A/N: Hey, so this chapter took a while to write. It was a very emotional chapter for me. I think a lot of us have that one person who always brings them into their messes 80% of the time, but in the 10% of the time when you really need them, they are always there. Also, I would like to say how awesome it is that we have finally cracked 50, 000 words! When I first thought about this story I thought it would only be three chapters, then five, and now it could be anything. I think in a couple of chapters I'll be up to half way plot wise (I never know how plot will translate into chapters or word counts). I am really interested in hearing what you guys think, please leave a review. It makes my day knowing that people care enough to share their thoughts with me, especially I they have a different view point from mine. Anyways, as always, read, review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail

Day 39- part 2

"Don't cry Cana," Ultear said in a quiet voice, hand on her shoulder. Cana took a deep breath and looked up from the ground, staring the other little girl straight in the eye. She got to her feet, ignoring the stinging pain emitting from her skinned knees and walked straight towards her. Ultear standing in the background gave her little comfort because she knew that she was on her own in this.

"Give it back!" Cana said in a quiet voice, glaring at her with all the ferocity she could muster. At first the girl opened her mouth to offer a bitter retort but she wavered under Cana's brown eyes. She slowly stretched out her palm and waited for her to return the magazine. While she didn't hit her again she obviously had no intention of returning the magazine. So Cana remembered what Ultear had taught her, pick a move, count to three in her head and then strike out as quick as she could and don't stop until she got back what was hers.

She counted to three, and then let loose, hit after hit landing on the girls face until with a horrified shriek she let go of the magazine. Cana picked it up off the floor and walked back to Ultear, smiling despite the blood on her fists.

"What happened here?!" Macao roared, looking between the wailing girl and Cana's bloody hands. He reached out grasping her hand in shock. "What did you do?" he asked, eyes wide and panicked.

"Ultear told me to…"

OOO

Cana woke with a start, her eyes opening to see Ultear's face centimetres from hers, still fast asleep. Cana took a few deep breaths before slowly pulling back, sliding from the bed and walking straight into the shower.

OOO

"Cana, I don't think you should be hanging around Ultear as much." Macao said very slowly and seriously.

"What?! Why?!" Cana snapped, her now long hair swaying as she turned to face him, rage emanating from every pore.

"I just don't think that she's a good influence." He said patiently, trying to soothe her into sitting next to him but she shook him off.

"What are you talking about? She's family!" she insisted, shaking her head in disbelief. Macao looked her over, he barely recognised the sweet girl he took in who wore sundresses and loved puppies to this barely clad teen, glaring at him through her mascara.

"That girl has done nothing but get you into trouble since day one. I just don't want you making a mistake that you can't take back." He said, reaching for her hand but she snatched it away.

"Ultear is the only one who's always been there for me!" she said, cracking his calm.

"No, she's the one who leaves you to clean up her messes!" he snapped. Macao sighed as Cana gave him one last filthy look before storming off.

OOO

Cana let the too hot water run over her body, burning off the make up and sweat, erasing any trace of the night before and leaving her raw and clean.

OOO

"What do you mean you're going overseas?" Cana gasped, staring at her sister in shock. Ultear looked uncomfortable trying to escape her accusing gaze.

"Well I've been recruited to join this international task force. It's a really big deal. I thought you'd be happy for me!" Ultear said, but they both knew what she was really thinking.

"You're just going to leave me here?" Cana asked, tears coming to her eyes as she couldn't process the information. Cana could feel herself shaking, unwilling to accept that she was being abandoned again.

"You know I hate it when you cry." Ultear said, grimacing. Cana stared at her in shock that in this situation, that was all she had to say. "I mean, you knew I didn't want to stay in Sydney. I'm not the homey type.-" Ultear began but before she could give any more empty excuses Cana stood and grabbed her bag, walking straight out the door.

A sense of horror and regret overtook her as she wondered that maybe Macao was right all along.

OOO

She stood at the kitchen bench and looked at the loaf of bread. She was caught in a moment of dejavu, remembering all the times she had stood, frozen, considering whether or not to swallow her feelings and look after her ridiculous big sister. And once again, she took a deep breath and began preparing their breakfast.

OOO

"Hey, I know this is going to sound weird but I need you to promise that you won't try anything with my sister." Cana said, running her fingers along Bacchus' scalp as he rested his head on her lap.

"What?" he asked, rolling so that he could stare up into her face from his place resting atop her thighs.

