The Home We Built

.

.

.

Seven Hours and Thirteen Minutes Remain

.

.

Gajeel threw his hand out to the side, slowly approaching the phantom of his friend that was barely clinging to life at their feet. "Y'know, I wasn't even mad that you killed me before." Gajeel's gaze narrowed as his right arm forged into a jagged sword at his hip. "But you hurt my pal…" He growled down at the defiant creature resentfully. "I'd say that if he doesn't make it out of this, yer dead, but… he'll make it," he reassured himself confidently. He tipped his head back and glowered at the man from behind his downcast gaze. "And I think I'm gonna go ahead and kill you anyways."

.

The devil before him didn't once hesitate to bare teeth at him even though he was all out of fight. Gajeel had to admit that he was only slightly hesitant as he drew his sword over his head with intentions of taking the man's head, but before he landed his blow, he was stopped by the only thing that could ever steady his hand to such a detrimental purpose.

.

"Gajeel, no!"

.

He flinched, his hand still high above his head as his blade vanished and he was left to stare down towards where his baby sister bawled her eyes out and clutched the battered demon to her chest despite the creature's vacant struggle to ward her off. "Sh-shads? What… what're you…"

.

"Please, I beg of you, don't hurt him!" She screeched. She adjusted her panicked tone to a soothing one as she tried her best to clutch him close to her even as he growled and batted her away like a frightened animal that had been caught in a hunter's trap. "He's beaten! He can't hurt anyone anymore," she pleaded. She closed her teary gaze and grasped him tightly. "Please… don't take him away from me…"

.

Gajeel scoffed in disbelief. "Shads, wrong husband! Yers is over there bleedin' out to save your-"

.

"Screwball..."

.

Gajeel caught his breath as he swung around to face where Neirah had her wounded husband braced against her sky dragon slayer magic, Levy tending to bandaging his wound. He turned suddenly and took a step back, watching the frantic woman crying over the man he'd almost ended. "Wait… so…"

.

"Neirah's magic must have stopped the virus after all. Before it completely destroyed her," Erza assured him softly. "It's likely she's dealing with the freedom and acknowledgement of all her crimes at once. And she was married to him…"

.

Gajeel watched hesitantly as the future Neirah tried to settle her lover to save him from the dark spell as well. "You mean… it's over…?"

.

Erza looked out over the destruction their party had caused the land. "I wouldn't say that," she ascertained. "We still have to find out who is responsible and both Laxus and Neirah are far too weak to deal with the conflict of running into anyone else who remains of the guilds opposing."

.

"Right," Gajeel rumbled uncertainly. "Guess the big guy's plan wasn't all he'd hoped it would be."

.

.

Seven Hours and Thirty-Six Minutes Remain

.

.

The Neirah of the past sighed fretfully as her hands fell into her lap. "I'm so sorry," she whispered weakly. "I've got nothing left." She admitted her defeat, raising her hands to her face to stifle her shame. "This always happens… I'm always just out of reach."

.

Laxus sighed exhaustedly and raised trembling fingertips to pull her hands from her face. "That's what you said last time this happened," he breathed out hazily. "And the time before… and the time before that. I'm still here…"

.

"You managed to seal most of the wound," Levy informed her optimistically. "And I've stopped the bleeding."

.

"Dad…" Alex whispered softly.

.

Laxus smiled back at the boy from where he sat, lifting his palm to drop it on top of the boy's head. "You really are your mother's kid," he teased, ruffling up his hair. "Crazy as hell."

.

"Hey!" Alex scolded him, brushing his hand off and flushing in embarrassment. "You're one to talk. Look at how bad you and uncle Gajeel kicked the other you's butt! Nobody was able to do that before!"

.

"Tsk, they obviously didn't try too hard."

.

"But daaad!"

.

Lyra turned her head with a small gasp, gently patting at her father's arm. It was slow and steady at first, but it quickly accelerated when he didn't immediately release his son from his playful grasp. "Daddy… you have to get up now," Lyra murmured gravely.

.

"Hm? What's the matter, Angel?" He murmured curiously, following the girl's outstretched finger. He caught his breath with uncertainty as they were approached by an unfamiliar woman clad in revealing black robes.

.

The middle-aged woman gave a charming painted smile as she peeked back at them from beneath docked, platinum blonde bangs. "Hello, Laxus," she crooned seductively. She straightened her posture and looked down at them over the bridge of her nose in a way similar to how future Neirah had when she was under the influence of living magic. "It's been a while…"

.

