AN: Chapter 39

You guys… are just amazing. I honestly cannot express how much you all mean to me. I didn't expect a lot to read my very sad story about my dog, but I just want to say thank you to all of those who did and responded to it. every review made me cry a bit because it meant a lot to me to hear your support. You guys make me want to write more because I love this story and my characters. This story is sadly almost done (probably only going to be 3-4 more chapters left) anywhos, I hope you enjoy this chapter because it's a long one :) I actually started working on this chapter last week and thank god I did caz it's so long and I don't think I would have been able to get this done in a day lol

Also I quickly went over this so please excuse any mistakes I didn't catch!

SHOUT OUT! Go check out MsKtk and her delightful and delicious stories: Iron Gray, Monster and now, a new Gajevy AU, From Fences To Spurs. All of them AMAZING stories and all with a great plot for each. Show her some love and read/review them.

Quilavamaster: thank you so much, and I know, nothing will every replace her and I make sure to keep her close to my heart and in my memories. Having a pet is so great, but when its time to say goodbye, it is very hard. even worse when you've known it since you were young or its whole life.

Depressica: Thank you so much, I can definatly feel all of the love from everyone. And thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! I was very happy to finally get the Fullbuster family back together. And thank you so much ^_^ I'm in a better place and I cant wait to write more chapters. Lately that's all I've been wanting to do! My stories have been on my mind and the ideas that I've been thinking of are driving me crazy at work lol I can't wait to get them posted up for all to read!

Wilathewitch: all of the feels, lol I know I had quite the time while writing the last chapter I had a few moments of ah! Feels! Must continue writing though! And thank you so much, I know she is doing well and is happy again. And it was very thoughtful of him. He may call me a nerd, but he chose me and now calls me his nerd :)

Taki: I wish you had a FF profile so I could have PM'd you! thank you so much for the review, and I plan on updating Centaur next :) and I wanted to thank you a million times over for replying to my story, and no you're not stupid. Its ok that you ignored it, but im very happy you went back and read it. I read all of your reviews and basically anything else anyone Pm's me. And I never roll my eyes at my readers, because you guys are too amazing. And im so sorry to learn about your puppy. I know its going to be hard to get over, and really, I don't think I ever will, but I know my girl would have wanted me to be happy and remember her with a smile. So I understand what you are saying :) and thanks! I'm excited for next year and as for the babies… as of right now, no babies XD honestly I don't think I'll ever have kids, but life seems to throw ten million curve balls to everyone, but I'm gonna shut my mouth now so I don't jinx myself haha

Lucy pulled on one end of the table cover as she smiled up at Levy. "Thanks again for coming out early to help set up for this thing. I don't think I could have gotten all of the food made and have all of this set up by the time everyone else got here."

Levy waved a hand at Lucy as she stood up straight. "It's definitely not a problem Lu. I don't mind helping you out with this kind of thing. Plus I think it was a plus that I had so much help to bring!" She said happily as she looked to her family. Gajeel and Leviana were setting up another table nearby as Gaje placed chairs out on each side. Lily and Leo were in charge of getting the food and drinks from the cars. The script mage turned back to her friend. "And I think it's totally awesome how the guys were able to pull some strings so that we can get this pavilion! It'll look so pretty with these lacrima lanterns we got!"

Lucy held up a thumbs up to Levy. "I know! I couldn't just pass up the chance for those lights. They were on sale and super pretty when lit up at night. I think we should tackle that next and that should take care of everything for this little party."

Levy giggled as she followed Lucy with the lacrima lanterns in hand. "Sounds good to me Lu!"

Lily handed Leo another bag from the back seat of the car as she listened to him talk on and on about how excited he was for this party. She half smiled as she reached in the back seat to grab another bag for herself.

Leo spoke with a smile and an abundance of energy. "And she sent me a text saying that she is going to be wearing something super cute and when I asked for a picture she said it was a surprise! Oh man… I don't think I can contain myself when I see her! I might just go crazy and wrap my arms around her and never let her go!"

Lily laughed slightly. "Ok tiger, calm down. I don't think she would appreciate it much if you were hanging all over her the whole time. I know you're excite, but you need to calm down a bit." She said as she stood back up. She turned slightly and closed the door with her foot, following the excited blonde haired boy to the pavilion to set the tables up.

Leo groaned as they walked. "I can't help it! You know how I get!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh I do. And that's why I'm tellin' ya to calm down now."

Leo placed the bags on the table and threw his head back. "But being calm is sooo haarrrd! Why can't everyone be crazy and excited like me?! It would make things so much easier!"

Lily set her bags down on the table as well and looked to Leo, raising a brow at him as she did. "Because, having one Leo is enough. I don't think the world needs another one of you with all of your crazy, excited, dramatic and—"

Leo cut her off quickly as he began to pout. "Alright! Alright! I get it… you could have at least tried to sound a little interested in the idea…"

Lily laughed lightly as she shook her head. "Yeah, and it'll be a cold day in hell when the day comes that I actually am interested in one of your ideas."

"Hey! You agreed to whatever I had planned with Rain before she came home!" Leo protested.

The dark haired girl scoffed as she looked away from Leo. "That was different! Rain was coming home and I was just as excited as you were. But other than that, there's no way in hell that I… hey… what the hell are you looking at?" Lily turned her head behind her, looking off in the direction Leo was staring at. His eyes were wide as a light blush came over his cheeks. His mouth was opened slightly as stood there, watching what appeared to be an angel, walking towards their families. Lily's own eyes opened wide as she saw Rain walking towards her father and sister.

Rain had a smile on her face as she walked, her blue hair swaying back and forth lightly with each step. She had braids near the top of her head rounding around to the back of her hair and down the center. She was wearing a navy blue sundress with a white flower pattern circling around the rim of the dress, with its pattern traveling up one of her sides. Sleeveless and with a tie around her neck, the dress seemed to fit the girl beautifully and perfectly. It was simple yet it added a sense of elegance to the pale girl. Rain caught sight of Lily and Leo under the pavilion. She smiled at them and waved a hand before meeting Gajeel and Leviana first.

