Happiness' End Chapter 10: Better To Have Loved, an oh my goddess! fanfic

A/N: This is my first shot at an AMG related fic. Although the story line follows fairly closely to the manga at the beginning, that is all that will be related to it.

Further notes that should be noted are that if you HAVE NOT read the manga past volume 19, you should NOT read this story, as it is a tangent off a major plot line in volumes 19 and 20, but involve different situations that didn't happen in the manga.

I honestly have no idea how long this fic will be, it depends on whether or not I believe it's finished.

Warning – Dark nature ahead. If you don't like dark stuff, don't read on. Also, OOC may apply.

I appreciate the comments and somewhat side support from honto and Ghost. It appears at least some people enjoy a rather half-arsed fic with a few plot holes and glitches in it.

Happiness' End

End of Chapter 9:

Just then, Urd walked in and looked at Belldandy, "Ah, you're up. Good, we have a great deal to talk about before you see Keiichi."

"Keiichi-san? What happened? What's wrong?" she asked urgently, "What's happened to my Keiichi Urd? Tell me!"

Urd sighed and sat next to Belldandy, "Belldandy, you'd better prepare yourself for the worst…something terrible could happen tonight.

Belldandy could only look at her sister in confusion, "What ever do you mean Nee-san?"

"Well Belldandy, it's like this…" and thus Urd began to recount the entire last two weeks to a rather intent looking Belldandy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10: Better to Have Loved and Almost Lost

Belldandy sat in utter horror and shock as she listened to her sister explain everything that had happened over the last two weeks. She couldn't believe that she had hurt Keiichi so badly. She would never raise her voice at him, let alone try to hurt him physically.

"And that's about it Bell. He's waiting and thinking in his room about what to say to you, he isn't thrilled about everything but at least understands that you weren't in control."

Belldandy could only shake her head and try to deny it, "No! I would never do something like that! Not ever to my Keiichi!"

She was stopped cold as a bright light entered the room and a message appeared on the floor in the language of the Gods.

Both Urd and Belldandy quickly read it over, and two different reactions were accounted for. Belldandy just stared at it and turned to cry into her sister's shoulder while Urd sighed and tried to comfort Belldandy.

She looked again over at the message and muttered what it had stated:

"To the Goddess First class Belldandy –

Your fate right now is in the hand of the mortal Keiichi Morisato. If he holds true to the contract, your punishment will be living with him and trying to help him cope with what has happened. If the contract is cancelled, you will immediately return to the Heavens. There will be no exception this time in trying to reinstate the contract in full. Also, you will not be permitted to return to the surface of Earth at any time. Your punishment will be decided if you return by Me. So I speak."

Soon the text faded and left both sisters alone in Urd's room, pondering about what would happen. Urd knew that if the contract was kept, Belldandy would only be depressed for a short time, but she would still feel guilty. If Keiichi broke the contract…she would never forgive herself and probably be a complete and total wreck. For Belldandy's sake, Urd hoped Keiichi wouldn't wish that kind of torment on her.

Urd tried to calm Belldandy down enough to have the talk she and Keiichi needed to have if things were going to be resolved.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keiichi sat alone in his darkened room, unaware of the awaking of Belldandy. His room was dark due to the shades being pulled over the windows and several blankets covering the wall and door facing outside. It was rather gloomy, just like his mood.

He was going over his feelings, thoughts and remembering the last two weeks. He constantly tried to remind himself that Belldandy wasn't herself, but it did little to comfort his raging emotions.

He knew telling her to go home was just another form of him running away. He didn't want that, and he didn't want her to leave either. It would take time, but he hoped they could recover.

Keiichi was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the door open, someone step in and the door close again.

"Keiichi-san?" came Belldandy's sweet and melodic voice, although it sounded sad. He didn't look up or stir. Belldandy slowly and carefully walked over to the young man.

"Keiichi-san?" she asked again, this time putting her hand on his cheek. His reaction surprised her, and made her want to cry. He suddenly was pulled out of his thoughts and immediately shied away from her touch and backed away from her. She noticed the look of utmost fear on his face for just a second before it was replaced with a grimace and look of pain. He had forgotten about the current state of his back, and his back had made him painfully obvious about it when he moved. She began to tear up at the sight of her love being scared of her, but tried to stay strong.

Keiichi noticed the unshed tears mounting in the corners of her eyes and apologized, "I'm sorry Belldandy…I guess I'm not used to being near you without being beaten…" This comment alone made the tear wells overflow as she slowly started to weep, covering her face with her hands. He cursed himself for being insensitive and slowly stood up. He walked over to where she was and sat next to her and started rubbing her back. She immediately turned and latched onto him and continued crying. He winced in pain, due to his back again, but said nothing and tried to console her.

As Belldandy continued to cry, Keiichi spoke to the vulnerable goddess. "I'm sorry Belldandy…I wasn't thinking before I spoke…I know you weren't in control, but it doesn't make it hurt any less." Keiichi sighed as he rubbed her back and rocked her slightly from side to side.

After a while, Belldandy had calmed down enough to talk. "I'm so so sorry Keiichi-san! I never meant to hurt you in any way…yet look at what I've done to you," she said as she traced his arm and the still visible gash on his forehead with her eyes.

