19: In Which Maka Finally Talks to One of the Two Boys
"You've gotta go do it sooner or later," said Liz.
"I know," said Maka.
Patty laughed and thumped Maka on the back. "It'll be okay! He's not mad."
That's what I was afraid of…
It was August 9th, the day after Kid woke up. Maka was sitting with Liz and Patty in one of the nearby parks. The younger sister was alternating between talking to the others and feeding the ducks. Liz and Maka were talking. It was honestly more like Liz trying to convince Maka to go to the hospital to visit Kid with them later that afternoon.
"Listen," said Liz. "I know you don't wanna hear this, but Kid's fine. He's…changed in some ways, but he's still the same guy deep down. Maybe a little less energetic. But that's fine! He needs time to heal. We all need time to heal. Just don't overthink it, 'kay?"
Maka sighed. "I know, I know. It's just hard. When I think about Kid all I can see is that night. You know what I mean, right?"
"I do. But that's in the past. This is now. And right now, Kid's been dying to talk to you." Liz frowned. "There has to be a better way of saying that…"
"Anyway, I think it's best I wait until he approaches me. After he's released."
"And then what? You'll just keep avoiding Soul too?"
Maka flinched at the harsh words. Liz sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Won't you at least try? Sometimes it's the women who have to make the first move because the boys are too stupid to do it themselves."
Maka knew Liz was trying to make her laugh, but the nerves prevented her from smiling. Liz frowned before adding, "Besides, Miss Marie gave you that bag of cookies for him. It'd be a shame if they became stale before Kid could eat them."
Liz was once again right. Maka stared at the brown paper bag in her lap. It was filled with ginger snaps. Miss Marie had forced them on Maka when she'd woken up that morning. She'd gotten up early just to bake them too. The bag was still warm.
"Alright." Maka's shoulders slumped a bit. "Let's go before I change my mind."
"That's the spirit. I'll drive." Liz stood up and stretched. "Patty! Finish feeding the ducks, and we'll get going to see Kid."
"Okay!" the girl said cheerily.
Maka watched Liz's eyes soften a bit at that. She may be the most headstrong independent woman she'd ever met, but Liz was still a girl like her deep down. A girl who liked boys and makeup and trivial things, who was surprisingly afraid of the dark and ghost stories and dark magic, and wasn't quite as in tune with her emotions as she pretended to be.
They all clambered into the car. Liz drove with conviction. Despite being quite a distance from their area she knew the exact route to the hospital. Patty was humming nonsensically. Maka was picking at the sleeve of her dress. Some song they'd never heard was playing on the radio.
Maka stared at the changing scenery willing herself not to throw up.
マカの宅急便
The hospital was surprisingly cheerful for a hospital. The walls were more colorful than the clinical white that Maka had heard so much about. The whole place had the motif of a sunset beach: off-white yellows, light pinks and blues. All the nursing staff wore white, yes, but that was about all the white Maka could see in the lobby.
Liz guided them to the front desk. The woman there smiled the moment she saw them.
"Ms. Thompson."
"Hey Mai."
"Are you here to see Mr. Shinigami again?"
Liz leaned against the counter, grinning. "You know us too well. Yeah, we're here to visit Kid. And Maka here would like to see someone up on the fourth floor as well. Solomon Evans."
"Of course. Just fill out the sign-in sheet."
The three girls filled out the form. Liz ended up doing Patty's when the younger tried to draw train tracks on the other lines. Mai smiled and pointed towards the elevator.
"Kid's on the second floor, room 2039. Solomon's up on fourth, room 4242. Visiting hours end at five-thirty today, and start again at seven until nine."
"Thanks Mai." Liz tapped Patty on the shoulder. "Remember to thank her, Patty."
"Thank you thank you~"
The three of them got into the elevator. Liz pressed the button 2, labeled Long-Term/Extensive Care, and the doors slid shut. They were up in an instant. Maka swallowed nervously as they exited the lift.
"This way," Liz said, turning right.
Maka followed her. Patty began humming, skipping ahead slightly. Kid's room ended up being near the end of the hallway.
"We'll wait out here," Liz told her. "You go in."
"But—"
"Don't worry about it. I brought coloring books so that should keep Patty distracted long enough for you and Kid to catch up a bit. And I'll be out here if you need anything, okay?"
"Okay…"
Liz gave her a reassuring smile. "It's just Kid. Act like you always do."
How?
