Author Note: First of all let me say to everyone who thought the cute was over *Blows Raspberry*

Marie sat on her sofa sipping tea and nibbling on warm cookies she had baked. She smiled softly as she flicked through the photo album on her lap. Colourful pictures and smiling faces adorned every page. As she took another bite from her treat Professor Stein wandered in scanning the work tops and floor.

"Marie have you seen my glasses?" Stein asked coming to a stop behind where she sat.

Marie looked up and smiled brightly, holding back laughter. "Stein how long has it been since you took a break?"

"Not since early this morning, why?" Looking at the clock he saw it was now seven in the evening.

"Because your glasses are on your head." She said giggling. Stein reached up and removed his glasses. "Maybe I could use a break." He said rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Why don't you join me for a cup of tea?" She patted the seat next to her and then poured him a cup of tea from the teapot on the table. Stein sat down next to her and sighed letting his head fall backwards so he was staring right at the ceiling. After a few moments he reached up and adjusted the screw in his head a few degrees, he then sat up and picked up his cup. Looking over at Marie he saw she had once again picked up her album. "Are you looking at those again?" Stein said smiling at his partner.

"Yes I am." Marie said, not looking up at him. "I sort of miss having them here, you know?"

Stein nodded his head "I know what you mean; I missed a perfect opportunity to examine Chrona and Ragnarok in detail. I would love to know how there bodies differ now then how they were before the black blood was introduced."

He realised his mistake to late, Marie's tonfa arm came crashing down on his skull.

"That is not what I meant!" Marie said looking extremely annoyed. "I meant that I miss having children around, it was nice to have someone around who needed me."

"And that you could snap photo's of every five minutes?" Stein said smiling softly.

"Well, they were offal cute." She looked down at the album again and smiled a one picture in particular. This one was of Maka and Chrona, both girls were sitting in the middle of a large garden laughing happily. Maka was braiding Chrona's hair while they were surrounded by flowers of all kinds. On both of the heads were rings of wild flowers.

Flowers and Laughter

Marie walked threw Death City with two small figures holding her hands. On her left hand side was a pink haired girl wearing a white dress with small pink flowers around the hem and a pink ribbon tied around her waist, on her feet she wore a pair of pink sandals. On her left was an equally small girl with blonde pigtails. She wore a green dress with a white cardigan over it. She also wore white sandals and carried a small green beaded bag with a sparkling strap that wrapped over her shoulder so she didn't have to hold it in her hand. Marie smiled as the two girls looked around them in wonder, the shops all around them were having there annual summer sale so business was booming. The crowd was getting denser now and Marie was a little worried about losing one of them or one of them being squashed by some unthinking adult.

Chrona seemed to be getting more and more nervous as well, she flinched at all the loud noises and ducked behind Marie when ever someone got too close to her. Sighing to herself Marie admitted that it might not have been the best idea to bring two small children shopping with her today. Oh well.

"Hey you two" Marie said looking from one to the other "Why don't we go play in the playground." Both girls immediately broke into huge grins. Marie smiled back at them and turned down and alley she thought would lead towards the playground.

It didn't. Instead they wandered for half an hour becoming more and more lost.

"Um Miss Marie." Maka finally spoke up when her feet hurt too much for her to go on. "Shouldn't we be there by now?"

Marie looked around desperately for any hint to where they were. She turned and saw a woman sweeping her front steps a little to the right of them.

"Excuse me." Marie walked towards the woman, who looked up and smiled at Marie and the girls. "Do you know where the park is from here?"

"Oh yes." The woman replied "If you go straight down that street you'll see it on your right in about five minutes." Marie thanked the woman and started back down the road.

"Umm didn't she say to go that way." Chrona mumbled pointing the other way down the road.

"Oh yes."

Ten minutes later they arrived at the gates to the park, as soon as Marie saw it she realised her mistake. This was the wrong park, instead of a small pay area with slides, swings and climbing frames there was a large open grass area with flower beds and fountains scattered all around.

"Wow." Maka gasped at the sight.

Chrona moved behind Marie looking around her with uncertain eyes. "What are all those?" She asked softly pointing off towards the beds of flowers and the grass coated in clover, daisies and buttercups.

"Those are flowers Chrona dear." Marie said smiling softly at the shy pinkette.

"Haven't you seen flowers before?" Maka spoke walking around Marie's legs and taking hold of Chrona's other hand.

"Um…" Chrona shifted uneasily not meeting Maka's eyes with her own.

"Come on, let's go play." Maka tried to pull Chrona off of the path and onto the soft grass.

"I don't know how to deal with flowers." Chrona cried pulling away from Maka and burying her face in Marie's skirt.

Both Marie and Maka stared at the smaller child and sighed, by now everyone had come to realise that Chrona needed to be handled with a great amount of patience.

"Don't worry I'll show you what to do." Maka said holding out her hand and smiling brightly.

"Okay Maka." Chrona reached slowly for Maka's hand and both girls walked out into the middle of the meadow like field.

Marie watched as the two girls walked around the flower beds and looked at the flowers, Maka pointed at different flowers and told Chrona what they were called, she would then bend down and sniff the flower encouraging Chrona to do the same. Marie sat on the grass and let the pair wander around by themselves. As she watched she idly picked flowers and wove them together. After about a quarter of an hour Maka and Chrona came to watch what she was doing. When she was done she placed the finished ring of flowers on Chrona's head. For a moment she sat there with an awed look on her face, then suddenly a huge grin spread across her face. Marie smiled as she watched the two working together to weave another ring for Maka. When they had finished this Maka decided to braid Chrona hair. Chrona being an agreeable child simply sat quietly smiling contentedly as Maka ran her fingers through her hair. Marie reached into her pocket for her ever present camera. While the two girls were distracted she snapped off several photos. Smiling she thought that this would be perfect for her album.

"Now all I have to do is figure out how to get home before dark" Marie spoke to herself. "I suppose I'll just have to call Stein to come here and get us." She paused for a moment "I wonder where we are?"

Marie smiled remembering that day, to think poor little Chrona had never seen a flower before that day. She looked out the window and saw a window box full of flowers she and Chrona had planted the day after. Only a single flower was in bloom at the moment, a soft pink clover that's colour was the exact shade of Chrona's hair. When she looked over at Stein his head was once again hanging over the back of the seat, but this time he was fast asleep and snoring softly. Marie scowled the vein in her forehead pulsing.

"STEIN!" He didn't see the tonfa coming this time. (;P)

Author note: Okay so that was the first of what I hope will be many cute little oneshots. Hope you enjoyed. Also if there is a story you would like to see let me know and I'll see what I can do. Please review so I'll know I should keep going.