AN: Chapter 8

Ok so this chapter would have been posted last night but I was too tired to finish it up. So anywhos, I also ended up changing some stuff around that I had originally had planned, I still think this is an ok chapter, nothing too exciting or crazy happening…. Next one should be pretty funny/drama filled. I just had to write out this bit so it doesn't seem to be rushed into the next chapter… if that makes sense. Lol hopefully I caught all of the errors in here…. . like I said I was tired while I was writing so if I missed something, I'll go back and get it haha

Nyma: haha well, I would like to say that you'll find out soon what happened, but you're absolutely right, I am evil when it comes to these things. Haha I know, the drama and funniness will be coming soon within the next couple of chapters. :)

Sunday morning had finally arrived, only hours after the fight Juvia had with Gray. Finn was last to wake up as the sun peaked through his window onto his face, waking him up late into the morning. The young boy moaned as he moved his hands over his eyes, shielding them from the bright light. He could hear someone calling up to him, telling him to get a move on, but his body told him to stay in bed. He didn't want to go downstairs and see everyone. He was afraid of what he might see. Is everyone going to remember what happened last night? Or are they going to pretend that it never even happened? Hell knows he wasn't looking forward to the ride back home. Finn groaned once more as he forced himself to sit up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his wrist as they adjusted to the bright light.

"Look here kid, just because you cheated yesterday in the game by using yer solid script magic to make me slip and fall on my ass, allowing you kids to win, doesn't mean you get to eat the last of the French toast!" Gajeel growled as he stabbed the last piece of cinnamon bread with his fork. Lily leaned over the table slightly to stab the same piece of bread with her own eating utensil as she glared at her father.

"I'm not a kid anymore, dad. And we won that game fair and square. It's not my fault you're gettin' old." She said with a smirk. Gajeel could feel his jaw drop in disbelief that his own flesh and blood had called him old. Lily took this opportunity and snatched away the last piece of toast right from under Gajeel's' fork, forcing a large bite into her mouth and proceeded to chew it obnoxiously.

Gajeel slammed his fist on the table. "God damn it Lily! Why are you such a brat!?"

"I told you I'm going to go to band practice when we get home if we won the game, you're just being a sore, old loser! This has nothing to do with me being a brat!"

Levy walked out carrying a hot plate filled with more French toast on it. "Will you two please stop fighting! Gajeel you did make a promise to Lily that if the kids won the game yesterday, she could go to band practice when we got home. And Lily! You are being a brat towards your father, so both of you knock it off."

Gajeel and Lily both looked away in opposite directions with their arms folded across their chests, mumbling their responses to Levy at the same time under their breath.

"Yes mom…."

"Yes Shrimp…."

Levy smiled as she placed the plate in the middle of the table. "Good. Now make sure you save some for Finn. He's still sleeping."

"Speaking of sleeping… has anyone see Juvia or Gray at all since… well… you know…" Lucy asked as she looked around the table. Everyone's eyes shifted downward, not wanting to bring up what had happened last night. Leviana looked around the table confused as she ate her breakfast.

"What happened last night?" She asked.

Lily looked at her younger sister as she bit into another piece of toast. "Nothing that concerns you twerp."

Leviana grew angry at Lily and was about to deliver her response to her older sister when her hazel eyes caught sight of Finn entering the room. The small blue haired girl gasped as she left her seat quickly, running over to Finn and hugging him tightly. "Finn! Come sit next to me! I saved you a seat! Also, were you in my room last night?! I could smell you everywhere in there this morning!"

Finn half smiled as he let Leviana drag him to the table, looking up at the faces around him as they stared. He knew they had remembered what happened, wishing they would stop looking at him so worriedly. As Finn sat down, he looked over to Leviana and smiled. "Yeah I was there last night. I was just checking up on you and Rain."

The small girl gasped as she blushed slightly. "You were?!"

Finn closed his eyes happily as he grinned. "Yep. Even gave you a little kiss on your cheek to make sure you had good dreams."

Leviana brought her hands to her warm cheeks, turning her body back and forth slightly as her thoughts ran wild. Leo leaned in from the other side of Finn and whispered. "Nice save there dude. But in all seriousness… are you ok?"

Finn opened his eyes and glanced around the table once more. "I'm fine. Really."