"I know, we said no strings. It's just… things always end up getting complicated when my sister's involved. I just want to get through seeing her without getting drowned in-" Cana rambled, brows furrowing as she became uncomfortable with the emotions rising to the surface, but thankfully she was cut off by Bacchus' lips against hers.

"I got it," he said, giving her another kiss as he tucked her hair behind her ears. "stop worrying." He said, soothing her with his kisses. Cana smiled despite herself and wrapped around his shoulders.

"I can't believe you have the nerve to lie to me!" she screeched, throwing the bottle of vodka across the room without looking at its landing place. Bacchus's rage switched to panic as the bottle crashed into his tv, sparks flying everywhere which ignited the alcohol now soaked into the carpet. The two haphazardly tried to smother the flames, ignoring the burns inflicted as the fire licked at their arms.

Cana looked at her feet, ashamed because of her mistake. How was it that one petty lie from Ultear could make everything spin out of control. She couldn't look up at him, too embarrassed to face what she'd done. She wanted to run away but the hospital staff forced her to stay directly opposite him. He got up and walked over to her, standing in front of her for a moment and when it was clear she was frozen in place Bacchus reached out a bandaged hand, tilting her face towards him to kiss her. He didn't kiss her with his usual fervour, but with a gentle air.

"I'm sorry-" he began but was cut off by Cana lurching forward to give him a bone crushing hug, clinging to him like she'd never clung to anyone in her life.

"I'm the one who's sorry! I was so stupid! I just believed her and I didn't listen to you! I promise I won't do it again. I promise…" she said between sobs, feeling more vulnerable than she had in years. But as she clung to Bacchus, with his arms around her, she felt a calm come over her as her tears ebbed.

OOO

Cana sat in silence as she ate her breakfast, flicking through her phone to read the messages left in the wake of last night. Of course there was a series of concerned messages from Mira, and one from Gildarts. There was a couple from Bacchus over work matters, and one that was fishing for something more. Cana didn't want to have to respond to any of them, but she knew that the longer she left it the more she would receive.

One by one she answered her messages, but she found herself clicking on Laxus' number which summoned the texts from their last conversation

Laxus: Hey, just checking in. Did you get bored and watch the next episodes without me?

You: Nah, I've got my sister staying with me, it's pretty hard to be bored when she's around 😝

You: I'm bringing her to meet you tonight.

You: Well meet you and get blind drunk haha

Laxus: Well I'm only carrying you home

She could feel a sob build in her throat as her eyes began to tear up but a sound from the bedroom stopped it in it's tracks.

OOO

"Cana, open the door…" Ultear pleaded from outside her bedroom. She'd sent them all away and it seemed like Ultear was their last line of attack. She wondered where the others were. Gildarts was probably ordering an army to track him down, Bacchus was probably getting drunk somewhere, Mira was probably with her siblings. And there she was, curled under her blankets, clutching a box of tissues, eyes too sore to cry anymore. As the pleading continued Cana got up from her sanctuary, dizzy and unsteady on her feet, but she managed to get to the door, unlocking it. As soon as the lock clicked Ultear flew through the door, embracing Cana in a tight embrace. At first Cana didn't know what to do as any show of affection was strange. But as Ultear spoke those four fateful words Cana's composure crumbled, her legs buckled and she couldn't control the sobs that broke lose.

"It wasn't your fault…"

Cana woke up in Ultears arms, warm blankets surrounding them as Ultear watched a movie on her laptop. It took a while for Ultear to notice Cana was awake as her earphones blocked out the noise. Rather than speak she merely removed her headphones so the sound filled up the small room, and shuffled so Cana could get a better view. Cana buried her face in Ultears side and attentatively listened, letting her senses to overwhelm her and escape the prison her thoughts had become.

When the movie finished, Ultear closed the screen and hugged Cana to her chest.

"Now listen up baby sister," she said quietly, her overwhelming emotions pouring out through her tone, "today, you are going to get up, have a shower, get into your comfyiest clothes and we are going to eat anything with sugar and watch sad movies and get all of that crying out of your system. Because tomorrow, you are going in to work and getting that money back before something happens to the firm you've spent so much work on." Ultear said, giving Cana another comforting squeeze.

"Tea', I can't…" she said, sniffling as she said the nickname she only used when they were alone.

"We both know that idiot Bacchus is hopeless without you. You need to get back to work now. After today, you're not allowed to talk about him, think about him or even think about thinking about him." Ultear said, getting up to try to pull her from the bed. "Just lock all that up, and then in a week, or a month, or a year, when you think you're over it, you can open it up. But now isn't the time for pain." She said, pausing her efforts. Cana considered her words and took a deep breath, swept her hair from her face and got to her feet. She looked Ultear in the eyes, her own bloodshot and swollen, but as she nodded she felt a little of the pain she had been holding inside fall away.

