It had been at least a couple weeks since Maka had last seen Spirit. In previous months, she would occasionally visit him and he would visit her, but for a while, that had stopped. As she neared her 29th week of pregnancy, however, Spirit's eagerness and nervousness got the better of him again, and his frequency of communication with Maka spiked. Calls, emails, even letters; no means of communication went unused. Because of this, Maka knew it was time for her monthly dose of Spirit. Every now and then, she would make a point to have an outing with him so he would stop his incessant notifications. It was the only way to get him to calm down. She understood why he was being so eager, and she didn't mind being around him most of the time, but the non-stop contacting always got to be a little too much for her.

So on this weekday, she made plans to meet with him for a couple hours. Soul was at work, and Crona stopped by in the morning to see her off and would be home when she got back. The thought of seeing Crona later on kept her focused during the more grueling parts of her meeting with Spirit.

For the first couple hours, their meeting went well. Spirit took Maka out to lunch, and they talked about all the new things in their lives. Spirit mainly asked Maka about her newest endeavors, which Maka didn't mind sharing with him. He asked about Soul, Crona, the baby, financials, housing, and everything in between. It was clear to her that he simply wanted to make sure she was feeling well, that the boys were treating her right, and that the baby was healthy. For all the faults he had, Maka realized that he was a loving father, and spending time with him did make her feel better and less nervous about the pregnancy.

At least, that's how she felt for the first part of the day. The early part of the day was spent casually eating and walking through various places. But as Spirit started to give advice to her about children and family, she began to feel an aching in her chest. It hadn't happened in a while, but Spirit's talk of family brought a now very painful thought for Maka into her mind. Ultimately it all boiled down to one thing.

Maka still missed her mother. She hated having this aching longing feeling, but it always came back at some point. And as she sat with Spirit, the thought of her mom not being around, and possibly not being there for the birth of her first child, made her upset to the point of feeling physically ill.

For a while, she pushed through it, continuing to relax with Spirit and attempting to enjoy his company. But as the minutes passed, all of his nice actions just reminded her that her mother was not there, and that she might not be there for one of the most important moments in her life.

Maka knew she had to get away from him, simply because his actions were making her feel terrible. It was not his fault, and she knew that. But still, everything he was doing suddenly became a sickening reminder. After a while, she asked to go home because she didn't feel well, to which Spirit quickly obliged. After about six hours of being together, Spirit dropped Maka off at her apartment.

Crona was sitting on the couch reading a book when Maka entered. As the door opened, Crona's head snapped up from his most recent chapter, and upon seeing it was Maka, he rose to his feet and crossed the room to greet her. He smiled, but he noticed that she wouldn't meet his face.

"Hi Maka. How was your time today...?" His sentence trailed off as he studied her movements. She appeared sluggish, and almost shakily put her bag on the table before leaning on it for support. She didn't turn around to greet him, and Crona noticed the slight shaking she was experiencing.

Crona quickly became worried. "Maka, are you.. okay? Did something happen today?"

He closed the space between himself and her, taking her shoulders in his hands. After a couple seconds, she turned around slowly, her face raising a bit to meet his own.

She was crying. Streams of tears covered her face. And as Crona looked at her, her face twisted out of composure until she couldn't hold it in anymore. She let her cries out and leaned against Crona, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her.

Crona was bewildered. Maka almost never cried, and when she did, it was never like this. She was shaking, her cries were loud and strangled, and her tears quickly began to soak through his shirt. It was the first time Crona had ever seen her like this, and this gave him a new kind of anxiety.

He held her tightly. "Maka, what's wrong? Please tell me," He almost pleaded with her.

She tried to quiet herself, but her words came out loud and strained. "I just... I want my mom," Maka's words became slightly muffled as she spoke against his chest. "I hate crying about this... I hate it so much. But I can't stop. I just... I just want her here so badly..."

Crona held Maka tightly, still unsure of what to do or say. Maka was his strength, his foundation; she always knew what to do or say for any situation. But now he began to see that the roles were reversed. He had to comfort Maka now and be her foundation during a time when she needed it. But he wasn't sure how to do it. Still, after many years of Maka comforting him, he learned enough to get an idea of what to do. Hearing her made his heart ache; he couldn't let her be so sad.