Leo let out a sigh as he sat back down in his seat. "Oh thank god… caz lemme tell ya… if you weren't… I honestly didn't know what I was going to do."

Finn laughed slightly as he tapped Leo on the shoulder. "Thanks man."

Leo looked at him seriously and shook his head. "No, really…. I didn't know what I was going to do."

Finn's eyes leveled as he stared at his friend. "You are the worst friend ever…."

Finn's solid blue eyes looked across the table to Rain who stood from her seat. He watched her walk away from the table, heading back towards her room. Lucy looked at her plate and then to the girl who walked away. "Poor thing… she barely touched anything on her plate."

"Maybe someone should go talk to her, make sure she's ok." Levy said quietly.

"This is what usually happens after they fight." Finn said as he looked down at his own silver plate. Everyone turned their heads to Finn now. "After they fight at night… in the morning, Rain usually never eats anything anymore." The blue haired boy looked back up at everyone, his eyes widening as he raised his hands, waving them nervously in front of him. "But don't worry, she will get hungry later. I promise she's not starving herself or nothing like that."

Leo slammed his hands on the table, a determined look over his face. "This is unacceptable! The gorgeous and radiant Rain should not have to suffer through this alone!"

Finn narrowed his eyes as he looked to Leo. "She's not alone in her suffering…"

The blonde haired boy ignored Finn as he continued to speak loudly. "It is up to me to go make her feel happy again! It's my duty as her future lover!"

Loke suddenly spit out his drink all over the table as Lucy began to choke on her breakfast at Leo's sudden confession. Gajeel let out a booming laugh as he slapped Loke in the back. "Do you hear your son, carrot top?!"

Lucy turned her head to Loke as she put her hands on her hips. "And I would like to know where he got such an idea in his head…."

Loke looked at Lucy worriedly, pointing a finger at himself. "You think that was me who told him to say that?!"

"Well where else is he picking it up from?! Finn doesn't have a girlfriend, er… no offense Finn…" Finn's cheeks grew red as he sunk lower into his seat, Leo snickering at his side. Lucy looked back to Loke and continued. "And I don't know of any other guy friends that boy has! So who else am I supposed to think told him!"

Loke held out his hands in front of him as he spoke back to Lucy. "He's only fourteen! I know he is learning about all this stuff in school, but I haven't said one word about girls and… well…" Loke's face began to glow red as he became more flustered by the second. "The things that could lead up to other things…."

Gajeel's laughter filled the room as Loke and Lucy argued about what they have talked about with their son. Lucy glared over at Gajeel and pointed at him as well. "What about you Gajeel? Ever have the "talk" with Lily?"

The iron dragon slayer stopped laughing and looked over to his wife who crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers on her arm lightly. "Yes, Gajeel. Did you have the talk with our daughter like I told you to?"

Gajeel rubbed the back of his thick mane, his crimson eyes shifting away from angry gazes. "I… was gonna get around to it… when we got back… home…"

Lily rolled her eyes as she let out a sigh. "I think I'm old enough to know about sex."

Levy and Gajeel both blushed slightly at the mention of the intimate word that left their daughters mouth, their mouths open slightly. Lily looked at them both and shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing. "What? I'm just sayin…. I'm eighteen. I know what sex is all about."

Gajeel stood suddenly and pointed a large finger at his daughter. "Y-you better not have done anything with that stupid idiot boyfriend of yours yet! You're still too young! And I don't need you gettin' knocked up by that loser!"

Lily stood and made fists at her sides as she leaned in towards her father. "It's none of your business what I've done with Chrono yet! And for your information, no! I haven't gone that far yet!"

Leo grinned as he nudged Finn's side, whispering. "You still have a chance to be each other's firsts! How cute!"

Finn shot Leo a jab with his own arm. "Shut. Up. Leo."

Lily growled as she turned and headed out of the room. "I'm going to pack my stuff up."

Levy let out a sigh after a minute, sitting down in her chair to eat. "Well this has been quite the morning."

Gajeel sat back down and clenched his fist tightly. "Ooh.. that girl… she better hope that pathetic excuse for an ice mage don't ever touch her body or so help me… I'ma kill em!"

