Fortune cookie said, and I quote "you are brimming with good ideas and notions" and don't I know it B)
randomusername2, thank you so much for your fangirling review! I'm glad you liked the interactions!
Mitzy123, thank you so much for your reviews! Also thank you a ton for commenting on the action! Make out session request noted; will be in the works shortly ;) Thanks for all the praises! Makes my day (again)!
Isanien, I already wrote you but I can't say it enough: thank you so much for letting me know how you liked every single chapter! I really appreciate all the effort to much! Warren arriving is in the works, too, thanks for requesting!
foxydame, you're too sweet, even going to the length of commenting on the previous chapter even though you already reviewed; thank you so much! And sooo long! You rival the actual chapter xD Seriously, you're amazing, writing so much and I'm really happy to read it all! 'girls back off from Jellal' xD You make an excellent point about Erza not feeling well with having to depend, it's so true. 'good boy Jellal' xD you're killing me. Thanks :D
Once inside the library, Erza strolled along the shelves, hands clasped behind her back. Her smile would twitch up to broaden whenever she caught glimpses of her husband on the other side of a shelf, and she halted when it was suddenly her own face looking back at her. A mirror. She walked up to it.
Her smile softened. The image of them together in the changing room came back to her. She tilted her head to the side, running a cupped hand along the underside of her belly. It was hard to believe that it was really her who was looking back – the body; the woman she had seen all her life in the mirror. Now married. Pregnant. Happily married and happily pregnant.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" An elderly woman asked. Erza beamed her indestructible smile at her.
"Yes," she replied, "please. We're looking for a map of the area and accommodations for two," she said. She followed the woman, who began to elaborate on vacation huts, hostels, hotels, camping and more, fanning out brochures, thrusting a free city map and another of the island as well as one of the northern region into Erza's arms.
The tiny librarian was as if on fire, browsing through the library sections like Jellal did back at the archives of the Magic Council.
"Oh, camping sounds nice, too," Erza put a finger to her chin in thought. "Do you happen to have anything on fishing?" She nonchalantly asked. She skimmed the contents of the first book she was handed. It was solely on fish species. When no one was looking, she quickly took a picture of the index of previous borrowers with her lacrima, then returned the book to the stack.
"Erza, look," Jellal poked his head around the corner. The cluster of brochures and flyers on the low table distracted him momentarily, eyes flying to scan everything they could catch glimpses of.
"Find anything?" She brought him back to the present. He grinned, then snapped up his hand where there was a postcard stuck between two fingers.
"I'll write one to Meredy," he excitedly declared. Both turned their attention back to the old lady when she returned. She sat them down as if she worked for a proper tourist agency, retelling previous customers' and her own experiences. At some point digressing to more than just vacation accommodations.
"Robberies?" Erza gasped as if hearing the word for the very first time in her life. She noted the amused twitch of Jellal's brow when her hand came up to cover her mouth in shock. But he kept quiet, awaiting the answer.
"Yes, there was one just yesterday!" The old lady explained in a voice by far too loud for any library.
"Oh, how unspeakably horrible," Erza let her hand clasp at her heart. "How lucky are we to have arrived only this morning," she nodded. She blinked at Jellal when he took her free hand for 'moral support' patting it soothingly. She almost laughed at how seriously he played.
"You will want to take good care of your belongings," the librarian advised. "Just because there was one yesterday, doesn't mean there won't be one again. It's a well-organised gang; they've been terrorising us for months," she sadly illuminated. "They came out of nowhere, just after the annual trading fairs, and started raiding homes, robbing banks and jewellery shops. They even once took hostages – no one knows what happened to them until today,"
"How terrible," Erza frowned, not having to pretend pity anymore. "Their families must be scared to death,"
"Those hooligans don't leave anyone behind," the woman shook her head. "Only one time, but the poor man must be in such a shock, he still hasn't put up a reward for anyone finding his wife," she somewhat sobbed.
"I would be too afraid to stay in the same house that was under such a ruthless attack," Erza supplied, ignoring the memories of the raid in their home as they came flashing back to her.
"Yes, that's what I thought, too," the elderly lady eagerly agreed. "All alone in that big mansion – not even servants are allowed in anymore, not to mention the press," she retold. "And in a town as flourishing as Stansburry," she noted, then, secretively putting a hand to the side of her mouth as if to shield her words from leaking anywhere but at the two, added: "I'm telling you, the neighbourship there is everything but cordial. Better choose the east than north to spend some time in peace."
"We'll be sure to remember that," Jellal nodded gratefully. He paid for his postcard and maps, taking an additional one of the region, just in case.
When the bell above the library's entrance rang at their departure, they left with by far more items than they had at the clothes shop. There was no spring in their steps anymore, but a slight haste. He chose the main street, strolling down to the port and further along the shore, not speaking until having left the hustle and bustle around the piers behind.
