The window to the nursery was still open and Mrs. Fernandes was still asleep in her chair with Panther Lily at her side. When the wind blew she did not wake nor did she wake when three children: Two boys and a girl, came through that open window and alighted on the floor with great softness. They gazed upon the sleeping woman and each of them felt guilt for all the pain that had made her suffer with their absence.
"Oh Mother." Juvia said her voice full of deep regret. "Please forgive us."
"She's been waiting for us all this time." Natsu said. "She even left the window open. Just like you said."
"That's because I knew she would. Mothers like her never forget and never close the window."
"Do we wake her?" Romeo asked.
"No. Let us break it to her gently." Juvia said.
Juvia, Natsu, and Romeo all climbed back into their beds as if they had never left to begin with. Panther Lily finally caught hold of their scent which woke him and he woke Mrs. Fernandes. Erza stood up from her chair, first checking the window and then the beds of the nursery, seeing all three beds occupied. The children waited for her cry of joy, but it did not come.
"Oh Lily." She said to the large black cat in a voice full of deep sorrow. "I dreamt that my little ones had come back. I dreamed they were asleep in their beds. But they will never come back."
She walked out of the nursery and went down the hall which confused the children greatly. They did not understand how she could not see them. But you see, she saw them in their beds so often in her dreams that she thought that this was just the dream hanging around her still. The heartbroken woman had just reached the end of the hall when she heard Juvia's voice call.
"Mother."
For a moment she became perfectly still. Almost too terrified to hope. Then she went back into the nursery to see her little ones out of bed and staring at her with their smiling faces.
"Hello Mother." Romeo said.
"It really is us." Natsu said.
"We've come home." Juvia said.
Erza fell to her knees and stretched out her arms to embrace, hold, and cradle each of them. Shedding tears of long awaited joy while planting kisses on each of their foreheads and cheeks.
"Jellal!" She cried when she could speak again. "Jellal, come quickly!"
"I'm coming!" He said running from his study and into the nursery. "What is it?"
He looked at the window first and then he slowly turned around to face the two boys and girl in the arms of his wife.
"We're back Father." Natsu said breaking away from his mother and expecting to be scolded by the man for all the trouble he and his siblings had caused.
"Did you miss us?" Romeo asked innocently.
Jellal stood before them stiff, serious, and sophisticated as always. A perfect English gentleman. One who never loses his composure for any reason whatsoever. Not even for an extremely emotional and touching moment like this.
"You're back." He said. "Well done."
He held his hand out. Natsu moved to shake it for he was certain that his father would forever be a man of no sentiment or affection. But the very moment the boy's hand made contact with the one belonging to the banker he surprised them all by pulling his eldest son close and stretching his arms around him.
"My angels." He said moving his arms to hold Romeo while fighting the urge to cry. "Of course I missed you."
Juvia was the last one he held and before he embraced her as he did to her brothers he made a look that asked her permission for such an affectionate act and at the same time begged her forgiveness of his earlier treatment of her.
"Can you ever forgive me?" He asked.
She answered him by hugging his neck.
"Of course I can." She wept. "Can you ever forgive me?"
"Always." He smiled tenderly before kissing her.
Each parent switched off between hugging and kissing their three children. They also had to share them with Lily who just couldn't stop nuzzling them with more purrs than he had ever made.
"Now just a minute. All of you please slow down." The moment was interrupted by the sound of Mirajane's voice coming from down the hall. She stepped into the nursery with the lost boys and Lucy following after her. "Erza these children say that..."
But she trailed off when she saw her honorary niece and nephews standing before her.
"You're back!" She cheered excitedly, giving them hugs and kisses just as her cousin and cousin's husband had done.
After that reunion with her Juvia quickly introduced the five children to her parents.
"Mother, Father, this is Lucy and the lost boys." She said. "They have no family and no home. Could they live with us until they we find homes and families for them?"
The boys whipped off their hats in respect, then they and Lucy tried to look lovable for the couple. Jellal and Erza were stunned for a moment, unable to think of a proper response. They looked each other to see what the other's reaction would be.
"I...I..." Jellal said. "I mean, the expense."
"Think of the neighbors." Mirajane said.
One could tell by Erza's smile that she would have loved to agree to the offer. Jellal was more hesitant but after one look at the pleading and irresistible eyes of the children he cried out:
"Dash the neighbors! And dash the expense! We'll find more space in the drawing room and I won't rest until each of them has a home."
Lucy and the boys praised him and kept chanting 'thank you' all around. The boys even tackled him with hugs due to their excitement and gratitude. Now one would expect Jellal to be annoyed or against such improper behavior but he merely just laughed and accepted it.
"Will this help the expense, Father?" Romeo asked.
