A Contract

Stein's p.o.v.

I paced around the living room in front of Spirit. "How the hell are we supposed to be her parents if we can't even get a handle on her?!?" I looked at my whiteboard that I had been writing ideas on since I started pacing.

"You have been asking that for the last hour Stein. How about you take a break." Spirit said as he handed me my box of cigarettes. "Take a smoke."

"Well....I guess a break won't hurt..." I took them and lit one starting to smoke as I sat down on the couch and stared at the blank whiteboard.

"Great job!" Spirit gave me thumbs up. " So proud of the ideas you poured out the hour you paced around the room like a maniac. The is why I love you- I mean have strong respect for you."

"This is crazy....." I put my head in my hands. "I can't think of what to do....."

"Well let's think together." Spirit took off his jacket and then pulled his shirt off.

"If you want to help, go right ahead." I said shaking my head. "You are so stupid you might be able to come up with an answer to this stupid situation."

"I am not stupid! Why don't you just ground her and kidnap her when she goes back to school, she has to come back eventually."

"Yes but WHEN? Her little friends are going to be there with her as well when she does."

"Lord Death will help us." He gave me thumbs up.

"No, he won't. He's been helping them out with keeping her."

"So?"

"Why would Lord Death help us?" I looked up at him out of my hands.

"Well if we give him enough reason he will."

"What reasons do we have then?" I got up and went to my whiteboard preparing to write them down.

"Well, we cant have her if she don't live with us, and then she will be forced back into the court date and then her step-dad Nick will have a chance of custody over her again. None of us want Nick to have her."

"That's true." I set the marker down. "I think that maybe there is a chance then....I'm gonna call him up." I took out my phone and dialed Lord Death. "Hello?"

"HI STEIN! HOW ARE YOU? I heard Noire got away from you again."

"You heard about that?" I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment. "Your son took her."

"Yes I know, he was bragging about it to me."

"I'm going to guess you encouraged it."

"No, I would never!"

"Well, can we have some help?"

"Help with what?"

"Getting Noire."

"HAHAHAHAHAAAA! Why would I do that?"

"Because we both know what happens if court opens back up on Noire."

"You got yourself a deal."

"So you will help?"

"Yeah."

"No going back on this."

"Why would I? Oh wait two mini-shinigami mad at me...You two are going to take all the blame got it?"

"What? They are your kids!"

"Their twins and their scary and there is two of them and their shinigamis."

"Get a grip! They're your kids! Your daddy Shinigami! You can handle them!"

"You try to handle them! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IT LIKE RAISING THEM WITHOUT A MOMMY!"

"What happened to her anyways?"

"She disappeared."

"That's sad. I'm going to guess that Noire helped you out a lot then."

"She has been every since she came here but before her Spirit was my savior when I brought them to work. The always managed to get the butler or the maids or the babysitters to quit. I don't know why...Or how."

"Your going to have some issues when I take Noire."

"I am having issues right now. I have no clue where they are staying at."

"Really? You have no clue? And that's bothering you?"

"Yes! Their my babies they should be here not gone off living alone without me!"

"I'll let you know when they finally show up to class. They've been playing hooky for a while."

"I know. Kid tells me." Lord Death sounded angry.

"I'll send them to the Death Room. All of them."

"Great idea."

"Don't you know where they are? They bought the house with your credit card."

"I don't play cheat. I play by the rules."

"Oh ok. That's consid- Is this a game of hide and seek to you?"

"Sort of. I remodeled the manor and now I am waiting for them to come home."

"You are a very interesting person you know that?"

"Like a spider, I wait for the flies to come to me- I don't go to them."

"Well that's how you lose them. Sometimes the web is in the wrong place to be catching flies."

"My web is in the right spot okay! Wait a sec. I will call you back."

"What are you doing?"

"Someone is calling me."

"Who?"

"That hot chick that's a nurse in our school right?" Spirit asked.

