I warned you. But at least I gave you something sweet in the beginning (**sexual content ahead**).

It was early morning when they returned but it didn't make a difference, Marie hadn't slept a wink that night and had, regardless of the cold, sat on the porch for most the night. As soon as the car doors opened it became a panicked choice of who to hold first as each face that had left returned. Much to his surprise, Black Star was the first in Marie's grasp, squeezing the air completely from his lungs. As they parted, her hands touched over him to find a completely intact body, "You're alright?"

"We're all fine, I told you," he scolded her. "Nothing that we couldn't handle."

"You're home." She pressed her hands to his cheeks as the tears started to leak from her eyes.

"Yeah, Mom," he let out a slow, aching breath. "So cut it out, no waterworks."

Marie surprised him with a soft kiss to his cheek at the edge of her fingers before moving to Soul. She embraced him with equal fervor, then smoothing his hair back to take a clear look at those eyes. The other three children weren't hers but she embraced them anyway, making sure to check over each for the smallest bruise or scratch. Stein had patiently waited his turn, an amused smile spreading across his lips as she worried over each one in the group. Black Star was already opening the door to the house, holding it and waiting for the rest, as Marie finally approached Stein.

"I'm still angry at you," she muttered.

"I expected as much," Stein nodded.

Regardless, Marie threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Stein held her for only a moment before sweeping her off her feet. "Franken," she chided but weakly, uselessly as she settled in his arms. Black Star rolled his eyes, keeping the door open for the two of them and allowing them inside. Kilik and Kim had shuffled after but Soul stood with a gaping grin as his hand searched behind him for Maka's.

Black Star took one more withering look inside before rolling them back to Soul. "Calling it: new baby sister in 9 months."

"Black Star," Soul groaned.

He laughed at himself before starting in the door, "Just make sure it's not two babies."

Soul choked especially as Maka's laugh twittered behind him. When Soul finally regained his breath he turned to her, using their connected hands to pull her a step closer. "Don't encourage him."

"Come on, it's funny, and a little cute." Maka sighed sweetly, able to breathe now that everything was behind them, and ends tied tightly.

"Should I carry you?"

"I would think you're too tired." That was entirely the truth since she had seen him fight again and was left wondering how it was humanly possible. How the two of them, Black Star and Soul, had managed to beat six other men. Of course, she hadn't sat idly by, but that knife had stayed in her pocket the entire time, Soul's prediction ringing true. It never once actually felt like she was in danger, such a strange feeling to have when surrounded by blood in the end.

Soul grunted in agreement. "Thanks for letting me off the hook." Even though Soul felt the pull to stay with the family, it was thrown to the wayside as Maka started leading him back towards the cottage. It was inside and straight up the stairs without a word of acknowledgment. It wasn't until they reached the bedroom that he pulled her to a stop, bringing her back to him so he could press her to his chest. "How are you?"

Maka let out a sharp laugh, "I honestly don't know. One minute my mind wants to be scared, the next elated, and then I remember what Stein did and I don't know whether to be happy or sad or any of the other million things I could be."

"I want to say it gets easier," Soul murmured, "but death will sneak back up on you no matter the circumstances. Your mind will probably want to replay it but… whatever happens, it wasn't your fault. That was a long time coming and Stein doing it, well, we can all guess his motives."

"Let's just… make better memories than that from now on." Maka pulled away enough to tilt her chin to meet eagerly awaiting lips. He lingered over the kiss, deepening it as he slid a hand into her hair. It was sweet, a victory in itself since Soul had imagined all of this lost. They would have either not succeeded or Maka would have seen too much of the ugly side of things. Instead, this kiss was no less than any of the others. "Maybe we should rest for a while," Maka murmured as she detached from him.

"I'm going to shower first, then I swear I'll be right there with you." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead before letting her go. At least he could reassure himself this would be the last time he'd have to wash away blood.

The sun was filtering through the windows enough to make Soul push the blanket down to his waist. In the process he'd ripped them off of Maka as well, making her eyelids flutter open. "Sorry," he muttered.

"We can't sleep the day away." She inched closer to his back, letting her hand slide over his shoulder to his chest. "Feeling alright?"

"Fine." He picked up her fingers and brought them to brush against his lips. "You?"

"Still kind of dreamy," she murmured before bringing her chest flush to his back. Maka tilted her head and planted her lips on his neck.

"Hey," if it was a complaint it was breathless.

"Give me my hand," Maka whispered softly against his ear, taking the opportunity to nibble at the lobe.

"Maka…" Soul tried to turn over but found her leg suddenly solid on his hip.

"Just stay like that for a little while, please?"

