A/N: Thank you everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited "A New Deal". Knowing people were reading and enjoying my writing meant the world to me, and it still does! Your support is what made me continue and keep this story strong. It's thanks to you that this story is what it is. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I'd also like to thank Vamphigherqueen for reminding me to get my ass moving when I was lagging. Thank you! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter I wrote when I was really tired and rushed. Sorry about that. Hopefully, I can get another fic up while I'm in Washington as a summer project. Maybe. Anyways, thank you agian (seriously thanks) and I hope you enjoy the final chapter. ;-; I'm both sad and happy to be updating this for the last time. See you later cool cats...
She was screaming and crying. The ground below her didn't feel right. Her chest scowled at her thrashing around. It was all wrong.
When she opened her eyes, she almost closed them all over again. There were lights, bright lights, but they weren't yellow or orange. They were white, and clean like light should be. Like his hair ...
Her body shook as she was racked with sobs. This wasn't fair. It. Wasn't. Fair. He was trying to be better, she and him were going to be together as partners. Not drug dealing life of crime partners. Actual partners. He was different than Asura. Soul wasn't trying to spread madness, he was afraid of being afraid. That's what made Soul brave, and strong, and that's one of the many things that made her love him. Maka Albarn loved Soul "Eater" Evans. She loved him and his dark side, and now he was gone.
A hand rubbed her arm, and Maka turned her head to see Tsubaki's face. Her eyes were red like she had been crying too, and worry lines furrowed on her face.
"Maka, are you alright? Should I get a nurse," Tsubaki asked.
Maka shook her head, and she let Tsubaki wipe her face with a tissue. She noticed her location; the hospital. Maka had made a point to never come to this hospital after getting her lip cut when she was ten because she walked into a door frame. She had seen a guy with half of his hand hanging off, and he was on hold. The sight traumatized her ever since.
Now she didn't care. This whole world without Soul would plague her. Damn him! Damn him, and him saving her when he should have just found the axe and saved himself. Tears threatened to leak from her eyes again, but she reminded herself that Tsubaki was there and she stopped them from debuting.
"Maka, I know you hate hospitals. Especially this one," Tsubaki said, trying to take Maka's mind off of Soul though she knew it was pointless.
"Kind of hard for me not to. People sick and hurt ... Plus paperwork's a bitch," She muttered.
Tsubaki smiled, nodding a bit.
"Yeah, you got that right."
Maka studied Tsubaki's face until Tsubaki turned in her chair and reached into her bag. Instead Maka studied the dots on her hospital gown and sheets. Then the dots weren't there anymore.
Instead there was a scrapbook.
"What's this," Maka croaked.
"Remember when we first met? It was at cooking class, and we were taking it because both of our schools didn't offer it. You went to the private high school while I went to the public one, remember," Tsubaki started.
"Is this your high school scrapbook," Maka asked.
Tsubaki nodded before turning to the first page where her freshman yearbook picture was. She looked so little, that it made Maka snort a little.
"Shut up," Tsubaki commented though she did laugh a bit too.
She turned to the next few pages, and then they started coming across pictures of her and Black*Star. Maka's eyes widened, and she had to resist the urge to lean forward.
"So that explains why you wanted to talk to him," Maka whispered.
"Well, sort of why," Tsubaki agreed.
Maka raised her eyebrows.
"Sort of why? You're not a drug dealer too right," Maka asked as she raised her eyebrows.
Tsubaki laughed as she shook her head, a small smile on her lips.
"Um no. No, I am not. However ..." Tsubaki paused as she turned the page.
This one was different. Instead of it being of her and Black*Star, her at karate, or her cooking, it was a crisp white page trimmed with lace. At the top were the words Suisen*Star. Maka's eyes studied each photo with interest. Some were black and white, some were color. The only thing Maka knew for sure was that they were ultrasound photos. At the top of each ultrasound was the name of the mother: Tsubaki.
"You're a," Maka stopped to keep herself from crying.
"I'm a mother. Or as some might say it, was a mother, but I still love my little girl with all my heart. It doesn't matter if she's here or not, she's still my child. I'll always love her. I still think about her everyday," Tsubaki finished for Maka.
Maka turned the page to reveal a photo of Tsubaki in the hospital, and a photo of her child after her birth. Her eyes weren't open, and she had no hair. Her skin was pale, but Maka knew it wasn't because of her mother's genes.
"She died, didn't she," Maka whispered.
Tsubaki nodded, "Yeah. Suisen was only alive for a little while before she passed away. Her birth was very rocky. I went into labor after I started bleeding, and she came out with the cord around her neck. She died because she couldn't get oxygen."
Maka turned through more pages of the book until she reached the end.
"So that's it? She just died?"
Tsubaki nodded again.
"And you were ok with that," Maka asked her, stunned.
Tsubaki shook her head as fast as a bullet, "No, no, no. For the longest time I hated myself. I couldn't stand to look at Black*Star without feeling guilt. I thought I had done something to hurt her, and that I took her away from him. Sometimes though, those things happen. I realized I couldn't blame anyone for what happened because there was no one to blame. And that included me too."
