Vera hissed as the smoke settled around her, making her eyes burn.

"You've betrayed us!" the voices screamed at her. She couldn't see their faces, but the wolf witch knew who it was.

Ariel and the other witches had cornered her in a dark alley as she was leaving the bar after helping Maka escape.

"I didn't," Vera growled back. "You've betrayed the treaty we made, and the other witches as well!" She threw the words back at the others, crouching in a defensive position, her eyes flashing as she tried to pinpoint the location of the other witches.

"She killed one of our own." Ariel's voice rang through the smoke as the raven witch emerged, her dark hair spilling out behind her. "So will you protect this mortal girl, or will you stand by your sisters?" she asked threateningly.

"I know where my loyalties lie," Vera sneered back at her. "I'm not helping you hurt her."

Ariel smiled sinisterly and looked to her left. Her eyes flickered back to Vera who tensed visibly at the gesture.

"Take her soul," Ariel said as she turned over her shoulder and headed towards the street.

The smoke began to clear and Vera's eyes focused in on a shifting shape in a grey cloak that was slowly making it's way towards her.

"Gladly," it whispered.

And then everything went black.

00000000

"What do you mean she's gone?" Soul shouted at the Thompson sisters as he paced across the living room in the Gallows Manor.

His feet thudded as he crossed back and forth angrily. Liz had called him as soon as Maka had disappeared from the club.

"Look, all we saw Kid come up to her, and then she disappeared!" Liz said back to him in a bored voice. She held her hand against her face as she lounged on the couch. "I assume he sensed all of those witches and took her somewhere safe."

"I'm sure she's fine, Kidd wouldn't let anything hurt her," Patty said cheerily. Neither girls had bothered to change yet, but Patty kicked off her heels, sending them flying across the room. They heels hit the wall next to Soul and he glared at them menacingly.

Soul stopped and turned to Liz. "She's with Kid?"

Liz yawned and leaned her head against the cushion of the sofa. "Yeah, he grabbed her and left, so I'm sure they're fine," she said sleepily.

Soul nodded as he ran a hand through his white hair. "Is there, uh, anyway I could reach her?"

He shifted nervously from one foot to another when he asked.

It's wasn't that he was jealous of Kid for having Maka's attention, not at all. But Maka and Soul had been partners for such a long time that they were practically ingrained in each other's genes. That's how weapons and meisters should be.

Soul trusted Maka with every intimate detail of his life, and she trusted Soul with all of hers.

There were things they knew about each other that nobody should ever know about someone else. It's pretty hard to keep secrets when your souls are constantly resonating in battle.

But he still felt a slight tug on his heart when he knew she was with Kid. It wasn't a jealousy over romantic feelings. No, it was envy over losing his place in her life.

Soul was always the one Maka turned to when something was wrong, but something was wrong and Maka was yet to turn to him. She turned to the Shinigami in her time of need instead of her weapon. His meister was in danger and she didn't even tell him.

What would become of them now?

Would she toss him aside now that she had someone else to protect her? His head hurt and his mind was reeling. Who was he without his meister, his best friend?

Liz stared at him with wide eyes, trying to read his thoughts. "Probably with a mirror, we could reach them." She stood up and crossed to him, reaching out to touch his arm. "Are you okay?" the demon pistol asked quietly.

Soul cleared his throat as he nodded at her, relieved to have the comfort of her touch. "Yeah," he said shakily. "I'm just worried about her. We never go this long without communicating," he said warily.

He found himself suddenly tackled in a fierce hug by Liz. The Death Scythe would have toppled over had Liz not had such a secure grasp on him.

Soul put his arms around her awkwardly, a slight blush creeping across his face. "Hey now, you don't have to do that," he stammered.

"I know, I want to."

"Yeah, Sis likes to hug people when they get sad!" Patty laughed when she saw them hugging. She knew how much her sister liked Soul and she wanted to help her. "Well," Patty said with a shrug as she stood up from the couch, "I should probably go to bed now. Nighty night guys," she called as she skipped off to her bedroom.

Liz watched her sister go and chuckled, still wrapped in Soul's embrace. "Don't mind her, she's crazy."

"Yeah, I'm pretty aware," Soul said with a smirk. He let Liz out of his hold and went to sit on the couch, gesturing for Liz to join him. Liz did so with a smile, snuggling right next to him.

"We'll call her in the morning," Liz said finally. "I'm sure Kid already has a plan worked up on how to deal with the witches that are after Maka." Her voice was firm and authoritative, and she stretched warily on the couch.

Soul nodded, his mind distant.

He couldn't help how worried he was. If anything happened to Maka, he'd blame himself, even if it wasn't his fault. She was so reckless that if someone didn't watch her constantly, she would do something insane and get herself killed. It didn't matter how strong or intelligent she was, the scythemeister was too headstrong for her own good.

Before either of them knew it, Liz and Soul fell asleep, finding comfort and peace in the other's embrace.

00000000

"Maka! Why haven't you called Daddy yet?" Spirit wailed as he faced the mirror.

