It was too early for her to be in bed but Maka was already curled in the sheets, trying to suck in air through the pillow. Be rational. Be logical. He is your partner. You are both making this choice. But as soon as the door opened she was up in a flash. "I won't go!" It was nothing more than childish fury that somehow only received a glum smile from him.

"I don't want you to go," he murmured as he moved closer to the bed one slow step at a time.

His face echoed her words back to her again. Be rational. Be logical. "But," she couldn't get further than that, the word cracking the rest of her voice.

"But," he nodded slowly. Soul made it to her, easing onto the bed close enough so that he could bury his hands in her hair to pull her close enough to plant a kiss on her forehead. "It makes sense."

A sharp sob cracked from her throat.

"Remember, neither of us is dying for the other, right?" He let his hands drift over her cheeks, clearing away what he could to leave just her red, swollen cheeks.

"Right," she murmured. "And if I stay, I'm putting myself in unnecessary danger."

"Exactly," he sighed. "So while I sure as hell don't want you away from me, if it's going to save you and our kid, I'm going to have to live with it."

"Me, too," she whimpered.

"And it fucking kills me to say it," Soul groaned as if some fictitious knife was stabbing his gut. "I think the where should be with Spirit."

There was no more need for tears, her ducts drying instantly as her mind tilted in disbelief. "What?"

"You said Crona was in a place where no one could find them, and that place was with your dad, so…" He gulped the rest down in a throat like sandpaper.

Maka let out a withering laugh, "Leave you to be with my father and the person who tried to kill you?" A second chuckle a little closer to delirious left her lips. "Sure, right, absolutely. Why don't I go stay with a man who hates you and a person who tried to kill you."

"Maka…" Soul risked putting a finger to her lips, finding those eyebrows furrowing at the interruption. "But I'm going to guess neither of them has a problem with you and that's what's important. As long as you can promise they'll protect you like I think they will, then that's the first place that has my vote."

"Well, if Papa doesn't murder me for being pregnant," Maka muttered.

"You're married," Soul reminded.

"To you," she sighed.

"Remind him that red hair can skip a generation and maybe the kid'll look like him," Soul grumbled sourly.

Maka let a chuckle sneak out, "That might appease him."

"Bet he'll just love it," Soul continued under his breath. "Another example of me passing up on what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Soul," and the second laugh came a little easier.

"Making him protect my wife instead of me doing it myself."

"You are protecting me," she tried to hearten him with a soft kiss on his cheek.

Soul simmered back to his senses. "I gotta say: I think Stein has more planned than you just being hidden away. Leaving me 'alone' here makes me think he's up to something."

"Probably is," Maka nodded, "but why did you say 'alone' like that?"

"He said he's coming back to take care of the problem with me," Soul sighed.

Maka let out a weak groan, "He is up to something. Promise me you'll be careful."

"That's what I'm supposed to be making you promise." He grinned as he ran his hands along her shoulders and down her arms. "But I have to say, I'm proud of you. You barely put up a fight."

"Wait until tomorrow," Maka mumbled.

"And the next day…" Soul leaned in and stole a kiss from her lips. "And maybe a month or two more. I know the idea feels final, but we can't send you away until the temple actually approves it and that's based on you actually being pregnant, so… month or so, maybe longer if we haven't been able to…" He motioned helplessly to tie that sentence to its end.

Maka nibbled at her lip, "What if we lied?"

"About what?" He blinked at her, hoping that the new focus would help him decode her face.

"I'm sure if I asked Mira she'd be willing to… move the process along." Maka placed her hands over his, pulling them into her lap with a squeeze. "The temple announces I'm pregnant and we move on with things as planned."

"You sayin' you're ready to leave me?" Soul laughed pitifully.

"Soul…" Maka sighed.

"Sorry," he paused to clear his throat, trying to tamper down that choking feeling. "What's good about speeding up the process?"

