A/N: Not going to make excuses for why this took so long. I was lazy. I've actually had most of this done for a while now. By the way, this fiction's almost over. One chapter left actually! May do an alternate ending if I feel like it. I'm not gunna do the whole "review lots and I'll do it" thing, if I want to I will, simple as that. Also, I'm going on a huge vacation in a few days so don't expect the final chapter until sometime in September! On to the chapter then...

Ch.4: Dreams and Nightmares

It was very late, or early depending on how you look at it, still dark outside. The stars sparkled brightly at us, illuminating our faces as we smiled gently. It was completely silent in the room until the slightly ajar window let out a whistle as wind rushed in. The cold air sent a shiver along my body and Soul pulled me closer to warm me up. Neither of us wanted to bother getting up to close the window so we just cuddled closer to keep warm.

When one of us finally moved, it was Soul. I stayed still however, mostly due to shock as I realized he was now crouched over me, his face getting closer, eyes half closed and still radiating passion. I shivered again because of a new, much nicer sensation that was taking over my entire body. My eyes began to close as well, a natural reaction I assumed as I didn't tell them to. The last thing I saw was his mouth less then an inch from mine.

Then I woke up, rather confused and red in the face might I add. Soul wasn't there either and I don't know why that made me feel as bad as it did. I pushed off the little wave of disappointment and sat up in the bed to take in my surroundings.

It was now the third morning since the last time Black*Star had hurt me. My back was feeling much better and my bruises were starting to fade, all traces of the abuse was disappearing. The only persistent problem now was that my stomach was aching a lot in the nights and I had to take Advil often to ward off the pain. But despite all that, I missed him.

I missed my boyfriend. The hyperactive, immature guy who always acted like he was top dog. Well, I recalled, not always. The night he had asked me out was the first time I had ever seen him stutter and be shy. He'd walked up to me in all his confidence, playing god, and stopped right in front of me before he deflated like a cheap balloon. I laughed quietly as I recalled the happy memory. I also wondered why he hadn't called lately. I was certain he had not moved on and would want to hang out with me every day, as we always had.

Maybe he wanted to give me time to recover before he broke me again. Naturally, if he asked, I'd return to him because well...I'm Maka. That's what I do, I'm too damn faithful, I can't say no. Why? Because I wanted to go back and find my boyfriend and not the Devil in a handsome mask.

I decided then that I was doing too much thinking and jumped out of bed. My clothes were in a bag by the bed and I opened it up to haul some out. I put on some pants and a black and red striped sleeveless hoodie. I opened up the door only to jump back with a squeak of surprise as a grinning Soul stood there right in front of my face.

My dream came back to me and I knew I blushed so I look down quickly. "Oh! S-Soul, hi I didn't know you were there. So u-um, yeah..." I felt so embarrassed at the way I stuttered. I was perfectly aware Soul was in love with me, He'd told me before, and he didn't stutter when he talked to me. Then I realized there were a few things wrong with what I was thinking.

For one thing, Soul most likely wasn't still in love with me, he'd told me he was but that was over two years ago. Maybe he still had a bit of a crush on me or something, but surely he'd moved on by now.

And another thing, why the hell was I wondering if Soul still loved me? That had nothing to do with why I was stuttering because I did not love Soul. I loved my boyfriend...Right? Right, I loved Black*Star and nobody else, that was that.

"Hey Maka, are you listening to me?" I blinked and came back to the real world where Soul had backed off a little and, apparently, was talking to me. When he realized I was now paying attention, he repeated himself. "I asked if you wanted to go out today and do something. I'll keep you safe if we run into your boyfriend so no worries!" He was grinning at me with that stupid shark-puppy stare of his.

"Ugh." I caved. "Yeah, yeah, sure whatever!" He smiled normally at me and turned around quickly, grabbing my wrist in the process and dragging me to the front door. He opened it up for me and waited for me to go out before following me, closing the door, re-grabbing my wrist and proceeding to drag me along the sidewalk.

I had no idea where we were going and I guessed Soul didn't either, so we just walked aimlessly until we got to a little ice cream shop and went inside. There was a girl maybe a few years older then us at the register who smiled as we entered and pointed to the list of flavours and styles they sold. I asked for a scoop of strawberry flavour and Soul got two scoops of mint. She handed us the frozen treats and we payed for them and left.

Somehow we both knew where we were going without deciding to go there at all. We ended up at the park all the same, sitting on a swing each and finishing off our ice cream. I didn't know the time and I really didn't care, but the sun was starting to go down. I must have slept a lot because of that dream. That did not encourage us to leave though since we'd just got there.

We sat on those swings for the longest time until Soul suddenly jumped up and looked back at me. "Hey Maka, come with me okay?" I tilted my head but followed him as he led me to the edge of the park. The one we were in happened to be situated at the edge of the city. It was a clear stretch of land with classical playground equipment, benches and it led down to the beach. The entire park was surrounded by tree's except where it went downhill to the water.

And so it was that I found myself next to Soul on a cold beach as the sun was lowering deep into the sky. I was a little tired of standing there so I sort of flopped down onto my butt and looked up at my best friend. "Soul, what are we..." His face was so attractive. "What are we doing here again?"

