Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. I do own the plot. Any other sources used that are not of my own creation (poetry, lyrics, quotes, etc) or things that may not be common knowledge shall be cited and I will explain their relevance at the end. Anything not cited is of my own imagination.

Chapter Ten

Maka was sitting on her bed, waiting for her dinner to be brought up, with her journal of poetry in her lap. She had been on a roll lately, writing all sorts of different types of poems that could later be turned into interesting songs. She mentioned it to Tsubaki and the other woman had suggested that maybe she was changing her opinion on things. Maka wasn't an idiot and she understood the underline message; you're falling in love. "That's completely ridiculous to suggest," Maka grumbled to herself.

"Maybe Tsubaki's right, sweetheart," Kami suggested from her perch at the desk. Maka chose to pretend not to see her or hear her mother. She was still trying to figure out why exactly her mother's ghost still hadn't disappeared like she usually did. She came, she gave her advice, and she didn't disappear like she normally did. "Maka, you need to listen to me. I know for a fact what you're feeling in your heart and you need to accept it."

"Whatever you say," She scoffed while turning on her dresser alarm clock. It came with a radio setting; maybe playing some commercials would help tune her mother out. Apparently someone had been playing with her stations, because it was not on the news network she'd picked out.

The world could fall apart
But you're my heart, my dear.
I will sing this song
'Til we are gone, my dear.

Maka's glanced up from her page and glared at the radio station. She reached to stop it but she heard a soft humming sound. She glanced over and saw her mother's ghost was swaying a bit to the song. Her eyes were closed, she was relaxed and she wore a small smile like Maka remembered when she thought really hard.

How do I keep you from losing your way
Hope you'll go out and you'll come back some day.
But love is letting go
And this I'll know.

Kami's voice haunted Maka's sweetest dreams and cruelest of nightmares. But Maka had almost forgotten how beautiful her mother's voice was when she sang; she had so few memories of it, after all. She let herself fall back against the bed and just watch for a little while, basking in the warmth blooming in her chest.

Cause you were mine
For a time.

Kami smiled brightly as Maka joined in. The song was pretty popular, hence Maka's knowledge of it. And, technically, Kami knew the song for the exact same reason. Assuming she was a real ghost, she followed Maka around everywhere she went and had probably heard it at least a few times. Assuming she was just a figment of Maka's imagination, she knew everything that Maka knew. And right now, this moment of bonding, Maka was starting to wonder if this event should mean as much to her as it was.

I could shape your mind
But why waste time, my dear?
There's so much more to know
And I can show you dear.

Her mother always taught her to be strong and to stand on her own two feet. Her mother had drilled into her a hatred of men and disillusionment about love. After Kami died, Maka vowed to father her mother's teachings; even if, at the time, she didn't really understand everything. Now, over these years, she saw how correct her mother had been.

So why was her mother now trying to change her mind?

How do I keep you from losing your way?
Hope you'll go out and you'll come back some day.
But love is letting go
And this I'll know.

Soul had decided to bring Maka her meal that night and perked up when he heard her singing. He leaned against the door with the tray of food in his hands. He liked listening to her sing even though he knew she didn't really understand why singing was considered artistic. He liked that about her too, though; she wasn't some high class socialite obsessed with how things sounded. She just sang what she thought sounded right.

Cause you were mine
For a time.

'What a sad little song,' Soul thought to himself. He sighed a little bit and shifted his hands so that he was holding the tray more comfortably. He glanced down at the tray of food, grateful that it was still steaming hot. He decided he'd wait until the end of the song to knock on the door.

I have held you close
And breathed your name, my dear.
I was with you then
And will remain, my dear.

Maka picked up her journal and returned it to the bedside table. Kami got up and headed over, sitting down next to her. She reached out and lightly took her hands, smiling as she sang. Maka stopped and looked at her. "Mother," She said softly.

How do I keep you from losing your way?
Hope you will find love like I did some day.
But love is letting go
And this I'll know.

She shifted uncomfortably, rolling her shoulder sp that her hair fell behind her. "Mother, please," She mumbled again. She knew what angle she was going for now; tug on Maka's heart strings and then she could get through to her. But Maka couldn't let her. You couldn't just raise someone on one set of rules and then suddenly flip around on a dime. It didn't work that way.

