A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reading and extra love to the reviewers. Your comments and perceptive thoughts are really helping and giving more insight as I'm writing 3 Individual responses are at the end of the chapter, along with translations of Sophie's French cursing!
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Maka and Spirit wanted to stay with Kami, but Stein firmly shut a door in their faces and went back to helping Nygus prep their patient for surgery. Her father took a seat in the hall, but Maka couldn't rest. Now that her panic was subsiding, she realized just how acute Kid's was. And how much screaming was echoing from the room four doors down from her mother's. Shame rolled over her in a sickening wave; she'd totally abandoned her boyfriend during one of the worst moments of his life.

She moved cautiously toward Sophie's doorway and peeked inside. Lord Death was holding his hysterical wife, continuing to restrain her while he and Marie attempted to calm her. Kid stood motionless in the corner looking horribly blank and vulnerable as he hunched against the cold wall in his bathrobe. Maka immediately began to soothe her soul with his, and he finally acknowledged her presence with flat, lusterless eyes. As she was about to go to him, Lord Death spoke.

"Maka," he said in a strained, frail voice she had trouble believing was his, "Do you think you might be able to help us? Maybe your Grigori wavelength combined with Marie's healing one will do something for her. Relax her a little, at least."

He looked at the writhing tangle of blonde hair and Chanel couture in his arms, and Maka saw a tear roll down Death's cheek. A lump of emotion rose in her own throat as she stepped toward them. Giving Kid a quick glance she pulled her soul back from his; she was going to need complete concentration for her task. Physical touch strengthened combined healing and anti-madness forces so she slowly reached out to put her hand over Marie's on Sophie's shoulder. As she did, the light glinted off of her ring and caught Sophie's eye.

"That's mine! Where did you get that? It's MINE!"

Long fingers wrapped around Maka's wrist and yanked her forward so forcefully that her forehead slammed painfully into Lord Death's. A stream of angry French nearly deafened her as she arched back, trying to escape from the sharp nails digging into her skin. Nails stained with her mother's blood brought Maka's to the surface as they scrabbled over the platinum state ring on her right hand. The one Kid had given her to symbolize their relationship and her connection to his family. The one that had belonged to his dead mother.

Only Sophie wasn't so dead, and she definitely wanted her property back.

"Thief!" she shrieked, "Where did you get this? Where?"

"Kid gave it to me! We didn't know….I didn't mean to…." Maka babbled Marie tried to help her get free, but even together they were no match for a madness-fueled Reaper.

"You think you can take my place and my son? Espèce de sale putain de pute, oubliee de Dieu.!"1

There was a loud snap, but it took a moment for Maka realized that her finger had broken. Then the pain kicked in and with it came a rush of her famous temper.

"Let go of me, you crazy bitch!" she snarled, elbowing her attacker in the jaw and pulling her hand away.

"Connasse! Salope!"2

Sophie lunged again, knocking Marie off, and although he maintained his grip, Death's entire upper body jerked forward. Sophie knotted her fingers in Maka's hair and yanked, trying to get back within reach of her property. Maka stopped her opponent's momentum with her knee and then pivoted as much as she was able to. Even though it wasn't her dominant arm, practice had provided her with a pretty wicked left hook, and she drew back to deliver it. Before she could, Kid galvanized himself into action.

"Don't hurt her!" he cried, landing on the bed in a flurry of black silk. He wedged himself between his mother and his girlfriend and pushed them apart with all his might. Braced against her husband strike merely loosened Sophie's grip on Maka, who wasn't so lucky. The force of a blow delivered with Kid's unchecked strength drove the air out of her lungs, and she felt plaster give way beneath her skull when she hit the wall on the other side of the room. Sparks shot through her vision, which was rapidly tunneling down to blackness. All she could see was Kid.

He'd hit her.

Pain radiated through Maka's head, throbbing in time with her broken finger.

He'd hit her.

He'd hit her, and he wasn't helping her. Wasn't even looking at her. Instead of coming to Maka's side where he belonged, Kid was kneeling in front of his mother, grasping her hands and begging her to calm down. So worried about Sophie that he'd apparently failed to notice he'd cracked a wall with his girlfriend's head. Fresh fury cleared Maka's vision and lifted her to her feet.

"I'm going to hurt HER?" she yelled. Kid finally looked at her, but he still didn't move. Maka wrenched the ring off her broken finger, ignoring the jolt of agony that shot all the way up to her shoulder.

"Here, give it back to her. I sure as hell don't want it."

She threw the ring at him as hard as she could. It bounced off of Kid's cheek and landed on the floor, tinkling as it broke into its component pieces on the gray tile. He opened his mouth to speak, but Maka had already fled, strangling back a sob as she stormed into the hallway.

Kid tried to follow her, but Sophie wouldn't let go of his wrists. He felt her wavelength settle as she pulled him closer, and then her arms locked around him like an iron cage. Kid shuddered as her silky cheek rested against his forehead, and the smell of her perfume made his stomach churn.

"It's alright, mon doux bébé3," she murmured against his hair in a deranged sing-songy voice, "Maman is here now."

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Translations

1 You cheap, goddamn fucking, godforsaken whore.

2 bitch. slut

3 My sweet baby

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Note: Information about the ring, and a sample picture are available at Archive of Our Own under the same story and author names.

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Responses!

DJKatt: I'm really enjoying the writing, although this chapter was hard, because of the interaction between Kid and Maka. Thanks beyond words for letting me bend your ear and for helping me with my terror of OCs 3 I hope I can pull off a good storyline with Sophie, but can't decide how she's going to end up yet.

Guest: I'm so glad that the mothers' appearances was interesting rather instead of being a horrible bore. Thank you so much!

multyfangirl20: He thought so, too! I hope I can do justice to this trope, but it's making me nervous, lol!

Guest: I'm sorry that the grammar police kept you from writing. I'd be happy to proofread if you ever decide to get back into it 3 I don't know whether to cure, calm down or kill Sophie; she's a difficult little maniac :)

REDEADED: As always, your support gets me through the hard times in writing, and in life. 3 you, buddy!