Family Meeting

Summary: Cana's Uncle has been trying to track down his niece since his sister died, somehow Fairy Tail had never even crossed his mind. Now his only issue is whether or not he should be taking her with him since her father clearly isn't doing his job.

Original prompt: Cana's Uncle is in a dark guild and comes to Fairy Tail to take her.

Disclaimer: I don't own

Warning: Swearing

AN: For cowseatgrass- yet another awesome prompt! I never would have come up with this on my own if I tried! I am also starting a new job, so updates will become pretty sporadic.

Julian Alberona was not a good person; he'd be the first to admit that. He lied, he stole, he cheated, and while he had never killed anyone, there had been more than a few close calls. He may be a dark wizard and he may act outside the law, but he wasn't a monster.

He had loved his sister and he loved his niece; as soon as he had found out Cornelia was sick the first thing he did was try to go see her, but by the time he'd made it there she'd been dead and no one had any idea where Rebecca was.

Despite being devastated by his sister's death, he knew he had to make sure Rebecca was taken care of and he was more than willing to step up, but he couldn't find her.

It took him six years- six years of worrying about her before he finally had a breakthrough. Well… 'breakthrough' might not be the most accurate term. What actually happened was someone left a copy of Sorcerer Weekly on the table and when he had flipped through it out of boredom, he'd been struck dumb by a younger version of his sister smiling up at him. After being stunned stupid for several moments, he grabbed his bag and started towards Magnolia.

Fairy Tail. How had he been so stupid to have never checked out Fairy Tail. Conny must have sent Rebecca to Gildarts- which was kind of surprising because he hadn't thought that she would ever tell him, but hey- desperate times.

Julian couldn't exactly say he liked Gildarts, not after everything the clutz had put his sister through, but the man was strong and would treat Rebecca like the little princess she was. Ultimately, she had probably been better off with Gildarts than would have been with him, but… he had to be sure.

If Rebecca wasn't happy then he would take her with him. As her uncle it was his responsibility to make sure that she was well cared for.

No, he wasn't a good person, but he loved his family and that had to count for something.

oOOOOo

She was just being paranoid. That had to be it. She'd been reading a lot of horror novels lately and they must finally be catching up to her.

Cana had been feeling like someone was watching her for almost the entire day now and it was really freaking her out. But, of course, every single time she turned around there was nobody there.

She had to stop reading so many ghost stories before bed, she was jumping at shadows thinking 'Dead Lucy' was coming to get her. It was fiction, she just had to pull herself together and go about her day. Nothing was out to get her.

She was walking back from Griffith's after three separate sessions and the empty streets she was walking through… yeah this was really not helping her anxiety. Unbidden her mind started to write out the scene: the lonely deserted street, lit only by stray lamp posts, the young girl walks alone, unaware of the shadowy figure as it slowly sneaks up behind-

"Rebecca."

Cana shrieked at the top of her lungs, spinning around and chucking her trumpet at the figure, clocking it square in the face. It dropped to the ground swearing viciously, but before she could make a run for it a familiar voice broke through the panic.

"Fucking hells- Rebecca it's me!"

Cana blinked. Rebecca. The only other person who called her that other than her mother was-

"Uncle Jules?" She asked incredulously. Staring open-mouthed as he got up off the pavement (damn- did she break his nose?), she remembered how her Uncle had always brought her new toys whenever he came to visit, gave her piggy back rides, and had let her steal cookies when her mother wasn't looking- was he actually here?

As the man straightened properly, he flashed her a familiar grin," Hey Minnie Mouse- see your aim is still as good as ever." Referencing how the young Cana, with her high-pitched, squeaky voice, had always thrown her toys when she got mad, but wait, if he knew that, then that meant he really was-

"UNCLE JULES!" She yelled happily, tackling him back down to the pavement in a bear hug.

For Julian it was the best hug he had received in years. She really had grown a lot in six years, she was a young lady now.

"What are you doing here?" Cana asked once they had both gotten back on their feet. As happy as she was to see him, it had been years- why was he showing up now?

Uncle Jules gave her a mock glare," I spent six years trying to track you down kid- as soon as I found out where you were, I came to check up on you."

The brunette blinked for a moment, before guilt welled up inside her. She had been so eager to get to Fairy Tail, she had completely forgotten about Uncle Jules. Of course he had been worried about her, six years was a long time and she hadn't exactly left any kind of way for him to know she'd gone to Fairy Tail.

"Enough about that- what the fuck is in that case?" The dark-haired male asked incredulously, watching as his niece's entire face turned pink as she picked the black case up off the ground.

