Stein was so full of hatred and anger. He wanted to kill her. He wanted to kill her. He wanted to kill Eris. He wanted to kill her slowly. He wanted to make her suffer. He wanted her to writhe in agony, the way his heart was agonizing now.
Marie. His Marie, had gone through that horrifying hallucination because of that witch. His Marie, was in love with Ryota now. His child was GONE because of her!
His heart wrenched in pain at the thought of his child being gone. Marie had been so excited...she had been growing…and now…to picture that life gone; her womb empty; was just too much to bear. Why hadn't he figured things out sooner? Why couldn't he have done anything to protect her? He wanted Marie back…he wanted his baby back…and now…he was WAITING; waiting at home. He had to wait for Ryota and his weapon Norah to devise a plan. He didn't want to wait. He wanted Eris dead now. He wanted her to burn in hell for what she had done.
Stein felt his eyes begin to sting. He knew what was coming next. Fuck, he just wanted to be strong but this was…it was painful. Stein's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his bedroom door. Who was in his house? Stein quickly became defensive but relaxed when he saw Spirit walk in.
"How long are you going to stay in here? You need to eat and drink you know." Spirit said taking a seat on the bed next to Stein.
Stein didn't respond.
"What's got you cooped up in here? I know you're worried about Marie but I've never seen you shut down like this. Ryota wouldn't tell me the details…he said you should tell me." Spirit said seriously.
Stein still remained silent.
"Stein?' Spirit said harshly, showing his anticipation.
Stein's head lowered further.
"It's gone…" Stein muttered.
"What?" Spirit said in confusion.
Stein didn't speak for a long time. He finally took in a deep breath and said one word.
"Miscarriage." Stein choked bitterly.
Spirit's eyes widened, before he grit his teeth and pinched his eyes shut; he looked down at his knees.
"Stein…that's not fair…it's just wrong…" Spirit said with sad frustration.
Stein bit his lip. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to cry. No. Especially not in front of someone.
"Stein…I'm so sorry. I can't imagine…" Spirit said with tears finally forming in his eyes.
Being a parent, Spirit understood what a treasure a child is, and seeing his friend losing that treasure was painful.
"No you can't…did you hear about Eris?" Stein said.
"The witch? What about her?" Spirit replied.
"She's manipulated Marie's feelings with her magic. She loves Ryota now…and it was Eris's poison that murdered my child…I hate her. I want her to die! I want to kill her!" Stein cried out hatefully.
Spirit put a hand on Stein's shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him as well as settle his nerves. Spirit was worried that Stein's hate might turn to madness if not kept in check.
"Calm down Stein. I know that's hard to do but now isn't the time for you to lose it." Spirit said.
Stein was angry but he knew that Spirit was right; he needed to stay focused.
"Stein, if you don't mind me asking…how is Marie holding up? I mean does she know about her miscarriage?" Spirit asked carefully as well as with sadness.
"I don't think she really has a realistic comprehension of what a miscarriage is right now. When I told her, she actually seemed happy. Eris's magic has warped her perspectives too much." Stein explained coldly.
Spirit made a pained look. He felt terrible for his friend.
"However" Stein began, "it seemed like Marie was trying to fight off Eris's magic. I was heading out the door and she called for me to come back. I think she still felt a draw to me…she didn't understand what it was but there were feelings there." Stein said somewhat hopefully.
Spirit smiled just barely.
"That means that somewhere in there she's still in love with you. Stein, just hang in there. I know Marie will come back. Besides, you're getting married on Saturday right?" Spirit said.
"How did you know that?" Stein asked slightly confused.
"Some crazy guy named Noah." Spirit said shuddering a bit. "That guy is out of control! He almost ran me over with some crazy car!"
Spirit and Stein's conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"It's probably Ryota. He's been coming up with a plan to combat Eris." Stein explained.
Stein walked slowly to the door and was shocked at what he saw when it opened.