.

Six Hours Remain

.

.

Neirah watched the woman warily as she approached, carefully monitoring Laxus' reaction to her greeting. But although she seemed to have known Laxus, Laxus didn't seem to show any signs of recollection. In fact, his reaction assured her that he was desperately trying to recognise her face.

.

"What a shame," the woman cooed in a manner strikingly like the way future Neirah had. "You don't remember me, do you?"

.

Laxus ground his teeth and narrowed his impatient gaze, preparing to demand that he'd never seen her before in his life when the woman spoke again.

.

"Well, since I got such a wonderful show earlier with the suffering of my greatest rivals, I'll help you out a little, you pitiful brute."

.

"Her rivals," Levy whispered uncertainly. "Does she mean the Laxus'?"

.

"The year was X783, but far be it for a woman with a grudge to recall every detail. We met just south of here in Hargeon. I was young and beautiful, and you were in your prime."

.

Laxus gave a derisive snort. "Well, that can't be right," he interrupted impatiently. "I'd say I'm there right about now." Laxus stilled as she raised her venomous smile to meet his gaze.

.

"That's not how you saw it when you laid with me and promised forever."

.

Laxus' expression paled, the vague memories of a drunken one-night stand filling his thoughts. The woman's age made a little more sense now that he could factor in seven years of stagnation into his life, but she'd clearly clung to their entanglement every day since he'd left. 'Crap…' He could almost feel Neirah's passionate gaze piercing him with the heat of her wrath. Hoping that a lifetime worth of apologies would suffice, he slowly turned to face the brunt of her fury. His heart ached painfully as he groaned and was forced to divert his gaze from her intensity. 'If she doesn't lose it in the next thirty seconds, I'm dea-'

.

"Huh, any other crazy ex-girlfriends that might try to kill me that I should know about?" Neirah spat out heatedly.

.

"Well they all had to be pretty crazy to get with a guy like me, but probably only a handful of them would go so-" Laxus nearly yelped with the pain of Neirah jabbing him in the ribs.

.

"You think this is funny?!"

.

"Oh, come ON! It wasn't like that! It was one night… and the forever part, if that's even true, was probably just the alcohol talk-"

.

"OF course it was. God, you really are a hound!" Neirah raged, pushing away from his embrace impatiently and climbing to her feet. The effort of her adjustment caused him to grit his teeth with the pain rippling through his arm. "Gee, glad to know I'm not the only woman you forgot meeting, or apparently-"

.

Gajeel reached out and covered her mouth before she could finish her sentence. "Not in front of the kids," he demanded awkwardly.

.

Laxus climbed to his feet and threw his good arm out towards her in his defence. "Well the way I see it, it's about time my past is the one that comes back to fuck up our lives for once after all the crap we went through with yours!" Laxus stilled beneath the beady gaze of his children staring up at him awestruck and silent. "Oops…"

.

"Daddy did a swear," Lyra whispered bashfully feeling like she should cover her ears.

.

"See, mom!? Dad curses!" Alex defended in reference to a time he'd been grounded for letting a foul word touch his lips.

.

"Yes, and he's grounded as soon as we get home," Neirah scolded certainly. She turned away from the man entirely with a curt scoff. "And that's if I even let him come back."

.

"Oh my," the woman cooed mischievously. "If I had of known that the relationship was this rocky I wouldn't have spent all those years devote to a forgotten black magic."

.

Levy was the one to go on the attack with her words. "Why did you reintroduce those terrible spells to the world!?" Levy demanded passionately. "Do you have any idea the number of people who lost their lives as a result?!"

.

The woman didn't hesitate to peer at the small girl with her sadistic smile still on her lips. "Yet the one I hate most still stands."

.

"Look, Juno, I screwed up," Laxus demanded apologetically. Due to the snap of the woman's expression, he assumed he was right in assuming that he had managed to come up with the right name. He didn't linger too much on the triumph though as he took a step towards the crazed woman. "But I think you're takin' this a little far. I'm sorry for the things I said, but you didn't have to come back and bring my family into this!"

.

The woman gave a whimsical chuckle. "Oh? You even remembered my name, how sweet. Is the lipstick stain still on your shirt?" Juno crooned sweetly.

.

