I'm not dead! And neither is this fic no matter what people will tell you. This is one of my proudest writing projects and the only shame I feel is from neglecting it for so long. I recently read a review for my last chapter from this fic that told me to update because it was good. So thanks to that last wonderful reader (who I think left the review in March) I thought well why the hell not add another chapter and get the gears grinding again. So here we go, my homecoming chapter. Hope you enjoy and that my writing style hasn't morphed too much. As always I love reviews and the like.

I didn't bring up the movie theatre again until after I had brought us both back home. How was I supposed to? 'Hey Soul, what was with that weirdness between you and my friend? Oh and what the hell is up with all this tension that I'm always feeling when it comes to us?' I could go on but where would that leave me? I pulled into my driveway, but before I opened my door I sighed and said,

"I don't think I ever thanked you."

Soul's head turned to face me but I didn't meet his gaze. I stared at my lap while my hands fiddled with the seatbelt strap across my chest.

"For what?" he asked.

"For…," I started. 'Saving me from those bad guys?' No, I wasn't a cartoon princess. 'Protecting me?' Nah, he wasn't exactly a knight in shining armor.

"Helping back there," I finished lamely.

He stared at me for a few seconds more and the intensity I felt from him was pressing on me from all sides. I finally met his gaze and instantly the pressure eased. His head was tilted and he was looking at me as if I was a creature he had never seen before but was mildly curious about.

"What?" I snapped.

This weighted silence and his staring were crushing me for god knows what reason and if he didn't say anything or move or do something I was going to throw myself through the windshield.

"Nothing, it's just, are you ok? You look a little tense," he said.

My hands had moved from the seatbelt to the steering wheel. My knuckles were white from gripping it so hard. I'd probably leave permanent indents in it if I kept it up for much longer.

"No, I'm good," I said slowly peeling away my fingers from the leather.

"Then you're welcome."

He stepped out of the car and I slowly followed after him. What in the hell had just happened? I had never been so blank in my life. It must have just been the days' events catching up with me. Soul seeing my dad being completely drunk then me accidentally baring a part of my soul to him. His fingers curling around mine and then stroking them as he led me into darkness where he kept unwanted hands from reaching me while simultaneously reaching some part of me himself. It was too much. Too much Soul for one day. I really just wanted to go upstairs to my room and read a book or maybe shower then nap.

"Maka, can you hurry up? I left my keys in your kitchen this morning!"

Soul's voice snapped me out of my stupor. 'Ok, shake it off. Back to normal self Maka,' I mentally reprimanded. I rushed up the front steps to the door where Soul was standing leaning his head against the frame.

"About time," he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes at his impatience and unlocked the door. We both went straight to the couch and plopped ourselves down in the center. So much for his keys. He was heavier than I was which caused the cushion to dip more on his side and I ended up leaning onto him, but I was too tired to adjust myself. I looked up at him and caught him already looking at me.

"You good?" he asked.

"Yeah."

I waited a moment and looked around before meeting his eyes again and asking, "You good?"

"I'm ok," was his response.

We sat there in silence for a few beats more before he spoke again.

"Are we good?"

I blinked then slowly curled against him, finding a comfortable spot to rest my head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, we're good Soul."

We sat there like that not saying a single word as I slipped in and out of sleep. I almost didn't hear him when he asked,

"Are we friends?"

"Not yet," I offered groggily.

"We'll get there?"

I yawned. Sure, why not?

"Yeah Soul. We'll get there."

I woke up cuddling SoMa. I blinked looking at the clock on my bedside table. It was 2 hours later than when I got home with Soul. Wait, Soul! I sat up in bed and looked around my room for a moment thinking he would be here. I couldn't remember much about getting here. I knew I had started dozing on the sofa when Soul had asked me questions I didn't think I would answer. He must have woken me so I could make my way to my room, but I didn't remember that part. I heard movement outside my room. I stuck my head out of the doorway and saw my dad about to make his way downstairs. He looked like he had pulled an all-nighter, as if he actually worked for a living. But if I remembered correctly it was because he had gotten drunk off his ass before noon.

"Hey hon, you're awake. Looks like your daddy fell asleep in the guest room upstairs instead of his own room, haha."

I rolled my eyes then asked, "Did you just wake up?"

"No. Well, yes. But I woke up earlier when Soul brought you to your room."

So I had been right. I knew how weird I got when I was tired. I liked to say things like what type of animal I'd like to see in the Oval Office. According to my father, it was a beaver. So hopefully I didn't say anything he could use against me later.

"Yeah," my dad continued. "I'm remembered being really worried that he would drop you down the stairs."

