The Future Is Ours

Chapter 5

By: juvia0613 (aka FayeValentine00)

Happy and Carla

The night that Wendy, Carla, Kichirou and Piper showed up, Happy had been right behind Natsu when his partner had thrown open the door. The first thing that Happy saw was an exhausted Carla, then his eyes fell onto Wendy who held two small kids. When Wendy collapsed, Natsu had caught Wendy and almost immediately Gajeel took the baby while Happy caught the boy.

"Carla?!" Happy was so delighted to see her that his eyes filled up with tears but even he could see that now was not the time to talk.

Everyone in the room went into an uproar. People were shouting things from every direction. Lucy and Erza ran over to take the kids while Natsu easily carried Wendy's small frame in his arms.

Everyone was nearby trying to help, but it was Mirajane who said what everyone was thinking. "I think these children are Wendy's!"

"What the hell is going on!?" Cana asked, putting down her bottle to help Natsu lay Wendy on a bench.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked softly. She hugged the baby girl to her chest while peering over her husband's shoulder at their old friend who had grown up way too much in these last five years.

Happy noticed that while everyone was looking over Wendy and her children, Carla had collapsed onto a bench nearby. She looked so tired and upset it broke Happy's heart. It washed away any amount of hurt he'd felt when the two had disappeared five years ago the moment he saw the state of his friends. Maybe Happy didn't always understand difficult situations, but he knew that this was bad.

Moving quietly, Happy sat down next to Carla and placed his paw on her shoulder. "Are you ok, Carla?"

Her response was immediate. "H-Happyyyyyyyyy," she wailed pathetically and buried her head into his fur. "I-I failed Wendy!"

Happy, wrapped his arms around her while she bawled her eyes out. Not knowing what to say, he just waited patiently for her to finish. When she finally wiped her eyes, Carla looked up into the face of the person that she'd missed the most.

"Carla… where have you been?" he finally asked.

"Bellum," she answered softly, but it was Levy who overhead and responded.

"Bellum?!" the bluenette looked shocked, and she turned to Natsu and Gajeel. "No wonder you could never find their scents. They were across the continent!"

"But what were you doing in Bellum?" Lucy asked, full of concern.

"Are these really Wendy's kids?" Erza added.

"Who's their father?" Evergreen asked.

"STOP IT!" Happy had jumped up from his seat and stood in front of Carla with his arms out, shielding her. "Can't you see how upset Carla is?!"

"H-Happy…" Carla felt so relieved to see that Happy had not changed at all and for the first time in years she felt like she was home.

While Wendy was recovering and trying to make a new place for herself in Fairy Tail, Carla found herself spending more and more time with Happy. Once Natsu and Lucy had gotten married and had kids of their own, Happy had moved into his own little apartment in their place to stay out of the way. Although Natsu and Happy would always be partners, the latter knew enough to stay out of the way of the married people stuff. Since Carla had lived much the same way when they were in that lake house in Bellum, she understood.

Happy became the one person she could explain everything too. Although she was sure he'd tell Natsu everything he'd heard, it didn't matter as long as she didn't have to relay it personally. Happy was the only one who heard her out when she explained how easily they had fallen into Dugal's trap. She blamed herself for not being able to see through the illusion, and although Happy had told her repeatedly that she'd brought Wendy and the kids home safely, Carla still had trouble with guilt.

It was only as few short weeks after returning home that Happy brought Carla an enormous fish and when she turned to thank him; he kissed her. Then, before she could react, he flew off in embarrassment. It took a few minutes for Carla to gather her thoughts before she was able to chase after him.

It was common knowledge that they'd liked each other before Carla left with Wendy left but now that the ladies had returned, Carla had truly started to love Happy. When she finally tracked him down, instead of saying anything, she simply grabbed him and kissed him right back. From that point on, other than missions with their partners, the two were practically inseparable.

Mest Gryder and Wendy Marvell

For the first year after Wendy, Kichirou, Piper and Carla returned to the guild, things were a whirlwind. With no father around, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel and even Laxus had taken it upon themselves to be stand-in dads to her children and, if it was possible, it made her love those men even more. Sometimes it was just piggyback rides and roughhousing. Other times it was reading a book or having her kids over for the night to play with their own children. They were all amazing and before Wendy knew it, Kichirou was obsessed with Laxus. He followed that poor man around everywhere but with two sons of his own, Laxus easily added Kichirou into his brood regularly.

It was early in x804, when Carla was away with Happy for a few days. Wendy had just finished dressing Piper for the day when Kichirou walked into the room with tears in his little eyes. He walked right up to his mother and when she bent down to check on him, the little boy threw his hands around her neck. Her son was a tough kid who hardly ever cried or threw a fit. He always tried to act like one of the older kids, so this rare display made her own eyes wells with tears before he'd even said a work.

"Where is my dad?" he asked softly, in a pitiful little voice full of sadness.

