Chapter III: Best of Boat Worlds

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys! You can thank laziness, writer's block, and a hectic lifestyle for it. But if not for the kind reviews and the many followers, I doubt I would have ever gotten off (or on) my ass to finish it. I feel bad I couldn't give a 100% amount of effort into this chapter but I've been staring at these same words for over three months now and no matter what I try, the right words can't find their way into the sentences so as always, yes, it's one of them "chunky" chapters. But I do hope you appreciate the parts where I put just a tiny bit more effort into writing.

Press, stamp, pass… Press, stamp, pass…

It was the monotonous routine going on in Makarov's mind as he went about stamping all the documents piled upon his desk. He paid little mind to what was written on them as he carelessly gave all of them his approval. It's not like the Magic Council gave him much of a choice but to agree anyways.

When he placed the latest document down on his "finished" pile, he suddenly took note of how quiet the guild had gotten. He didn't remember when it had quieted down since he had just grown accustomed to all the raucous while he went to work on the paperwork. He assumed Natsu and his crew must have gone out; that was the only explanation he could think of. He breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that for a few hours their guild hall wouldn't have to suffer any more damage.

But, just as he was relishing those precious seconds of peace and quiet, he suddenly heard the firebreather yell from below, "LAXUS! FIGHT ME!"

Hardly even a second after that, he felt the floor beneath him rumble, a tell-tale sign that his grandson must have sent the young lad crashing into the ceiling above them. He should know better than to test his luck. As he picked up the next sheet, preparing his stamp in the black ink pad, he heard sweet Mira's voice through the door. "Master, we're home," she called as she marched up the stairs.

Makarov had hardly a clue that they even left. She knocked on his office door and asked, "Are you in there? We have a surprise for you!"

A surprise? Usually a surprise from Mirajane meant a whole new pile of reports to file. As he made room for the new paperwork, he heard Laxus on the other side of the door as well. His deep voice said hopelessly, "Y'know, usually when it's a surprise, you're not supposed to tell them about it…?"

"But then how else is he supposed to know about it," Came Mirajane's cheerful response which had both Laxus and Makarov sighing helplessly.

Ignoring the airhead beside him, Laxus opened the door to find Makarov at his desk. "Getting comfortable there, Gramps?" Laxus asked as he stepped in.

Placing his stamp down, Makarov studied the two standing before him. Mira appeared lovelier than usual while Laxus, shed of his overcoat, appeared more casual. From the looks of it, Makarov was getting the sense that they had just returned from a date. "You two needed something?" He asked with his arms crossed.

Mira passed Laxus a cheerful grin, waiting for him to do the explaining. Although it was his idea, he had planned for Mira to be the one to break the news. After all, between the two of them, she was better at using words than he could ever hope to be. "Well…" Laxus began, his hand rubbing the back of his head as he wondered how to voice his thoughts. "We were thinking…" He motioned to Mira and himself, "That maybe it's time that…"

The moment Laxus had pointed to the two of them, he set up an image that most "shotgun fathers" found themselves dreading. The way his grandson was sweating as he dared to form his next words while his girlfriend beside him gently encouraged him… Was he really going to tell Makarov that he had taken Mirajane's hand in marriage!? The poor master put his hands over his ears and shook his head to shake away the horrible ideas that plagued his mind. Sure, he had told the boy to take the time to enjoy life – sniff the flowers was how he put it – but this was all too sudden! And why did it have to be Mirajane, the guild's pin-up girl? Who could possibly replace her as their new model, because let's face it; despite how hot she is and will remain, once she's married her fame will definitely decline. No man would dare ogle at a taken woman especially when her husband was Laxus Dreyar.

Before either man could finish their thoughts, the door to Makarov's office was kicked open and in came First Master Mavis, a resentful look on her face. As if she hadn't just intruded in on a family meeting, with her bare feet hardly making a sound, she crossed the room to Makarov's side where she then turned to face the two S-Class mages. Laxus, having lost his train of thought when she entered, raised an eyebrow at the little girl and asked, "What's with the sourpuss?"

With the frown on her face becoming more distinct, she pointed an accusing finger at the couple and sobbed, "Laxus and Miss Mira are heading off on their honeymoon without me…!"

