Ok, sorry for the unusually long wait. Life has gotten in the way all summer. While I sit at home waiting for job calls I'm going to get back into writing this.

Chapter 21 – Routine

Two weeks dragged by slowly for Soul. His Brother left the day after the phone call gone wrong with the promise he would be back in a couple of weeks so he and Soul could be fit for their tuxes. He had been keeping mostly to himself. Holed up in the barracks most of the time, the only time he wasn't he was keeping Liz company in the mess hall kitchen.

He'd been called in to see Stein once he'd gotten back. His new rank came with some new responsibility. Starting in three weeks he would be training a small group of new recruits. Overseeing there training as Patty had his. They had also built a new officer quarters he would be moving into as soon as he was able. He'd simply nodded, agreed and saluted before leaving.

Soul fidgeted around on the table in the infirmary. Tsubaki was going to take his stitches out today and he could finally get back to his routine. Sitting around doing nothing was driving him crazy.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Tsubaki walked in all smiles.

"Good morning, Soul. Are you ready to have your stitches out?" She smiled as she set her clipboard down on the table beside the table.

"I've been ready to have them out since they got put in." She just giggled at him in reply as she cut the bandages off his leg.

She quickly cut and pulled the stitches out. "Well, it looks like it's all healed up Soul." He twisted to look at hi leg. There was an ugly looking scar there but he shrugged it off. A little souvenir to remember that little incident by.

He hopped off the table and bounced around gently on his leg, it didn't hurt anymore.

"Cool, now I can ride my bike, Thanks Tsubaki." He pulled his pant leg back down and grinned at the mild mannered camp nurse.

She opened her mouth to speak when a loud echoing yell filled the infirmary.

"Tsubaki!" She sighed and turned toward the door in time too see Black Star come stumbling in the infirmary doors with Kidd guiding him along. Black Star grinned as he held a rag, strained bright red with his blood to his forehead.

"We've had another incident, Tsubaki." Kidd sighed. Black Star laughed.

"What did you do to yourself now?" Soul grumbled as he shook his head.

"What? This?" He laughed. "This is nothing the great I can't handle." Both of their superiors sighed before leading Black Star to his usual seat.

Soul just rolled his eyes and sent a lazy wave Black Stars way before leaving the infirmary.

Liz was probably all done cleaning up the mess from breakfast but he could still get to training before it started. He'd catch Liz at dinner.

When he walked inside the training hall people were still slowly trickling in. Maka wasn't there yet either.

It was good to be back on his feet. Something jabbed him hard in the back and he jumped. Spinning around to face his assailant.

"Morning Sergeant Eater!" Patty stood there grinning at him. Soul let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Morning Sergeant Major." He grinned back at his perpetually giddy superior.

"You've missed a lot of training ya know." She commented offhandedly as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Soul smiled sheepishly.

"Yea, well I'm ready to get back in it now. " He grinned.

"Are you ready for newest batch of maggots you're going to be in charge of? He gave a lazy shrug.

"We'll see." She grinned.

"You want to use one of my guns?" She offered. Soul let out a small laugh, shaking his head.

"Not with my aim. They're not going to take me very seriously if I'm always shooting at them and missing." Patty nodded.

The door flew open and Maka walked in all business as her usual.

"Alright, let's get started!" Patty trotted off and Soul made his way to center ring. He was ready to get back into his normal routine, he bounced around anxiously.

Maka sent a discreet smirk his way as she came to stand beside him.

"Alright, today were going to be working on lethal force…"

Soul stretched his arms out over his head. Training had actually left him a little tired. After weeks of doing nothing his body needed time to readjust.

He jogged quickly to the mess hall knowing Liz wasn't expecting him. He hadn't told her he was getting his stitches taken out today.

Pushing through the kitchens double doors he noticed Liz facing away from him, picking through a bag of potatoes. He grinned to himself as he snuck quietly behind her. He reached out and poked her.

"RAAHH!"

She screamed, her cigarette falling from her lips. Dropping the potato in her hand and whipped around slashing at him with a potato peeler.