Wendy's heart broke into a million pieces at his words but she knew that she had to be strong and give her son an answer. Kichirou deserved that much. With a shaky breath, Wendy hugged his little shoulders tightly. "Oh honey," she began, just barely able to keep it together. "Your Dad just couldn't stay with us anymore."

"I heard Uncle Natsu tell Aunt Lucy that he was a bad guy," he sniffed, big fat tears formed in his eyes. "Is Daddy bad?"

Wendy didn't know how to answer him and stared into her son's face with no words. She did not want to lie to the child. She was at a total loss. Just when she thought a voice from the doorway saved her.

"Don't worry, Kid," Gajeel said. "Your Mom wouldn't have been with a bad guy, right?"

Wendy looked up just as Gajeel picked Kichirou up, tossing him up high in the sky making the little boy laugh and totally distracting him at the same time. Still barely containing her tears, Wendy met the Iron Dragon Slayer's eyes looking confused, but he quickly answered her.

"I knocked on the door and no one answered so I figured I would check in on you. Levy asked me to come over to pick up the kids so you guys could go out."

"Oh! Right! I forgot!" Wendy said shaking her head quickly. "Thank you!"

Gajeel continued to toss her son up, making him laugh hysterically. Kichirou's tears were already long forgotten but Wendy's own heart was still in tatters. Seeing his "little sister" about to break, Gajeel took his free hand and pushed Wendy towards the door. "Go see Levy. I'll bring the kids to my place in a few minutes."

She knew he was trying to help and since she didn't trust her voice; she kissed her kids quickly, nodded and practically ran from the room. As soon as she was outside, she was greeted with bright sunshine, clear skies and a gentle breeze. The weather was perfect, yet she couldn't appreciate it. For the first time she envied Juvia. What she wouldn't give for weather to match her mood just then. Somehow the beautiful day just made the pain in her heart more pronounced.

She walked down the road a little way towards Gajeel and Levy's place before she couldn't do it anymore. She ducked into a group of trees off the main road and squatted down, wrapping her arms around her legs. Only then did Wendy let the tears fall freely. She'd known a day would come when her children would ask about their father, yet she hadn't been prepared. She didn't know how to answer. There was no way to tell a three-year-old what had happened, and she clearly was not going to tell her son that his father was a bad man. It was just complicated.

She heard footsteps behind her and tried in vain to wipe her tears away. But for every tear she wiped away, two fell in its place. Since returning to Fairy Tail, Wendy thought she'd pulled herself together and now it felt like she was taking a huge step back. In many ways the Dragon Slayer still felt like she was living inside of an illusion but this time it wasn't the pretty one that had been painted for her. This was the illusion that Wendy knew what she was doing with her life.

"Are you okay?"

The voice behind her was familiar but completely unexpected. In fact, that voice belonged to someone she hadn't had the opportunity to speak with much since returning home. It was also someone whom she had known for years and surprisingly she wasn't horrified to be found by him.

"Y-yeah." Wendy answered weakly, looking up at Mest with a tear-stained face. "I'll be fine," she added with a sniff, rubbing her eyes with the sleeves of her top.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mest squatted down in front of Wendy with a concerned expression.

She let out a heavy sigh and before she even knew what she was doing, Wendy unloaded all of her worries at this poor man who had gotten so much more than he was expecting. She quickly explained what had happened. "… and then Gajeel came in and smoothed it over but I was at a total loss. I feel like such a terrible mother. All I wanted was to make my kids happy and… and I just screwed everything up."

Wendy's big brown eyes were still full of tears as she spoke and Mest watched her carefully, not knowing exactly what to say. He had known Wendy for many years. He had seen her go through things that most people could never dream of, yet this was the first time he had really seen her completely breakdown. Not having any words, He just reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I have tried so hard to be strong and show everyone I'm okay… that we're all ok but I'm- I'm so afraid that Kichirou and Piper will grow up to hate me. I- I really was such an idiot!" A sob tore from Wendy loudly and she finally dropped her face onto her knees and wept anew.

Not knowing what else to do, Mest pulled Wendy into an embrace and stroked her head gently. He felt her lean into him as her tears soaked his shirt, but he didn't pull away. If something this small could be a comfort to his friend, then he would have sat there with Wendy the entire day.

Once she was calmer, Mest spoke softly into her hair. "Your kids aren't going to hate you. You're a fantastic mother and they know that. Not a single person will ever blame you for what happened. You did absolutely nothing wrong."

After a few more minutes, Mest felt her relax in his arms and she let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you."

Finally, Wendy sat up, wiping her eyes a final time and forcing the best smile she could manage. That was the first moment that Mest truly saw Wendy as a woman and not the little girl he had known all those years ago. Almost unconsciously, he reached out and touched her cheek gently. "Wendy, Don't push yourself so hard." Wendy's eyes got bigger and her cheeks turned a little pink, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she just nodded slightly, and Mest continued to speak softly. "And if you ever need someone to talk to or you ever feel like you do today, you can always come to me. I'm here for you."