Lily stood there in awe at the young girl. "Wow…"

Leo could feel his chest beating faster as he watched Rain smile and laugh as she hugged Leviana cheerfully. 'She looks so… beautiful… I can't take my eyes off of her! Dear god… now I really do just want to wrap myself around her and not let go! No! Stop it! You gotta play it cool, remember?! No one knows about us yet… and for the love of god… I think no one else should know! It'll only mean the death of me if Finn finds out!'

"She looks so pretty in that dress!" Lily said with a slight blush on her tanned cheeks.

Leo smile like a love sick puppy as he watched Rain make her rounds to everyone. "Yeah she does…" He said softy. He was getting lost in her smile. It was as if it had somehow grown bigger since last her saw her. Blue eyes were full of joy and her overall presence seemed to be shining as bright as the sun as she greeted everyone who she had not seen in many, many years. Olive-green eyes watched as his own mother hugged Rain tightly, her hands instantly going to the young girls' hair, holding it up in her hand as she seemed to be asking about it. He watched as Rain simply nodded and responded to Lucy. Everyone was so happy to see her. His parents, Lily's family. But not just her, Juvia too. They could hardly believe that the Fullbusters were in one place at once after all this time.

Lily's hazel eyes shifted from Rain to her older brother. A dark shade of red came over her cheeks as she watched him greet everyone as well. She couldn't help herself as her mind wandered into memories of the past few days. Her blush quickly faded as her lips began to frown as her sights came upon Serena who had her arms wrapped around Finn's right arm. A smile was over her face as she introduced herself to everyone. Lily scoffed and turned her eyes away. Her blood was boiling as her stomach flipped. 'What is she still doing here? Doesn't she know this was just a family thing?' Hazel eyes looked back at Finn's direction. He was smiling and laughing along with her as they spoke to everyone. The dark haired girls' expression softened as she felt her heart drop. 'I can't be mad that she is here… she very well might become part of his family one day… besides… we both made our choice. I'm just going to have to deal with it. Deal with this feeling I get when I see them together….'

Once Rain had said hello to everyone who had surrounded her, she slipped away and started to make her way over to Leo and Lily. Leo swallowed the large lump in his throat. 'Oh my god… I feel like my chest is going to burst! This is going to be so hard to keep my hands off of her!'

Lily shook her head as she watched Rain make her way to them final. The script mage stretched out her arms to Rain and pulled the girl in close for a tight hug, forgetting about who Finn had come there with for just a moment. "Oh my god Rain, you're so gorgeous in that outfit!"

Rain hugged the dark haired girl back. "Thanks Lily. I always wanted to wear this, but I never had a good reason to."

The script mage released her hold on the girl and stepped back with a smile. "I'd say this is a good reason to get dressed up!" She turned and looked to the blonde haired boy standing a few feet away from the two girls. She smirked as she wrapped an arm around Rains pale shoulders. "Uh, aren't you gonna tell this girl how pretty she is?"

Leo's eyes widened as he realized Rain was waiting for him to say something about her outfit she had made mention of earlier. 'Oh yeah! I should do that!' Leo cleared this throat and looked directly at Rain as he held up his index finger while he spoke. "You—… You—… um…you…"

Lily snickered as she whispered to Rain. "So much for a smooth talker… for once, he's at a loss of words!"

Leo brought his hand down to his side as he glared at Lily. "I can hear you, you know! And I am not at a complete loss of words!" The blonde haired boy cleared his throat once more and walked up to Rain, pulling her aside and away from Lily. The script mage simply smiled as she shook her head. She went back to setting out the food and drinks on the table, letting the two have their privacy while they spoke. She thought for a moment why Leo was being so nervous around Rain when he spoke to her, but didn't feel the need to press the issue about it. Leo smiled sweetly as he looked into her blue eyes. His voice was soft and clear as he spoke. "You do look very beautiful in that. And I really like what you did with your hair."

Rain blushed as she looked back into olive-green eyes. "Thank you, Leo. I was hoping you'd like it."

Leo laughed lightly. "You kidding me?! Id absolutely love anything you wore! Hell you could have shown up in your pjs and id still say that you were drop dead gorgeous!"

Rain giggled as she pulled Leo farther away from prying ears. "So… um… I was thinking…"

Leo raised a brow and grinned. "Oh? What's on your mind? Something that'll get us out of here and back into my bed? Or were you considering we actually do something naughty outside? Either way, I'm cool with—"

Rain pushed the boy away slightly, rolling her eyes as she did. "Leo, stop. No I was thinking of something very serious."

The blonde haired boy wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her in close as she spoke. He wanted to be holding her hands and nuzzling her neck, breathing her in as he did before.

"I think we should tell everyone about us." Rain said confidently and quickly.

Leo stared at her for a long minute. The color seemed to be slowly fading his face as he tried to process the words that just came out of Rains mouth.

Levy held onto Juvia tightly as she spoke. "Oh Juvia! It's so good to see you!"

Juvia smiled as she felt her friend release her hold on her only to turn slightly and receive the same tight hug from Lucy. "It's been way too long!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Thank you both so much. It feels good to be back here in Magnolia. I've missed everyone." Juvia said happily.

Lucy rubbed the back of her head lightly. "Of course, we weren't really expecting you so soon… Levy and I are still working on putting up these lacrima lanterns. We don't have many left so if you want, you can go ahead and find a seat and take it easy."

Juvia waved a hand at the celestial mage. "Lucy, I've been taking it easy for too long. Let me give you two a hand!"

Levy hesitated handing Juvia a lantern, her voice sounding slightly concerned. "Are you sure you are able? I mean you guys just got back late last night. It really wouldn't be a problem for Lu and me to finish this up."

Juvia took the lacrima lantern from Levy quickly. "I am absolutely sure about this! I want to help!" Lucy and Levy laughed lightly as Juvia moved past them and quickly made her way up the ladder to put up the lacrima.