'Sure, remember the psycho's name…' Neirah thought bitterly to herself. 'Ugly friggin name…'

.

"Unfortunately, you're just as naïve as ever," Juno purred. "I wasn't referring to you."

.

Laxus recoiled in horror as Juno summoned forth a whip to her side, cracking it confidently before using it as the leverage she needed to rake Neirah from his side. "Neirah!" He demanded in alarm, aware that the last of Neirah's magic had been spent in battle with her future self.

.

"Yes, if it wasn't for this filthy little rascal, my world would still be perfect," she snarled. "See, I would have struck out just at your little witchy wife, but you two got busy before you even tied the knot." She snickered mischievously. "And black magic takes just so darn long to learn…"

.

"Are you crazy?! She was just a damn kid back then!" Laxus demanded. "Just because we shared a drink almost twenty years ago doesn't mean it would have lasted anyway!"

.

Laxus narrowly dodged the fall of a rather malicious looking spear as it seemed to plummet from the sky when Gajeel dragged him back away from the woman's attack. "Damn it, you don't tell a crazy girl she's crazy!" Gajeel raged, dodging a couple more weapons as they fell. "Have you learned nothin' living with my sister?!"

.

"Requip!" Erza demanded. Her heaven's wheel armour reflected the setting sun as she lurched forwards and slashed away the various articles summoned forth by their enemy.

.

"Ah, you requip as well," Juno fussed nonchalantly in observance. "That's tiresome."

.

"Release Neirah this instant!" Erza demanded furiously.

.

"Oh my, that's delightful. Don't think I haven't realised that you five have come to me from the past."

.

'Five…?' Erza thought uncertainly.

.

"I'm not letting you take her back with you," she hissed softly against the whip she'd curled around Neirah's throat. "Although, it's a shame that killing her will erase all the damage done by my beautiful living magic. The last year or so was quite exciting. But the battle this afternoon has drawn my games to a climactic conclusion, I would say." She smiled and nuzzled against Neirah's neck affectionately. "I have no regrets."

.

"You're about to!" Laxus demanded, lunging towards the woman with all intents of choking the life from her scantily clad body.

.

"I don't think so," she mused. She requipped a sword to her hand to hold it at Neirah's throat and Laxus froze in his tracks, his heart racing with terror as he watched Neirah whimper as her dry swallow forced the decorated steel to slice into her skin.

.

"No," Levy whimpered. She quickly turned her head towards the sun setting on the horizon. "The sun's just setting, we still have time!" She demanded frantically.

.

"That's right," Juno growled sadistically. "Now that you are all filled with the realisation of my certain victory, let's see how you will spend your final moments." She turned her vengeful aqua gaze towards Laxus. "Do you have anything to say to your beloved wife before I take her away from you? Perhaps, sorry for ever coming into your life?"

.

Neirah's throat worked against the blade once again, her expression darkening with defiance. "To think, that if I truly grew to hate my husband, I would end up exactly like you…"

.

"Eh?"

.

Neirah spared her future self a glance as she rested against the man she'd managed to save, the two of them suffering from the realisation they'd ended lives that were as dear to them as each other. "Taking my life will mean nothing when the sun sets," Neirah assured her rudely. "This future will fade with my death and you will find that you are no closer to regaining your dreams than before."

.

"I'm vaguely aware that I asked your miserable wretch of a husband if he had any last words for you!" She demanded impatiently.

.

"Yea," Laxus rumbled confidently, glaring back at the woman with fury in his expression. "You don't know crazy until you know my wife."

.

"Villains are so stupid," Neirah hissed.

.

Juno barely had enough time to flinch before Neirah's teeth were sinking into the blade she'd recoiled from, the pressure of iron resistance shattering the steel entirely. "No!" Her concern immediately boiled over into a rage as she grew to loathe herself for being so conceited.

.

She summoned a replacement blade to her side before chasing after the woman who returned to where her brother was preparing to defend her while Laxus took the offensive. "I will not let her return!" She demanded, drawing her blade up to deflect the lightning that plummeted towards her. Her gaze was wide and deranged with fury as she glared past anything else to where Neirah panted weakly behind her brother at Levy's side. "You're all weak from your battles! There is no way you can hold me off until the night closes on your time in this world."

.

"Damn it, you shoulda broke that sword," Laxus demanded impatiently.

.

