A/N: Wait a minute! My mind can't comprehend this. Did I just update…early!? IMPOSSIBLE!
*Laughs at himself again*
Hello everyone and welcome back. Yes, I had some free time so I finished this bad boy up and posted it for your reading pleasure considering I have a test and paper I need to balance out.
I just want to let you guys know that I will be busy during the end of November and beginning of December; I have some business I'll be needing to attend to before final semester exams for college…so that'll take up some time. I will be off from school until February for winter break so you know what that means…more updates! I do appreciate you guys being patient with me when I work on this…it's sort of a confidence booster believe it or not. I will work on this when I can, but I will be taking more time to study and prep for exams.
And now a shout out to you guys:
-Darkhope: Hey there, long time no see! Welcome back, I'm glad you like this story. To answer your question, yes, the kids will be spending more time with their parents. They all just need to get past the initial awkwardness first.
-Sesshomaru'sCrazygal: As always welcome back crazy girl! I'm sure your country is an amazing place. I will get around to visiting it…when I have the time and money to do so :).
-ichihime4: Welcome to the story! Thanks for wishing me luck, I appreciate it. As for matching up the kids together…we~ll; you'll just have to wait and see X).
-kazenoseiren: Welcome! I'm glad I'm keeping you guessing. Don't worry about your grammar, its superb actually. For someone who's only been studying English for 3 years, I have to say you're doing very well. If you feel like you are having problems asking anything in English, just use google translate.
And now, let's get started shall we?
XXXX
CHAPTER 7: Troubled minds; a night of uneasy solace
The rain came down steadily as Lucy opened the door to her apartment. Stepping inside and removing her shoes, Lucy removed the spare cloak Lilly had given her and hanged it on an empty spot on her coat rack.
Lilly stepped in, locking and closing the door as she did so, and did the same as her mother and slowly looked around the apartment, a small smile on her face as she took in every detail.
The two were quiet as Lucy's eyes followed her daughter as she walked about the room, hands behind her back. She seemed particularly interested in the small table where she kept all of her photos framed.
The feeling of connection to the girl was a constant, dull presence in the back of Lucy's mind. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, she knew it was her maternal instinct finally coming to life.
"She has my hair…my eyes…she even walks the same way as I do." Lucy thought.
"But…she has Natsu's smile and she even has a little of his hair color too."
Natsu.
Lucy frowned slightly as she thought of the Dragon Slayer she had become so close to…and what Igneel had told her on the train.
Her son's words.
Lucy bit her lip at that last thought. Aside from her maternal instincts, Igneel's words and Igneel himself were another matter she was currently wrestling with. And quite frankly her head was starting to hurt from it all.
Wanting to try and break the ice between her and Lilly, Lucy decided to say something.
"Uhm…thanks for giving me the cloak." Lucy said as she rubbed the back of her neck.
Lilly continued to look at the pictures but smiled none the less.
"No problem, it didn't seem right to just leave you standing in the rain while I stayed nice and dry."
Lilly then focused on a small, blue picture frame and gently picked it up.
"Out of all the pictures we have back home…this one is my favorite." Lilly said as she gently traced the tips of her fingers over the glass, a smile and look that Lucy couldn't quite place forming on her features.
Lucy went over to Lilly and looked at the picture. She couldn't help but smile herself.
It was a picture of her and Natsu from the Fantasia Parade. Natsu was dressed in his usual attire while Lucy had been dressed in her parade outfit like the other girls had worn. Natsu and Lucy had wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders, Natsu's more powerful left arm had pulled Lucy close to him while the latter managed to brace her left hand against his chest while still managing to move her right arm around his broad shoulders. The two smiled brightly for the camera.
She could see why Lilly liked the photo…it was simply heartwarming.
But at the same time, the picture also reinforced what Igneel had said and Lucy was starting to get tired of playing tug of war with her thoughts.
She looked the clock on her wall and frowned. It was only half past ten.
"But it feels like midnight." Lucy thought as she tried to stifle a yawn.
"You look tired." Lilly said as she gently put the picture back in its spot.
"Why don't we both get ready for bed and I'll just crash on the couch."
Lucy was too tired to protest against what Lilly had said and decided it was best to just take a shower and get ready for bed.
XXXX
"I'll take the couch." Saito said as he walked through the door to Gajeel's apartment, Pantherlily a few steps behind.