"Thanks…"

OOO

Cana closed the door behind her, thankful to be away from her sister. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to centre herself before she had to meet her cab to take her to the doctors. However, any peace that she had gained from her brief reprieve was shattered when she opened her eyes to see Mira staring at her worriedly. Cana offered her a smile but when she saw her open her mouth to speak she rushed to the elevator. Thankfully Mira didn't follow her and she escaped into the solitary confines of the lift. She pressed the button, descending to the bottom level.

She waved at the cab driver and slipped inside the yellow car.

OOO

"Tea', I'm sick of arguing about this. It's my money and I'll do what I want with it." Cana said tiredly, standing at the sink as she scrubbed the dishes from the nights meal.

"I don't know how you can let people take advantage of you like that!" She said, which made Cana laugh, too exhausted to hold in her irritation at her sisters ridiculous double standard. "What's so funny?" she demanded, glaring at her.

"You know, people say the exact same thing about you." Cana replied, keeping her eyes on the dishes in front of her to avoid showing her true rage.

"Well they're assholes."

OOO

Cana began to breathe easier once she was in her own office, surrounded by her possessions and dangerously high piles of work. She turned on her laptop, getting ready to coordinate the ridiculous amount of information she was required to process on a daily basis. Bacchus slipped into her office, locking the door behind him, which wasn't unusual.

"Hey." He said, sliding into the chair in front of her desk, eyes on her as his fingers fiddled with the upholstery.

"Hey…" Cana said distractedly. She knew Bacchus would want to probe her on the weeks events but the prospect didn't fill her with dread like it did with others. Somehow this drunken, over sexed, confidence man had managed to gain her absolute trust, something even Ultear hadn't managed to attain.

"Mira called, which was a nightmare in itself, at least when she wines in person I can stare at her rack and tune the rest out…" Bacchus, chuckling as Cana glanced up from her work to glare at him, but couldn't hide her own amusement. "She said Ultear fucked the bouncer you wanna fuck-"

"I do not want to fuck him!" Cana insisted, putting down her work to focus on Bacchus.

"Doll, you practically get a boner whenever he comes up." Bacchus replied with a roll of his eyes.

"I know this may be news to you but it is possible to like hanging out with someone and not want to rip their clothes off." Cana stated dryly. Bacchus leant forward in his chair, eyebrows raised mockingly.

"Not when they look like that." Bacchus said which made Cana laugh, imagining Bacchus trying to flirt with Laxus.

"Well I don't think I'll be doing that for a while." Cana said, giving him a meaningful look. "I want to start putting our plans into place…" Cana said vaguely, knowing Bacchus would know exactly what she meant.

"I knew you'd say that." Bacchus said, crossing his arms across his chest. "We still have a couple weeks, why don't you just give him a thrashing then fuck your brains out. Tension solved." Bacchus suggested which made her want to give him a thrashing.

"Bacchus, I was serious when I said that I don't want to sleep with him, he isn't that kind of guy." She insisted but Bacchus scoffed.

"Every guy is that kind of guy." Bacchus said and then a look of realisation came over his face. "Does he like cock?" he asked which earned another round of laughter.

"I'm pretty sure he isn't gay." Cana said, remembering the times she'd caught him ogling the women in the club from time to time, which led her back to him sleeping with Ultear, her face falling.

"He'd have to have balls of steel to survive fucking the ice witch." Bacchus said, letting his disgust at the idea be plainly known.

"You know, I don't give a shit that he slept with her…" she said, pausing as she considered how to say it and Bacchus for once waited patiently. "I called him that night," she said, and Bacchus tilted his head slightly, intrigued. "and we talked for a minute while Tea' was blowing him." She said, lokking at him with horror. This time it was Bacchus' time to laugh.

"That's hot!" Bacchus said at which Cana scoffed in disdain, throwing the stressball sitting on her table straight at his head which did nothing to stop his laughter.

"You can be such an asshole." Cana said harshly, but began to laugh along with him until she couldn't remember why she'd been so irritated.

OOO

Cana hugged her brother to her, letting him bury his face in her chest, his tears soaking her jumper. She felt a sense of contentment and pride, knowing that she could be the support her brother needed without tainting that bond the way Ultear did. She had vowed that she would never make Romeo, this small sweet bundle of feelings, feel the way Ultear had made her feel.

