The treehouse was nostalgic. Camilla remembered being injured or sick one to many times and having to spend time in Porlyusica's home. She carried Annalise like a baby, cradled in her arms and her head against her chest. Crunching through the snow, she arrived at the door and raised one fist to knock.
How would Porlyusica react? She had been gone for 4 years for goodness sake and now she comes back with a daughter who is in the possible verge of death. One wouldn't expect a good reaction.
And a good reaction she did not get. The door opened and she was immediately hit with a barrage of hits with a broom.
"OW! Porlyusica! It's me; Camilla Ray! It's me! It's ME! Stop hitting me!" She cast a force field over herself and Annalise until the barrage of whacks stopped. The yellowish-gold-white shield disappeared as the broom stopped coming down.
"Camilla Ray? I don't believe you. You used magic." Came Porlyusica's curt voice and Camilla brought down her shield, meeting the familiar cold gaze of Porlyusica.
"I have the guild mark! Look!" She pulled off her gloves and showed the yellow mark on her right wrist.
Porlyusica lowered her broom before doing another unexpected action. She pulled the young woman into a hug.
"You idiot! You were dead!" She snapped and whacked Camilla in the head.
"I know….. I'm sorry. But Porlyusica I need your help."
It was a little while later when Camilla finished telling her story and Porlyusica decided to take a look at Annalise.
"She has too much magic energy in her body for it to be safe. If we don't remove some quickly, her body will eventually become a block of ice." The older woman said and Camilla stopped with adjusting the blankets.
"Ca-can you do anything? Anything at all to help her?" She asked timidly and Porlyusica nodded.
"Yes, but she will have to stay here so I can monitor her. Don't doubt my skills child! Just because you have magic doesn't mean I'll treat you any different than any of my other patients!" She snapped and Camilla chuckled.
"You haven't changed a bit Porlyusica."
"But you've changed quite a bit my dear." Camilla whirled at the voice and saw Makarov standing in the doorway of the treehouse.
"Grandpapa….." she whispered and he smiled that warm smile she grew up knowing. She sunk to a sitting position on the bed next to Annalise who was asleep.
"How much did you hear?" She asked hesitantly.
"I heard all of it. Porlyusica told me to come while you were getting the little one situated." He said and walked to her side, studying Annalise.
"She certainly looks like you and Gray." He murmured, touching her forehead, eyes warm. Withdrawing it, he turned and pulled his surrogate granddaughter into a hug.
Over an hour later, Camilla stood in Makarov's office, hands in front of her as she waited for Makarov and Porlyusica to arrive and tell her how they could help Annalise. She was pacing, hands fidgeting and twisting her engagement ring around and around her finger.
The three of them had agreed that after all this was over and Annalise was cured of whatever illness, then Camilla would officially come back to Fairy Tail. Then they could tell the members.
She was anxious, how would they react to her? How would Gray react? She knew it was foolish to believe their relationship would be perfect after 4 years. She was human now, could use magic, and had a child for Mavis's sake. Anyone with a brain would figure out, it may not end well.
There were footsteps outside the doorway to Makarov's office and the door began to open.
"How is she-" as Camilla turned, she didn't meet Makarov's gaze. No, instead her eyes fell upon the all too familiar figure of her fiancé.
Slowly, his eyes widened and it looked like he stopped breathing for a minute. It was silent, Camilla felt like there was an elephant trampling on her lungs, it felt like her throat was full of cotton and all she could hear was the roaring of her heart thumping in her ears.
"Camilla?" Gray whispered into the silence and she nearly started crying. She nodded slowly,
"Yes Gray…. it's me." She said and her hands interlocked with each other as she waited for something, anything to happen.
"I thought you were dead." He said and her heart broke at the monotone sound of his voice. He sounded confused, heartbroken, and angry. He seemed so much colder; no pun intended, and she flinched at his voice.
"I- I technically was…." she said softly and he took a sharp breath.
"What do you mean?" His voice was dangerously low.
"I- I woke up, about three months after my execution… I had been-"
"Then why didn't you come back?! It's been 4 years!" His voice rose to a shout and she winced again.
"I wanted to Gray. I really desperately did." She said, trying not to shout, or break down crying, or both.
"Then why didn't you? We spent 4 years crying and grieving because you were dead. Dammit Camilla; you and I were supposed to be married! But you were killed! I watched the recording every day just to hear your voice again! And now I find out that you've been alive this whole time! Why did you stay away? Why did you come back now?!"
"You actually thought I didn't want to come back?!" She shouted, her tears finally overflowing. Gray's jaw snapped shut and he panted slightly from the shouting.