"Wait, what?"

He could not have implied what I think he just implied could he?

"He always looked pretty scrawny to me but I guess he can take care of himself since he can carry you up this entire flight," he said making his way down to the ground floor ignoring the dumbfounded face I was making.

I refused to imagine rough-around-the-edges Soul doing something as gentle and kind and oddly sweet as carrying me into my room and tucking me into bed. It was much too cheesy. My brain cruelly disobeyed. I stepped back into my room and shut the door and proceeded to bang my head against it.

At last, the call I was waiting for had finally come through. Today was the day I'd finally get a piece of my very soul back. The jewelers at the mall had finally finished fixing the broken clasp on my necklace and I was going to pick it up. And I would as soon as I could leave the house in peace. And in order to do that my dad needed to be separated from Soul. Soul had come over again the day after our theatre…outing. Neither of us mentioned our small conversation nor who carried who where, and thankfully neither did my father. Instead, we both seemed to be quite content watching mindless television on the sofa. That didn't last long because my dad strayed away from his office and immediately came to pester us like a child.

"Maka, do you love me?" he asked.

I sighed. "Yes, dad."

"Do you love Soul?"

I grit my teeth. My dad had absolutely no filter; anything that went into his head came stampeding out of his mouth. In another time I would've blushed and stammered and been embarrassed. Luckily, by now my dad and Soul have put me through so much, I wondered if my embarrassment gland even had a job anymore.

"No dad."

He stuck his bottom lip out, pouting. He turned his attention to Soul.

"What about you?"

"No, I don't love you," Soul grumbled rubbing his eyes.

He tended to do that a lot I noticed. Most of the time he was his annoying and persistent self, but sometimes he was sluggish, quiet, moving slowly as if every movement was barely important enough to make.

"That's not what I meant!" my dad whined literally pawing at Soul's arm.

He was acting like a neglected puppy.

"I don't care what you meant," Soul said dryly.

The only time they had ever acted like normal human beings with each other was when they first met. After that my father didn't hide his childish, needy, slightly alcoholic side. Soul reciprocated by dropping his nice boy façade and acted intolerant and annoyed with my dad's embarrassing antics. I raised the volume on the TV. I wasn't sure what we were watching. It seemed to be one of those reality TV shows about how rich and famous people have personal issues too; issues they wouldn't even have if they weren't so dramatic about everything from having multiple people vying for their affections or arguing over what cheese went into who's sandwich.

"Isn't Soccer Mom expecting you somewhere?" Soul asked adopting my nickname for my dad's most recent female companion.

As if on cue a horn sounded outside that had my father scrambling to the window like a puppy expecting his person home.

"I'll give you $20 dollars if you do that every time he gets annoying," I offer Soul not looking away from the screen.

I heard him give a slight chuckle before stretching his arms across the top of the sofa and kicking a leg up onto the edge of the coffee table.

"I'm afraid my powers are not up for sale my dear Maka."

"What a pity."

My dad made a last mad dash around the house grabbing essentials including his keys, breath mints, and I sincerely hoped condoms. He ran out the front door yelling,

"If Soul decides to stay the night I'm ok with that!"

I got up and followed, making sure I kicked the door shut behind him.

"Well, if he's offering," Soul said smiling at me from the couch.

I turned back to face him trying to match his grin.

"Don't even think about it," I glanced at the clock, "Besides, I've somewhere to be."

"Ooh does someone have a hot date with someone other than her beloved?" Soul questioned surprised, moving his feet from the coffee table to the sofa, "I feel you should know I consider this betrayal."

"In that case, I most definitely have somewhere to be," I called over my shoulder as I made my way up to my bedroom.

I grabbed my purse, threw in my keys from my desk and my phone from its charger. Nothing could dampen my mood today, I just knew that it would be smooth sailing. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Soul had folded himself over the back of the sofa looking like he was starting a new life as a throw blanket.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you obviously," he said his voice muffled by the cushions.

I rolled my eyes and went for the door, hearing his footsteps follow behind.

"Don't you ever have anything to do? Anywhere to go?" I asked.

"I have a job Maka. Geez, you make it sound like I only ever hang out at your house. Unless, that's what you'd prefer."

"Never."

"I could be outside your window at night playing the guitar trying to win you over."

"Too cliché."