Finn watched as Gajeel sank his fangs into another piece of toast, ripping it to shreds within a matter of seconds. He swallowed the sudden lump his throat. Leo slowly leaned in and whispered once more. "Or on second thought… maybe you should just give up on her now… if Gajeel ever found out that you and her hooked up, there'd be nothing left of ya!"

Finn stood quickly and headed out of the room. "Um… I'm going to go pack as well."

Leo called back to his friend as he leaned back in his chair. "I was just kidding Finn!"

Finn ran back up the stairs, playing out multiple scenes in his head where Gajeel was tearing him a new one. 'Yeah right! That man would have my head on a spike if I ever got with Lily!'

As Finn came back down the stairs some time later, he caught a glimpse of his mother entering the house, anger over her face. His mind played back the early hours of the morning when he came down to see his parents fighting, replaying what was said between the two of them. As he neared Juvia, he could see she had been crying again. The tear stains down her pale cheeks were still fresh. Juvia wiped her face with a tissue as she looked at her son.

"Ah, Finn. There you are. Your father and I have been looking for you and your sister. The van is almost packed up, we just need your things along with Rains bags."

Finn stopped just in front of his mother, looking her over closely. He could tell she barely got any sleep the night before, probably from staying up until his father came home, only to fight with him and have everyone else in the house find out. The ice mage felt sorry for his mother. He didn't like seeing her deal with Gray this way, but knew she was doing the best she could, for his and Rains sake. She was trying to keep this family together, and he knew that. Finn wrapped his arms around Juvia, hugging her tightly.

Juvia looked down at the boy hugging her in surprise. "Is everything alright Finn?"

"I just… wanted to thank you mom."

"For what, sweetie?" Juvia asked as she placed her hands over his blue hair and shoulder. Finn let her go and looked up into her solid blue eyes with his own.

"Nothing… I don't know what I'm talking about I guess." Finn said with a half-smile. Juvia sighed softly as she smiled back, taking Finns face into her hands.

"Go put your bag in the van, then come say your goodbyes. I'll go get Rain."

Finn nodded as he left his mother inside. His smile faded as he saw his father in the driver's seat already. His hand propped up on the window, holding a lit cigarette. Finn opened the door and set his bag in, chancing a glance up at his father. Gray was watching him intently through the rear view mirror, his gaze unwavering. The young boy wanted nothing more than to shout out how everything was his father's fault. He wanted to tell him off, how horrible a father he was to him and Rain, how he failed to be a true husband to his mother… but what would that do? Finn looked away from the icy gaze he was receiving.

'What could I say to make him feel what mom is feeling? What Rain and I are feeling? He wouldn't listen to any of us… he's that thick headed… that stubborn…. With my luck he'd end up pushing me harder in training.'

"Hey! Ice boy!"

Finn looked up and around at the familiar voice calling to him. Lily was grinning from ear to ear as she walked up to her friend, her hands in her back pockets of her torn up black jeans. "So later tonight… you should come to our practice."

"Why? I thought Chrono doesn't like other people to watch you guys practice."

Lily smirked as she leaned to one side. "Like that fool is in charge of the band. It may have started out as his, but I'm taking it over. Even thought about renaming it."

"I don't think Chrono will go along with this Lil…"

"Pssh.. he will. Or else I'm out of the band. I'll quit and start up my own. Then he'd be screwed out of a singer. So come on! Come watch us play!"

Finn rubbed the back of his head as he shifted his eyes away from hers. "Lil… I don't know…"

Lily brought her hands up to her chin, cupping them together as she gave Finn the biggest, saddest looking face she could muster up. "Pleeeeaaase? Pretty pleeeeasse? For me?"

Finn looked back at the girl begging in front of him. A blush came over his cheeks as he smiled slightly. "O-ok… I'll be there."

"Yay! I can't wait to see you there!" Lily said as she started walking back towards the house, waving a hand at Finn. Finn waved a hand back as he watched her disappear into the house and his mother and Rain come out. The boy turned around to come face to face with Gray, making Finn jump back slightly.

"How long have you been standing there like a creep?!" Finn said angrily.

"Were you going to bother asking if you could go watch her practice tonight?"

Finn looked down as he spoke. "Y-yeah… I was…"

Gray threw down his cigarette, putting his shoe over it and squishing it into the ground. "You're a horrible liar Finn. Now get in the car."

