Sorry it took so long! I've been so forgetful of my poor story. ;-;

Thank you for all the reviews, I barely expected to get even one, and I got like, 10. o:

I also realize that the first chapter was a bit OOC. That was entirely my fault, I was reading it and about to edit it, but my hand slipped and I hit submit. You forgive me, right?

Anyways, enjoy!

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As the school day drew to a close, Maka was standing in front of the extra-credit board, Soul standing close by. She looked aimlessly the board, and gave a sigh. There hadn't been any good missions lately - and the lack of work depressed her. She shook her head, turning to Soul. They were just about to leave for home when a familiar voice called her name. "Maka!" She looked behind her to find Kidd. Soul looked up, frowning. 'What does he want…? Damn Kidd.' He thought, grunting and turning away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Ah! Kidd-kun!" Maka exclaimed. She gave a slight smile, waving to Liz and Patty, who stood nearby. They waved back, and Kidd gave Maka a grin. "Maka, there's a mission in Germany, and Liz and Patty want to go, but one of the requirements is Soul Perception. Would you like to come?" Maka looked down at the floor. 'So the only reason he wants me to come is because I can see souls… What the hell?' She thought, looking up and giving Kidd a fake smile. "Sure." She looked back at Soul, who had his back turned. "Ne, Soul?" Soul turned to look at her. "What?" He asked. "Want to go on this mission?" She asked him, and he shrugged. "Sure, whatever." Though his mind was saying something else. 'Why would you go on that mission? You hate Kidd, so why would you agree to this?' He started walking, and Maka's jaw dropped. "Soul! Baka!" She gave a quick glance at Kidd, who shrugged. Maka was about to run and catch up to Soul, but Kidd grabbed her arm, handing her a small mirror. "Just in case." He said, giving her a concerned smile. She frowned for a moment, giving a nod and running off. "Soul! You jerk!"

Arriving at home, the first thing Maka did was take a shower. The dismemberment of the chicken had left her feeling disgusting. She entered the bathroom, stepping over to the shower and turning on the faucet, rolling up her sleeve and feeling the temperature of the water. She shut the bathroom door, pulling off her jacket. She hung it on the doorknob, and something clattered to the floor. She bent over, picking the object up. It was the mirror Kidd had given her. She placed it on the counter; peeling off the rest of her clothes and getting in the shower, letting the warm water run down her back. When Maka finished her shower, she toweled off, getting dressed and going into her room. She dropped her dirty clothes in the laundry basket, walking into the kitchen to make dinner. Tonight she felt like making pasta. She pulled out some olive oil, dried pasta, and some tomatoes. She drizzled some olive oil into a pan, putting the tomatoes in after and stirring it briefly before starting on the pasta.

Soul sat on the couch, watching television while he waited for dinner to be finished. He had already taken a shower, and his wet hair dripped slightly onto the back of his shirt. He flicked through the channels impatiently, giving an agitated moan. "Maka! You done cooking yet?" He asked, and she replied with a frustrated "Almost." Soul shook his head, facing the television and flipping the channel again. Minutes passed, and Soul's stomach growled. He was about to ask Maka if she was finished when she called, "Soul! Finished!" Soul stood, walking towards the table, sitting down and muttering, "About time, Maka. Damn." Maka set the plate of pasta down in front of him, and sat down with a huff, a small plate sitting in front of her. Soul began to eat, and his mind wandered. "Soul? Is it good?" Maka asked, and Soul looked up, nodding. Maka gave a small smile, beginning to eat. Her eyes looked distant, and she ate very slowly. Soul frowned. "Ey, Maka. What're you thinking about?" He asked, and a moment passed before Maka glanced over to him. "Nani?" She replied, and Soul blinked. "What's bugging you? You've barely eaten." He pried, and Maka frowned, pushing her plate forward several inches. "I'm not really hungry. I should be the one asking you what's wrong. Both you and Kidd were acting… different." She said, standing up and taking her plate into the kitchen, dumping the pasta into a tupperware and putting it in the refrigerator. "I'm going to bed." She said, but Soul stopped her. "Ey, do you like Kidd, Maka?" He asked, and Maka blushed and turned on her heel. "What makes you think that? Baka. If you assume, you're in for it." She said, pulling a book out of nowhere and waving it around menacingly. Soul gulped, turning back to his food and finishing it quickly. He took it into the kitchen, washing the dishes and putting them away. He walked down the hall and into his room, shutting the door behind him and laying on his bed.