"I started the trumpet recently," She answered sheepishly, making her uncle snort. Instrument, he should have known. This kid had taken to the piano like a fish to water, being able to play some pretty complex pieces by the time she was three. Conny had been good, but Rebecca was simply better.

"Well, you heading home kid?"

"Yeah, I was on my way back when someone scared the crap out of me!" She said venomously as her uncle winced- he hadn't meant to scare her like that, in hindsight approaching her while she was walking home alone had been a really stupid move.

"Let me walk you then- what have you been up to all these years?" He asked, and that broke the dam, the twelve-year-old enthusiastically launching into story mode telling him all about her friends, her jobs- anything she could think of, gesticulating wildly for emphasis.

"This is my stop Uncle Jules," She stated out of the blue, once they had come to a low three-story building.

"Really?" He asked in surprise, he may have only been to Gildarts' house once but he was pretty damn sure this wasn't it.

"Yeah- these are the girls only dorms," She casually answered as she got her keys out.

"But shouldn't you be living with Gildarts?"

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, as his niece flinched, visibly curling in on herself, mumbling softly," Its- its complicated Uncle Jules. I'll see you at the guild tomorrow."

After making sure she made it through the door, Julian did an abrupt about face, heading towards the obnoxiously large magical presence that the gutless moron constantly put out.

His ex-brother-in-law was neglecting his own daughter- it was his duty as her uncle to go kick his teeth in until he grew a pair and took some goddamn responsibility!

oOOOOo

When Gildarts opened his front door only to be punched in the face, the only thing he was surprised about was that it wasn't Natsu on the other side. The sight of his former brother-in-law with a black eye and broken nose radiating rage was certainly a shocker.

"Julian? What the fuck-?!" The crash mage yelled in confusion before another punch landed on his jaw.

"You think you can treat her like that and I wouldn't find out!" The other man roared, kneeing the crash mage in the gut.

What the-?

"Julian if this is about Conny- "

"This isn't about Conny, this is about Rebecca." Julian snarled like a feral dog.

"Who's Rebecca?" Gildarts asked in confusion. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, as he watched the dark mage become even more enraged.

"'Who's Rebecca'-?! Your daughter, you fucking piece of shit! Twelve years old, brown hair, purple eyes- ring any bells?" He sneered venomously- the man neglects her to the point where he forgot her name? That settled it she was coming with him after this.

Gildarts was in so much shock he didn't even react as Julian got a few more shots in. "I don't have a daughter." He said dumbly. Rebecca- Conny had been the only one who knew about that name.

Now Julian wasn't the smartest, but something about the naked shock and confusion painted across the red-head's face made him pause. This… this wasn't any reaction he'd been expecting," Yes you do. Considering I talked to her less than an hour ago I think I'd know. I thought Conny sent her to live with you?" What was going on? Why did Gildarts seem so surprised?

"Conny- what?" The Ace asked borderline hysterically. Was Julian saying what he thought he was saying? Had Conny- did he really have a daughter out there somewhere? Wait, Julian said he talked to her, that meant he had a daughter living right under his nose.

Julian's rage died at the genuine confusion from the crash mage- was it possible that he didn't know?

"Rebecca was born a couple months after you guys split," the dark haired man found himself explaining," After Conny died I went to get her but she was gone- wasn't until I saw some Fairy Tail puff piece that I even knew where she was. I… I assumed that Conny sent her to you."

"…She's in Fairy Tail?" Gildarts asked as he frantically ran through the names and faces of the younger generation- none of the girls were named Rebecca- what was going on?

"… People used to call her 'Cana' if that helps any." Julian said awkwardly, remembering how neither he nor Conny could figure out how that got started.

"…Cana?" It was like a lightbulb switched on. The shy little brunette who always clung to the outskirts… she was-? Cana was his-?

"…. Maybe, maybe we should sit down for a bit," the dark mage offered hesitantly, neither of them appeared to be on the same page.

"I think that might be a good idea," Gildarts said shortly, trying and failing to sound calm.

And so, the two sat down at the table and started talking. The next day was going to be interesting to say the least.

oOOOOo

Gildarts couldn't exactly say he liked his brother-in-law. Julian was a piece of dark guild scum, but he was Conny's brother, so he tried to at least be civil. It was a bitter pill to swallow right now that he was reliant on the other man's help.

For whatever reason Cana (Rebecca his mind whispered) had never told him who she was to him, and because of this he knew next to nothing about her. They had never spoken as far as he could recall, he remembered when she had first joined the guild as an adorable little thing (she was still an adorable little thing to be honest), but he had never really paid attention to her. He hadn't thought he needed to.