"Shut up Spirit." I glanced at him and then went back to talking to Lord Death. "So who is it?" I paused and turned around slowly to look at Spirit when I realized what he said. "Spirit....."

"Wow it's like he read my mind." Lord Death said as he hung up. I put the phone in my lab coat slowly.

"Yes Stein?" Spirit asked.

"Don't talk about Medusa like you want her." I crossed my arms.

"And if I do? Remember we are not married yet."

"I'll dissect you." I pushed my glasses up smirking.

"AHHHHHH! SCARY STEIN!"

"Don't talk about her then if you value not being dissected."

"Yes Stein...jeeze." Spirit walked away from me.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING? COME BACK HERE!" I paled.

"I am going out."

"B-but....but.....Spirit."

"Yes Stein?" He turned to look at me.

"Don't go. Please."

"I wont." He came over to me getting real close.

"Thank you Spirit." I smiled at him.

"Your welcome." He hugged me.

"My little Spirit." I hugged him back and rested my head on top of his.

"Yes?" He smirked and pulled away grabbing my hand. "Let's go to the beach."

"It's night." I pointed out.

"We could skinny dip."

"You really want to go there?"

"Yes."

"You really want to go to the beach and skinny dip with me?"

"Yes."

"Well, let's go." I smirked and grabbed my car keys. "A little fresh air for both of us might help us find ways to get Noire if Lord Death fails."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Spirit walked out going to the car. I got in the driver's side and cranked it up and looked over at Spirit as he got in.

"How many times have you asked me to go to the beach with you anyways?"

"On rare occasions." He smiled at me.

"Rare occasions seem to happen a lot." I started driving to the beach speeding up once we left town.

"Hey Stein..."

"Yes?"

"Are we going to get married one day?"

"How would I know? Oh wait...yeah....I would know wouldn't I?"

"Yes you would know."

"We'll see....I'm not sure."

"Okay Stein!" I punched in the radio and Viva La Vida came on.

"So...Stein. What color should our bedroom walls be?"

"Are we going to talk about this now?" I glanced at him. "Purple."

"What if I wanted pink..."

"You want pink? Pick a wall. Our room shall be a rainbow."

"YESSSS! A RAINBOW!"

"I didn't mean for real.....we'll pick only 4 colors ok? For the 4 walls."

"I want pink and red."

"Purple and grey."

"Deal. What type of bedframe?"

"You pick for all I care."

"So I have permission to design everything in the room but the walls?"

"Knock yourself out."

"YAY!" He cheered.

"I GET TO KEEP MY LAB COATS IN THE DRESSER THOUGH."

'Yes Stein...."

"Good."

"You have such a variety of clothes in your wardrobe, I love it."

"Are you being sarcastic with me?" I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Yep." He smirked. "Noire and I will definitely go shopping to get you something nice."

"But I like my lab coat." I whined.

"Wear it to work but at home, your taking it off."

"Nuh uh!"

"Yes you will, for me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"I'm watching you now. I've got my eye on you. You might get- SPIRIT! Drink this." I held out a bottle of whisky to him.

'Sure!" He drunk it all.

"What's 2+2?"

"Twenty two."

"Good enough. You're drunk right?"

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"Either A) your stupid or B) your really stupid or C) your drunk and that's why you can't tell me the correct answer to 2+2."

'I told you the right answer smart one."

"2+2 equals 4"

"No it is obviously not that."

"Yes it is." I pulled over and took out 4 cigarettes. "This is two right?" I held up two of them.

"I seen nine, but if you mean how many are you then yes....I see two and half."

"Spirit, Spirit, Spirit." I shook my head. "This is one cigarette. And this one makes two cigarettes." I showed him one and then added another.

"Close enough." He got out and started stripping down. I face palmed.

"We aren't there yet silly." I muttered.

"Oh..." He got back in and grabbed his clothes putting them in the floor.