"Because I wanted to avoid this conversation," Maka deadpanned at her father's words. She sighed before sending a slight smile in her father's direction. "I'm alright, papa, I promise. I'm somewhere safe, Kid made sure of that."

Spirit's eyes widened and turned bloodshot and he clutched his side. "You're w-with Kid?!" he sputtered out. "Why didn't you come to me if you were in trouble? Maka, you know Daddy loves you more than that stupid morbid Kid!"

"Ahem," Kid said, appearing behind Maka. He put his hand on one of Maka's shoulders, pushing one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "You're still one of my weapon's, Death Scythe," he said cooly.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember," Spirit muttered as he sweat dropped from seeing Kid appear suddenly. "So," he said, turning serious. "Why is she with you, Kid?" he asked, turning his attention to the shinigami.

"There is a league of witches after Maka right now, and they surrounded her in a club. I had to use shadow magic to get her to a safe location," Kid said, assuring Spirit through the mirror.

Spirit nodded as he leaned against a wall on the other side. "So where is this "safe location"?" he asked, looking directly at Maka.

The blonde meister stared back at her father evenly. "Does it matter, Papa? I'm safe, just leave it alone."

"But when are you coming home, baby?" Spirit whined. "When will I get to see you? You know, if your mother was here she would be so upset about you being in an unknown place by yourself with a boy!" he said, reaching a point of hysterics.

"Mama's not coming back, let it go."

"How can you be so cruel to your dear old dad?!" Spirit said, pulling his hair out.

Maka sighed as she brushed her hand against the silver of the mirror's frame, trying to figure out how to soothe her Dad's many worries.

After another moment of Spirit's wails, Kid finally grew frustrated and slammed his fist against the mirror. "Enough, Death Scythe. We have more important things to do than listen to your melodramatics!" Kid said menacingly, his golden eyes flashing.

Spirit sniffled slightly and then nodded slowly. "If it's a league of witches, why don't you just have them put on the list and then send some weapons and meisters after them?" Spirit asked after he stopped hyperventilating.

The shinigami shook his head. "It's not that simple. I believe the witches are being aided by a force that I do not want any DWMA students going anywhere near. They are my problem, and I will deal with them," he said firmly, cracking his knuckles.

"And how do you plan on protecting Maka from this problem?" Spirit asked archly.

Kid started to speak when Maka cut him off abruptly, seething with rage.

"I do not," she spat out, "need to be protected." Maka began to storm out of the room, stopping as she reached the door. "I am a three star meister with a weapon gene. Don't treat me like a damn child," she called over her shoulder as she slammed the door behind her.

Spirit and Kid were left staring at the door in shock. "I blame you for that," Spirit said, looking at Kid.

The shinigami sighed and rubbed his temples in irritation. "I blame me too," Kid muttered.

"So what's this other threat. Is it the shinigami?" The Death Scythe asked quietly, his eyes downcast.

Kid's head whipped around the face Spirit with a snap. "How do you know about them?" he snarled.

Spirit held up both hands as if to offer peace. "Your dad let me in on a lot of secrets. I was there when he went to get you from those bastards," he muttered darkly. "You can't let her near them."

"I don't know if I have much of a choice, Spirit. She wants to help, and I don't know if I can face them without her," he offered quietly. His body seemed to collapse in on itself as he worried over what to do.

"She's not a fighting weapon, Kid, she's going to get hurt, and I won't let you get my little girl killed," the Death scythe said adamantly.

Kid ran a hand through his dark hair as he took in a shaky breath. "So what do you suppose I do? Tell her 'Sorry, but you can sit this one out'? Maka and I don't keep secrets from each other!"

"You're that close, aren't you?"

He saw Spirit's face harden for a moment, frustration covering his features. The Death Scythe took a deep breath and then exhaled. Kid felt his throat close when he saw a defeated look replace the previous one. It was a look of resignation, of surrender.

"I knew the day would come, Kid, and I guess it could be worse. It could Black Star, or that Hiro fool. At least I know I can trust you to do the right thing," Spirit choked out.

Spirit eyed Kid for a moment. "I can trust you to do the right thing, can't I?" he questioned.

Could he? Can he really, Kid thought. He's right, she can't help me face them. They'll just use her to hurt me, and she'll get hurt in the process. But can I face them alone?

He thought about all the times Maka had stood by him. When she had assured him of her faith in him, of his humanity, allowing him to connect his Sanzu lines. He thought of how much she trusted him in allowing him to shadow travel her to a place where she was cut off from all familiarity.

He couldn't let her down.

"Yes, yes you can."

For the first time in a long time, Spirit grinned at Kid with complete sincerity.

"Good."

00000000

"How many times do I have to apologize?" Kid complained as he sat down next to Maka on the porch swing.

"I'm not mad at you," she replied, her voice completely flat. She continue to read her book, curled up against the arm of the swing.

Kid tugged on her book slightly, trying to pull her attention away from the text. "Then why won't you look at me, sweet?" he asked.