Wendy gazed into the kind eyes of the man who'd saved her life on more than one occasion. The blue-haired woman had never seen Mest as anything other than a good friend yet now she was seeing him in a new light. That was the first time she realized how attractive he was. Maybe it was just his kind words and perhaps she was just having a moment of weakness but somehow, this moment, whatever it was, felt really nice.

That feeling helped her collect herself and as they stood up together, Wendy grinned. "Thank you. I will remember that," she managed, her cheeks still flushed from the new thoughts and revelations swirling in her head.

"Wendy!" The girl in question heard Levy come from just beyond the trees she'd concealed herself. She was about to call when the elder girl walked into view and stopped dead in her tracks. Realizing the atmosphere she'd walked into, Levy made some quick excuses. "Umm, Gajeel got home and said that you had left first but never came over so I came looking for you," Looking back and forth between the couple, a smirk spread across the woman's face.

Wendy opened her mouth to greet her friend or make an excuse or something… anything, but she instead her face flushed even deeper. It felt like she and Mest had been caught red-handed yet they hadn't been doing anything wrong. They hadn't been doing anything at all, had they?

"So… I'm just going to head back home and help Gajeel with the kids. Come by when you're done here." With a knowing wink to the couple, Levy turned around and left before either of them could say a word. In her wake, there was an awkward silence.

After a few moments, Wendy turned back to Mest apologetically. "Sorry about that. Umm… Levy likes to jump to conclusions," she laughed slightly, but when she noticed that Mest hadn't laughed with her, the sound petered out.

Both Mest and Wendy stood staring at each other in silent anticipation. Pulses racing, finding themselves in the most unexpected of situations. Finally, Mest took a deep breath and blurted out his words quickly before he could lose his nerve. "Would you like to have dinner sometime?"

Without even thinking about it, Wendy nodded in agreement. With another smile, as she answered softly, "Yes. I'd like that."

Over the next several weeks, Mest and Wendy met frequently for dinner or drinks and once they even did a job together. They were not officially dating, but they were enjoying each other's company. It felt good that Wendy had someone she could confide in outside of her core family circle. However, before it possibly turned into more, it was important to see how Mest related to her children.

About a month after the day they'd reunited in the woods, Wendy brought Mest home to spend some time with the kids. Piper was easy. She loved anyone who played with her. Mest easily won her over by sitting on the floor with her, pounding out songs badly on her little keyboard. The two laughed easily together, and it was heartwarming to see how gentle Mest was with her. Kichirou seemed like he might be a harder sell seeing as Mest's magic wasn't as straightforward cool as his "uncles" Natsu, Gajeel, Gray and Laxus yet once Mest teleported the little man all over the room in a matter of moments, her son was smitten.

By bedtime, he'd exhausted both children and Mest waited patiently while Wendy got them to sleep. Once they were out, the Sky Dragon Slayer joined him on the couch and smiled brightly. "I think you were a hit. The kids adore you."

"And what do you think of me?" Despite his innocent expression, Mest's words quickly turned the room serious.

Wendy's heart pounded in her chest. She already knew the answer to this question. She'd figured it out after their first few dates but she didn't know if she had the nerve to say those words out loud. Deep down she already knew that he loved her. It was crystal clear in everything he did and said and in return, she'd fallen in love with him as well.

This time around she knew that this love was real and organic, yet she was afraid. She didn't feel like she deserved this kind of happiness. Was she allowed to have a second chance? She searched his eyes for a long time before she took a deep breath and spoke from her heart.

"I think I'm in love with you." As soon as the words escaped Wendy's lips, she gasped. She'd only meant to say something along the lines of liking him or wanting to know him better. Instead, she had just confessed openly! "I mean, ummm-"

Wendy noticed that Mest had begun to blush too as he reached out and took her hands in his. "Wendy…" he began, meeting her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

"Wait… what?!" Her mind was spinning. It didn't feel real. "Are you serious?! You- You've never even asked me out!"

"Does it matter?" Despite her complete shock, Wendy could tell that Mest was completely serious. "I love you, Wendy. I want to make you happy."

"But, Kichirou and Piper and…" In a near panic, words were just tumbling out of mouth. It wasn't that she was unhappy, but it seemed too implausible.

"I love your kids. I want to be their father. I want to help you. Wendy, you all deserve to be happy. I want to make you all happy."

All the fight went out of Wendy. More than anything, she wanted her family to be happy; she wanted to be happy, and she wanted to make Mest happy. She knew all of it and now that he'd touched on each of her fears, there seemed to be no good reason to turn him down. It took a minute to pull herself together but finally Wendy smiled and nodded. "I would love to marry you."

In x805, Mest married Wendy, Kichirou and Piper in front of the entire guild. Everyone was happy for the family unit and not long after, Mest adopted Wendy's children. Kichirou and Piper took the last name of Gryder and their lives became one of peaceful happiness.

End Part I

Part II picks up in x814