Gray grinned as he wrapped an arm around Finns shoulder, all while pointing a thumb at his own chest. "You two are not going to believe this, but Finn and I have this awesome new magic trick."

Gajeel grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh yeah? Well you better put your money where your mouth is otherwise you're just feeding us a bunch of bull."

Loke adjusted his glasses on his nose as he too grinned. "For once, I think I agree with Gajeel. And if this was the magic you were referring to all that time ago, I feel like a demonstration would be appropriate."

Gray pointed his index finger at the two men before him. "You two wanna find out what my son and I can do? I'd be more than happy to show you both in a quick match."

Finn held up his hand as he stepped away from his father. "Whoa, wait. I didn't agree to any of this! And I'm not going to just use this new magic so casually. My instructors told me that it takes a lot of strength and concentration to wield such power. And not to mention, we're at the park with other families around here. I don't think it would be such a good idea to have a match now."

The older ice mage waved a hand at his son, dismissing everything he just said. "You worry too much kid! All I'm suggesting is we let loose and have some fun showing off what you and your old man can do!"

Finn sighed as he narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, and to me, that just sounds like you want us to show off what we finally were able to unlock."

Serena pulled on Finns arm lightly. "Oh come on Finn! I think it would be fun if you two just gave a little preview of what I was able to see back at the academy. Like your dad said, loosen up a bit! Have some fun!"

Gray walked over to Serena and placed a hand on her shoulder. "See? This girl knows! Why don't you listen to her and come show off with your dad?!"

Solid blue eyes shifted from Gray to Serena. 'I guess showing off a little bit wouldn't hurt anyone… so long as dad and I don't overdo it that is.' A sigh escaped Finns lips just before he spoke. "Fine… but I don't want to fight anyone. Can we just do an ice move with our new magic?"

Grays eyes opened wide in surprise. "What?! But I was hoping to have a tag team battle against these two!" He said as he motioned to Gajeel and Loke.

The iron dragon slayer laughed loudly as he wrapped a heavy arm around Loke's shoulder. The impact from the sudden weight caused Loke to groan slightly as he was pushed down a bit. "Hey id be perfectly fine with a demonstration! If the two of us got into a scrimmage with you Fullbuster, our wives would end up killin' us on the spot!"

Gray smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Using your wife as an excuse to not fight? That's amusing… I can totally see who wears the pants in your family!"

Gajeel's arm moved into his body pulling Loke's head along with it as he held up a fist with his free hand. The dragon slayer completely ignored the sounds Loke was making as he struggled to free himself from Gajeel's angry and unaware headlock. "You lookin' for a challenge?! I don't need my wife's say so to kick your ass ice breath!"

Finn stepped in front of his father and Gajeel before anyone else could respond. "Ok, ok. That's enough. Dad," Finn started as he looked to his father. "Let's just show them what we can do and get back to the reason why we all met up here today."

Gray smirked once more as he nodded his head. "Ok fine. But if you change your minds and you want to fight with us, I'm not going to let my son stop me from kicking some ass."

Finn rolled his eyes as he turned to Serena. "I'm sorry about this…"

Serena giggled as she reached up to Finns cheeks. Her hands held his head in place as she leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "It's fine. I think it's nice to see your dad so eager to show off both of your skills. Just go have some fun."

Finn smiled as he turned away from the platinum blonde haired girl, stepping quickly to catch up to his father.

Leo held up a hand in front of him as he let out a quick nervous chuckle. "You're funny Rain. Let's tell everyone about us. Woo! Man… you scared me for a second there."

Rain took hold of Leos hand and held it tightly. "Leo, I wasn't joking. I'm being completely serious."

Leo's expression turned to complete fear. "You're crazy! We can't do that!"

"Why not?! Leo, hear me out... if we tell everyone that we are together, we wouldn't have to try to sneak around. We could actually act like a couple without fear."

"Oh there'll be fear even if we did tell everyone!" Leo looked out to Finn and Gray as they stood out in an open spot in the park. He watched as they both stood side by side. Their hands came up and without relegalization, both stripped off their shirts, immediately taking stance to power themselves up. Leo swallowed hard as he looked back to Rain. He pointed a finger out towards her father and older brother as he spoke with a shaky voice. "You see that?! That right there! If your dad didn't kill me first, Finn sure as hell would!"

"I told you to leave my brother to me. I can deal with him." Rain watched as Leo looked back out to the two ice mages as they began to perform a powerful move. She smiled as she brought her hands up to his face, turning his attention back to her. "Hey… it'll be ok. I promise." Her smile was sincere as her eyes shifted between his. Leo couldn't help but get lost in those blue eyes as she spoke. "I think if we did this together, it'll be ok."

"But—" Leo started to say.

Rain was quick to cut him off and hold his gaze on her. "Think about your parents. How do you think they'll act if they hear you and I are going to be together?"

Leo's eyes looked up and away from Rain as he thought for a moment. "Well… my mom would probably grab you and hug you to death all while saying…" Leo stepped back and clasped his hands together, raising his voice as he imitated is mother. "Oh my god! Please marry my son already! This is so exciting! I'm going to start planning your wedding!" Rain giggled as she watched Leo imitate his parents. "And then my dad…" The blonde haired boy crossed one arm over his chest as his free hand came up to his head. He closed his eyes as he hung his head and sighed. "You should just run while you can, Rain. Getting involved with my son could be detrimental to your health. You are way too good for him and deserve better."

Rain nudged Leo lightly. "Oh come on! Your dad wouldn't say something like that!"

Leo looked at the girl quickly, moving his arms down to his sides. "Yes he would! You watch! We tell them all, and those are going to be his exact words!"

The ice mage smiled as she shook her head. "Have some faith in your dad and what he'll think of us."

"I need to have some faith that your brother isn't going to kill me!"

"And I told you, don't worry about Finn. I will tell him myself. Maybe if I tell him first, it won't be as big of a deal?"

Leo frowned as he looked at Rain. "I think it'll be a big deal. I know Finn. But maybe he'll just run off and blow some steam away from this party and not punch my face in."