Cause you were mine
For a time. (1)

"Please, Maka," Kami said softly as the DJ started chatting animatedly about the song. The younger girl looked down at their hands and then back up at her mother. "You live this life the way you want to, sweetie. Please don't hold on to what I told you when I was alive. My life wasn't that great but I shouldn't have tried to turn you into a scornful shrew; don't lose faith in people on my say-so. And don't surrender having a life of your own just because of guilt." She said delicately.

Maka started to open her mouth to respond when there was a knock at the door. "Hey, Maka, it's Soul. I brought you some food," He called lightly. She scrambled up and headed over, peeking her head out curiously. "It's nothing extravagant but that's to be expected; my parents always cop out on having big meals the day before they attend a big party."

The plate of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and corn was more than Maka had expected, given the habits she had observed thus far. She gave him a small smile and took the tray. "Thanks for bringing it to me. Did you want to come in for a bit? I wrote some new lyrics and could use a second opinion," She said without thinking. She kept up her poker face while berating herself on the inside. 'What the hell are you thinking? You have a strictly business relationship and – well, okay, that is technically pertaining to business – that seems like a really bad pick-up line! Ugh, what is wrong with me today?'

"Soul~! Mommy needs you help with something~!" Masumi's shrill voice suddenly called from down the hall. Soul twitched and sighed, his shoulders dropping and eye twitching.

"Maybe some other time. I better go help my mother," He said with a small wave before heading off. Maka shut the door with her foot and scowled at the slight disappointment she was unable to withhold.

She was definitely going to have a serious talk with someone – anyone, really – about what was going wrong in her head.

…

Soul had been a little surprised when Tsubaki asked to speak to him in private after rehearsal one day. He had seen a somewhat suspicious and interested look cross Maka's face; it reminded him of a hunting dog that caught the trail of prey. "What's up?" He asked her once they walked all the way down the hall and entered one of the many vacant guest rooms.

"I need your help," She said with a small sigh. He blinked a bit before he immediately caught on to the situation; Black*Star. She wanted to ask him something about the loud-mouthed male. "It's about Black*Star…" Soul was almost unable to resist doing a fist pump upon being proven right. "I've been trying to drop little hints and flirt with him but… Well, I may just be bad at it but… He doesn't seem to be catching on…"

"That's because Black*Star is a complete idiot when it comes to the opposite sex," Soul said flatly. He let his hands sink into his pocket and relaxed his stance. "You could come right out and tell him you wanted to take him in a linen closet and give birth to a million of his babies and he still wouldn't get it."

Tsubaki turned tomato red at his remarks. "It-It's nothing like that! I mean, there's a physical attraction but I just really like being around him! I… I'd just like to go on a date with him and see if he could be interested in me too," She sighed, her form drooping with sadness. She reminded Soul too much of a kicked puppy sitting in the rain. He let out a small sigh.

"I'll help you out with that, okay?" He offered politely. Her head snapped up and she looked at him, a mix of interest and confusion on her features. "I'll tell Black*Star I want to hang out tomorrow at the mall. Instead, I'll blow him off and you show up there after he's waited about twenty minutes. Tell him you were just going to go milling about and offer to keep him company since he was ditched. And then – presto! – you've got yourself a date." He explained.

It was Soul's turn to blush when Tsubaki threw herself at him, hugging fiercely. "Oh, thank you so much Soul! You're such a genius!" She gushed happily. He grinned a bit at the praise but it was then taken away again when the ebony haired woman tensed. She jumped back, hands on his shoulders, and looked him dead in the eyes. "We can't let Maka find out about this! If she finds out she might try to mess it all up!"

"Why would she do that? I mean, I know she has an issue with relationships but this isn't really any of her business. Sure, you two are friends, but if you want a relationship she doesn't have the right to try and force you to stop," He pointed out. Soul had picked up on a lot of Maka's personality habits, including her clear distaste for love. She could write pretty lyrics about love but somehow he could just tell it didn't come from the heart; they were pretty words just strung together in a beautiful pattern with a backbeat the way she wrote it.

"She would. Maka isn't normally a bad person but… Well, given what happened with her family, she doesn't believe in lasting relationships of any sort. She even keeps us, her closest and most trusted friends, at arm's length. I mean, that's just my opinion but," Tsubaki sighed as she rambled on anxiously, "I'm pretty sure I'm right. After Kami passed away, Maka just… Fell apart. And when she finally managed to pull herself back together, she was completely different than we remembered."