Maka pushed him off and sent him a glare, wrenching the book from his hand. "Because I'm trying to read you dumbass," she snarled at him.

The shinigami sighed before scooting closer to her on the swing. "I was hoping you weren't going to make this difficult, but I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way," he teased as he put an arm around her waist. Maka sent him a questioning look and then shrieked as he grabbed her side, tickling at the base of her ribcage.

"What are you- Hey, stop that!" she shouted in between fits of giggles.

Kid didn't move his arms, and instead continued his ministrations while she writhed against the swing, kicking her feet out at odd angles. "Not until you talk to me," he challenged.

"Okay. OKAY FINE," Maka shouted and Kid finally released her from his grip. She took several deep breaths, trying to figure out how her lungs were supposed to work again. After a moment, she leaned back against the swing, pulling a pigtail over her shoulder.

"It's just, I don't want to be left out of this. I meant it when I said I wasn't going anywhere, Kid," she said, her emerald eyes softening. "You've been alone in the dark for so long, isolating yourself. Let me help you, let me . . ."

"Let you what?" he asked as he stared at her intently.

She swallowed thickly. "Let me love you," she said quietly.

There. She had said it. The words she had been thinking since he let her see the recesses of his soul. She had seen what lay beneath the somber exterior, and she loved him. Ever little bit of neuroticism and insecurity. Because it was real, not like the facades she had seen others put up. Kid didn't hide things except to ease the burdens of others. He was real, and he was hers. Just like she was his.

There was no going back now, she knew she belonged to him. Ever fiber of her being, every pound of flesh, belonged to the boy sitting next to her.

And she was okay with that.

But what if he isn't? her insecurities whispered.

Then I find a way to survive. I can survive without him, but I'll be living with him. For the first time, I feel truly alive, and I guess I have to take that risk. I'm the brave one, aren't I? Maka thought to herself.

"Maka?" Kid asked tentatively, his golden eyes boring into hers.

"It's okay if you don't love me," she said looking away. "I get it, I really do, I just thought -"

She was silenced as he slammed his face into hers, crushing their lips together. Maka relaxed as she felt an arm slide around her waist and pull her closer to his chest.

After a moment, they pulled apart, resting their foreheads together. "Don't ever think that I don't love you, Maka. I love you more than I have loved anything else in this world. You are the best part of me, and don't think that I will ever let you go," he whispered.

Maka smiled, allowing his words to sink in. He loved her, he really loved her.

No more loneliness, no more isolation. There would be no more aching pangs as they both yearned for affection and acceptance.

They had each other, the angel and the reaper; the grigori and the shinigami; Maka and Kid.

And it was time for a new story to begin. One that brought love into the most painful situations, a story that could be told to new generations.

A story of a love that could break the curse.

The pair stayed up through the night and Kid told her the story of his branding, showing her the mark on the inside of his wrist. The meister had noticed it before but didn't ask for fear of bringing up painful memories.

She touched the scar tentatively, allowing her fingers to glide over the burned flesh. Her soothing wavelength calmed the uneasiness in his soul, allowing her acceptance of every part of him to be felt.

They fell asleep on the porch swing after Kid went to grab a blanket for them. She put her head on his chest as he leaned against the back of the swing. It was the perfect way for Maka to hear the gentle thud of his heartbeat as it lulled her to sleep.

She felt a slight shift of positions in her sleep but she didn't rouse, simply adjusting as she felt the blanket being wrapped around her body better.

When she woke a few hours later, she was alone and Kid was nowhere in sight.

A/N: Whoo! Okay, another chapter out! Chapter 10 is looking good. This story is almost over, I'm thinking between 3 and 5 more, but the number could fluctuate.

Also, I just found out this story was put in a community, which made me feel like a celebrity of the KiMa world. Gotta love FFNet!

Responses:
QuantamTheory: S/O to you for being the first review AND the first one to catch my doc errors! You rock and I adore you :)
FluffyiceSprite: I believe this is the first time I've heard from you, so WELCOME! I'm sure you could write great stories! It just takes practice! My first stories are absolute crap, but I'm glad to have them because it paved the way for stories like this one :)
DeathEzio: Totally fangirled a bit when I saw you put me as one of your favorite authors *le dramatic tear*Oh the honor! I'm glad someone else is as uncomfortable with lemon as I am. I like to suggest adult themes because this is an adult situation, but I really don't want the details because what they hell do I know about that stuff?
NickyRockit: So good to hear from you and I'm honored by your review!
MowenMaximus: Same, I'm literally typing thinking "When do I get to the really good part I was thinking about in math yesterday?" Yes, I think about my fics during school because Statistics can be as boring as hell.
ZoeyAngel: Okay now I'm wondering about this honey vomit nonsense and I'm mildly concerned, but not concerned enough to not enjoy your wonderful review!
Carrotlime: I'll try my best!
NiniHearts: AWWWW thanks! It's one of my favorites that I've ever written, and it's been so well received!

-Wri