How and Why:

AN: So, I actually have no idea how one would go about forcing a Guild Master out of power, so I just made this up. I looked it up and couldn't find anything.

Also MIRAXUS!

Laxus was enjoying being guild master. No, really, he was. But like with any job there were parts of it he didn't like, such as the constant meetings and conventions he had to go to. Some of them were nice, but most of them were just pointless political jibber-jabber.

This one was different though, and not in the good way, the fact they'd been called to the Magic Council headquarters.

"Is eveyone here?" Draculous Hyberion asked from where he and the other council members sat in their tall, towering chairs in the arena this meeting was being held in. Seated on the large platform in front of the was most, if not all, of the Phoenix Grave Guild members. Laxus frowned as he looked down from his arena seat. Phoneix was divided in two, which was not good for any guild's survival. One half seated behind a trembling and very frightened looking woman, holding a baby as two equally terrified children sat on either side of her in the box the Magic council had provided for them. On the other side of the platform, in his own box seat, was a man in cuffs;

Phoenix Grave's Guild master, Mace Orlando.

"Good," Draculous nodded slowly. "This meeting and trial will now come to order."

He clapped his hands. Lights came on in the center of the arena, shining on the man and the woman. Laxus leaned forward, stroking his chin as he stared at Mace Orlando, brow furrowed. What exactly had this guy done?

Forcibly removing a Guild Master from power was not an easy thing to do. It was almost unheard of, actually…

...well, unheard of happening the "proper" way. Sure, there had been Guild Masters who'd been bullied, bribed, even bought into ealry retirment. This was different though. This was a trial. What had Mace Orlando done that was so bad that his fate was now resting in the hands of his fellow guild masters.

"I don't like this," Goldmine said from where he sat next to Laxus, pushing his hat back.

"Hmph," was all Laxus had in reply as he continued frowning at the man on trial in to arena. Obviously all the guild members sitting behind him were the ones on his side. So who were the woman and children on the other side? What did they have to do with Mace Orlando's potential impeachment and imprisonment?

Draculous stood up, the rest of his Magic Council members watching him.

"Fellow council men. Guild Masters. We are gathered here today for the Impeachment of Mace Orlando." Draculous turned to the accused, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Mace Orlando: You stand accused of embezzling from your guild members. How do you pleade?"

Mace frowned as he stood, hands still in cuffs. "Not guilty."

"You stand accused of verbally harrassing and abusing your fellow guild members. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

Laxus stoked his chin as he watched on, frown deepening. Yeah, stealing your Guild Member's hard earned jewel and then shouting at them for it would land you in hot water.

"You stand accused of physically abusing some of your young or female guild members, including your wife and children."

Laxus' eyes widened slightly as he turned and looked at the woman and children sitting on the others ide of the arena. The woman had her face turned down towards the floor, her baby squirming and fussing in her arms as her two children clung to her, their faces also down cast. Laxus leaned forward as he stared at them. The oldest of the two children, a young boy with bangs that hung in his face, looked to be about ten or eleven years old. The younger one, a girl with pigtails and a bandana that hid her brow, looked to be about 7-8. Their mother began slowly rocking the fussy baby in her arms, a strand of silvery blond hair falling from the bonnet covering her head as she did so. They were all dressed in longsleeved clothing with high necklines. The baby was wrapped tight in a thick blanket. The boy wore black, leather gloves and a scarf around his neck.

"How do you plead?" Draculous asked Mace, his voice darkening a few tones.

Laxus held his breath as he waited for Mace's answer.

Mace didn't answer though, instead he turned and cast a glare at the mother a children. The mother flinched, her children clinging tighter against her as the baby cried. A slight surge coursed through Laxus' body and he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"How do you plead?" Dracluous asked once again.

Mace slowly turned back to the high councilman. A smirk appeared on his face as he shrugged. Hatred burned through Laxus before Mace even spoken his answer.

"Guilty."

Gasps and murmurs ran through the crowd.

"The scoundrel!" Bob exclaimed from where he sat next to Laxus.

"Tch," Goldmine scoffed from the other side. "I never did like him."