What could he do other than let a little obedient grunt slip from his throat and allow her fingers loose? Apparently, only that and let a shiver down his spine as her hand drifted down his bare chest. She was just toying with his skin, drawing lines like she was following the patterns of his tattoos as her lips traveled up and down his neck. Soul let out a trembling breath as her hand began to dip to his stomach, those muscles fluttering under her fingertips. "Let me kiss you," he groaned as the closing as it was now the waistband of his boxers she was toying with, tracing where the line met skin.

"Wait just a little longer." She pressed a smirk to his skin as she let her teeth start to playfully nibble.

"You're teasing me," his mouth formed the words weakly on his lips. Maka's hand was pressing against him through the thin fabric of his boxers, and before he could even take another breath he was already achingly erect.

"You want me to stop?" For an agonizing moment, all of her was still.

He could have screamed it but he managed to hold it in, "No." Again, she rubbed a firm hand over his boxers and his hips responded with a jut, adding to the pressure. "Maka…"

"Yes?"

Soul was trying to breathe deeply as her hand caressed him, building friction that was making his toes curl. "Can I lose the boxers?"

If only he could see her devilish grin and the satisfaction sparkling in her eyes. "You're asking for permission?"

"I don't seem to be in charge right now," he laughed huskily.

"Go ahead," she practically cooed against his ear and his mind turned into a useless puddle. It was a full thirty seconds before he could bring himself back to reality and shimmy out of his boxers. Her fingers went back to dancing along his skin, playing with the tops of his thighs and forcing the air from his throat in fluttering starts and stops.

To Soul it was torture but to Maka it was nothing more than clearing his mind, leaving his only thoughts on his body and hers. It was like she could feel him while they slept, the still tightly wound knot of worry and possibilities keeping him from the moment they were in. Now, as her hand drifted back up his thigh to grasp his shaft, his heart was beating the steady message in his chest that he was there with her, that thoughts and fears weren't going to tear him away. She started to ease up and down his length, just enough pressure where each stroke elicited a pant from his lips. "Shit, slow down," he moaned.

"Too much?" Maka murmured.

"I'm about to make a mess of the fucking sheets," he grunted a laugh as she stroked him again. Soul planted a firm hand on her wrist. "Let me."

Maka relaxed her grip and let her leg fall away from his side, no longer fastening him to the bed. In a second, he was on her, pinning her back to the bed with the full weight of his body. While that came close to roughness, especially as his hands pressed her wrists into the bed, his lips were anything but. Soul was still memorizing, categorizing the way her lips tasted or the feeling of the little chapping at her bottom lip from the way her teeth worried at it before questions. Maka wrapped her legs around him and Soul fell into a steady rhythm of grinding against her.

On his next thrust, she held him tightly with her legs, just breaking his hungry kiss. "Condom." She would have motioned her hand weakly since the strength was being sapped from her with each fiery kiss, but he was still holding her firmly to the bed. Soul sighed desperately at the break but rolled off of her as he brought himself to sit at the edge of the bed. He opened the nightstand and grabbed a wrapper before turning his head back to her. "Grab my pillow. Put it under your back."

It seemed like a strange request but she wasn't one to argue, following his instructions before taking off her panties. He was sliding the latex on when he glanced back at her and offered a smirk as he saw his orders being followed. Soul turned and kneeled on the bed, grabbing her legs and putting them over his shoulders. He rubbed himself over her opening, shuddering at the way that spiked his sensitivity. Their eyes locked and he waited for just a few breaths, watching that beautiful smile beam across her lips. He wanted to kiss it off her mouth but he knew he had more important business to attend to.

He slid into her, gauging the breathy gasp that erupted from her throat. "Feel OK?"

"Perfect," she murmured.

Soul pressed to his depth as he brought his hand between her legs. As he started slow, grinding pumps he rubbed his thumb in her clit. Maka rewarded him with more breathy gasps, her hands trying to find somewhere to grab hold of him because it felt like she was floating away. His hands felt out of practice, the muscles already starting to cramp but he refused to stop especially as those gasps were turning to moans and he could feel her body constricting around him.

"Harder," she groaned and he obliged.

Soul leaned closer, making it more difficult for his hand but easier for her to grab on to his arms. He should have regretted it because her nails sunk into his skin as she started to throw her head back but it was a sweet kind of pain, the type that made you want more. He felt her again, the tightening inside of her, and turned his attention to her face just in time to catch her coming undone, completely unwound as she moaned out his name. Instead of letting her puddle into the bed and regain her breath, he quickened his stroke, driving into her as Maka let out breathless gasps. He didn't have the words to check on her nor the time since he was desperately at his end. He slowed to two or three mistimed strokes, letting out a low, guttural groan as the euphoria ran its course through his veins, making his skin tingle.

"How did you even have the energy for that?" Maka grinned as he collapsed on top of her, his heart beating strongly against hers.