There was a tiny shred of hope bolstering this rational moment for her, even if that do-or-die jumping was urging her forward in the background. "The sooner we spring the trap, the sooner we get Medusa out. The sooner Medusa's gone, the better for you and I. We're running the risk of being poisoned every day. She's tried our food, our drink, and we can't predict what'll be next."

"But…" Soul paused to rub his thumbs over her knuckles, the idea blaring too loudly in his mind to let it loose without tempering it. "If you're not pregnant and you leave… we're cutting that year close. You'll take at least two months to travel back and forth not to mention whatever time you spend actually hiding out. What if that takes half the year and…"

Maka hated the morbidity of it all and the words tasted bitter on her tongue, "We could make the unfortunate argument that I lost the baby during the kidnapping. Or… well, I assume at that point you'll be King so the deal I made could be forgiven."

Soul grunted unintelligibly, stealing one of his hands away to rub over his face. He paused for a few breaths before sighing, "I like neither of those options."

"Well," Maka concentrated on his one hand, caressing it softly, "I'll talk to Mira, see if it's even an option. If not, we'll wait. If it is, maybe we'll have to give it more thought."

"Right." He stared at her frankly for a few breaths. His hand came back gently to her face, his thumb smudging at her lip. "What happened there?"

Maka snorted a laugh, "Just proving to the soldiers that your princess doesn't have to be treated with kid gloves. You missed a pretty good sparring session between Black Star and me."

"Sorry I couldn't see it," a grin finally split his lips, the worry losing a little of its hold on him. "Can't say I'm not enjoying a little more time with my father though."

Her smile in reply melted the rest of it away since the glow created a warmth in his chest that he couldn't deny. "You're allowed it, definitely. It's nice to have your family."

"Well, I'll have to tell Black Star to take it a little easier on mine," he nudged at her lip again. "Though, you want to know the truth?" Soul leaned closer and Maka found the way his eyes darted to her lips to be blush producing.

"What?" How he could still do it, make her breathless, she'd never know but there it was.

"When I watch you fight," he was smirking now, his lips daring to come closer, "it makes me even more fucking overjoyed that I get to kiss you because if I couldn't…" He finished that with a rough sigh as he captured her lips. Even with the split, he wasn't soft, finishing that idea with action rather than words. Maka was sure in a moment he would start to undress her and her hands were eager to help do the same, fingers floating almost instantly under his shirt. Instead, he eased away from her, another sigh parting his lips. "I have one more job today and…"

When she met his eyes, her chest fluttered. His eyes were still full of want but his touch was soft, loving, as his fingers moved for comfort against her neck rather than exhilaration. "And?"

Soul laughed softly, "If I start this now I'm afraid I'm never getting to it because all I want to do is make up for the time that I already know I'm going to miss."

Sweating wasn't normal for Black Star unless it was in the ring but just hitting the bottom of the staircase had him damp. How am I going to even fucking look at him? Oh, fucking Stein! That curse rang on repeat as he pushed past the curtain. It was worse than he imagined, Soul not distracted by the keys but waiting patiently for his friend. "Here's the best I could do." Soul handed over the parchment.

"Great," Black Star replied tightly as he slipped it in his jerkin.

Soul eyed him, "Look, I'm not mad if that's what you're worried about."

"No," Black Star started to shake his head and let it go for too long.

More anxiety flared as Soul's eyebrow raised, "Then what's wrong with you?"

Black Star swallowed a groan before hiccuping out, "Nothing."

Soul let out a sharp laugh, "You're sweating."

"No," Black Star took a step back. Just say it, just tell him, what's the worst that could happen, I mean, he's your best friend, and you know something important, and, and, and…

"Is it the split lip?" Soul offered with a sharp laugh. "I know she was probably just as rough with you and she hates how the soldiers want to walk on eggshells around her so she doesn't give a damn. Not sayin' I want you to rough her up much more than that…"

"I can't," Black Star spat out. Because how the hell am I ever supposed to hit a pregnant woman? "I mean, I won't."

"Huh," Soul leaned back against the bench. "You're being weird."

