A/N: Inspired by the doujin 'Soul Breaker,' in which a gang kills Soul, breaks Maka and Tsubaki into sex slaves while he watches as a helpless soul, then the leader eats him once she's broken. He then has Maka 'report in' while she's getting fucked by a guy, and that's where it ends. This picks up in the Death Room, where Kid happened to be with Shinigami-sama when the transmission went through.

SESESESESESESE

SESESESESESESE

Kid's fists began to clentch.

Tighter.

Tighter.

Tighter.

He didn't feel the blood that began to trickle from his palms. His skateboard came into being, materializing under his eager feet.

"Liz. Patty." His voice came out as a growl. The sisters immediately transformed and became the weapons in his hands. "Chichue. I will return shortly," he added, and the other knew better than to try to talk his son out of the dangerous mission.

"I dare say Black Star would want to accompany you," he did tell the teen's retreating back, praying he was heard. Shinigami-sama was unable to tell, his son continued- right to where Black Star was.

"Hey, Kid!" the 'ninja' greeted him with a grin, then noticed the other's abysmal demenor. "What's wrong?"

"I know where Maka and Tsubaki are," the shinigami replied in a low tone.

The other male's jaw clenthed. "What are we waiting for?"

"...Figured I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't drag you along. Let's go."

SESESESESESESE

SESESESESESESE

Black Star's eyes looked a little scary. Kid's jaw clentched. He probably should've let the the other in on what where they were going and what state the girls were in, but his eloquence had failed him. No words could describe what damage the gang had done. They had successfully inflitrated the building through the air vents, and looking down on the room with the two girls inside, and were horrified at what they saw.

"Ready?" the shinigami asked.

The other gave a single, stern nod.

Dispatching the gang took little effort for the two enraged teens, but finding their friends took a bit more. They were hidden in the basement of the building, along with several other girls. It took Kid all of two seconds to spot his quarry.

"Maka...," he breathed.

"Kid... I'm so hot..."

"Maka, you're not yourself." He knelt down next to her, laying Liz and Patty on either side of him. The girls transformed and walked away to leave the two alone and see if Black Star had located Tsubaki in the space.

"Kid, please... it burns..."

"Maka, no," he said, wrapping his jacket around her.

"Help me, Kid," she whispered, trying to pull his head to hers.

Swallowing hard, he ripped her hand from his neck. "Maka, we're going back to Shibusen."

"But Kid, it hurts..." Her green eyes were so soft, so pleading, so...innocent...

"BLACK STAR!" he yelled.

"Workin' on it!" the ninja's voice came from another room.

"Kid, don't yell..."

"I'm sorry, Maka."

"Will you help me now? Please?"

"Maka, do you know where Soul is?" the shinigami asked, desperate to distract her.

She didn't reply for a moment, but those eyes looked to the ground. After a moment, she raised her hand to her chest. "He's here," she whispered. "I... Oh, God... Kid. Kid- I-I" He wrapped his arms around her. "K-Kid, no, I-I k-killed him."

"No, you didn't."

"That man... ate him."

"We killed that man."

She stiffened. "You did?"

"Yes." He released her, and saw those green orbs now scanning the room frantically.

"No. No, he can't see me. No, he already saw... How could I do that to him?"

"Maka. You weren't doing that on your own."

"I have to get away. I have to go. Now."

"Maka!" Kid finally said, grasping her shoulders. "Soul has always loved you. Nothing you or anyone else could say or do would change that."

"N-No..."

"I got him!" Black Star proclaimed, running into the room with Soul's obviously unhappy soul in his hand. He couldn't talk in the state he was in, but brightened when he saw his other school friends; Maka safe with them.

Her eyes went wild. "No! He can't! He can't!"

Kid took Soul from the assasin and placed him on Maka's shaking lap. Her screaming stopped; her attention was all his. "S-Soul..." She could feel her partner's wavelength; there was no anger in it, only acceptance, love... and happiness that she was now safe. "Soul," she said again, gingerly taking him in her hands. Holding him close to her, she began to cry.

"Black Star," Kid muttered. "What about Tsubaki?"

"She's coming; just had to put some clothes on."

"So they hadn't broken her yet."

"Nope."

"Good." He stood. "Maka, we have to go."

Still clutching Soul, she violently shook her head no.