"AHH!" He fell backwards trying to avoid her swings. She was breathing hard and holding the peeler out like a weapon. They stared at each other for a moment as recognition dawned on her face, which quickly turned to a scowl.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She snarled. Soul held a hand to his now bleeding cheek where she'd managed to get him with the peeler.

"Me? Who the hell just starts slashing out like crazy like that?!" He growled back as he pulled himself up off the dirty kitchen floor. She reached down and picked up her forgotten smoke. Flicking the ashes off the end before putting back in her mouth.

"I do, so don't do it again." She emphasized by jabbing her starchy instrument of death in his direction. He snorted but nodded.

"Duly noted." He grunted as he walked over to the wall where his apron was hanging. Liz picked up the sack of potatoes she'd been going through and set them on the counter as Soul slipped the apron over his neck and tied it off behind his back, he dug a Band-Aid out of the cabinet and stuck it over the cut on his cheek.

"So you got your stitches out finally?" He nodded. Hiking up his pant leg to show her the jagged scar in place of the stitches.

"Good, I was getting tired of doing all this shit by myself." Soul snorted.

"Please, Liz. We both know you just enjoy the company. You did this just fine long before I came around." He said as he saddled up beside her and started peeling potatoes. Liz huffed, setting down the potato in her to grab both of Souls cheeks.

"Well you are my favorite kitchen monkey." She grinned wickedly pulling at his cheeks. He growled, swatting her hands away. She laughed at his scowl.

Dinner swept by as usual long lines of hungry soldiers only daring to complain about the food once they were out of ear shot of the camps two cooks.

They peeled off their aprons and grabbed their own dinner before heading out of the kitchen toward the officers table. Soul slid into the empty spot Maka had left him at the end of the table. Liz plopped down next to her sister, who was playing with her food more than eating eat.

"I forgot to ask, you think you'll be able to keep these new recruits in line, Soul?" Liz asked him from across the table.

"I don't know, maybe." He mumbled as he spooned mashed potatoes into his mouth. Maka spoke up beside him.

"I'm sure you'll do a fine job. Basic training is pretty simple stuff. Running, pushups. The basics." She assured him. He nodded. Liz jumped in.

"So long as you don't get a recruit like Black Star, that is." Soul rolled his eyes.

"There's no one else out there quite like Black Star, I hope." Liz grinned.

"He's just a loud mouth." Ragnarok grumbled from where he sat hunched over his tray and picking bits from Chrona's

'He wasn't so tough." Patty agreed never looking up from her tray.

'Yeah, but I think Souls style of dealing with troops is going to be a little different than yours patty." Maka smirked at him before standing up with her tray. "I'll see you all later."

Soul finished his meal and bid everyone a good night before leaving the mess hall and walking quickly to the barracks. Black Star was laying in his bunk playing with his gun.

"hey, Soul." Soul nodded to him before he set about digging through his footlocker, finally pulling out an old grungy pair of goggles. He locked his footlocker back and left the barracks, waving to Black Star.

He made a beeline for the office. He needed to sign out to leave base. Steins Secretary was gone but he found the sign out book and quickly jotted down his name, date and the time before sprinting out of the office to the storage shed his bike was in.

The bright orange paint was almost blinding to look at in the light from the setting sun. Sliding onto the seat he gave a quick hop, kick starting it. The engine roared to life beneath him. He couldn't suppress the grin on face as he revved the engine. He pulled the goggles down over his eyes before kicking up the kick stand and riding around the storage units and out the bases front gates.

Maka smiled as she watched him drive out of the base from her spot outside the office where she'd been delivering paperwork.

His tires kicked up sand and dirt as he drove down the main road leading away from the base. Wind whipping through his hair, blowing sand every direction, but that didn't matter to him.

It was just nice to finally have his bike back. One of the very few things from his civilian life that he had missed. A part of his old life that no one could ever ruin.

Next Chapter will be much quicker than this one. (I hope.)

~Malthazar LOS