The moon was bright, nearly blindingly so. It gleamed on the ocean water and the waves created a soft melody. On the edge of the sand, a small one bedroom cabin sat with all the lights off. The beams of moonlight shone through the curtains and onto a woman in her early twenties who lay asleep in bed.

Her hair was black at the roots, being then it abruptly transitioned to white. Her hair was sprawled across the single feather pillow, her eyelashes fluttering as she slumbered. Her quilt was pulled up over her shoulders to her chin. The woman was Camilla Ray, now 19 years of age, her fake name being Laurel Quincy.

A baby lay in a crib next to her twin bed. The baby was small, not even a year old. Her hair was little more than black fuzz, her cheeks chubby and her lips pursed in a frown. The baby was Annalise Melanie, Camilla's daughter.

Said child's face twisted and she let out a cry her eyes screwed shut and her arms waving in the air. Camilla's eyes shot open, listening for a second before peeling the quilts back and getting out of bed and padding across the rug to the hand carved crib where her baby lay crying. Annalise waved her tiny fists in the air as Camilla bent at the waist to pick the child up.

Camilla cradled the babe against her chest, swaying from side to side and rubbing the child's back. She hummed a quiet lullaby, smoothing her hand up and down the child's back. The cries ceased to falter and tears started to prick Camilla's eyes. She silently begged her baby to sleep so they could both rest; the dark circles evident under Camilla's eyelids was evidence of many sleepless nights.

The baby's wails ceased to quiet, Camilla's stress rising as she struggled to stay awake. She tried humming a mindless tune but the cries only seemed to get louder.

She turned to look around the room and tears finally escaped their golden prison as they alit on the empty side of the bed, the pillows and blankets untouched. If only Gray was here, Camilla unconsciously knew that if her fiancé were here that he could calm the child.

After what seemed like ages, the cries slowly started to die down as Camilla started to sing a soft lullaby.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy, when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take… my sunshine away…"

Camilla trailed off, a choked cry escaping her lips. Annalise had fallen fast asleep, head resting against her mother's chest as Camilla rocked back and forth. She didn't set her baby in the crib, instead walking over to the rocking chair in the corner and sitting down.

"I miss you Gray…. I wish I could go back." She whispered into the silence.

….

The child was 2 years of age. She woke abruptly to hearing her mother gasp and sit up, a quiet cry escaping her lips. She heard her getting out of bed and lighting a candle before leaving to the dining room, closing the bedroom door silently behind her. Annalise heard the scraping of the chair against the floor and she clambered out of bed to peek through a crack in the wood.

Her mother had her head in her hands as her shoulders heaved in quiet sobs. She ran her hands through her hair, her head coming to rest on the table.

Annalise clutched her blanket to her chest, the end dragging on the floor. She ducked diligently on her thumb but stopped when her mother spoke.

"I miss you Gray… I don't know how long I can with deal with these nightmares anymore.." she whispered and Annalise frowned before turning and tiptoeing to her bed. Her mommy having nightmares? She didn't know that was possible! Her mommy was always strong and brave and now to see her reduced to tears? Annalise didn't know what to think.

…..

Annalise had turned 3 years old now, Camilla being 22 years of age. She was a gorgeous baby girl with hair a mix of dark blue and black and eyes as blue as the starry sky on a summer night. She scampered around like a rabbit, throwing fistfuls of sand and shrieking at the top of her lungs as she gathered rocks and shells.

Camilla sat on the beach of her new home, hands wrapped loosely around her knees. She wore a straw sun hat with a baby blue ribbon tied around the base and a sundress to match. Her apron was tied neatly into a bow around her waist, already a few rocks and shells from Annalise weighing down the pocket.

As Camilla watched her little daughter skip in the sand, carefully staying away from the water's edge like her mother had told her to, she could almost see a taller man with similar hair and eyes chasing her around, causing her to shriek and giggle. She could see Gray Fullbuster scooping his daughter high into the air and helping her find the best seashells they could.

Annalise would've loved Gray, Camilla just knew it. Gray would've been able to sweep her off her feet and onto his shoulders, holding her higher than Mama ever could. He would chase away the monsters from under her bed and tuck her in at night.