Laxus clenched his hands into fists as his eyes narrowed.

The mother seemed to let out a sigh of relief at her husband's confession as her daughter began sniffling and crying. The oldest boy reached over to comfort his sister as their mother continued rocking the baby, turning to speak softly to her daughter. As she did so Laxus could get a clearer view of the mother's face. Well, half of it anyway. The other half was still behind her bonnet.

She had silvery blond hair, light blue eyes, a pointed chin, and a soft gentle smile.

She looked like Mirajane.

Laxus gasped as he watched her try to comfort her children. The boy was about the same age as Farrah. The girl was about the same age as Cato.

"Very well," Draculous nodded. "As you have pleaded guilty on the count of physical abuse we will procede into the sentencing phase."

"Fine," Mace shrugged.

Bzzt!

"Whoa, take it easy there big man," Bob said, gingerly patting Laxus on the shoulder. "Now's not the time to be getting all hot and flashy!"

"Please don't say it like that," Laxus grumbled as he forced his lightning back under control, eyes narrowing even further at Mace. How could he be so careless? So cocky? He had just openly admitted to the magic council, all the Guild Masters, and his guild that he had phyiscally abused his wife and kids! He had hurt his family! Badly, by the sound of things, and yet he still had the nerve to smirk and shrug!?
"Mace Orlando, you face the potential of finement, forcible removement from power, forcible removement from your guild, barrment against rejoining any legal guild, and imprisonment for up to 20 years. What do you have to say? What do you believe your sentence should be?"

"Gimme the fine and be done with it," Mace said. "Sure, I made a mistake. I should not have hit them. But, come on man. You all here know how stressful the job is!" He turned and addressed the crowd of Guild Masters watching him as if he were putting on a show. "So imagine everyday coming home from a hard day of work and being bombarded with endless whining, and complaining, and nagging, and demands. Here I am doing everything I can to make our guild the best it can be and all I get for my trouble is a nagging mare and complaining brats. I can't even have a clean house or a nice meal when I come home because they've been 'too busy.' Well, heck, I'm busy too! I'm the busiest of all of us here! Can't I get a little appreciation? Sure, I was wrong for slapping them, but can you blame a guy for snapping?"

Draculous turned towards the mother and beckoned her to come forth. A look of fear flashed in her eyes as she passed the baby to her son and walked to stand in front of the Magic Councilmen. Draculous smiled softly at her.

"Go on," he said in a comforting voice.

Laxus thought he could see her trembling as she teached up and untied her bonnet strap. She then began to unfasten her top to reveal a sleevesless tank top underneath it. Everyone gasped as she turned to face them.

Her right eye was black and swollen completely shut. She had brusies in the shape of strangling hands marring her neck. Her arms were covered scrapes, and bruises, and bite marks. There were even some scars on her left shoulder that looked like they could have been from a hot liquid that was thrown at her.

"Tell me, Mace Orlando," Draculous asked, turning back to the man on trial. "Is this all your doing?"

"Eh…" Mace's eyes widened slightly. "I don't think so. I think she may have done it up a little herself for sympathy. You know how women are."

Bzzt!

Laxus' knuckles began cracking as he watched on in fury.

"No, I didn't," the woman said in a soft scared voice, clasping her hands together in front of her, lowering her head.

"What was that?" Mace asked, eyes narrowing.

The woman flinched, but repeated herself, a bit louder this time. "No. I didn't. I didn't do anything to make myself look worse."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure you didn't," Mace rolled his eyes as he turned to his guild standing behind him. "I mean, c'mon! We all know I didn't hit her that hard!"

"But you have hit her?" Draculous asked in a calm and collected voice.

"Wel, yeah," Mace answered. "And that was wrong. But I snapped. Besides, who here hasn't gotten a little agitated at the wife before, am I right?"

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

"Whoa, take it easy, hot rod," Gold mine said as lightning began coursing through Laxus' body.

