A/N: This chapter is dedicated to everybody in the world except for Alena Rashel.
And Kid/Maka alert, people :P
~Stitches – 9 years, 3 months~
Something's up with Maka.
I'm not sure what it is, but she's been flitting around Shibusen with a different sort of glow about her.
I've got an inkling. But I really shouldn't presume.
So I won't.
Alright, I'm sorry that this is such a short entry. Because I've got an awful lot of work to get done. This year's Ultimate Written Exam is coming up and Stein and I have to write it.
Alright, then.
Marie x
Marie was sitting in the faculty room, all by herself. She was pretty sure that there was a fight going on in the courtyard and, even though only one teacher had to supervise, more often went. She glanced over at the door and saw Maka poking her head around the doorframe.
"Ah, Marie-sensei, I found you." Maka smiled, walking over to the couch where Marie sat and sitting down, tucking her feet under herself.
"What is it, Maka?" Marie asked.
"I was wondering…would I be able to tell you something?" Maka asked. Marie nodded.
"Of course. You don't have to ask." Marie said.
"It's just… It's personal and… I've not told anyone yet." Maka smiled. Marie tilted her head to the side slightly. She was pretty sure she knew what Maka was on about.
"Not even Kid?" Marie asked. Maka shook her head.
"No." Maka said.
"Okay, then. What is it, Maka?" Marie asked. Maka's smile widened and she put her hands on top of Marie's. She took a deep breath and smiled.
"I'm having a baby." Maka smiled. Marie smiled back and gave Maka a hug.
"Oh, Maka, that's fantastic!" Marie said, letting go of Maka's hug.
"I was wondering… if I could have some advice. You know, seeing as my mother is…" Maka trailed off. Marie put her hand on Maka's shoulder and nodded.
"It's fine. I'll tell you everything you want to know." Marie said.
"Would you like to come to Death Mansion after school is over?" Maka asked. Marie nodded.
"That sounds fine. I'll let Stein know." Marie said. Maka nodded and the two women stood, Marie hugging Maka one more time.
"Congratulations, Maka." Marie smiled.
"It's a very nice place you've turned this into." Marie said, looking around Death Mansion, nursing a cup of tea. Maka, who was sitting next to her, turned to face her.
"Well, you can tell a woman lives here now. When we were dating… goodness." Maka laughed slightly, remembering back when Death Mansion looked more like a bachelor pad.
"So, when will Kid arrive home?" Marie asked.
"About twenty minutes, I think." Maka sighed.
"Okay. So, are you going to tell him tonight?" Marie asked.
"I…I think so." Maka said, apprehensively.
"What's wrong?" Marie asked.
"Well, Kid and I wanted children, but… this little one wasn't exactly planned." Maka said. Realisation washed over Marie as she sighed, taking Maka's hand in her own.
"Yes, but Kid will support you. He'll stand by you. Especially with a shinigami child. They're rare and they're delicate." Marie said.
"I know. I know." Maka said.
"So, how far along are you?" Marie asked.
"About three weeks." Maka said, resting her hands on her stomach.
"So, no morning sickness or anything?" Marie asked. Maka shook her head.
"No." Maka said.
"You're lucky. I had it really badly." Marie said.
"We all noticed." Maka smirked. Marie nodded.
"Well, it wasn't hard to notice." Marie replied. "So, what else do you want to know?"
"Does labour hurt?" Maka asked. Marie sighed and took Maka's hand.
"It does hurt. But it's completely and utterly, 100% worth it." Marie said. Maka recoiled slightly, but understood what Marie said.
"Thank you for telling me the truth. I've been to a specialist, and she wouldn't tell me straight." Maka said. Marie nodded and noticed that Maka's expression changed slightly.
"I… This could be totally inappropriate and weird to ask but-"
"Sex?" Marie asked. Maka's eyes widened and she coughed slightly at Marie's abruptness.
"How'd you know?" Maka asked. Marie gave a small laugh and smiled.
"Call it women's intuition." Marie smirked.
"So… what's it like?" Maka asked. Marie nodded.