Her statement sent the men's jaws dropping to the floor while Mira simply passed her a confused look as she cocked her head to the side.

"Honeymoon?"

"H-HONEYMOON!?" The three questioned simultaneously – Mirajane being the calmest of the trio.

"Don't pretend," Mavis continued, "I saw you two coming out of the booking station. I can't imagine what else you two could be doing there."

"Obviously you're not thinking hard enough," Laxus grumbled just loud enough for the group to hear.

"You've piqued my interest now, Laxus," Makarov stated, now calmed down after the ludicrous thought of Laxus' proposal to Mirajane having flown out the window. "If a honeymoon isn't around the corner, then what were you and Mirajane doing there?"

He looked to Mira, hoping for some help to which she giddily replied, "We were booking a family vacation for you, Master. To the Pegras Isles, I believe."

Makarov, after receiving the news, didn't seem as ecstatic as they thought he would be as he remained poised as a statue, arms crossed as he pondered. After a few seconds, the silence, which had developed in the few seconds, eventually broke. "I'm afraid that's not something I could do," he admitted tiredly. "I can hardly leave for a day without the brats causing some sort of destruction. To think a whole week away…" He shuddered at the thought of coming home to a pile of rubble and debris that was once his guild.

"But Master…" Mirajane frowned. Again she looked to Laxus for support but, to her shock, he simply shrugged nonchalantly before he wrapped a muscular arm around her shoulders.

"Alright then," he said, "No point in wasting the tickets. Mira and I will just go without you. Alone. All by ourselves on an island resort for seven days…" He passed her a devious, albeit sexy, smirk which failed to go unnoticed by Makarov's sharp eyes.

Makarov didn't doubt that the two lovebirds had already gone and done the nasty, but to think what kinky thoughts ran through his grandson's mind when he was well aware that the guild and all its members were miles away… Though it defied human anatomy, Makarov imagined the two of them returning with thirty-three great grandchildren in tow. That image accompanied by Laxus' sadistic smirk was enough to make the old man reconsider staying home.

Clearing his throat and feigning nonchalance, the short master made his way to his desk and pulled out a suitcase from underneath. "Well, if you put it that way then I guess you don't give me much of a choice. I would hate to waste this offer of kindness especially if Mira went out of her way to help with the planning." He glanced at the First Master and said, "How about you help me pack, First?"

With her mood having taken a 180 degree turn, Mavis, now excited as ever, bounced about the office cheering, "Family vacation!" while tossing the once tidy paperwork to and fro. Laxus scratched his head nervously while Mira smiled at the scattered documents falling from the sky. Hopefully those could be easily sorted…

In the midst of tossing tropical button-ups, sunscreen, swim trunks and the like into the open briefcase, much to the couple's amusement, Makarov suddenly stopped as he returned his gaze back to the lovebirds. "Now hold on a second. If you and I are going to be gone, then who's going to look after the guild?"

"About that…" Laxus began nervously…

~XxxxxxxxxxxX~

"So you've finally taken your own advice, eh Gramps?" Gildarts said with a big goofy grin on his rugged face. He patted Laxus on the back, causing a low grumble to rise from the younger man, and continued speaking. "When Laxus here told me he needed my help, I thought he wanted to court little Miss Mira over there. Little did I know, right? He's already gone and had se-" Before he could speak anymore, both Dreyars had slugged him.

"Now are you sure this is a good idea," Makarov asked Laxus as they glared down at the womanizer who was currently tending to his smarting cranium.

"Hey," the Dragonslayer responded, "You trusted him once with the guild didn't you? Besides, if anyone can keep Natsu and the others in check it would be him." Though, and Laxus purposely failed to admit this, who was going to keep Gildarts in line? "You can't reconsider now that we're already this far."

Indeed, after a week of packing and preparation, the Dreyars, Mirajane, and Mavis were finally ready to depart on their vacation; their guild members having accompanied them to Hargeon to bid their farewells. All that was left now was to board the vessel that would carry them to Paradise Island. If Makarov backed up now that would result in a lot of disappointed faces and would most likely result in further damage to the guild for some reason or another.

"Go enjoy yourself Gramps," Gildarts whispered to the old man. "I'll stay put for a while. And besides, someone's gotta' keep Sparky out of trouble, eh?"