After a couple minutes of holding her as she cried, he gently directed her to her room. Once in the room, Crona brought her over to the bed slowly, and the two of them situated themselves in the middle, leaning against the backboard and pillows for comfort. He still held her close, and she held him tightly, her cries quieter but still present. For several minutes, he simply held her, his hands rubbing her back, his chest aching as her tears continued to wet his shirt. But after a while, he decided to change up his comforting.

He began to position themselves by the pillow at the front of the bed and, after a while, he took her in his arms and slowly lowered her down so that she was lying on her back, looking up at him. He then lay down beside her, and after some maneuvering, she turned to face him, both of them now lying side by side, facing each other. He let his hand reach up and caress the side of her face. While her cries had died down quite a bit, she was still tearing, and squeezed her eyes shut as he touched her, trying to hold back her tears.

Crona couldn't bear it. Seeing her cry made him want to cry, and as he watched her tears flow, he couldn't help but feel his own tears starting to sting the corners of his eyes. Maka had told him a long time ago that sometimes it was best to just 'let it all out', that is, to just let his emotions flow. Still, he felt himself wanting to hold back, to be strong for her, or at least try and show strength on the outside.

Eventually, he inched closer to her until their bodies were almost touching. Her breathing steadied, but her face was still pained and wet with tears. His one hand still caressed the side of her face, while his other he let rest lightly on her chest. She looked at him, her eyes red and puffy, and it was in that moment that Crona knew what to say.

He smiled at her, one of the softest smiles he could give. After a while, he spoke. "Do you know how much I love you?"

Maka smiled at him, a bit of her sadness beginning to melt away. This was something Crona often did with her, and she loved it. He had a beautiful way of expressing his love, even when he was doing it playfully.

She chuckled a little bit, wiping some of her tears away. "No, I'm afraid I don't," she said quietly.

Crona only smiled wider at her words. He leaned in until their foreheads touched, his hands now touching the sides of her face. He closed his eyes. "I love you more than every drop of water in all the oceans..." He began, and he felt Maka inch closer to him. "I love you more than every leaf on every tree...I love you more than every grain of sand on every beach... I love you more than every star in the sky..."

It seemed that with every sentence, Maka attempted to get closer to him until their bodies were nearly intertwined. Eventually, he noticed that her breathing had steadied completely, and when he briefly detached from their embrace to look at her, he saw that her face was free of tears, and her eyes had become significantly less red.

Her expression was warm, and her smile wide. Crona felt the aching of his heart almost entirely disappear, and after several minutes of just looking at each other, the two shared a long and passionate series of kisses.

Maka eventually let out another soft giggle. "Thank you, Crona. I love you so much."

Crona's heart nearly skipped a beat, and he gave her a small kiss on the forehead before the two began a session of cuddling and much needed talking.

Liz couldn't remember the last time she got to hang out with Tsubaki just one on one. She had seen everyone else recently, and the group had a couple gatherings in the past months. But seeing Tsubaki by herself was rare, and so when today's plans were made, Liz made sure to get the supplies to make it a little more special.

She had been readying for the visit most of the morning. Patti had plans with Doc during the afternoon, and Kid would be at work until later in the evening. This meant that, for at least a couple hours, Liz and Tsubaki could get in some alone time.

It was at around 1 p.m. that Liz heard the ring of the doorbell. She quickly went to the door, and opened it to find Tsubaki, many bags in her hand, and her usual smile on her face. Liz smiled back.

"Hey, how's it going?" Liz leaned in and the two gave each other awkward side hugs. Tsubaki adjusted the bags in her hand.

"I'm well, got everything we wanted. I assume you got some things as well," She spoke softly, passing off two bags to Liz as they made their way into the kitchen.

"I did. Food and some drinks for mixing tonight. I have some wine, but I know you are not a fan. What did you get?"

"Oh, you will see. Just hold one one second..."

Tsubaki and Liz entered the kitchen and began to sort the bags on the table when Tsubaki reached into one of her bags. She pulled out a long glass bottle of flavored vodka, a brand that Liz knew both she and Tsubaki would enjoy.