"Again, you worry too much." Rain leaned up and planted a soft kiss on Leo's cheek, causing him to blush slightly. "Everything will be fine."

Leo groaned softly. "Are you sure?"

The ice mage smiled as she slowly started to back away from Leo, her mind set on telling Finn the news. "I'm positive. I'm going to go tell Finn and then I'll come find you so we can tell everyone else."

Leo waited for Rain to be completely out of earshot before he turned around and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I'm going to die…"

A voice from beside Leo spoke suddenly, causing the mage to jump and turn to the figure beside him. "Why are you going to die?"

"Ah! God damn it! You trying to give me a heart attack?!" Leo said loudly as he held onto his chest as his heart raced.

Lily raised a brow as she looked the blonde haired boy over. "No… I wasn't tryin' to… but you said that you were gonna die." The dark haired girl crossed her arms over her chest and pushed out her hips to one side. "What did you do this time?"

Leo's eyes widened as he stepped back slightly. "What?! I didn't do anything!"

"Leo…" Lily said as she pointed a finger at the mage. "You can't lie to me, remember? Just tell me the truth. It's not like I'm gonna care what it is."

Leo reached up behind his head as his olive-green eyes shifted away from Lily's hard, unwavering gaze. "Well… you see… um… it's about Rain and me…"

Lily gasped as her eyes went wide. "What did you do to her?! I swear to god Leo, if you hurt her in any way—"

Leo held up his hands quickly, silencing Lily's loud mouth. "I didn't hurt her! I swear! But… we kinda…." A blush came over Leo's cheeks as he lowered his voice down to a whisper. "We sorta… hooked up… last night…"

"YOU WHAT?!"

Leo put a hand over Lily's widely open mouth. "Shh! Don't be so loud! No one else knows about us!"

The script mage pulled Leos' hand away quickly, her finger going straight into his chest as she pressed forward, pushing the boy back with each step she took. "Are you crazy?! How could you do that to her?! You are definitely going to die because I'm going to kill you!"

Leo put his hands up as he walked backwards, hitting the hard wood of the pavilion that stopped him in his tracks. "Hey! She came onto me and initiated everything! I told her we shouldn't but…" Leo brought his hands down to his sides, his eyes moved away from hazel as his cheeks grew hot with a reddened color. "She said that she cared for me… and wanted to thank me for being there for her. I knew deep down we shouldn't have… but I… I couldn't help it. The way she came to me last night… it was too hard for me to resist her. And believe me, I tried to." Leo looked back to Lily with a serious expression. "I can honestly say that I don't regret any part of it. I want to be with Rain. She makes me feel complete, and I don't feel like I should run off and chase some other tail. I want to keep her happy, and bring her all the sunlight she could possibly want or need. I want to keep that smile on her face forever."

Lily blushed at Leo's words, completely taken back by what he was saying and how serious he was at that moment. It was a rare side to see from him. 'So she took my advice, huh? It's funny… I never expected this from Leo. I mean… I know he said he really liked her and all… but… this Leo in front of me… seems to be a bit different as he's speaking to me. He looks so confident. So why was he so worried a moment ago? If he keeps this mind set… he should have nothing to fear….'

Leo's strong expression slowly began to change as his body began to shake. "The only thing is… that is super scary and for the love of god, I hope he doesn't use that on me after Rain tells him!"

'Annnd there it is. The overly dramatic Leo I know.' Lily thought with a sigh. "What are you talking about?"

Leo pointed in the direction of Gray and Finn as they performed their magic together. "T-that! Do you see that?!"

Lily turned her gaze to the ice wizards. A blush began to form back on her cheeks as she watched Finn perform. Leo continued on as they watched the ice mage together. "If this was the Finn from years ago, I could totally take him on, but now… look at him! All of those muscles and awesome use of his totally powerful magic. God he could kill me with one blow! Hell! Even a punch from his fist could do me in! Maybe he won't be as energetic since he looks pretty worn down from using that ice spell just now. Christ look at all that sweat dripping off of his—"

Lily quickly turned on her heels and made her way to the table with the alcohol on it. "I need a drink." She said quickly.

"Wait, what?! Why do you need a drink?!" Leo asked as he looked at the girl twisting a cap off a tall bottle.

"I just do, ok?!" She replied quickly. Her mind was racing as fast as her heart. The dark haired girl brought the bottle to her lips and tilted her head back, chugging the bottle with ease. 'I can't listen to Leo anymore! If he keeps going on about Finn, I don't know what I might end up doing! He looks so amazing and hot out there… but I can't do anything about it!" Lily brought her head back down, her eyes shutting tightly. 'God get out of my head! Get out of my head!' The image of Finn's naked, muscular body towering over her flashed repeatedly in her mind. The thought of him taking her with such force made her body begin to heat up and ache at the same time. For every memory of the night they shared, a pain would soon follow. She couldn't have that again. But the more she saw of him, the harder it was to forget about those feelings she had for the ice mage. She growled softly to herself before bringing the bottle back to her lips, tilting her head back once more to let the cool liquid slide right down her throat into her empty stomach.

Serena smiled as she handed Finn his shirt as he shook his arm slightly. "You guys were great! And that spell was very impressive!"

Finn smiled and took his shirt from the girl. "Thanks." The younger ice mage slipped his shirt back on as he overheard his father speaking with Gajeel and Loke about how they just performed the spell. He shook his head as he turned his attention to Serena. "I am sorry about all of this… again…"

Serena shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I thought it was amazing to see. And I think you stunned Lily and Leos' fathers. I don't think they were quite expecting such a great power from you both."

Leviana ran up to Finn and quickly took hold of his arm. "Finn that was incredible! You're so good with your magic now! I bet if you and I teamed up together, we'd be unstoppable!"

Serena giggled as she looked to Leviana. "Who is this cutie?"

Leviana shot a glance to the platinum blonde girl. "I am Finn's future wife."

Serena closed her eyes sweetly as she spoke. "Aren't you worried that Finn is a few years older than you?"