Maka took a deep breath before knocking on the door and entering.
She was greeted by a room with two hospital beds. White curtains surrounded both of them, though neither were closed. One bed was unoccupied, the one closer to the door. The other on the far side had a boy sitting up in it. He had a book opened on his lap which was currently being ignored. The boy was staring out of the window, but he turned towards the door as if sensing Maka's presence there.
"Maka."
"Kid."
It still shocked Maka to see just how much Kid had changed due to his Awakening. She hadn't gotten a good look at him before he was taken to the hospital; she wished she was more prepared now. Kid's skin had become a lighter and deathly pale. Maka could see the blue of his veins under the translucent skin. His black hair was adorned with three white stripes on the left side much like his father. Unlike his father, though, it was only on the left side, not a full circle.
So he's not fully Awakened, Maka thought. That's why Kid's father is still alive.
But the strangest change of all was his eyes.
They glowed golden, much like the harvest moon, no longer the familiar chocolate brown. There was something off about them, like they saw more than anyone else's. It made the young witch uncomfortable. When their eyes met Maka wasn't able to hold Kid's gaze for more than a second before turning to the ground awkwardly. She could feel those eyes boring into her until he sighed and turned back towards the open window.
"I'm glad you came to see me Maka. I was hoping it would be sooner."
She approached the bed and sat on the plastic chair by it. "I'm sorry I didn't visit before today."
Kid waved away her apology. "Liz told me I've been asleep for a week. It wouldn't have done you much good to see me in that state."
"Miss Marie wanted me to give you these cookies. They're ginger snaps. I know they're your favorite."
The boy took the bag from Maka's hands gratefully. He opened it and inhaled, sighing with a smile on his face.
"Oh, I've missed these. There's nothing quite as good as Miss Marie's ginger snaps."
Kid set them on the bedside table by the water pitcher. He took a few for himself and chewed them slowly, savoring the flavor. Maka fidgeted awkwardly in the chair by the bed.
Kid was the first to speak again.
"Have you heard my father has had to speak to both me and Soul about breaking the law?" he asked.
That got Maka's attention. "Really?"
"It's true. Apparently I'll have to report on these things eventually, since I've missed all of the major investigators from the Council." Kid sighed as he took another bite of cookie. "It's been a chaotic time in my father's office. He's trying to work everything out so we won't face any formal charges, only what the Council deems fit. He shouldn't overwork himself considering I now have about half of his power."
"How are you feeling?" Maka asked. "After all…that."
Kid hesitated. "Weird," he settled with.
They were silent for a bit. Maka went to speak again, to apologize most likely, but Kid spoke again so she waited.
"It's all so weird. All I remember was a bunch of pain before blacking out. The good thing was that I don't remember what happened when Dr. Stein was treating me. Liz told me it's for the best. I'll believe her."
Maka winced at the memory of Kid's screams.
Kid continued. "It's weird to feel this. This… I guess it's magic? You could probably tell me better than anyone else. Better than my father, at any rate. Is it supposed to feel warm? Like there's something other than blood flowing through your veins?"
"Yes. Just like that."
"It burns a bit, like fire."
Burning wasn't something Maka had heard before. "Is it because you're a warlock? There's much more magic in you than in me."
"Possibly. Maybe my body hasn't adjusted to having that power in it. I'll ask Dr. Stein or my father about it later. I do feel a lot stronger if that counts for anything."
Maka unfocused her eyes a bit to try and see Kid's soul. She had no luck, but she could see the powerful glow coming off of his skin. He was definitely a warlock now, even if only half-Awoken. Maka focused back on Kid, who was watching her.
"Father's right. Having your soul looked at feels very invasive."
She blushed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I know you've done it before. It's just the first time I've ever felt it. But it's barely grazing. Like a tickle. Is that normal too?"
"No. It should feel more like someone's watching you, like when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It didn't because my magic's faded." Saying it sounded hallow to her ears. Maka was slowly becoming numb to it.
"That's why your wavelength is so weak. I expected it to be stronger." Kid turned away a bit and closed his eyes. "It's still stronger than an average person's."
"Are you tired? Should I leave?"
"It's fine."
He didn't sound fine, but Maka let it slide. Magic was exhausting to keep under control. Maka had been doing it since birth so it wasn't hard for her. But it must've be especially hard for Kid, both in terms of being new to his magic and having a significantly stronger concentration of it.
"How could you tell my magic's faded?" asked Maka.
