Joe. That was his name. Everyone just called him BJ, but Stein thought that to be a pretty stupid name.

Still, Stein looked on as Marie held his hand. Danced with him. Looked at him just like she had once looked at Stein.

Stein's posture portrayed boredom. Slouched against the wall, arms crossed, cigarette lazily hanging from his mouth. He'd taken up smoking to help dull his mind after the breakup. And boy had it ended on a sour note. Shouting (mostly from him), crying (mostly from Marie), and then just nothing. She'd walked out his door and never came back.

Stein's expression betrayed anger, jealousy, and irritation. Why had she moved on to him?

"Come on Franken, cheer up." He flinched as he felt Spirit pat his shoulder. "Usually I'm the one with break-up depression."

"Speaking of which," Stein lazily plucked the dying cigarette from his mouth and dipped it in Spirit's drink to put it out before throwing it in a nearby potted plant, "how's Kami doing? She get a new boyfriend yet? I heard it was over for good this time."

Spirit was silent for awhile. "Screw you." He muttered before sulking away.

Stein sighed. He knew he'd have to apologize later for that. Stein reached in his pocked for another cigarette. He felt in the small box, finding it empty. Cursing in his head, he returned to slouching on the wall.

Soon, the music stopped and Shinigami-sama stepped up to the mic.

"Ahem," he waited for the crowd to be quiet, "Thanks for coming out to the annual Winter Ball everyone! I hope you're all having fun! Seeing as the dance is almost over, I think it's time to switch it up a bit! Girls, grab a boy you haven't danced with yet and have fun!"

Stein looked over to Marie again who, to his complete surprise, was walking towards him.

"Hi Stein," she smiled, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Stunned, he took her hand in silence as she led him out to the dance floor as a slow song came on.

Dancing, as it turned out, was actually quite hard.

"You're being too hard on yourself, Franken," Marie chided him as they danced, "You've only stepped on my toe once, I call that progress!" She smiled up at him with those eyes that he loved.

He half-smiled back. Why was she doing this? Acting like everything between them had never happened? Like the things he had said to her that last night together weren't totally and completely out of line?

"Why are you looking at me like that, Franken?" Her voice brought him back to earth.

"Huh? No reason."

Silence again. The song was almost over. Things had become awkward.

"So…how's the dance been going for you?"

"Stop it Marie."

She looked up at him, shocked.

"W-What do you mean?"

"I mean stop it. Stop pretending nothing is wrong."

"I-I…" she was flustered, "I don't know what you mean…"

"Why did you ask me to dance, Marie?"

"Well I-"

"Was it because you regret leaving? Or do you want to be 'just friends'?"

Silence again. He knew he was being mean but he couldn't stop himself.

"I don't want to end up like Spirit. Constantly chasing after a girl who just keeps leaving. That's not me.."

"I hate you."

Her harsh tone stunned him.

"I mean it. I hate you. I ask you to dance with me for one song and you just have to go and screw it all up!"

The song ended, she pushed herself out of his arms.

"I really hope you're happy, Franken Stein."

She left him on the dance floor.

It was the last time they would see each other for ten years. The day after the dance Stein was sent to Italy, where he completed his assignment of collecting 99 kishen souls and one witch soul at the young age of seventeen. Spirit returned to the DWMA, but only to help care for Kami, who was pregnant with a young girl, his daughter. Eventually he was offered the position of Shinigami-sama's personal weapon and, of course, he accepted. Stein continued traveling the world, studying, dissecting. Eventually it bored him and in two years he returned to his home in Death City. In that time, Marie was made a Death Scythe and she and her boyfriend Joe moved to Oceania, where Marie worked for eight years.

(A/N – Oh you didn't think I was going to end it there, did you? No, no. There's still so much more to write about! I just thought now would be a good time to take a break. I'll see you guys in about a week! Please keep reviewing, I love to hear your feedback!)-