Leviana shook her head quickly before resting it on Finns arm as she held it close. "I don't care how old my Finn is! I'm going to marry him and Leo one day!"

Finn half smiled as he pulled his arm away from the younger girl. "Leviana… this is Serena. My girlfriend."

Hazel eyes looked into blue, staring intently and quietly at her for a long minute. Serena smiled once more as she held out her hand to the younger girl. "It's very nice to meet you Leviana."

The blue haired girl pointed her finger at Serena with anger in her eyes. "Just so you know, Finn won't marry you because he's promised to me! Got it?! Hey!"

Leviana kicked out her feet as she was risen into the air by her father. His crimson glare was staring right into her as he looked at his youngest child. "Oi! Quit tellin' people you're going to marry Finn!"

"But daddy!" The girl started to whine as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

"And don't daddy me! You're not a little kid anymore. Go run off and play with your brother or sister and leave the ice mage alone." The iron dragon slayer set his youngest down and crossed his arms over his chest, watching her scamper away with a pout. "I swear I don't know how she got it into her head that she was going to be your bride… uh… no offense, kid." He said as he held a hand up to Finn.

The younger ice mage dismissed the statement. "It's alright. I honestly don't mind. I mean… I guess it could have been my fault when she was younger. When she told Leo and me that she wanted to marry us one day, we kind of laughed but told her we were cool with it. I guess now it's just in her mind that it'll come true one day."

"Aw, that's so sweet Finn." Serena said calmly.

The ice mage rubbed the back of his head. "Well I couldn't say no to her back then… she was too cute… and I was kind of a push over."

Gajeel laughed as he wrapped an arm around Finn's neck, pulling him in close. He rubbed his blue hair fiercely with his fist as he spoke. "But not now! Look at this kid! Just like his old man, and with new magic! Nothing can push this guy down!"

"That doesn't mean I can't be suffocated!" Finn said as he too struggled to free himself from Gajeel's tight grip.

"Gihi… you're alright kid. You're alright." The iron dragon slayer said as he pushed Finn away. The large man turned away from the ice mage and the violinist, making his way to Gray and Loke to talk about what he had just witnessed.

Finn rubbed his neck as Serena placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "So should I be worried about some crazy stalker who is only a few years younger than us?"

Finn raised a hand to her. "Please… don't stress over Leviana. Honestly in about ten minutes, she'll be all over Leo. That's usually how it is. Fawns over me, and when yelled at, runs to Leo."

Serena giggled once more. "She's too much. It's kind of cute actually how much she loves you two."

"Yeah well…I don't think Leo could handle her. He's been with a lot of girls and I just don't think he's ready to settle down just yet. Probably needs to go out with a thousand more girls until he finds the one."

"Hey, Finn?"

Finn and Serena both looked up at Rain who had made her way over to them. She smiled as she put her hands behind her back.

"Hey Rain. What's up?" Finn asked.

"Can I talk to you for a minute? Just us two?" She asked as she motioned to a spot away from anyone else.

"Uh… yeah? Sure." The ice mage looked at Serena as he placed a hand over hers. "I'll be right back." She smiled and nodded her head, watching him walk side by side with his younger sister.

Rain waited to speak until they were far enough away from everyone, her voice soft as she intertwined her fingers together behind her back. "So… um, there's something I want to tell you. Something really important to me. But you have to promise not to get mad."

Finn chuckled with a half-smile. "That's a great way to start a conversation. I have something to tell you but don't get mad at me?"

Rain stopped and placed her hand on her brothers' shoulder. "Finn I'm serious. Promise me you won't get mad."

Finn stared at his sister for a long minute, trying to figure out what he could possibly get mad about. "I mean I'll try not to get mad, but from the sounds of what you want to talk about, I might end up getting angry anyways."

Rain closed her eyes as she breathed in and out, collecting her thoughts for a moment. She took her hand back from his shoulder as she opened her eyes and looked right to solid blue. "Leo and I are going out."

Finn laughed slightly, his head turned slightly as he stared at her. "What?"

Rain rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed she had to repeat herself. "Leo and I are going out now."

The ice mage made a fist with his hand. "You're joking right? Because this isn't funny, Rain."

"I'm not joking. I'm being completely serious." She responded calmly.

"And when did you decide all of this?" Finn asked as he could feel his blood begin to boil in anger.

"Well… I guess the past few days I've kinda been having these feelings towards him and I started to realize how much he cared for me. I realized how happy he made me, and how much I cared for him as well. Last night, I wanted to thank him for everything he has done for me so we hooked up and I knew then that I loved him. I've always known he loved me but the way he showed it last night…" Rain brought a hand up to her chest. "I know he's serious about me, Finn. I told him that I wanted to tell everyone that we are together now, and that I would tell you first."

Finn's brows went up as his eyes stayed on her, his hand came up before him. "Did he… you guys… Rain you can't be serious. This is Leo we're talking about. Leo!"

Rain's brows crossed as she stomped her foot. "What's the big deal, Finn?!"

"I just can't believe you two did it! I'm going to fucking kill him! I can't believe he put one finger on you!"

"I was the one who started it all if you must know! He actually didn't want to do anything! He was afraid of hurting me! But I told him to do it anyways!"

Finn stepped closer to his sister, a finger pointed towards her. "You need to end things with him! Now!"

"Why should I?" Rain protested.

"Because! It's Leo! Who's to say he's not going to just drop you off like yesterday's leftovers and find another piece of ass?! You are going to be heartbroken and I'm gonna be the one to pick up the pieces!"

Rain shook her head as she glared at her brother. "He is your best friend. How could you talk about him like that? I have faith in Leo that he won't hurt me."

Finn began to shout. "Well then you obviously don't know him that well!"

Rain kept her cool and spoke softly. "I know that he would never, ever, hurt me. He has been the only one to make me happy. For once in a long time… I've been able to see clear skies and felt the sun shine upon me. It was because of him. Not you. Not dad. Not mom. Leo. If you can't see that, then you are blind. I don't need your permission to date who I want. I am old enough to make decisions on my own. I was just trying to be nice and tell you first so you didn't go and try to cause a scene at this gathering. This is supposed to be a time of celebration." Rain walked past Finn, stopping just behind him as she finished speaking to him. "It's obvious that you can't be happy for me or for him."

