The usual disclaimer appiles (...*cries*)

"Madam! Madam Cordelia," huffed the stout little man as he stood stock straight at the entrance to the family library. A woman sat at the small, circular, glass coffee table, looking outside the tall window to the autumn garden, elegantly sipping her Earl tea from a delicate looking china cup. Her golden hair fell down in curls, escaping from the fashionably elegant bob at the back of her head. Even at the mansion, she was impeccably dressed in a pinstriped suit, her pencil skirt falling to just below her knees, not even a single crease found on her clothes.

She turned, and the single movement was filled with the delicate elegance expected from her appearance. The sinking sunset bathed her in orange and highlighted her beauty and her age. Flaming crimson eyes met her frantic butler's form.

"What is it Oni?" The cold tone of her voice echoed against the empty library, superiority oozing from every syllable.

"Madam, Master Soul is on the phone."

No expression showed in her features but her eyes burned in excitement. She turned to sip from her cup once more, ignoring her butler's fidgeting form. Closing her eyes momentarily, placing the cup down delicately onto its saucer and entwining her fingers as her elbows rested on the table surface, she finally called out, "Bring it to me."

MAKA----

Patience.

That's right, Soul will tell her what she wants to know - what he knows - in due time.

At least, she has an ally against the arrangement. Soul was…sweet, she thought as an uninvited warm smile crept into her features. He didn't need to entangle himself in her problems and yet, without her asking him, he offered to help. Because they're partners; because they're friends.

Their other friends would also be likely to help - Tsubaki and Black*Star, who were currently in Japan for a long term mission, Chrona, who was in England with Marie-sensei, Ox, Harvard, Kim and Jackie; everyone would probably want to help. Heck, even Kid might help.

She won't tell them just yet though. It should just be hers and Soul's secret for the time being. They shouldn't be brought into the mess earlier than needed. Maka and Soul would be able to stop it before it gets any worse.

I hope…

The chiming tune of Soul mates resounded in her head as she continued to listen to the CD. Just because the CD reminded her of the position she was in didn't mean she had to hate the thing offered to her. The short piece of music was very calming and relaxed in tempo- she had almost fallen asleep when she first listened to it. If her unknown fiancée was the composer, and these were the kinds of music he made, then she guessed it was sort of all right; it would be possible to live with him.

Her eye brows knitted together in realization, she was actually acknowledging that she has a fiancée?

He sounds like he's holding back though, she thought deeply, it had bothered her since she first listened to the piece, something's missing. Maka had developed an attachment to music due to her partner who played the piano, but his style was much more darker, intense; she couldn't compare the two. Maybe she could ask him to play for her again, his version of Soul mates if it was okay with him.

Her head shook as she remembered that she's only heard him play three or four times, only once did he play for her and her alone. Reminiscing, she remembered that it wasn't just the music that had attracted her that day when they first met – the stranger was both beautiful and dangerous in appearance – the memory of how her old partner had looked that day preciously embedded itself in her mind.

Forcing him to play against his will is like prying into his privacy and Maka respected Soul too much to do so.

SOUL----

"Hello, mother." His smirk was still stuck on his features and he thought that his mother could be able to tell that he was.

"Soul Eater… I'm very glad you called, dear. We've missed you. Everyone here has." Her voice was monotonous so it was hard to tell her sincerity. "I assume you have received our letters?"

He scoffed loudly. "What could be so important that you would continuously send me letters telling me to come home?" Pretending would be best at this moment. The issue of marriage wasn't exactly mentioned to him, if he even let slip that he knew, his family might do something…unexpected, like marry them earlier than possible or something. No, he didn't want to cause inconvenience to his fiancée.

His fiancée. The thought of calling Maka that made his face heat up completely. He had never thought of her in that aspect, instantly embarrassing him, and yet their circumstance was making Soul become aware of Maka.

"Why, its your birthday of course. And I would like to also introduce you to someone." That someone, he assumed, should be Maka - introductions wouldn't be necessary.