"Kami's her mother, right? How did she die, anyway?" He asked blandly. Soul was starting to pick up on the group dynamics and how to worm his way into information. Maka would never reveal her own secrets without an emotional trigger being pulled; Kid would take any of Maka's personal secrets to the grave for her because of their deep bond; Blair was just as faithful as Kid and, therefore, would be no help; the Thompson sisters were both closer to Kid than Maka but were just as faithful. They would backup any decision of Kid's and were just as useless to him in regards of gathering information.

But Tsubaki… Tsubaki was the sort of weak link.

Although Kid had been the one to reveal the history about their previous pianist, Chrona, he'd only done it because it was a group scar. Soul had a sinking suspicion that if that had not been the case Kid would have kept his mouth shut tighter than a clam with a pearl inside. Tsubaki was different than the rest of the group; though she didn't share her personal troubles out of the blue, she did wear her heart on her sleeve. If someone asked her what was troubling her than she would share her dilemma and seek advice. She was someone who kept things to herself out of respect but would open up if someone seemed sincerely invested.

And Soul was certainly invested in getting the answers he wanted.

"Yes, Kami was Maka's mother's name," Tsubaki said gently. She looked down, as if her memories were troubling her suddenly. There was so much darkness in the past, so many bad feelings.

"How did she die?" Soul noticed how Tsubaki shifted a bit. He knew this meant she was thinking; she was going to lie to him just like the others. 'Of course; Tsubaki may be the weak link but she's still strong. Well, at the very least I got a name I can use to do research on my own time.'

"She was very sick for a while and it finally claimed her," She said after a moment's pause. She then shook her head and looked at Soul worriedly. "I'd rather not discuss that; those were very hard times for all of us, having to see Maka suffer like she did. We still need to think of a way to keep Maka from finding out what's going on tomorrow."

"I can handle that easily enough," Soul said as he made his way toward the door. A baffled Tsubaki followed him out as he returned to the practice room where everyone else was getting ready to head out. He was grateful that Black*Star hadn't come by today like usual; now he'd not have to worry about the other seeing through his plan. "Hey, Maka, I need to run some errands for my mother tomorrow. Did you want to tag along? It could be good for your research." He said with a slight shrug.

"Since when have you wanted to help me with my research?" She asked with a quirked brow. He smirked and chuckled a bit, making sure it came out a little smug.

"It helps keep you from leaning against the doors to the dining room, right? You've freaked out quite a few of the workers here and I figure this is an easier solution to the problem," Soul had to beam with pride at how Maka started to sputter and blush in humiliation at his words. "I mean, you've gained a creeper status among the staff! They're starting to place bets on when you're going to snap and do something even more bizarre!"

"Okay, okay! I get the point!" She snapped angrily. She glared at him, face still tinted with a pretty red color. "What time will we be leaving, then?"

"We'll head out around ten o'clock. Hell, I'll even treat you to lunch while we're out and about," Soul said with a victorious grin. He could see Tsubaki's face light up from the corner of his eye. Now all he had to do was come up with a convincing list of things to pick up tomorrow; he didn't want to rouse suspicion from Maka, after all.

"Whatever you say, Evans," She said bitterly as she headed out. It took all of her will power to not wonder if this would be considered a date and if she should get dressed up for it. This was not a date; this was research. She would just have to be sure not to enjoy herself.

Too bad there was someone else in the room who considered this to be a date.

…

Maka and Soul left the Evans manor at ten o'clock on the dot. "So what all are we picking up today?" Maka asked curiously, pulling out her research notebook. He grinned at her cheekily.

"I'm not going to just go on out and tell you. I do, however, have a nice little list in one of my pockets," He mused lightly with a devious grin. She blinked then glared at him. "Oh, come on! Did you really think I'd make it that easy for you? I'm already doing you a favor." He teased lightly.

"You call it a favor, I call it an inconvenience," She scoffed. She put the notebook back in her purse and glared at him. "I could probably do more effective snooping around on my own. Instead I get stuck tagging along with you on some trivial little errands."

"Then why don't you just turn around and go back into the house? We're only a block away at this point," Soul stated flatly. Maka blinked a few times, a faint blush coming to her cheeks, before she looked away.

"I'm already out here so I may as well go. After all, I got dressed and brought my notebook. This little experience will just take up about a page – maybe two, if you're lucky – in that book I'll be writing," She barked back. He snickered at this.

