Reviews are Nice; The pairings are NOT decided yet. I get people like Vander/Lucy, I like them too, they're adorable when she's sassy and keeps up with him, but...I really don't know if they will get together or if it will be a friendship...or how far this darkness is going to go.

I don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima Does.

I don't own the Pradesh Clan. Desna does (and thank you for them).

I own the Storyline. That's it. Apparently I have also adopted "Good Hestor".

I also own All Things "Bellum" in this Story. it's my original creation, including the characters within the country.

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Farron watched as Lily was playing with Raven. The boy seemed to like the redhead and she never denied the boy what he wanted, even if it semi-frustrated Gajeel. The former Holy Maiden seemed to giggle when the boy would latch onto a finger and chew on it. The woman had been talking with Emi nearly every day and while she had amazing capabilities to use her magic on grand scales, the smaller ones were what she needed to refine and the little dragon slayer child was perfect for it.

"She's a very beautiful young woman," Arman said as he stepped to stand next to Farron, watching the woman and child play in the sand. The woman's eyes still danced with so much delight at the smallest things.

"She is," Farron let out a small breath, making a slight face as the words slipped out, "Dad...there's...nothing there. Some flirting, yes, they're society is similar to ours." He shrugged.

Arman nodded a bit as he stood there, "They are. Their marriage rites are quite intense."

Farrons eyes snapped to his father and he narrowed them slowly, "dad…"

The Elder Pradesh smiled as he leaned against the railing, "she's good for you. I've never seen you be so defensive over someone, Farron." he smiled warmly and waved as the woman on the beach looked over and shyly waved before tucking her hair back behind one ear, "you may think you have no right, my son, but...what if it's what she chooses?"

Farron let out a breath through his nose as he watched the redhead as she spun her fingers, small motes of fire dancing around her and Raven, the little boy squealing in delight as he chased after them. Her feet moved as her hands did and he had to admit it looked almost like she was dancing, "After Kurino, after Lucy...I.."

"You weren't ready, Farron, you threw yourself into your work," Arman arched an eyebrow and then nodded towards the woman slightly, "don't think you're trapping her." he smiled softly, "she chose to leave, one memory that resonates every time she looks at you is when you said you'd show her the world, live up to that promise, Farron…"

Farron looked around for a moment and mumbled, "at least Vander's not here…" his exasperation grew when he heard a recorded track of the song in question play from one of the open room windows, "...nevermind."

Arman chuckled softly watching as the little boy let out a growl towards Farron and toddled towards them, "I think he wants his uncle."

Farron smiled and shook his head, "you're all against me." there was no heat in the words as he stepped off the porch and moved to the boy, picking him up and spinning a bit. He let out a chuckle as the boy squealed in joy and then looked down a bit as Lily stepped next to him. His features softened as he looked at her.

Arman watched the two, seeing how naturally the two interacted, how there was just a warmth between them and his eyes watching how the woman leaned in just a bit closer to him than needed to tickle the boy. There was a love for children in both of them and while they hadn't known each other long, he very well knew that it could only take a few hours to fall in love so deeply that you could see yourself with no one else.

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Xally and Cris sat, looking over the print out for a few moments then at each other. Xally took a breath, "This…they're not?"

Cris shook his head, "no, Dad's not related to either of them."

Xally took a breath, "According to this...and what we got from the DNA that...was acquired from Lucy's spirits…" She leaned back and looked at her brother, "it's thirteen percent...which…"

Cris nodded as he looked over the paperwork again, "it's as if...Dad's her half-uncle."

"You think it's something to do with magic?" Xally looked at Cris, "the story makes me think it is, Cris…"

Cris snorted, "The fact that Dad both her parents share no DNA?" He arched an eyebrow, "I can only say it's magic at work, Xally." He let out a hum "but...that's fine, you know? I mean...we've got enough tests here to show that...it's an anomaly and has to be magically related, especially with what they learned...at the GMG." He wasn't going to say what he wanted to. He'd checked over the male Celestial Mage and had been stunned, for all the damage that was there and had been rebuilt inside the man...he shouldn't have been alive.

