd only end up getting me into my trouble, knowing him… I guess I could try to call one of the girls. Maybe Tsubaki? I confirmed my decision, inserting the quarters and dialing the numbers to Tsubaki's cell.

Beeeeeeeep… Beeeeeep-.

"Hello?" Tsubaki answered. Though I was filled to the brim with joy to hear a familiar, comforting voice, I felt guilty at the same time. I didn't want to drag her under the bus with me, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Tsubaki! Tsubaki, it's me, Maka!" I exclaimed.

"Huh? Maka? What is this, where are you calling from?"

"I don't have time to explain right now, Tsu. Listen, I'm at the police department right now. They've got me locked up in one of their holding cells. I know it's a lot to ask and I know it's all really confusing right now, but could you bail me out? I have no one else to ask. I'll explain everything once you get here and don't worry, I'll return to favor," I begged. She didn't hesitate to answer.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Give me a few minutes and I'll get you out of there, don't worry." I could've cried right then in there out of relief.

"Thank you so much, Tsu. You don't know how much this means to me. I'll see you soon, bye!" I hung up the phone.

As soon as I turned to the police officer beside me, I heard shouting from out front. I paused for a minute to see what all the commotion was about, but the police in charge only pushed me along. Before I could find anything out, the man threw me back into the holding cell, closing the bars behind me, nonsensically loud. Honestly, I'd hate to see how they would treat an actual felon. It's gotta be brutal if this is how they're treating me! I huffed and crossed my arms. Next thing I know… BANG!

"Get the police chief out here. He's gonna want to see 'im!" A door slammed open at the front double-doors of the station. To my curiosity, I looked through the metal bars of my holding cell to see what was going on. Right then, a flurry of different emotions started to bubble up inside of me. It's him!

"SOUL!" I called out on instinct. The policeman that had called for the police chief was holding up a bloodied, beaten, handcuffed Soul in his left hand. Soul's head was lowered, but telling from his expression, he looked defeated. Standing to the left of that man, he was completely still for the most part. He waivered back and forth, probably out of dizziness from getting tossed around by the cops, but he was still.

Hearing my voice, Soul snapped his head up to look in my direction. Seeing his face, I began to tear up. How could they have treated him like this?! Why was he the one suffering? Couldn't they see that he was already hurt enough?! When would enough be enough for those bastards? Don't hurt him anymore than he already his! Running around for most of his teenage years, fending for himself all alone! He doesn't deserve to be treated like this! I ran up to the bars of my cell and I reached my arm out between the cold, stubborn metal for Soul. His eyes were clouded and he looked broken. It terrified me! The tears that lined at my eyelids began to drop. Then… his expression softened. 'I'm alright. I can take it, don't worry about me' his eyes said. But I couldn't accept that!

"Soul! SOUL!" I called out louder.

"HEY! Shut it up in there!" one of the guards commanded. He stomped over to me and tried to push me back into my cell, but I refused to budge. Out of the corner of my eyes, though the picture was blurry from the numerous amount of tears, I saw the police chief and a couple other cops walking behind him as they approached Soul. They tackled him! Threw him to the ground and pinned him down, one cop kneeling on his neck! Soul sat there and let it happen, but I fought for him. I pushed against the bars even harder, defying the guard who tried to handle me.

"No, stop it! Plase! Don't hurt him anymore! SOUL!" I pleaded in agony. But then… he looked over to me… and smiled again. He could barely speak, though I heard his words as clear as day.

"It's okay, Maka. I'll be fine. Everything's gonna be fine, ya' hear?" he said, struggling to breath as the cop kneeling on him pressed his knee further into his neck. I clenched my eyes closed, not bearing to see him like this anymore, but I had to force them back open again. There was a chance that I'd never see him after this, so even if he was in pain and there was nothing I could do about it, I had to let him see me. Just this once if not ever again. I lifted my head, sniffling and sobbing. Then, I nodded. I had to trust him. I had to be strong. This went against all my morals to leave him like this, but there was nothing I could do. He had to take over from here.

The three policemen and the police chief lifted Soul off of the ground after fully restraining him and they urged him forward into an adjacent hallway. They were taking him away…

"That's a good girl. We'll see each other again. Promise." Those were his last words before he completely disappeared from my sight. My knuckles whitened as I clenched onto the now hot bars of my cell. I heard the echoing sound of a door slamming from the hallway Soul disappeared into and all the strength left my body at once.