"You actually took time to think about how you looked before you came out here today? So do you view this as a sort of date?" He asked while gauging her reaction from the corner of his eye. Her cheeks immediately flamed to life and he was surprised that her pigtails flared up like a dog's ears did when on high alert.

"I absolutely do not! This is strictly for research purposes and you know it!" She growled at him, glaring at him sideways. He grinned and pulled out the small list he had compiled the night before.

"First on the list is some caviar," He said bluntly. Maka quirked an eyebrow at him and he held up his hands in defense. "Hey, I'm just doing what I'm told here."

"Right," Maka said while pulling out her notebook and pen again. She licked the tip of the pen and then scratched something down. He tried to peer over her shoulder and read the new words but she snapped it shut again before he could. "Well, where can we buy caviar?"

"There's a special market we have to go to. There's some other shops we'll have to visit that will be on the way so this will be an interesting little adventure," He explained calmly. She nodded and kept pace with him, briefly wondering why they hadn't just taken the family limo or something rather than having to hoof it like packed mules.

A few feet behind them, dressed in all black, Kid and the Thompson sisters were trailing behind. "That Soul Evans… He thinks he's so damn clever. But I can see right through his plans; he is far too asymmetrical to slip past my watchful gaze," Kid grumbled bitterly. Liz sighed and rubbed the back of her neck nervously while Patty was grinning and peering over Kid's shoulder to see the two teens they were following.

"Hey, Kid, did you ever think this isn't really any of our business? Maka's not some weepy little damsel-in-distress who needs her Prince Charming to save her; Hell, she can handle herself almost as well as Patty in fisticuffs!" The older woman said tiredly.

"Sis does have a point there," Patty agreed with a thoughtful tap of her chin. She then grinned widely and giggled again. "But then again, this is more fun than scrubbing the floors back at the house!"

"I can't argue with that," Liz agreed flatly, "but this isn't right. We know that Maka means a lot to you, Kid, but you can't always guard her like this. You weren't born to be her sword and shield; at some point, if you don't step aside willingly Maka's going to push you back. And what if she pushes you away for good? Where will you be then?" Liz argued with him, though he had yet to say anything in his own defense.

He tensed a bit and turned toward her. "Elizabeth, I will stand by Maka's side as long as I have to," He said calmly. The other's cerulean spheres widened a bit in alarm at this. Kid started to walk ahead, having lost sight of their targets and not wanting to lose the trail. Kid never knew his mother because she had passed away due to complications of labor; this left him motherless and an only child. He knew that his father had never pursued another relationship for fear of upsetting Kid (and the poor man was already paying a ton in therapy for his child; why tack on more to it?) but Kid always wanted to be a big brother. And then he met Maka, an only child like himself that was slightly younger than him. He had adopted her immediately; her sweet demeanor and good humor called to his need for balance. Through her, he learned how to (better) control his OCD and socialize with different types of people. It was only because of him that Kid was who he was and had the great friends that he did.

It wouldn't be wrong to claim that Kid loved Maka; at one point, he had loved her in a less than platonic way. He had once tried to suggest the concept of a relationship to her, before her mother's passing and her own psychosis became slightly compromised, but she had turned him down in a rather circular way. "I love this friendship we share, Kid; it's so much stronger than a lot of the relationships I have. Don't you agree?" She had asked with a bright little smile on her lips. He had been unable to tell her the truth behind his request to speak with her alone after that.

Instead, he had smiled and nodded. "It's certainly a symmetrical bond, isn't it?" He had concluded peacefully.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" She had then asked, taking a small sip of her own tea. He shook his head then, deciding not to burden her with another trivial matter.

"It was nothing, really; I just wanted to ask you for help picking out what to get my father. His birthday is next week and all," He had bluffed. And he was grateful that Maka either hadn't seen through the bluff or was too polite to comment on the blatant lie. Things were easier when some matters were left to fade to black, after all.

…

Marie took a deep breath as she entered Stein's office. He was sitting with tons of sheet music scattered about. Behind the desk, on a small table by the window, she could see a dissected frog resting. She had learned years ago to just ignore Stein's little stress relief techniques even if they made her a little uneasy. "Stein, I wanted to talk to you about something that's been in the back of my mind the last few days," She started out confidently.