He emptied his pockets of all the gold coins and jewels he had taken from Capricorn back on the ship. He wasn't able to carry it all obviously but he had brought back a very fine amount of it.
"Anyone for a pony ride?" Jellal chuckled at seeing that their money problems had been solved.
"Let's not blow all our good fortune yet dear." Erza giggled. "Let's get everyone settled first. Oh you poor things, you must be so cold. Mirajane please bring up some hot tea won't you? I'm sure it'll warm them all very quickly."
"A wonderful idea cousin." Mirajane agreed before going to the kitchen.
"Now why don't you all tell me your names?" Erza said.
The children were a little shy at first for it had been a very longtime since any of them had encountered a kind grown up. But after a few seconds had passed, Gajeel stepped up first.
"I'm Gajeel." He introduced himself bashfully. "I plan the battles ma'am."
"Would you like a mother Gajeel?" Erza asked him with a loving smile.
"Yes."
She hugged him, she intended to greet all of them with a hug the very moment they introduced themselves. She hugged Lucy and Sting and just as she had finished hugging Rogue, she heard the sound of china breaking. Mirajane had returned with a tray of tea but dropped it in shock for some reason.
"My dear cousin what is the matter?" Erza asked with concern.
She did not answer. Her face was in complete awe and disbelief, staring at something as if she were looking at a ghost. But it was no ghost her gaze was directed at. It was Elfman. As if in a trance she moved ever so slowly toward the boy and bent down to where their heights matched.
"This can't be." She whispered with tears already falling from her eyes. "It just can't be. You...You are here and...You haven't changed at all. You look just the same."
"Do I know you pretty lady?" Elfman asked her.
"Little boy, is your name Elfman?" She said unable to bear it if he said no.
"Yes. How do you know my name?"
A smile of grief and joy adorned her face.
"It's me Elfman." She answered in a trembling voice. "I...I am your sister, Mirajane...Do you remember me?"
"Mirajane?" The name was familiar to him and suddenly he could picture a person with that name. It was a little girl who was slightly older than him. A girl he had once been so fond of and loved so very much. "I...I think I did have a sister called Mirajane. But...But you are not her. She is a little girl."
"I was a little girl." She corrected. "Twenty years ago I was...But not anymore."
At first he was not sure if he could believe her or not. But then he remembered that his sister had long white hair that glistened like silver and teal eyes that were always gentle even when she was angry or sad. This woman had the same glistening white hair and gentle teal eyes as the girl from his memory.
"Mirajane?" He inquired as he took in her appearance. "Big sister, is it really you?"
"Yes it's me. It's me little brother."
"What happened to you?"
"I've grown up, I'm old now. Ever so much more than twenty." She chuckled sadly. "You've been gone for so long Elfman. I thought I'd never see you again when you ran away."
As if by magic Elfman remembered it all. The last time he saw his big sister, he had gotten into an argument with their father about how he didn't want to go into the army when he grew up. He was afraid to. Their father said that he needn't stop being so cowardly and be a real man, though he did not mean any of those words. Nevertheless that argument left the boy so fearful and hurt that he ended up flying away to Tendrou Island that night, carelessly breaking the hearts of his father, mother, and sisters. He never realized how much he had loved and missed them until now.
"Mirajane I'm so sorry." He said hugging her and crying into remorsefully into her shoulder. She held him close and kissed his head.
"It's alright now. We have each other again." She said, crying joyously. "Erza look! It's Elfman! It's my brother! He's come back!"
There could not have been a lovelier sight, but there was none to see it except a little boy who was staring in at the window. Gray had countless joys that other children can never know, but he was looking through the window at the one joy from which he must be forever barred.
"To live would be an awfully big adventure." He sighed.
Meredy gave him a sympathetic smile and the duo prepared to fly off. But Juvia spotted him leaving and hurried to the window, calling out for him.
"Gray." He stopped and looked back at the sound of her voice. "You won't forget me, will you?"
"Me? Forget? Never." He said with a reassuring smile and to prove his point he held up something in his hand. "I still have this."
It was the thimble she had given her the night they first met. Her hand then went to grip the acorn button around her neck.
"Will you come back?" She asked.
"To hear more stories about me." He replied with a smirk. "But you might not see me for awhile. I...I need to do some thinking."
"I understand. Until then my window will always be open."
"Promise not to bar it?"
"I won't even shut it. Not until you come back...If you come back."
It was completely silent between them, giving each other bittersweet glances and smiles.
"I'll always come back to you." He finally swore.
"I'll always wait for you." She vowed.
The last words that would be said to each other for a long time. After that Gray flew off into the night sky with Meredy and Juvia went to join the loving group of her friends and family.