My grip loosened and I snuck to my knees on the dirty, hard floor, sobbing for more reasons than one. Reason number one: What am I gonna do once I get out? Soul's here! I can't leave him behind like this! Reason number two: Why is Soul even here? He should've left Death City by now, so why is he back?! He's evaded the police for seven whole years and NOW he wants to get captured?! Reason number three: Soul was hurt. Those damned policemen keep hurting him, FOR WHAT? They beat him until he was a bloody mess, but what had he even done to deserve this?! Yeah, maybe he stole clothes and food to survive on his own, but other than that, what could he have possibly done that deserved him this kind of treatment?! They can't do this to him! The reasons just kept piling up and the more they did, the more helpless and vulnerable I felt.

My tears continued to fall endlessly for a few more minutes, but after a while, I heard the sound of jangling keys again. I looked over to where the sound was coming from. The police was opening my cell. Behind him was Tsubaki. She really came for me. Tsubaki stepped into the now wide opened cell and she held her hand out to my depleted form.

"Come on, Maka. Let's go home," she spoke softly. Her expression looked empathetic as she watched me wipe my tears and sniffle away, softly placing a limp hand into hers. She and I walked hand in hand out of the police department and the cab waiting out front that she had arrived in returned us to my apartment. The ride was silent; I was still trying to get a grip on myself as we rode further and further away from the DCPD… the place where Soul as being kept. Tsubaki consoled me, though she didn't know why I was sad. It was alright though. My tears would dry at some point, but not while the memory of his beaten, defeated form was still fresh in my memory.


Tsubaki and I arrived to my apartment (that was still lit from two three nights ago when they hauled me in. Those bastards couldn't have at least turned off the lights?! I'm gonna have to pay for that you know!). Tsubaki took a seat on my couch, while I returned to the kitchen (the unprepared dinner was still waiting for me on the counter… again, may I say… THOSE. DAMN. BASTARDS.).

"Okay, Maka. Time to fess up. Why were the police keeping you held in a holding cell? What happened?" Tsubaki asked sternly. It was natural for her to want answers and I didn't keep myself from answering them… It was only a matter of how to put it.

After throwing out my now spoiled dinner, I turned off the kitchen lights and sat at my regular seat on the speaker system. Tsubaki watched me as I stared off into the dark Death City, mindlessly. How am I gonna explain this so she'll understand? I guess it'd be best to come clean. Everything is already out in the open, so I don't have to hide anymore. Especially not after what happened at the police station when I saw Soul. The police are sure to know that we had something… Ya' know… Even if we didn't… right? ANYWAY, explaining to Tsubaki. Right.

"Soul Eater Evans, Tsubaki. He happened," I started off with a whisper. My thumbs twiddled as I spoke. Tsubaki waited patiently for me to divulge further. I didn't dare look at her while I confessed my crime.

"They hauled me in because they suspected that I was aiding Soul while he was in hiding. They believed that I was keeping him hidden here at my apartment."

"…but that's ridiculous! What kind of evidence would they have even have to back it up? We haven't seen Soul in seven years so how could-." I cut her off in the middle of her denial. I know that's what she wanted to believe, but the truth is…

"It's not as ridiculous as you may think, Tsu." I completed, managing to look at her. She looked deep into my eyes and I could tell that from her widening eyes, she had finally realized what I was confessing. She said nothing back. I looked back down at me folded fingers and I smiled remembering our first night together after seven years of hiding.

"I was confused at first, too. He just came out of nowhere on the night of the reunion. Funny, huh?" I chuckled half-heartedly.

"We had just started talking about 'im for the first time in years and suddenly, he shows up in my apartment when I came home? What a coincidence, huh? Man, I remember the first night like it was just yesterday… At first, he broke in, not even knowing who I was. He was talking to me like I was some pretty girl on the street that he was trying to pick up… and the whole time, I couldn't stop thinking about how he hadn't changed a bit since I last saw him…" I laughed and shook my head. Tsubaki was still and silent, but her eyes felt heart-warming. Must've felt bad for me or somethin'…

"But he changed my mind, Tsubaki. He was honest, he was always making me laugh… Yeah, maybe he had some secrets to keep and of course it bothered me, but now… Now I see why. He did it to protect me…" I began to tear up, looking up from my folded hands and out to the city that had turned their back on Soul when he needed them most. Were they gonna turn their backs on me now? Eh… Who cares? A few drops fell down my face for the hundredth time tonight.