"Marie…" he said quietly.
She seemed quite out of it and highly uncomfortable as well. Kana was by her side.
"She can be home right now…is that ok?" Kana asked delicately. It was obvious she still felt bad about the miscarriage.
"Yes, of course it's fine." Stein said extending a hand to Marie.
She stared at it like it was some bizarre, foreign object. She had no idea what to do…what were her feelings for this person?
Stein, seeing Marie's confusion took his hand away and simply looked at Marie gently.
"You can come in, Marie. Would you like some tea?" Stein said softly.
He felt like he was talking to a stranger and a child at the same time. Marie no longer understood what he was to her, so Stein wanted to be careful with her.
Once again Marie just stared at him. Something. Some deep presence, a dark one, was telling her to hate this man…but a light within her seemed to be begging her to do otherwise. Who was he to her? Why should she hate him? And why did her heart ache when she looked at him? Why couldn't she understand her own feelings?
Marie eventually nodded and walked in slowly, almost as if she were frightened. Stein looked back at Kana who smiled respectfully and strolled away. Spirit then walked in and could tell Marie was in no condition to carry on a conversation with him. Spirit looked to Stein.
"I have some things I need to take care of, so I need to leave. You don't mind do you?" Spirit said with a smile. Spirit had a small tone in his voice that hinted to Stein that it was a made up scenario.
"No, go right on ahead." Stein replied casually.
After Spirit left Stein did go and make the tea as promised and brought it out to Marie who was sitting stiffly on the couch.
Settling down across from her, as not to make her feel uncomfortable, Stein offered her a cup of tea which she took hesitantly.
There was a long, deep, and intense silence as the two drank their tea. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Finally Stein spoke up.
"How are you feeling, Marie?" he asked kindly.
"Ok…" she responded.
Another long pause, but this time Marie was the one to break the silence.
"How do I feel about you…?" Marie said sadly, looking to Stein with an almost pleading look. She looked so desperate and confused.
"…that's for you to decide…you must be confused right now though. I will tell you that you loved me. We're supposed to get married on Saturday." Stein said trying to sound as comforting as possible. But wait…of fuck, should he have mentioned the getting married thing? What if she freaked?
He looked deep in her amber eye, trying to find any sign of pain…still she just looked confused.
"Stein…?" she said finally, with nervousness.
"What is it Marie?" he said gently.
"Will you…kiss me?" she asked somewhat fearfully as she bit her lip.
Now that was awkward. Marie was asking him almost as if it were some kind of favor, like him making tea for her. It seemed seeking and experimental.
"If you want me to; but may I ask why?" Stein said curiously, but still trying to sound plain enough so he didn't make her any more frightened.
"I thought maybe…it might help me understand my feelings for you…" she explained in a pitiful voice. "So…will you maybe?" she asked.
Poor Marie. She sounded like a lost child, searching for anything to grasp onto, to save her from suffering.
"Yes." Was all Stein said before rising from his seat across from her, to settle down smoothly on the couch next to her.
Stein watched her face closely, to see if she was ready.
"Um…is it ok now?" she asked.
This was so unusual for Marie. He had never seen her this distraught or sad before. Marie was so confident and funny…this was so far from his Marie.
"Yes." Was Stein's simple answer.
He gently reached up a hand to cup her cheek lightly. Her eye widened at the touch, but slowly her eye became half lidded as Stein leaned in before pressing his lips fully against hers. He made sure to be gentle but also purposeful. More than anything, he tried to put as much love and affection in his kiss as possible, not by embracing her, but rather just radiating it from himself…he wanted her to understand. He was more than surprised when he felt Marie's unsure lips pressing back against his. It only lasted a moment though as Marie began to pull away from him; he followed suit.
She looked down at her lap for a long time before looking back up at him longingly.
"…I think I…..I…I don't know…" she said almost crying. "But…I feel like I loved you…I think I might, but I don't know! My head hurts and my chest aches…it's like a constant battle inside me…I want it to stop." She said finally putting her face in her hands and crying.