"You're fucking weird," Black Star threw up his hands as he turned. "I've got to deliver this to Stein."

"Hey," Soul grabbed at his sleeve, "If you need to talk about something-"

"Nope," Black Star bit the rest on the end of his tongue.

My dearest Maka,

I had told myself that you were grown, that this decision was the best for all involved. I know that is not wrong, especially since I know you are happy (or at least I tell myself that you must be), but in my selfish little way, I hate it. I miss you like a mother misses a daughter because even if that adoption was part of some grander plan, you were always that to me.

But that's not the point of this letter, and if that has spread tears on your cheeks, clear them because the next part will hopefully be as joyful for you as it has been for me. Apparently, as I was dropping off one child, I was carrying another. You'll have a little brother or sister on the way soon. I wish you could have seen Ben's reaction at the idea, but Stein's was very much the same as it always is. Something tells me he already knew just like he had with Ben since he didn't seem very surprised, but that's him.

Again, it's selfish of me, but I hope I do get to see you soon, or at least when the baby is born. I hate closing with such a dark thought, but please burn this letter once you've read it. It's not so much that I care about my own reputation since we both know the whispers, but I would hate if that could somehow become a problem for you too.

All my love to you and to Soul,

Marie

Maka had read through it at least three or four times, taking breaks between each read to clear the almost continual tears from her cheeks while she waited for Soul to return.

When he did, she barely got a word out before his brow furrowed and his hands were reaching for her, tumbling into bed next to her to get close enough. "If I had known you'd get like this I would have told you to come down with me. Black Star was acting so weird anyway, maybe it would have given you a laugh."

"It's not bad," she barely reassured him with the sigh that accompanied it. "Just news from Marie."

"Which made you cry," Soul replied skeptically before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

She tried to keep him there but saw the futility as he purposefully trapped her in his gaze instead. "She said some sweet things about loving me like a daughter and… well, Marie is pregnant again and the last time I was there for her and now…"

"Again?" Soul raised his eyebrows.

"Oh," Maka let out a short laugh, "You missed that. It was… maybe a few months after you left that she realized she was and had a boy, Benjamin. The perfect replica of Stein in every way, even a bit of his mood. Maybe a little less quiet, but still very analytical like his father."

"When did they marry?" Soul could almost laugh at the idea since the bits that he did remember had always left him doubtful that the two were even courting. Besides that day that Maka had insisted they get flowers in order for Stein to give to Marie, he couldn't think of much more of a romantic moment between the two.

Maka blinked at him in disbelief, "They didn't." She paused for a moment and shook her head, "You know they can't, don't you?"

Soul's lip curled into a frown, "They can't?"

"Marie's a lady," Maka had to force the incredulity from her voice. "Stein's technically a commoner, even if he's the captain of her guard."

"Why does that matter?"

The effortless way Soul offered that forced her to prop up on her elbow, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked down at him. "For the same reason it mattered that Marie had to adopt me, make me a lady, to even make me eligible to be in the contest in the first place. It's the same reason that the first day I thought I was out because 'commoner' came from your mother's lips. Station matters."

"But I would guess that they love each other," Soul was still balking, even at Maka's rationality.

"Which is why they risk everything to hide a family away," Maka murmured.

"That…" Soul let out a frustrated grunt as the wheels obviously started turning in his brain.

"It's horrible, yes," Maka attempted to finish for him but that didn't seem to abate the crease in his forehead or the apparent disquiet of his mind. "Soul…"

"I'll fix it," he finally spat as he stood up and slipped away from her, moving towards the desk.

"You'll what?" Maka sat up quickly but she supposed all the tears had left her with fatigue that seemed to stick her to the bed.

"I can fix it," he repeated as he took out some parchment and his pen.

She watched him scratch away for a moment before she found her voice again, "How?"

He paused as he dipped the quill back into the ink. "Look, we talked about making replacements on the war council, right?"