"Honestly? I don't know about everyone else, but for me… Pretty darn good." Marie gave a tiny smile. Maka couldn't help but laugh, for if not she was sure she would have died of embarrassment.
"The trick is navigating the stomach. But, early on, you'll be fine. Later on… well, it helps if you're good at Tetris." Marie said. Maka smiled and clasped her hands. She continued to chat with her former teacher, quite candidly and openly, until Kid walked in the door. He really didn't look much different, a little older, but much the same as when he graduated from Shibusen.
"Hi, Maka, Marie-sen-Marie-sensei?" Kid asked, taken slightly aback. Maka got up off of the couch and wandered over to Kid, kissing him gently on the lips.
"What's Marie-sensei doing here?" Kid asked.
"She was giving me advice. I have news." Maka said. Kid stood back slightly as Maka placed her hands on her stomach.
"We're having a baby, Kid." Maka said, looking at the shinigami with expectant eyes. He was taken aback, and concentrated on Maka's soul. There it was, clear as day. There were two responses in there.
"Wow," Kid said, scratching the back of his head, "You're really pregnant."
"I am. We're going to be parents, Kid." Maka said. The news hit Kid at that moment and he hugged his wife, kissing her on the forehead.
"A baby. A baby of our very own." Kid whispered in Maka's ear. Marie stood up and smiled at the spectacle.
"Congratulations, you two. Well, I'd best get home to Stein and Stitches. And, Maka, don't hesitate to call." Marie said. Maka nodded.
"Thank you so much, Marie-sensei." Maka said.
"That's fine, Maka." Marie smiled. Kid walked over to Marie.
"Thank you for reassuring her. Knowing Maka, she would have been freaking out." Kid said. Marie smiled.
"She's got reason to be. You take care of her now, okay?" Marie asked. Kid nodded.
"I will." Kid said.
"Make him do everything around the house." Marie said to Maka. Maka chuckled slightly as Kid walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her midsection.
"Alright, you two. I'll see you soon." Marie said, walking out the door.
"Maka's having a baby? Oh, that's fantastic, Mama!" Stitches said, sitting in her bed. Marie smiled.
"Yes, it is. Alright, you've got to get some sleep. School tomorrow." Marie said, kissing Stitches on the forehead. Stitches nodded and pulled herself under the covers, turning over to face the wall. Marie walked out of the room, turned off the light and shut the door. As she did, the phone rang.
"I've got it." Marie said, walking over to the phone. She picked it up and had to hold it away from her head.
"Spirit! Spirit, calm down. Speak quietly." Marie said. She brought the receiver back to her ear and listened.
"Yeah, she told me first. She wanted my advice." Marie began. Spirit spoke on the other end of the line.
"Well, yes, Spirit, but you've never exactly had to push one out, have you?" Marie asked. Spirit must have conceded that as his exclamations died down.
"Alright, Spirit, I've got to go. Alright, congratulations. Goodbye." Marie said, hanging up the phone.
"Was that a gloating phone call?" Stein asked. Marie turned to him with a puzzled expression on her face.
"I'm really not sure." Marie said.
"It was just a lot of screaming?" Stein asked.
"Yes." Marie said. Stein nodded as he sat down on the couch, Marie sitting down next to him and leaning on his shoulder.
"He was like this when Kami told him she was pregnant with Maka. Insane." Stein said.
"Well, we weren't exactly level-headed when we found out about Stitches." Marie reminded Stein. He looked up in thought.
"There was a lot of shouting." Stein recalled.
"And a lot of crying." Marie remembered.
"And trying to work out how the hell it happened." Stein added.
"Damn crafty sperm." Marie remarked. Stein looked down at Marie, shook his head and laughed. He loved her; the way she'd just say anything to him, without inhibition.
"In retrospect, aren't you glad I've got crafty sperm?" Stein asked. Marie closed her eyes and laid her head on Stein's chest. She looked over into her daughter's room, making out her sleeping silhouette in the dark.
"Definitely." Marie whispered.
A/N: 'Damn crafty sperm.' I'm a modern day Shakespeare.