Maybe that was why. Maybe she had seen her Daddy's total disinterest in her, and it had hurt her so badly that she decided not to say anything.

He didn't know her, but Julian did. Julian had been there during the first few weeks of her life, had been there for every birthday before she went to Fairy Tail. She trusted Julian in a way that she didn't trust him, in a way that she may never trust him and that… that really hurt. To know that even beyond Julian, so many other men had filled his place in her life- had been father-figures to her like he had never gotten to be.

When Cana had problems she went to Master, she went to Macao, she went to Wakaba- she went to everyone except her own father because he was never there. He… would be lying if he said he didn't feel jealous of all the other men who took his place in his child's life.

"- Uncle Jules where are we going?" He heard the sweetest voice in the entire world ask exasperatedly.

They had worked out a game plan the night before. Julian would pick her up from the guild and bring her back here so they could all work everything out without an audience. As much as the Ace loved Fairy Tail, he had to admit that they were the last presence he wanted right now.

The door to his house opened and Julian brought the most incredible little girl he had ever seen inside. And as soon as she saw him her face fell, driving a spike right through his heart.

The brunette looked between the two men, reading the situation quickly. "He- he knows now, doesn't he." It wasn't a question.

Julian just nodded, gesturing towards the red head," Family meeting Minnie Mouse. All of us have stuff we need to say and none of us are leaving until its said." As much as he disliked his brother-in-law, the man deserved to be in her life if he wanted to be. Conny had chosen to keep him out, which hadn't been fair then and it still wasn't fair now, and Rebecca deserved to have her father in her life if she wanted him there.

The awkward silence stood for a moment before Gildarts decided to be the one to break it," Cana- Rebecca I'm so sorry." The man rasped, barely keeping the tears in check," I-I've missed your entire life and you- you had to watch me ignore you- "

"That wasn't your fault." The card mage interrupted," You didn't know because I didn't tell you, because Mom didn't tell you; I don't hold anything against you. I was the one who didn't say anything."

"Why- why didn't you say anything?" The crash mage asked hesitantly, unsure if he really want the answer.

"…I tried." She whispered," I tried so many times, but things just kept getting in the way. You had to take a job, or something got your attention first. I… I was actually going to try to tell you today, but Uncle Jules showed up and I wanted to spend time with him."

Gildarts couldn't breathe- Cana had joined when she was six. She had been trying to tell him the truth for six years. He didn't even hesitate, just pulled her onto his lap and held her. Burying his face into her hair as gripped her to his chest. For her part Cana just leaned into him, curling up in his lap as she let him hold her. She'd always imagined what this would feel like, to be held by him… it was warmer than she had thought it would be, but not in a bad way. His arms were strong, she'd seen him lift boulders, but they held her like she was made of glass.

It was nice.

"Cana, will you let me be your father?" He had lost so much time; he didn't want to lose another minute.

"I'd really like that...Dad."

And then came the water works, with both father and daughter bawling their eyes out as they shared their first real moment together.

Julian watched with a smile, tears of his own in his eyes as he watched the touching scene. He may not like Gildarts too much, but he adored Rebecca, he'd just have to tolerate the man from now on. He may not be a good person, but he loved his family and unfortunately Gildarts was part of it, but… Julian could learn to be okay that. Every family had that one idiot they tolerated, guess his brother-in-law was theirs.

AN: It took a surprisingly long time to put this together. I loved the prompt, but I spent forever trying to work out the plot points, like why he didn't take her beforehand, if he knew the truth, how the reveal would happen, and timeline. I also had to figure out how to make Gildarts seem believable as he went into the confrontation aware that Cana knew the truth. Also, if anyone is wondering why Julian calls her Minnie Mouse- it's because I think its cute, no big reason, I just wanted to work a cute nickname in there.

I actually have been playing around with just how confusing Cana's legal name could make things. Because it really has the potential for some pretty intense misunderstandings. I know this personally, because I have a two-parter name, and I have only gone by the second part for almost my entire life, so when someone uses my full name I don't react because I have no idea they are talking to me.

Also, in case you are wondering, Cana doesn't know her uncle is in a dark guild and Julian isn't really high up enough to have his own wanted posters or be infamous. I also have no idea why he is a dark wizard, he doesn't really have a backstory beyond what's here.

And it was actual paranoia-nobody was watching her, if you get the Dead Lucy reference (Nancy Drew) you'll probably understand. I was jumping at shadows for days after the first episode.

Please tell me what you think and if you have any story ideas please send them to me! Maybe I'll use them!