1st Chapter

The colours around him were blurring and the light was too bright. For a moment, he saw thousands of pictures in front of him – nearly as if Mira had dumped the boxes with the pictures taken during Fairy Tail's many parties on him – before darkness reigned. He slipped in and out of consciousness until it finally stopped and he awoke in the middle of nowhere, lying in the mud as thunder growled dramatically above him.

He needed a moment to realise that he wasn't in the guild any longer and as he stood up, he realised that both his legs and both his arms were complete and healthy again – and that he was a good deal younger, that he was back in the time when he had just left Cornelia to take more dangerous jobs again.

He slowly rose and held his face into the rain before he cleaned his hands and looked around, trying to figure out where in Mavis' name he currently was but even without his usual lack of orientation and concentration, it would have been impossible to figure out. He sighed deeply before he opened his bag which had somehow ended up on his back again and searched for a map or something like that. A minute later, he found 'something like that' – the Find Cornelia Card he had bought a long time ago – in both timelines – when they had been on their first job together and he had been scared to lose sight of her because she was so petite and short compared to him. He had bought the card to be sure that he would be able to find her again and so he dusted it off and sent a drop of magic into the paper to activate the card. The picture of his wife who had been sleeping on the card awoke and rubbed her eyes before she started to show him the directions.

He smiled as he walked straight through the thunderstorm.

As he walked, he tried to figure out what Cornelia's reaction might be and if it would be smarter to review his skills in dodging cards and other things she might throw at him.

"Mother never blamed you for anything," Cana had said. "She was never mad at you … sometimes a little bit sad, true, but she … well, she understood, I think. She worked for her guild and she kept being an S-class mage. She smiled and she laughed all the time. I think that she was … content, maybe not happy but always content."

After two hours in the rain, he finally reached the village where Cornelia had always lived. It wasn't far away from the guild building of Mermaid Heel which was closer to the coast. It was a peaceful village and he remembered that he had liked it there before because everyone was so kind and so understanding towards everything which was different.

He made his way to Cornelia's cosy home and knocked carefully against the door – she had never liked it when he had damaged her house and he had learned from previous mistakes.

Fast steps were to be heard before the wooden door was opened and Cornelia Alberona stepped into his sight. She looked just like he had remembered her. Her wavy brown hair was bound into a messy bun and she wore a tight red shirt with black shorts while she held a stack of cards. Surprise crossed her face for the fracture of a second before she smirked.

"Does the lady have a glass of water for a traveller?" he asked carefully.

"I also have beer and soup," she said as she stepped back. "Come in, Gildarts – but please, be silent. I just managed to get Cana to fall asleep … that's always a fight, you know?"

"C-Cana?" he asked, trying to keep his cover while excitement ran through his veins. For a moment, it became difficult to breathe because this meant that the spell had been successful.

"Our daughter, yes," she said as she mentioned towards the second door to the second door on the right side. "You should take a shower. I think that there are still a few of your clothes in the closet in the bedroom and if you want to see her, Cana sleeps in the living room. She was a little bit whiny today and I think she caught a cold somewhere … and in the living room, it's warm."

This was the way Cornelia had always dealt with every thing; direct and without any faked hesitation. She was pragmatic and a realist – and not a daydreamer like him. He smiled as she turned her back at him before he patted her shoulder. "I missed you," he confessed.

"I missed you too," she said as she turned around and kissed his cheek. "But now, clean up."

"If I were to go back in time, I would lose my memory … at least partially. I would remember the outlines … whether I liked someone … or basic spells. I am not sure how much I would forget and how different I would be afterwards … but the most important memories of each year I lived will stay. I will remember Fantasia … the S-class exams … such things, you know?" Cana had tried to explain when she had first mentioned the card. "I guess that I would still end up in Fairy Tail … and that my personality wouldn't change all that much."

He walked through the hallway to the living room with a towel around his hair and slowly approached the cradle where the little girl slept. He carefully raised his hand to stroke her soft cheek. "This time, it will be better, I promise," he whispered. "I won't allow you to think that you misplaced the faith you put in me, I swear it on my honour as a Fairy Tail mage."

"She's cute, isn't she?" Cornelia asked calmly as she crossed the room to stand next to him.

"She looks a lot like you so no, she's not cute. She is beautiful and she will be the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world one day – second to you, of course," he said with a smirk.

"You never stopped being a charming bastard," she said amused as she wrapped her arm around him and rested her head against his upper arm. "How's Fairy Tail doing? My Master got in an argument with yours last week … something about S-class jobs. She seems to think that you guys are hogging the really good ones … perhaps she's right. I haven't been paid decently in months."

"I have no idea … I haven't seen my nakama in months," he shrugged. "But you aren't short on money, are you, Cornelia?" he asked worried.

"I haven't earned much in a whole year, during my pregnancy and until I could leave her alone."

"So … you are in financial trouble?"

"Lately, yes," she admitted as she blushed in embarrassment. "It was okay at the beginning. I had earned lots of jewels in the last few years so I could manage even without having work. It's just … when I go on a mission, I need someone to take care of Cana and while this would be an unimportant fracture of the gain from an S-class job, it's quite a lot of money when I only get a normal job. Babysitters are terrible people – they are only out to ruin young women who depend on them because we actually care about our careers!"