Liz smiled. "Tsubaki, you know me too well," She said with a small chuckle.

Tsubaki's grin grew wider. "I know. Plus I got plenty of foods to go with whatever we drink."

The two began to organize their products when Patti came bursting through the door. Tsuabki was able to hide the bottle just as she entered, and Patti didn't seem to notice.

Patti glanced about before making her way over to the refrigerator. She opened its doors and rummaged through, grabbing a banana as she started to speak.

"Hey Tsubaki! How is life? You guys gonna be chillin' today?" She began to peel the banana, and before long was almost voraciously eating it.

Tsubaki nodded. "Yes we are. I hear you have plans with Doc today?"

"Yeah, at least for a couple hours. Gotta run some errands and then we may catch a movie or just go for a drive. Not sure yet," Patti spoke as she finished her banana. She then made her way over to the door. "I will probably see you guys again tonight. Have a good time tonight. Stay classy."

"You too, Patti," Tsubaki said with a giggle. Just as soon as she had arrived, Patti had left, and Tsubaki and Liz immediately began to enter casual conversation.

They first decided to go for a walk to a nearby festival. They spent a couple hours walking and talking, enjoying the sights and sounds the festival had to offer. After that, they went for a private walk, enjoying the pleasant weather before heading back to the manor for some well-earned food and drink.

They had bought a small array of food, mostly cheeses and crackers and snacks of the sort. They took these up to the second story of the mansion, where a small balcony was hidden in the back area of the halls. They took their seats on the chairs of the balcony, sipping wines and vodka and nibbling at their snacks.

Liz, wiped her mouth as she ate some cheese. "I gotta say, you just know my taste, Tsubaki. It's like everything you pick in terms of taste is just fantastic."

"Maybe I am psychic," Tsubaki said, pouring herself a small glass of vodka.

Liz glanced at her as she poured the liquid. "I always find it surprising that you like it straight. Never pegged you as a hard liqueur or straight drinking kind of person."

"I never pegged you as a wine drinker yourself," Tsubaki said with a laugh, taking a swig of her drink. Liz shrugged.

"Touche. I mean, I like a variety of stuff. But some wines just really hit the spot for me," She swirled around her glass as she spoke. "Plus I am living in a mansion with one of the most powerful people in the world. Wine seems appropriate. Its making me look fancy. "

Tsubaki couldn't help but giggle at the statement, Liz just smiling and taking a sip of her own drink. After a couple seconds, Liz spoke again.

"Alright, I know its going to be a while, but still, I have to ask. You guys super excited for Japan?"

Tsubaki seemed excited just hearing the question. She gave a loud, happy sigh, leaning back in her chair and looking at the sky as she began. "Oh gosh are we excited. It has been so long since I have been in Japan. It feels like it has been forever since I have seen my family," She glanced down at her drink, pausing before continuing. "I am just... really looking forward to it."

Liz gave a small chuckle. "I am happy for you. When Kid told me, I know you guys would love the idea. Just don't forget to visit everyone once in a while."

Tsubaki glanced over. "You know you guys can come visit too any time you want. You just need to find the time."

Liz's eyes met Tsubaki's briefly before she glanced out from the balcony. "Time... yeeaaahhh..." Her words were monotone as she sipped her drink.

Tsubaki giggled again. "I know you, Patti and Kid are going to be busy quite often. He always says he will be less busy with time, but we know that is going to take a while longer than he thinks. And with a baby, I don't imagine Soul, Maka and Crona will be traveling any time soon."

Liz let her thoughts wander briefly before she exhaled a large breath. "Yeah, its so true...," She paused to finish off her drink, and grabbed the bottle by her chair to pour another glass. "Speaking of such, how is that going for you? I mean the 'being there for Maka' thing? I wish I could be there for her more myself, but as we discussed, time is not always on my side."

Tsubaki thought for a minute. "It is going alright. I mean, the whole reason Blackstar and I didn't go to Japan was so we could be here to support Maka, Soul, and Crona. But.. well, I just know I don't compare to how it would be if her mother was here," Tsubaki sighed before continuing. "Maka once talked to me about this, and she said something that was very poignant. She said that none of us have experience with this, so its not like we can help her that much. And its true, to a degree. Still, I am doing the best I can to be the emotional support she needs."

