Chapter 34: Home Sweet Home
What do I do?
Laxus mulled over the question as he stared out at his property. The land slowly revealing itself from a lingering night fog. The fresh glow of the morning sun was doing battle with the heavy gray mist over the green carpet. Baby cows pranced close to their sleeping mothers before yawning. Two workers wandered outside of the barn, probably about to switch shifts with the day crew. He sighed in annoyance, his breath clouding up the window, as he watched one worker grapple with the barn door before the rusty handle fell off.
He wanted to bang his head against the clear glass and would have if it wouldn't have woken up his sleeping wife. Nothing was going right. The field needed tending. The buildings needed maintenance. Everyone needed something that he couldn't give. Jellal, Sting, and Natsu had been gone for over a week, tracking the girls. The ranch hadn't heard any news since the three reached Hargeon. At this point, he didn't know if the girls were dead, much less when the others would be returning. He was pretty sure an ulcer was developing somewhere in the pit of his stomach from all his worry.
Love and Lucky was struggling with the loss of so many workers. Elfman and him had done most of the work until it finally became unbearable. They needed time to start preparing to move the cows, but there was always some animal sick or something to fix. He was lucky enough to hire a couple of drifters named Bixslow and Orga who didn't seem scared of Phantom's feud. The men were admirable because they also didn't mind being paid in lodging and food. Macao also sent his son to help part time while their friends at the bar and the fort helped out occasionally. Laxus hated charity though so all the time, the offer to sell the ranch seemed more tempting. It still wasn't enough.
How the hell had it come to this?
Three men down a week before he would need to start the roundup. To tell the truth, he was very reluctant to start without anyone he could trust. He could always go to Gildarts for some men, but army men didn't have much time off and a drive could potentially last a month.
There was no way to keep all the cattle heads until the next year. They could not feed a herd this size through winter. And they needed the money a drive could bring, badly, for the basics. The lacked the manpower to orchestrate such a huge endeavor. Plus they would need to divide some of the profits with their workers.
A tiny voice crackly and tired spoken behind him. "You scared me, Laxus. I didn't know who was standing there."
He turned to his awaken wife apologetically, letting the curtain fall back in place. The room darkened, but he could see enough to stride toward the bed. Currently she was all belly, hogging up majority of the sheets. If she wasn't sick, he would laugh at the fact that when she rolled, he would practically get knocked to floor. The irony that Mira was sick while he was better made his mind a bit numb. Seeing her nearly in a comatose state that first day returning from Phantom S had broken him, he wasn't ashamed to admit. Thinking on that day oddly made his mind freeze as if in a trance. Finally he responded, voice little in comparison. "I am sorry to wake you back to sleep." He leaned over, kissing her forehead. Lips lingering a bit on her skin.
"Well good mornings like that and you can wake me up any time." Mira smiled, giving him a tight hug. "Don't apologize for waking me up. Sometimes I have a fear one day you couldn't wake me up."
"Do you feel alright?" he murmured into her hair, still warring with his anxiety and the building tension between his shoulders. The doctors had been in contact with Laxus since Mira's scare. They relayed advice as best they could "She needs to stay off her feet," "Don't let her be stressed,"and "Make sure she gets plenty of liquids and no salt." He followed their orders as best as he could.
She had toxemia, a condition not unheard of in pregnant women. One that typically only caused slight swelling of the hands and a bit of arrhythmia. With Mira it had progressed into one of the rare cases that caused severe seizures and potentially could make the baby detach from the placenta. The doctor told Laxus to prepared for the fact that even though he could hear the child's heartbeat, there was a chance of the baby dying before birth or the baby coming too early. Children born severely malnourished, jaundice, or anemic from the lack of resulting in an extreme lack of nutrients circulating in the body, coupled with a small body size may mean that the child wouldn't survive the initial days after birth. It was too soon to tell what else was damaged, and all they could do at the moment was pray.
All Laxus could do was hide his fear the best he could.
Mira shook her head, startling him from his thoughts. "Not really but I'm starving. Go get me a pancake with jelly, and I am sure to be fine."
Laxus nodded, a bit depressed, while she yawned. "You sure you want me to leave?"
"Yes, go bring me food."
"You know when we got married I promised I'd never leave you. Especially not when you're sick. And now you're asking me to leave you for some crabapple jelly."