He sighed with exhaustion, no more than fifteen minutes passing before sleep came over him. Maka, however, sat in bed, holding the mirror Kidd had given her in her hands. She stared at her reflection, a serious look on her face. 'What do I feel…? Towards Kidd and Soul… I don't know yet...' She thought, placing the mirror on her bedside table and burying herself under the blankets. She drifted in and out of sleep, and each time, she felt colder and colder, so she snuggled deeper and deeper into the blankets. She didn't dream, but she didn't have nightmares, either. Instead, her thoughts invaded her sleep, and images of Kidd and Soul fluttered about her confused mind. "Confusion…" A voice in her mind sung, "It's a horrible thing, isn't it? When you don't know what to think, when someone tells you one thing but another tells you something entirely different. It's unbearably frustrating…" Maka sat bolt upright, gasping for air. Minutes passed, and Maka began to breathe more normally. She had just pulled the blankets over her in an attempt to find sleep again, but all in vain when Soul called her name from outside her room. "Maka, we've got that mission today! Hurry up or your breakfast is gonna be cold!" Maka sighed, getting out of bed and dressing in her usual attire. She hurried into the dining room, sitting down and eating her eggs and toast. Soul stood by, watching Maka worriedly. Maka quickly finished, taking her plate into the kitchen, washing it and putting it away. She headed towards the front door, but Soul stopped her, gently taking her arm. "Something's eating you. If you wanna tell me, I'm here." She nodded, running off to answer the door, for the doorbell had rung at least twice. She opened the door, revealing Kidd, Liz, and Patty, who was as happy as ever. "Ah! Hello, Kidd-kun, Liz, Patty." Maka smiled, and Liz nodded, Patty giggled, and Kidd, he smiled back. "Are you ready to leave, Maka?" He asked, and Maka turned, about to call for Soul, when she noticed he was standing right behind her, a dissatisfied smirk on his face. "Ah. Soul. You ready?" She asked him, and he nodded. Turning to Kidd, she gave a small smirk. "Alright. Let's go."

When they arrived, Maka stood in an empty square, Soul, Kidd, Patty, and Liz nearby. Maka closed her eyes, and concentrated. She could feel it - a Kishin egg. She opened her eyes, her gaze darting across the dark space before them. "Maka, is it here?" Kidd asked, and she nodded. "Soul." Maka said, and he nodded, transforming into a scythe and landing in Maka's hand. She twirled the scythe several times before righting it, and she looked towards Kidd, who already had Liz and Patty transform into guns. She nodded, turning and looking around anxiously. Where was it? The Kishin egg she had just felt. It couldn't have disappeared, could it? "Maka!" Kidd warned, and she turned on a heel, now face to face with the Kishin. She gasped. It had long arms, with blades for fingers, and its face was covered with stitches, and it had no eyes that she could see. The Kishin screamed, its voice shrill and blood-curdling. It raised a hand high above its head, poised to swing down and slice Maka in half. "Maka! Either block, or move!" Soul warned, his face appearing in the blade of the scythe. She nodded, and the Kishin struck. Maka raised Soul just in time to block, using what strength she had to hold the Kishin back. "Kidd-kun." She choked out, and he nodded, shooting at the Kishin, causing it to throw its head back with a nauseous scream. Maka moved backwards, giving her some space between the Kishin. The Kishin, however, decided that it liked Maka better than Kidd, and in a flurry of razor sharp blades, it darted towards her, barely giving Maka a second to defend herself. The Kishin seemed to grin evilly, and using its other hand, it struck Maka, knocking Soul out of her grip and sending Maka flying backwards into a building. She slid to the ground, her eyes barely open and her breathing shallow. Soul went back to his human form, and he looked slightly injured. She looked down, and the ground seemed to spin. She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying her breathing. "I will be strong." She whispered. "I will be strong." She stood, holding her hand out. "Soul!" She cried out, and he protested. "You can't fight when you're like that!" Kidd agreed. "He's right. You may want to sit this out, Maka." This upset her. "No." She said. "Soul, now. I will fight." Soul gaped, and he reluctantly turned back into a scythe, and Maka caught him, holding him in both hands as she charged towards the Kishin. A scream echoed from her throat, and she leapt, swinging the scythe down onto the Kishin, who screamed and tried to defend itself. Maka landed on her feet, about to strike again when the Kishin blindly struck out, and before Maka could block, it sunk its sharp razor-bladed fingers deep into her chest, dragging them down to her stomach. The Kishin seemed to cackle with victory, and it hastily removed the blades from her stomach. Maka dropped Soul, who immediately turned back to human form.

"Maka!" He gasped, and she fell to the ground, blood pouring from the deep gash across her chest and stomach. Kidd finished off the Kishin, rushing towards Maka and Soul. From there, he turned on Soul. "Why didn't you block? Why didn't you protect her? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?!" He exclaimed. "I didn't see it coming. This is the first time I couldn't protect her in time." He glanced at Maka, who lay in Soul's arms, her breathing quick and shallow. "Maka. You'll be okay." He whispered, though her didn't move. "Kidd, you idiot. I can't move her, she's already bleeding bad enough! What should we do?" Kidd sighed, and Liz and Patty transformed back into their human forms. "Well, we can't move her. If we called the paramedics, they wouldn't be here in time. I'll call Father and ask what we should do." And with that, he pulled out a mirror, breathing on it and writing the code. Shinigami appeared, and Kidd sighed anxiously. "Father, Maka is horribly injured, and in her condition, we cannot move her. What should we do?" He asked, and Shinigami peered around Kidd to see Maka and Soul. "Ah. I see. I can try and send Nygus and Sid, they'll be there as soon as possible. Just try and stop the bleeding as best as you can. And talk to her, please. That way she remains conscious." He warned, and Spirit appeared. "What happened to my Maka? Is she injured? Wha- " And Shinigami got upset. "Shinigami-chop!" He said, and he smacked Spirit in the head, knocking him to the ground. "Ah, sorry, Kidd, but you must hurry. Sid and Nygus will be there as soon as possible." And he signed off, leaving Kidd to face Soul. "Soul, we have to stop the bleeding." He pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around Maka. Soul followed, pulling off his jacket and doing the same thing.