"…but look at me now. I'm sitting cozily in my own home while he gets the daylights beaten out of him for god knows what. Some claim that hasn't even been proven… Some crime that he hadn't even committed. He doesn't deserve this!" I protested. Tsubaki moved closer to me and she held out her hands to my shoulders, rubbing them like she had the night that I cried to her about my ex.

"All he ever does is protect me. He's always put his neck out for me even when we were kids, but why?! Why can't I do the same? I want to return the favor… I want to protect him, too, Tsubaki! I've come to know Soul unlike I ever would've imagined and I know that he never would've committed his crimes if he hadn't been pushed to do it. I don't want him stealing just to get by anymore… I don't want him having to hide out in alleyways to find shelter… I don't want him suffering anymore!" I cried, leaning into Tsubaki's arms. She hugged me tightly, rubbing my back. There was a long pause. But then…

"Maka…" Tsubaki whispered, back in her motherly tone. I retreated from her arms for a little bit to wipe away my tears and keep a grip on myself in front of her.

"Sorry! I'm sorry… I don't know why I've been crying so much and I don't know why I care so much about 'im… But either way, it doesn't involve you. So I'm sorry that I've dragged you into this," I apologized. It was the truth. I don't wanna involve outsiders because this problem is too big for all of us to handle. I knew deep down that there were going to be consequences, but that was my own fault. All we could do was accept them and atone for our crimes. There was no saving us, so everyone might as well just stay away… but Tsubaki wasn't going to accept that. She clung onto me once again.

"Maka, listen to me. I believe you. I may not know the stories, let alone the truth, but you forget that I also knew Soul growing up. Also, by the way you were talking about him just now, I can see that you've put a lot of trust in him. That says enough already." Tsu smiled down at me after I finished crying.

She's really always there for me, isn't she? 'You've put a lot of trust in him' she says… That's true, I suppose. He did save my life once before, so why shouldn't I trust him? Oh, Soul… Tears welled up in my eyes once again and I slammed my head back into Tsubaki's chest, letting them fall for hopefully the last time.

"Oh, Tsubaki! I can't stand it! I don't know what I'd do if he went to jail for a crime he didn't commit! They can't just throw him away like that!" I whaled.

"It's out of our hands, Maka. This is something that Soul and his family needs to work out. We can't do anything at this point. For now, you need to worry about what you're gonna do to get out of this mess," she spoke truthfully. I was well aware that I had my own problems and if Soul was going to face his problems, then I would too… Because I have no regrets. I do not regret taking in a man in need and I do not regret getting involved if it meant helping him get where he needed to be. He needed me and I was there. I did my job and I was content. What did I have to feel sorry for? If they wanted to punish me for it, so be it. I wasn't going to be a coward about it.

I released Tsubaki and she did as well, still holding onto my shoulders as we looked into each other's teary eyes. I nodded, she smiled.

"I'm not ashamed of what I did, Tsu. I'm glad I was able to keep Soul protected, even if it was just a few short times… so I'll face whatever consequences they throw my way." Tsubaki rubbed my back and smiled sadly.

"In that case, I'm very proud of you… Don't worry, Maka. I'm sure you'll get to see Soul again, so stay positive, okay?" I nodded my head and hugged Tsubaki one last time. After we parted, she got up from her seat and turned to the front door.

"Now, I have to go. I left without saying anything to Black*Star when he was over, so he's probably gonna be worried. Call me if you need anything," she said, waving her hand goodbye. I waved back and watched her go off, closing the door behind her. What's gonna happen now? …I sure hope Soul's holding up alright…


SOUL'S P.O.V

The police chief dragged me down the hallway of the station to ya' know, go through the whole procedure and all that crap. It sucked to see Maka crying like that; I must've looked pretty bad. The worst part about coming to this damn station was that I had to see Maka in this state. Yeah, those police weren't as nice as I thought they'd be. Granted, I stayed silent and refused to answer them in any way until I was at the station, but that was my own right. They roughed me up a bit once they took me out of the back of the cruiser and yeah, it hurt, but not as much as it did when I saw Maka behind those bars, clinging to freedom. I don't think I've ever seen her act like that before…

"Let's go, Eater. Fingerprints!" the police yelled, slamming a heavy door behind us. They sat me in front of this glass window with a woman sitting behind it. She gave us the papers to fill out and the policemen snatched it up. They saturated my fingers in black ink, smearing each one on the slip of paper and they filled out the information as they asked me questions.

"Name."

"Soul Evans."

"Address."