Liz glanced over at Tsubaki, then took a sip of her wine before speaking. "It's a heavy task. I really respect you, Tsuabki. For doing this for Maka I mean. Not too many people would openly step up to the plate because of how touchy an issue it is."

Tsubaki smiled. "Well, I am not the only one helping them. Miss Marie is helping a lot. And so are you. Everyone is pitching in really."

"Yeah, but no one is doing as much as you. I am sure Maka appreciates it more than you know."

"I am sure she does," Tsubaki glanced over to Liz. "Sometimes she will tell me how grateful she is, but I don't need her to tell me, and I always let her know that. She needs support, and we are her friends. We will always be there to support each other."

Liz glanced over to Tsubaki, giggling a little bit. "Aw, so many warm feelings. You are getting all mushy on me."

Tsubaki laughed. "You know, I feel as though it is inevitable with this topic. And the drink doesn't help."

Liz laughed. "That it doesn't," She raised an eyebrow to Tsubaki and raised her glass so that it was between them. "A toast then. To friendship?"

Tsubaki looked a little surprised, but quickly smiled and lifted her glass, clinking it against Liz's. "To friendship."

The two then downed their drinks, looking toward each other afterward and laughing. After the chuckling died down, Liz glanced around at their snack plates, seeing nothing but crumbs and cheese remnants.

"Alright, we need more snacks. I am gonna head down real quick and get some. You want to come with or stay up here?''

"I'll come down with you. And I'll bring the vodka down; I am done with it," Tsubaki rose from her seat. The two of them made their way to the kitchen, Liz carrying the empty plates and Tsubaki carrying the bottle and her glass. As they descended the stairs, the talking continued.

"You know, Liz, I totally forgot to ask you how Kid was doing today. How has his work been? Hopefully he isn't too stressed out."

Liz sighed. "I wish I could say he is less stressed, but he's not. Its the same as usual; nothing really new, and when its new, its not usually something he can talk about."

"That's unfortunate. But at least he hasn't gotten more stressed I guess." Tsubaki said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The two then entered the kitchen, Liz readying snacks, and Tsubaki sitting at the table.

"Yeah, you're right," Liz said almost reluctantly, rummaging through snacks in her pantry. "But to be honest, I think something is bugging him. Not too long after we all had our group hangout, he started acting... weird. Not all the time, just randomly. Sometimes he would actually snap at me or Patti, like he was angry or annoyed with us. But it never amounts to anything more than that, and he always feels terrible after and apologizes to no end. It's just another thing that worries me about him."

"That sounds terrible," Tsubaki's voice was low and serious, and she leaned forward in her chair as she spoke.

Just as Tsubaki was about to speak, she and Liz heard the front doors open and slam shut. Patti and Doc were back, and the two of them loudly and happily made their way over to the kitchen. As Liz and Tsubaki scrambled to hide the vodka, Patti flung the door open, her eyes meeting Liz's, the vodka still in her hand. Patti didn't notice right away however, and addressed them with a wide smile.

"Hey guys. Told you we would see you tonight. How was your hang out?"

"Very nice, we had a good day. We went to the nearby festival and then just relaxed and had fun," Tsubaki spoke, giving both Doc and Patti a nod. Patti's eyes then narrowed on the vodka bottle which Liz quickly put away.

"Were you trying to hide that from me? Please, I am not going to drink any. And I knew you guys would buy booze tonight anyways. If I really wanted some, I would just look for it later."

Liz grumbled. "Patti, I don't want you drinking any for at least another week. I didn't even want you to see this bottle."

Patti looked toward Doc, and the both of them laughed. "Please, you think I would assume you guys were drinking apple juice here all night or something? I knew you guys would buy booze."

"Patti-"

"Liz, its okay, I am not going to touch it," Patti tried to reassure her, but Liz remained hesitant. Patti then took a seat at the table and after sharing greetings, Doc went to the refrigerator to get them drinks.