He quirked an eyebrow at her before indicating one of the chairs in his office. "Well, feel free to open up then," He said with a small grin. He then glanced back at the frog, back at her, and jerked a thumb in its direction. "This frog is being pretty open right now too."

"Stein, this is serious!" She squeaked out indignantly as she sat down. Her cheeks puffed out a bit and changed to a shade between pink and red. The silver haired conductor chuckled and waved one of his hands in front of him.

"Sorry, sorry. Please, tell me what's on your mind," He said patiently. She swallowed hard and then nodded, steadying herself inside for what she'd be saying to him. She had never been so nervous in all her life.

"Well, I've been thinking lately," She started out slowly, "about children. I mean, I'll be frank with you; I'm not getting any younger. A lot of the people we knew growing up have already settled down and a lot of their children are almost adults as well. Look at Spirit's daughter, Maka, for example! And I guess I've been feeling the slow tick of my own biological clock more severely lately and… Well, I think I want to settle down and have a few kids." She looked down the whole time she spoke until the very end. She then glanced up, seeing the thoughtful glint in the man's eyes.

There was a pregnant pause before he nodded his agreement. "That certainly is a good point and a good idea for you, Marie. You do have a knack for kids, as well as the patience to raise them," He agreed with another nod. Marie's eye lit up eagerly as she sucked in a quiet breath. Her heart was soaring with this; he was with her on this! He saw what a wonderful mother she could be and agreed with her views! "But, technically, don't you need a husband first?" He asked bluntly.

Marie's heart sank down to her feet and she stared at him, gaping like a fish.

"I guess you could raise a child or two alone using donor sperm or something like that," He said while one of his hands curled around his chin. She could literally feel her heart slowing down, almost completely grinding to a halt. He wasn't being serious, was he? Sure, she hadn't been specific that she wanted to have his children, but she had hinted at it a little bit. She had made sure her wording could imply it just the slightest bit! "But that would add to the degree of difficulty involving the whole situation. And, though I don't doubt your abilities, it could wear you down pretty thin. I'd suggest you start out with taking time to start dating before just jumping into the concept of children." Stein said with a nod and small smile.

"Thank you for your input, Stein," Marie mumbled in an icy tone as she stood. Her head had dropped so that her bangs covered her only visible eye. "I will certainly take it to heart." She then turned on her heels, slamming the door behind her as hard as she could. The entire room shook, a few items fell off the walls, and Stein actually saw one of the hinges on the door spring off.

He pushed his glasses up on his nose, complete oblivious to the damage he'd done.

End

(1) Lullaby for Wyatt by Sheryl Crow, as suggested to me by OhMyGoshsickels. I couldn't think of a way to slip it in as a full group performance piece but after listening to the song I felt it could help amplify that scene between Maka and Kami. I hope you don't mind. :3

Notes before I dash off:

Oh Stein; you are so very ignorant. And, yes, Marie will be making him pay dearly for her emotional anguish. And, yes, he still isn't going to catch on one bit as to why she's upset.

I love Maka's pigtails in the serious and I especially love how they change with her mood. I absolutely had to include it and I hope you're all cool with that.

So, my poll isn't working. If you don't mind, please either PM me your thoughts on the ending or mention in your review. (So far I have three opinions to go off of. And thanks to the three who let me know; you rock~!)

Also, I've decided I want to do something new for you all. On Sunday's, after work, I'll be logging on and staying on until late into the evening. I'll keep the browser open in a window, refreshing it every fifteen minutes or so, while working on my fanfics; all day Sunday, I will be taking questions. And these questions can be anything from my updating plan for my new ideas (though I can't promise any of that will not be subject to change, depending on my work and school schedules), spoilers for my current fanfics (available solely on request through PM; don't want to tell everyone, after all), personal questions (though there will be some discretion when I answer those), or even requests for things you'd like to see me write. I've been thinking of doing a collection of drabbles based on words and would like to get a list going, so feel free to offer me help with that too. I'll be starting this up as of this Sunday~! Hope to hear from ya'all~!

Next Chapter:

Maka responds very poorly to a visit from her father, as expected; what isn't expected are the accusations that start to fly. Soul learns that, although she is so resistant to learning new things about music, Maka seems to have a fondness for a few musicals (or, rather, their content). Tsubaki finds out what Kid and the Thompson sisters are planning to do if Soul and Maka gets too close and promptly intervenes; with the help of the great Black*Star, of course.