Kid leaned back into his pillows. "Because I can see souls now as well. I actually couldn't see anything other than it at first. It scared me, but Father was quick to help my vision adjust. I didn't realize they were so bright. And round. I still don't know what each person's soul shape and color actually mean, but I'm sure I'll learn soon. That knowledge can be learned. And if not I will wait until Father passes the rest of his magic to me. Hopefully that won't be for a long time yet."
They both nodded in agreement. Maka poured herself a glass of water while Kid ate another cookie.
"Do you know what your madness is?" she asked.
"My OCD."
That was unexpected. "Really?"
"It's gotten worse. Much worse. It's to a point where I've started thinking about how to make the rooms in my home exactly symmetrical." Kid looked back at Maka. "I actually freaked out about Liz plucking her eyebrows into two different lengths by less than a millimeter. Having things in perfect symmetry is beginning to eat away at me. Father says he understands and that I'll get a handle on it with time."
"But it still sucks?"
"So much!" he groaned, knees bending up to meet his forehead. He hunched over as if he could block out the world. "I actually cried when I saw my reflection. Who has three stripes on just one side of their head.? It's despicable! Absolute garbage!"
Maka couldn't help but laugh a bit. Kid sat up and smiled.
"Yeah, it sounds ridiculous. I'll have to get used to it, I guess."
The witch nudged him gently. "You seem healthy, aside from that. Are you going to be released soon?"
"Not yet."
Maka frowned. "Are they running more tests?"
"No. I just have sensory overload. And I'm always tired. They're a side effect of the magic. Father said it should die down in a few days. Until then, he wants me to stay here and rest."
"That makes sense. But aside from that, you're okay?"
"I guess so? I'm as okay as I will be." Kid hesitated before asking, "You know what the weirdest thing is?"
Maka shook her head.
"I woke up, and the first thing Patty said to me was 'Happy Birthday.' Happy Birthday. That calendar on this table said August 8th and I wondered where all that time had gone. What an amazing birthday, huh? I wake up a lot less dead than I expected and as a half-Awoken warlock too. It's honestly a bit overwhelming when you wake up to that at fourteen, don't you think?"
It was then that Maka finally looked at Kid—really looked at him—and realized just how painfully young he was. How painfully young they all were. Still kids, barely aware of the world around them, already going through something that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Their eyes met again. This time Maka didn't look away. She looked him dead in the eyes and decided it was time to tell him how sorry she was.
"Kid, I—"
"It's fine."
Maka blinked, surprised by his curt answer. Kid was watching her closely with his eerily golden eyes. He smiled, but it didn't quite reach those eyes.
"You're probably blaming yourself for everything that happened. I understand. And I want to tell you that you have no reason to apologize to me."
"But—"
"But what?"
She flinched at his tone. "If only—"
"'If only' what? 'If only I had studied more on healing? If only I could've flown? If only I didn't choose to take Soul first?' The choice was made then!" The two were silent as Kid leaned back in the pillows to catch his breath. After a pregnant pause, he continued. "Besides, you made the right one."
Maka stared.
"I know everything that happened that night. I was in nowhere near as critical condition as Soul. He would've bled out before the poison even got to him. Dr. Stein told me so. He wouldn't lie about something like that, even to comfort me.
"Besides, I was lucky. My body needing to heal itself was what caused my Awakening. Both my father and Dr. Stein have informed me that since I'm so young, and only half Awoken at that, it'll be much easier for me to harness my abilities to their full potential. I'm to begin training with you as soon as I'm released. Hopefully by then we'll both be feeling a bit better."
Maka smiled a bit at that. "Yeah, I hope so."
"I think it's about time for you to go find Soul. He's not mad, you know?" he added as he saw Maka hesitate. "I know he's been asking to see you. It'll be just one conversation. Think, you spoke to me and you're still in one piece."
Maka nodded and left the room. Kid sighed. Perhaps everything was for the best.
Liz, who had been waiting by the door, came in shortly after.
"You think she'll be alright?"
Kid closed his eyes and smiled. "Yes. I'm quite sure of it. I can see her soul now. It's a bit shaken and misaligned at the moment, but I can feel a great will to overcome obstacles from it. Maka will be fine. It's just a matter of time. She'll find her wings again."
Patty giggled. "Silly Kid! All you've done is sit in bed and watch people. They don't have wings. Wings are for pigs!"
"When pigs fly, huh?" chuckled Kid. "I see where you're coming from Patty. Thank you."
