"Maka, I don't know about this…"

Soul stood in the doorway of their bedroom while he watched Maka quickly pack her things into a small suitcase. She cast him an apologetic look.

"I know you haven't been home with the kids on your own before – "

"That's not what I'm worried about," Soul tried to cut in but she continued.

"But Kid really needs me on this mission. I'll only be in Oceania for two days. It's not even combat, just meeting some other meister's."

"Why can't another meister do it?" Soul whined, stepping forward to catch her by the waist and pull her close. "You know, like a meister who doesn't have four kids?"

"Well no, because none of the other meister's created the Last Death Scythe or the world's strongest Death Scythe, did they?"

"I'm sorry, are you trying to big me up or yourself up?"

Maka just giggled and wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm gonna miss you. And the kids, so much. Even if it is only two days."

"Two days I can just about cope with," Soul agreed, pulling away to look at her face. "When was the last time we were apart?"

"Uh," Maka thought for a moment then laughed. "Before we met?"

Soul joined in on the laughter and hugged her again. Yeah. This is gonna be weird.

Once Maka had finished packing they made their way into the living room to find all of the kids. Amara was sat on the carpet with the twins. The twins were two and both absolutely adorable. They were very well behaved (Except Winnie, would could be a little terror at times), and were both sat up and regarding their sister with interest while she read a book to them. Masen was sat on the couch playing on a game console.

"Okay, kids," Soul breathed and he made his way into the room. "Mama's leaving now."

"Aw, Mama, no…"

"No…"

"Oh, come on now," Maka whined as Winter scurried forwards to jump into her arms as Hunter ran into his father's. "It's only two days."

"And two nights," Masen accused. Maka shook her head.

"No, one night," she told him. "I'll be gone today, tonight and be back late tomorrow evening."

"Basically two nights," Masen grumbled, leaning on the back on the couch.

"Yeah," Soul joined in, his and Masen's expression's were so identical Maka nearly laughed.

"I'm sure you guys can get through it," Maka reasoned, placing Winter down to pull Amara into a hug. "Any bad feelings, sweetie?"

Amara was quiet a moment before looking up sullenly.

"No," She sighed. "You can go."

"Marwa!" Winnie whined, making Maka and Soul laugh.

"Yeah, you could have lied." Masen nudged her with his shoulder, Amara looked alarmed.

"No, I couldn't!" She began but Maka cut in.

"You can lecture your brother on honesty after walking me to the car, okay?"

Everyone sighed and agreed. Soul grabbed Maka's tiny suitcase while she brought her rucksack. Once they got down stairs, they flagged a cab and put her things in the boot.

"Still think it's weird you're taking a cab," Soul muttered as he closed the boot to face Maka, hands in pockets. "I could have call Kid or Star and taken you."

"Our friend's all have kids of their own now," Maka reasoned, her face bright. "We can't ask them to babysit every five minutes."

"They ask us!"

"They are play dates Soul, not babysitting. You know, since they stay."

Soul just grumbled and Maka laughed and pulled him into a kiss. They laughed into the kiss as their kids complained.

"Come on, now." Masen scrunched his face up. The twins copied.

"Okay," Maka pulled away and crouched to pull her kids into a crowded hug. "I really gotta go now. Be good for Dad, okay?"

The kids agreed sullenly and each gave her a kiss before she stood. She gave Soul one more hug before slipping into the back seat. This was certainly hard, but she thought if she showed them how much she was going to miss them it would be even harder to leave.

Soul caught her eye and nodded at her, his face fond and proud. She grinned and nodded back. Yeah, they'd be fine.

"I'll see you all tomorrow night," she said. "I love you all."

"I love you Mama!"

"Bye Mum!"

"Mama! Mama!"

The twins started crying as the car pulled away and sped off. Soul held one in each arm as he consoled them and walked back up the stairs to their apartment. Winter and Hunter fell asleep in the elevator up to their floor and Amara and Masen stood quietly behind him.

