"Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." Joss Whedon

I learned something very important over the last few days, I'm really glad that I write apocalyptic fiction because I struggled with this.

I own nothing but Rhiannon.

Kaleb watched Lucy dance around the kitchen in a translucent negligee that he mentally noted that he needed to thank his sister for picking out. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and watched as the dragon's tail shifted away from her neck as he kissed the juncture. Then moved to nip the dragon. Lucy moaned and arched into his chest.

"Your dad is expecting us."

"So?"

"So, we won't make it out of here at this rate."

"I think he'll forgive us."

"Doubt it."

He had every intention of seducing her back to their bed until they were distracted by the smell of the pancake burning.

"Crap. This is why you don't distract the chef," she scolded as scraped the pancake out of the skillet.

"Sorry," he replied, not sounding at all apologetic.

"Psh. No, you're not." She squirmed out of his grip. "Go get dressed. We still have to meet up with Thane to fill out the Promised paperwork before going to your dad's house."

He sighed. They'd already spent an entire day in bed, so he couldn't fault his father's anxiousness. Cristoff had been covering his paperwork though the computer handled most of it for him.

The wings across his shoulder blades appeared a few hours after Lucy initially claimed him. He knew that the time it took for the bites to set was based on the magic differences between the slayer and their mate. For Cristoff, it had taken two days for his magic to settle within Meredy. For Emzadi and Laxus, their magic was on par with the other, so the bites settled fairly easily, and they'd spent the rest of the time merely enjoying each other.

While Lucy was undoubtedly powerful, he was a wizard saint and accepted the magic she pushed into him with ease. After Lucy summoned Andromeda to confirm that the wings were the sign that his archangel magic had activated, they'd spent the rest of the day in bed. This time, it was Kaleb mating with Lucy.

Lucy returned in a blush pink dress made from Boscan silk. Since mating, the block that she'd unconsciously placed separating her from her dragon slayer magic had disappeared. One perk that she'd been enjoying was being able to finally jump at will.

"When did you get this?" he asked, using the fabric as an excuse to touch her.

"Farron. I hadn't actually meant for him to buy me one but apparently he got my measurements from Emi." Kaleb continued to give her a confused look. "When I went to the ball with him, I was playing the role of ditzy blonde for Lord Mytril." She shuddered at the memory of the way he leered at her chest. "I asked about getting a dress and he said he would, but I thought he was just playing along."

"I will like it much better off, but I like it. You're beautiful."

She stood on her toes to kiss him but danced out of his grip before he could deepen it. "Thane will be here in a sec."

Between her being gone in Pergrande and then her watching over Zen, he'd forgotten what bubbly Lucy was like. He would never admit it to her, but he'd been jealous of the way she interacted with his siblings. Now understanding that she'd been avoiding the mating call, it made him enjoy the ease in which she touched him.

Thane arrived a minute later to a giggling Lucy as Cancer had free reign on Kaleb's hair while the guildmaster grumbled. The spirit only took a little off the ends before braiding it and returning to the celestial realm.

"You know, next time I owe him a favor, I might make you let him play with your hair," Lucy said teasingly.

"What do I get to play with?"

Lucy winked.

Thane was amused by the way they interacted with one another. While he'd admit that he thought she'd end up with one of his brothers, he could see joviality that she brought out in Kaleb. And took him to task in a way only his family could.

"This came for you," Thane said, holding out a box.

"It's here?" Lucy squealed running over to Thane.

The ring had a large lacrima set in the center. The wide gold band had been engraved to look like Lucy's ring. She lifted it out of the box, channeled a small spark of starlight to the tip of her finger, and pressed it into the lacrima. When he stepped up behind her, she tipped her head to look at him before turning to take his hand and sliding the ring on.

"This ring doesn't come off until I put a wedding band on it," she told him, echoing what he'd said first.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, kissing her. "Let's do this paperwork before I change my mind about letting you drag me to family dinner."

"This will be the first official documentation listing you as a dragon slayer and you as an archangel," Thane said. "I called your father when you told me so that he could make the appropriate adjustments."

"I'm officially a dragon slayer…" she murmured.

"It's the only legal way."

"I know. It's just still a little weird to think about."