Finn clenched his fists tightly as Rain walked away from him. He couldn't believe this was the same sister who had denied anything from Leo for years. And now all of a sudden she was smitten with him? There's no way this could be true. She was just pulling his leg as a joke between them both.

"I know he's serious about me, Finn.I know that he would never, ever, hurt me. He has been the only one to make me happy. I was the one who started it all if you must know! He actually didn't want to do anything! He was afraid of hurting me! But I told him to do it anyways! It's obvious that you can't be happy for me or for him."

Rains words rang through Finns head, making his anger rise. "I'm going to kill him! I don't care what she says! He is going to break her heart one day and I don't want to see that happen! I can't believe a guy like him will ever be serious about any girl!"

"What's going on, Finn?" Serena asked as she stepped up behind him. Finn's angry expression stayed the same as he turned around to face Serena.

"My so called "best friend" is apparently dating my sister!"

Serena smiled brightly as she brought her hands together. "Oh, really? That's so great!"

Finn stared at her in disbelief. "How is that great in any way?! It's terrible! She thinks he is going to love her forever but I've got news for her! He won't! I know Leo! He's a fucking horn dog that won't quit chasing the neighborhood tail! God this is so infuriating! I swear if I see him, I'm going to fucking kill him!"

Serena's smile grew smaller as she reached out for Finn. "Hey, maybe you should just try to talk to him about it? There's no need to jump the gun on this, right?"

Finn scoffed as he pushed past her, dismissing her hand with his. "I'm going for a walk. I need to think things over for a while. This is so ridiculous."

The platinum blonde haired girl took her hand back to her own body, watching sadly as the ice mage stormed off and away from the group. Worry was within her but she knew he probably needed this. He needed time to let everything sink in.

Rain sighed as she walked back up to Leo. "Well… that went slightly better than I expected."

Leo put his hands to Rains shoulders. "Is he going to kill me?"

Rain shrugged her shoulders. "Probably. But I don't know for sure. I explained everything to him and he still didn't seem to get it. I guess that's my brother though. Overly protective."

Leo sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Now I just feel bad… I feel like I should have gone with you to tell him."

Rain smiled as she shook her head. "No, I told you I would tell him myself. He's just making this into a big deal… and he probably does want to murder you right now. Just give him some time and maybe he'll come around."

Leo began to sweat as he looked around nervously. "I think it would be best if I stayed in a larger group for now… I'll tell everyone else with you, I promise, but I think I should go find some form of protection before he finds me!" The blonde haired boy shifted past Rain, quickly making his way to the larger group that had formed around the other table.

Rain looked down with a sigh. 'What am I going to do? I told him first, explained myself… and yet… he still can't accept it.'

"Heeey there girly! Why do you lookso down?"

Rain shifted her head up to see Lily standing next to her. Tanned cheeks have turned red as her eyes seemed to be slightly glossed over. She looked as though she wasn't able to stand still while she spoke. "Um, hi, Lily… are you ok?"

The script mage giggled as she brought a hand to her lips. She leaned in slightly and whispered loudly. "I miiiiight be a little drunk. Just a lil though." She said as she held up her thumb and index finger, creating a small space between them both. Her hand went to her hip as she attempted to stand up straight. Her brows crossed as she looked to Rain. "So what's got you aalll… upset? I thoughts you were with Leo now… which by the way…" Her expression softened as she smiled. Her hand came up with a thumbs up stretched out to Rain. "Good job takin' my advice, girl."

"How did you know that?" Rain said with slight shock. "Did Leo tell you?!"

Lily dismissed Rain with a hand as she smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, but who cares?!"

"Well obviously my brother does." Rain said quickly.

Lily giggled once more as she stepped back. "Pfffftt… whaaat?"

"He won't listen to what I have to say. Lily… could you do me a favor and try to convince him that me and Leo going out is a good thing? I know he'll listen to you." Rain asked, her eyes shifting back and forth between hazel, hopeful that the girl before her would say yes.

Lily brought a hand behind her head and rubbed her black hair. "I don' think that's sush a good idea. Not to mention…" She leaned in and whispered again. "I'm tryin' to avoid him."

"Please…. Lily… you're the only one who can talk to him right now. It would mean a lot to me."

Lily stood there, watching the girl become sad and concerned. She smiled as she moved in closer to Rain, putting a hand on her cheek. "You are juss so cute! You know that?! Of course I'll go talk to that brother of yours! I'd do anything for you!" The script mage started to pinch Rains cheek, moving the soft skin slightly in her fingers. "How could I say no to a cutie like you?!"

Rain pulled her face away from Lily, rubbing the sting left from Lily's pinch. "Thanks Lily. I don't know where he is, but when you find him, please just try to persuade him to just be happy for us."

Lily stepped back, waving her hand loosely. "Pfft… girl… you forget…" She raised a brow as she smirked and pointed to her nose. "I caaan… sniff him out!" The script mage giggled as she turned on her heel, her finger still on her nose as she started walking away in search of Finn. Rain watched as she walked awkwardly away, giggling and mumbling to herself. The ice mage let out a sigh as she looked down.

'I really hope Lily can talk some sense into Finn…. right now… she's my only hope of him accepting this.'

Finn sat with his knees to his chest, his mind still racing over what Rain had told him. He could feel the cool breeze rush past him, the wind bringing the scent of the large tree he sat under. He let it fill his nose each time the wind blew. It was calming for the ice mage, yet his mind wouldn't let go of the anger enough to enjoy the natural scent. 'I just can't be happy about them together… the mere thought of him putting his hands on my sister makes me crazy! What the hell was he thinking?! He could have at least had the nerve to ask me to date my sister.'

"I don't need your permission to date who I want. I am old enough to make decisions on my own."