I got in the car and waited for Soul to get in too. I have accepted that Soul would be sharing this moment with me. It didn't bother me too much. When we had first started talking he was obnoxious and annoying and didn't seem to give a damn about me unless he wanted to mess with me; kind of like an adolescent version of my dad. But the longer we hung out, whether it was by choice or because I came out of my room to find him randomly in the house thanks to my dad's 'open-door' policy, he was losing that edge. There was still an infuriating exterior but it was melting away and being replaced by something else. Something soft, and quiet and even when he didn't think I was looking, sad. There would be clouds in his eyes and a hard line to his smile and a certain tone in his voice that suggested deep in his heart something rough was brewing. But that could just be me trying to find reasons for his behavior and seeing something that wasn't there.

"Maybe I could hide in your bedroom closet and when your dad goes to sleep I can come out and we can have ourselves a wild time. You know, licking stamps or whatever it is you do at 1 in the morning."

I had almost forgotten he was actually here with me. I focused on the road.

"That would be creepy. Besides you wouldn't need to hide from my dad. If he thought I was sexually active he would probably just be grateful I hadn't chosen the way of the nun."

Soul put his hands up, grinning at me like he had just read my diary; which he no doubt would have if I owned one.

"Woah, woah, I only said licking stamps."

I felt my face heating up. I really needed to keep my foot on the gas pedal and out of my mouth.

"Yes, it's ready just give me a moment to grab it from the back."

The saleslady moved from behind the counter of the jewelry store we were in into an adjacent room to go search for my necklace. My fingers were twisting into my shirt.

"It's just your necklace not your firstborn. Why are you so nervous?"

"It might as well be. It's the only thing I have left from my mom that can't be framed."

I didn't look at him. I shouldn't have said that, it was none of his business. Now he was going to act surprised and ask a bunch of questions that started with 'why'. I wasn't about to tell him that a few weeks after my mom died my dad went through everything that was left in the house after she had left us the first time and got rid of it in a bonfire in the backyard in a drunken fit of depression and anger. Luckily, my mom's friend who she had been living with had saved a precious few of her possessions including the necklace and had ordained it to me for safekeeping. I had never been so furious with my dad. Especially since he left for a week after he had stomped the last embers out; leaving me alone in the house with nothing but the buzzing of my phone and the barking of the neighbor's dog to keep me company.

I felt a cold hand on my arm.

"Relax, they're professionals. They didn't ruin it or anything. She's going to bring it out in a little box and when she opens it it's going to be shiny and pretty just the way I left it. Except not broken."

I put covered Soul's hand with mine. "I guess I should thank you for stealing it otherwise it would have fallen off me somewhere else and I would have actually lost it forever." I glance up at him narrowing my eyes. "Don't ever do it again."

"Yes, ma'am." He said winking at me and taking back his hand.

True to Soul's prophecy the saleslady came back with a small cardboard box. She picked off the sealing tape and opened it so I could examine the product like I was some arms dealer looking over my latest haul. It was exactly as he had predicted. Shiny and pretty and exactly as we had left it. I picked it up and tugged a little at the clasp. It held true. I smiled at the saleslady, "Thank you so much it's perfect."

"I'm so happy you're satisfied with our work. I'll just need you to sign here please."

She passed a clipboard with some paperwork that said I was ok with what they did to my property and wouldn't sue them if it was screwed up and I didn't notice. She left with my signature and I turned to one of the many mirrors lining the walls eager to put my necklace back in its place. Soul held his hand out for it.

"You're joking."

"Come on I'm not going to run. Like you would let me."

I just got it back. I would be an absolute idiot to let him take it again from me. I held it out to him anyway. If he ran he couldn't go anywhere, I drove. If he ran I would have mall security on my side and since it was an affluent neighborhood they meant business. If he ran…I would call his name and he would come back to me because I didn't honestly believe he would run. Which was stupid. He took it from my outstretched hand and spun me around to face the mirror. This was it, would he book it with my back turned? I breathed out slowly. No, he wouldn't. I closed my eyes. He wouldn't. I felt a dot of cold on my collar bone and opened my eyes again. He was still here and he was wrapping the necklace around me. I smiled as he tried to maneuver the chain around my pigtails.

"And there we go," he said with finality.

I touched the heart shaped locket and popped it open, the photo inside still smiling up at me.

"She's still so beautiful," I whispered. I rarely opened it always afraid that the picture would be blown away. My mom's face looked up at me from inside, her eyes shining like she was about to let you in on a hilarious joke. I was so happy. It felt like I could breathe again after being underwater. Not to mention all the anxiety from putting my faith in Soul again falling away like a heavy curtain. Soul wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. Normally, I would have shrugged him off but I was too preoccupied to give him any attention.

"Yes, she is," he whispered, his voice low in my ear.

I had let my guard down, I had forgotten what to avoid. I had looked into the mirror at Soul and he had been looking right back at me a grin creeping up one side of his face.