"It killed me everyday to stay away! I had to stay away, knowing that you were all in pain because of my mistakes! I had to stay away, dealing with night terrors and everything on my own! Hell, you said we would've been married well I even imagined what it would've been like if you and I did get married! But then I had to tear it all apart knowing that it wouldn't happen! I hated staying away from you! Why do you think I'm still wearing the ring YOU gave me?! It's because I love you, you moron! But I didn't come back for me. I had to come back because of our child!" She screamed, her voice cracking. Tears dripped down her face and soaking her sleeves with tears and snot when she wiped them away angrily.
"What?" He said softly, eyes blown wide and she knew it was out now, there wasn't any going back.
"I woke up from my coma to find out I was pregnant, it's yours, a little girl. I conceived the day before I was executed. They had to perform surgery on me for 105 hours just to make sure we both survived, I still have the scars to prove it. They had to change my own and the baby's biology to a human so we could survive. Do you have any idea how terrifying that was? I had to become the very thing I used to eat! I had to raise a child by myself." Camilla choked out a sob before continuing.
"I had to watch her take her first steps by herself, say her first words, which was actually "Papa". I had to deal with the heartbreak of her coming to me asking why she didn't have a Daddy, if her daddy hated her, why Mommy always seemed so sad." Hiccuping broke her off but she kept talking, determined to say everything she had been feeling for the last 4 years.
"I had to deal with all that by myself. But I'm not back because of that. I'm back because my child is currently dying and only Porlyusica could help. No other doctor would do it." She hiccupped and wiped her eyes on her soaked sleeves and pushed her hair out of her face.
"I still love you Gray, that hasn't changed. I still love you just as much as I did before I left-"
"Oh really? Well you would've come back if you had." He snapped and she gasped a little before steeling her nerves. She stared at the ground, digging her fingers into the fabric of her dress. She brushed her dress free of imaginary dust and looked him in the eye, her heart breaking into tiny pieces at her next words.
"It was obviously a mistake coming here. I should've just stayed at Porlyusica's. but don't worry, I'll be out of your hair soon enough. Once I find out what's going on and my daughter is cured, we'll leave. You won't hear or see us again." She brushed past him quickly, halting at the door before speaking one last time.
"Just so you know, her name is Annalise. You've met her already. She turns 4 in two weeks and has your hair and eyes. She wishes on a star each night. She says it's a wishing angel. She thinks I don't hear her but I do. She wishes that she could have a Papa so we could be happy as a family. Think about that." She said harshly before opening the door and walking out. Part of her hoped that he would run after her and felt that hope diminish when he didn't.
She wiped at her eyes, the fabric of her sleeves irritating the skin. The guild was thankfully empty as she walked faster and faster until she was running. She made it to the tree house and Porlyusica turned, Annalise on the bed asleep.
"How is she?" She said, desperate to get her mind off of what had just happened.
"We must remove some magic power now. Come closer, she'll start panicking if you aren't here." Porlyusica ordered and Camilla immediately went to her daughter's side, sitting on the bench that was nearby and taking her frigid hand in both her own.
Makarov set a machine down, hooking it up to Annalise with Porlyusica's help. He put a breathing mask on her face.
"Mama?" Annalise's eyes cracked open and Camilla smiled, squeezing her hand briefly.
"Yes Baby Girl?" She said and heard Porlyusica and Makarov moving about behind her.
"I woke up and you weren't there… I thought you left me…." She whimpered and Camilla kissed her forehead.
"I'd never do that to you sweetheart. I'll never leave you. Mama just had to step out and talk to someone." She said and brushed hair from Annalise's eyes.
"Was it Papa?" She asked and Camilla froze before hesitantly nodding.
"Is Mr. Fullbuster my Papa? He's outside right now." Camilla whirled to look at the door but didn't see anything.
"Y-Yes sweetheart. But we aren't talking right now. We got in a big argument." She said and Annalise frowned before nodding sadly.
"You need to step back so we can finish. She is nearly stabilized but we aren't finished yet.
Camilla stood up and took a step back, chewing on her fingernails as she watched in fear as the healer connected a machine to Annalise.
"She'll be alright. Porlyusica knows what she's doing." Makarov said and she nodded, a smile crossing her face as she watched Annalise chatter happily to Porlyusica.
Annalise was sleeping peacefully now, she had a breathing mask over her face and the blankets pulled up to her chin. A machine was connected to the mask, allowing her to breath easily and also siphoned magic from her body in a safe manner. Camilla still sat at her side, running her hand through Annalise's hair. Porlyusica had ordered her to be moved to the Fairy Tail Infirmary so they had more equipment to help get her body back to normal.
They had decided, it was best that they reveal Camilla to the guild now rather than later, she had probably already given herself away by talking to Gray anyways so why hide it?
She had done so, the guild nearly having a panic attack and assaulted her with hugs and peppered kisses all over her face. There were tears shed, though Team Natsu weren't there. Apparently they had gone on a mission.
Camilla was snapped from her daydreaming by Annalise stirring in her sleep.