"Put them back on. No one needs to see you in your boxers." I started driving again.

"No one but you will see."

"What if I get pulled over?"

"Who cares?"

"Well.....I guess if you don't care...." I glanced at him and then smirked. "You like being in just your boxers don't you? Especially around me....."

"Only around you and pretty ladies."

"This again? Spirit, no cheating on me."

"Yes ma'am."

"Whatever...." I continued in silence until I stopped at the beach and got out going to the water edge leaving Spirit in the car and sat down looking at the waves. Spirit ran into the water a few seconds later.

"YEAH! WATER!" He yelled.

"Hey Spirit! I want to ask you something if you still have some of your clothes on!" He looked at me and came back sitting by me, he still had his boxers on.

"Yes?" I looked at him and pulled out a black box that I had been saving and handed it to him. "Are you on drugs?"

"Maybe if you include cigarettes." I pulled out my phone and started recording this to show him later.

"Okay." He opened it and saw a ring inside.

"So Spirit....Marry me?"

"OH MY GAWD! YES!" He pushed my back into the sand and got on me kissing me deeply. I kissed him back and dropped the phone in the sand with the camera side up. "Stein your so sweet! I love you to much why would I not marry you?"

"Because some are weird and like playing hard to get." I flipped us over and kissed Spirit's neck. 

"Well your lucky because that's not like me."

"I know." I said quietly. Spirit took the ring out of the box.

"Which finger is it again?"

"This one." I smirked and took the ring from him and slid it on his ring finger. "Now your mine."

"Your right about that. I guess this means no more going to chubracabras?"

"I would like it if you stopped going there yes." I wrapped my arms around him.

"Okay Steiny poo I will stop going."

"Thank you." I kissed him softly and got off of him turning the video recorder off on my phone and smiled at him. "I'll show this to you in the morning ok?"

"Okay, that's a great idea."

"Go play."

"Only if you come with me!"

"While you still can."

"What?"

"You heard me. I'll give you a head start." I smirked and closed my eyes.

"Oh my gawd!" I heard Spirit run off towards the water.

"You better hide Spirit." I laughed as I laid down on the sand with my eyes closed.

"I'M GONNA LOSE!"

"If you don't hide, yes." Spirit got quiet and I heard footsteps on the sand run by. I smiled. I'm going to find you soon. After a few minutes, I sat up and opened my eyes and picked up my phone calling Spirit's phone and listened for it ringing, but didn't hear it. Oh yeah.....it's in the car dang it. I stood up and looked at the ground for Spirit's footprints in the sand and found a trail leading to the shed with the water guns. "Oh my.....crap." I looked around for a hiding spot so he wouldn't shoot me with water when he comes out and stripped to my boxers and ran into the water going under and swimming off to a rock sticking out of the water and sat on it watching for Spirit.

"Trying to be like the little mermaid?" He asked as he stood up and jumped off the top of the shed with a water gun in his hands.

"So thaaat's where you were!" I smiled. "No, I'm getting away from you mister water gun!"

"Why? Are you scared of water?"

"I'm surrounded by it so....no.....not really."

"Thought you were coming to get me!"

"That was before you armed yourself. The predator became the prey."

"Told you I am the dominant one!"

"No. no your not."

"Your afraid of me, I am drunk Stein, I see five of you and your scared of what now?"

"In that case." I stood up and looked to the sides of me. "Army of Steins! CHARGE!" I dived into the water and swam to shore and ran towards Spirit.

"I will shoot at all five of you!" He started squirting water at me and backing up but fell backwards into the sand. I tripped over a rock and fell on top of him and disarmed him quickly throwing the water gun far away from him. "Dang it, where is a white flag when you need one?"

"Poor you. You're trapped now." I smirked. "How about a midnight dissection?"

"AHHHHHH! NO NOT ONE OF THOSE!" He threw me off him and got onto his stomach crawling away.

"Or midnight romance." I said. "Sounds interesting. Change it up a little."

