Gramps

There was nothing that Nathan liked more than, well, Mirajane. Or his toy cars. Farts were cool. But right after that (or maybe somewhere in between) was Gramps. The man was great. He let Nate ride up on his shoulders and would play all sorts of silly games with him. And, best of all, he was basically the boss of Laxus, it appeared, which was just swell to the man's firstborn. Anyone that could boss the big lug around was okay in his book.

Yeah, Makarov was pretty great. And he seemed to love the little boy back just as much. Oh, and he sure liked Mira. He bragged on her constantly. It made Nate super happy to have someone who loved the woman just as much as him in his corner.

The only problem with the man was that he just wasn't around enough. Nate wasn't allowed to go to the guildhall very often and that was usually where the guy hung out. And since Mirajane gave birth to his younger brother Pike, he hardly got to leave the house at all. It wasn't fair.

So it was quite a surprise that day, as he was playing with his cars in the living room, when the man showed up. He didn't know it was Makarov at first, of course, just heard a knock on the door before it just opened. Usually only Laxus just barged in there like that (he did kinda live in the apartment, after all) or Lisanna, but it was neither of them. Nope. It was Master Makarov, the slight man smiling at the sight of his great-grandson.

"G'amps!" Nate jumped up, taking his favorite car with him before rushing over to him. "Hi!"

"Who's there?" Mirajane called out from somewhere before rushing out from the hall, a crying five month old in her arms. Nate only frowned at the sound of his brother. Pike was such a baby. "I- Oh. Master. I wasn't expecting you."

"Sorry to just barge in on you," he said, glancing over at the woman. Nate had thrown himself on the man, definitely one for hugs when it came to the old man, and Makarov had no choice but to return the gesture. "I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Bad time?" Mira was trying to sound chipper, but it was hard. It was already noon and she hadn't even caught a shower yet. Or eaten. She'd managed to get Nate some breakfast as some point, but never herself, as Pike was just not cooperating that day. He literally whined from six that morning until then. She hadn't gotten him quit for more than twenty minutes at a time. Laxus had taken him to a doctor the day before as he'd had a fever, but nothing came of it. He just had a cold and was going to have to ride it out. Apparently, Pike was less than thrilled by his prognosis. "Why would you say that?"

Well, other than the fact that her hair was all disheveled, her eyes were red, and she couldn't stop yawning, nothing.

Instead of saying any of that though, Makarov only forced a smile for the woman.

"No reason," he was quick to say. "I was only-"

"Laxus isn't here," she said as she came further into the room, still mostly focused on trying to calm Pike down. Nathan, finished with hugging the man, rushed back to his toy cars to get back to playing. "He's out training and won't be back until late. If there's something you'd like for me to tell him-"

"Why would you assume I am here for him?" Makarov walked over to her then, holding his arms out. "I have new grandchildren now. Let me see this one, hmmm?"

"Oh, Master, he's sick. I don't think-"

"Come now, Mirajane. And what's with this Master stuff? I'm not the Master right now. I'm your grandfather." Finally, she handed over Pike to him. "There. See? Now what's wrong with him?"

"He has a bit of a cold," Mira said as she only frowned down at the man. Even though Pike had been pushing her to her braking point for the past two days with his illness, he was still her baby. She thought that she was the only one that could ever care for him. "It's his first one and he's having a hard time coping with it."

Boy was he. Pike felt like he was in constant pain and the two people that had been there for him from the start, his mother and father, they weren't doing jack for him. Just snuggling him and rocking him and what the heck did that help? Huh?

"Poor boy." Makarov was smiling down at the child then. "But I suppose all must go through it. All life is full of firsts."

"Mommy." Nathan was tired of them talking about the other child. Completely. "Come play?"

"Not right now, Nate." Mira, honestly, was starting to feel lightheaded. A nap sounded really good. If she could just get Pike down. "Just play alone, huh? I just need to sit for a second, okay?"

Makarov glanced up at that. "Tired, Mirajane?"

"Hmmm? Oh, no, I'm just," she started, but had to stop as she began yawning. "Mmmm. I'm just thinking, is what I meant to say. I still have to make Nate lunch and Pike is so worked up he won't drink-"

"Mac 'n' cheese," Nathan called over to Mirajane. "'kay?"

"Sentences, baby."

"Eat for lunch," he tried, not quite sure how to phrase it well enough to get her approval. "Yes?"

Mira decided to just give it to him. "I'll make it soon. Promise."

"When did you say that Laxus was getting back?" Makarov asked, still just standing there with Pike in his arms. Mira looked about ready to drift off. "Soon?"