The ice mage made a fist with his hand. 'That's beside the point! You don't know him like I do! You were away for so long and don't realize just how many girls he was with in that time! You're being stupid and stubborn Rain.'

"Theeerree you aarree!"

Finn's head shot up and turned quickly, just in time to see Lily stumbling over the trees roots. He watched her try to catch herself as she fell to the ground with a thud. He raised a brow as he spoke. "Uh…you ok Lil?"

The script mage looked up quickly, her tanned cheeks were reddened as she smiled. She laughed as she propped herself up and made her way to him on her hands and knees, leaning in close to Finn. "Shh!... I need to talk to you!"

Finn pushed her back slightly so that she sat down on her own legs. "Ok… you're acting a bit weird. Are you drunk?"

Lily held up a finger in front of her. "I'll 'ave you know…. That I…" She bit down on her lip lightly to hold back her giggles. A second later, the dark haired girl shook her head. "I am a lil' drunk… but thas beside the point, Finn! I need to talk to you!"

Finn looked away as he spoke, clearly annoyed. "Why don't you go sober up and we'll talk later. I don't feel like talking to anyone right now." Finns eyes widened as he felt Lily's arms wrap around his neck.

"Aww… come oooonn Fiiiinn… we can talk… we're bes' friends!"

Finn growled as he lifted Lily's arms away from his neck. Keeping his hold on her wrists, he lifted her up as he stood himself. "Alright, fine. I'll listen to what you have to say… just… keep your hands to yourself."

Lily kept her gaze on his hands as he helped her up, she couldn't help but feel her heart beginning to beat faster as his cool touch wrapped around her tanned skin. Hazel eyes finally lifted to solid blue as the cool grip left her.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Finn asked.

Lily took in a deep breath as she held up her hand to Finn. "Well…. Your sister…asked me to come talk with you…. now I know!... Leo is… probably not your first pick for 'er to be datin'… but!" Her fingers curled into her palm, leaving one pointed up in the air. "But! I think you should juss be happy forem!"

Finn sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And why is that Lil?"

"Because he makes her happy. And everyone deserves to be happy!" Lily closed one of her eyes slowly as she shook her head slightly. "Jus like you deserve to be happy, and me! We could be happy if we were together. Pfft, we should be together!"

Finn looked at Lily seriously. "What did you just say?"

Lily brought her finger to her lips quickly. "But ssshhh! Don't say it out loud!"

Finn stepped closed to the script mage. "No, what did you just say?"

Lily put a finger to her lips as she looked up slightly. "Tha…weshould be together?" she smiled as she shook her head and waved her hand. "But that's not why I came 'ere to talk to ya! Leo makes Rain… very happy… and you should give em a chance!"

The ice mage grabbed Lily's shoulders, his brows crossing as his anger rose. "Forget about my sister and Leo! Lily… do you… do you want to be with me?"

Lily giggled. "Where would you get an idea like that?"

"You literally just said that we should be together! I know you're drunk right now, but get serious! Tell me what you want, Lil! You drive me crazy when you do this shit!" Finn said angrily.

Hazel eyes cast down as Lily tried to think of her response. Finn waited, staring at her intensely, hoping to get a serious answer out of the girl. The girls' lips parted slightly. "I…" Lily looked back up to Finn, a sweet smile on her lips as her tanned cheeks continued to redden. "I want you to be happy for your sister and Leo, and just let them live their lives together. Let them have this and be happy for them."

Finn gripped Lily's shoulders as his head hung down slightly. "So you have nothing to say about us then, huh?"

Lily shook her head and cheerfully responded. "Nope!"

Finn clenched his jaw tightly as he took back his hands. "Fine. I'm done talking to you anyway… this is so annoying… it's like I'm beating a dead horse. Trying to get answers from you is like pulling teeth. Well I'm done. I'm sick of the run around and hesitations. Tired of waiting for an answer from you, about how you really feel." The ice mage turned around slowly. "I guess I'll never really know. I could ask you until I'm blue in the face, and all I'll get is the run around, right Lil?"

The script mage was silent. No words came to her mind as she listened to Finn speak. Her heart was screaming at her, telling her to just say the truth. But she knew it was too late for her. Too late to be with him. She didn't want to tell him that she didn't like to see him with another girl. Tell him how much it truly hurt her inside when she saw him and Serena together. It wasn't fair to tell him now, not after she had her chance. In her mind, this was her way of punishing herself for not saying the truth. Her mind paused all thoughts as Finn finally spoke once more.

"Whatever. I don't know if I can ever accept Leo and Rain together… but I think this pisses me off more than anything…." Lily watched as Finn walked away, leaving the girl under the tall tree, alone to her own thoughts.

Serena let out a breath as she reached the tree where Lily sat silently. She placed a hand on the tree as she tried to catch her breath. "Hey Lily. Have you seen Finn? I can't seem to find him and it's been a while since I've seen him last."

Lily held her legs closer to her chest, hiding her face in her knees. "I don't know where he is… I'm sorry…"

Serena smiled as she walked over to the girl sitting down by herself. "Mind if I sit here with you?"

Lily looked up slightly, her chin resting on her knees as she shrugged her shoulders. She honestly wanted to be alone, but at this time, she didn't care. Serena glanced over at the girl as she sat down. "You ok?"

Lily began to speak without a second thought. "I think… I lost my best friend… for good this time…"

Serena held back her long blonde hair as the wind blew by lightly. "Finn? What makes you say that?"