Finn scoffed under his breath as he turned to head for the side of the van, stopping a moment later as Gray spoke. "Oh and, you're not going to her practice tonight. You're going to be too busy training with me."

Finn clenched a fist tightly as he stood in place. An icy aurora began to form around his closed fist as he shook in anger. Gray raised his voice as he spoke. "Did you hear me?" The icy mist disappeared just as quickly as it formed as Finn turned his head over his shoulder.

"I heard you."

Lily's eyes widened as she reached her room, completely forgetting that she didn't give Finn a time and place of her band practice. The dark-haired girl raced back down the stairs flinging the door back open, taking a step out of the door frame before she stopped in her tracks, over hearing the last bit of conversation between Gray and Finn. Lily could feel her heart sink down to her stomach as she heard the anger in their voices, seeing the rage building and then quickly fading in Finn. Lily took a few more steps out as Finn climbed into the van, turning his head back slightly to see his friend standing outside. His expression was one of sorrow, as if he was saying he was sorry for not being able to make it out to see her at practice and sorry she had to witness what just unfolded.

The older girl watched as the sad family closed the doors to the van they were all in, slowly making their way back to their home. Levy walked out of the large getaway house with an arm full of bags. She set them down beside their car and let out a breath.

"Did Juvia and them just leave?" She asked questionably. Without turning to her mother, Lily responded.

"Yeah… they just left."

Levy raised a brow as she unlocked the back of their vehicle. "That's weird. Gray and Finn never came back in to say goodbye. Wonder if Gray was pushing them to get on the road." Lily looked down angrily, growling to herself. Levy looked at her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lily? What's wrong?"

Lily brushed Levy's hand away, storming back inside the house, leaving Levy to watch her confused and slightly worried. "I swear that girl is just like her father…."

Leviana pushed open the door to the house, yelling at the top of her lungs. "PANTHERLILY! WE'RE HOME!" She shouted excitedly as she threw down her bag and immediately jumped onto the couch as she giggled. A minute later, the black exceed came into the picture with a smile on his face as he flew into the room.

"Did everyone have a good time?" He asked as he landed on top of the couch.

Leviana leaned in close to the cat, rattling off everything that had happened rapidly. The exceed laughed slightly as Leviana spoke, looking over to the door and watching Gajeel and Lily once again bickering as they set foot into the house. Levy and Gaje right behind them, both letting out a soft sigh.

"Oh and Auntie Juvia and Uncle Gray got into a fight apparently… but I don't know what really happened because I was asleep the whole time. Oh! And we beat daddy in-game of flag football! He says Lily cheated and that she shouldn't be allowed to go to band practice, but Lily says he's getting too old, so they have been fighting ever since we left the house!"

Pantherlily looked to Gajeel and Lily as he put his paws at his sides. "Well that part doesn't seem to surprise me… but the whole thing with Juvia and Gray does."

Levy set a bag down beside the couch as she began talking to the exceed. "Yeah it was weird, and totally unexpected. But there's not much we can do right now. They are going to have to work it out themselves."

Pantherlily rubbed under his chin as he thought silently. His thoughts interrupted rudely by Lily's growing voice.

"I'm going because we won the game! I have to go practice for our gig Wednesday night and I want to talk to Chrono about prom! It's coming up this weekend and we've got nothing planned out yet! I don't have time to sit here and argue with you dad. So give me the keys."

Gajeel grinned as he stood up straight. "What makes you think I'd give you the keys to my car, let you go practice for your gig, and discuss the prom with your dumbass boyfriend, trusting that you'd come back home all before the early hours of the morning."

Lily stomped her foot on the ground. "Ugh! You're so not fair right now!"

Gajeel raised his voice as Lily stormed off to her room. "That's life kid! Better get used to it!"

Pantherlily flew over to his friend, a half-smile on his face. "Did you really have to say all of that Gajeel? Why not let her go out tonight."

"You don't know what I had to deal with this weekend. So no she ain't goin' out!"

"What if I can talk to her and get her to apologize? Would you let her go then?" Asked the small exceed. Gajeel raised a studded brow at his cat, looking him over long and hard.