"I know Porlyusica knows what she's doing but I just- I just can't help but worry about you Annalise. She murmured and heard Makarov come up behind her.
"Do you want to go talk to the rest of the guild? I know Natsu and the others are on a mission, they're supposed to be getting back any time now. I also know that it'd get your mind off of everything." He encouraged and she nodded again, standing up before turning around.
Camilla had her coat wrapped tightly around herself as snow fell from the clouds. She was on her way to Lucy's apartment. She decided that she would meet up with them individually. First Lucy, then Wendy and Erza, then Juvia, and lastly Natsu. Camilla looked up just as she reached Lucy's apartment complex. Opening the door, she made her way up to the familiar door of Lucy's apartment. Steeling her nerves, she knocked and stood back, brushing snow from her hair.
Lucy seemed surprised when she answered the door. Opening the oak door, she stared at Camilla for a full minute before either of them said anything.
"Lucy? It's-" She was yanked into a hug that would rival Elfman's. She gasped for a moment, caught off guard before she was pulled into Lucy's apartment.
"You idiot! You're alive and you didn't tell us?" Lucy pulled away from the hug to whack her on the head. She had tears in her eyes but she was grinning, happy to see her friend again. She heard gasps behind her and realized, Wendy, Juvia, and Erza were there as well. The three joined the hug, squeezing the breath out of Camilla's lungs and nearly lifting her off the ground.
Camilla told her story again for what seemed like the millionth time, laughing to herself as their eyes grew wider and wider.
"You have magic?! And a baby?!" Lucy shrieked and Camilla did laugh this time.
"A little girl. Her name is Annalise. She's turning 4 in about 2 weeks." She looked at her hands and smiled, she was sitting in Lucy's front room with the 4 girls who practically bombarded her with question after question.
"Does Gray know?" Wendy asked and Camilla nodded, her expression falling from her face.
"H-he does… But he wasn't happy to see me…. Which is understandable. I was gone for 4 years and now I'm seemingly back from the dead. He- he didn't take it in the best way and we got into an argument…" She clenched her fists together before standing.
"I still need to inform Natsu of my return. Please- please don't say anything to Gray… It'll hopefully blow over soon." She gave them each a tight hug before bidding them goodbye.
She knocked on Natsu's door and he answered. The first words out of his mouth were;
"Laurel Quincy right?"
Camilla hid a snicker at this and shook her head.
"It's me Natsu. It's Camilla." she said quietly and he stared for a minute before his eyes widened and he completely froze.
"C-Camilla?" He whispered and she nodded. He reached forward and poked her cheek as if he wasn't sure if she was real.
She was then yanked into the small house and then tackled in a hug that lifted her off the ground.
"What's going on in here Natsu… CAMILLA!" She felt the familiar body of Happy crash into the hug, wails mixing with happy cries from the cat. Natsu squeezed her tighter and she smacked his arm.
"Air!" she gasped and he let her go, allowing her to take in greedy gasps of air. Happy was crying into her chest, hugging her as hard as his little arms would allow.
The three of them sat on Natsu's couch as she retold her story for what seemed like the millionth time.
"That idiot…. You come back only for him to yell at you.." Natsu growled, punching his fist into his palm. Camilla hugged Happy closer, comforted by his scent.
"I- I was gone for 4 years Natsu. Of course he'd be upset." She said and he glared at the floor, his hands lighting ablaze.
"I wasn't mad when Lisanna came back! He has no right to say stuff like that. I swear I'm gonna hit him so hard he forgets the past 4 years."
"Natsu no! Just- just give him time. If he doesn't want this relationship anymore then that's okay-"
"But it's not okay Camilla! You have a child for Mavis's sake! And it's Ice Princess's kid too! He needs to be there for you!" Natsu threw his hands up, obviously upset. Camilla sighed, nodding. What he said made sense. But she was just so tired of the conversation and topic.
"Alright…. Alright…" She said quietly and rubbed at her face. Natsu's face softened and he pulled her into a hug.
"Why don't we go back to the guild and you get some rest? You look like you're about to topple over." He said gently and she nodded, her exhaustion hitting her like a battering ram. She stood up, swaying slightly and she felt Natsu pick her up, putting her on his back. He was warm, making her even more sleepy. She smiled, out of all the guild members, he was the most like a sibling, an older brother to her. He had definitely matured while she was gone.
The Dragon Slayer and exceed spoke in quiet tones as Camilla watched Annalise fidget in her sleep.
"I thought the little tyke looked like you and the Ice Princess." Natsu said as he ruffled Camilla's hair. She smiled, looking up at him.
"Yeah… She really does doesn't she? Thank you Natsu, for being so understanding." She said and he grinned,
"No problem Cami!" He laughed and in the midst of all her pain, all her heartbreak, she smiled.
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