Thane pulled out the papers from the folder he was carrying. Stuck to the top page was a note in Kaleb's handwriting: Will you marry me? She read the words while hearing him ask in her head. She spun around to find him on his knee, a Fiorian gesture, with a bracelet and she could see their two birthstones in the center charm.

"Yes," she said, barreling him over in her haste to kiss him.

"I'll leave-"

"Hold on," Lucy said, going over to sign the papers, noting that Kaleb already had. "Thank you."

"Have fun," Thane said, chuckling and teleporting out.

Tell your dad we're gonna be late.

.~*~.

It took an embarrassing amount of jumps to finally get to the Pradesh mansion. Lucy had mastered the distance finally but still struggled with aim.

Arman was waiting for them at the door. All four dragonslayers had sensed her arrival and he'd gone to wait by the door. Their initial separation had put him in a difficult position because he'd realized that he'd have to allow one of his sons to be heartbroken. Then, Zen had flown home and told him that he'd told Kaleb to fight for Lucy. It was ultimately the knowledge that both of his sons were content with how the situation played out that had him waiting.

On the other hand, Lucy was nervous about why Arman was waiting for them. "Hi," she said nervously.

"Hello. You two are mated now?"

"And engaged," Kaleb said, lifting Lucy's wrist so that his father could see the bracelet.

Dropping the pretense of severity, Arman pulled Lucy into a hug. "I expect lots of grandbabies."

"We would've been practicing on making them if you hadn't insisted on a family dinner," Kaleb muttered.

Lucy elbowed him in the side. "We'll see."

"Welcome to the family," Arman said and smiled when Lucy sighed. "Come on. You're late and everyone's waiting."

Emzadi had gone to Lucy first to ask about her dress before recognizing the engagement bracelet. That had prompted her to drag Lucy, followed by the other women, into the Women's Room.

"I thought he was kidding when he said he was gonna propose like that," Emzadi said when Lucy had told them about how he proposed.

"He eavesdropped. I was talking to Andy- Andromeda- and asked about marriage. I said that I didn't care one way or another as long as I was with him." Lucy smiled as she looked at the two stones on her bracelet.

"That's adorable," Meredy said.

"Where's Ever?" Lucy asked.

"She took a job with Beck as soon she heard the Fairy Tail group was here. I'm guessing one of them was her ex?" Emzadi said.

"Yeah. Elfman Strauss, beast take-over mage."

"Wow. She really does have a type."

"What do you think of them? Honestly? You know him better than I do," Lucy asked.

"I adore Ever, but no. I don't think so. His preferences always seemed to lean towards men. Honestly, I think I'm the only woman he ever pursued a relationship with. Ever has the confidence to take what she wants and Beck kind of goes with the flow. But, eventually, she'll want more than he's giving her."

"It's probably for the best. I'm definitely a supporter of everyone taking a Boscan lover at least once in their life," Meredy said as she stretched her arm over her head with a self-satisfied smile.

"Out of curiosity, which of you will be the first to start popping out grandbabies for Dad?" Xally asked. "'Cause Presca and I sure as hell aren't there yet."

"Keep bragging…" Emzadi muttered, catching the pillow Lucy threw at her.

"Cris and I certainly aren't," Meredy said. "We're still arguing numbers. Which I totally blame your father for."

"Laxus and I want a bunch so we're enjoying not having any currently."

The three women turned to Lucy who shrugged. "It'll happen when it happens."

"As queen, you'll probably be the first," Emzadi said. "Nurem once said that when a queen laid her first clutch, all the other females with mates would too. And the males would start looking for a broodmother."

She glanced down at her flat abdomen and poked it.

You'll look stunning pregnant. And I can't wait to see it.

What have I said about eavesdropping?

I was reaching out to tell you that dinner was ready and heard the commentary.

"Kaleb says dinner's ready."

The women joined the men at the table just as Vander stepped out of the shadows.

"You're late," Arman chastised.

"Sorry. I was busy."

"With who?" Bickslow asked, his tongue wagging.

"I've been with Rhia for the most part. I like her."

"'Rhia'?" Lucy asked.