"Late," she sighed, glancing over at him. "I'm sorry. I'm so stressed right now, I don't think that I can be much company. And I really need to get Pike-"

"I have him," Makarov reasoned. "Is anyone else coming around today? Lisanna or someone-"

"No. It's just me and the boys," she told him wearily. "And really, Master, I'm sure you have something to get back to, don't you?"

Though he didn't want to tell her so, Master Makarov had come by to ask when she would be getting back to work full time. She'd begun taking days again a little over a month ago, but it'd been sporadic recently, what with Laxus being gone so frequently. The guild was suffering for it, or at least the bar portion of it was, and he wanted her back as soon as possible. Lisanna couldn't keep orders straight and though she was fantastic, Kinana was no Mirajane. No one was Mirajane. No one understood the filing system or how Makarov liked things to be kept in the back office. She did all that. She took care of that. She took care of him.

At the moment though, it was looking like she couldn't take care of anyone. Not even herself.

"Not at all, my dear," the man said, coming to sit down on the couch then. "And look. Pike's responding quite well to me, I believe."

Sorta. He wasn't sobbing so hard, but that was more because his cries were getting him nowhere than that he was actually feeling any better.

"I guess so," Mira whispered, staring at her youngest son. "But still, surely you have to-"

"I have to stay right here," he cut her off. "With my boys. I don't know how many years I have left, after all, and any extra time I get, there's no one else I'd rather be with."

"Don't speak that way, Master."

"It's the truth," he assured her. "And I am more than capable of watching over them."

"Watching over them?" she repeated.

"Of course. As you go off now and freshen up."

"Huh?"

He gave her a look. "Not to be rude, Mira, but you do not look yourself at all."

"M-Master-"

"You looked exhausted," the elderly man kept up. "And I won't let you stay over here alone with the boys in that condition. You need your rest, Mira."

"Pike's sick," she told him. "I can't rest when he's-"

"Just go take a power nap, huh?" He even smiled at her. "I will watch over things until-"

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said slowly then. "Nate still needs to eat and Pike needs his medicine soon and the dog- Nate, where's the dog?"

"I dunno."

In the kitchen, sleeping. It was the middle of the day. What? Did they wanted him up at all hours or something now? If he didn't get in his noon nap, then he wouldn't be able to be up at three in the morning, whining at Laxus' bedside to be taken outside so he could pee (howl at the moon). Duh.

"Well-"

"Mira, go," Makarov nodded off to the hall then. "Just go rest your eyes for a bit. Me and the boys will be fine. What? You think that I've gotten that old that I can't care for my own grandchildren?"

"I didn't say that. I-"

"I raised your husband, practically. And Ivan, I supposed, but that's not the best of examples, considering."

"Master-"

"You want to keep calling me that? Fine. Then I am ordering you, as your master, to go take a nap." He gave her a stern look. "I mean it, Mirajane. Running yourself ragged is no help to either of these children. Now go."

She didn't want to. Honest, she didn't. The last thing Mirajane ever wanted to seem in front of the man was weak, but… Sleep had been far and in between recently. Just a few minutes would be enough, she figured, to reinvigorate her. Then she'd get some coffee brewing after and be all set for the rest of the night.

Sounded like a plan.

"Just," she said as she got to her feet, "for a few minutes. Fifteen. Okay, Master?"

He just nodded. "Okay, Mira."

"Can you behave for Master Makarov, Nathan?" She looked over to the boy then who was more focused on his cars than anything else. "Huh?"

"Mac 'n' cheese."

"Later, sweetie. I promise. I'll-"

"I can make that up for you real good, boy," Makarov said, smiling over at the child who giggled in return. "You just wait."

"It'll be back in a few minutes," Mirajane reminded with a frown. "Master. So that won't be necessary."

"Of course not, Mira."

"I'm serious."

"I know you are."

And she was. Honest, she was. But when she got to her bedroom, the blinds were just pulled so tight and it was so dark in there. And oh, the sheets were cool against her skin and mmmm, her pillow smelled just like Laxus. She didn't want to sleep, really, only rest her eyes. Just for a couple of minutes. All she needed a few minutes. Ten minute. No, fifteen. Twenty…

Maybe forever.

It felt that way, anyhow, when something awoke her sometime later. Mira was confused, at first, about where she was. The room was still rather dark, but instead of bright, yellow light being blocked by the blinds, they were instead holding back vibrant orange and dull reds that shot lazily through a few places.

What time was it?

What had happened?