"Yes." Regardless of the wonder, her mind was already jumping ahead, her heart starting to thump preemptively.

"You have to be a lord to be on that council," Soul continued as he only paused to write another line, "but it's not unheard of to elevate a soldier, especially one who has already moved up the ranks, to a lordship title for that purpose. I can double-check that but I'm pretty sure when I was reading up on all those stupid old rules about being prince I saw something like that. So, formally offer Stein the position with the lordship incentive. Easy. No one will probably even throw a fit, not even mother."

The tears should have all run out at that point but they hit Maka's cheeks again. "Thank you."

"Don't," Soul grumbled back. "I shouldn't even have to do this." He punctuated that with a firm hit of the pen against the paper before jabbing it back into the inkwell.

"But, still, thank you," she murmured.

He sighed as he turned his head back to her. His lips were still pressed into a tight frown and his words came out like an order, "Again, don't. Let's… I don't even know if we can, but let's just try to get rid of the whole damn thing when we can, alright? Fucking forget this station bullshit once we're King and Queen."

Maka furrowed her brows, "I'm not even sure that's possible, Soul. How would we ever…"

"Well…" He strode back to the bed, planting his hands so he could lean closer to her face. "When our son or daughter, unfortunately, takes after me," Soul paused just long enough to let her insert a laugh, "and falls in love with a beautiful, talented, courageous commoner, neither of us will give a damn. Deal?"

She let out another soft giggle before touching his cheek and tempting him closer for a kiss. "Deal."

Mira had tried to get word out to Yaara, even though she knew that was an impossible dead end since the princess's pursuit of early answers were beyond anything that she or any of the other current priestesses were capable of. She was writing another useless letter when Sid peeked his head into their bedroom. "An old friend's here, Mira."

For a moment her hopes spun tightly that Yaara had seen the fault in her actions but that all fizzled away as she stepped into the kitchen and saw the figure warming at the hearth. "Stein," she let half a grin hit her face. "You're far from home."

"We've got an interesting development," Stein finished her grin for her and then some. "Also, I've heard you've run into another old friend."

"And where did you hear that tall-tale from?" Mira circled to the table, sitting as she let her eyes calmly fall on that manic grin.

Stein rolled his shoulders with ease, "Just whispers on the wind, I guess. And it was stupid of me to think you'd say yes or no. I guess I'll just end that subject with this: If you see her again, remind her that she's a mother not just some shadowy hunter. No matter what Spirit did, Maka shouldn't be punished."

"You're protective of her," Mira raised an eyebrow. "The Stein I used to know-"

"Was a mad-man," Stein nodded as if in sympathy for that memory. "Maybe we should say I have moments of clarity now."

Mira tapped a finger thoughtfully into the table, examining the way he held her stare. "Then what's the development?"

"Maka's pregnant," Stein offered as easily as an observation on the weather.

She didn't even allow for a blink or a breath, "It's too early."

"Did you forget that I see souls just as well as her mother?"

"It's too early," Mira repeated.

"It was very faint, but it was there," Stein added no more emphasis but splayed his fingers as if to cast off her doubt.

Mira huffed as her tapping increased. "And what would you like me to do with that information?"

His grin faded away and the cold calculation that Mira was used to graced his face. "The temple should vouch for the pregnancy, make a grand announcement."

There was a final thud to her finger as Mira dug her nail into the wood. "After just a month? Do you know how unbelievable that is?"

"It's a hard sell, but I believe Maka will be asking you to lie for her anyway if she's as smart as I think she is. I can guess she's told you about the physician, and the longer we all wait the harder it is to dig out a witch." Stein paused before a harsh laugh came from his mouth, "And maybe that will finally flush out her mother."

"Is that your end goal?" Mira murmured.

"My end goal is for all of these children to survive," there was a strange venom to his voice that cooled Mira's blood.

"And this announcement, you're sure it's not just putting her in more danger?" Mira sighed.

Stein lowered his voice, edging somewhere close to a mutter, "I can hope."