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"Oh, come on! Kick his ass!" Lucy grinned, "c'mon Lily! Put yourself into this! Use your magic! He can take Emi's! He can take yours!"

The redhead rolled her eyes as she rolled out of the way of Farron's attack, "...is she always like this?"

Farron chuckled as he moved in, watching the woman twist and he feinted to the side, moving to grab the lithe woman's hand and twisting it behind her back as the two went down. "Yes. she's horrible for this sort of thing."

Lily let out a sound as she was pinned. She took a few breaths and let out a sound as she felt something skitter across her nerves, eyes going wide before she twisted and there was a small burst between the two, fire swirling around her as she scrambled away with wide eyes and a flush on her cheeks that wasn't all just from the sparring.

Farron grinned as he shifted to his feet, they'd been sparring for an hour now and Lucy had been egging them on to use magic, but he'd refrained for the most part. He wanted to see the woman's reaction to that and her eyes showed a depth to them and he moved to lunge forward, intent on grappling her again.

Lily let out a squeak as he dove at her and she concentrated for a split second, fire bursting under her feet and sending her into the air. She spun in the air, fire curling around her before it became whip like tendrils. She let out a startled sound as it wrapped around one of Farron's arms and he twisted it...and yanked. As she fell into him, panting and looking up into his eyes, her cheeks flushed deeply as she let out a small sound in the back of her throat.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Lucy started the chant, but Vander soon joined in, both of them grinning broadly.

"Your brother," Lily murmured, "is a terror. As is Lucy."

Farron panted as he stood there, not letting the redhead go and smirked, lips quirking, "this is nothing." he felt the pull and then leaned down, gently ghosting their lips together and shuddering at the feeling, eyes closing as he heard the low pleased sound come from the back of Lily's throat. They'd been dancing around this since they'd gone jogging that first time...and their morning jogs had truly becoming something akin to flirting. She never backed down from what he said, and he couldn't very well back down from the semi-playful swats..though, the sharp ones on his ass were what got his blood boiling more than anything.

Lily groaned softly and murmured, "show me Boscan Pleasure, Farron?"

Farron couldn't help the groan that bubbled into his throat and didn't feel ashamed of the breathy 'yes' that came from him as his free hand reached up, grabbing her hair and kissing her deeply.

Lucy let out a cheer and nudged Vander before nodding to the two. The Shadowquip's eyes were dancing and then he swirled away, shadows sliding up around the two and then depositing them in Farron's room upstairs. He came back and leaned against the railing, "so…"

Lucy leaned against him, grinning, "about time?"

Zen snorted from Lucy's other side, "It may lead to nothing, you know."

The blonde let out a whine as she looked at Zen, "I know...but…" her features softened as she played with a lock of her hair, "you can see it almost...just like with Hes and Kaleb." she blushed, "Only..you know...they've not been dancing around each other for years pretending to actually dislike one another."

When both laughed, she pushed off Vander and leaned against Zen, nuzzling his arm gently and letting out a content sound, "mmm, let's go home. I want to get hot and sweaty in a different way."

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Hestor, Kaleb noticed, would take the missions with Lucy for keys without a thought. The two never fought over the keys, other than apparently, Hestor taking ones he thought that Lucy didn't need. It was rather endearing the more he looked at it. If the man thought that the keys were 'too dark' or the like, he'd take them and put them in a lock box until he felt ready to actually contact them. It had been one of those small arguments between them, but when they managed to get two of the keys that he had locked away, or contracted, he couldn't stop the blonde. It was as if he were looking out for Lucy and her Light. That was, now that he looked back, what had made him realize years ago that Hestor wasn't a bad person, just influenced by something else.

He carefully put the last of the trinkets into place, fingers slowly stroking the heavy, velvet star map, smoothing it out. The two had gone out three days prior, Sersha having drug the two off to the mine to get more 'materials' for what was being planned for wedding jewelry. He took a breath as he looked around. The room he'd had converted was a study, or it had been.