"Uh-huh…so you only remembered to celebrate my birthday now? After three years, when you didn't even bother greeting me then?" He purposefully scoffed again, part of his acting scheme. "Come on. You're planning something aren't you?" Come on, he thought, spit it out. Tell me I'm the one getting married. Confirmation. He needed to confirm that Maka was his.

"Oh, Soul, dear. I apologize for that, truthfully. We didn't know how to contact you then. We didn't even know where you were staying." Damn, that made perfect sense; of course they would have only a vague clue of where he could possibly run off.

"How then? How do you know now?"

"Soul, dear, I keep up with news. You are now Death Scythe. And Shinigami's at that."

Oh. "Ah, so you've heard. But, really, that was more than a year ago. Your reaction was kinda late." So, if she knows of his transformation, she should of the one who helped transform him. He'll wait till she brings her up.

A cold and yet musical laugh was heard from the other line. "I truly hope you can come in two months time," Soul thought that she'd never tell him what he wanted to know without him asking himself. But if he asks… "The whole family will be there. Wes and your father. Friends as well, do you remember Kami Albarn?"

Kami Albarn? Maka's mother? "Albarn?"

"Oh, don't tell me you forgot her. She always used to visit you and Wes." An image of a shorthaired woman with teal eyes briefly flashed in his memory. "She's one of your father's archaeologists. A family friend."

"I remember," Soul muttered silently. That woman… so that was Maka's mother. The mother she keeps telling him about; the one she hadn't met in years. If he brought Maka to the ball, then they would meet. A picture of an overjoyed Maka smiling crossed in his mind. Oh how he wanted to see that expression - pictures in his mind couldn't justify the real sight of it.

"We'll also invite her daughter and, probably, her ex-husband. You might know them."

"If it's the Albarn that I think you mean, then yeah, I do know them."

"Ah, very good." He didn't like how he could hear her smirking. "You do still keep in touch with your meister haven't you?" A grunt was his reply, the signs were arising, and he was getting clues.

"Yeah, what is it to you?" Keep her talking, he thought, and he might just get more information.

"Well, it might just be useful in the future." She laughed but it ended quite abruptly and her tone reverted to it usual seriousness that he used to remember. "Dear Soul, don't tell me, you already know don't you?"

Soul couldn't help but smirk and he conveyed his amusement by laughing briefly. His mother wasn't stupid. The past conversation clued him on how much she knew. "I thought you'd never ask. So what's the big deal? Why go as far as marriage?"

"Soul, the marriage was approved by both Albarn and I. Now, if you would nicely convince Maka to agree to this, then you'd be happy won't you? Its better to marry someone you know - the best - instead of someone I chose, correct?"

"I don't like this. She doesn't like it either. Call the thing off, mother." He said the last few words with clenched teeth.

"Soul, you don't know what this arrangement is truly for, but I will assure you that if you don't want Albarn to be your wife, then the marriage will only be in name only. We need both your presences here for a reason that should not be spread outside the Evans residence. If you're still curious about the reason for the wedding, come home. Hopefully bring Maka with you."

What? What is she talking about? Was she setting a trap for him? Because it sounded like she is.

"Until then, Soul."

"Yeah." The dial tone rang blankly against his ear and he eventually put placed the phone back in its place. Like always, his mother spoke in riddles. He needed answers and yet was burdened with more questions. Exiting the phone booth, he decided not to take his mother's bait, but his curiosity wasn't helping. The only way, she said, was to go back home. Should he?

Angry and confused, he kicked the phone booth's door, glad that the action was enough and that he didn't need to slice the thing into pieces.

A/N: woohoo~! Its finally moving~
Muhahaha~ I inserted a little possessive Soul in there – hope you all noticed o wo
yet again, thank you very much to those who reviewed - i keep going back to the already finished chapters in my comp, and just improving it with all your suggestions and advice 8D its all really helping~

its half term break now, so i would love to just continue writing chapters for this
unfortunately, i have exams the week after the break (...ugh...finals)
but, not to worry, i have already re-editted most of the future chapters
i will post them at regular intervals though (like every two or three days?) o___o
i'd prefer to deliver short chapters a few days away after eachother rather than post them months after TwT

thank you all so much~ *showers readers with love*
and as usual, reviews are loved~