"Sounds so much better." He got on top of me.

"What do you want to do then?"

"Kiss and make out and go midnight stripping and swim a bit."

"Well, let's see if we can fit all that in." I leaned up and kissed him. He kissed back and then deepened it. When Spirit finally pulled away, I laid my head back down on the sand and looked up at him. "What next?"

"Time to go swimming." I smirked and picked him up as I stood up and went over to the water walking into it and dropped him in it when I got deep enough. He laughed as he fell in and stood up by me.

"What's so funny?"

"This." He pushed me into the water. When I resurfaced, I grabbed his leg and ripped it out from underneath him causing him to fall into the water. I laughed and didn't let go of his foot. "Hey that's my foot give it back!"

"I don't think I will." I pulled him to me and smirked.

"Oh no! Crazy fiancé on the loose!"

"You better hope the universe takes mercy on you."

"What are you gonna do to me..."

"What do you think I'm going to do?"

"Um...kiss me?"

"I was thinking a little bit more than that."

"OH NO! Your going to dissect me?"

"A little higher on that scale." I said. "So keep guessing."

"K-k-kiss me?"

"Warmer...."

"Wait a minute Stein....why would you kill me?"

"Dead cold."

"Um...Thought you wasn't ready for it?"

"I think you just got really warm."

"Thank you, when will I be on fire?"

"When you finally say it."

"I have to say the actual word?"

"How will I know that your not thinking about ice cream when I mean something else?"

"Fine. The s word."

"THIS SPIRIT IS ON FIRE!" I started singing to This Girl Is On Fire.

"AHHHH! I THOUGHT YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL WE GOT MARRIED.."

"Yeah, your right." I let go of his foot and held my sides laughing.

"It's not funny you scared me..."

"No, this isn't funny." I gave him a kiss and swam off.

"AH! I am literally warm now."

"YOU BETTER NOT HAVE PEED IN THE WATER!"

"Don't leave me! I am drunk.." I came back and smiled at him.

"So."

"So?" He leaned in and kissed me. I pulled back quickly.

"Nope, I'm supposed to tease you now."

"Fine, but on our honey moon all the teasing will come back to haunt you."

"What, you are gonna tease me? That's rich considering your drunk all most all the time and it's easy to get you to do what I want."

"Prove it." He waved his hands up in the air.

"Ok." I got up and started walking to the beach leaving him. "Bye Spirit." I picked up my lab coat and my pants along with my shirt and continued walking. Spirit had followed me out and grabbed my hand.

"Steiny poo don't leave me!"

"I win." I looked at him smiling. "Told you it was easy."

"Your right, you win." He walked over to the car.

"What the hell are you doing? Go play! I drove all the way down here."

"We can play at home together in the bed."

"That's not suggestive at all."

"Remember my handcuffs?"

"No."

"I do."

"I don't know what you are talking about." I looked away blushing.

"Let me refresh your memory." He pulled out his handcuffs from in his jacket in the car.

"Oh....those handcuffs. Yeah I remember no need to refresh my memory." I took a step back as I slipped on my shirt and then my lab coat after I put on my pants again. He started coming towards me with them. I took a few more steps back and looked behind me nervously. "Yup, no reason to refresh it. How about you put those down."

"Fine, we will continue this later." He put them up and got dressed. I sighed and looked at the ocean then got into my car and started it up. Spirit got in and was playing with the ring.

"Don't lose it sweetie." I started driving home and thought about what to do about our daughter. I could easily ground her if she lived with us, but I can't seem to trap her long enough. The gang and the death twins come for her everytime. My phone rang and I answered it putting it on speaker phone.

"Stein here."

"Sup Stein, where was we?" Lord Death asked.

"Talking about how to get the Death Twins to calm down."

"Oh yeah, that's your job."

"But that basically-" I was interrupted by Spirit.