"Wounds of flesh will heal Belldandy…it's the wounds to both of us emotionally that I'm worried about. I thought I had lost you and that you had detested me, it was a shock and relief when Urd and Skuld had told me about what happened. I don't want to lose you again…especially not like this."

Belldandy looked up at him with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "You don't want me to go after all that has happened?"

He grinned at her, "If this is all that I have to put up with for a goddess, I'd gladly take it."

She tightened her grip on him slightly, but a grunt and a smothered wheeze stopped her. "Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot about your other non-visible injuries…" she looked like she was about to start crying again.

"It's alright Belldandy, I'm fine. A little weather worn, but otherwise alright."

"Let me fix things for you," she closed her eyes, brought her hands together and slowly started chanting below her breath. When her eyes opened again, she placed one hand on his stomach and the other on his back. After a few moments, any and all visible bruises were gone, as well as the dull throbbing pain in his back.

He smiled at her again, "Good as new, now you can be as rough as you want, as long as it doesn't hurt this," he said patting his full arm cast.

She giggled a little and slowly went up to kiss him. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat at the door.

"Well now, despite all this, I'm surprised to see you two still at it this much," came a familiar voice belonging to one platinum haired goddess. Both looked at the doorway to see Urd grinning at them, "Come on you two, the brat and Megumi want to know how you are."

Keiichi got up rather quickly and stopped from the slight dizzy spell that caught him; as it passed he helped Belldandy to her feet. They both walked into the living room arm in arm to see Skuld and Megumi waiting for them with unreadable looks.

"Onee-sama!" Skuld cried as she saw Belldandy, "Are you alright onee-sama? Keiichi didn't hurt you did he?"

Belldandy shook her head and smiled, "On the contrary Skuld, Keiichi-san has made me very happy with our little talk."

Keiichi looked to Megumi with a rather sheepish look, "Uhhh…I guess they told you everything then?" She curtly nodded, "Sorry for not telling you sooner…we didn't want to get you involved, but it happened anyway."

Megumi stood up and slowly walked over to Keiichi. She hugged him, let go and punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For making me worry about you and for what has happened. I'm glad you didn't want to get me involved, but I'm still your sister you know!"

Keiichi smiled and grumbled, "Yea, yea," before turning to Skuld who was clinging to Belldandy. "Thanks for all your help Skuld, I don't think we would be here now without you."

Skuld stuck her tongue out at Keiichi, "As long as you don't hurt onee-sama, you can be with her, that's the only condition!" Belldandy smiled at Skuld, who seemed to be accepting Keiichi.

Keiichi gave her a goofy grin and looked to Urd, "So what caused all this to happen?"

Urd looked at everyone and motioned for them to sit down while she paced around the room. After everyone was seated, she began.

"First off, mood adjuster," she stated with confused looks from Skuld and the Morisato siblings, but Belldandy understood. "It's a drug used to alter or rather exchange the emotions of the person it affects. Normally it would be given to angry or tense people to calm them, but in Belldandy's case, it made her go haywire." She stopped and looked at everyone again before continuing, "Second, hate potion," everyone could guess what it was, but Belldandy visibly paled, "With Bell's new mood, it boosted her feels of contempt and hatred to the person she felt was closest to her; that person being you, Keiichi." Urd pointed a finger at him.

"Well that explains why it happened, but how did it happen? When did it happen?" Keiichi asked.

Remember two weeks ago when you asked me why Bell was acting differently?" Keiichi nodded, "I'm guessing it was either that morning or the day before, but I don't know how. Is there any time when Belldandy leaves food or drink alone before getting around to it?"

"Well…"Keiichi seemed to fidget, "On Wednesday mornings, I usually make a cup of tea for myself and prepare a thermos for Belldandy…since I have to wake up earlier than all of you to get to work for the opening shift."

"There you go then, there's your answer. Someone slipped the potion into that thermos before Belldandy drank it. Now the last question is who? Who would want to and why? It's obvious no mortal could do this, so that gives us two sides: divinity and devilry."

"A great deal of the male gods seem rather upset at Keiichi-san…at least from what I gathered by them insulting him when we went back up a while ago," Belldandy seemed thoughtful for a moment, "But almost all gods know to inadvertently hurt a mortal is against the code, and I doubt they would do something so vile to me…"

"That leaves us with demons. Who do we all know that wants Keiichi and Belldandy apart? Who knows that they have a sort of contract that is keeping Belldandy on the surface?"

Suddenly all faces seemed to darken, with Megumi as an exception.

"Mara…" everyone seemed to mutter at the same time.

"Doesn't she ever give up? She always gets foiled, and was just foiled again," Skuld said. She was getting irritated at Mara's constant attacks on her family.

"Don't know kiddo, but it's time to give her a taste of her own medicine; Urd style," Urd had a sly grin on her face and began to think over a small plan she had developed to upset even the dirtiest and foulest of demons.

Only one emotion made them all sick: Love.

A/N: Don't shoot me for minor spelling and grammatical errors, sometimes I can't help it. Typing fast is both a blessing and a curse.