Mira's soft snort filled the room. She didn't laugh but her eyes twinkled as she said "When you put it that way, it makes me think you're leaving me for a crabby Jellal."
"He's too scrawny and muscular for my tastes. Prefer someone softer, maybe rounder, especially in the midsection." Mira's outraged gasp didn't stop him. Nor did her fist into his chest. He just took the hand, kissing her knuckles and wrist. "I prefer blue eyes to blue hair. And pale long hair..." He touched her strands. "...silky, so I can comb my fingers through. And no facial calligraphy is definitely a must."
"His tattoo is sexy, though. How did we manage to work Jellal into our bedroom talk?" Mira laughed while reaching out to rub his neck. "Thank you."
Laxus met her eyes; he gave her a tired smile. His voice was rocky. "You're welcome, sweets." He wandered away to get her the food, the weight of his stress in every step.
Two weeks.
He was only going to give himself two weeks to get everything for the drive ready. The blonde man only hoped that everything worked out during that time. Ever step he took farther away from his wife echoed the desperation he felt in his heart.
Downstairs, he entered the kitchen, finding food and boiling coffee. Pouring a shot of the hot liquid into a mug, he gave quick thanks to God for
the caffeine but immediately subtracted the prayer once he took a sip at the weak brew. Juvia made the brew more watered down then he was use to from Mira, Lucy, or Levy. He also saw that she liked adding enough cream and sugar to her cup to make him cringe. While the girl was helpful with most of the chores and company for his wife, she really couldn't cook the way countryfolk did. You could tell she spent most of her life in a city. He was going to have to sit her down and teach her how to make a proper cup of coffee.
Juvia came in from hanging laundry while he was fixing two plates, Slate bouncing close behind as little children do. It was actually very strange to see a child on the ranch. The last one to visit his house had been Lisanna. He nodded in greeting as they passed, Juvia nodding in return - a woman of few words yet she seemed to be a chatterbox around Mira. Laxus wondered if he should mention the flavor of the coffee, but decided he would just make himself a new kettle.
Once the two were out of sight, Laxus poured out hers. A thick wave of loneliness hit him as he refilled the kettle while tying some grounded beans into a cheese cloth. He took a moment to take a bite of one of her biscuits, even the taste of the didn't refresh him.
At first, Flare was the one that was suppose to stay with Mira. Juvia had been awkward staying with Brother Atlas by herself. Flare also had duties as preachers daughter teaching bible studies and singing in the choir that made her have to leave often. So it was decided that Juvia would be a better fit.
Laxus was grateful. The girl proved to be a big help not just in the house. Her ideas helped them fix the aqueduct to irrigate the cornfields that they needed to feed the cattle. She was also reading up, taking Levy's place in figuring out how to fix the hay baler. She had cleaned up the garden, which had been sprouting weeds.
When the high pitch ringing sound of the boiling kettle startled him, he was ready to drink until Rev Atlas burst into the room.
"Joyful news to bestow on Love and Lucky, Laxus!"He rushed to the man, grabbing him in a shake, spilling his coffee. It was hot.
Laxus stared at the preacher, then at the coffee stain mournfully.
"Calm yourself, Reverend." He patted the man as he reached for a dishrag.
"This is no time to be calm! They are coming Laxus! A telegram was sent! They found them!"
"Are you ok Lucy." Natsu asked, maneuvering around the back of the wagon to sit closer to the excited girl. He tried to ignore how she squirmed away from him as soon as he sat down. The girl watched the changing scenery with mounting anxiety as the group moved closer and close home. He could tell she wanted to jump off and fly faster than the buggy traveled.
"Yes! No!." She shrank back against Levy avoiding everyone's face. Her cheeks reddened as she murmured, "I'm happy to get home. I'm nervous what Laxus will say. And Mira? It's been so long!" A dark red stain spread over face, Natsu was fascinated to that it moved down her neck to lower areas, he removed his eyes from her ample cleavage at Sting's growled warning. He cleared his throat in embarrassment at being caught.
Sting immediately reached over to pat her shoulder, accidentally elbowing Levy's head. The blue haired girl flicked his knee.
He ignored the response, saying "I don't think he'll be mad, he'll just be grateful to have you home. So least you have an excuse. You were kidnapped. I just left and he took me back."