He smirked, sat down next to me, very closely may I add, before replying. "Well, if you advert your eyes from me for a minute or two and look straight ahead, you'll probably see the answer to that question." Confused, I turned my head and looked forward only to have my eyes widen in surprise.

It was magnificent really, and I don't know why. I'd seen so many sunsets before with Black*Star and my middle-school friend Tsubaki before she'd moved away, but this was the best by a long-shot. The colours swam in the sky and the entire world lit up orange, red and yellow. It was just astounding, it took my breath away.

I wondered if it was because I was watching it with the most...second most amazing guy ever. How would I have felt if I was watching this with Black*Star? I began wondering again, why He hadn't called for me in the last couple days when something struck me. I couldn't remember having my cellphone on me for a while.

"Soul, have you seen my cellphone?" I asked him, reaching into my pockets in case I'd forgotten I had it all along. But I got suspicious when Soul's eyes suddenly widened a little and he sat more rigidly. "Soul...do you have my phone...?" Panic was swirling around my ankles, threatening to pull me under.

He turned slowly to look at me, a desperate expression on his face. "Maka, I only took it for your safety, you have to understand okay? I didn't want him calling you every day because...I knew you'd go back and...I wanted to protect you." Oh god, I remembered when he had swiped something from my table a few days ago. That was the last time I'd seen my boyfriend. Soul had taken my phone. To protect me.

But he only made everything worse.

"So that's where you've been huh Maka?" A cold voice hissed out. "With some other guy? And he took your phone huh? Guess your punishment will be a little less severe since me being without you for three fucking days wasn't all your fault. Still, you were stupid enough to not think of calling me from another phone. I think that definitely needs a punishment."

He was there, taking about hurting me again. I got up to go with him and accept my punishment when something wrapped around my wrist and pulled me back.

Soul was trying to protect me, I knew that somewhere in my messed up mind, but I wasn't able to register it through my fear. So I did something stupid and I tugged my hand away. I know now that Soul thought I was rejecting his protection, but I didn't then. I guess that's why he gave up instantly and let my boyfriend drag me violently away.

I don't really have much memory after that. I only know that Black*Star dragged me into an alleyway, there was a flash of blue and then everything went black. It doesn't need to be said but yes, he'd knocked me out.

When I came to, I was on a bed and the lights were off, windows closed and covered, and someone was standing, or leaning rather, against the door. I knew who it was even without light. And because it was him, I didn't make a sound. I instead cowered against the headboard.

He walked towards me slowly and menacingly, causing me to begin shivering. In much too little time he was beside the bed, crawling onto it, and over to me. I thought he was going to hit me when he stood on his knees bending over me, so I did what my body did automatically. I cringed.

It did not however, help with what was about to happen. The man before me did not raise his hand to hurt me like I'd assumed. He instead snaked it under my shirt and to a very personal area. A squeak of shock and discomfort escaped from me the instant he grabbed my chest and moved his other hand to start sliding my shirt up.

The next two hours consisted of my constant crying and denying that what he was doing to me was 'not fucking happening.'

I'm sure you can guess what it was.

I was hopeless too, which was the worst part of it all. When it was all over I did not cease in my crying, instead it increased by about two octaves and Black*Star didn't like that. He hit me, hard. And it wasn't an area I could hide easily, it was right on my face, and a black eye was sure to appear. After a couple more brutal punches, to which I'd grown immune from the shock I was in, I stopped making any form of noise as a reaction. Inside, I felt used and filthy and completely worthless.

And I was. I was a poor excuse for a human being at the moment, because I suddenly realized I should have never came here, I should never have left Soul.

Soul. An image of him appeared in my head behind closed eyes. I was glad Black*Star had left because seeing his face so close yet so far away made me cry again. I could hear his voice as if he were really here to comfort me. But he wasn't and I knew that.

Nobody was going to help me here.

The only person here had just stolen my purity. Or rather, he finished stealing it. It started with that first kick to my back.

Tears were still forming waterfalls on my cheeks and sobs still erupted through my body when I heard a quiet knock at the door. Not the door to this room, the front door. I heard Black*Star answer and a shout, along with muffled speaking.

I couldn't tell at first what anyone was saying until Black*Star started yelling.

"She isn't FUCKING here okay so get the HELL out of my house!" The next voice caused me to stop crying, sobbing and shaking immediately.

"I know she is so don't you lie to me, give her back to me right now or I swear to god I will call the GOD DAMN COPS."

Guess who was back, trying to save me again.

There were sounds of a fight outside the door and then someone yelling.

"MAKA IM NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOU!" Soul's shout was echoed with a sound that stopped all blood from moving in my body.

A gunshot.

Thanks to Kittyattack, ambrie-chan, liahkonaAS, sailor sofia, mynamebecait09, RebelAngel91210, midnight-heart, Kedern, Jess Rap, AnimePrincess411, Domo1383, fangirl from lunaescence, ShibuMeisXWeapFan, stateofbeing and dead2xdeidara23 for all the reviews, favorites and alert add's.

Dear sailor sofia: That made me smile! I've had my own bouts of uncontrollable laughter too.

18 reviews? You guy's are crazy!