I'm late. WAAAAYY late. I ask for sympothy. I sat on my first panel of the year this week. I've had a rough week with the kids I work with. DCFS has been called multiple times this week! I'm drained and exhausted. I'm running on low sleep and coffee. PLUS! It's been awful weather here in Wisconsin so I haven't been able to walk. So please forgive me!

Love always,

Taylor

It was a cold, dark, wet, night when a little bundle of joy was left at the doorstep of a rundown orphanage. No one found the baby till morning. The baby had no concept that it had just been abandoned in a woven basket. He had no idea what that decision would do to his entire life. He had no idea the problems that had just begun. He had a long, rough, life ahead of him.

Early that morning the owners found the baby, but the baby had an ugly scar on its face. Someone had done surgery on this baby, making him unwanted by the rich folks that normally adopted babies from them. This baby was cute, could bring a lot of money, except that nasty scar. There was no way that this baby would sell.

So, they kept him a secret. He was kept in a dark room, where he was fed two meals a day, and forbidden to play with the other children. One day he finally escaped. He was five. He had started to develop new skills. One's that not only scared him, but everyone around him.

One day he was wondering around looking for food, when an old man and his wife stopped him. "Where are your parents kiddo?" The old man asked with a warm smile. It was intimidating.

"I-I don't have any." The boy said softly. "I was ditched on a door step of an orphanage that thought I was too ugly to be adopted out. I wasn't treated well, so I left. I'd rather die out here than in there." The old man's wife looked at him and smiled.

"You can come live with us. We don't have much, but I promise we'll take good care of you." He never wondered why they were so eager to adopt him, but it sounded like Heaven. He nodded. "But first we have to go get your papers. We have to take you back, but we are adopting you. I promise." They walked silently to the orphanage. They got to the doors of the rundown orphanage, and the couple smiled at the boy. They knocked, and the grouchy old lady that only fed him scraps opened the door.

"Oh good you found our delinquent. You can just leave him there. He can go live on the streets if it's so bad here." She hissed. The old man smiled at the woman.

"Actually, we'd like to formally adopt him."

"He doesn't even have a damn name on his certificate." She rolled her eyes.

"That's okay. Buddy what would you like your name to be?" The old man asked putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"C-Cobra." The boy said.

"Cobra! I like that! It's got a go getter sound to it." The old man said.

They spent the afternoon signing all the papers and paying the woman. They finally took the boy, now known as Cobra, to his new home. They were from a tiny village, and the community welcomed him with open arm. He had a life he never thought he would have. He was fed, bathed, clothed, more importantly, he was loved. It was a pure love. Something kids could only pray for. The old man and woman, became mom and dad. They loved Cobra more than anything. They even fostered his new found skills in magic. Mom had hired him a coach from a town over to help him control it. He had even said that Cobra could be an exceptional mage. Mom loved that idea. She loved that her baby could help the world.

But one night, while Cobra was asleep, there was an explosion. He was only ten. He ran outside his door and saw his mom and dad's room engulfed in flames. He tried to get in, but there was no point. Mom and dad were dead. He rushed out of there tears in his eyes. He looked around for all his friends and family, but they were all gone. Dead. Everything was on fire. No building didn't have some sort of flames engulfing it. So, he ran. With tears in his eyes, he fled. He sobbed and sobbed.

Once he reached the next town over, he was caught by the police. He told them everything, and they sympathized with him, but told him he needed to go to their local orphanage. This orphanage wasn't a bad one, on the contrary, it was nice. He was fed and clothed. He was adopted, but always brought back, because he was acting out. He couldn't believe his mom and dad were dead. His sadness turned to anger, as more and more foster homes kicked him out for being upset and angry. No one tried to see anything from his angle. No one cared enough to talk to him.

