Ugh, I've had serious writer's block on the plot since you all should know by now that I really like to mimic actual canon with my AUs, but I think I'm back on the right track. Plus, I'm happily setting you up for some fluff as well. Enjoy!

The clicking of the computer keys and the mouse had been the only sounds trickling down from the upstairs for hours. Maka was surprised at how the noise traveled in the house but assumed it was because everything else was so quiet: no steady buzz of traffic or human life creating enough pandemonium that she couldn't even hear her own thoughts. While Soul worked at the desk in the bedroom, she split her attention between refreshing her emails for anything new from Death or Eibon and a random title she'd picked off the shelves in the library. For a moment, she was struck by the way that life could feel normal.

Using that word, even in the echo chamber of her mind, always seemed to bring the opposite and as she flipped the page in her book there came a soft knock on the door. She wondered if Soul had heard it but seeing as the work upstairs didn't end she assumed he hadn't especially since he was still jumping to do anything and everything for her. Her patience was relieved by the fact that she got to get up, walking with more ease than before since each day seemed to lessen the pain even though she was fully aware of where each wound was. As she hit the hallway, she could see Free's face peeking in the pane of the door.

Maka opened it with a smile, trying to keep her voice down, "Hello, Sheriff Free."

"Maka, nice to see you." Free waved a hand over to the woman standing next to him. She had a severe look to her, a full black pantsuit with tiny glasses and an angular bob. "This is Ms. Yumi, our DA."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Maka Albarn." Maka offered a hand.

"Please, call me Azusa," the woman corrected as she took Maka's hand for a short shake.

Maka bobbed a nod at her before looking towards the stairs. "Let me just get Soul…"

Free put a hand out to stop her trajectory, bringing Maka's eyes back to them. "Actually, Maka, I'd really rather talk to you about this first if you don't mind."

"Just me?" Maka blinked her gaze back and forth between the two of them. Without Soul? What's the point? Unless Free's trying to get me to say something about Soul, like his true-blue-saves-the-day act is over. "Why?"

"To be frank," Free added a cheesy grin that was helping nobody, "I've noticed your man's a bit of a guard-dog when it comes to you and what we have to talk about might ruffle his feathers."

Maka nibbled at her bottom lip before moving out of the way of the door. "Let's go to the kitchen. I can't guarantee he won't come down and it'll be up to you to ask him to leave if he does." And I won't say a word about him if this is some kind of act or trick. She had actually expected that to summon Soul down but all she heard was their footsteps receding to the kitchen. Free and Azusa sat on one side of the table as Maka motioned before moving to the other side and seating herself. "Can I get you something? Water? Tea?"

Both refused all offers as Free was quick to clear his throat. "I assume Soul told you about the hospital the other day."

Maka nodded.

"Well," Free shrugged before letting his hands spread out innocently. "It went alright, and Giriko is definitely scared. He'll be even worse off when we move him to a holding cell once he's medically cleared." He couldn't stop the sly smile from stretching across his lips because, damn, was he proud, at least for the time being. "No help from Arachne, and no bail thanks to Ms. Yumi here, has got him in a pot of boiling water."

Maka would have let the bragging go if it weren't for Azusa's frown tightening. "But?"

"But," Azusa grasped onto the prospect to dethrone Free. "Giriko isn't the only person we're looking at. Mr. Eibon's story is interesting, and while Sheriff Free has been digging up a few interesting tidbits, we still don't have anything that we could consider beyond just circumstantial."

After a deep breath, Maka laced her fingers on the table. "And what can I do to help you with Arachne?"

All the amusement drained from Free, his eyes refusing to move from Azusa. "This is never an easy offer," Azusa paused for a careful inhale of breath, "But we'd like to offer Giriko a deal in exchange for turning on Arachne."

"What kind of deal?" Her knuckles were losing color as her hands clenched tighter.

"From first degree to second," Azusa didn't even seem to bat an eye. "That means he'd only be jailed for a maximum of 20 years. I'd still be asking for the max, but I can't guarantee anything at sentencing."

Maka's lips folded together as she tried to weigh the entirety of it all. There were too many threads to follow, questions that now existed but couldn't be answered. Are 20 years enough? If he gets out, won't that just mean he'll come back and by then where will we be? Does this guarantee that Arachne will go away long enough that she won't be able to exact revenge as well? She couldn't keep the last one from eking out across her lips. "Do you think that will make us any safer?"