"I've just… messed up…." Hazel eyes looked out to the green grass, watching it sway back and forth. "Ever since we were young… he was always at my side. Always there for me when I needed him. He never put himself before me… and I… I relied on him so much for so many things.. I used to just go out and party and get around with so many guys, I sometimes woke up and forgot what I had done the night before. But he was still there to help me. He took notes for me, let me copy whatever I needed… he even went to prom with me when my jackass of an ex dumped me. I was so thankful to have him as my friend. I've put him through so much and I know I've hurt him in the past… and at the time, I didn't even stop to consider his feelings after anything I did or had him do for me. Yet… he was still there. He didn't care and I didn't know why he always came back to me. We eventually went to a convention with my ex band and… at that time… all I cared about was him and wining. But… like a fool, I made the biggest mistake of my life. I let my ex come back into my life." Hazel eyes began to tear up. Lily continued as she felt the warm tears fall down her cheeks. "We were supposed to go out and celebrate… we were so excited that the band had made it to the final two in the competition. But… like a damned fool… I messed it all up. It was because of me that he left… and when he did… I fell apart. I couldn't sing. I couldn't do… anything… I had lost my best friend. And when he came back… I was so over joyed, so happy to see him… yet… I was scared. Scared he still hated me for everything I had done to him." Lily's lips curled into a soft smile. "But he forgave me. He was willing to be my best friend once more." The smile faded as her eyes closed lightly, her head hung back down hiding between her knees. "But once again, I've messed it all up because I couldn't tell him the truth. I've lost him again…"

Serena watched Lily for another moment before closing her eyes and turning her head out to view the rest of the park. "You know… you and I have something in common. We both lost someone very dear to us, causing us to become unable to perform."

Lily opened her eyes as she scoffed slightly. "Yeah right... a girl like you is perfect… what happened to you that made you lose sight of what you loved to do?"

Serena smiled as she kept her gaze in front of her. "I lost my mom."

Lily's eyes went wide as the words left Serena's mouth. The script mage was speechless and mentally kicked herself for asking such a rude question. "I… I'm sorry… that was really rude of me to ask…."

Serena kept on smiling as she turned her head back to Lily. "It's ok."

"Can… I ask what happened?"

"I was very young when she passed away. She was the one who got me into playing the violin and we would play together all the time. She taught me everything she knew and was at every event I played in. she was very ill, but never seemed to show it when I was around her." The girl turned her head away once more. Her lips still holding the soft smile. "After she had passed… I wasn't able to play my violin. I felt as though I had lost part of my soul. I lost the one thing that allowed me to play so beautifully. I would try every day, but it was no use. I almost gave up on playing altogether."

"How were you able to play again?" Lily asked softly.

"My dad left me photos of my mom when she was younger on my bed one day. As I looked through them, I saw how beautiful she was, and I could tell how much fun she was having. She had left me a note before she passed, telling me not to give up on my dreams, and that every time I play, that she would be with me in spirit. After I read that note and looked through all her pictures, I tried to play my violin. As soon as I picked up my violin, I felt something change inside of me. I could feel my mother beside me, watching me and urging me on. That's when I put on a smile and started to play once more. I only got better from that point. So to this day, I play with my mother's heart and my soul beside me."

"I… I'm so sorry to hear about your mother."

"Thank you. And it's ok." Serena brought a hand up to her chest. "My mom told me in the note, something that I would like to say to you. You may mess up, and you may fall down, and no matter how many times you hit the ground, you should always get up to see what's next. Birds don't just fly, they fall down and get back up. Nobody learns without getting it wrong. So please don't give up or give in. Try everything. So I took her advice and I didn't give up. And I think it would be best if you didn't give up so easily. If you feel like you messed things up with Finn… then I think you should try to tell him the truth in a way that comes easy to you. I think he cares for you too much to truly let you go, right?"

Lily shifted her gaze between the girls blue eyes. She had lost her mother, yet somehow found a way to keep going and continuing to do what she loved most. And now she was sitting beside her, telling her to not give up so easily. Lily laughed lightly as she smiled. She brought a hand to her face to wipe away her fallen tears. "Yeah. You're right."

Serena giggled as she spoke. "Not to mention, and no offense, but I would peg you to be too stubborn to let someone like Finn go. He really is a great friend to have."

The script mage smiled at the girl beside her. "Thanks Serena. I really needed this. And you're right. I am pretty stubborn… when I want to be!" The girls laughed together at Lily's statement. After a few minutes, Lily stood. "We should probably get back to the party now, huh?"

Serena stood and brushed herself off. "Yes, I think that would be best."

Lily put a hand on Serena's shoulder as they started to head back. "Hey, Serena?"

The platinum blonde haired girl turned. "Yeah?"

"Thank you… for opening up to me about your mom. And for putting some sense into my head. I think I know what I should do now."

Serena smiled. "You're most welcome. Anything I can do to help."

The night's sky sparkled and shined as the three old bandmates spoke together, away from the large group of families under the pavilion. Gray smiled as he looked away from his wife who seemed to be having a blast with everyone around her. He had missed seeing her this happy, and was glad to have her back home with him. "So I was thinking you guys…"

Gajeel grinned as he poked at Grays head. "Oh you mean to tell me you got a brain in there?!"

Loke snickered as Gajeel let out a booming laugh. Gray scoffed as he waved his hand at Gajeel's finger, pushing it away from his head. "I'm serious you guys."

"What's on your mind?" Loke asked as Gajeel's laughter subsided.

"Well… I was thinking about asking Juvia to renew our vows together. It probably won't be for a while because I want her to get settled in back at home, but… do you think that's a good idea?"

Gajeel laughed as he wrapped an arm around Gray's neck. "Well it ain't a bad one ice breath! For once I think you've got a great idea in that thick skull of yours!"

"Shut up!" Gray said as he pulled his head back from under the dragon slayers arm.

"Well I think that's a great idea and you should definitely do it. Just let us know if you need anything and we'll be right there to help you." Loke said with a smile.

Gajeel pointed a finger to his chest. "Yeah, same goes with us. If you and rain woman need anything, you let us know! Don't try to do this all by yourself!"

Gray smiled as he looked at his friends. "Thanks guys. And don't worry, I already have a few ideas I want to run by you both."

AN: thank you for reading and please don't forget to review! Like I said, this story is almost over, but its going to be an amazing finish, well, cute finish :) my next thing I would like to do is post up another chapter for Centaur Paradise, then I will probably come back to this one

Btw! While Serena was speaking to Lily at the end there, I took some lyrics from Zootopia's song Try Everything. I own nothing, but I thought it would be a good fit in there for Serena's mom to tell her that so she can pass on that advice to lily