His heart was going to give out the way it pounded so harshly against his chest. The anger. The excruciating pain he was feeling at the moment from the way he had his fists clenched.

After all that him and the death scythe had been through. After all that Stein had done for him after his divorce from Kami. THIS? This is how he repaid him? By, violently hitting the one woman that provoked feelings deep within him? Feelings he had never experienced before until her lips descended on his years ago? The ONE woman who UNDERSTOOD him. Who was patient, and kind.

The anger surged higher and Stein all but choked back vomit as he sprinted down the street towards the red head's home. He had never felt this amount of rage before, he was surprised that his madness hadn't erupted yet. All the healing sessions with Marie seemed to be helping. His madness had almost disappeared ever since the battle with Asura.

Why is it when everything seemed to be going alright for him that the world just decided to screw him over? The only thing going right at this moment was seeing the death scythe straight ahead, sitting on a park bench. He was hunched over with his hands buried in his hair.

It seemed that Spirit sensed his ex partner because the instant Stein saw him down the street, Spirit looked up. And when that happened, all hell broke lose.

Stein all but flew at the red head, hands grasping onto the man's neck as Spirit gasped loudly; his throat harshly being gripped.

"S-Stein! Please! I'm s-sorry!" His plea's went unheard to the mad doctor. The rage building at an alarming pace through his veins.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE ALBARN! YOU HIT HER! IF YOU STOPPED YOUR GODDAMN DRINKING, THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Shaking the man, almost trying to tear his head off, Stein yelled in rage as Spirit's own hands came forward to grab his from his throat. He pulled to no avail. He cried out loudly as Stein threw his head back against the cobblestone ground and eventually let the man go.

Spitting the phlegm that had built up out, Spirit coughed loudly as Stein withdrew from him finally. Rolling to his side, the red head rubbed at his throat.

Looking up confused as to why the man stopped his assault, Spirit felt his eyes widen as he spotted a familiar blonde haired woman.

"Marie...I told you to stay away." Standing to his feet slowly, Professor Stein kept his eyes trained on the curled up death scythe, awaiting for the moment when the man would try to get to his feet. Stein knew if the man even tried to move, he would kill him.

"Franken. Stop. He doesn't deserve this. Just..please."

Her voice was desperate. Pleading. And although the blood was gone from her face, it still was showing a vibrant red. The shade of pain and anger. All it did for Stein was infuriate him even more.

"There isn't an excuse. Not one excuse that condones what he has done to you. After all he did.."

"Kami's dead."

For once, Stein felt a tinge of sadness. Although he and the woman never connected, never spoke more than two words, the professor knew the love Spirit had for her. Even through the divorce, all Spirit could talk about was how amazing the woman was. How much passion and desire she had within her. She was a curious subject for Stein.

"Marie, stop. It's..it's what I deserve."

A choked sob made Stein turn his head to his lover, his eyes widening ever so slightly at the distressed woman. He was frozen. What was wrong with her?! Why wasn't she upset with this man! The one who hit her! Caused her the disfigurement on her face? She was showing compassion and sincerity to someone who didn't deserve it in the slightest. A man who grovels for attention like a homeless man begging for money. A man who deems sex over his daughter.

Marie was bright. Beautiful. Warm. Stein didn't understand this.

Watching her kneel down next to Spirit, Marie wrapped her arms tightly around the death scythe. Her sobs muffled into his stained dress shirt as the redhead cradled her in his arms. Almost as if he could conceal his hurt to the woman.

"It's not what you deserve. You just lost the woman you have loved for half of your life. Your pain turned into alcohol and I was too close to you. I'm a weapon. I should have stepped back. It's my fault."

Stein watched in in bafflement. He couldn't understand. Marie shouldn't be apologizing! He didn't understand! Why couldn't he understand?!

Dropping to his knees, Stein gasped loudly as his hands moved to clutch at his hair, pulling at the strands as tight as he could. He was just getting a grasp on emotions. Emotions that Marie helped him discover. And now it was seeming like he was back to square one.

Everything around him was muffled. But the warm encompassing feeling of Marie's wavelength slowly calmed the mad man down. Exhaling heavily, the doctor blinked slowly and forced his head up, meeting Marie's small smile a few feet away from him.

"Franken, I know it's hard to understand. And I know you think that what Spirit did is unforgivable, but have you taken into consideration what YOU would do if something terrible happened to me? Spirit's coping mechanism is drinking. Mira's is working until she falls asleep. Sid's is playing basketball or talking to the students. Mine is crying nonstop and baking foods I won't eat. And yours? Yours is holding yourself up in your lab, dissecting a problem. Whether it be an emotion you can't understand, or a person who annoyed you. Spirit lost the woman he loved for almost all his life. Tell me Franken. How would you feel if you lost me? Would you feel?"

The man in question stared intently down at the ground. A mixture of emotions stirred up in his scarred body. The thought of losing Marie, of never seeing her smile, laugh, yell at him for not taking care of himself, using all the hot water in the house after a shower, the way her body fit so well with his when they made love. It angered him. His fists clenched tightly in raw anger. And then he suddenly slouched his shoulder. Breathing out slowly, he finally understood why Spirit did what he did.

Because he was in love with Marie. With her light. Her beauty. Her all encompassing warmth. Every bit about her, Stein loved. This emotion. It was strange. But it wasn't unwelcome.

Glancing up at her, he was met with her tearful eyes. Blinking once, she let go of Spirit to immediately latch onto him. Her arms easily finding their place. Right where they belonged.

He understood.

While Marie continued to overwhelm his soul with her healing wavelength, Stein glanced over to the death scythe. His best friend. And the man he just tried to kill, and he simply nodded.

Stein never said sorry. Because he felt he was never wrong. But at this instant, he knew he was. And maybe one day he would apologize.

But now he was overwhelmed with the feeling of having Marie.

"I love you."

HOLY CRAP. WRITING POWER!

I don't know if Stein was OOC or not. I tried not to make him be. Since he has such a hard time understanding feelings, I thought I did an okay job at conveying that. Let me know what you think!