Kaleb hadn't truly believed Hestor about the bedding 'Issue' until he'd ended up in a late meeting and come back to find him tossing and turning. The man looking like he was trying to hide from the low light that was being reflected off of the light colored silk. The man had settled when he'd sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand through the silvery hair, but...now he understood a bit better. He'd been semi-reserved about getting rid of the lightest of the bedding, but the deep and rich golds that he'd replaced them with seemed to let the celestial mage rest a bit easier when he wasn't there.

A daybed had been put into the redesigned study, so that the man would have a place to nap in 'darkness' and he slowly looked around. He'd not really paid that much attention to how each bit of items were part of Hestor or his spirits. The small Stellan figures of the Southern Pantheon, midnight oyster shells from the ocean where he grew up and each had a Night Pearl in them. He remembered asking if the man was going to get something made for himself with them and had been taken aback by the look of Sacrilege on Hestor's face; the memory of his mother passing the two shells and pearls to him had flashed and the man's face had turned red when his mother had said "when you find the one, use these to give her...or him...something special." . He wondered what the man was planning with them and reached out to touch them, frowning as they felt...not the same.

He picked up one, rolling it in his fingers and making a face. The surface was rougher than it had been the last time he'd picked one up. He had to admit that they had a very silky feeling and that was why he'd been so curious about them. Kaleb took one last look around the room, it was truly darker than anything he would decorate, but as he took it all it, the entire room looked like it was a pocket in the night sky, with golden trinkets settled about like stars and realized how much it actually fit the man. He carefully adjusted one of the large pillows in the window seat of the bay window where he just knew his mate was going to be curled up any time he couldn't find him.

The Mindbender turned when he heard the door open and then wandered out of the study, arching an eyebrow as he saw a mud covered, yet grinning Hestor. "Welcome...home?"

The mage chuckled a bit and then carefully stripped in the small entrance way to not track mud everywhere, "indeed."

"What has you so happy?" Kaleb would almost say he was radiating happiness.

Hestor chuckled, "I may have gotten covered in mud…" his lips quirked into a slightly sadistic smile, "but Lucy went head first."

Kaleb chuckled, catching the scene of the two mages arguing, right before Lucy had tripped and slid down a small hill into what appeared to be a pond of mud. He knew that Hestor deliberately let him see it and he walked over, "well, let's get you cleaned up...I have a gift for you."

The celestial mage arched an eyebrow but let the man lead him to the bathroom. Kaleb chuckled as the man slipped into the shower and then moved to get some coffee, calling out, "are you hungry?"

Hestor's voice was half muffled by the running water, "not really, could go for a bit of a snack though!"

Kaleb carefully pulled out a tin of Stellan Honey Biscuits, which he had to admit he liked as much as Hestor did. There wasn't any stardust in them, thankfully, he mused because Hestor would absently nibble on them until the tin was gone. He heard the shower shut off and then put everything on a tray before walking out and to the newly designed space. He stood there, looking around for a long moment, hoping that the other would like it.

He could sense Hestor moving to get dressed and while the argument had been petty, the two had 'taken out' half of each other's wardrobes in the Laundry War. Replacing them had been an amusing trip, including him attempting to get the man into lighter colors. Hestor had eventually given into a shirt that matched the light lavender of his eyes and the mindbender always felt a bit of joy when the man wore the shirt.

"Kaleb?" Hestor called out, frowning as he dried his hair, having pulled on his pants and said lavender shirt but leaving it open.

"In the study." Kaleb grinned as he heard the soft steps and waited. When the door opened, he watched the man's features go from a tired joy of being home to delight "what do you think?"

Hestor slowly looked around, feeling his chest warm as he stood there and then slowly walked in, "...you did this...in three days?"

Kaleb smiled warmly as he put the tray down on the small table, "I did, you need your own little space, Hes." his features were soft.