The woman trembled slightly, a tear that looked a little too red rolling down from her swollen eye. The boy suddenly stood, passed the baby to his sister, and walked to his mother's side. He began pulling his scarf off, revealing a series of blotchy burns on his skin. He removed his gloves, showoing off a set of oozing bandages covering his fingers and palms. Everyone gasped at the sight.

"Where did you get those injuries, son?" Draculous asked in a soft voice.

"My dad," the boy answered, pushing his bangs aside to reveal a handprint shaped brusie on the side of his face.

"Oh, c'mon, Reina!" Mace shouted. "Now you're bringing the kids into-"

"He tried to use his acid on my mom," the boy continued. "I pushed her out of the way, but then I got hit with it. He got mad at me for protecting my mom and slapped me. Then when my little sister told him to stop he began hitting her. I jumped on his back and held his arms down until my mom could get my sisters locked in a room, then she came and got me and we locked ourselves in there too."

"Oh, well, now we know he's been coached," Mace said. "I'm an acid wizard. A door can't keep me out! I'd just dissolve it if I really-"

"You did," the woman said, bloody tears still running down her face. "You turned our bedroom door to sludge. It just bought us enough time to climb out a window and run for help."

As she spoke Draculous motioned for the boy to come closer to him. He examined the child's wounds and nodded slowly. "There are indeed acid burns on your son, Mace. And as you said you are an acid wizard. So how else would he have gotten these wounds had it not been from you?"

Mace's eyes grew wide and he began stuttering. "Eh, um, uh, well...her!"

He pointed to the little girl still holding the baby.

"She's an acid wizard too! Reina probably told her to burn my boy so she could frame me."

"Prepostorous," Jura, who had been quiet for the whole trial, finally spoke and stood. "I have done extensive research into your family and history prior to this trial. Though your daughter does indeed know a few acid spells, she does not know enough, nor is she skilled enough in the spells she does know, to be considered an acid wizard. In fact, she's shown more of a leaning towards your wife's stone-make magic."

The little girl nodded frantically as she shook from fear, the baby crying in her arms.

"I'd never hurt my big brother!" she sobbed. Her brother and mother turned and stared sympathetically at her, her mother clutching a hand to her chest.

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt! BBBBZZZZZZTTTTTTTT!

For a split second, as the woman raised a hand to her cover her mouth, Laxus saw Mirajane standing there.

The very thought of his Mira, testifying in front of hundreds of people, trembling from fear as she showed off her wounds, tears mixed with blood pouring from her swollen eyes…

...the boy, with his nasty burns and sores, having to stand up for his mother to prove her innocence to a room of strangers when he couldn't have been more than 11, only a year older than Farrah at the most…

...the girl, crying-no-sobbing after she had been accused of harming her big brother. Having to try and comfort her baby sister as her mother and brother testified against her father. This sobbing child was about the same age as his Cato…

...and the baby? Laxus couldn't see the child through the blankets, though he could hear it crying.

Laxus turned back to Mace, eyes barrowing. Surely not. Surely not even this man would dare to harm his own baby.

The little girl began unwinding the blankets. As she removed her sister from the swaddle she held her up for the room to see. There was a wide black bruise across her face, and a cast on both arms.

"What happened!?" someone shouted from the crowd as gasps rang out.

"She wouldn't stop crying," the little girl said. "So dad held her mouth shut and held her arms down until she feel asleep."

BBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!

How? How could someone just-

"ERGH!" Laxus growled, veins popping out of his arms as he clenched his fists into a bone crushing grip.

How? A baby! His own baby! This piece of-

Just-

To his own baby!?
Laxus thought back to when Cato was a baby. There were countless nights he'd spend hours just crying. But not one, not even once did it occur to Laxus to held his mouth shut and pin him to the bed by his arms. Just the thought of doing so made him gag!

How? How could any man do that to a baby? Any baby? Much less his own!

How could Mace have done any of this?

Laxus looked back at the woman. The boy. The girl.

That could be his Mirajane, his Farrah, his Cato up there.

Those injuries that covered them, the burns, the brusies, the cuts, the borken bones. Mace did all that to them. To his own family!

BBBBBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTTTTTT!

How?

Just how could anyone do that?