Normally Laxus would have struck the man, but seeing as how he was willing to put aside that fighting spirit of his – something he couldn't have done even for his late wife – he passed the older man a gentle smile which Gildarts returned with a wink.

With the last of the passengers boarding the ferry, Laxus, while carrying the majority of the luggage, approached Mirajane who was currently engaged in a conversation with her younger siblings and the Thunder Legion. "I'm sorry I didn't consider bringing you two along…" He heard Mira say regrettably to Elfman and Lisanna.

Lisanna flapped her hand dismissively. "Don't be silly Mira," she assured her older sister, "You've been so busy lately, you deserve some time away from everyone. Besides, I know how difficult it must be to try to get some quality time with Laxus."

While Mirajane blushed at her baby sister's comment, Freed added in, with that serene voice of his, "Indeed Mira. You two deserve this trip. Don't let us ruin it for you."

Not one to be left out of the conversation, Bickslow snaked an arm around his fellow team member's shoulder and with his free hand he pointed a thumb back towards Evergreen and Elfman who were currently caught up in one of their arguments and smirked. "Yeah, and don't worry about that little bro' of yours. I'll make sure to have all my babies monitoring them for the next week." Of course he had to end his statement in vintage Bickslow-fashion with his tongue dangling out.

"It's…much appreciated." Mira responded nervously.

Eventually Laxus reached the group, placing a hand on Mira's shoulder. "Are you ready," he asked her.

Before she could reply, the limbs of Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen, who had briefly diverted her attention from the Strauss male, threw themselves around their leader, squeezing the life out of him. "Take care Laxus!" "Don't get yourself into too much trouble now!" "We're gonna' miss ya' bud!"

Releasing a hopeless sigh, Laxus peeked over at Mirajane who was giggling at the picturesque sight before her. At least once he freed himself from these confines, his lovely Mirajane would be all his for a week… It was definitely worth the spine-breaking and rib-cracking death grip he was currently enduring.

"Alright, get off me," he hollered to the trio. "I'm only going to be gone a week so try not to cause too much hell when I'm gone." Upon saying that, he pointed to each of them individually, "Evergreen, you and Elfman try to keep the lovers' spat to a minimum. I don't want to come home to play a therapist." Evergreen and Elfman both gawked at his demand but before either of them could call him out, his finger landed on Bickslow. "As for you, you try to be anything or anyone but yourself."

"Aw," Bickslow began, "But what about 'Be yourself – everyone else is taken'?"

"Shut it," Laxus said, proceeding to shift his gaze to Freed. "And Freed, try not to contact me every thirty seconds."

The Rune Mage delivered a gentlemanly bow as he spoke, "As you wish."

Once the orders were given, the ferry's melancholic horn was blown, a sign that it was just seconds from departing. Mavis and Makarov, who had long boarded the vessel, looked over the railing and called out, "Hey, hurry up you slowpokes! Or do you plan on swimming?"

"I guess that's our signal," Mirajane said to her Dragonslayer. "Take care you guys," she waved before running off to join the others on the boat.

Before Laxus could do the same, he felt Bickslow's hand on his shoulder. Turning around to meet his gaze, he instead received a paper bag to the face. "You might need this," the puppeteer said in a snarky tone.

"What the…" Looking at the bag, Laxus wondered what his partner had meant by this offering but Freed cleared the answer up for him.

"The fact that you're willing to go on a boat ride with Miss Mira despite your condition is very admirable Laxus. If only all men were as chivalrous to their counterparts as you are."

Damn. He had completely forgotten all about this part of the "vacation."

~XxxxxxxxxxxX~

Well, this was a major strike to his man-card. Here he was, the high and mighty Laxus Dreyar, lying in a sick bed while his girlfriend sat at his side, probably chuckling on the inside. Had it been due to any other condition, such as sustaining injuries from slaying a dragon or taking in poison for the sake of his loved ones, his pride would still be intact. But suffering from motion sickness? The curse of being a Dragonslayer…

He had been lying here for about an hour and a half now with Mira patiently beside him as he waited for sleep to take him. He kept his face turned away from her, a maneuver he believed to help him avoid further embarrassment, and shut his eyes. Their cabin was all together peaceful and the perfect place to take a nap, but when the contents of your belly were swishing back and forth with the waves…the difficulty increased by a tenfold.