"Rhiannon. The new dragon slayer. Her name's a bit of a mouthful. She's like the best wing woman. We had a threesome yesterday. It was amazing."

"He almost sounds like he's in love," Meredy said to Lucy in a whisper.

"Have the two of you shared pleasure?" Lucy asked.

"Not directly. Actually, she reminds me of you when you were avoiding Kaleb. Except without the glare you did a shitty job of hiding when someone propositioned him."

Are you thinking that he's her mate?

With her power, I'm sure she knows if he is or isn't.

"Before I forget though, she said that Andromeda and Cassiopeia were able to suppress his magic. Couldn't they do that again?" Vander said.

Lucy jumped up, summoned Andromeda, and asked her that question. Zen never got used to seeing Andromeda as a preteen.

"Yes," Andromeda said. "Probably better since we have a contract with you now."

"Shouldn't it be Cassiopeia's key that we use? Andy is more combative," Kaleb asked.

"As long as you have Percy, I can get to you. That's why we insist on someone having all four keys before we agree to a contract. Besides, the point of having warding that only a woman could pass through was to keep Mitéra away from men." Andromeda turned to Zen. "I'm sorry that my mother did this to you, but I'm glad for the opportunity to help you until a more permanent solution can be found," she said, bowing to him before disappearing.

"Here." Lucy passed Zen Andromeda's key.

"I'll keep her safe."

"You'd better," Lucy said as she sat back down. "I think that it's time for all of us to get together. All the slayers, I mean."

"Oh. So, you're going to stop running interference between us and the other slayers?" Emzadi asked.

A quick glance at Cristoff and Laxus told Lucy that Emzadi was the only one that didn't know about Mira being there.

"It's not so much that I didn't want you around the other slayers so much as I didn't want you around Mira." Lucy watched as the name processed in Emzadi's head.

"Your other potential?" she asked, turning to Laxus.

"Yes."

"She's in Bosco?"

"Yes. She came with the rest of Fairy Tail."

Lucy knew that his relationship with Mira was complicated. They'd dated before Lisanna 'died' but broke up when Mira changed. Then they'd tried dating again when everyone returned from Tenrou and he recognized her as his mate, but they had trouble gaining traction.

"Speaking of Fairy Tail, I met your friend Cana. Can I keep her?" Vander said. Both Lucy and Laxus flashed him a grateful smile.

"Probably not. Then you'd have to deal with her father," Bickslow said.

"You don't think I could take him?"

Laxus and Lucy both seemed to muse over the question before saying, "No."

"If Gildarts wasn't so destructive and stayed in one place for an extended amount of time, he'd easily be classified as wizard saint," Freed said. "His magic level normally is terrifying. When he exerts himself…"

"I honestly don't think I've ever seen him push himself," Laxus admitted.

"When are you two going to tie the knot?" Meredy asked, looking at Farron and Freed.

"I don't think we will," Freed said.

"What?" Arman asked, dropping his fork.

"We were talking about it since I have an assignment coming up in Desierto where same-sex marriage is outlawed. In some of these countries, it could be outright dangerous for us to be wed. Even if Freed doesn't accompany me."

"And you've both agreed to this?" Arman asked, his gaze bouncing between the two.

"Yes."

Lucy glanced at Bickslow with a raised eyebrow. He nodded, understanding that she was wondering if Freed was really all right with that.

If anything, it's Farron that's more annoyed, Kaleb said.

Then why not say 'fuck it'?

Because then Dad would have to take over those assignments.

Emzadi and Lucy both rounded on Meredy when they'd found out she asked Cristoff to promise with her. He'd been taking things slow since their mating had been so rushed and she got impatient.

Bickslow and Erik said that the paperwork was too much work. Emzadi had put a ring on Laxus as soon as they'd finished mating.

"Don't look at us," Xally said, the moment her father turned to her and Presca. It had surprised Lucy at the ease which the quiet man sat with the family. Until Kaleb pointed out that he'd been Vander's partner for years and it wasn't Arman's nature to turn any of their friends away.

"Hey, Zen. Kaleb's archangel magic is active. You wanna show him how to fly?" Lucy asked.

Zen lit up. "Yeah. Of course."