"So unbelievably naïve!" She wailed, slamming her heel into Laxus' defence. "I knew my quarry. All of my weapons are made to withstand the element I suspected to oppose me!"

.

"All her weapons are lightning resistant?!" Levy demanded. "Gajeel!"

.

"Yea," he agreed upon lunging towards his friend's side. "Let's see how resistant they are to iron."

.

He was moments before colliding with the hysteric woman when he realised that she was looking far too proud of herself for his liking. His heart sank as she let out a maniacal cackle of triumph. "Fools!"

.

He swung around to look over his shoulder to where Neirah remained at his back, next to powerless and surrounded by requipped blades floating in the air above her. "Shadow! Get the hell out of-!"

.

Gajeel watched in slow motioned horror as the blades rocketed towards his sister before she could even turn her head to see them coming. But before his world had completely blackened with terror, he watched Erza dive into the fray, her sword in hand and flailing desperately to stop as many blades as she could from reaching the earth.

.

"I will not let you take her life!" Erza demanded.

.

Neirah contemplated trying to retreat, but she knew she'd only put her life at risk. Instead, she was forced to watch through welling tears as the woman in front of her was torn by the many blades she was incapable of deflecting. "Please no…" She knew in her heart that the Erza before her was a phantom of a future they intended on preventing, but she couldn't bring herself to accept her torment.

.

"Iron dragon's sword!" Gajeel roared, leaping towards the scene to knock away as many of the blades as he could with their continued rain. "How many swords does this chick have?!" He demanded grimly.

.

"As many as I could find!" She demanded. "I knew that one day I would face the woman who stole my happiness and when I did, I wanted to obliterate her in the most gruesome way possible." Distracted by the scene of her wrath raining down upon the woman, she was oblivious to the sight of Laxus' fist approaching her jaw. With a deafening crack, her head flew back and her arsenal's assault ceased.

.

Neirah opened her eyes, staring past her big brother to where Erza hit her knees nearby, her blood pooling in the sand beneath. "Erza!" She wailed, clumsily taking to her feet and approaching the woman who'd fallen back into the dust. "No…" She lifted the woman's head against her chest. "Erza your wounds…"

.

"You have seen her face…" Erza whispered through an exhausted smile. "Now run…"

.

"No, please… I can't watch another friend die…" Neirah begged.

.

"I'm looking forward to… that tea and cake."

.

Neirah stifled her choked giggle as she wiped at her tears and stroked Erza's crimson locks from where they clung to her bloodied figure. "No," Neirah whispered gently. She closed her eyes and laid Erza's lifeless figure back on the ground. "You're looking backwards…"

.

Neirah hunched sadly, her heart in pieces over the things she'd seen in the past three days of her life. "I want to go home," she whispered weakly, watching her tears fall onto the ground in silence.

.

Levy silently joined her and laid her hand on her shoulder. "Come on," she gently encouraged. "Erza is right… If we leave now before she gets back up, we can put some distance between us and hide out until our time is up."

.

Neirah turned her solemn gaze to where her future-self was embracing her husband, who was in tears against her. "I've never seen it from the outside before," Neirah murmured gently. "What it looks like to cherish someone so deeply that it's capable of inflicting jealousy on others."

.

Levy smiled knowingly, realising that she was probably the worst culprit for said feelings and the thought forced her to divert her attention with a bashful smile. She turned her attention to where her husband was watching them sombrely. "Everyone shows love differently. Sometimes, considering the 'what could be's can make people green. I guess it takes almost losing what you have to make you realise you had the best kind all along," Levy encouraged. "But if this trip had to have a silver lining… I would look at those who lost their humanity to the living magic that Juno was capable of using." She smiled as she thought of the terror she'd become. "The more love they had for others, the more dangerous they'd become." She joined Neirah in watching the future smile back at each other for the first time since they'd found freedom. "I'd say that love, no matter how it's shown, is something to envy."

.

Neirah turned and looked to where Laxus had offered her the hand he was still capable of using. She was filled with hope when he gently smiled down at her supportively, lightly curling his fingers around hers as she laid them against his palm. "We still got a couple of hours to kill," he warned her softly. "I think it's about time we make tracks." She just couldn't stay mad at him.

.

"No…"

.

Neirah turned her bewildered gaze to where their enemy had staggered to her feet, her sword raking weakly through the dirt. "I will not… let you take him away from me!"

.