"You started it," he grumbled against her neck, eliciting a sweet laugh from her lips.

"Sorry," she sighed dreamily. "Just… needed this to feel finished. It's one of those safe feelings, you know? Like nothing could go wrong after that."

"I get it." Soul wished that was the feeling that was overwhelming him as well as he slid out of her and rolled to sit up. He moved to the side of the bed, shoulders hunched as he went through the act of cleaning himself and tossing the condom in the trash. I'm still scared. I'm still going to dream she's out there in another skin, waiting to come for us. I'll dream that you're not safe, that no matter what I won't get to hold on to this family.

"Your thoughts are so loud I think I can hear them," Maka murmured as her fingers grazed his spine, sending an almost pleasant chill from top to bottom.

"I think it's just safe to say that you're psychic." Soul offered her an anemic grin.

"No, I just know you. How long do you think it'll take before you can relax? Even just a little?"

Soul blew out air between his lips, helpless trying to calculate that which didn't have a sum. "A year? Two? Maybe for my eightieth birthday, I'll take a breather."

"Come here, worry-wort." Soul was helpless against her grasp, tugging him back to bed and back to where he could put his head on her chest and listen to the heart that he knew was still beating. "I can't say that it'll get easier, but at the very least, I promise it'll get happier."

While Maka had actually opted for bed early, even with the early morning to afternoon nap, Soul was still decidedly restless. There was no convincing him, so she let him leave her alone between the sheets. He promised he'd go to the big house, check on the rest of them, and return but she convinced him to spend whatever hours he thought he'd be sleepless over there instead of skulking around the cottage. She assumed that talking with the others would at least give him a little more ease.

That's why when she woke up to the soft tinkering downstairs, Maka assumed he hadn't listened. He'd come home and was now scuttering around the kitchen as he tried to wear down his wakefulness. She knew she needed her sleep, Eibon would be there in the morning, but beauty rest had nothing on comforting him. After slipping out of bed and throwing a sweater over her t-shirt, Maka started down the stairs. She could see the light from the kitchen illuminating the hallway even if the movement had ceased.

As she walked to the kitchen she could see a cup on the counter, the tea kettle on and set on the stove but there wasn't movement or shadow or noise. "Soul, you could have woken me up-" She started but stopped as she hit the doorway, her body turned towards an empty kitchen.

It was then that the hand clutched over her mouth, the icy metal pressed to her neck. "Hello again, princess," Giriko purred against her ear.

Soul was pleased they'd gotten to the age where Shelley was reading him the bedtime story since while he definitely knew his way around a book, he didn't actually like them all that much. Who knows, maybe Maka can start taking over this part. Shelley can become her little bookworm in training and-

"You're not listening," Shelley scolded.

"Sorry, kid, keep going."

"... he escaped with life, but the thorns on which he fell put out his eyes. Then he wandered blind through the wood, eating nothing but roots and berries, and doing nothing but lament and weep for the loss of his dearest wife."

Soul grimaced, "Did Dad pick this one?"

Shelley sighed with the exasperation of an adult, "Daddy said that you should read the real fairy tales, not the cartoon versions."

"So the prince just stays blind for the rest of his life?"

"You didn't let me finish," she huffed.

"OK, OK, give me the happy ending," Soul smirked.

"So he wandered several years in misery until at last he came to the desert place where Rapunzel lived with her twin-children that she had borne, a boy and a girl. At first he heard a voice that he thought he knew, and when he reached the place from which it seemed to come Rapunzel knew him, and fell on his neck and wept. And when her tears touched his eyes they became clear again, and he could see with them as well as ever. Then he took her to his kingdom, where he was received with great joy, and there they lived long and happily." Even with the happy ending, Shelley closed the book with a heaving sigh.

"What was that for?" Soul took the book from Shelley's hand and deposited it on the nightstand.

"You're all keeping a secret from me," Shelley shot him an accusing glare.

Soul raised his eyebrows, trying to stay playful even though he could feel his palms breaking out in a sweat. "What kind of secret do you think we're keeping?"

"You all left, you went somewhere and Mom spent the whole time worrying."

"How do you know that?" Soul narrowed his eyes at her. "You were supposed to be asleep."

"I wasn't," she shot back angrily. "I heard Mom crying. What did you do?"

Soul sighed, wishing for Maka since she seemed to have a gift for breaking this down or Marie to perform the perfect parent answer. "All of us, we had to do something so that the family could stay together. It was dangerous, so yeah, Mom was worried, but it's over now. We're all safe. We're all going to stay together here, in this house." He let a modicum of the excitement take him as he smoothed back her hair. "No more once every two weeks. No more never seeing Black Star except for big occasions. And Dad's gonna be able to go wherever you want. So maybe you can forgive us just this once for keeping a secret because now there's not going to have to be anymore."