Arman sent her a grateful smile. He'd noticed that his silence was more an awkward I-don't-know-what-I-can-add-to-the-conversation kind of silence compared to Presca just being quiet.

After dinner Arman retired to his office while his children cleared the table. The non-Pradeshes watched in confusion as they argued over who would have to sit next to Vander. Presca volunteered himself as tribute followed by Zen who was just confused.

"We're playing Uno," Emzadi explained.

"You know, somehow, I imagined you playing poker," Lucy said as she took the seat next to Zen. Kaleb pretended not to notice his siblings' pointed glares. "Ah. I understand."

"Just as well. I hate playing poker with Tink," Erik said.

"Why? She doesn't have a poker face," Emzadi said.

"Exactly. Instead she pretends to look sad or happy since she knows she can't pull off the blank face."

"I'm self-aware enough to know my few flaws."

"Only a few?" Erik asked. Lucy started playing 'Crazy Frog' in her mind causing Erik and Farron to groan. Kaleb turned Lucy's head to kiss her and the music changed sex music.

"Not sure that's better," Farron muttered and was relieved when Lucy muffled the general sound of her thoughts. "Thank you." He dealt the cards.

For Meredy and Zen, Farron explained the rules. He added that they stacked the 'plus two' and 'plus four wild cards' since Vander had a knack for getting them. They thought he cheated but hadn't figured out how yet.

As they'd said, Vander seemed to have an unending stack of 'plus two' cards. Courtesy of stacking, a small pile got to Bickslow. He looked at Erik who was sitting next to him.

"No…" Erik said.

"Sorry, babe," he said, adding another 'plus two' to the pile.

"How many cards is that?" Emzadi asked.

"I think fourteen."

"Nope. Fuck this. I quit," Erik said, throwing his hand into the discard pile.

"That's usually how we knock people out," Kaleb admitted.

The game continued for a few more minutes before the next one folded. It was Laxus who ended up on the receiving end of his mate putting down a 'plus four wild card' and picking a color that he didn't have.

"Betrayed by your mate. Ouch," Vander teased. He jumped when Laxus shocked him.

"You know, maybe we shouldn't have allowed the mates to sit next to each other," Meredy commented.

"I was just thinking that," Lucy muttered, looking at the two men sulking.

Through a concerted effort by Kaleb, Lucy, Zen, Presca, and Xally managed to keep Vander out of the game by skipping and reversing around him for three turns. It only stopped when Xally nearly made Uno.

Anytime a majority of them had less than five, the game got petty. Lucy realized that she was the only one not saving her 'plus two' cards. Leading to another stack of fourteen ending up in front of her.

"So much for Lucky Lucy," she said with a laugh and shrug before adding the cards to the discard pile. She then climbed into Kaleb's lap. He only lasted another round before folding and carrying Lucy off to the teasing hoots of their family.

.~*~.

It was just after lunch that Lucy and Kaleb arrived at the house that they were renting for the Fairy Tail crew. Thane had given Lucy three options; she'd chosen the sturdy-looking brick building.

"It's still standing so that's something," Lucy commented to Laxus when he appeared.

"I'm withholding judgement until we see how the inside looks."

"You're not instilling a whole lot of confidence in these people," Emzadi said. "Is Rhiannon here?"

"Who knows? She doesn't carry a comm. I meditated outside hoping that she'd hear me," Lucy said.

"I did," Rhiannon said, making them jump. She smirked, a hint of fang showing. "Time tae catch up wi` th' others then? 'Ello, my Queen."

"Please don't. Just Lucy."

"Tis just th' slayers an' mates. They're around back."

The backyard of the house was large with a pool. The women were sitting on the pool deck while the men wrestled in the grass. Yukino had arrived earlier that day with her two dragons. As soon as Lucy walked in back, all of the dragon slayers stopped and turned to her.

"Hi," Lucy said with a small smile. "It's good to see everyone."

There was a low grumbling as the slayers recognized her as queen. It was soon joined by the five with her.

The mates, who'd been expecting a reaction like this, watched curiously. Charle and Panther Lily smiled while Happy looked confused. Lucy roared, accepting them. Acknowledging her role. Suddenly, Wendy, Natsu, Sting, Gajeel, and Rogue surged on her.

