After the fiasco at the café Liz knew something needed to change. She already brought trouble to Kid and her friends not to mention Klein. When the three of them reached the mansion Kid was sullen and quiet. Patty seemed unbothered but she too remained subdued. Their silence only further fueled Liz's guilt-misplaced or not-she felt in some way everything was her fault and the life they were trying to make in this city was falling apart. She tried to bring it up multiple times but only ended up failing and the three of them went to bed quietly. As Liz changed in her room she felt a piece of paper in her clothes.

"What the...?" She trailed off and dug out the note. It was thick stationary the size of an index card with her name in gold cursive. Liz turned it over and read the other side,

We cordially invite you to dinner tomorrow evening at this address.

Yours,

Don and Mom.

The signatures almost made her hurl. Two thoughts came to her,

one: she was creeped out that one of those goons were close enough to her person to slip this in her pocket

two: their insistence was beginning to wear her down which is creepier.

Even as she crumpled the invitation and tossed it flopping onto her bed she could sense herself giving in.

That really made her want to hurl.

The morning was tiresome. Late for class as usual. Sleeping in class as usual. The boys getting into some kind of trouble as usual. The routine which began to be a comfort somehow grated on Liz's nerves today. Isn't there more to her life? What about the excitement of the streets? She would be lying if she said the allure of money and fame wasn't tempting. She was poor and down but she was somebody wasn't she? Absently she stared at Kid who was focused on writing notes in a perfect line no letter too long or too short and felt herself smile. The fleeting moment of happiness was pushed away as she felt the beginnings of sulking. Her worthless crush would only cause more problems. What would Kid see in her anyway? In the end she's just another tool. He only picked them up because they are identical as guns...she scoffed gaining a glance from Maka and shook her head. What they hell was she doing here anyway.

During their lunch hour the boys Black Star, Kid and Soul all lounged outside their meister and respective weapons gone off separately. Lunch was the few moments weapons and meisters spent apart and they took time to talk about real things. Guy things. The hard stuff. The stuff girls can't understand.

"So...did you tell her yet?" Soul ventured out the question aimed at no one in particular applying to both.

"Heh, a god like me doesn't need to say anything."

"So that's a no..." Soul countered and Black Star twitched but attempted to remain cool headed.

"Yeah as if you are so suave!" Black Star snapped at him perfectly cool headed. "I'm Soul and all Maka has to do is look at me and I dissolve into a puddle." He mocked. "totally uncool." Black Star added.

"Oh shut up!" Soul yelled back. "It's not that easy. Right Kid?"

The son of death didn't respond staring off into space.

"Heyyy, Kid?" Black Star called. There was silence then Soul and Black Star exchanged a look and leaned over beginning to mess with the young Shinigami's hair. Having his hair moved around didn't seem to faze him from his daze and Soul and Black Star were thrilled by this. They swallowed their laughter as they ruffled more of his hair for a few more minutes until finally Kid began to come back to the conversation.

"Knock it off already!" He yelled grabbing both of them by the collar and with a great spin he hurled them. They landed in a heap and groaned but didn't look particularly apologetic. Then Kid stood and with his pocket mirror he began to furiously fix his hair and flatten it into place.

"What's got you so distracted?" Black Star asked sitting up and dusting himself off.

Soul just stayed lying on the ground cloud watching.

Kid sighed through his nose and snapped the mirror shut. "It's this business with Liz's...family." Kid admitted easily. "I'm worried about it."

Soul and Black Star sobered from their hijinks and thought for a moment.

"Well, this might just be another issue between a meister and their weapon. However unusual. Each paring has different challenges."

Black Star nodded along in agreement, "yep, no matter what you have to stand by her like a real man." He added remembering his run in with Tsubaki's brother.

"But..." Soul started standing up himself and dusting off his back. "You need to talk to her first."

Kid absorbed what they said and frowned.

"Hey Kid, you're hair is messed up in the back." Patty said tilting her head in confusion.

"What!? WHERE! AAH" He whipped out two mirrors from his pocket this time and desperately turned about looking at each strand. "Damn those two..." He muttered arranging his hair to proper order.

Patty giggled in delight watching him and Liz cracked a smile some of her melancholy disappearing. Suddenly she felt herself itching for a cigarette. Old habits.

As she turned to look about the town as the sun began to set and out of the corner of her eye she spotted a black limo parked and running on the corner. She stopped walking and stared hard at it making a decision.

"Sis?" Patty called noticing she stopped.

"You guys go on ahead. I forgot something." Liz said.

"We can-" Kid began but Patty put a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at her and she shook her head. Instead he fell silent and nodded. "Alright, we'll see you at home." He said deliberately.

"Yeah," Liz agreed with a wave and began walking back the way they came. Eventually once out of their sight she ducked down a side street and circled back heading right for the car. She stood outside of it and one tinted window rolled down to reveal the driver.

"Hello Miss. I've been directed to escort you to dinner."

"Fine. Let's get this over with." She said opening the door and getting in.

She felt uncomfortable in her outfit. She shifted and the silk fabric whispered across her skin. It felt like a different kind of exposure than her crop top. It was part of Kid's way of taming them to embarrass them with these outfits and further with the outfits of the café where they first met Klein. The memory made her smile but it disappeared quickly as the noise of the table filtered back to her.

She just wanted to know what they hell these people wanted from her and why.

"Sweetheart, do you like you're food?" Don asked and the table quieted.

"I'm not your sweetheart, call me that again and I'll shove the words back down your throat." She growled.

"Lizzie!" Her mother said appalled and some of his men stood angrily from their seats.

"Easy, easy," Don called calmly. "It's OK. I don't expect this to be easy. I could never replace a true father-"

Liz scoffed but he continued unperturbed.

"-but I hope you will accept me as part of the family. I care for your mother deeply and I know her one wish is to see her daughters return home. I only want to make that wish come true." He said.

"Go to hell." She replied flatly crossing her arms unimpressed.

"Please, don't make this difficult." He replied darkly, "I came here in peace after all."

"Are you threatening me?" She asked quietly.

Don merely tilted his head looking at her with beady eyes and Liz felt a chill go down her spine.

Liz stared down at her plate in anger that she would even show an ounce of fear for this man.

"What Don means, is that he is offering you, us a life. A good one." Her mother added from next to her. The words filtered through Liz's brain but did little to truly sink in. It seemed those few words and her more subdued attitude put the woman the gangster at ease. The rest of the meal went on smoothly and as it neared its end Liz found herself unheeded from slipping away.

It seemed they let her go easily and Liz walked slowly back to the house. The entire time her brain kept working and she felt herself grow tired. Should she accept? Wouldn't it be easier? After all the trouble her and Patty caused? She felt some relief and guilt. Could she leave this all behind? She never wanted to be a weapon in the first place. She got here by accident and only was allowed to stay because of Kid. Patty showed actual talent and she...what was she worth?

After Kid took over for his father he would switch weapons constantly going from one death scythe to the next. What would he need them for? Doubt plagued her mind like a sickness and by the time her feet reached the doors of the house she had resolved to leave it all behind.

Glad I can finally return to this and finish what I started (for once).

Hope there is still at least some interest for this...if not, oh well!

Just a few more chapters left.

~Amakatsu