"Momma… we need to go now," Lyra cooed gently as she reached up and tugged on her mother's tattered skirt.

.

Neirah bent down and gently took her daughter up in her arms. "I know sweetie," she whispered against the child held close to her breast. She watched uncertainly as tears surfaced unexpectedly in Juno's eyes.

.

"That could have been our daughter…" Her whisper was desperate as she drew her fingers out towards the delicate child.

.

Laxus scoffed at her pathetic effort, ushering Neirah forwards to begin their retreat. "If you knew anything about the way love works, you'd know better," Laxus growled, keeping a weathered eye on the painful flickering of her expression.

.

Finally, he turned his back and joined his companions and their children as they began to leave the desecrated battlefield. "I feel kind of bad for her," Levy whispered softly while listening to the woman cry at their backs.

.

"Yea, it seems like you made QUITE the impression." Neirah scolded her husband brashly, giving him a narrowed side glance.

.

There was a hitch in Laxus' breath as he turned his flushed pout to the side.

.

Juno was already furious, but when Laxus slowly reached down and intertwined his fingers lazily with his wife's, she lost all control of her wrath. "I will not let you take him from me again." She growled, picking up the remains of the shattered blade she'd held against Neirah's throat. "I'll kill you both!"

.

Laxus swung around the moment the deranged woman at his back made her approach clear, but before he could react to her vicious advance, someone else had decided to exact their vengeance for the crimes she committed.

.

Neirah recoiled back behind the defence of her husband as they watched the brooding fury of the man before them drive the woman into the dirt at their feet; his ragged breaths filled with pent aggression. The Laxus of the future slowly redirected his gaze towards where the past stared back at him uncertainly.

"Take Alex and Lyra and go," the Empress assured them sternly, a similar look of anger flashing in her gaze. "If she lives to watch this world fade, I'll be surprised." She turned and looked back at her reflection with a soft smile, tears welling in her eyes as she watched an alternate version of herself holding her daughter. "This Shadow has still got some fight in her." She turned her gaze towards Gajeel, a skip in her heartbeat and her expression wavering with the sentiment. "And take care of Screwball for me," she whispered tenderly.

.

Neirah stepped forwards to allow she and Lyra to embrace her future strongly. "I'll say hi to everyone for you when we get back."

.

"Thank you…"

.

Laxus stared up into his future's crimson expression with a look of annoyance on his face. "I'm still mad that you kissed my wife."

.

His future gave him a grunt of acknowledgement. "Mine kisses better."

.

Laxus' expression dropped in disbelief as he watched himself walk away; casually waving back at their party over his shoulder. "Of course she does!" He hollered back. "She's had six years of practice!" He flinched as he turned to face the wife he'd take back with him to the past.

.

"You saying I need practice?" She sneered impatiently.

.

"What? I- no! I just-"

.

Neirah scoffed and turned away, joining her brother and Levy as they walked ahead. "God, I should have let you suffer."

.

Laxus threw out both his arms as he was left behind, wincing immediately with the pain of the effort. "I suffer every damn day…"

.

"What was that?!"

.

"Don't give me that crap! You're a dragon, you know exactly what I said!"

.

"Still jealous?" Gajeel crooned impishly, giving his wife a playful grin.

.

Levy smiled and slipped her hand in his. "I've got nothing to be jealous of."

.

.

The Empress reached out and took her husband's hand in hers. "I'm sorry for everything…"

.

"Yea…" He rumbled hoarsely, red and gold sparks comingling against their conjoined fingers. "What do you say we bring the sky down on her head?"

.

Neirah turned to look at the panicking woman with a devilish grin on her lips. Moments after, the sky lit up with the brilliant light of Heaven's Rain's most powerful combined force. An exhausting effort that saw their enemy lost in the abyss that opened between heaven and earth at their command.

.

.

Five Hours Fade

.

.

Neirah gave a deep sigh as she slowly released her son from her tender embrace. "Make sure you stay with your sister this time," she ordered gently. "If your father finds out you left her behind twice he is not going to be happy," she teased.

.

"Don't worry, I'll stay," Alex assured her obediently. His father's intimidating glance surely had little to do with his compliance.

.

"And Lyra, I don't want you to be scared, ok sweetie?" She whispered, giving her daughter a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Mommy and daddy will always love you."

.

"I know, momma," she cooed into a soft hug. "We'll be waiting for you."

.