"You can keep Soul with you if you want; we just have to get some clothes on you."

Like a neglected child, she warily raised her eyes to him. "...Ok."

SESESESESESESE

SESESESESESESE

They took her back to Kid's house. The two males figured the apartment was a bad idea, and there was plenty of room here. "Black Star, will you report in to my father?"

"Sure. We'll be by later."

"Thank you."

After they left, the shinigami looked down at Maka, now asleep in the bed he'd laid her in. It was a guestroom at the moment, no one would mind. She had fallen asleep on the way back, and now continued to snooze. Around then, he noticed Soul was staring right at him. As he watched, a tendril began to leave the soul to reach out to the other male. was he trying to resonate? Kid closed his eyes and concentrated, allowing the other to commune with him.

He opened his eyes in Soul's soul room. Well, he assumed it was, anyway; a darkly lit room with a grand piano in the center, the record player off the side sat silent, and the white haired male himself sitting with his back to it, facing the newcomer in pinstripe pants and a half buttoned red shirt. Certainly wasn't his own room. "Hey," Soul greeted him, no mirth in his voice.

"Soul, what happened?"

"I failed to protect her," the other answered, glancing to a side of the room, and as soon as he did, it lit up a bit, revealing Maka sound asleep on what looked like a very comfortable chair, sung in her pjs. "And still she can't stay mad at me. How could such a creature love me?"

"Love isn't picky."

A humorless chuckle escaped the other. "You saved her. Thank you. I..." Soul began, but could not find the words to finish.

"You're both my friends; I will always help you."

"Including crossing over, right?" the other smirked.

"When it's time, yes; you both need each other right now. Maka told me you two sometimes dance here; I'd like to see that."

"You're gonna have a wait."

"I can be patient."

Soul glanced sorrowfully over at the burnette again. "She's usually all dolled up here."

"You're probably a bit more together yourself most commonly."

"...It's been a long week."

"For all of us. Why don't you follow her example and get some rest yourself?"

"I don't need sleep anymore."

"I didn't say 'sleep.' I said 'rest.'"

Red eyes rolled. "Fine- if you do too."

"I will."

SESESESESESESE

SESESESESESESE

Maka slept most of the next day into the evening. Kid stayed beside her. Liz brought him a couple meals, tried to get him to go to bed, but he refused. When she finally stirred, she looked up at her caretaker with a soft smile. "Hi," she whispered, voice strained, still holding Soul close to her.

"Ah, she wakes," he grinned back to her. "Are you hungry? Maybe a shower?"

Maka looked down at herself as she sat up; she wasn't in whatever that was the gang had put her in, it was an ordinary pair of pajamas. "Who... changed me?"

"Liz. The pajamas are Patty's; she's a bit more your height."

"..Oh." She was quiet a little longer, looking at Soul in her hands. "I... think I'm hungry."

Kid continued to make himself smile. "Anything particular?"

"I... don't know."

"Well, Liz and Patty made a lasagna for dinner that turned out surprisingly good- how does that sound?"

"Good." The soft smile was back. "Um, Kid... where's the bathroom?"

"Come with me; I'll show you."

Maka seemed content to stay in the mansion; she even seemed all right on her own- as long as Soul was with her. Kid assured her no one in town knew where she had been, aside from himself, his father, Black Star, and Tsubaki, of course. And none of them were the gossiping type. And as far as her classmates were concerned, she was at the hospital and could recieve no visitors, unless she requsted otherwise.

"Thank you, Kid," she muttered when he was done explaining. "You took care of everything and I didn't even have to ask."

"I'm your friend," he replied matter-of-factly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I... don't know," Maka replied. "But thank you," she repeated, snuggling herself against him on the couch. Kid stiffened at first, very much not used such close contact, even with a friend, but relaxed immediately so she didn't have an opportunity to misinterpret his mild discomfort. She was soon asleep once more, as soon as her breathing softened to near-nonexisistance, Kid saw a tendril from Soul, still in Maka's lap. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and allowed the other male to take him to his soul room.

But Soul bore him no ill will. He greeted the shinigami with a soft smile, was was still a bit disheaveled, the red shirt now buttoned with a black tie loosely around his neck. "I talked to Maka," he said. "Really talked. Same way we are. I told her how... how much I love her, but that she needed to let me go. She said how much she loves me, but can't. Begged me to stick around for awhile longer."