Laxus couldn't even imagine doing anything to hurt his family. If he had ever done anything to cause even one of them harm it would have killed him. But this man-

-no, not a man.

This monster had injured-no-tortured every member of his family and still had the nerve to come into the trial today smiling, and shrugging, and joking.

BBBBBZZZZZZTTTTTT!

"I've heard enough!" Laxus said as he stood, drawing all eyes onto him. "I'm ready to cast my vote."

"Oh, come on, let me explai-"

Boom!

Laxus' entire body burst into lightning, amplifying his voice.

"Save your breath," he hissed.

"But you don't know the whole-"

"Maybe not, but I don't care," Laxus cut him off. "Doesn't matter what the situation is. Anyone who could burn their own son with acid. Anyone who would pin their crimes on their own daughter. Anyone who would break their own babies arms. Anyone like you should not be allowed to be a guild master. Scum like you ain't worthy of the title. In fact they shouldn't be allowed to even be in a guild in the first place. And furthermore, I don't want a piece of crap like you on the streets, because I don't want to run the chance of one of my children running into you. So I say we kick you out of Phoenix Grave, lock you up for as long as we can, and then make sure you ain't gonna be able to join anymore guilds once you get out."

"Isn't that a bit harsh," one of the wizard standing on Mace's side asked. "I mean, yeah, he messed up in his personal life, but he's still a good guild master."

"Yeah, best we've had!"

"Not possible," Laxus crossed his arms.

"Whatcha mean?"

"Something I've learned in all my years with Fairy Tail is that a Guild is more than just a group of people who do odd jobs together," Laxus began as he started walking towards the platfrom, voice still amplified by his lightning. "It's an extended family. When you're in a guild you share in your member's triumphs. You share in their failures. Their battles become your battles, and their pain becomes your pain. As Guild Masters we're the heads of these families. That doesn't mean we're just in charge of everyone else. It means we're the care givers. We're the ones who make sure our family members get what they need. We're the first to jump to their aid if they get in trouble. We're their fathers, their mothers, their big brothers and sisters."

Laxus finally reached the arena and turned to face the rest of the Guild Masters. "We're the protectors. If we dont' keep our guilds safe and sound then no one will. So, tell me, if a man can't even be decent enough to NOT cause harm to his own wife and children, what makes you think he'll be able to take care of a guild? It'll only be a matter of time before he extends his abuse to the rest of his guild. Actually sounds to me like he already has. Embezzlement. Verbal harrassment. Sure, he didn't plead guilty, but c'mon. Not that much of a stretch is it?"

Murmurs ran through the crowd as Laxus turned towards the councilmen.

"So, with that said. My vote is give him the maximum sentence."

"Fairy Tail has proposed the maximum sentence," Draculous said. "All in favor?"

Hands went up all through the crowd.

"And all opposed?"

A hand or two went up here and there, but the decision was very clear.

"The majority has voted in favor."

"WHAT!?" Mace screeched.

"Mace Orlando, you are herby stripped of your title as Guild Master, expelled from Phoenix Grave, barred from joining any Guild, and you will be confined to prison for then next 20 years, eligible for parole in 5 if your behavior is good enough. In the presence of all those here this sentence is so ordered."

"WHA-NO! YOU CAN-"

A regimnet of Rune Knights appeared and began leading Mace away. He turned and glared at Laxus.

"I'll remember this, Fairy Tail! You ain't seen the last of me!"

Laxus hardly paid him any mind, his attention was set on Mace's family. All the Phoenix Grave members who had been on Mace's side were glaring at them, a few had even begun hurling insults their way. Laxus walked towards them, shooting a flashing glare at the hecklers as he approached them.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I...I don't know," the mother said softly as she rocked her baby in the crook of her arm and held her other two children close to her with the other. She looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. "But thank you. Thank you for-"

"Don't mention it," Laxus said.

The mother smiled, then gave a hesitant glance to her fellow Guild Members.

"These next few months aren't going to be easy for us, are they?" she asked herself more than anyone.

"Not sure I'd want to go back to Phoenix Grave after this, to be honest," Laxus said.

