It's been a week since Lucy, Natsu and Gray came back to the guild. I know Levy has already dived int doing research on the topic of time travel, time suspension, really any type of magic involving time. I have been looking into time magic as well, seeing if I can learn how to use it. I'm having about as much luck with it as I am fire magic. I've been watching the three of them from a distance. They interact with the rest of the guild so naturally, it's amazing. It's easy to see that they were members their whole lives. I never would have guessed they were gone for twenty-five years if I wasn't told.

Lucy is sitting at one of the tables with Levy, each pouring over books, talking to one another adamantly, gathering all the details. Wendy occasionally joins them when they're trying to piece together what happened that day as she's one of the witnesses. If they are pouring over words then they're talking about Olive and Talon, or Levy's relationship with Gajeel. Despite the difference in age, it's like the two of them never stopped being friends. It's amazing to see what a close bond like that can do. I wonder if Olive and I went through the same thing we would come out like Lucy and Levy.

Natsu is playing with all the kids. He seems to enjoy being able to goof around whenever he wants. He actually comes across as a giant child. Navi can't get enough of Natsu's piggy-back rides, and Jax, Beckett and Ruben are always begging him to do his fire dragon roar, setting various things on fire. Emma and Simon watch on, pretending the fire doesn't excite them, but the light in their eyes gives the siblings away. The only time's he's not playing with them he has one of his arms hanging around Lucy's shoulders, giving her a playful look, while she playfully glares at him with a look that is half annoyed and half loving. I haven't known them for very long and I can see the chemistry between them. I wonder if they realize it's there? If he's not with Lucy or the kids he's over with Gray, trying to pick a fight.

Gray has sat at the bar every day, seemingly lost in thought. The only thing that marks time for him is the slow draining of the beer in his pint. Even Natsu poking fun at him doesn't seem to pull him out of the state he's in. I can tell he wasn't always like this. The interactions on the train were enough proof of that. The two of them were constantly at one another's throats, but there was a level camaraderie between them that only came with the best of friends. It's still there. I can see it when Natsu tries to get a rise out of the ice mage. There is a small glimmer of desperation in the dragon slayer's eyes.

"What're you looking at, Ivie?" The sound of a chair being pulled out next to me turns my attention. Large and muscular, blonde hair, he looks like his father, but the bright blue eyes and smile come from his mother. Bastion Dreyar. The oldest of our generation , twenty-three, and the only one to have become a S-Class wizard. He is next in line to be guild master, if his father ever decides to retire. He's powerful, uses Lightning Magic, mostly, but has also mastered the takeover magic his mother uses, the demon blood she has in her getting passed into him, in some sense. He's the most powerful wizard I know. "I saw you staring at those newbies."

"I was just wondering how it must feel to be uprooted and have to start all over. Everything is the same, but completely different. It must suck."

Bastion just gives me a smile. "Well, everyone has their trials."

"From what I've heard, those three have had more than their fair share of trials."

"Who'd you hear that from?" Bastion has a low laugh that fills the hall. Even though no one in the guild can hear us, or knows what we're talking about, they can all tell it's a nice conversation. Bastion has a laugh that carries through everything.

"Your mom." I stick my tongue out at him and give Mirajane a glance. She gives me one of her sweet smiles and goes back to serving the drinks. She's beautiful. I hope I look like her in twenty-five years. "Did you need something, Bastion?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." He presents a piece of paper he was holding in his back pocket. "It's a job I thought your team could handle. It's a difficult job, but not quite S-Class. There are three non S-Class teams here now, your team, the time travel gang, and your sister's team. I thought your would be best suited, though."

I take the job from his hand and start to scan it over. "And why do you think that?"

Bastion points to a particular line on the paper, giving me a smirk. "Young women getting kidnapped in Onibus."

"So why do you think my team would be able to handle this? Why did you come to me with this request? Why not Pax? He's the one who approves requests."

"Ivie, your team is the only team that can. The women targeted are eighteen to twenty-five years old, roughly. All young, so none of the S-Class wizards would make very good bait." My heart nearly stops at the word. "The time travel gang is still unfamiliar with everything. It's not good to send them on their own, yet. They need to see everything first. I doubt you'd be okay with me giving a mission as dangerous as this to your sister's team. There aren't any boys to back them up if they all get captured, either. As to why I gave the job to you and not Paxton... well, you know how protective he can be. He won't accept it from me. He might from you."

I look at the paper. It pays extremely well, but the danger for Olive and myself would be incredibly high. We don't know what's happening to these women. It could be anything. Olive and I could die. But so could those women. I know I have to take it. "Fine. I'll show it to him."

