Please enjoy!
Rules and Regulations:
X Everyone must be present in mind and body for all sessions/activities unless excused by an adult leader for medical or other serious reasons.
X Each participant is required to have a name tag for all sessions and program booklet for all morning sessions. (If you lose one or leave it behind, you must buy another one by the next activity.)
X Modest, appropriate clothing must be worn by all participants. If it's questionable, make a more modest choice. Clothing with alcoholic beverage advertising, profanity, or questionable symbols or wording is not allowed.
X Have fun.
Prohibited items include:
X personal music devices
X Video games
X Alcohol
X Tobacco products
X Unauthorized drugs
X Skateboards
X Rollerblades
X Skates
X Laser pointers
X Weapons of any kind
• Fireworks
Prohibited activities include:
X Inappropriate displays of affection
• Leaving Fairy Tail campus without adult leader
X Fighting
X Profanity
X Water battles
X Shaving cream fights
X Anything that damages property
X False use of security or fire alarms
In dining area:
X No breaking in line
X No food fights
In dorm rooms:
X Guys are not to be in or around girls rooms. Girls are not to be in or around guys rooms. Violation is grounds for being sent home.
X Quiet time will be observed from 11:00 pm until 9:00 am. NO LOUD NOISE
X No one should be out of his or her room between 11:15 pm and 6:45 am
X Rooms are inspected before and after occupancy and any damage will be reported and charged to your group.
In auditorium and in sessions:
X No drinks, gum, candy, or food of any kind
X No disturbing others - includes talking, note passing, texting, phone calls, etc.
X No flash photography or videotaping
X No saving seats - all personal items must be removed after each session
X No throwing of objects
X Cell phones should be turned off or set to silent during all sessions
Laxus walked Cana all the way back to the auditorium. Makarov pointed at the parking lot nearby to signal that was where her mom was waiting. Laxus held Cana's hand tight as they neared the car. It was a white Ford Focus. Cana's mom was waiting beside it.
"Pop the trunk," Cana told her quietly. The woman opened the driver's door to do just that. Laxus got a good look at the license plate as he lifted the trunk open. He put the bag he was carrying inside the trunk and Cana did the same. Cana reached up to hug Laxus around the shoulders, holding him as tight as she could. He lifted her up off the ground. They were hidden by the trunk but Laxus was sure that Cana didn't care either way. She pulled her head away to plant a kiss on his mouth. He could tell that it was the kind of kiss one only gave when they meant it. She pulled away and he set her down, still holding her.
"Text me as soon as you get home safe," Laxus told her.
"As if I won't be texting you all the way home."
"I'll skip evening service to talk to you."
"You better. Don't forget the last two rules."
"Yes, ma'am."
Cana pulled away and closed the trunk. She then made her way over to the passenger's door. Cana's mom was glaring at both of them but tore her gaze away from Laxus to unlock the door for Cana and then get in and start the car.
"Goodbye Laxus," Cana said as she opened her door.
"Goodbye Cana."
And then she was gone. He watched the back of the car as it drove away, seeing only the shape of her head in the rear window and the license plate taunting him. The car got smaller and smaller until it was no longer in sight, but still Laxus just stood in the spot where he had been left. His phone buzzed. It was Cana.
She's trying to bribe me with food. She's taking me to some restaurant to "make me feel better".
Laxus chuckled dryly. It sounded like something his Gramps would do. Suddenly, there was a presence besides Laxus. He turned and there was Gildarts.
"Come on, kid. No use standing out here. Might as well start heading to dinner. It's almost time."
Laxus doubted he could swallow a mouthful but walked beside Gildarts anyway.
"You really liked her," Gildarts asked. Laxus nodded. The older man let out an airy laugh. "We were all surprised by the fact that you had made a friend at all. But a girlfriend? Makarov was practically on his knees thanking the powers at be when I told him."
"You knew," Laxus asked gruffly. They never hid it but the fact that the adults actually paid attention caught him off guard.
"Levy figured it out first. She saw you two holding hands on the way to evening service one time. You know chicks, they catch that stuff real easy."
Gildarts laughed at his own little joke, expecting Laxus to do the same. But the blond boy stayed quiet as they walked. Gildarts tried to find a different approach. Get him talking.
"So is this it for you two?"
"No."
"Then why are you so upset?"
"When is the next time I'm going to actually see her? What if she goes home and forgets about me or meets someone new?"
"Geez, being insecure does not suit you." Laxus shot Gildarts a nasty look.
