"You can't keep me from seeing her!"

"You know that isn't true. You don't have custody. I'm sorry, Spirit."

"She's my daughter, Nygus!" Spirit's voice cracked and Stein found himself coming up through the layers of consciousness slowly.

"You don't have custody. Kami was clear that she didn't want you anywhere near Maka, Spirit. I can't-"

"Kami can go to Hell. I'm not going to leave my daughter alone when she is hurt!" he burst out.

Nygus' eyes widened slightly but she moved to block the weapon's path. "Stay with Stein. You're injured and so is he. Maka's out of surgery, she's stable, but she wants her mother. Whatever happened, it really has her upset and she doesn't want you in there right now. Don't make me get Sid."

"Senpai." Spirit turned to look at the meister that was propping himself up in the bed. Stein was paler than usual; with his glasses and lab coat gone he truly looked sickly. Spirit just sighed.

"I'm going to make call."

Nygus didn't move out of the doorway. "You are not going to call Kami, Spirit."

Spirit stared at Nygus before speaking slowly, "You will not keep me from Maka."

"You don't have custody, Death Scythe." Sid's voice came through the doorway before the man did.

"To hell with custody! She's my daughter!"

Nygus just looked over her shoulder and nodded. "Look, Death Scythe, I'm sorry about this," Sid said quietly.

"You should be for keeping someone from seeing their own daughter!" Spirit's voice rose as Sid moved towards him.

A moment later the meister had the death scythe's arms behind his back; Spirit's face was a shocked mask. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

Nygus just moved to him, producing a hypodermic needle from the pocket of her uniform. "You need your rest, Spirit."

"Damnit, Nygus, no! What I need is to see my daughter!" Spirit shouted as he struggled against Sid's hold. The needle slid into the skin of his throat and she depressed the plunger. Spirit hissed as the sedative was injected into his bloodstream, sitting down on the bed when Sid released him beside Stein.

Only a moment later Spirit was unconscious beside the meister, Stein looking up at Sid and Nygus as he adjusted on the bed to make more room. "He's just going to be madder when he wakes back up," he said quietly.

"I know, but Maka's too torn up to see him right now and she's already told Kami what happened. We're going to be lucky if Kami doesn't kill him before she leaves."

Stein's eyes widened. "Kami's here?"

Nygus looked over at Sid. "Yeah, she came because Soul managed to get ahold of her somehow. He told her that you and Maka were missing, and that Spirit had gone to find you two on his own. She's how we found the three of you."

Stein just nodded, an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

Stein had barely seen Spirit since they were released from the dispensary, and he walked slowly towards the Death Room, ready to face judgment by himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Spirit's wavelength approaching him, or the fact that it wasn't alone. He nearly ran into Spirit and Kami before he realized they were there, side stepping at the last possible second.

"Hey, Stein," Spirit said.

"Spirit," Stein replied, and after a second of pause, "Kami."

"Stein," the woman said, barely acknowledging him.

He turned to walk past them when Spirit's hand caught his wrist. Spirit glanced at Kami, then back at Stein. The meister could clearly see the worry on the other man's face. "What's going on, Stein? Everything ok?"

He was quiet for a moment. "I need to speak with Shinigami-sama." He twisted his wrist, freeing himself from Spirit's grasp and moved away from the man, trying to ignore the shock he felt from Spirit's soul.

"I know about that, too, Spirit," Kami said, a bitter edge to her voice.

"About what, Kami?" Spirit asked, tearing his gaze away from the retreating meister.

"Maka told me that the witch you fought called him your lover. How long have you been screwing men? It would certainly explain a few things." Spirit's face paled and Kami gave a short laugh.

"I want to see my daughter, Kami," Spirit said, changing the subject.

"You nearly killed her. I'm not letting you near her again; she's not your daughter anymore," Kami said as she moved past him. There was a finality in her voice that chilled Spirit to the bone.

Spirit stopped walking, staring at the woman. "You left me, Kami. I'm not letting you take Maka with you too."

"It's a shame that the courts won't see it the same way, isn't it?" she said as she walked around the corner and back towards the dispensary where Maka was still being held.

"I absorbed a human soul."