Finally, at eighteen he was kicked out of the foster system. He was told to get lost. He had no money, no clothes besides those on his back, no direction, and no papers on who he was. He was lost and scared, until he saw a boat getting ready to leave the port. That's where he'd go. He'd get on that boat and go wherever it went. It was a prefect plan. So, he snuck into the bunker and hid. About halfway through the trip he spotted something else moving in the cargo. He moved a bit to see what it was. He jumped back when he saw a purple snake slithering around. But, the snake seemed to be as scared of him as he was it. It was small and looked like it could use a friend. So, they formed a friendship.

Once that boat docked, they got off. And that was the start of a new beginning. But instead of using himself for good, he turned to the dark side. Then he found the Nirvana Project. He dedicated his life to being bitter. He thrived on it. Because what God gives him a loving family and then takes that shit away?! Who the fuck does that?! He was angry and mad, so he did everything in his power to make everyone else as miserable as he was. It was his goal to make every happy person on Earthland suffer the way he did. If he had to lose his loved ones, so did they.

After his fight with Team Natsu, he was imprisoned. That's where he started to think a lot. What would his parents think of him? Was this the man they had raised? What was their kindness for if he just threw away everything, they had instilled in him? What was all the love in the world good for if he just chose to be angry? Why does he have that sneaking suspicion that he should be better? Get better. Find someone. Cubeleous was great, but he wanted a human companion. He wanted someone to love and hold. He wanted the kind of marriage his parents did.

"And that…that is why I am the way I am." Cobra sighed looking into the eyes of everyone in his group. "I'm mean and assholeish because I'm scared." He said quietly. No one was saying anything. But soon enough he felt warm arms around him. He knew whose they were without even looking.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Thank you, Tink. You made this all possible. You allowed me to see the light." He was trying so hard not to cry. But he knew the slayers already knew he was about too. They could smell it. "I owe you my life, Lucy. I owe you something so big, it isn't even tangible. You deserve your own world. You are owed something so much more than what we can give you."

"You deserve it too Cobra. You deserve a world that treats you just as kindly as I do. I want you to have a world of people that love you." She started to giggle. "Guess we'll have to do for now." She squeezed him once more. "Thank you for letting me be your light. It's an honor."

"Tink,"

"Don't even Cobra. Not tonight." The group was still shocked. Cobra had a far worse experience than most of them. That being that he was abandoned, like most of them, but then had the true love of a parent that had died. He had the parental love that they had never had. The thought that he had that, and it was just ripped from his hands is just…terrifying. The felling of unconditional love just being snatched from you was something very scary to this group. Especially during this war. They knew there were possibilities of death everywhere, and it wasn't going to get better. This was the reality right now.

"I love you Cobra, you needed this. You needed to get it out." Levy said softly. Loke was watching the twins for a couple hours so she and Gajeel could see their group. As much as she loved this group, being away from her babies made her sick. She knew that they were at the house, playing with Loke, but it still felt like she was being a bad mom. She knew that they were in the best hands possible, he loved those two babies like nothing else. He was even coming out on his own to help them when they needed it. It was a blessing, but she knew that her babies would be gone soon. They were headed to the Spirit Realm, and that made her want to stop everything and run. It was truly terrifying that this was her life right now. That she had brought two little, precious, loving humans into this world at this point in time. She knew that Fate had this plan, but it was too scary to think about. These were her babies. They were hers to protect and save. She knew she had a bigger job now. She knew that she was supposed to keep these babies safe. And Damn she wanted to fight. Her magic seemed to course through her veins a lot stronger now. It was like she gained a whole new set of powers. It was exhilarating, but made her feel like a slayer. Reckless. She knew that this fight was hers to fight, and she was going to kick some ass.

"I can't imagine." Laxus said. "don't remember Ivan being lovey. I just remember his anger. I had gramps, sure, but I never got that one on one love from a parent. I was a child to Gramps, and I love him to death, but he was a father to a lot of kids. I got to live with him and have fun with him, but he worked a lot. A lot of kids stayed with us for different amounts of time. I love that he was able to do that for so many children, but I missed a lot of that one on one because of it. I know he loves me, and that he's like a father to me, but I didn't have a lot of that growing up. You did. You had that love, and it was taken from you. I'm sorry man."