She would be better…

OOO

Cana was in a good mood, but she found it fading as she saw the time tick down towards laving time as she considered having to face Ultear and most likely Mira. Just as she began to frown, glaring at the clock, Bacchus appeared as he usually did.

"You can come stay at my place if you don't wanna put up with queen bitch." Bacchus said, tilting his head in the way he did when something had caught his attention. While Cana appreciated the sentiment, she knew that avoiding Ultear only ever made things a million times worse. Ultear didn't handle boundaries well.

"Nah, I'll just head home and try and get some work done." She said, getting up from her desk in the first time in hours. She gave Bacchus a quick hug, careful not to let it linger because she knew all too well what little physical affection Bacchus needed to get carried away. She walked towards the door, but as she got to the frame she paused.

"Actually, wanna go to the gym?" She asked, thinking it was probably better to burn off some steam before returning.

"Sure Doll," Bacchus said, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the building together.

OOO

"Tea', you better go apologise or I swear to god, you'll regret it." Cana said slowly and quietly, not once breaking eye contact.

"He's a kid, he'll get over it." Ultear snapped, but Cana could see her waver under her stare. Ultear never could handle it when Cana was angry at her.

"I'm not gonna let you treat him the way you treated me." Cana snapped, stepping forward into Ultears personal space. If it was anyone else, Ultear would have hit them to the floor, but there was something about Cana's rage filled eyes hat made her pause.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She asked indignantly, but Cana only stepped forward again.

"You know exactly what I mean." She snarled, "You're going to find him, and you're going to tell him that you didn't mean to insult his project, and that you're sorry that he's upset." She said, with the same speed and tone she said the first. Ultear froze, unable to retort but unwilling to comply until finally she broke away to seek out the young boy.

"I'm sorry kid…"

OOO

Cana felt sweaty and dirty but the ache in her muscles was revitalizing. She didn't feel the bout of anxiety she had been dreading as she entered her apartment, greeting her sister and heading to shower. She felt calm take over as the hot water blasted her skin, massaging the muscles beneath. She didn't get irritated as Ultear refused to answer the door which they both assumed was Mira, forcing her to grasp the nob in only a towel. But whatever therapeutic effects she had been feeling totally disappeared as a shocked Laxus was revealed on her stoop.

"Ah, sorry… I need to see your sister" Laxus said awkwardly, not sure where to look. Cana pressed down everything that began bubbling up and gestured for him to come inside, firmly grasping her towel. She left the two of them to retreat into her room, quickly throwing some clothes on and moved towards re-joining them when she realised she didn't have to go back out. Whatever I was between them that needed working out was certainly none of her business. She slowly retreated from the door and laid on the bed, limbs spread out like Laxus' comical style.

Minutes ticked by and there was still no end to whatever heated discussion they were having. From what Cana could piece together Laxus wanted something back that she'd taken and she had no intention of giving it back. When a whole twenty minutes had passed since he arrived Cana decided to give in and intervene. She didn't want to be around either of them, especially together, but the idea that she was trapped in her own bedroom was even more unpalatable.

"Give it back." Cana said, walking out of the open door into the kitchen and preparing herself a mug of tea, not bothering to offer them anything.

"Cana, this is ridiculous!" Ultear snapped, with a roll of her eyes and flick of her hand. Before Laxus could intone a response Cana cut through them both.

"What is ridiculous is that I have to listen to the two of you argue in my own apartment!" Cana said in a slow and even tone, never breaking eye contact with Ultear which made her squirm. "You are going to give him back whatever it is he wants, and fix whatever mess you made because I'm damn sure not doing it this time." Cana said, but as Ultear looked torn, not sure whether to acquiesce the whiskey she'd stolen. "Now." Cana intoned, and finally Ultear retreated into the room, digging out the bottled from among her bags.

Finally it was time to look at Laxus, she hadn't realised that he had been staring at her the entire time with his big concerned eyes. He knew better than to say anything but the crease between his brows told volumes.

"I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here." She said, offering a small fake smile, but he didn't even pretend to respond, he just continued staring, even when Ultear shoved the bottles into his hands. And that's how he left, walking straight out the door without saying a word.

OOO

Laxus leaned against the frail railing within the lift, horrified by the realisation that Ultear had been right. That there was something deep inside her that wasn't going to let go whatever was causing her pain. He felt so hopeless in the knowledge that he was going to lose her unless he could somehow fix it. But as nothing came to mind the more panicked he became.

"FUCK!" he yelled, glad he was still within the protective cocoon of the elevator.

What was he gonna do?