"I wouldn't expect you to know what I'm talking about, old man. You were always a womanizer."
"Not always," Gildarts interjected. Laxus gave him an "oh really" look and Gildarts had to stop himself from strangling the boy. "Don't you listen to my classes?!"
"Not since I was thirteen."
"You kids are the worst. You get one heartbreak and suddenly the world is over and no one understands."
"Like you understand," Laxus shot back. "When was the last time you had a heartbreak?"
"About an hour ago."
Laxus turned sharply to look at Gildarts, shocked by what he had said. Before Laxus could utter a word, he was shut up by the look of pain on Gildarts face. He had never seen a look like that on this man's face. He looked as if he had just had all of his hopes shatter, like he had been working towards something and it had failed. What on Earth could have caused that? Wait. An hour ago?
"Cana's mom," Laxus muttered. Gildarts nodded solemly. "How do you even know her?"
"She was the love of my life," Gildarts answered quietly. That shocked Laxus. What were the chances that Gildarts and the daughter of the love of his life would ever interact as closely as they did. That must have hurt to find out. That she had a kid with someone, a life with someone after him. Laxus stopped walking, causing Gildarts to as well.
"What happened?"
"She often felt as if she wasn't enough for me because of my sex addiction before we met. She was always questioning her worth and worrying about my loyalty to her. God bless her though, she never told me what I could and couldn't do. She never stopped me from hanging out with my friends or going out and drinking, even if she stayed up all night crying, thinking I was cheating on her. I found out about how he really felt and I felt so guilty. I would never, ever do that to her. I loved her. So I started drinking and smoking. I became obsessed and I spent thousands of dollars on my addictions. Then one day, she told me that she was tired of the smoking and she wanted me to quit. She said we needed the money for more important things and that she wanted me healthy enough to actually live a long life. I don't know what was wrong with me that day. I was drunk or mad or something. I told her off. Told her that she had no right to control me when it was my guilt from her that drove me to the point I was at."
He was reliving every word, regretting every decision. It was clear on his face.
"So she told me to leave. She needed time to think. So I left and I just...never went back. I felt so guilty and I blamed her for it. I couldn't handle it. She tried calling me, texting me, reaching out in anyway she could. But I just ignored her. And soon she stopped trying. I haven't seen her since."
A single tear went down Gildarts face.
"I never got over her. I thought it was the same for her. I thought if I ever saw her again and explained myself, she would understand and take me back. But she moved on. She has a kid and a husband and-"
"She's not married," Laxus interjected. "Cana's dad walked out on them."
"That...that... THAT NO GOOD SON OF A BITCH HOW DARE HE?!"
Laxus watched Gildarts going off and something clicked in his mind. A smoking, alcoholic parent who walked out on Cana and her mom before Cana was born? And when Cornelia found out that Gildarts was working at Fairy Tail she drove to Georgia to come and get her daughter? Wait a minute.
"Gildarts, when did you leave Cornelia?"
Gildarts stopped his furious ranting and raving to look back at Laxus.
"Seventeen years ago."
That was it. Suddenly everything in his mind clicked. The flask, the time frame, the fact that Cornelia asked him to stop smoking but not drinking. No. No way.
"Gildarts, Cana is seventeen," Laxus told the man. "Cornelia was pregnant when you left her!"
Gildarts face fell.
"She...she was...she was cheating on me?!"
"What?! No you idiot old man," Laxus shouted. "Cana has a flask with the letters G.C. engraved on it."
Gildarts face lit up with recognition.
"It was her fathers."
Gildarts eyes widened and Laxus could practically see his stomach drop. Gildarts was Cana's dad. That was why Cornelia didn't want Cana here anymore. Laxus felt his phone buzz. He looked down to see he had a text message from Cana.
"What am I going to do," Gildarts asked.
Cana stepped out of the car. Her mom had pulled up to some Italian place. Cana's favorite.
"What's that look for," Cornelia asked as she came around the car.
"Nice try," Cana said glumly. She took a picture of the place and sent it to Laxus.
She really thinks she can make it up to me.
"Come on Cana, it's not the end of the world," her mom urged. "I'm doing this for your own good, trust me."
"Really? I was doing just fine so don't pull any of that "for your own good" crap. Just go back to not caring at all about me, it suits you better."
Cana walked into the restaurant before her mom could say a word. She told the host that she needed a table for two and he began leading her away as her mom stepped in to join them. The two girls sat at a booth by a window on the far side of the restaurant and two menus were placed in front of them. Their waiter arrived shortly after.