"Mama? Why are you crying?" Came Annalise's voice and Camilla snapped out of her daydreams, hand going up to her face where indeed, tears streaked down her cheeks.

"I-It's nothing sweetie, Mommy just got something in her eyes." She hurriedly wiped at her tears and looked back up with a smile.

"Now, let us see what you found.." She said and Annalise's face lit up, her grubby, sand covered hands going into her little apron pocket. She pulled out a plethora of colorful shells and rocks and all but dumped them into Camilla's lap.

"I like this one! It's pretty like you Mama!" Annalise said proudly and held up a shell that had a crack in it, exposing the colorful inside. She shrieked in laughter as Camilla gently scooted the rocks and shells off her lap and pulled Annalise into a tight hug.

"Well you're much prettier than me sweetheart." She said gently and Annalise shook her head.

"Nuh uh! Mama is really pretty! She has pretty eyes like a sunset and hair like a fluffy sheep!" Annalise insisted and Camilla laughed at the comparison.

"Are you saying I'm a sheep?" She teased and Annalise gasped, turning in her lap and shaking her head frantically.

"No! Mommy's SOOOO much prettier than a sheep! Sheep's are all blah and Mommy's pretty! Even with all your scars!" She insisted again, her eyes wide and frantic.

"Mama's joking Lissy, thank you for the nice compliments. It makes me so happy." She said, kissing her cheek and Annalise grinned,

"You're welcome Mama!"

"Now let me tell you why you are pretty honey." Camilla said and Annalise cocked her head, eyes alight with curiosity as Camilla started speaking.

"Your eyes are like a starry sky, always bright with emotion. You always have the prettiest smile on your face and the cutest little laugh." She tickled Annalise's stomach, causing the little girl to shriek in the laugh she so loved.

"Your hair is so soft and silky, I love running my hands through it. You are always so kind and patient even at your age. I could go on forever and ever but that would take a long time wouldn't it?" She finished, tears pricking her eyes. She could see so much Gray in her, it was almost like she was looking at a younger, girl version of her fiancé.

….

Annalise was 3 almost 4 , Camilla had just turned 23, when Annalise ran back to her side in the market square, bawling her eyes out. Camilla had gone into the market of the small town Toledge where they lived. The town was tiny, just a small fishing village. Camilla herself was now the local seamstress, even owning her own shop in town. Everyone was nice, with the exception of very few but Camilla stayed far away from them, she didn't need Annalise to have to see her get angry over a few rude words.

She was discussing the prices of a few apples and oranges with the vendor when Annalise came tumbling through the crowd, tears streaming down her face and her dress scuffed up in dirt.

"Mama! Mommy!" She wailed and Camilla immediately set down the fruits and turned, coming to her knees as Annalise barreled into her legs.

"Annalise? Sweetheart what's wrong?" She asked softly but Annalise only continued crying, hiccups and sobs breaking up what she was trying to say. Camilla came to a decision and scooped up her daughter in her arms, her basket on the other arm as she apologized to the vendor and left the town market.

Their house was small, one bedroom and a kitchen with a half bathroom with only a bathtub, toilet, and sink through a tiny door to the side. There wasn't even a living room, the dining room taking the place of that. The bedroom was tiny, almost embarrassingly so. There was enough room for a single bed, a small toddler's bed and a single dresser.

Camilla set Annalise down on the rug to the front room. Her cries had lessened but didn't totally cease. She rubbed at her eyes with her tiny fists. Her dress that Camilla had made herself, was dirty and a little tattered. She normally wore Camilla's old locket around her neck but now it was clutched in her hands.

"Annalise? Sweetheart you have to tell me, what's the matter?" Camilla knelt down after placing her basket of fresh produce on the table.

"Some kids in the market were mean!" Annalise wailed and fat ugly tears streamed down her face, her cheeks a bright red.

"What did the kids in the market do?" Camilla asked calmly, wiping her daughter's tears from her face with a handkerchief.

"They said that my daddy left me cause he hated me! And then they pushed me!" Camilla's heart froze and she immediately scooped her daughter into a hug, going to sit in the rocking chair out on their front porch.

"I- Is that true Mama? Did my daddy leave cause he didn't like me?" Annalise asked and Camilla shook her head.

"No… Oh sweetheart that's not true at all!" She said gently, turning her to look at her in the eyes.