"It may be what she needs to recover."

Soul chuckled. "This from the shinigami."

"Shinigami hold balance," Kid grinned back. "Maka's world needs you to hold hers. I know she has to let you go eventually, as do you- and she- but now is not that time." He paused before continuing. "Are you anxious to pass?"

He slowly shook his head. "It's... more of a nagging. Will it get worse?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

"Eh, doesn't matter, I guess."

"Let me know if it does. I don't want to force her any more than you, but it may come to that."

"Yeah, ok. Kid? When she is ready, do me a favor; look out for her."

"I would have even if you hadn't asked."

"That's why I did."

SESESESESESESE

SESESESESESESE

Black Star and Tsubaki stopped by that night with Nygus to look at Maka and get some blood for tests.

"She's gonna have to let him go sometime," the alleged ninja said when Nygus was in the guestroom with the girl.

"I know, he knows, and I'm sure she knows, but right now, the only thing keeping her sane is Soul's positive energy. The two of them are so in tune... she needs him right now, and I doubt he minds."

"Other than it ripping him apart seeing her like this."

"When you have a better plan, I'm all ears," Kid replied in a bored tone. He wanted to be angry, but he honestly didn't have the energy.

Nygus came out them, surveying the group. "I'll come by again soon," she said only, and then was gone. Kid instinctively went back inside the bedroom, followed by the visitors.

"Hey, Maka," Black Star greeted her.

"How are you feeling?" Tsubaki asked.

"Hi," the 'patient' cautiously replied. "I'm really sorry guys, but I'm feeling really tired. I know you came all this way-"

"No, no, think nothing of it," the other girl smiled. "We'll come again another time."

"Ok. Thanks."

"I'll leave you to get your rest," the remaining shinigmai said.

"Wake me for dinner, ok?"

"Of course," he said, and left her with Soul. Maka looked down at her partner.

"Soul Resonance," she whispered.

SESESESESESESE

SESESESESESESE

Kid was heading upstairs to wake his guest as Liz was finishing up dinner, only to find her at the top of the stairs, Soul still in tow. "Maka?" he called to her, climbing up.

"Oh, Kid! Good, I wasn't sure where to go looking for you."

"For what purpose? I said I would wake you."

"Oh, yeah... I wasn't really tired, I just need to talk to Soul. He..." she sniffed, eyes watering. "He needs to c-cross over."

"You're both certain?" he asked, eyes never leaving hers.

She nodded. "He said he told you about the nagging. It's gotten worse; I can tell. I'm gonna miss him so much, but it's something he needs to do. And I'm doing better; it'd just be selfish at this point to keep him here. But before that, Soul said you wanted to see us dance?"

"Ah, he didn't have to take that so seriously," the other flushed.

"Well, he did, and I am, so come back to the room for some privacy and we'll all resonate," she said happily, taking him by the hand and leading the way. Kid almost protested, but seeing her so happy killed any thought of the sort.

Maka held Soul out to Kid, who held him as well, the girl smiling despite the tears in her eyes. "Ready?" she asked.

Whatever answer she was looking for from Soul, she must have gotten it, since she then turned her attention to Kid. The shinigami gave a nod, and resonated with them.

It was the same room as before, only music was coming from the record player now. Soul's pinstripe suit was complete now, and Maka's black dress wrapped her beautifully. There was a single chair in the room, in which the shinigami sat.

The way Soul held his dance partner was borderline reverance. The grip was both light and firm, delicate and solid. They moved in prefect fluidity. Soul spun Maka and she laughed, light and airy, then held her close again. They kissed one another as the song ended, and only then did they move from one another. Soul spun Maka again, but into Kid's surprised arms.

"Soul," Maka whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"None of that, you promised," he told her. "Not keeping promises isn't cool."

"Y-Yeah," she managed to smile. "I know."

"We should be going now," Kid stated. "Hard for you to pass over with us here."

"Any idea what I'm going to?"

"No, but for a cool guy like you, it has to be good."

"Heh, thanks."

"I love you," Maka said to him as the shinigami lead her away.

"I love you, too," he replied. "I always will."

Maka sniffed, still trying hard not to cry.

"See you later."

"Yeah. See you later."