Levy slapped him, "Sting, your intentions are good but your words aren't executed well. How is that supposed to be comforting? Of course Lucy didn't do anything wrong! Laxus won't hold anything against her. Idiot!"
Sting defended himself from even more of Levy's attacks. He sighed, "Short but feisty."
Jellal was at the reigns with Gajeel sitting next to him and everyone else piled in the back, so close that Sting, Lucy, Natsu, and Levy's legs were thrown over each other in an improper manner.
Cobra and Erza had abandoned them before they left Hargeon, taking Sorano to hunt for her sister. The rest of the group was headed back to Love. They were almost there.
"Is there anything I can do?" The pinkeye asked. "Seems to me that nobody should be that nervous about going home. It's a time to be happy."
Levy with a glint in her eyes opened her mouth, but Lucy shoved her.
"Levy Candace McGarden. You keep that fly flap shut."
"I think you need to be tickled, Lucy."
Natsu grabbed one of her feet, inviting a squeal from Lucy. He hooked his arm under her knee, her skirt riding up as he pulled her closer.
Sting yelled, "Hey." In an overly aggressive, protective brotherly manner.
Levy told him to hush up as Natsu tried to take over her boot while avoiding being kicked by her other boot. He finally grabbed the other leg, sitting on it before turning back to working the first.
The poor girl squealed, "Stauuhhpp."
Levy gasped in delight while Lucy.. Gajeel a quietly added, "That's what she said."
"Idiot! Don't be giving people the wrong idea!"
Natsu snorted before he started to pull off her stocking, reaching underneath her skirt to massage her calf before lifting her leg to his shoulder. He winked at her as her breath hitched, face going even redder.
She wanted to kick him. They were in public, for heaven's sake, amidst their friends and family.
Gajeel's voice interrupted, "No wagon sex you two or I'll have to arrest you."
"How you gonna do that when I have a badge Black Steel?"
"A citizen's arrest, salamander. Ever heard of it?"
"On what grounds?"
"For indecent exposure, public displays of affection, and strange acts of perversion."
"Then I will arrest you for assaulting a law officer." At the time he said that, Natsu had her stockings off and was massage felt so good against her muscles.
"Just because I like massages doesn't mean I won't slap that smirk off your face, Natsu." Lucy said with her nose in the air.
His grin grew bigger if possible, "What smirk?"
Sting cracked his knuckles," Don't worry Lucy. I can punch him off this ride." Gajeel snickered while Jellal shook his head "Children."
A minute later, Lucy felt like collapsing in a puddle of relief once they passed the entrance sign to their home. The house could be easily seen at a distance. Her entire lifetime, she'd been trying to deal with problems by taking it out on herself—now, she'd come to the realization that she'd only been making it worse for the people she cared about. But right now, she had to see how the house and everybody was doing. The girl bowed her head in thanks for a moment before slipping her stocking back on and jumping off the wagon. She was headed to where the cows should be.
Laxus was standing, bellowing orders in the corral when Elfman rushed forward, pointing excitedly "There! There!"
The blonde swiveled his neck, unsure of whether Elfman really saw something or if he was just mentally deranged. He frowned slightly at Gildarts running like a lunatic. The red headed man jumping over the fence to meet Elf was what made Laxus curious enough to shade his eyes to look at the distance.
Everything slowed down when Laxus's attention got caught by a wagon entering the ranch's lane. A streak of skirts and short hair glittered beside it.
"Elfman! Gildarts!" A girl called out. One he didn't truly recognize - almost looked like a boy in skirts.
Laxus started when he realized he heard a wagon. His mind tried shake himself out of whatever strange state he'd locked himself in, telling him to do something. He froze, willing the hope to fade.
Sluggish he started to move, Lucy was running to him separate from the wagon.
His mind was succeeding; he was returning to reality. The screaming grew louder, "Laxus!"
Laxus's eyes burned with tears, but he wouldn't let them fall. It was Lucy. The girl he thought of as his little sister. And he hadn't recognized her. She looked different person, no hair, skinny, bags under her eyes, fading bruises. Souvenirs from her hard journey.
His throat was raw, his vision blurry, lungs about to burst as he opened his arms wide, reaching desperately for her collision. He shut his eyes as she impacted him in a flying tackle, throwing them both to the ground.
Next Chapter: When Times Change