"LORD DEATH GUESS WHAT I AM ENGAGED TO THE BEST MAN IN DEATH CITY!"

"Spirit!" I looked at him and then back at the road.

"Wait what did I just hear?"

"Stein asked me to marry him." Spirit said cheerfully.

"WHAT!" Lord Death chocked up.

"YOUR FAULT. YOU MADE IT HAPPEN WHEN YOU PAIRED US UP. It happens to most weapon and meisters.....like a spell...." I trailed off

"Congratz you two! I think.."

"THANK YOU!" Spirit smiled.

"Well....I hope you didn't just die Lord Death." I laughed.

"I am just fine, you two get some rest and tomorrow I want to see you two in the death room bright and early in the morning. Good night!" I got scared and hung up on him quickly.

"He wants to see us in the Death room tomorrow..."

"Sweet but I am always in there..."

"He's going to have a talk with us....."

"Sounds fun!"

"Not fun....I might die tomorrow. I don't think Lord Death likes the fact that I just got engaged to his Death Scythe he has been having me use for a weapon."

"No he will be cool with it!"

"Bright and early he said. Death Room he said. Get some rest he said. I want to see you two he said. Good night he said."

"Why are you so worried?"

"Because I don't like being Shinigami Chopped."

"You worry over the littlest things..."

"Like how scary the concept of going into the Death Room is?"

"Your scared of that?"

"No, I'm scared of what's in it."

"There aint nothing in it but crosses and Lord Death himself."

"EXACTLY. LORD DEATH."

"Your one of the best teachers he has, what's the worst he can do to you?"

"Torture me, kill me, rip my skin off like the first real Kishin."

"Nah, he's not like that."

"Um.....he did that last one to a Kishin."

"Do you look like a Kishin?"

"No.....maybe, definitely not. He might make an exception, you never know...."

"Hmmm he is mad at us still for stealing Noire and adopting her.."

"At least he said he was going to help us."

"True, maybe that is why we are gonna go meet him so early to discuss the plans of taking Noire."

"Bet he wants to do a contract soon."

"We will do it."

"No signing anything from Lord Death without my consent."

"Yes sir." He laughed. I pulled up to my lab and got out going inside and went to the whiteboard again and knocked it over and went to my bedroom and shut the door. Spirit knocked on the door."Stein?"

"Come in Spirit." He walked in and took off his jacket and shirt. "Well then."

"What?"

"Coming to bed?"

"Of course." Spirit took off his pants and crawled into the bed.

"Well, night then."

"Good night sweet prince." He kissed me then curled up.

"Night Spirit. OH MY GOSH." I sat up. "There was a cartoon titled Spirit about a horse."

"Uh...Are you ok?"

"Yeah....I'm fine." I laid back down and pulled Spirit to me. He closed his eyes and laid his head on my chest.

"Nighty night."

"Night sweet pea." I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Spirit's p.o.v.

I woke up in the morning with a killer headache. I sat up and looked around seeing the light shinning in. We was in Stein's lab. I looked down and seen him fast asleep. I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom and pushed the boxers down and turned on the water shutting the bathroom door. Then I noticed it. A ring on my ring finger. "HOLLY GAWD! WHY THE HELL IS THERE A RING ON MY FINGER! What did I do last night..." A knock came at the door.

"Honey, will you hurry up?" Stein asked. I cracked the door open. Looking at him.

"I have one question."

"Oh....that question. That's right you were drunk! Ok, put on your boxers turn off the water and come out so I can explain very carefully to you about what you want to ask me." Stein walked off. I did as he told me to and walked out to him.

"Did I marry you?"

"Come here and watch this." Stein pulled out his phone and patted next to him on his bed. I sat by him lookng at his phone.

"I take it as I did get married to you."

"Shush." Stein played a video of us at the beach where he handed me a box with the ring in it and asked me to marry him. The rest of the video was just sounds of us kissing and laughing. Then it ended.