Nathan was there with her. That was probably what kept Mira the most calm. He was just laying out on the other side of the bed, flat on his little tummy, breathing softly. And that dog was there too, at the foot of the bed, indulging in yet another nap (what, a canine can only have one nap a day now) and snoring some what.

Mirajane felt completely backwards. What day was it? Hadn't she just been trying to calm down Pike and the Master had been over and she was supposed to make Nate's lunch…

Then the voices hit her. They weren't very loud, but her bedroom door had been left wide open and the apartment was rather tiny. Both were the most familiar she knew so it wasn't hard for Mirajane to pick out their words.

"-can't even think about takin' another job right now. Not till Pike gets better anyhow."

"You shouldn't be thinking about it as it is. You should have seen your wife when I first got here. She was-"

"Mira's the one that does that to herself. I offered to stay home and help out today. She was the one that sent me off."

"And you're the one that chose to go."

"You always take her side, don't you, Gramps?"

"Yes, Laxus, because when it comes down to the two of you, hers is always right."

Mirajane knew that she should go out there or at least make some sort of noise, to let them know that she was up and could hear them, but she just didn't want to move. Or talk. Or deal with them. At all. She just wanted to lay there and drift back off.

Mmmm. And check on Pike. She really wanted to check on Pike. Her poor little sick baby. She didn't even hear him crying anymore. She hoped he didn't need her.

"Besides," Makarov was going on then. "The track record we all have with women in this family, you better be glad she's stuck around this long."

"I treat Mira just fine. Today was just a bad day. That's all."

"Say what you want, but you know as well as I do that she won't be like your mother."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"When she leaves, it'll be with your boys," he warned. "And you'll have a hard time fighting that."

"Mira ain't goin' nowhere," Laxus growled then. "And I think that you're the last one that should be givin' me marriage advice, don't ya think, Gramps?"

"Careful, boy. I-"

"You be careful." Laxus snorted. "Tell me how to treat my woman. I take damn good care of her. Better care that you ever have anything else. Her and the boys are mine. And they like it that way."

"And you seem to be taking such good care of this one." That had an air of sarcasm in it and Mira realized even in her dazed state that they had to have Pike with him. He was probably in one of the men's arms, sleeping. "Great job."

"He's fine," Laxus grumbled. "Just a little cold's all. He had Mira all frenzied though, yesterday with his fever. I thought she was gonna kill me when I made her stay home with Nate and let me take him to the doctor."

"She has taken to caring for him and the other one quite well," Makarov agreed. "Although, the bar does need her more now. Our membership is up and I-"

"Tough, Gramps," the younger man responded. "She don't need your rinky-dink little bar to feel important no more. She's got me and the boys to look after. She likes it a lot better. And all the money I rake in, we're just fine as it is. So shove your bar."

Makarov only let out one of those disappointed sighs. "Have I not proven time and time again that I always have been able to and always will be able to best you? Mirajane is no different. She was mine first."

"Hardly. You're were just a creepy old man that took advantage of my demon's kind nature is all." Laxus sounded rather thoughtful. Almost sweet. "She's mine. Or did you miss the wedding and the raising my bastard portion of things?"

And there went the sweet. Sigh.

"Honestly, Laxus," Makarov complained. "And it doesn't matter. She's more loyal to me and the guild than-"

"Than her awesome and underappreciated husband? Think again, old man."

Mirajane was starting to fall back asleep then and figured she'd leave them to their discussion. It won't hurt anything to get a few more minutes in. Err, hours. She was pretty sure it had been hours. And if the yellow stains she could see on Nate's shirt when he rolled onto his side were any indication, it was well past lunchtime and he'd gotten what he wanted. But then again, when didn't he?

"She will come back," Makarov assured him. "I am sure she misses it."

"Misses being worked to the bone?" Snort. "No way."

"And she was not here? When I arrived, Laxus, she looked-"

"This was just one bad day."

"One that you could have avoided. If you knew that the boy was sick and that Mira had been up with him the night before, you could have, at the very least, asked Lisanna or Evergreen or even Freed to come help her out today. Or even sent Nate somewhere else so she only had one child to deal with."

"Hindsight's strong on you today, ain't it? And Mira would have been fine." Laxus laughed, if only slightly. "Mira's always fine."

Makarov paused then, for a moment or two, before saying, "I just don't see why I wasn't invited over, is all."

"Huh?" Laxus was no doubt doing a double take about then. Mira wished she was in there to see it. He was so cute when he was perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

Again, the elderly man paused before saying, "I have seen, many times now, that I just do not appear to be in the babysitting lineup that you have composed these days and-"

"What lineup? And sheesh, Gramps, gettin' kinda chickish, aren't you?"