It took Neirah a moment to realise that her daughter's embrace didn't seem to connect with her skin for a moment before she realised that she was fading from the future. She was filled with panic for a moment, but the feeling of Laxus by her side made her strong enough to send her children a parting smile.

.

"Bye, momma!" Lyra called out with a happy giggle. "Take good care of brother!"

.

Neirah was moments from responding to the image of her fading daughter before she was silenced by her puzzling parting statement. 'Brother? Alex?' She turned to where Gajeel heaved an unsteady sigh. 'Gajeel?"

.

"Ok, I'm ready!" Gajeel announced enthusiastically. "Drop us outta the damn sky! Just watch, Lev! I'm gonna catch you this time!"

.

Levy gave a light-hearted chuckle as the walls of the Dreyar residence started to fade into sight around them. "Oh well. I guess you're off the hook."

.

"Hey!" Gajeel raged, shaking his fist at the ceiling. "Yer supposed to drop us damn it!"

.

Laxus sighed before picking Levy up by the shoulders and tossing her into her husband's arms. "Great, husband of the year." He rumbled grimly, shoving Gajeel towards the door. "Now get the hell out of my house."

.

"Momma!"

.

Neirah's expression lit up as her baby daughter came running through the kitchen to leap up into her arms. "Lyra, oh sweetie, it's ok. Mommy and daddy are here now." She set the snivelling blonde down at her feet, relieved tears trickling down her face.

.

Lyra laughed a whimsical giggle as she threw her face against her mother's stomach for a tight hug. "And you brought brother with you!" Lyra purred tenderly as Neirah stroked her hair down her back.

.

.

"Bye, momma!" Lyra called out with a happy giggle. "Take good care of brother!"

.

.

Neirah stilled hesitantly with the girl's reiteration. "Wait… but…"

.

Juvia rounded the corner with a relieved smile as she laid her eyes on the four exhausted friends that she had watched take to the future. "Shadow! You've returned!" She exclaimed, giving her sister a tight hug. "Poor Lyra hasn't been able to sleep. She kept having bad dreams about her father being in trouble and her mother having to save him. The dear might as well have been there."

.

Neirah's brow furrowed curiously as she knelt back down in front of her daughter. "Lyra, sweetie… Where do you think mommy and daddy went?"

.

Lyra gave an enchanted giggle before throwing her arms up into the air with giddy excitement. "To the baby world to bring back little brother!"

.

Laxus stilled behind his wife, the feeling of Gajeel's gaze piercing him as sternly as it ever had. "You didn't," Gajeel growled. He flinched as Laxus tipped his gaze to the ceiling sheepishly. "Not cool man! That was Salamander's freaking house!" He whirled to face Neirah just as angrily. "I said get on it not get on him!"

.

Neirah flinched as Lyra dropped her finger in line with her nose. "And don't forget, daddy's grounded! So, no cookie tonight!"

.

Neirah slowly turned to face where Laxus stared back at her in disbelief. "I hate to undermine the fact that our almost five-year-old daughter is seeing events that transpired in the future, but she's right."

.

"Lyra has clairvoyance?" Levy whispered gently.

.

Neirah smiled as she scooped Lyra up into her arms, trying to read between the lines of truth and fantasy. "What makes you think I brought you a brother?"

.

"'Cos daddy says I'm going to have twenty-six brothers and sisters!"

.

Neirah's expression dimmed humbly as she listened to her rejoicing daughter celebrate their return. "Odd," she murmured coldly. "I thought we agreed twenty-eight was a nice even number."

.

"Actually, it was thirty… but…"

.

Levy laughed uncertainly. "Oh, so it must have just been a coincidence that she was dreaming about her father being grounded."

.

Neirah sighed and gently set her daughter on the floor to scoot around in delight. "Yea, but I'll be looking into 'baby brother', just in case…"

.

Gajeel reached out and cuffed Laxus in the back of the head. "You really are a dog!"

.

"Look, it's kind of our thing! I have a run in with death, I get some." He turned and stilled as he looked back at his impatient wife boiling over with embarrassment. "What…?"

.

"I should have let you suffer."

.

He sighed and started after her. "Oh come on, Neirah where are you going?"

.

"To take a bath!"

.

Gajeel sidestepped and gave his wife a playful nudge. "Y'know… technically I did die… so…"

.