The Celestial mage stood there for a moment and then strode to the blond, grabbing his shirt and yanking the man into a kiss roughly. He poured all of the delight, joy and the love into it that he could and Kaleb let out a low groan, feeling the other's mind opening to the feelings as well as the bond that was growing, slowly but surely between them.

He put his hands on the other's hips slowly walking them back until he felt the daybed against his legs and sat, drawing their lips apart and he grinned, "I take it you like it?"

Hestor smiled, it was a warm smile that lit his eyes up before he nodded, "I do..it's...amazing...perfect…" he leaned over, hands cupping Kaleb's face as he kissed him again, murmuring, "Thank you."

Kaleb relished in the feelings he was getting from the man, letting his arms wrap around the other man and pull him closer. He jolted a bit when he felt Hestor's fingers move and earrings slide into his lobes. He pulled back and arched an eyebrow.

"They look perfect on you." Hestor grinned, eyes dancing and Kaleb could see the dark pearl drop earrings in the other's eyes.

"Thank you," Kaleb drew the other into another kiss, letting out a moan when Hestor shifted to straddle his lap. The two settled back a bit more on the daybed and the man shuddered at the next words that caressed his mind.

"I think this deserves a reward."

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Card Night had become a night that Zen, Vander and Kaleb both half dreaded and enjoyed as well. With Gajeel and Emzadi back, it seemed the 'girl' time in the living room was a big louder. Arman had 'confiscated' Raven and was settled with the boy against his chest.

"I'm just saying," they heard Emzadi speak, "we should retreat to the women's roo…" She trailed off and pursed her lips as she looked at Hestor, "...right."

Hestor rolled his eyes with a fond smile and shook his head, "it's fine, if you ladies want to, you're welcome to. I will just wander to the library for the evening."

"Oh, hell no," Emzadi grinned and rubbed her hands together, "time for a game."

Lucy paled a bit as she eyed the slayer, "...what are you plotting." she sipped her wine, feeling wariness rise in her.

"Truth or Dare," The Slayer grinned broadly, even as most of the 'living room' group groaned.

Lily pursed her lips, "what is this truth or dare?"

Emzadi let out a coo and nuzzled the redhead, "well, that's simple, we can either randomly ask people…or find a bottle to spin."

Lucy debated for a moment, "I think we could find an empty bottle…"

The Solar Dragon Slayer eyed Lucy, "someone is being cautious."

"Someone's pregnant and nosey," Lucy shot back, giving her a firm look.

Emzadi huffed as she looked at Lucy, "we get back, we're back a month and now we're all leaving. Of course I'm nosey."

Lucy chuckled, "it's mostly because of Bixy's birthday, which is next week, you know." Lucy wagged a finger at the other blonde woman.

Emzadi pursed her lips and then started counting on her fingers, "already? I swear I lost a month somewhere."

"Yeah, Enca," Lucy said flatly, "and you forgot to bring back my hot peppers. Where are Xally and Cris anyway? They said they had something important to talk about yesterday, but they've been completely and utterly off the Radar otherwise."

Hestor let out a hum, "not sure, barnacle." He paused as she yawned, "Tired, already?"

Lucy shrugged and sighed, "I've been tired off and on since July." she smiled, "My body just needs to recoup a bit. That's why I'm glad for the vacation away from everything. I'm too tempted to take jobs if I'm here…."

"That doesn't help if you're tired," Emzadi pursed her lips, nose twitching a bit, "especially if you're feeling tired."

Lucy waved a hand "I know...I know." she chuckled, "but...well we've been staying up late…" her eyes danced as she grinned.

"Oooooooooh, practicing huh?" Emzadi laughed softly, "I can't wait until I'm not the only one making Dad Happy."

Arman looked over, "Did I hear mention of grandbabies?"

"Dad!" All the men groaned at the same time.

Vander scowled over at the group, "would you stop, i don't want to hear the grandbaby talk. Again!"

Emzadi shrugged, "Sorry...not sorry."