The mother jumped, not realizing her heard her. She hung her head as she stroked her daughter's hair. "Yes, but where would we go? I have no family outside my children and I highly doubt Mace's would be open to helping us now."

"You could always come to Fairy Tail," Laxus suggested.

The mother gasped as she turned to him. "Really?"

"Sure, we're always looking for new recruits. We'd be happy to have you, Laxus assured her.

The mother thought this over as she looked down at her children.

"Don't worry, we're over run with kids they can play with," Laxus assured her. "I got two of my own about their ages actually."

"Would you really let us move to your guild, sir?" the little girl asked.

"Of course," Laxus nodded.

"We promise we'll follow all the rules," she assured him.

Laxus chuckled. "Only one real rule I want you tykes to follow."

"What's that?" the boy asked.

"If Natsu Dragneel and his cat Happy dare you to do something, don't. Whatever it is, just don't."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Home.

Laxus stared up at his house as he reached the front door step that night. It had been just a plain white cottage with a leaky roof when he and Mirajane had first bought it. It was still white, mostly, but there were chalk drawings of dragons, and princesses, and ponies, and knights, and ninjas, and flowers covering the walls. The roof had recently been replaced with red tile that he and Mirajane had laid themselves and Farrah and Cato had climbed up the large oak tree in the front yard to watch them.

He pushed the front door open. It looked like there had been a laundry explosion. Clothes lay in piles here and there, and over the couch, and on the coffee table. Apparently Mirajane had tried to seperate and fold clothes but got off track somewhere.

A stack of dirty dishes were soaking in the sink, untouched. Laxus sighed. Though he usually was the one to clean up after meals, it would be nice if someone else did it for a change. Especially when he wasn't there at dinner, like tonight. Still, it didn't really matter.

He turned and walked down the hall. Toys and shoes were scattered everywhere. He stepped over them and peaked into Cato's room. Cato was asleep, curled up in a tight ball uner his blankets. Laxus smiled as he walked inside, pulling the blankets back just enough to see Cato's face. He patted his boy's hair, smiling softly at him for a few seconds before turning to leave and check on Farrah.

Her lamp was still on, a book lying over her face. She'd fallen asleep while reading again. Laxus chuckled as he picked the book off her, marking her spot with a hair ribbon lying on her dresser. He pulled the blankets back and tucked her in, stroking her hair as he turned her lamp out and then headed back into the hall.

He stood there for a while, in between his children's bedrooms.

Those images still plagued him. Those two little children shuddering in fear at the sight of their father. The man who'd abused them, beat them, burn them, tortured them.

Laxus knew how that felt. To be afraid of your father. To know your father wouldn't think twice about harming you. Scrambling to think of ways to please him, to impress him. Hoping your efforts would result in an 'atta boy' or even a smile, but only recieving pain. Somtimes emotional, sometimes physical, sometimes both. Yes, he knew that feeling. Though Makarov had saved him from a great deal of abuse from Ivan, who no doubt would have inflicted more on him had it not been for the fear of his own father's wrath, Laxus still knew how it felt to be afraid of his own father.

Just because he'd been in that position though didn't mean he understood it.

How. Just how could a man do that to his children? If Farrah or Cato ever feared him, if he ever did anything to hurt them…

...no, he just couldn't imagine. Why would anyone want to imagine that? Farrah's spontaneous tackle hugs that she gave him from behind, climbing on his back and wrapping her arms around his neck, how it would kill him if they were ever replaced by cowering trembles and whimpers. Or if Cato's inquisitive questions and ponderings and excited retellings of his and his friends adventures were replaced with feraful silence. Or if the blanket forts he built with them as places where the three of them could escape into the adventures of their storybooks were replaced by barricades they made behind their bedroom doors to escape from him.

No. No, he couldn't even imagine. How could anyone live with that? It would kill him if his children were afraid of him. It would kill him knowing that he had hurt them.

Laxus sighed as he trudged down the hall, still asking himself the questions that had bothered his whole life: Why did his father not love him?

But he also asked himself the question that had plagued him since the first time Farrah called him "Papa:" How could any father not love his children?