The waves swashed close to their feet, the sun blaring down on them. The cool ocean breeze made up for the heat, and both took off their shoes without the use of magic. She kept hold of his arm, slightly leaning on his shoulder.
"The mansion is the base of operations," Erza finally broke the silence. He nodded grimly. "Do you think he's being threatened with the hostage of his wife or is a part of the ploy?"
"I haven't even thought about that yet," Jellal confessed. "I'm rather concerned about the trading fair – that were an awful lot of merchant ships that passed ours on the way here, judging by how much it delayed our journey," he reminded. "I'm beginning to regret that we didn't go and watch them. We could have counted them,"
"The port surely has lists of whomever leaves their port," Erza noted. The 'merchant' names and occupations would probably be false, but at least the number should be correct. Unless there were gang members among the port personnel. Still, it would be their only source, so it would have to be worth the shot.
"Then let's get a look at that before someone manipulates it," Jellal agreed. They turned on the heel, continuing to fake their leisure promenade where the waves' crashing shielded their voices from travelling. "They couldn't have arrived in Fiore just yet," he pointed out, "our small boat took three days,"
"Perhaps you should notify the Council," Erza argued. "Have them do a random border check-up of everyone who arrives," she said, and he nodded.
Their serious expressions changed the second they could be distinguished by anyone who might have watched. Merrily, the two found the harbourmaster. Jellal asked for the list under the pretence of reconstructing their honeymoon – needing the name of their vessel that had unfortunately slipped his mind. Erza – throwing in a girly giggle for good measure – rustled with a notepad and pen where her lacrima was hidden between the sheets of paper. She quickly took a picture of the entirety of the list before scribbling down the name of their boat.
They continued on with a lovey-dovey swaying, the smiles on their faces beaming despite the tightness of their lowered voices.
"Think the police has the addresses of the robberies?"
"With their expertise at a crime scene?" Jellal rolled his eyes. "Might be a better idea to just keep on pestering some nice old ladies,"
"Oh? I didn't know you were into older women," Erza raised a single teasing brow. He suppressed a snort. Then he halted, and this time she followed his gaze to the shop window.
"How about some new jewellery for my beautiful wife?" He narrowed his eyes to accompany a meaningful smirk.
"How very thoughtful of you, loving husband of mine," she flashed him an equally plotting grin.
Their innocent tourist smiles fell back into place at the sound of the bell above the door. A moustached man greeted them friendlily from behind the counter – their next source for milking information.
"Just to be on the safe side," Jellal said as nonchalantly as he could.
"Alright, if you say so," Erza heard Jura's voice on the other side of the remarkably good connection of her lacrima. "I'll see what I can do," he answered, a tad suspiciously. He must have guessed by now that it was not just an on-the-safe-side-thing, but that the reasons for the maritime border patrol went deeper than his subordinate let on. He did not harp on about it, though he did not hang up either.
Erza tuned out when Jura went on to tell Jellal how everything was going back at the office. She was glad about how secluded the area was. The only lifeforms around them were birds chirming overhead, a butterfly or bee crossing their path every now and again. As much as she liked the rural scenery of Caelum, she could not wait for when a cart would come by that could take them to the next town. She wanted to get to the bottom of their case before anyone caught wind of their sniffing about.
Her ears perked when a different voice replaced that of the Magic Council member.
"…to your office to get a file I couldn't find, when I noticed your little friend at the window," Ambrose's scratchy laughter rang through the speaker. Jellal pulled a sheepish face, the hand she was holding twitching to where she knew he would have scratched his nape. She gave him a smile, then a squeeze to his hand. He returned both, relaxing. "I left my window open – I could see it sit in front of yours down the façade – but it wouldn't come," Ambrose was retelling vividly. "I couldn't stand the cold for long – my old bones, you know – so now I just drop some food on your windowsill every morning," he audibly grinned into the lacrima.
Erza had to snicker at her husband's varying expressions as well as the conversation she faintly overheard. Ambrose continued on how he had researched a pigeon's diet as not to make Jellal's pigeon – and he exclusively called it Jellal's pigeon – sick. It was not until there was an unfamiliar bleeping noise coming from the device that Jellal interrupted the animated monologue.
"Hold on, I think…" he took the lacrima away from his ear, frowning at the screen. "Uhm, I'm getting another call," he informed. "I'll be sure to call Jura back during work hours," he promised, knowing how keen his admittedly cute co-worker was on being handed the device after business had been discussed.
Thanking for the 'pet care' Jellal ended the call. Almost in the same motion, he picked up the next.
"Hey, Meredy," he greeted. There was a hint of a sigh in his words, and Erza could only guess it to be tiredness of chatting, or perhaps even relief when the Maguilty Sense Mage called by herself and he did not have to bug her by checking on her wellbeing. Erza had to smile no matter which case it was. All of those calls, their length; they were almost like the letters the girls had proposed as proof for his acceptance – for proving him to be valued – only in verbal form.
Erza blinked in puzzlement when he handed the lacrima back to her.