Liz and Patty took a seat. Patty began to spread her coloring books out next to Kid on his bed and point at all the illustrations, her older sister looking fondly down from her perch on the foot of the bed. All three of them were smiling.
This was their family: a bit broken, a bit strained, frayed along the edged and stitched back together crookedly. They wouldn't have had it any other way.
マカの宅急便
Since Soul was no longer in critical condition he had been moved to a room two floors up. Maka took the stairs two at a time with confident strides. That confidence soon wavered and outright vanished as she was walking down the hallway. Room 4242 was right in front of her and Maka was unable to take the last step.
Come on, Maka, she thought to herself. Think what Kid just said. Soul's been asking for you. Everyone's been telling you that. And you did survive a conversation with Kid. It's always been harder to talk to Kid because he can be so formal. If you were able to talk to Kid, then Soul should be a piece of cake!
Taking a deep breath Maka pulled the door open. She stepped inside and looked around.
The room was empty.
Maka slumped a bit. So much for being mentally prepared.
Maka surveyed the room. The room was more of less identical to Kid's downstairs, except without curtains around the beds. There were a couple of chairs set up by the closer one. Its sheets were rumpled, as if someone had been there not too long ago. A very familiar black jacket was slung on the foot of the bed. So Soul was here. Somewhere.
The door behind her clattered open. Maka spun around, expecting to see the white-haired boy. Instead a nurse wearing a white uniform came in with a clipboard and stethoscope. She looked very shocked to see Maka there.
"I doubt you're a new patient of mine."
Maka blushed. "Oh, no! No, I'm just here to visit my friend Soul. Do you know if he's been released or not? I just came in and saw he's not here."
"If you're looking for Mr. Evans he stepped out to get some fresh air. He's probably downstairs in the courtyard."
"Oh," Maka said. "I see."
"Would you like me to go and get him?"
"No! No no no, I'm fine. I'll just leave him a note."
"If you say so…"
The nurse left after a moment, obviously curious as to why Maka wasn't more insistent on seeing Soul in person. The witch took yet another minute to compose herself before searching the desk drawer for some stationary. Successfully pulling out a pen and a notepad, Maka wrote in big cursive letters:
Don't die. You're still too young for that.
Deeming it appropriate, Maka left the note on the pillow and left the room. She headed back downstairs to where Kid, Liz, and Patty were. They looked up expectantly (expect Patty, who was still coloring) when Maka entered.
"Well?" asked Liz. "D'ya see him?"
"He wasn't in. I left a note."
"Maka, I thought you said—"
"It's fine," Kid interrupted.
"But Kid!"
"Soul will get the note. Maka's already had to talk to me. I'm sure that in itself was draining enough." Kid pointed to Patty's coloring book. "Shade that part in with green. It'll compliment the red there."
Liz turned back towards Maka. "I hope you don't mind, but we're planning to stay here until visiting hours are over. It'll be for another two hours."
Maka nodded. "Then I'm going to head home. There are a few things I wanted to do before sundown."
"Alright." Liz stood up. "I'll take you there."
"Liz, there's no need! I'll just take the bus. It goes by the market, right? I wanted to do a bit of shopping before going home, and traffic there is horrible."
The older blonde hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I have plenty of money on me, and I want you and Patty to have time with Kid."
"Well, alright. If you insist."
"I do." Maka gave her a hug. "Thanks for today, Liz. I'm glad I came. Bye Kid."
"Goodbye Maka."
"Bye Patty."
"Bye bye~"
Maka gave the group one last goodbye wave before walking back downstairs. She signed out and had to run to catch the leaving bus.
マカの宅急便
It had been a while since Maka went down to the market. It was a pleasant buzz of life, people going their own ways buying whatever they needed or fancied. Maka fished out her purse and browsed through the stalls. No one gave her so much as a second glance, which was nice. She needed some alone time.
She ended up buying a large amount of assorted berries from the countryside, knowing they would be out of season soon. There was still enough time to make jams before autumn after all. Maka also splurged on a slab of meat for Blair, and fresh butter. These would go well with the bread Miss Marie said she'd bake today. Maka took the tram that let out nearest to the bus station, boarded a bus that had a stop just down the hill from the café, and walked the rest of the way home. The paper bags crinkled as she walked.
Somehow Maka felt really happy. It was probably because of the huge weight off of her chest after talking to Kid.