"It's okay. Really." Cobra swallowed hard. "But that's why I feel so sick around you guys. I feel physically ill looking at all of us."

"Because it scares you." Sting said softly. Everyone looked at him. "Man, I get physically ill looking at all of us. That photo above all of our beds. The on with all of us in our tuxes and the girls in their wedding dresses, it makes me sick. But I've learned it's a good thing. It's because I care so much about you guys, that the thought that we are together as a family, makes me sick with happy tears. It's that photo that drives me to tears. It's that photo, because that's the first family photo some of us have ever had. We have a family. But I'm sorry you lost yours man."

"Guys." Cobra said softly. "I'm still a monster. I still hurt Tink. I still don't deserve her."

"I crucified Levy to a tree." Gajeel said plainly. "It haunts me, but we made it past that. She polished all the stupid dust of my soul and showed me that unconditional love that we all think is fake. We have babies. We have a love that no human will ever have. You taking Lucy for some evil plan, doesn't matter. You're here now. So, make it up to her. Like I did."

"Like I did." Laxus followed up.

"Like we did." Sting said for him and Rogue.

"Even I've had to make things up to her, and I'm her best friend." Natsu said. "She doesn't ever think about it though. She drives herself so hard to be happy that she forgets to be genuinely happy. That's the real reason she never told us." He looked over to Cobra. "You just set yourself free. I mean that Cobra. You just set your own insecurities free. And with a group that still love you just the same."

"I still hate you guys." Cobra said with a small tear and laugh. "I'm not gonna change either. Just because I just told you all my baggage, doesn't mean I'm gonna stop being an asshole. I'm still me, and I will be forever this major asshole. You'll just have to deal with it." They all smiled at him.

"We wouldn't want it any other way." Lucy said squeezing his hand. She turned to Gajeel and Levy. "You guys look like hell." She giggled, and so did they.

"I miss my babies." Levy sighed. "I'm scared I'll lose them. I know that irrational because they are headed to somewhere no one can go, but I just worry. I'm a mama that's what we do."

"I know how bad she wants to fight. I feel that in my soul, but that crazy bitch really wants her." Gajeel said.

"Which one?" Lucy asked.

"The one that does dark solid script."

"Oh! Eliza!" Lisanna said. "Who fought her?"

"We did." Gajeel and Lucy said together.

"Was she strong?" Lisanna asked.

"Gajeel landed a pretty critical hit." Lucy said.

"I was badass." Gajeel said with a cocky smirk.

"You're always badass." Levy giggled. "Can I have her?" Everyone froze.

"Lev, she wants you specifically." Lucy said.

"I know Lu. I watched remember?"

"But Lev," Lucy was interrupted by Levy.

"I know what I'm doing. You all are too protective of me. This is my battle, and I want her. I want this. This is my chance to prove to them I won't be beaten. Plus, I'm with Lu. Gajeel and Natsu are switching spots. And Natsu and Lucy are a wrecking machine. They'll kill it out there with me. I want this, and I'm gonna get this."

"Can't reject this." Lucy said. She smiled at Natsu. "Wanna fight by my side, Team Natsu style?" They both grinned at each other.

"Hell yeah! Lucy, Levy, and I will kill it!" Natsu cheered.

"Looks like that's covered." Lucy smiled. "Training tomorrow afternoon. We got this!" She looked down. "I love you guys. I love this feeling. I hope it never fades. Let's all get some sleep, before we go all out tomorrow. Stay safe my loves." They all nodded. The way this girl loved was something else. Laxus kissed his wife's forehead as they all headed out. They spent the rest of the night silently reflecting on Cobra and how to help him. What they didn't know was they had just saved Cobra's life. They let him free. Big things were coming. Here they go again.