"Well, it was 42 Death Hills…" The cop scoffed and scribbled the information in. They continued asking about my birthday, phone number, social security number. Yeah, you get the point. After that long process, the cop shoved me in front of a camera for a mugshot. Front. Click. Side. Click. Then the police chief came in and roughly snatched me up by my arm, yanking me along to the adjacent room where they patted me down, took whatever was in my pocket in a body search. Kids, learn from my mistakes and don't ever do anything so stupid that you'd have to go through this, 'cuz let me tell ya', it's not a very fun experience!

"Alright, Eater. Why don't you spend a little time in here to think about what you've done while we make some arrangements," the police chief mocked as he led me back out to the front where the holding cells were. I expected to find Maka in the cell where she had been when I first arrived, but she was nowhere to be found. As the police chief unlocked Maka's old holding cell, throwing me inside, I looked around to see if there were any signs of her. None.

"Where's Maka?" I croaked out. I was still in a bit of pain from the thrashing those cops gave me earlier. The chief scoffed and closed the barred door behind him, locking it tight.

"Seems you're little girlfriend's gotten herself bailed out. But don't worry. I'm sure she'll be back again, no thanks to you," he spat, laughing as he placed his keys back into his pocket, walking off to his office. I scoffed, heaving down onto the metal bench where Maka once sat. We'll see about that, old man. I didn't come here for nothin', you bastard.

I sat there in silence, wiping the dried blood from my face and thinking over what my next moves are going to be. First, I gotta find a good enough lawyer. I've got a plan in mind that should work, but I need to get in touch with the professionals first and I'm not takin' no for an answer… I DIDN'T just come here for nothing after all.

Hmmm… So this is what it's like, huh? Being in a cell… Well, I'd better get used to it. I've got a lot of time to spend in one of these. I didn't think I'd have much luck trying to beat my parents in this court battle. They had a lot of advantages and luxuries that I'd never be able to get my hands on, so there was no point in denying that I would serve some jail time even if I were to clear my name… None of it mattered to me. I didn't turn myself in just because I wanted to… I did it for something more important than that. Something that I wouldn't mind serving life for. Damn this girl! She didn't do anything special at all, yet she's got me servin' time for her! Jeez! … Well I guess it's kinda my fault that she got in this mess in the first place. If I had just stuck to what I said on the first night about only staying the night, then maybe we wouldn't have gotten it to this point…

The recollection of our first night made me chuckle a bit to myself. That earned a few dirty looks from the guards, but I didn't really care. Man was she upset that night… She even yelled at me when I bumped into her on the street earlier that night. Somethin' must've had her pissed off. Hmm.. Well I guess she did say that she went to the high school reunion that night. If I remember correctly, she wasn't exactly all that crazy about the students that attended the DWMA. She was friendly, but she stayed with her own little group. Little, innocent, miss Maka… Ha, that's laughable now that you think about it. She's so far from innocent, it's crazy! She smokes like every day, she can swear like a sailor, she's always half-naked around me, mind you, I'M A MAN… She's bold, I'll give her that. Damn, I missed her.

My wandering thoughts traveled to the last night we saw each other. You know, the night that I left her a couple months back. It made me upset. I can't lie; I beat myself up pretty bad over that. I wish I hadn't left her like that. She must've felt so confused and angry with me for leaving her without so much as a goodbye or an explanation.

During these past couple of months, I decided to get away from Death City to a neighboring town. Of course, just because I lived in a neighboring town, it doesn't mean that I didn't have to lay low, but still. I decided that it would be best to leave Death City after everything that happened with Akane because I knew that if someone had asked Akane if I had gotten involved with anyone recently and they paid up, then he'd give them all that they would want to know. If I caused any trouble somewhere else, then I thought that Akane would follow up on my activity and update his information… But I guess that when the time actually came and someone (which I am pretty sure that you all can guess who) paid up for the info, he gave it out anyway… and now Maka has to pay the price. My plan had gone to shit after that. I was just planning to return to Death City too. I thought that Maka and I were under the radar… but when I went to Akane… well, you know the rest from there.

I guess I just underestimated Akane. Well, this is all my doing, so now it's my job to fix things. It won't be easy to fight that judge, especially when my mother and father's probably got him on their side, but I have to try.

I placed my head in between my hands and I rubbed my fingers into my scalp. Who to call, who to call… Alright, I think I got it. I only got one shot at this, so I have to make sure that it counts. Time to make a deal.

A/N: Sorry I didn't check the update before! I'm gonna get started on chapter ten reeeeeally soon, so stay updated and stay beautiful my lovelies! :D ~Laurnea