The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky by the time Maka arrived to her destination. Though it was almost dinnertime no one was home. The café was closed. Maka frowned as she walked in.
"Miss Marie? I'm home!"
No reply.
Maka went next door to see if the doctor was in. He wasn't. The apothecary's door was also locked. So they were both out. Why?
Of course! The Council meeting was probably today! Looks like Black*Star's prediction was true. Hopefully everything was going well. Maka pondered this for a few moments before getting started on dinner. She decided it would probably be nice for the couple to come home to some soup waiting for them.
マカの宅急便
The split pea soup was made, everything was washed and set, and it was a quarter past nine. Maka decided to sit in the drawing room with her herbology tomb. She had already changed into her longer nightdress and put her hair up for the night.
Maka heard the door open. It slammed shut as hushed voices continued to talk.
"Miss Marie? Dr. Stein?"
"Maka? Are you here?" Miss Marie's head appeared from around the corner. "You haven't gone to bed?"
She shook her head, closing the book. "I decided to wait for you to come home. I made dinner."
"That's what that delicious smell is!"
Stein also walked in. "We ate out today since it was so late. But we can always heat it up for lunch tomorrow."
"Okay. I'll go put it in the refrigerator."
The couple was obviously haggard. Without asking Maka began to make some tea for both of them while she was in the kitchen. She set out a bowl of the berries she'd gotten at the market on the way home from the hospital.
"Thank you Maka," Miss Marie sighed as she sank into the nearest armchair.
Dr. Stein all but collapsed in the one beside Marie. He looked paler than usual. He ate a few berries before removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I could really use a smoke right now," Stein groaned, one arm draped over his eyes as he leaned back in the chair.
Marie swatted him on the shoulder. "Absolutely not. You agreed no more after I have this kid. Besides, you already broke your promise a week ago."
"I know. Doesn't stop me from wanting one."
"How are you both?" Maka asked. "You were out for an awfully long time."
"We had to meet with the Council today," Dr. Stein said. "We didn't tell you because we honestly thought we would be there for much less time. It ends up there were a lot of things the witches wanted to discuss. Such as if they were going to charge me for magical misconduct.
"Don't worry. They didn't," he added when he saw Maka's fearful face. "I've been given a much harsher penalty than just a few years of jail."
"What?"
Stein grinned. "A teaching license. I'm officially a certified teacher of magic. Mainly you and Kid. And Kim, if she so desires."
Maka opened her mouth in shock. "But that's…that's so…so—"
"Wonderful," Marie said, placing a hand on Stein's forearm. "Right dear?"
Stein rolled his eyes. "I'm charging tuition." He got up as the kettle whistled from the next room. "I'll get the tea."
Miss Marie winked. "He's kidding. I think. And I'll pay if he's going to be so stingy about it! More importantly, I think you'd like to hear some good news. It has to do with Crona."
Maka immediately sat up straighter. She leaned forward in anticipation.
"What about Crona? Are they okay?"
Marie smiled reassuringly. "They're fine. Nervous, according to Azusa, but fine."
"We saw them briefly today. They were happy to see us," Dr. Stein explained, walking in with the tea tray. "I'm actually going to the courthouse tomorrow to file some paperwork. That would make things a lot easier. It's unprecedented, but we were able to pull some strings and have us gain custody of Crona."
Maka gasped. "Really?"
Miss Marie nodded. "I'm lucky to have such a good friend in the Council."
Ms. Yumi, Maka realized.
"The Council agreed that due to the lack of exposure Crona's had to the outside world it would be best if they stayed with people they knew. Crona has two aunts. Neither of them knew they existed and were a bit unwilling to meet with Council representatives. That and, well…"
"You can tell her, Marie," Stein said softly. "The kids will probably figure it out sooner or later."
Marie bit her lip, but nodded. "Both Crona and Ragnarök…they're Franken's children too. So he had just as much of a right to adopt them as the two women. Who both refused. We were meeting with the Council to have the paternity testing done. Both results came back positive."
"I already knew that Dr. Stein was their father."
Stein raised his eyebrows. "How?"
"Black*Star," Maka admitted. "He found a way into the police station with Kilik and they went through Lady Medusa's file. We all know."
"That boy!" Marie's voice was scolding, but Stein shook his head tiredly.
"It's fine. It would've been hard to explain it all anyway."
"Still, they shouldn't have done that. What if they were caught!"
"They weren't, Marie. So let's just be thankful for that now."
