Alright, kids. I know it's been a while and I'm sorry for such a shockingly late update but I've been busy. I know it's not really what you want to hear but I feel a need to explain myself, so I have exams and shit of which I desperately need to revise for. My theory is my way with words and English has just made me shitty at Maths so that's what my life basically revolves around at the moment, so yeah. Sorry.

READ THIS SO YOU DON'T SHOUT AT ME: Now, before anyone starts moaning that all this wouldn't happen in an actual mental home, of course it doesn't. This is fiction, it ain't real. I am making this as accurate as I can but if I made this 100% mental hospital accurate then this story would be pretty shit 'cause patients wouldn't get away with half of the shit these lot do. So calm down. I'm trying to keep things interesting.

Anyhow, I'm back now and updates may not be that quick but I promise you all I will finish this story and it's got a long while to go yet so you lads have a lot of shit to look forward to.

Chapter 11?

Maka gave a low, inaudible groan as Stein, no doubt, pounded relentlessly on her door. After taking her pills she made her way back into her room as she rubbed the back of her bed mussed head. She had been at the institution for a little over two weeks now and she had grew accustomed to the time table and the new group of people she had no choice but to hang around with. Soul's night terrors had been decreasing drastically due to her comfort late at night, people were so used to it that they didn't even get up when she did, they simply knew she would take care of him. She smiled to herself. It was nice to feel trusted.

Maka and Soul's relationship was definitely a fickle one. With them both having such severe mental illnesses it was true that they clashed a lot but that was also the reason they understood each other so well. Both of them being just as stubborn as each other proved a problem for neither will admit their want and need for the others company, and so they will go days on end ignoring each other.

It never lasted though. They inevitably stuck at each other's side and this unfortunately did not go unnoticed by the other patients. They were teased a lot by Blackstar and Patty but that was effectively quietened with Maka's hardback and Soul's glare, so all was well in the end.

Maka sighed loudly as she slumped back down onto her bed, she had yet to put her jacket on and so her eyes drifted down to the marks on her arm that Soul had witnessed her place onto her skin. The sudden… attachment she had for Soul worried her, and she didn't doubt that it worried Soul also. They were so alike but so different at the same time, it scared her.

"Maka?"

Maka lifted her head to see Soul himself in the doorway, his eyes narrowed as he had followed her previous gaze to the marks on her arm.

She said nothing as she stood up and shrugged her jacket on, only when she did, did Soul finally tear his gaze away from her forearm.

"Hey," she breathed, stepping towards him so they could make their way from the room. Soul didn't respond and proceeded to block the entrance, closing the door slowly behind him as bowed his head so that his bangs hid his eyes.

Maka frowned. "What are you doing? Let's go."

Soul swallowed audibly. "My parents are coming today." He said abruptly.

Maka recoiled. "What? You're leaving the hospital?" she asked, her voice raising in pitch. Soul shook his head.

"No, no," he assured her before sighing. "No, they want to… take me out for the day. When you reach a certain level you get to go on days out with your family and come back at the end of the day. I reached the level ages ago but my parents never pulled anything like this till now."

"Levels…?" Maka trailed off, Soul sighed.

"Most patients don't know but the staff mark the patients progress with levels," he droned on, Maka didn't have to ask how he knew this. "Level One is when you first got here. You're given some space to get used to the institution and shit but kept a close eye on. You were different since before you came here you had some Councillor of yours give specific ways in which for you to recover, so some of the rules for the levels don't really apply to you." Soul shook his head when Maka opened her mouth.

"Sid is shitty and hiding files," he explained. "I've read every file of the people in our ward." Maka nodded and he looked away.

"Level Two is private sessions. That'd be when Miss Marie started taking you out of free time and Art and Crafts and all that. You moved up then." Maka nodded. "Level Three is when you're allowed to join others of that level and above in outside games. You also get a later curfew and can sleep in for longer. Level Four is where I'm at, you can go out with your family for a day or weekend, go the movies, restaurant so long as a staff member is with you and you're back at a certain time."

Maka frowned. "It that all?" she asked. Soul shook his head.

"No," he said. "Then there is Level Five. And that's when you finally get to go home."

Maka blinked before leaning away, frowning at the floor before looking back up to the older male.

"So, you're going out with your parents today?"

Soul grimaced before shaking his head. "Like hell I am. I need you to cover for me."

Maka arched a brow. "Wait, what?"

Soul scoffed before crossing his arms over his broad chest and leaning back to look down at Maka. "Like I'm going anywhere with them, they're more crazy than the people in here!"

Maka just frowned in confusion before shaking her head rapidly, running a hand through her hair. "What are you going to do then?"

"I'll just hide from the staff. It'll be easy, I know this place better than any of them do. Only Sid knows about my piano room so once I see that he's checked that I can just hide out in there for the rest of the day, that'll most likely be the first place he'll check, too."

"Won't any of the other staff check there?"

"No, none of the others know about that room. This place was a school before it was a hospital and Sid went to it. He's the only one who knows about the room."

Maka rolled her eyes before turning her back to shut of her light before facing Soul again.

"I'm staying with you."

Soul's eyes widened before her hissed back at her. "Maka, don't start. That'll be well too suspicious! I'll get caught right away, you idiot."

"Fine, then I'll meet you in the piano room at dinner!" she countered hotly. "That way no one will find us and you won't be all alone! It'll be fine!"

They took and abrupt step back when they realised they were in each other's faces. Soul just scowled at her before turning his back.

"If anyone asks you haven't seen me," he said sternly before swinging the door open. He paused a second.

"… I'll see you at 12."

The door slammed shut as a slow smile crept across Maka's face.