The two girls sat in silence as Maka thought about Tsubaki's words.
"But Soul-"
"It wasn't your fault he got hurt. He's not mad-"
"So, um ... where's Black*Star and the rest of them," Maka asked, careful not to mention Soul.
She already knew Soul's fate. She didn't want to talk about it with Tsubaki. The girl just stared at her friend before sighing and shrugging.
"They got taken into police custody after the ambulance picked you, Soul, me, and Patty up," Tsubaki answered.
"What happened to Patty," Maka asked, worry coating her face.
Tsubaki waved her hand, "She just got a few stitches. No big deal. Liz pleaded her innocence, so they didn't cuff her."
"So what's going to happen to the others now?"
"Well, because they did technically stop a criminal and since they didn't get caught for dealing themselves, they're actually being let off the hook if I'd say so myself."
"What about you, Patty, and me? What are they doing to us?"
"Nothing. You and I never dealt. Patty never got caught dealing. We helped stop a criminal. All we got to do is pay a fine for property damage. Soul's -"
"I know, Tsubaki."
"You do? Who told you?"
"I just do," Maka answered.
Tsubaki was about to say more, but Maka just closed her eyes.
"Can you get one of the nurses to come in here," Maka asked.
Tsubaki nodded before she walked over to the door, "Sure, Maka."
Maka didn't open her eyes again until she heard the door close, and she knew Tsubaki was out of the room. That's when she let the rest of her tears fall.
Maka felt something touch her IV. She groaned inwardly, the thought of another nurse probing around with the needle in her hand at such a late hour annoying her.
"Maka," A voice whispered.
She shifted her head against her pillow, but she didn't open her eyes. The voice repeated itself, but Maka just tried to cover her ears with her pillow more. Maybe it was just another dream of him.
Then she felt something on her lips.
It started out gently, but then it grew rougher. She realized she was being kissed. Her eyes flew open, and she ended up catching a handful of his hair. This was so not a dream.
"Soul," Maka gasped.
She felt him smirk against her lips, "Miss me?"
She nearly Maka chopped him, but instead tear flowed onto her cheeks. He felt one rub against his, so Soul turned the lights on.
"Maka, what's the matter," Soul asked, concern edging his voice.
He sat in her bed by her side, letting her rest her head against his shoulder. She let a few more slip until she managed to pull her hand up and wipe her face.
"I just ... I thought you were dead," She whispered.
Soul kissed her temple gently as he shook his head.
"No, I'm not dead. I did get one hell of a scar though," He said as he pulled down his gown a little to reveal stitches across his chest.
Maka laughed, "I have one like that too."
She pulled her gown to the side to show her smaller scar that was almost parallel to his. It ran across her sternum to the underside of her right breast.
"I guess we really are partners afterall," Soul smirked.
He put his gown down, and Maka did too before adjusting the sheets.
"Can I stay the night," Soul whispered so quietly Maka almost didn't hear him.
"I was just about to ask you that question," Maka said.
He grinned, "Well my room's so noisy with all the monitors and stuff so-"
"Shut up and go to sleep, Soul," Maka said as a smile played across her lips.
He returned her smile and he slunk into the sheets beside her.
"Night Maka. I love you," He mumbled against her temple.
"Love you too, Soul," She replied against his shoulder.
They all moved on eventually.
Maka let Soul move into her apartment, and he got a job working on the police force with the young kids who they busted. He helped them to understand how to handle things better, and through the unit he was able to come back into contact with his brother. After a while Soul got up the nerve to put a ring on Maka's finger, but another one wouldn't be added until they both finished higher levels of schooling and had traveled a decent amount. They were still young, but after going through everything they did together, it made it a bit easier to sleep at night knowing they'd always fall asleep to the beat of each other's hearts.
He did get to learn all those things he wanted to about Maka, and even more. In return, she also got to learn about him. It was what they needed all along: each other.
Tsubaki and Black*Star spent a year gaining ground with each other before they became a couple again. She helped Black*Star with schooling, and Tsubaki ended up opening her own restaurant in the heart of the city. It became a major hit amongst the food critics, and soon people from around the world were coming for her Japanese cuisine. Black*Star took over his foster parent's karate dojo, and he was able to learn a bit more about karate himself just by teaching there. This time when he and Tsubaki were expecting, they got what they expected and their new daughter was born healthy and happy.
Kid eventually moved to Maka and Soul's area with Liz and Patty until Patty got a roommate in her school's dorm. Patty went onto help Black*Star teach at his dojo after his second child was born, so that way he could spend more time at home. Then it was just Liz and Kid. They decided to teach, and even though the students had a knack for stressing Kid out Liz was able to whip them into shape. Kid's father was actually pretty relieved when Kid dropped the dealing life to be with Liz, which both Kid and Liz were grateful for.
Everyone's whose turfs were taken got them back. I wish I could say everyone got a happy ending out of dealing, but few actually did. It took Soul and the gang a while to get out of the lifestyle and off the drugs for good. The best things don't come easy, and without the right support he could've crumbled at any given moment. Thankfully for Soul, his friends always had his back.
And so did Maka Albarn.