Laxus pushed his bedroom door open and stepped inside.

Mirajane was lying in their bed, but she lifted her head the minute he entered.

"Laxus?" she asked.

"Hey," he said.

"How'd it go?" she sat up, a concerned look on her face.

"Ugh," Laxus groaned.

"That bad, huh?" she smiled softly, though he could tell she was still worried.

She was always worried about him, and though it drove him crazy sometimes he appreciated it.

"Wanna tell me about it?" Mirajane asked.

Laxus didn't answer, he just stared at her: her silvery, platinum blond hair, her shining blue eyes, her pointed chin, her soft smile, her volumtuous curves.

Gosh, she was beautiful!

Even better than her beauty, though, was her heart, her kindness, her determinaton, her generosity, her optimisim, her courage, her love.

Her love.

How he'd ever proved himself worthy of recieving her love he'd never know.

Aw, heck, who was he kidding? He wasn't worthy. But man was he grateful that she gave it to him. All of it. Any chance she got she made sure to show him, to remind him, how much she loved him. And he was probably going to spend the rest of his life trying to repay the neverending favor.

And as if that wasn't enough, she was an incredible mother to their children. Not that it was a surprise, she had a mothering personality as is, but still, he appreciated her for how she cared for their children.

No.

He adored her for it.

Laxus never knew his mother. She left when he was just a baby and hadn't been seen or heard from since. So every moment he saw her with Farrah and Cato, every lullaby, every joke, every game, every encouraging word, every comforting hug. Everything she did for their children he treasured. And he would make sure that, no matter what, his children would keep their mother.

Laxus drew closer to Mirajane, standing over her as he cupped her face in his hands, staring into her eyes.

She'd been through more than he had. She'd lost both her parents, then her little sister. Yet she was so kind, so gentle, so loving. She was the surrogate mother for all in Fairy Tail, she had been since a teenager. And yet despite her kindness and gentleness she could, and would, rip the head off anyone trying to harm her or her loved ones without batting an eyelash.

She was amazing.

Laxus gently brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling at the cute, quizzical look she gave him.

He would die for her.

He would kill for her.

He would move earthland, heaven, and hell for her.

That's what he'd promised her, afterall, she was his wife.

So how could any man beat his wife until she cried tears of blood?

A bitter taste rose in Laxus' mouth as he remembered Mace's wife's tears, and trembling, and fear.

He forced the images aside though as he leaned forward and brushed his lips agains Mirajane's.

Her eyelids fluttered close as she returned the kiss, hands resting against his chest. Laxus let his hands travel from her face, down her neck, across her shoulders, and down her sides, finally resting on her hips where he gripped her tightly as he pushed her onto her back atop the mattress.

"Laxus," she whispered against his lips, causing a small burst of heat to burn in his chest. He broke the kiss, moving to nuzzle his face against her neck, pushing her hair aside with his nose. He rubbed his cheek against her skin for a little while before kissing her just above where her shoulder and neck met, feeling her pulse against his lips as her soft gasps filled his ears. It was a privilegde to be this close to her, to be able to kiss her neck. Why on earth would he abuse that honor by choking her?

Her hands found their way to his hair, where she began massaging his scalp. He reached up and took one of her wrists in his hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss. Never would he even dream of covering her soft, warm skin in bruises or scrapes or cuts. But kisses?

He smiled as he began trailing kisses from her wrist, up her arm, to her shoulder, and up the other side of her neck. He took his time. He was in no rush. He could spend the rest of his life doing this and be perfectly content.

"Not that I'm complaining," Mirajane giggled as he prodded her chin with his nose to get her to lean her head back so that the front of her neck would be exposed. "But what exactly has gotten into you?"

"Does something have to suddenly get into me for me to want to kiss my wife?" Laxus asked, still poking at her chin with his nose.

Mirajane giggled as she craned her head back, moaning when she felt his warm lips on the base of her neck where her collar bones met.

"I suppose not," she answered, sighing in contement and letting her eyelids flutter close. If Laxus was in an affectionate mood might as well enjoy it.