Stein's words fell hollowly in the Death Room, Shinigami-sama's head tilted to the side as silence fell.

"Well, now that is a predicament isn't it, Stein-kun?" Stein didn't answer; he just stood there waiting as the silence stretched out painfully before the death god spoke. "You do realize that there is a difference between absorbing a soul freely given and devouring one?" Stein's eyes widened slightly. "It doesn't happen very often, Stein-kun. It is the same principal as one giving their life for another, except much more permanent. You don't have to worry," Shinigami-sama finished with a smile and a clap of his oversized hands.

"But-"

"Accept that someone did something for you that only a handful of people have ever experienced, Stein-kun. From the report I was given, she seemed very similar to our Marie-chan. We both know that she would have done the same," he said, flashing a peace symbol to the meister.

"Yes," Stein said quietly.

"You would have as well."

Stein's hands clenched into fists. "Yes."

"A very human trait."

Stein gave a short laugh. "You call me human when I come to you, concerned that I am on the road to becoming a kishin."

"That is the point, Stein-kun. You are not."

Silence stretched out for a long moment before he spoke. "Thank you."

Soul sat on the edge of Maka's bed, holding her hand in his. He had refused to leave her side and even when Kami had arrived he had hovered in the corners of the room, watching everything, his hands clenched into fists or pressing against the scar on his chest each time Nygus would come into change the dressings on Maka's wounds.

She would have scars on her torso for the rest of her life, courtesy of her father's blades. Soul seethed, anger flooding through him as he thought about how stupid Maka's whoring father was.

'If only he had told someone where they were going, Maka wouldn't be in pain right now! How uncool is it to run off into a dangerous place without telling anyone where the Hell you were going?' Soul thought to himself, his grip tightening on Maka's hand. The girl moved a bit in her sleep, scooting closer to where he sat on the bed.

"I'm so glad you're ok, Maka," he said quietly, bringing her hand to his lips. He wouldn't dare let anyone see the gesture, or let anyone know how close he had come to tears. That would be uncool.

Stein's head jerked up as pounding resounded through the lab. He blinked sleep from his eyes before dragging his hand across them to wipe the remains of it out. He stood as the pounding renewed itself, a crease appearing between his eyebrows as he focused on the soul that was standing outside his door, pounding pitifully and desperately on it as he moved to the doors.

"Senpai?"

Spirit stood there, his tie loosened and his shirt disheveled, reeking of alcohol. He stumbled against the meister, tears in his eyes as Stein stood there awkwardly, the death scythe sobbing against him. Finally, haltingly, Spirit sobbed out what had happened and even Stein could understand why the man was so upset.

"She… took… Maka… They're… both… gone…"

His arms settled around the man, a sigh escaping him. "It'll be alright, Spirit."

"She took my daughter!" the death scythe wailed out. "Damn her having custody! Where was she when Maka needed her?!"

"Come inside, Spirit," Stein said, stepping backwards and guiding the man into the lab. Even as Spirit moved to enter it he pulled a flask from his coat jacket and took a deep swig before offering it to Stein. Stein hesitated, then accepted it. If he was going to listen to Spirit's problems he may as well join him in drinking.

He didn't know who started it, just that he had found a bottle of some type of expensive alcohol that Marie had purchased ages ago, and he and Spirit had spent the next few hours passing the time as they drank the bottle away, sitting side by side on the couch. Eventually the death scythe's sobs had turned to laughter, loud and raucous, as they talked of the past. His own thought processes had become muddled towards the end, and when he found himself laying back on the couch, Spirit's lips on his, he hadn't fought back or even truly been surprised.

Now Spirit was stretched against his body, the man's lips pressing lightly against his as Spirit's hands rested lightly on his hips. His lab coat was already gone, shed earlier in the heat that the alcohol brought, the same with Spirit's suit jacket. His fingers tangled in Spirit's tie, loosening it and removing it. As he did Spirit's lips met his with a fevered intensity, Spirit's tongue demanding entrance. Stein let his lips part slightly and Spirit's tongue played with his, the other man's eyes closed.