"So, what are you guys doing for the rest of the night? Want to play a game? We could all play a game together," Patti's excitement about possibly playing a game with them showed in her voice. Doc soon took a seat next to her, and the two continually shot each other playful looks.

Tsubaki shot Liz a glance before turning to Patti. "We weren't talking about much. And I wouldn't mind playing a game for a while. Liz?"

Liz paused for a second before putting a plate of snacks on the table and taking a seat next to Tsubaki, across from Doc and Patti. "I don't see why not. I can leave the stuff up on the balcony for now. Nothing important is really up there right now anyway."

Patti's face lit up. "Awesome! What do you guys want to play? We should start by playing mau. What do you guys think? It has been a while since I played that game."

Tsubaki thought. "I actually haven't played that game yet, but I have heard it is quite fun. Although Blackstar didn't seem particularly fond of it."

Liz gave a small snort. "It's a real trip. Great game, but it isn't for everyone. We can try it for a while and if you don't like it, we can switch to something else."

Tsubaki gave Liz a soft smile. "That works for me."

After a couple more minutes of chatting, Patti retrieved a deck of cards, and a game began between the four of them. It lasted for two hours, after which they all decided to chill together in the living room area and talk before Tsubaki finally had to go home.

Sometimes Soul felt like he could never get home on time. He knew he was usually getting out at a normal time, but whenever he worked overtime, the minutes seemed to take hours. Tonight he had worked a little overtime, and even though it wasn't much, he still was all too eager to run home once his time was up.

As he walked through the door of the apartment, a pleasant feeling came over him. Even though he didn't immediately see Maka, just being in the same house as her made all of his tension from the day disappear. As he threw his items on the table, he caught sight of Crona, who was reading quietly on the couch. Crona's head snapped up at the thud of the thrown items, a small smile crossing his face.

"Hi Soul."

"Hey Crona, how's it going?" Soul questioned as he made his way over to Crona. The two shared in a slight half-hug before Crona answered.

"Fine. I was just reading. I am going to head home in a little bit."

Soul made his way into the kitchen. "You sure? You can stay you know."

"I know, but I need to take care of Seasalt tonight," Crona spoke quietly as he began to gather his things. "It has been a while since I have been home."

Soul smiled, opening the refrigerator to get a drink. "Suit yourself. How was the day for you guys? I can see she is asleep already," Soul glanced about before continuing. "I know Maka had a meeting with Spirit. How did that go?"

Crona paused, his muscles and chest tightening as he remembered the incidents from early in the day. After a couple seconds, he let out a sigh.

"Actually, that is why I am still here. I wanted to talk to you... about today..."

Soul glanced up from the open refrigerator door, catching Crona's expression. Crona averted his eyes, his expression beginning to show hints of anxiety, and his hands fiddling with the ends of his shirt. Soul suddenly felt anxious himself, and he closed the refrigerator door and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Did something happen today?" Soul questioned, his eyes now focused on Crona. Crona let out a sharp breath before taking a seat at the table across from Soul. He fidgeted for several seconds before he could manage words.

"Maka... didn't have a good day today."

Soul's eyes briefly went wide before they narrowed in an almost fierce manner. He tried to keep his voice quiet. "In what way?"

Crona glanced at Soul, his nerves being rattled just from thinking about the situation. "Well... she had a good time with Spirit... from what she told me... but at one point, she just...," Crona glanced towards Maka's room before looking back at Soul. "... she was reminded of her mother in some way. And when she got home... she just cried."

Soul's eyes went from serious to almost sad, his one hand running through his hair. Crona continued.

"She cried for a long time... and in a way I have never seen before...," Crona paused. He could feel a dull aching start in his chest as he thought about it. "She was just... so sad. I have never seen her cry like that. I didn't really know what to do but... after a while, she calmed down. We talked for a while after too..."

As Soul thought about Crona's words, he lowered his head into his hands and let out a large sigh. Just the idea of Maka being so upset made him upset, and he could tell Crona felt the same way.

Eventually, he lifted his head from his hands, his eyes catching Crona's and their faces meeting. "There really isn't anything we can do about how she feels. It's not something we can fix or change..." Soul paused. He was reminded of an earlier conversation he had with Crona about change, which applied to the current situation as well. It began to feel as though both he and Crona balanced each other out when one of them became stressed or worried. "You and I both know that."