Levy smiled back at him bashfully. "Gajeel when I said you could learn something from Neirah and Laxus on this trip, that wasn't what I referring to."

.

He smiled back at her affectionately before reaching out and fiddling with the ends of her hair. "Say have… you ever… thought about growin' out yer hair?"

.

Juvia flinched, wide-eyed as the crack of Levy's palm against his cheek filled the silent kitchen before the woman turned to storm out.

.

"I didn't mean it like that! I just thought the other you looked kinda cut-"

.

"Hound! You and Laxus can share the dog house tonight!"

.

"Lev!"

.

"I'm going to finish my book!"

.

Gajeel sighed as he stood next to Laxus, the two men silently listening to the water running upstairs. "Women are crazy," he groaned impatiently.

.

"Yep," Laxus agreed.

.

"But life would probably suck without em'…"

.

"Yep…"

.

Gajeel gave a sly grin and turned his attention to face the man at his side. "But you gotta admit, my future wife was pretty hot."

.

Laxus blinked back at him mellowly for a long moment.

.

"Right?"

.

Laxus quietly reached out and curled his fingers around in two large circles before crossing his arms like an 'x'. Gajeel, taking immediate offence, shook his fist at the friend he'd watched turn to join his wife.

.

"Oh come on! Is that all you think about?!" He watched Laxus shrug from where he lingered at his back while he climbed the stairs of his home. "Man, you really are a dog!"

.

Gajeel folded his arms defiantly and turned to face Juvia with a disgruntled snort. "Man, that guy really pisses me off…" He cocked a brow and looked down into her expectant gaze. "Don't guys like that just burn you up?"

.

Juvia simply blinked back at him vacantly.

.

"Oh right… water and… shit…"

.

.

"Lye! Check it out!" Alex demanded, rushing to her side through the bustling guild hall. He slowly opened his hands to reveal the butterfly he'd caught.

.

Lyra let out a shrill gasp. "Butterfly!"

.

"Yea! I caught it for you," he mused proudly. "I know you love them!"

.

Lyra giggled sweetly and threw out her arms to flap them like wings around the guild. "Someday I'll fly too!"

.

Neirah smiled warmly, her cheeks colouring with adoration as she watched her children play. She never thought that her family had difficulties in appreciating the little things, but she had to admit that she was certainly paying closer attention to them since they had returned.

.

"Are you alright?" Erza crooned in concern, laying her hand on top of Neirah's as they shared tea and cake. "You have been awfully quiet these last few days."

.

Neirah turned to face the beautiful woman with the utmost affection in her gaze. "I've never been better," she assured her gratefully.

.

She watched Erza rise to settle a guild debate when she was joined by their guild's master. "You know she's right. You doin' ok?" Laxus asked her gently.

.

"I'm fine," she assured him, sipping her tea. "Just glad to be home."

.

He propped himself up against the bar she sat before, overlooking the same butterfly chasing ruffians she'd been observing moments before. "So, any thought to what we should so about our little friend?" He pried uncertainly. "Are we really just gonna sit here and wait for her to show up and try somethin'?"

.

Neirah didn't skip a beat as she closed her eyes and pressed her tea to her lips. "Don't worry, sweetie, I took care of it."

.

Laxus flinched in bewilderment. "W-what do you mean you took care of it?"

.

Neirah turned her subtly sly expression towards him as she gently lowered her cup to its saucer. "You don't know crazy until you know your wife."

.

Neirah flinched as her hand was taken and she was led through the guild by her tense husband. She was moments from being furious that the act had seen her tea crash to the floor before she was done. "Wait… Laxus? Where are we-"

.

Laxus didn't pause as he passed by Gajeel, the rough man decorated with the youth of Fairy Tail's next generation. "You're in charge tin-man," he assured swiftly upon parting.

.

"Huh?"

.

"Daddy's the tin-man!"

.

"Oi! Don't you start too!" Gajeel scolded his wickedly playful daughter who was perched on his head.

.

"Laxus, what's gotten into you?" Neirah growled impatiently, unamused with being dragged out of the guild entirely.

.

"I just remembered how crazy I am about your crazy."

.

Neirah's cheeks coloured with the heat of her embarrassment thanks to his bold admittance.

.

Lyra skipped to the guild hall doors and hung outside them so that she could watch her parents disappear down the street hand in hand. The young child offered a whimsical giggle and quietly recited twenty-six more boy and girl names alike in anticipation.