Stein automatically drew in against his strong chest and let her cry into him. He knew how it felt to have an inner battle. He knew how painful and confusing it was. He understood her completely, as he thought back to the madness…that's how it had felt.
"Shhh…I know it hurts. Hold on alright? You won't be lost forever, Marie…I'm always going to be here for you alright? You won't be alone." Stein said stroking the back of her head. He felt her hands grip onto his shirt desperately.
"There's a voice inside me though! It wants me to hate you so much…it even wants me to kill you!" Marie sobbed painfully.
Stein's eyes widened. Eris. That wretched woman! How dare she hurt Marie so much? She was going to regret this…Marie didn't deserve it!
"That's alright. I don't mind." Stein said comfortingly.
Marie looked up at him with even more confusion than before.
Stein wasn't going to leave her. When the madness had taken over him and he tried to kill Marie, she hadn't left his side. She stayed there through everything, even after he had hurt her. He was going to do the same for her; he was going to stay by her side.
"Did you….say something back at the hospital about a miscarriage?" she asked quietly.
"Marie, that's something very complex. Let's take things one step at a time alright?" Stein said gently as he ran his fingers through her hair.
Marie nodded but continued to speak.
"So…we had a relationship…it was yours right? I…I can't even remember things!" she said with frustration. "I have…slept with you?" she asked.
"Yes." He answered. He wanted to make things as simple to understand as he could, so he wasn't very wordy in his answers. That wasn't hard for him; he wasn't a man of many words to begin with.
"You love me?" she asked almost crying.
"Yes. Very much." He said smiling gently at her.
"So, I'm supposed to be marrying you on Saturday…." Mare trailed off.
"That was the plan, but now…" Stein didn't know how to finish the sentence. What could he say or do?
"Something is pulling at me. I don't know what it is, but it's telling me to leave you and marry Ryota. Do I even want to get married? I don't know." Marie said sadly.
"Well, as far as your feelings for Ryota, I can't explain but trust me when I say that you WANT to get married. Azusa told me that you almost married a toilet." Stein said.
At that comment Marie smiled and Stein's heart lifted at the sight of it.
"I don't know why I would want to hate you…" she whispered.
Stein was about to speak but without warning, Marie suddenly jammed her lips against his. Stein could feel her tears against his face. He felt her place her hands reluctantly against his chest and in response he lightly put his arms around her.
After some time they pulled away and Stein looked at her with soft eyes.
"Marie, I love you." He told her placing a hand no hers.
Suddenly her face turned to confusion then anger.
"Don't touch me! I hate you! You make me sick you stitched up freak!" she shouted.
"Marie…" he said quietly as he reached out a hand to touch her.
A loud sound echoed though Stein's home as Marie smacked him across the face. His cheek was red and stung terribly.
"You're disgusting! Why would I marry a man who cuts things open for fun? I don't want to have your children! Not if they'll be like you!" Marie half screamed and half sobbed.
He didn't respond at all, but simply hung his head while Marie ran away.
He brought a hand up to where Marie had slapped him and finally he couldn't hold it back anymore.
Silent tears streamed down his face and dropped onto his pants, leaving small circular stains. His Marie hated him and he had lost his child; what more could Eris take away from him?
Hot tears continued to cascade down his cheeks. He reached up shakily to turn the screw in his head a few times, somewhat passively hoping that it would end his tears. No, tears weren't a brain problem, they were an emotional problem. His heart was tearing, and all he could do was endure.
He promised himself one thing at that moment.
I won't lose you Marie. I'm going to hold onto you no matter what. I won't lose you like our child…I'm going to protect you.
(A/N: *sniffle* well this was a sad chapter to write, but at the same time I enjoyed a change of emotion in my story. Next chapter will have some action and adventure! Thank you for reading everyone! And thank you to for taking the time to review! I love you!)