Cristoff almost moved to shield her but Kaleb grabbed him and shook his head. In the fray, Lucy giggled and Cristoff understood. They'd been around Lucy as she'd become a queen. Now, they needed to scent her. Imprint the scent of Lucy as a dragon slayer and as a queen.

What he didn't understand was why Rhiannon hadn't felt the same need. Like the others, she'd growled but she didn't feel the need to scent her.

"Okay. Okay. Let's go sit by the pool." Once everyone was situated, Lucy introduced everyone.

"That's your mate?" Chelia said raking her eyes over Kaleb.

"Hey!" Wendy said, bumping her shoulder.

"Sorry, Love, but seriously."

Wendy giggled, kissing the head of the dragon on Chelia's shoulder to remind her who her mate was.

What's the cat's problem?

Instinctively knowing that Kaleb was talking about Charle who definitely still showed signs of disapproval.

A stick up her ass. Also, I don't think she's entirely forgiven me for running interference for Wendy and her ex when they decided they were ready for sex.

Ah.

Lucy glanced at Natsu when he stood and walked away. Her eyes narrowed at the concerned look that Happy had as he watched his partner leave the group. She squeezed Kaleb's shoulder as she stood and followed him.

"Idiot," Gajeel muttered.

"Behave," Wendy and Levy both scolded.

"What's the story there?" Emzadi asked. "I mean, I know they were sleeping together."

"It's just…complicated," Levy said.

*.*.*

"Hey," Lucy said softly.

"Hey." Natsu breathed out a puff of smoke. "You're mated now."

"Yeah," she said, smiling at Kaleb's back. "Engaged too."

"I thought- I don't know what I was thinking."

"Do you ever?" She leaned against the stone wall bordering the property. "Why did you leave me behind?"

"You would've distracted me. I still thought about you a lot. I thought you'd be waiting."

"I thought about punching your face in. A lot. I think I hated you as much as I missed you."

"And now?"

"I still miss you, but I don't hate you. Everything needed to play out like this. I needed to find my way to Draco. Then to Kaleb. Mama used to say that fate is the journey that leads you to your destiny."

"Are you happy?"

"Like you in an all-you-can-eat buffet. Except with lots of amazing sex."

Both were silent for a beat before cracking up laughing. It reminded her of the first time she'd been around him during his heat. She'd freaked out and gotten magic-cancelling rope to use on him. Natsu pulled her into a hug. She could hear Kaleb's grumbling at the gesture.

"Come on."

"Was it your idea that we get shocked if we have a fight inside?" Natsu asked as they rejoined the group.

"Sounds like a Laxus thing."

"Freed knows me well," Laxus said.

All good?

Yup.

"Rhiannon, since I'm assuming you're the one that sent the letters, why did all the dragon slayers need to be in Bosco?" Lucy asked.

"War is comin'. Acnologia an' Zeref ha'e teamed up."

"I can take 'em," Natsu said.

"No, ye cannae. It made th' most sense tae ha'e everybody 'ere."

She's not saying something, Lucy said.

With her, that's usually the case.

They spent the rest of the time catching up or getting to know each other. Rhiannon agreed to a threesome with the Twins with Yukino's permission. Emzadi was curious about Wendy claiming Chelia.

Lucy remembered just before it had happened. Wendy came to visit Lucy in Crocus about a month after Fairy Tail disbanded. She'd had her first heat and was conflicted since her dragon was urging her to claim Chelia. Lucy's response was to follow her heart and see what Chelia's response was.

With the guild reforming Levy was making arrangements for the wedding. That garnered promises to return to Fiore for fittings.

It started getting late enough that Mira called ahead to warn Lucy they were headed back. Only Mira seemed to appreciate that newly mated dragon slayers did not like being around potential challengers to their claim. Levy and Mira had both had to stop Erza from barging into White Sea a few times.

They were close enough that Lucy jumped them straight to the guildmaster mansion.

"You know, I wish I could strip you when we jump."

"War's coming?"

"Tomorrow's problem," Lucy said, pulling him down to kiss.

Kaleb, there are dragons attacking Malaren, Xally's voice said through the family link.

"You were saying?"