"I do not-"

"We just ain't asked you to watch the kids since we had Pike 'cause, you know, there's two of 'em," Laxus said with what Mirajane was sure accompanied a shrug. "And there's only one of you. I mean, it's not like you're in your prime here or anything."

"I'll have you know that I wrangled both of them this entire afternoon while Mirajane was napping. So well, even, that they didn't wake her once."

"What you want? A medal?"

"Just consideration, is all. I have just as much a right to spend time with them as anyone."

It was Laxus turn to pause before saying slowly, "If this is some ploy to get the demon to work more-"

"How would that even work, Laxus?"

"I don't know. You offer to watch the brat and send Mira into work. Won't fly. She deserves time off."

"You're quite concerned wit this."

"Of course I am."

"Considering Mirajane is very content in her work usually, I find your insistence otherwise unsettling."

Laxus growled. "Don't try to confuse me, Gramps. It won't work."

"I am not trying to."

"Mira belongs here, at home. She likes it best here."

"Well, I guess we can just disagree on that one."

"Why? When I'm right?"

Part of Mirajane was annoyed with both of them then, given the fact that she could love Fair Tail and staying at home with her boys very equally and that if they wanted her opinion on the subject, well, they could always try asking instead of just assuming. An even bigger part, however, was just thrilled that she had her top two Dreyar men arguing over her and her time. There were few people she cared for more than Makarov and his grandson.

"Tell you what, Gramps," Laxus was grumbling about then. "You want to watch the brats, huh? So badly? Fine. You can. Believe me, it's more than welcome. What? You think that we want to be the ones to keep them constantly? I don't. And I'm sure that deep down Mira doesn't either. And you know that she likes you enough."

More than enough.

"You can stop by any time you want," the man went on, "and spend time with them. I never knew that it was that big of deal. I mean, honestly, Gramps."

It was quite then for a good minute or two. Pike's cries, however, broke that up rather abruptly.

"Awe man," Laxus groaned. "I think it's a diaper situation."

Mira was finally able to force herself up then, at the cries of her baby. Nate wasn't one to be left behind though, head shooting up at the sounds before he took off after Mirajane.

Was she messing with that nasty baby again? Ugh. What was with her?

"I am so sorry," Mira was apologizing the second she made it to the living room. "Really, I-"

"I am too," Laxus grumbled. "I mean, sheesh, Mira, you smell that? The kid's turned rancid!"

"I'm not sorry for you," she said as Laxus carried Pike off to be changed. "I'm sorry to you, Master."

"Me?" Makarov, who was still seated on the couch though he was joined then by Nathan, the little boy cuddling up under his arm, only frowned at her. "Sorry for what?"

"For leaving you with them," Mira said as Nathan, annoyed that once again the attention wasn't on him, snuggled even closer to his great-grandfather. "You should have woken me up. I mean, no, I shouldn't have fallen asleep like that, on you. I'm-"

"You were tired," the man said simply before glancing down at Nathan who only grinned up at him. "Me and the boys had plenty of fun alone. And Laxus came home to give the younger his medicine. All turned out well, I would venture."

"Yes, but-"

"Mirajane." He was looking at her once more then and his gaze fell heavy between them. "We are family. And family does things for one another. Besides, you have cared enough for me over the years. It is about time that I had a chance to return the favor."

Nate wanted the man to return the favor always. He was great. They played hide-and-seek, they ate tons of macaroni, and, even though Mirajane had been sleeping, he'd had a blast. Gramps was great. Gramps was awesome.

"I think he wants you, demon."

Laxus was back then with Pike and only game to gently hand the whining baby off to her. Her head got a kiss as well.

"You have a good nap?" He looked her in the eyes then and, when she nodded, Laxus gave the woman another kiss. "Good. And what about you, Nate? Huh?"

"Laxus!"

"You sleep the day away, brat?"

"No!" He only snuggled closer to Makarov. "You did."

"I did not. I was out training. Ever heard of it?"

"Stupid Laxus."

"Hey!"

Mirajane only grinned then, first down at Pike, and then over at where Makarov was trying to calm Laxus down who, for the record, hated when Nate called him stupid. For good reason. The boy had a problem with rudeness when it came to his father. Considering who his father was, that should've been understandable.

But they were all just so cute. All four of them. Of all her Dreyar men, Mirajane didn't know who she loved the most, but she did know that she loved all of them. And they loved her too.