"What can I get you to drink?"
"Water with lemon please," Cornelia told the man.
"Just a glass of ice," Cana answered, receiving perplexed looks from the waiter and her mom. Nonetheless, the drink order was taken and he left to go get what they had requested.
"So," Cana's mom began, "who was that blond boy."
Cana mentally rolled her eyes.
"Laxus."
"Did you know him before camp?"
"Nope."
"Are you two...together?"
"Yup."
"Wait, are you being serious?!"
The waiter came back with their drinks and then left to take another order.
"Of course I'm being serious," Cana grumbled as she pulled her glass towards her and then began unscrewing her flask. "Why would I ever be dishonest with you?"
"You've only been at camp a week!"
"Eight days."
"Fine whatever. And you two are hooking up?"
Cana dumped the contents of her flask into the glass of ice.
"No mom. We have not hooked up."
"But... you said that you were together?"
"You doubt me so much that you think I'd sleep with a guy after eight days? No we're dating."
Cana took a sip of the drink in the glass and froze. Baileys. She had forgotten it was Baileys.
"Of course not! We all know there's only three drinks that need to be iced in this world. Wine, beer, and Baileys."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's wine, beer and Jägermeister! Baileys is perfectly fine served warm!"
"When I fill up my flask tomorrow and start drinking actual alcohol then we can mark that one off. Any requests?"
"You got Baileys?"
"Ha, I knew you liked it!"
"I'm just in the mood for it."
"Cana?"
She shook her head to snap out of her memories.
"What?"
"You're seriously drinking here?! You really wanted to stay at that place even though you're breaking the rules like this?!"
Breaking the rules. Cana would give anything to go back to breaking the rules. She would give anything to hear Laxus ask her what rule they were going to break today. Anything just to hear him say-
"Yup, that's the point."
Cana's eyes shot straight up to see Laxus standing next their booth, sweating and panting.
"Oh my God, Laxus?!"
"Yup! Come on, I need to talk to you."
He grabbed Cana's hand and dragged her out of her seat. Cana's mom was left sitting with her jaw dropped in shock.
"Laxus, what are you doing here?!"
"I've come here to take you back to Fairy Tail!"
He led her out of the restaurant and then began bolting down the street so that her mom couldn't catch them. It was getting dark and the streetlights came on.
"Who sent you?"
"No one! Technical rule break!"
How did you find me?"
"You sent me that picture. Plus I recognized the license plate number on your mom's car."
"But why?!"
"There's someone very important you need to talk to."
"Who?! Laxus, you're not making any sense!"
"Gildarts is your dad!"
Cana stopped dead in her tracks under a streetlight, causing Laxus to stop too.
"Gildarts...My dad?!"
Laxus walked up to her and held up her hand holding the flask. He showed her the engravement.
"He explained everything to me about your mom. And then I figured it out! This could be your only chance to talk to him for real and we need to get there before your mom catches us!"
Cana grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to kiss her. She pulled away and then took his hand and began running.
"Let's get the hell out of here!"
Cana and Laxus ran onto the campus, their only guide being the lights on in the buildings. Cana began heading towards the auditorium but Laxus stopped her quickly.
"No, he's not there! He's in his class. Come on, this way!"
He led her towards the class building, jumping over a bush in the way so that they could cut across the grass. Cana followed him, not falling behind for a second. She was exhausted. Every part of her body was screaming at her to stop, they hadn't quit their running at all. Cana was desperate. It still hadn't fully sunk in. Gildarts was her father. The knowledge was there but the meaning behind it had yet to hit her.
Laxus opened the door for her and she ran through the lower floor and up the stairs, him right at her heels. The building was lit up but all the classrooms were dark. All except one.
Cana stopped a few feet away from Gildarts's classroom, suddenly frozen with fear. She was about to really meet and talk to her dad.
"What's wrong," Laxus asked. He was breathing heavily, just as she was.
"I'm about to meet my dad."
"You've met him before. It's just Gildarts."
She looked up at him with worried eyes, a million concerns were swimming in her brain. Laxus stepped in front of her and grabbed her reassuringly by the shoulders.
"I promise. He's just as scared as you are. You can do this."
Cana wrapped her arms around Laxus's waist.
"Thank you so much."
"My pleasure."
Cana pulled away from him and then walked surely to the classroom. She looked back at Laxus.
"Are you coming?"
"No. This is for you. I'll be right outside keeping guard."
Cana nodded and then turned back to the class in front of her. She took a deep breath and then opened the door and stepped inside.