"I know," Crona looked to the side, his eyes more sad than usual. "I just wanted to tell you because... she might just need extra comforting tonight. She needed it most of the day. I just... I just want her to be happy, you know?"

Soul leaned back in his chair. "I know. Thanks for telling me. I might talk about it with her tomorrow. I don't know if I want to bring it up though, especially if she feels better now. You said she calmed down?"

Crona nodded. "I tried to cheer her up, and it seemed to work. And we talked for a long time today. We talked about everything too, not just her mother. It was... nice, and I think it helped her...," Crona paused, looking away briefly. "It kinda... helped me too. I wanted to know why she felt that way... yet I wanted her to feel better. Just thinking about it now..."

As Crona began to drift in thought, Soul let out another sigh, his eyes focusing on the table. He hated the idea of Maka feeling that way, and he hated that he couldn't be there to comfort her. But in the back of his mind, he also felt a gratefulness toward Crona. The idea that Maka felt that way made him almost sick, but the idea that she could have come home feeling that way and been without anyone to comfort her made him even more sick.

After a couple seconds, Soul heard Croan's chair move, and he looked up to see Crona readying to leave. He had a look in his eyes that Soul knew indicated that he was thinking deeply, although he appeared less sad than before. Still, Soul could feel a heaviness in the air, and he too rose to see Crona out.

As the two of them reached the door, Soul held out his arms, Crona staring baffled for a couple seconds. Soul chuckled.

"Come on man, don't leave me hangin'."

Crona gave a small smile, the two sharing a light embrace before Crona made his way down the stairs.

"Thanks for everything, Crona," Soul raised his voice to be heard as Crona made his way down the stairs.

"No need to thank me. I wanted to help. I will see you guys soon," Crona turned to Soul and nodded as he finished his last statement, heading out the door soon after.

After Crona's leave, Soul leaned against the door for a moment. Soul knew that Maka was affected by her mother's general lack of involvement, but she didn't really seem affected by it for months. Maybe it was a build up, or maybe she had been trying to hide it. Regardless of the thoughts that crossed Soul's mind, the recurring thought was always comforting Maka, and that was still his plan for tomorrow.

After a half hour or so of putting away his work items, changing for sleeping and having something small to eat, Soul made his way into Maka's bedroom. They would occasionally sleep in the same bed, though who's bed they slept in seemed to change from night to night. She was sleeping close to the wall, her back facing the door, which relieved Soul. This would make it easier to slide into bed.

He made sure to cross the room carefully, and slid under the covers as noiselessly as he could. He snuggled in, grabbing hold of some areas of the blankets, and even inching close to Maka, though making sure not to disturb her. Still, after a couple seconds, he heard her groggy voice.

"Mmm... Soul?" Maka's voice was low, and her head turned a bit, though her eyes remained shut and she made no effort to turn over.

Soul let out a small sigh. "Yeah, its me. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not at all," Maka's voice was soft, her head falling back onto the pillow as she spoke. After a while, Soul inched closer until his body was parallel to hers, their bodies touching as they lay side by side. As he adjusted, he became curious.

"How did you know it was me?" His voice was a whisper, and his one hand reached around to touch the curve of her hip. He caught her smile out of the corner of his eye.

"I could smell you," She let out a soft chuckle, her hand reaching up and laying itself on top of his. He chuckled a bit, realizing it wasn't that he smelled bad, just that Maka's smell was heightened. And she had always told him he had a unique smell that she enjoyed.

He let his head rest on the pillow beside hers, his eyes slowly falling shut, and his thoughts slowing down. Before becoming too tired, he made it a point to express his love, even if Maka had already drifted off.

"I love you, Maka."

His voice was a whisper, and become lost in the pleasant air that he felt filled the room. It wasn't but a minute after his goodnight sentence that his eyes sleepily closed.

END.

Yeah, I know. More mother things. I had to; I just think it would be such a big issue. This chapter was also supposed to be a little bigger, but I moved around some things. Hope you guys liked it. Feedback is a virtue. :3