Shelley examined him, her lips pulled tight. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart." He knew better than to finish, the last time still fresh in his mind. "I guess you can say this is our happy ending. Just without the wandering blind thing."

That ounce of a pout was hitting her lips again, "What about Maka?"

Soul bit his tongue to choke the laugh in his throat. "She's part of the family now, kid. Me and her are going to be staying over at the little house permanently if we can manage it with work. You'll stay here with Mom, Dad, and Black Star." That left Shelley in thought, tiny little gears working as she grabbed his hand out and clutched it. "You good with that?"

Shelley was obviously still processing but she lobbed out the question as confusion mixed with a healthy amount of annoyance. "Does that mean you're going to marry her?"

This laugh couldn't be stopped and he let it rattle in his chest. "Maybe. Depends on her, I guess." Something tells me she's probably not that into marriage and, well, this just started. I want to get into some kind of normalcy first before anything else.

"Fine," Shelley sighed as if she were signing her rights for dessert away.

"Fine?" Soul chuckled again. "I'm sure Maka will be happy to hear that."

"You can't tell her!" Shelley complained through a tight frown.

"Oh?" His smirk ached across his cheeks. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Shelley let out a frustrated cry as Marie popped her head into the doorway. "You are supposed to be putting your sister to bed, not riling her up."

"Sorry," but Soul didn't let the grin dissipate and both women looked at him with a particular kind of scorn.

"Come on, get going. It's past Shelley's bedtime as it is." Marie gave her daughter a stern look, spelling out the answer to any argument that was about to leave Shelley's lips before she disappeared back into the hallway.

"Alright, lights out." Soul slowly eased off the bed, his muscles still sore from the rumble, before turning back to Shelley to tuck the blankets carefully around her.

"Soul?"

"Yeah?" As he tightened the last of the sheet around her shoulders he locked eyes with her, his heart lurching at the trepidation on her face.

"You really think we're safe? Mom's not going to worry anymore?"

His smirk softened as he smoothed over her hair one last time, "Yeah, kid, we're all fine. I swear."

That seemed to be enough for Shelley as she offered not a peep as he shut out the light and walked from the room. Marie was still dawdling at the top of the stairs, her lips stuck somewhere between a smile and a frown. "Are you alright?"

"Sure, Marie," he murmured with a shrug as he continued past her down the stairs.

Marie followed closely, waiting until they were at the bottom and out of earshot of Shelley's room. "You know I don't mean the physical stuff."

Soul let out a warbling sigh, "Yeah, I know. I'm just… it's new. I wish I could get my brain to shut up for a little while is all."

Marie leaned against the wall, still looking like she was appraising him for injuries but really, Soul was sure it was something closer to a motherly lie detector test. "And Maka?"

"Better than me," he laughed bitterly. "She's tough and it's almost like whatever happens glances off her. She can just jump right back into life no matter what it hands to her. I think I'm honestly kind of jealous."

She let a small hum of acceptance drift from her throat before she closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around Soul. "Now you have the chance to love each other like you should. And you damn well better, Soul."

"Got it," he laughed lightly before adding, "Mom." That tensed her arms around him even more and for the first time, he felt calm in the face of those words. There was no tightness, no grief, just contentment as Marie lingered in the hug.

When she finally pulled away, the start of tears making her eyes misty, Marie smiled at him and gently patted his cheek. "OK, that's enough. Go home, get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow."

How much rest he was actually going to get was beyond him even in the wake of all of his reassurances to Shelley. He nodded, though, not showing anything on his face that would bring any more concern to her heart. "Good night, Marie." He continued out on the porch and onto the lawn. As he turned the corner of the house he saw the glow of the light in the kitchen of the cottage. That brought a withering sigh to his lips, another round of blame in his head for not being able to be in two places at once. I'll make up for lost time now. Whisk her out of the kitchen and back to bed and make sure she has all the comfort she needs.

He opted to quietly creep to the backdoor to the kitchen, in a way wanting to see her, read the way she was feeling in her movements before confronting the issue at hand. He purposefully climbed the edge of the stoop to avoid the creaking stairs and stayed close to the railing to give himself an angled view into the kitchen.

Everything froze, the breath in his chest, the muscles in his legs, the thoughts in his mind because all he could see was her in one of the chairs, a gag in her mouth and a puddle of blood starting on the floor. His eyes darted back to the main house, scanning for disturbances, lights, things out of place, but found a calm, cool night. When he turned his eyes back he expected it to be a mirage, just his worried mind creating what it most feared. Instead, he saw her head loll back, bringing attention to the way her shirt had been ripped down the middle exposing flesh that was only his and hers to see. And while it should all be lily-white, barely kissed by the sun, he couldn't help but noticed the red.