"Daddy didn't leave you at all okay baby?" Annalise nodded and Camilla kissed her forehead.

"Mama? Why don't I have a daddy? Where did he go?" Annalise asked while Camilla was chopping carrots and green onions. Camilla jumped, the knife slipping and slicing her finger. She gasped under her breath and immediately ran it under the sink while getting a bandage with her other hand. Wrapping it she turned back, moving the bloody knife to the sink so she could wash it and so it didn't contaminate the vegetables.

"W-what Lissy?" She stammered, Annalise looking uncharacteristically solemn.

"Why don't I have a daddy? Where did he go?" She asked again and Camilla swallowed.

"I- we-" She paused, how was she going to explain to her 4 year old that technically she had been killed because of crimes she committed? She knelt down and took Annalise's hands in her own.

"Before you were born…" She swallowed again, meeting her daughter's eyes.

"Before you were born, there was an accident that made Mama have to leave. She had to run far away and leave her family. I had to run away from the accident and then I had you. Your daddy doesn't know you, I had to stay away to keep you and him safe. Understand Lissy, this isn't your fault. This is entirely my fault because of stuff that I did when I was younger. I'll tell you the rest when you're older okay? And you cannot tell anyone alright?" She said and Annalise processed the information and nodded slowly.

"Okay Mama…" She said quietly. Camilla smiled at her,

"Now, why don't you go set the table for Mama okay? Dinner will be ready soon." She returned back to chopping vegetables with a clean knife.

….

Camilla was putting Annalise to bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and closing the curtains when the little girl spoke.

"Mama?" She asked with her nose under the covers as Camilla prepared to blow out the candles that lit the room.

"Yes Sweetheart? What's wrong?" She replied, Annalise huddled further under her covers, pulling the tip of her baby blanket out to rub her nose with it.

"Can you do the firefly thing again?" Ah yes, she was scared of the 'monsters' under her bed and under the dresser.

Camilla smiled and nodded,

"Of course sweetie." She kissed her forehead and held her hand out, just in front of Annalise's face, about 6 inches away. She felt the now familiar yet alien feeling of her magic bubble up and little glowing spheres that left her fingers. They glittered like stars and floated around Annalise's bed like, well fireflies.

They weren't actually fireflies. They were tiny force fields which was Camilla's magic. Well, part of it. She had force fields and the ability to levitate or move the force fields any way she desired. She could also levitate inanimate objects which was helpful around the house or her shop.

"Thank you Mama." Annalise whispered as she watched the little orbs gently bounce around like they were on clouds.

"Anything for you Lissy. Now, time for bed." Camilla brushed a lock of Annalise's hair out of her face before standing, the little orbs dimming a bit as the little girl closed her eyes and escaped into the realm of dreams.

….

Despite her new life, there were days when Camilla felt as if something was missing. As if there was a hole in her chest. She knew what it was, she missed Fairy Tail, she just didn't want to say so.

There were days when she had to pretend, plaster a smile across her face and pretend to be fine so she didn't worry anyone. There were days when all she wanted to do was cry. Days when she felt alone to the point that she actually did cry. When these days happened, she wrote letters. She wrote letters to Gray. She wrote letters to Fairy Tail. She wrote letters to no one in particular.

She had written more letters than she could count, yet none had ever been sent. She could never bring herself to send them, she had just written them because she didn't know where to vent her feelings. But she hoped there would come a day when she could send them.

….

A man stood in the cemetery, head bowed as rain dripped down his face, mixing with the tears that fell. He stood in front of a single gravestone, eyes reading the words over and over again.

~Camilla Eleanor Ray~

~Daughter, Granddaughter, Friend, Fiancée~

~"Earth has one gentle soul less, Heaven has one beautiful angel more"~

The man stared for one more moment before setting a bouquet of colorful roses on the gravestone before turning and leaving the cemetery.

WELCOME TO ADRIFT! Just for those who haven't read the first book; it's called Inconspicuous and you have to read that before this or else you'll be very confused!

ALSO NOW I HAVE AN UPDATING SCHEDULE! I'll be updating this story every Saturday! I actually have the first 4 chapters pre-written but I'm sticking to my new schedule!

Until the next update!

FairyTailWzard over and out!~