"I would offer you money from my own jobs but you are too proud to accept it," he said slowly as he wondered how she had managed the last time, without him. "So I offer you another option how to get your financial situation back on track: I will babysit Cana and you get the best jobs your guild has to offer … if necessary, I write my master and tell him to hand a few decent jobs over to your guild. We will both gain from this: you get money without betraying your independence and you can get your career back on track."

"And what's your advantage from this, Gildarts?" she asked with a frown.

"I get to spend time with our adorable little girl," he said. "And maybe I will even get a break from my own jobs. I could really use a month off … and you are getting restless if you are at home for too long, Cornelia. You really should take this chance."

She looked at her feet. "It … it's just … how long are you going to stay?" she asked. "It has been more than one and a half year that you were here – or that I heard from you. If Cana gets used to you … if she gets used to having a dad … she is only a kid. I can deal with your personality of coming and going as you please. A child wouldn't understand. I am not questioning your motive for returning because it's not me to ask many questions … I merely want you to accept your responsibility in this situation. She is your child … our child … and I am not sure if I could bear to watch her all heartbroken because her father abandons her."

He kissed her forehead. "I will stay," he said calmly. "Not only for her – but also for you … I grew up, okay? I am no longer the careless fool you married. I am a responsible adult and I promise you that I will take care of both you and Cana. I will be there. I won't make you sad at me. If anything, I will make you the happiest woman alive … because I love you, Cornelia Alberona, and I will fix all the mistakes I made when I left the last time."

She looked up at him. "You never broke a promise … and you never said something you didn't mean," she said slowly. "Very well, I will accept your offer, Gildarts."

"Thank you … thank you for allowing me to be a part of your and Cana's life again," he whispered. "And believe me: I will always be there for you."

"I never lost hope that you might return one day," she said and to him, it felt like a slap because the last time around, he had been too busy being a famous S-class mage to take care of her and Cana and everyone else he had used to care for back in the days.

Mermaid Heel's guild master, the former Miss Fiore, Serena Alen, was sipping her coffee in the guildhall as she watched how her mages, her daughters came to the guild to pick jobs or to have breakfast with their friends. She nearly chocked on her coffee, however, as Cornelia Alberona rushed in the guild and headed straight for the board with the S-class jobs.

"Oi, Conny!" she called out as she had stopped coughing. "I thought that you said that you wouldn't take S-class jobs or other overnight requests anymore until Cana can stay at home alone – something about the greedy babysitters, right?"

"Thankfully, I don't have to pay my husband for taking care of our daughter," the brunette replied as she chuckled. "He came back yesterday and ever since he put a foot into my house, he has been hugging either me or Cana the whole time. I think it's cute."

"It's good to hear that the useless guy is back again," Serena said as she patted her mage's shoulder. "But do me a favour and don't get pregnant again. It would be a shame to have to plan without you for a whole year again. You are such a good mage, we can't afford losing you."

"Dutifully noted," she said as she grabbed a request and waved it around. "Last S-class request we have, huh? It is alright that I take it, isn't it? I don't want trouble with my nakama."

"Cornelia, you are the one who has to take care of herself and a little kid – and a husband, now," the master said as her magical power radiated from her. "If one of them has a problem with you taking the last S-class request, they can discuss it with me."

"You are the best," Cornelia grinned as she headed for the door. "I try to be back for your birthday, Serena, and if you can spare the time … do me a favour and check on Gildarts and Cana. I am kinda scared that they might blow up my house if they are left unsupervised for too long."

"I will see what I can do to prevent as much," the blond master grinned as she raised her arm. "I like your new dress, by the way. The cut to show your guild stamp is so beautiful."

Gildarts blinked. Again. He sat on a blanket in the living room as he kept watching Cana as it he was scared that she might disappear right in front of him. "So, Cana-chan," he said as he pushed the rattle over to her. "You can play. I am not going anywhere. I am playing with you if you want to. And no, you can't play with your mommy's shiny, colourful cards," he added as he tired to take away the cards from her – only to have her crying. "Okay, okay, I am sorry, okay?" he quickly said as he pushed the cards back into her direction. "There, play with the cards as much as you want to. I am not stopping you, seriously."

The one-year-old girl smiled brightly at him as she held the cards in her chubby fingers. "C-cards!" she announced proudly. "P-pretty c-cards!"

"You spoke!" he said as he clapped proudly. "C'mon, Cana-chan, say 'daddy'."

"D-daddy?" she said as she tilted her head. "Daddy!"

"Oh, you are such a smart girl!" he said as he picked her up and twirled her around. "Let's go to town … I will buy you more of the shiny cards. And a pretty hair clip for your hair. Hah, your mother will be so happy when she comes home and finds out that you are so smart – just like her," he carefully put his daughter into her jacket before he made the way to the next little town where a fair was taking place.

"Shiny!" Cana declared as she looked around. "Shiny, daddy, shiny!"

"Yes," he said as he smiled at her. "It's shiny, Cana-chan."

He walked through the crowd and they had nearly reached their destination when a huge hand landed on Gildarts' shoulder and the short master of Fairy Tail who was carrying his grandson on his back appeared. "Master Makarov," he said as he nodded shortly.

"Gildarts," the short man said with a wide smirk. "And who is the little girl?"

"My daughter, Cana," the S-class mage said. "I am taking care of her while my wife is on a job."

"I wasn't aware of your marriage," the old man said as he raised his eyebrows. "That seems to be a very interesting … development. I was just about to get ice cream for Laxus … care to join us?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked.

"Exactly," the master replied with a smirk. "You have no choice."