He let out a little "hmph" as he twisted his body so that his back was now facing her. Mira didn't seem to notice as she proceeded to flip through the magazine she had found lying in the nightstand. As she did so, she unconsciously began humming which caused Laxus' ears to perk up. Even when there wasn't a beat or a tune to her random hums, she still sounded beautiful…

Chancing a quick glance over his shoulder at her, he marveled at the sight of her sitting in her chair, indulging herself in media gossip while clad in a sheer white cover up revealing the equally white bikini underneath. This vacation was for her as well. She should be out on the deck with the others, not cooped up in here with him.

Letting out a grunt, he turned his head back away from her and muttered, "You don't have to wait here with me…"

Finally taking her eyes off the magazine, she looked over at him in his depressed state and replied sincerely, "I don't mind, Laxus." To back up her statement she smiled that lovely smile of hers which, had he been looking at her, would have dusted his cheeks pink.

Refusing to take any of her stubbornness, he grumbled back, "Just go join Gramps and Mavis…" Last he saw them they were enjoying the deck's swimming pool, completely ignorant of the sickness he was suffering. Then again, the boat had hardly been given a chance to depart before Bickslow's barf bag would come in handy, so who knows what they were up to now.

Mirajane, conscious of his pride, passed him a small smile. "I'm okay, Laxus, really…" Before he could make another retort, she leaned over the mattress and planted a kiss to his cheek. "Besides," she whispered as she watched the color of his cheeks redden, "it wouldn't be much of a vacation if I didn't spend it with you…" And truer words couldn't have been spoken. She would have rather spent her week back at Fairy Tail serving drinks and approving mission slips if it meant Laxus would be only a few steps from her.

The She-Devil wins again against the Thunder Dragonslayer. "F-fine…" He submitted, pulling the covers over his head. "Suit yourself." He heard her giggle before she went back to her magazine. Within a few more minutes, her humming resumed and Laxus couldn't help but find himself entranced by the noise once again. Within a few more minutes of listening to her lullaby, he drifted to sleep…

~XxxxxxxxxxxX~

Once her lover had descended into a state of calm, Mira, after delivering one final kiss to his forehead, opted for a breath of fresh air and a drink out on the deck. Hopefully Laxus would remain asleep by the time they reached land. As soon as was out on the deck, a cheerful Mavis, who was floating around in a ducky swim ring, greeted her. "Miss Mira!"

Makarov, who was currently being pampered by one of the ladies of the boat, took a peek out from behind his sunglasses and waved at the barmaid. "Where have you been Mira? They had a swimsuit contest going on just a few minutes ago. The girls, as pretty as they were, didn't hold a candle to you!"

"Oh Master…" Mira scolded playfully while approaching the pool Mavis was currently occupying. She was offered a variety of cool drinks by the busboys as she attempted to cross the distance between herself and her masters and although all of them looked – and smelled – tempting, she finally decided on some simple coconut juice.

However, before she could get a quick sip, the cruise ship's smooth sailing suddenly took on a rocky turn causing all those aboard, including Mirajane, to slip and fall. Suddenly on high alert, evidence of her S-Class rank, Mirajane switched her glance back and forth as she sought out the cause of the sudden rocking. Only a few things could cause a quake like that and her senses were telling her that it wasn't an earthquake. Was there a wizard among them? She needn't speculate long however as the true culprit made its appearance; rising out from the ocean depths and coming to an impressive height that blocked out the summer sun and shadowed over all the vacationers…

~XxxxxxxxxxxX~

"Oh my…" Mirajane placed a palm on her cheek as she realized the position that she, and some of the other crew members, were in. With a large sticky tentacle wrapped around her petite waist, she was hoisted over 50 feet in the air and looking into the eyes of a huge squid.

Despite the raucous caused by the others, she could hear Master Mavis, who was only a few tentacles away, yell excitedly, "Look Makarov! A squid!"

With arms crossed, Makarov accessed the predicament and nodded absently to the ghost as she began sucking on the limb that held her. As the taste of raw fish and sea water touched her taste buds, the first master immediately pulled away as she let out a "blech." "It's gross," she whined, "Someone get me down!"