He realized suddenly that he could feel Spirit's arousal pressing against him, his own responding. He placed his hands on Spirit's shoulders and pressed the man backwards. Spirit's eyes opened and he looked at Stein as the man sat up, his lips pressing against Spirit's. A moment later Stein as on his feet, dragging the other man behind him and into the bedroom.

It was Spirit who acted once they entered, and Stein was reminded just how practiced the other man was. He was on his back before he could react, the death scythe leaning over him, his hands already unbuckling Stein's pants, his lips brushing against the other man's ear. Stein smirked, Spirit unable to see, as the man managed to unzip his pants.

With one swift motion he had Spirit on his back, the man staring up wide eyed at him. "Seriously?" Spirit started, but Stein interrupted him, his lips pressed against Spirit's, silencing him. A few moments later they were both unclothed and Spirit was mewling on the bed underneath Stein, the scientist not wasting any time, his hand running up and down Spirit.

Stein's teeth bit down gently on Spirit's earlobe as he gave the man's length a squeeze as he pulled up it. He was rewarded with a hissed curse, Spirit bucking against his palm.

"Do you know that I never moved that out of the bedroom, Spirit?"

"That?" Spirit asked, turning his head towards where Stein had pointed.

His gaze alighted on the bottle as something cold drizzled against him, Stein's hand moving easier up and down his shaft, and the death scythe gasped as Stein's hand moved down to cup him for a moment before a lubed finger teased against the death scythe's entrance. Spirit's hand grabbed Stein's upper arm, and Stein met the man's gaze, a smirk on his face.

He felt Spirit's grip tighten as his finger slid in, followed swiftly by a second. Tears pricked at the death scythe's eyes, but Stein found his goal quickly, moving his fingers slowly and surely. He was completely unprepared for Spirit's hand to wrap around him, the death scythe squeezing and pulling gently. They stayed like that for several long minutes, both men panting and groaning.

Then Spirit surprised Stein again, pushing the meister off and onto his back. Spirit's face was flushed and Stein's eyes widened as the man straddled him before slowly lowering himself onto Stein in one swift movement. Spirit's hand hit Stein's chest as the man did so, Spirit's breath coming in fast gasps. It was all Stein could do to keep himself from thrusting up hard to meet the other man.

Stein's eyes closed as Spirit ground his hips against his. He had to catch Spirit's hip when the man started to raise himself again, forcing Spirit to stop moving. He met the man's eyes and Spirit smirked down at him before pushing his hands from his hips and completing the movement. Stein's breath caught in his throat, Spirit's hand pressing down on the center of his chest.

He didn't bother trying to stop the automatic responses of his body anymore, his hips bucking to meet Spirit's downward descent. His right hand slipped between them and wrapped around Spirit, the lube still enough to ensure that it would slide easily. Spirit hissed at the contact as Stein's free hand settled just above the death scythe's hipbone.

Every thrust was coupled with a twist and pull on Spirit, and neither man was able to last much longer. Stein slipped his hand faster, knowing that his own end was drawing inevitably closer, his other hand helping Spirit to slam down harder and faster onto him. He felt the tightening of muscles a moment before Spirit's orgasm crashed over the man, and his head flew back as his own did.

Spirit was trembling as he moved off of Stein, collapsing onto the bed. Stein smirked slightly, though it was interrupted by a yawn. Spirit had already moved underneath the blanket and Stein struggled to his feet, knowing that he needed a shower.

When he finished his shower he returned to the room, Spirit curled up in the bed, a pillow tucked in the man's arms. He almost turned to leave when he realized that he had heard something that wasn't a snore coming from the death scythe. He moved to the bed and found Spirit asleep, tears falling down his cheeks. As he watched for a long moment he heard the man whisper brokenly.

"Maka… I'm so sorry. Papa loves you. Please come back…"

Something clicked inside the scientist's mind without the need for the screw. He had lost Marie; he wasn't going to let Spirit lose Maka.

A/N: Alright. This is the official ending. However, I know what I am doing for the sequel. I would like your opinions though.

Do you want this continued in this story, or do you want a sequel started? Review/Message me if you don't mind with your choice.

I hope that you've enjoyed this. And yes, Kiss, that smut was for you :3

/Lialane