Azusa fanned out her fingers as she shook her head, "I can guarantee just about nothing at this point. We have a solid case against Giriko. Without the plea, it would be likely that he would go away for the rest of his natural life. You'd be safe from him, but I assume you both feel that Arachne is a threat as well, or else you wouldn't have brought Mr. Eibon to our attention. Without taking this chance she'd be free to just hire another Giriko."

Maka wondered if Giriko was a dime a dozen and could give herself the answer: Remember Mosquito? The one who stabbed Soul? He's a dedicated servant of Arachne as well and if he could hurt Soul once, who's to say he won't again? She tried to let each thought take its terrifying as her eyes trailed to the back kitchen door. It was as if it were that night again and Soul's red eyes were shining through to her. "I'll have to talk to Soul."

Azusa opened her mouth but Free silenced her with a wave of his hand. "Of course. Just think it over." Free stood first, his eyes boring down on Azusa until she did the same. "Most of all, Maka, I'm hoping that you're feeling better. I would say take your time, rest, and think about this but you have to understand we're on a tight schedule here. I'd ask if you could get back to me by Monday. We'll probably be moving Giriko Tuesday or Wednesday to one of our holding cells."

"I promise, I'll let you know as soon as I can." Maka didn't bother to get up. "I hope you don't mind seeing yourselves out."

"Not at all," Free bowed his head before taking Azusa by the shoulder and leading her out.

When utter silence came over the house, no more footsteps or front doors, Maka stood and walked back down the hallway, as she reached the side of the stairs she caught sight of Soul already sitting there, his elbows resting on his knees as his fists opened and closed between them. She wrapped her fingers around the dowels like prison bars between them. "Were you listening?"

Soul nodded.

"To all of it?"

His jaw tightened before simply nodding again.

"Take a breath."

Air rattled from his chest before he let another one in through barely unclenched teeth.

Maka leaned into the banister. "Without yelling, tell me what you think."

Soul cleared his throat, his voice coming out as if he had already yelled it raw, "I think I should let you decide."

Maka couldn't help but let a small smile tug on her lips. "But you feel…"

"Powerless," he murmured. "Like I'm just going to have to watch him hurt you again."

She released the wood and came to the stairs, but before she could kneel at his feet he was up, grabbing her at the shoulders and pulling her face just below his sternum as they stood uneven. "I know how much that scares you… but do you think you could trust me?"

"Trust you with what?" Soul smoothed her hair more for his own comfort than hers.

"Free has a few tricks, but I think I have some of my own." She nuzzled closer against his shirt, finding relief in the scent that was so uniquely him. "I don't want to say yes until I've seen him."

While Soul had held on with bloody fingernails to the last inch of his sanity that seemed to throw it all to the wind. "See Giriko?" he rasped.

"I'm going to tell Free to let me talk to him before I decide." Maka could manage half a smile at the idea, regardless of the way she felt every muscle tighten in him. "I think I can get him to talk just enough."

Clutching on to her was the only steadying he could do. "I'm coming with you."

After some shimmying, she managed to get out of his tight grasp so she could look up at him. He was trying not to let her see the nervous suffering, that mask pulled tightly over his face. "Of course you are."

The air was far too crisp for it but Black Star was sitting on the porch when Soul walked up from the cottage. "Lookin' to catch cold?" Soul slowed and leaned on the banister as he clutched his jacket tighter around his middle.

"Getting some air," Black Star shrugged with as much apathy as he could muster.

"Kilik and Kim go home?"

"Yeah, left the rest of us as the happy little family." He rolled his eyes for added effect but Soul snapped his tongue, slowing the action.

"You are, idiot," Soul waved towards the house. "That's your mom, dad, sister."

"Talkin' to the wrong guy," Black Star pointed a finger back at Soul, and whether it was the finality of the past couple of days or the anticipation of the new ones on the horizon, something had suddenly unlocked. "All of this is yours, Soul, you get that? I'm just… something that's maybe close to a visitor. I can do this for a few more weeks but after that, I'm gone because I wasn't necessary here in the first place. For the fight, yeah, because that's my shit, but beyond it? Nah."

Honestly, Soul had accumulated every last thought on this conversation over the years, waiting for the time that Black Star would finally try to say it. "And whose fault is that?" There wasn't anything angry about it, instead just frustration that had piled one day on top of the other through the entirety of their friendship. Black Star attempted to give just a sharp laugh as a reply but Soul jumped all over it, "You and me, we're the same on the inside, just a different coating."