Down in the cabins, a once sleeping Laxus was given a rude awakening as the violent rocking of the ship caused him to roll off his comfy bed and collide with the floorboards below. "What the hell…" He grumbled as he took in his surroundings. He was definitely still in the cabin and out on sea, as his stomach had told him, but upon further investigation of the room, it seemed as if the whole cabin had been flipped upside down during the few minutes he was asleep. Vases that had rested on the shelves were nothing but shards on the floor and paintings that decorated the walls lie in their cracked frames.

"What's going on," he muttered to himself as he pulled himself to his feet to resettle himself on the edge of the bed. He would have loved to just forget about everything and head back to bed, but as the swaying continued, his delicate ears suddenly picked up yelling coming up from the deck. Switching his glance over his shoulder, he took note of the empty chair Mira had occupied earlier and at the realization that she was gone, his eyes widened.

Forcing his stomach to cooperate with him, the blonde staggered to his feet and made his way down the hallways. As he headed for the door heading out towards the deck, the yelling emitted got louder and by now he was able to discern that it was more than just one person who was doing the screaming. Just as he was prepared to push open the door, he wondered what had the crew in such a panic…

Gently pushing open the door, he expected to be greeted with a tidal wave, a storm cloud, or even an attacking Dark Guild…Not a freaking kraken! His jaw dropped at the sight of the monster and normally, he would have taken the time to admire the mystical creature, but upon seeing who he had in his grip, his priorities shifted. "M-Mira!" He called out to the takeover mage.

His voice caught the attention of his friends who turned their heads to the young man. "Laxus!" Mavis cheered excitedly. "You're here to save us!"

"H-hang on…" The Lightning mage muttered as he stumbled over to the rail. With the waters being even more unsteady with the kraken swishing it about, he felt his stomach was being flipped upside down and bouncing side to side. His motion sickness was becoming quite apparent now as he hung his head over the side of the boat.

Mavis shook her head hopelessly at him and waved her hand dismissively. "Just kidding…"

"Hey," a male's voice called from above, "don't you go puking all over my boat!" It was the captain from the looks of it which made Laxus wonder, if he wasn't steering the boat, who was?

Shaking his head in an attempt to quell his stomach's natural dislike for the rocky waves, he focused his attention back to his lovely Mira who was currently cheering for him, clearly not concerned about the gravity of the situation. "You can do it Laxus!" Always his personal cheerleader…

Forcing down the food that threatened to escape his stomach, he clenched his fist and concentrated on his opponent. He wasn't going to let this creature get away with putting his hands – er, tentacle – all over his girlfriend. That was his privilege and his alone.

Raising his fist into the air he began to mutter an incantation, "Resounding through the air, the roar of thunder…"

Makarov and Mavis caught wind of his chant and they widened their eyes, exchanging fearful glances with one another. "He's not really going to do that move is he," Mavis shivered and not from the wet extremity that held her either.

"…Plunge from the heavens, and reap destruction…"

At his final choice of words, Makarov let out a sigh. "Oh yeah he is…"

"Raging Bolt!"

Seconds later, a giant thunderbolt blasted from the sky, striking the kraken on the cranium, before traveling through its limbs and ultimately zapping the hostages. As the monster squid tumbled backwards into the depths from whence it came, the passengers were released from its grip and were now all free falling into the ocean.

Ignoring the falling passengers before him, Laxus instead kept his eye on Mirajane and waited for the right moment to leap off the boat and catch her before they both collided with the water. They sunk only a few feet underneath before they both resurfaced along with the others who were currently all glaring at "Sparky." Clearly, they didn't appreciate being zapped by their supposed savior as he had ruined all their hairdos, gave them some minor burns, and even tore off a few pieces of clothing.

Shrugging, he looked down at the blue-eyed girl in his arms and smirked. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself closer to him and whispered hotly, "Well, this wouldn't be the first time I've felt your thunder."

As his smirk grew dangerously wider, he closed the distance between their lips, unbothered by the stares they received as they shared a kiss. For all he cared, she was the only one in his world right now…

A/N: Thanks for reading and for the support as always. Again I'm sorry for the long wait for the poor chapter. Feel free to leave your hate mail and threats in your reviews!