"It's Wendy. Meredy says she's having her first period," he sympathetically pulled a face. Adapting it, though by far calmer than her husband, Erza received the device. She could only just hear Meredy's voice go 'hi, Erza. Bye, Erza' before rustling told of a change of collocutor.
"Erza?" Wendy piped up uncertainly.
"Hey, angel, how are you doing?" Erza softly asked. She pursed her lips, all thoughts of their criminal discoveries gone. How she wished to be there in person to comfort her guildmate. She was glad to hear how the young Dragon Slayer did not sound too upset.
"Okay, I guess… I feel a little weird… insecure,"
"That's normal; it'll get better over time," Erza assured.
"So it's really gonna be like this every month from now on?" Wendy asked, a speck of hope ringing in her query. One that would have to be destroyed, Erza already regretted.
"Unfortunately, yes," she honestly said, "but it will become more natural soon. At some point, it doesn't even shock you anymore. It'll just be annoying for a moment until you take care of it," she allayed.
"Really?"
"Of course,"
"Because I'm afraid to just walk around or… sit in the guild," Wendy mumbled. There was a rustle, and Erza could picture the nervous adjusting to her ear.
"Oh, it could be anyone's blood, really," she shrugged, knowing her guild. It cracked Wendy up, an unintended snort putting a stop to her giggling. That was certainly a thing they had in common, Erza realised. Wendy often acted more like a lady that she herself, but once the fortress of her heart was entered, she could grunt laughing or cuddle to a blanket in a needy hug.
Erza returned Jellal's knowing smile, readjusting her own lacrima.
"Is it that strong?" She returned to the actual topic.
"No," Wendy replied almost immediately, "and I don't feel so much pain like Meredy. She says I'm really lucky 'cause it's only my back that feels a little sore,"
"Then you're like me," Erza felt warm with pride at yet another similarity.
"I am?" Wendy smiled through her voice.
"Mhm," the Queen of the Fairies hummed. "Have you ever seen me cramping up or carrying a hot water bottle while sitting out a fight?"
"No,"
"Well, there you go," she nodded encouragingly. "Maybe you can try to talk Meredy into paying a visit to the pharmacy sometime," she reminded, watching her husband's frown intently for a second. Wendy almost sounded joyful as she consented, and Erza knew it was always a good thing to have a distraction or task to fulfil to take one's mind off something so scarily new. It scared her, too, the knowledge of her little fosterling growing up so quickly.
"I'll ask her," Wendy promised. "Everyone's really so nice!" She went on, her voice less muffled as she relaxed with the lacrima at her ear. "I feel kind of vulnerable at the guild, but here at Fairy Hills with the others, it's almost as if nothing's wrong," she cheered. Apparently, even Lucy, Levy and Lisanna had come to join Fairy Hills' residents, telling their own stories and helping with easing the unsettled tension.
"Well, that's the perk of being friends with older girls," Erza smiled in recollection. "I know I kept dead quiet with Mira always looking to make a fool of me, and Natsu and Gray already embarrassed at merely taking baths with me," she smiled fondly, not noticing the now amused frown of Jellal. "You're by far more mature than we all were at your age," Erza praised. Then she had to sigh, feeling just as sorry as she felt proud. She wished for Wendy to have friend of her own age to share her secrets and interests with. Only a single one came to her mind. "Are you going to see Sherria soon?" She could not help but ask in a hopeful tone.
"I was going to see her tomorrow, but I think I'll wait until this is over," Wendy disclosed.
Erza glanced up, then down the path when Jellal nudged her. Sure enough, a cart loaded with hay, pulled by two donkeys, made its way through the dried-up mud.
"There's our ride," Erza said. "Would it be okay if I called you back tomorrow?" She asked, receiving instant agreement. There were more voices in the background now alongside the clinking of cutlery. "Oh, hold on," she passed the lacrima on when being gestured at.
"Hey, Wendy," Jellal greeted. There was a brief silence.
"Did you hear all that?" Wendy anxiously asked. He gave an easy smile that resonated in his tone.
"Hear what?" He honestly asked, not lying while she did not harp on about it, not thinking any further in her current situation. She sighed vocally in relief. "I just need some expert advice," he grinned at Erza's questioningly tilted head. "When doing a French braid, do I start at the hairline or back of the head?" He asked.
Erza shook her head with a fond smile. Not that he was not keen on such information, but he, too, knew how distraction could sometimes be the best remedy.
Wendy giggled before answering his question, explaining how it depended on whether or not he wanted to keep the parting in the hair. Jellal mused on that, quickening his step to keep up with the cart as it passed them. He fleetly thanked her while Erza negotiated a small price for the farmer to take them along.
The cart rucked and juddered along the furrowed path, rocking them unsteadily towards their new destination: Stansburry. It did not take an hour until they noticed the two figures on the horizon, continuously following at a steady distance. Without having to exchange a single glance, Erza and Jellal knew it was no coincidence.