"You think you can get her to apologize, good luck." The iron dragon slayer said as he waved a hand towards Pantherlily. The exceed smiled as he flew away, heading towards Lily's room. Gajeel mumbled to himself as he lifted up the bags Levy had placed inside and walked them to their room, passing Leviana and Gaje who sat on the couch.

"You know she probably sneaked through her window again." The young boy said as Gajeel walked past him. The iron dragon slayer stopped in his tracks a few steps away from where Gaje sat on the couch with a book in his face. His fists clenched the bags tightly as he turned slightly, his head facing his son.

"What was that Gaje?"

"That's what she usually does when she doesn't get her way. She usually goes storming off to her room, then gets out through the window, either getting Chrono to pick her up or running to someone else to get a ride. I'm just saying, that's probably what she is doing right now."

Gajeel dropped his bags, quickly making his way to Lily's room and pushing open her door quickly. He stood in the doorway, his hand still clenching the doorknob as he looked towards the girls' bed. Lily was sitting there talking to Pantherlily, looking up at her father immediately as he so rudely came into her room.

"What do you want now dad?"

Gajeel stood up straight as he coughed slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Eh… nothin'. Just… just makin' sure yer still here."

Lily shook her head with a bit of an attitude thrown towards Gajeel. "Where else would I be right now? You told me I couldn't go out to band practice."

"I.. I know that! I'm just makin' sure you didn't try to sneak out of the house is all."

"Yeah, caz that's what I do dad…. Seriously… you're so annoying." She said as she rolled her eyes, leaning back on her arms as she readjusted in her seat on the bed. Gajeel growled and closed the door quickly. Standing just outside for a moment to make sure she wasn't lying to him, that she was actually going to stay in for the night. As soon as he heard the two talking once more, he grinned and nodded to himself, making his way back down the stairs.

Lily pressed her ear against the door, listening to her father's large and heavy foot stomps leaving her doorway. She grinned as she rushed back to her bed, lifting up the blanket that came over her mattress, and pulling out a change of clothes. Pantherlily let out a sigh as he watched her.

"You know, if you just said that you were sorry to Gajeel, he might still let you go. You would even have the car."

Lily began to change beside her bed, looking at Pantherlily with a look. "Yeah right. Even if I did say that I was sorry to that old man, he still would be like, you have to stay home tonight caz you cheated, blah blah blah. He has never changed, Lily. He never will."

"Maybe he just misses the young girl who loved her father." The exceed said as he flew over to Lily's desk, looking at an old photo of Gajeel and Lily. He was holding her on his shoulders, her arms thrown up into the air, both having a wide smile over their faces. Lily looked over to where Pantherlily was, noticing he was remembering that day.

"That was a long time ago. And… it's not like I don't love him anymore… he just… I don't know. He's just super annoying now."

Pantherlily looked back at the girl he cared for her whole life as she pulled her hair out from her newly put on t-shirt. She began to pull her hair back into a braid as she sat back down on the bed. "It's not like it's always my fault he's so mean to me."

Pantherlily flew back over to the bed and helped Lily tie her braid. "But most of the time it is. He cares about you Lily. You need to make sure you're not always blind to see that."

Lily's hazel eyes cast down as she listened to the words of the exceed behind her. She knew he was right, as usual. She never could figure out when things had changed between her and her father. She could still remember how much of a daddy's girl she was, how she rarely listened to her mother, and always agreed to whatever Gajeel said, not giving it a second thought. But now that she was older, she felt like they were constantly butting heads, unable to get back what they used to have all those years ago.

Lily looked over her shoulder to Pantherlily as he tied the last bit of hair in a red ribbon. "You promise to cover for me while I'm gone?"

Panther smiled as he put his hands on his sides. "When have I ever broken a promise to you?"

Lily turned around quickly and hugged Pantherlily tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best!"

As Lily let the dark exceed go, he watched her grab her jacket, throwing it over her shoulders as she made her way to her window, opening it slowly and quietly. As she climbed out, Pantherlily spoke.

"Just make sure you come home a bit earlier tonight! You've got school in the morning! And be careful!"

Lily's head was the only thing visible at her window. A toothy grin over her face as she spoke back to the exceed. "You don't have to worry bout me Lily. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

Pantherlily shook his head as he smiled, watching the girl's head disappear down below. "I'm always going to worry about you Lily. It's what people do when they care for someone."