Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or Death the Kid. I do own your attention if you're reading this. ;)

Lull-a-bye

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
And they feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen

Mad World by Adam Lambert

"Well, brother dear," Mother Nature sighed as she gracefully ascended from her chair. "We'll leave the matter of the child up to you…and your little garden tool."

Death nodded but by that time Nature was already gone. "Good riddance, wench" he thought.

"You really have grown up," Father Time commented rolling his shoulders back to get the kinks out.

Eyeing his colleague, the grim reaper responded with, "What are you talking about?"

Time laughed knowingly before taking out a pair of pink tinted sunglasses from his back pocket. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Would I be asking you questions if it was?"

"Wait. What time are we in?"

Death sighed. "The Present."

"My Present or your Present?"

Death paused for a second. "Isn't there only one Present?"

Father Time snapped his fingers, grinning. "Then live it, Death! I assure you there's no better time!" he exclaimed, and then he too was gone.

He rubbed the upper corners of his mask with one of his hands. His colleagues were always grating to his nerves. Death looked down at the infant in his arms. The child was awake, dark eyes staring comprehendingly up at the grim reaper. For some reason, Death found the stare unnerving and quickly exited the cloud covered room. He didn't have to look too far to find Mena.

His domain floated high above the sky – surprising to some who believed it was…further south and hotter – and crossed oceans and dimensions alike. Mena always loved to watch the world below her from one of the balconies, he knew, and that's where he found her, on the balcony to her room.

"What? Can't even knock any more?" she coldly greeted as he walked in before taking the child from him. He saw her instantly relax in the presence of the child. After a moment of gently rocking the infant to sleep, she looked at him with her dark, gold flecked eyes. "So, what's the verdict on Kidd-kun?"

"He'll stay, for now."

And he was barely able to catch her and the child as she swayed on her feet, but he managed.

He had expected her to laugh victoriously; he had expected her to jump up in the air and do some sort of victory dance. Instead, Mena once again never ceased to surprise him, which was the only thing that he could predict about her actions.

She cried. Soft silent tears as one arm cradled the child close to her, using her other hand to grasp the wispy material of his cloak. "Thank you," she whispered as the tears glistened down her cheeks, forming splotches on his clothes. He didn't mind

He simply patted her on the head but that was more than enough to comfort her.

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"You're going to fall off like that," he pointed drily. For a second, he thought that the boy – who was placed in a baby carriage – had nodded in agreement. Death decided to pass it off as gas.

Lena looked over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him. "Worry-wart!" but she did lean back just slightly behind the balcony railing to ease his nerves.

"It's really beautiful," she sighed looking down at the rolling green pastures below Death's floating fortress.

Death glanced over the railing as well, a bony brow rising in confusion. "It's just a cluster of botanical living organisms that are used for livestock grazing."

Mena rolled her eyes, turning so that her back was leaning against the railing and that she was facing him. "Thank you, Mr. Dictionary. But I'm talking about the feeling you get looking at, you know that, 'one with nature' vibe you get with your soul."

"Women," Death scoffed shaking his head. Mena slammed her hand down on his head.

"Insensitive death god!" she stuck her tongue out before turning to the child. "I hope when you grow up to be a nice handsome young man that you don't turn into a dummy with a mask and social problems like daddy here."

The air around Death grew tense but Mena being Mena, she didn't pay him any mind. She merely waved her hand, as if waving the tense air between them away. Death merely sighed as Mena played with the baby. She wondered if Death noticed that he didn't even try to deny the "daddy" comment this time. It made her smile as she played with Kidd's little feet.

She suddenly stopped, looking up at Death who was looking down at her. "I want you to look after him," she said with such a serious but genuine face that he didn't even dare to interrupt her. "We both know what's gonna happen soon, and don't you dare go into that cryptic death crap again. I know I'm gonna die soon."

It would be an understatement to say that Death was surprised that she realized this. Thankfully for him, he knew how to not show it but apparently that wasn't enough.

Mena quirked an amused brow. "What? All these years with you and you didn't think I wouldn't know when someone was dying?"