"Oh, so we are engaged now!" I kissed him and wrapped my arms around him.

"Yeah, not completely married to me silly."

"Yay! I will get to experience our wedding sober though...right?"

"Um....." He looked away. "I guess. OH. Lord Death wants to see us this morning. You dropped the bomb on him last night about us getting engaged."

"WHAT!" I facepalmed and got up. "Oh god what do I do!"

"Bright and early he said. Death Room he said. Get some rest he said. I want to see you two he said. Good night he said."

"OH no." I held my head and rushed to the bathroom. "We got to leave soon- LEAVE THE CITY WHILE WE CAN!"

"HEY SPIRIT! GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF! Look, Lord Death agreed last night to help us get Noire. We just have to deal with his angry kids."

"Oh yeah your right." I calmed down and took a shower. Stein was dressed and waiting for me with my lunch already packed and handed it to me when I came out.

"So....let's go."

"Yeah." I grabbed the sack and went to the car and got in. "I hope I don't die today."

"Well the worse that could happen is that Lord Death does us like the first Kishin."

"OH no." I curled up in the seat. Stein started driving to DWMA and when we got to the Death room Stein knocked.

"Ya? Come in!" The door flew open and I lead the way in. We reached Lord Death and he stood there watching us.

"Hi Lord Death good morning." I gave a thumb up right as I heard the door close.

"I HEARD SOMEONE GOT ENGAGED!"

"That person who told you was drunk." Stein said calmly.

"It is true though right?" Lord Death asked.

"Yes Sir." I smiled and looked at Stein. "I am going to give marriage another go! Hope I don't screw it up."

"You won't screw it up." Stein said smiling at me.

"Let me see the ring!" Lord Death grabbed my hand. "PRETTY!"

"Lord Death?" Stein asked. "This seems like a girls reaction."

"Oh boy, we are going to totally go plan the wedding out this afternoon at four with tea together!" Lord Death went on. "How does a beach wedding sound? Who will wear the dress..."

"Not me!" Stein said quickly and took a few steps away from me. "How about no dress and we just both dress up like guys?"

"Makes more since..." He let my hand go and I backed away. "So anyways on to what we was saying over the phone. I will call them into the death room and we will explain it to them in a civil matter and make Noire go home with you. After a week she is mine again."

"What?" Stein asked. "No, she's ours. We adopted her."

"Let me introduce the contract to you." Lord Death pulled it out and showed it to us which was practically like the old one the only difference is the date she begins being his which is in a weeks time.

"That's basically the same thing that you did to her mom! This says she only has to visit once a month after she goes back to being with you!" Stein stared at it in horror and pushed his glasses up.

"Think about it Stein you get to see her everyday anyways because Spirit and you are always babysitting them." I laughed as Lord Death said it.

"It's not the same." Stein crossed his arms.

"Yes it is."

"You just changed the dates. It's the same contract." Stein took it from Lord Death and looked it over.

'Fine, Spirit go make a new contract." I smirked and walked over to my typing machine. I typed in something like this:

Noire Albarn

Lord Death may have custody over Noire on week days.... Stein and Spirit will be her babysitter everyday after classes at DWMA..... On weekend she is to return to Stein and Spirits for the normal teen life.....

Signatures:

I handed it over to Stein and Lord Death to read over. Stein nodded. "Fair enough."

"I am ok with it!" I watched them both sign it them I did as well.

"Oh the cleverness of me!" I laughed. "You know I done the old contract as well."

"Yes, but the old one wasn't in our favor Spirit. Back then it was Noire's mom against Lord Death and you."

"I know." I smiled. "Now she has to see us everyday!"

"Great." Stein stretched and sat down. "What now?"

"We have a few minutes until school starts, cards anyone?" I asked and pulled out a deck of cards from in my pocket. Stein nodded and took them from me dealing them out without asking Lord Death's opinion.

"What a nice game..." Lord Death whispered and I smirked. This should be a interesting day...