Kidd sat down next to Maka, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "Soul, there is a convenience store nearby. Would you go and pick up a first aid kit? Do hurry." He said, gently and slowly moving Maka so she lay in his arms. Soul stood, heading over to the motorcycle and he revved the engine and sped off. Maka was in Kidd's arms, her breathing quiet. Her eyes were open, and the bleeding had slowed, but any longer and she would be gone. She had lost a lot of blood, and she didn't speak. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Kidd stared at her face, which wasn't peaceful in any way. He didn't care, though. She was beautiful in his eyes. "Maka…" He whispered, and he smiled, looking into her olive green eyes. "Don't leave. Please don't leave. I want you to stay." His voice dropped. "I love you."

Maka, nearly unconscious, just barely caught what Kidd had said. "I love you." He said, and Maka's breathing stopped for a moment. Soul finally came back, an angry look on his face. "They didn't have any, Kidd." He spat, sitting down with a huff. "Soul… Why did you leave…?" Maka whispered, her eyes closing. Soul looked at Kidd. "What did you do?" He asked angrily. "I didn't do anything. She's obviously upset that you left her." He stated calmly, though he felt like his heart had broken. Did she even hear what he had said? Kidd's train of thought was interrupted when he looked down at Maka. Her eyes had closed, and he couldn't hear her breathing. "Maka…" He whispered, pulling her close and laying his head on her chest in an effort to check her pulse. "Soul. She's stopped breathing." He choked out. Soul just gaped. "No…"

Maka looked around, and all she saw was black. Was she dead? She felt dead. She wanted to be dead. All she wanted was for this pain to end. The pain, the confusion… it was horrible. Just as the voice had said. As if on cue, the voice came again, echoing through the darkness with its sad and philosophical voice. "That's right. The pain, the confusion… You want it gone. You want it to just end, and be done with it. But who brought on this pain and confusion? Wasn't it those two boys? They are the cause of your troubles, are they not…? The voice drifted away, and Maka now faintly heard her name being called from somewhere far away. "Where are you…?" Maka asked the void of her mind, and she now felt lost. She needed to go back. She wanted to go back. "Someone… please… help me." She called out, and she reached her arm forward, trying to escape the darkness and emptiness that threatened to swallow her whole.

Maka lay in a cot in the infirmary, Soul and Kidd on either side of her. "Maka…" Soul whispered, placing his hand on hers. He closed his eyes, and he struggled to keep the tears back. He looked up to Kidd, sadness contorting his features. "Ey, Kidd, could you leave for a bit?" He asked, and Kidd obliged, shutting the door quietly behind him. Now it was only Soul and Maka in the room. Soul took in a deep breath, and he began to talk, his voice starting out choked and gaining strength as he talked. "Maka, I'm so sorry… I didn't think… I just… I… I wish I could have seen it coming… so I could protect you… but I didn't, and now you're injured… and it's all my fault… this isn't cool. I just want you back, Maka… I need you…" He stuttered, his confidence gone. He sighed. Now or never, right? "I… I love you, Maka."

Maka stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She faintly felt a hand on hers, and she tried to see whom it was. "Soul…?" She whispered, and Soul raised his head. "Maka…!" He whispered earnestly, gripping her hand. Maka looked at her hand. "Uhm… Soul?" "Oh. Sorry." He moved his hand, placing it on his lap. He stood after a few moments, giving a slight smile. "Ey, Maka. I'll be going, I'm not the only one who wants to see you." And he left; Kidd, Liz, and Patty coming in. "Maka-chan~!" Patty squealed, hopping up and down. "Patty! Ssh!" Liz interrupted, grabbing Patty by the shoulders and keeping her from bouncing around. Liz smiled apologetically, and Kidd stepped forward. "Excuse me, Liz, Patty, can you leave for a moment?" He asked, and Maka protested. "Nani?!" She cried, and Kidd shushed her comfortingly. "I just want to talk to you is all." He assured, and Liz and Patty reluctantly left the room.

Kidd sat down in the chair where Soul had been only minutes ago, and he smiled at Maka. "Do you remember how you got that?" Kidd asked her quietly, gesturing to her large wound. Maka nodded nervously. Minutes passed, and Kidd sat there smiling dreamily at Maka. Finally, she got up the nerve to speak. "Kidd, what do you want?" Kidd looked at her.

"You."

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I hope you enjoyed! Leave a review, please.

I also need ideas, so if you have something you'd like to see, please let me know in your review!

Thank you!