Death shook his head. "I guess I'm used to people begging for their lives, pleading for more time. It's few and far between when you get someone so… willing."

She closed her eyes. "I'd say for the most part that I've lived a fulfilled life. I mean it wasn't a fairy tale." She snorted. "Far from it. I know that the prejudices my grandfather faced were far harsher then that of what I have to deal with today but…" she picked the now dozing child up into her arms. "No child should have to be neglected and ignored, surrounded by loneliness. The only thing I regret is that I won't be able to see a place or a time where weapons aren't treated as monstrosities created by a witch but as protectors, partners, and comrades to other humans, keeping the balance of the world. A world where he can have friends," she said holding the child closer, "no matter what; whether he's a weapon, meister, or whatever."

"You're right," Death nodded. "You probably won't see that, even if you were to live the average human lifespan."

Mena nodded before smiling hopefully. "But you didn't deny the possibility of something like that happening."

"Well I am not Father Time. I can't see all of the future. Only those dealing with death."

"That's kind of depressing," Mena pointed out, smile never fading. "But you still haven't denied anything."

"I haven't acknowledged anything either."

"Oh! Just shut up and promise you'll look after Kidd when I'm gone!"

"Shouldn't your request be to promise and then shut up? And what if I don't promise?"

"Smartass! I should freaking beat-"

"I promise."

Mena let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, calming down instantly. She sat down against the doors to the balcony, child still cradled in her arm before she dozed off in the warm breeze, Death engraving her peaceful features into his memory as the dark shadows around her began to thicken.

And he realized something, with a jolting prick to his soul. When the ones who knew they were about to die didn't beg for their life – the ones who just let it go willingly - there was always someone else pleading for them to live.

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She tugged on the hood of her traveling cloak before turning to Death. "Ok! I'm off! Anything you need?"

Death stared at her silently before he shook his head after felt like a long time. "No."

Mena ignored his pause and went down a mental checklist. "Ok, so remember to check up on Kidd around noon for his lunch. He likes his bottle to be neither cold nor hot. Just perfectly in the middle He's picky like that, I suppose. Now you remember how to change his diaper right?" she asked swinging the travel pack on her back.

Death nodded slowly again. "Yes."

"Good," Mena smiled walking up to him and patting his masked cheek, the heat he felt through his mask lingering even after she had pulled her hand away. "Well if there are any problems you know how to contact me," she said pulling a small mirror from her pocket. "But I'm sure you'll do fine."

"How?"

Mena stumbled, confused. "Excuse me?"

"How can you be sure that I'll be able to handle this? That I'll be able to take care of a child? I'm Death after all."

She laughed and he made sure to remember how her eyes crinkled as she did so. "Well it's not rocket science, hun. You just have to be aware. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself but there's no need to hover over him. He needs to learn from his mistakes but he also needs to know that you're there to support him. Just," she said with a distant look, "just make sure you love him. Ok?"

Death nodded, knowing he couldn't stall any longer. He sighed, raising a hand as he summoned the energy around him. The room got colder and slightly darkened but neither of them showed any worry. The mirror appeared before them, reflecting an alley way leading out into a busy street market.

Mena was just about to step through when Death suddenly grabbed her arm. "Mena…"

"Yes?" she questioned, confused.

He paused before saying, "Your…your presence will be missed while you are gone."

Mena chuckled as she shook her head. "Geez, I'm only going to buy some few things from the market," she said pulling away from his grip. "Seriously, you're acting as if you don't know what you'd do without me," and then she stepped through the mirror and the reflection quickly disappeared. Death stood in the cloud painted room, staring at the spot where she had just been.

"It's because I don't…"

So here's another update. Probably be the last for a while though I'm hopping to get out one final chapter before school starts. For some reason I really love Father Time even though he had a short time in the story.

Oh, just in case you were wondering, there's a reason as to why I refer to Kidd so much as "the child", "the infant", or "the baby". If you haven't noticed, Death hasn't really ever called him by name. Only Mena so keep that in mind for later chapters.

Thanks again for all the reviews!

Anyway, I think that's everything.

Nothing more to say so...PLEASE REVIEW!!!