"She's not doing anything dangerous, is she Dad?" Masen asked, holding his sisters hand. Soul shook his head.

"No buddy. She's just helping other meister's understand their history because times are so different now."

"What do you mean, 'Know their history'?" Amara asked as he pushed open the door to their apartment. "What is so different?"

He set the twins down the couch beside him – they wouldn't be asleep for long – and turned back to Amara and Masen.

"Okay, sit down," he told them. They sat down not he carpet before him, their eyes excited.

"So, when your mother and I first became partners, we didn't have an agreement with the witches. It was the opposite actually. We hunted them."

"I thought the witches and Uncle Kid were friends," Amara commented, her brow furrowing.

"They are now. You'll learn way more about this when you get more into your studies at the academy. Even more so now you're in the EAT class."

Amara smiled proudly and squared her shoulders.

"But no. There was a time we actually used to hunt witches, as well as Kishen."

"You killed them?" Masen asked, his eyes wide. Soul nodded.

"Yeah. You know as a weapon, we have to eat the souls of the Kishen to grow stronger. But when your mother and I trained, our target to make me a Death Scythe was to collect ninety-nine Kishen souls and one witch's soul."

"Whoa," Amara murmured, an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. "That's scary."

"Yah, it was." Soul agreed. "But that was normal for us. We didn't know witches could be good and they didn't know we could either. They thought meister's and weapon's were evil because they were under Death. But we only realised that this wasn't the case after I became the Last Death Scythe."

"The Last Death Scythe," Amara echoed. "Is that why you're the last? Because the pact was made after you ate the soul of a witch?"

Soul nodded.

"Yah. But don't misunderstand – Not all witch's are good. There are plenty of rogue witch's around that will never forgive what the academy did. Some form rebellions, and try to hurt us."

"Oh," Masen's mouth formed a small 'o'. "What about weapons and meister's? Do they turn evil?"

"Yeah, you'll learn about the original Kishen – the one your mother defeated – in the academy regardless of what class your in, NOT or EAT. He was a meister before he was a Kishen. That's if you awaken as a weapon or choose to be a Meister."

Masen looked down at that, his brow scrunching up in thought. Soul leant forward and squeezed his son's shoulder.

"You don't need the worry about that just now, Mase." Soul told him with a smirk that his son mirrored. "You're only five. You have plenty of time to awaken – or think about what you want to do if you don't."

Masen smiled bigger and nodded, looking more his age all of sudden. Masen had always acted a little old for his age. It seemed Maka and him just had middle-aged children. His eyes fell the the twins, Winter's silver hair cascaded down the side of the couch - that long and she was only two. Hunter's hair stuck up in all directions as he drooled very much like Soul always has. He grinned.

Winter certainly was the only one of his children he could say acted like a baby. She was needy and adorable, and had her father wrapped around her finger, just as Amara did when she was small. But Amara didn't use this power, but he suspected Winter would and he loved her for it. Spirit said Winter was like a mini Maka. The exact same temperament and energy.

Soul's eyes fell on Hunter and he grinned. Hunter was definitely a mini Soul Eater. If Soul's parents or Wes were alive, he was sure they would say so too. He was quiet and reserved - very introverted. But Soul thinks he's more observant than he likes to show – or he will be when he is older.

Soul's eyes fell back to his oldest children and he smiled. They were Ana and Wes. No doubt. Amara was just like her birth and bio mother in personality, kind but not shy. And just so compassionate and can always could stand back and see the bigger picture.

Masen was just Wes. He was Maka and Soul's kid, sure, but he had Wes's soul. He just wanted everyone to be happy and get along, always joking and trying to make people laugh and feel comfortable. If he became and weapon, or a Meister, his partner is going to be very lucky.

"Anyways," Soul stood up. "Keep an eye on the twins while I get dinner started, kay? We can get through these couple days, right?"

"Right!"

"Yep!"

Soul grinned as he made his way into the kitchen. His kids really were cool. Now all he had to do was wait for Maka to come home.

Two days.