"What are we, candies?" Black Star scoffed.

Soul chose to ignore it as he sat down next to the other man in a huff. "On the outside, you want to be too tough for love. You want to be some independent badass who's too busy with kicking ass and taking names to even consider what other people mean to you."

Black Star let it hit him like a slap in the face, his jaw slacking slightly. "And what are you?"

He first let a disgusted grunt part his lips before offering the best description he could muster, "Outside, apathetic, uninterested in the rest of the world. Too complicated to be understood, so why bother."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Black Star cracked a grin.

"And it's fucking annoying, isn't it?" He sighed as he urged a hand between them. "Think about how many times over this trainwreck you've had to tell me to let Maka in, just let her know what's going on, blah, blah, blah."

Black Star wanted to gloat but there was no room for enjoyment since Soul was starting to make too much sense and, damn it, was this not how he had wanted the conversation to go. This was supposed to be the fight, the one where the two of them somehow irreparably damaged what they had and he would be on his own again.

Soul let the hand between them grab at Black Star's shoulder. "And I've been a shit friend because while you've always set me straight, I've never once tried to do it for you. So here it is: Black Star, suck it up and be with your family. They love you, and don't give me the bullshit that I'm here because while I know all three of them love me, I'm a fill-in, a substitute, because if there's one thing I know you'll agree with me on, I'm not you. I'm never going to be as badass, as brave, as hysterical as you."

Black Star titled his head to the side. "What if I'm too busy being an independent badass?" That earned him a hard smack to the back of his head. Instead of retaliation, Black Star grabbed Soul's hand at the wrist, holding it tightly. "What if I just don't feel like I fit?" His grip flexed even harder since those words felt like they were peeled from the inside of his heart.

"That's normal," Soul was smiling softly at him, not that playful smirk he was used to but one with warm eyes to match. "It's just the way it is at first because you haven't had love in a while. Feels weird, wrong, you feel out of place. It's kind of like a defense mechanism because you're sure that whatever it is you're going to end up getting hurt. Eventually, all the shit you built up around you starts to wear away and you end up fitting."

Black Star tossed his hand weakly. "Since when did you get so smart?"

"Just already made all the mistakes," Soul shrugged. "I think you'll catch on quicker than I did."

"Of course I will, I'm better at everything," he muttered with as much of his regular gusto as he could manage. The only thing that did come to fruition from his assumption about this fight had been that raw feeling, the drain on all of him. He wanted to follow his original plan of either sitting out in the cold until he caved and went for a drive or wandered out into woods to just fuck off, but, damn did he hate to admit this, Soul was right.

"And I guess part of this is a little selfish," Soul let out a weak laugh. "I kind of came over here to ask you to do me a favor tonight."

Black Star smirked, "Can't do a thing by yourself."

"Nope." He passed a hand through his hair as he sucked in air to get through even bringing up the possibilities of next week. "It's kind of two things. Tuesday-" He interrupted himself with a harsh sigh. "We're going to the precinct to… Maka's talking to Giriko."

Black Star let out a long, low whistle.

Soul turned desperate eyes to Black Star. "I want you to be there."

"Sure, I'll hold your hand," he laughed softly.

"Thanks," Soul took another long breath. "And tonight I'm asking you to keep everyone at this house busy so that I can… just give Maka something close to a normal night."

"Oh, no, no, no," Black Star scoffed. "Normal? You're doing normal?"

Soul narrowed his eyes at Black Star, "What the hell's wrong with normal? She's been stabbed, tortured, and worse this month so normal should be pretty damn good."

He shook his head with the exhaustion of carrying this man for years. "Would it kill you to be romantic?"

The last time that had crossed his mind it had been when he was handing her a knife as a gift. "She's hurt and…" he stuttered along that edge nervously.

"And you love her, idiot." Black Star rolled his eyes in disgust. "Just go into town, get some nice shit and come back and surprise her. Shelley and I can keep her busy for a few hours while you get everything together. Just do it better than the whole setting up the room thing."

"I can't help it if she did it first," Soul balked back.

"Will you just leave?" Black Star reached into his pocket and fished out his keys, tossing them at Soul. "Get out of here. Wine, flowers, that kind of bullshit. Whatever says, 'Sorry I got you stabbed.'"