Bastion gives me a pat on the back, his laugh filling the room once again. "Knew I could count on you, Ive!" With this, he gets up and leaves.

I glance around the hall, trying to find Pax or the twins. None are here. "I'll just wait then." I take the job and head over to the bar. There's only one seat open, the one next to Gray. I think nothing of it as I sit down, ordering a cherry vodka sour from Mirajane, not noticing Gray glancing over the request.

"Are you taking this job?"

I nod. "Yeah, well, my team is. Probably. I haven't talked to them about it yet."

"I'll come with you."

I'm surprised, to say the least. "You'll come with us? On this job?"

He nods. "Yeah, seems dangerous and when I tried to get a job the other day I was told to wait until I knew how everything worked in this time. What better way to learn then to go with your team?"

It's not surprising that he wants to go with us. He's right in saying the best way to learn is to join another team. He just seemed so dead to everything around him over the last week that I didn't think he was up for anything like this. He didn't come back after he found out about Juvia until the following night. Maybe this job could serve as a distraction for him from her. More backup would be nice. Maybe he could help me with my ice magic. "I'll have to ask Pax, but I'm sure you, would be able to come. Would Natsu and Lucy want to come too?"

"Probably. I'll ask them once you get an answer."

"Alright." Mira places my red drink in front of me and I down it quickly. This is going to be insane. "I'll see you later, Gray."

"See you later..." he trails off uncertainly. He obviously doesn't remember my name.

"Ivie."

"Right." A smirk cross his face. "I'll see ya, Ivie."

I go back to the table I was at before and read and reread the job until the spot next to me is filled. I look out the window and see the sun has started to set. It's not surprising to see Talon back. Silently, he takes the job out of my hand and reads it over, a worried looking crossing his features. "You wanted to take this job?"

I can't exactly say Bastion gave it to me. Talon would be just as concerned as Paxton. "I thought it looked important." Not a lie. I knew now we need to do this job. We can save those trapped women.

"Ive, it's dangerous. You could die."

"I could die walking too. You know how clumsy I am."

Talon shakes his head. "That's not the point. I just don't want to see anything happen to you... or Olive." He adds his sister's name like an afterthought. Does he think she stands a better chance at surviving than I do?

"Talon, please." This is a job I can finally be useful in. I won't have to sit on the sidelines. I can actually help. I look him in the eyes, seeing the reluctance in his brown orbs.

He lets out a sigh and looks down at the job once again, tearing his gaze from mine. "Can I stop you?"

I think Talon could be the only one who could stop me at this point. I just have to ask the right questions. "You know Olive will be fine. She's strong."

"It's not Olive I'm worried about. Ivie," he tries to figure out what to say, how to phrase each word carefully. "Ive, I'm worried about you."

"You said I wasn't useless, Talon. Let me prove that. Even if it's just to myself. I need to feel like I'm doing something Talon. I'm not strong, and I'll never be the best with magic, but this is something I can do." He's skeptical, but I can tell he's warming up to the idea. The look in his eyes... fire lighting up. "Why should you worry about me more than your sister?" He suddenly turns away. Did I say something wrong? "Talon, please."

"I'm not going to say anything to Pax. It's his choice." We both know he'll say yes. It would be reluctant, but he would eventually agree. Talon's back is still towards me. It hurts. I want him to look at me when he talks to me. It doesn't feel right when he shuts me out. "Just, be careful."

"I'm not worried. I know you've got my back."

Talon turns back towards me, a small smile finally curling up. He wraps his arms around me, taking me in a hug. A smile starts to play on my lips too. "I'll always have your back, Ivie."

When Paxton and Olive get back an hour or so later he reluctantly agrees to take the job. When I mention Gray and the others wanted to come along, he physically relaxed. It was less money for each of us, but the safety of our family is more important. Money is material. It can be replaced. Lives can't. They're here for a brief moment of time then disappear like the wind. I just want to have a meaningful life. Helping others as a member of Fairy Tail is the best way to do that.

"Momma! Daddy! Get out!" Tears run down my face as I look at the fire that is quickly taking over our house. "Get out!" I want to run back in and grab them, but my legs are shaking. "Please!" My screams seemed like they could be heard by the whole earth that day.

I need to help others as a member of Fairy Tail the way Fairy Tail helped me.

A/N

Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and this story! I'm having a blast writing it so I hope y'all are enjoying reading it as well! Please let me know what y'all think. Some news I have a new story "Of Mario Kart and Vodka" up which is a Modern Day comedy, the first comedy I've written in five years, so please check it out if you have the time. I also have a collab fic in the work and I'll give y'all more info as that comes out. Thank y'all so much!