A/N: And we're back! Regular M-F updates until we're all done. Buckle in your seatbelts 'cause stuff will start hitting the fan soon.

Thanks once again for following/reading/commenting.

xxv.

"...I still can't believe you went ahead and met Macbeth at the station alone."

"I was just too nervous about what might happen...it wasn't my best move I know."

Three days ago, Meredy had snuck out of the group (cheekily leaving a note with Sorano) to take transportation ahead of them in order to arrive at the train station around the time Macbeth and Ultear arrived. Suffice to say, Jellal was not pleased by this.

"Well, that's certainly an understatement, Meredy. Had things gone any less smoothly than planned, I shudder to think of the consequences."

Meredy flinched, then drooped down. "...I'm sorry, Jellal. Really, I am. It was stupid, endangered the group as a whole, and showed a lack of faith in my teammates." She closed her eyes only to hesitantly open one after a few heartbeats. "Do I pass?"

Jellal sighed. "You'd get higher marks if you appeared actually remorseful towards the teammate in question, but as long as he doesn't complain, I don't want to drag this out." He stared at her. "Just promise you won't do anything like this again."

"Promise." Meredy breathed a sigh of relief, and even Jellal appeared more relaxed now that the topic had concluded. Well, it certainly may have, if Meredy hadn't let out one last, impromptu comment.

"I will say this Jellal. You couldn't have picked a better cover story?! I had half a mind to intercept them based on that alone."

"What was wrong with it?" Jellal asked.

"Hmph! Do you think that man has a parental bone in his body? The only reason it worked is because they look a little similar."

"Would it not seem more suspicious for a young child to be traveling without a direct family member? How on Earthland would we make that sound remotely alright?"

"Argh...urgh. Well, he could be her uncle! Or cousin. Just…" the magility mage crossed her arms in a huff. Jellal slowly began to piece together the real problem.

"You just don't like the idea of Macbeth being the 'dad' since you're the 'mother', right?"

"Gah...it's just weird ok?" She shuffled around awkwardly clutching herself now that the bulls-eye had been hit. "I know you didn't mean it like that, but when I think about me and that creep. Ugh, I get the shivers!" She rubbed her arms. "She's already so attached to him. I just wouldn't know what to do if she called him–"

"Called 'em what?" It was this moment that Erik wandered into the tent. Meredy jumped, still not used to the one-eyed man's sudden intrusions. Jellal merely shook his head, unflinching.

"Meredy didn't like my cover story idea as much as I did."

"Hey! Jellal!" Meredy whined at him. There wasn't much point in being embarrassed though. Erik probably overheard the whole thing outside anyways.

"Hmm. That is pretty unfortunate, considering." Erik stated flatly. Jellal arched an eyebrow. Meredy shared a quizzical expression.

Erik looked between them before giving an overly exasperated sigh. "Listen, not to pop your fragile little bubbles or anything, but I think it's a little late for all that."

Macbeth was asleep. Everything was calm, peaceful, and blissfully quiet. Meredy had reclaimed Ultear once they'd gotten to camp, so he'd been forced to do all the manual labor as she took care of her. Not that it wasn't a nice change from babysitting, but he'd desperately wanted the others to arrive to be free of her judgemental stares and to have the opportunity to finally relax. And now, here he was, napping peacefully.

"MACBETH."

Macbeth was awake. Eyes snapping to the face of the very person he was trying to get away from. He attempted a greeting. "H-Hello–"

"Macbeth! Is it true?!" She was close to tears at this point. Belatedly, he noticed Ultear at her side, staring at him with a confused tilt. He felt himself doing the same.

"Don't follow," he replied groggily.

"Did Ultear really call you 'dad' on the train?!"

He froze at that simple sentence. How? He hadn't dared tell anyone.

A certain smug dragonslayer suddenly came to mind, along with dark machinations on the man's fate once this conversation was over.

"Meredy. It only happened once, and it was just because–"

"Once is already too much! Oh, I knew he should have gone with an uncle. She doesn't still think that, does she?" She knelt down, eyes big and hopeful at the tiny child. "You know, that's just Macbeth, right? Just Macbeth. Nothing else." She tried on a strained smile, one eye twitching. Maybe it would be a good idea to leave.

Ultear looked at him, a gentle smile suddenly crossing her face. To Macbeth, it was what sealed his fate.

"Ma-beth...dad!" Ultear grinned at her own deduction, having understood exactly nothing of what Meredy tried to impart on her. Macbeth looked upwards, wondering if he could climb a tree. Meredy's eyes shook with rageful tears. The child merely beamed, happy to be with her "parents".

"Why did you do that?"

"Hey, as the father, Macbeth should really take responsibility for what he's done, right Boss?"

"...If you're this bored I could always give you more patrol duty."

"To cover for Macbeth when he dies?"

"I'm being optimistic that it's only a light maiming."

Will neither confirm nor deny changes in roman numerals.