Trying to steer away the argument, Maka asked, "Does that mean Crona's coming here?"
"They'll be arriving at ten," said Miss Marie. She looked at the clock and gasped. "Twenty minutes! Oh my! Maka, I know it's not fair to you, but do you think it would be possible for you to let Crona stay in your room for a bit? Stein and I can clean out the extra room in the house, but we have so many things in it for storage since we already prepared a nursery for this little one."
"Of course I don't mind. Let me get the extra bedding!"
Maka left the couple to relax as she ran upstairs. She'd only been there a couple of times to get bedding from storage, and never in the couple's room. There was also a nursery she'd carried things into once. Next to the nursery was the storage room. It was full of boxes labeled things like 'blankets,' 'old photos,' and 'equipment Franken, what is this?'.
Maka scooped up two pillows and a large comforter, heading back to her room with it. Blair was curled up on the bed, taking a nap. She woke up when Maka entered.
"Blair! Crona's moving in with us!"
The cat looked like she wanted to reply, but she just cocked her head to the side and waited for further explanation. Maka was too excited to feel the bitterness from the lack of communication.
"So the rumors were true. Dr. Stein is Crona's father. And the Council is letting them live with the doctor and Miss Marie. Crona will be sleeping here tonight with us. Are you okay with it?"
Blair meowed. Hopefully it meant yes.
"Great! I'll sleep on the floor here."
Maka pulled her sleeping bag out of the corner and rolled it out a few steps away from her bed. She grabbed the extra pillows and blankets she'd grabbed from storage and piled them on top of the bag. She nodded, pleased. It would do for now.
"Do you want to come down and see them?" Maka asked her familiar.
Blair resituated herself under Maka's blanket pile and curled up again. Guess not. Maka shrugged and ran back down the stairs.
Miss Marie was waiting with a bathrobe. "It's a bit chilly right now. You may want to wear this while waiting."
"Thank you."
Dr. Stein opened the door, waving them inside.
"The car's here."
"She's always early!" groaned Marie before going out front. Maka followed her.
In front of the businesses was a black sedan with tinted windows. It was impossible to see if anyone was even in the vehicle. The engine was cut. The driver didn't leave, but Ms. Yumi stepped out of the passenger side and came around.
Marie stepped forward and gave her friend a hug.
"Thank you so much for this, Azusa."
The Councilwoman nodded. "You know I'd do anything within my power to help you, Marie." She handed Marie a manila envelope. "I've just filed the preliminary paperwork with the court. There's still a hearing and a few other forms to file, but most of the documentation has been done on our end. The rest is up to you. Representatives from the Council will be around every month to check on the child's progress and determine if the arrangements are beneficial for all parties."
Marie hugged her friend tightly. "What would I do without you?"
"Not have a new child or a husband, apparently."
"Rude!"
The two women shared a laugh. Maka noted it was the first time she'd seen Ms. Yumi with an expression other than impassive.
Azusa turned back to the car and opened the backseat door.
"Crona, if you would step out please."
Maka craned her neck to see around Dr. Stein's shoulder. From the backseat of the shiny sedan stepped out a very familiar person. They were wearing a new black dress and clutching a pillow firmly to their chest. Though they were tense at first, they relaxed upon seeing the people waiting outside.
"Miss Marie…"
The blonde woman immediately stepped forward and embraced Crona. She made shushing noises as the child began to shake, stroking their hair.
"There there, it's okay. It's all over now. You're safe here with us, okay?"
Marie placed a gentle hand on Crona's shoulder and guided them towards the house where Dr. Stein and Maka were waiting.
"Welcome home, Crona," said Dr. Stein.
Crona still seemed nervous around him, but they bowed their head respectfully.
"Thank you…"
"Crona!" Maka grinned at them. "You'll be sleeping upstairs in my room tonight. We'll get the other bedroom cleaned out for you tomorrow, okay?"
"Oh, um, o-okay."
Miss Marie smiled as well. "Why don't we all go inside and have some hot drinks? There's nothing like warm milk and honey before bed."
The four went inside together. All was well for a change.
I'M A SUCKER FOR HAPPY ENDINGS SO THIS FIC IS GOING TO HAVE ONE DON'T WORRY I'M JUST TRYING TO TIE UP SOME OF THE LOOSE ENDS FIRST.
Next chapter: A nice filler chapter that concludes Medusa's arc and hopefully gets us feeling a bit more hopeful for Crona.