"Yeah, make yourself at home while you're at it." Gajeel said sarcastically, a little peeved that Saito had entered his home without preamble.
Saito placed his pack near the couch as he stepped around some of the clutter that filled the apartment.
Saito made a small frown as he picked some dirty clothes off the couch and set it a on a neat pile on the floor.
He remembered that Levy wasn't with Gajeel yet…he was used to growing up in a relatively spotless house. He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips.
"What's so funny?" Gajeel said as he set his keys down on the kitchen table.
"If mom saw all this clutter in our house she would throw a fit."
Gajeel winced slightly at the mention of Levy being referred to as "mom."
He still couldn't believe that standing in front of him was his son. He may have been his son from a day yet to come, but he was still his son none the less.
"Yeah, shorty is a bit of neat freak." Gajeel said as he rubbed his bicep.
A tense silence filled the room.
"I'll…I'll just change real quick and rest hear on the couch…that alright?" Saito.
"…Yeah, sure, whatever." Gajeel said as he sulked off to his room.
Gajeel gave a small, tired frown on his face.
"It would seem you two have a lot of ground to cover." Pantherlily said, having watched the exchange between the two.
"More than you know." Saito said as he pulled out a baggy muscle shirt and sweat pants from his pack.
XXXX
Juvia watched as Jenny gently ran a comb through Chiara's damp hair, the older girl humming a relaxing tune as she guided the brush through her little sisters silken strands.
Juvia and Jenny had already taken separate showers when they arrived to Juvia's apartment, the latter of the two having been slightly hesitant at letting them in her home. Chiara on the other hand excitedly by passed the older women's legs and giddily ran about the apartment before being calmed down by her sister.
After finishing their showers, Jenny had readied a bath for Chiara and helped her sister bathe. Now the little girl sat on her sister's lap, her eyes beginning to become half lidded as the calming sensations of the brush and Jenny's voice began to take effect.
For some reason, Juvia herself wanted to be the one who was brushing Chiara's hair. It was a feeling that confused and slightly terrified her at the same time.
"There now." Jenny said as she placed the brush down and let Chiara crawl onto the couch, a blanket and pillow already set out for her.
"Are you ready to go to sleep?"
Chiara could only nod as a yawn parted her lips. She groggily wiped her eyes and crawled under the blanket.
"Good night Ane-chan." Chiara mumbled. As soon as her head touched the pillow, Chiara was fast asleep.
Jenny smiled and gently kissed her sisters forehead.
"I can sleep on the floor for the night, it won't kill me." Jenny said as she stood up.
Juvia held up her arms and shook them slightly.
"Juvia couldn't let you do that, it would be rude of Juvia to not offer you the bed."
Jenny smiled and shook her head.
"It's alright mom…I don't mind in the least."
"But Juiva-"
"Mom…I'm fine with it." Jenny said, her smile still present but her voice was firm.
"It's late and we've both had a long day. Why don't you go to bed and we'll worry about sleeping arrangements in the morning."
Juvia could only nod as Jenny turned out the ceiling lamp, the only light now came from Juvia's bedside table. Occasionally a flash of lightning and distant rumble of thunder would fill the room.
XXXX
Later in the night…
Sleep didn't come easy for the mages of Fairy Tail; especially for Natsu, Gray, Levy and Erza.
While the same could be said Juiva, Lucy, and Gajeel, those three had at least been able to settle their minds to the point where they drifted off to sleep.
But for the three aforementioned mages, sleep seemed nothing if next to impossible for sleep to find them. It didn't help that the storm had picked up as well.
Natsu
Natsu lay on his back as he stared at the ceiling, his arm resting on his forehead. Igneel lay on the couch amongst the clutter in what constituted as the living room.
He would hear the Light Caster turn every now and then in his sleep while the rain continued its steady pattern against his bedroom window.
Natsu let out an explosive sigh, turned on his side and punched his pillow in hopes of giving it some extra fluff so he could fall asleep faster.
…It didn't work.
"Damn it." Natsu muttered under his breathe.
Ever since he'd left the guild hall and let Igneel tag along with him, he couldn't get what Igneel had said on the train out of his head.
Oh, he had heard what Igneel had said to Lucy. He may have been trying to avoid her, but that didn't mean he hadn't overheard what he said about him and Lucy.
"And I also saw how he looked at you. Whenever you and Happy weren't looking, dad's gaze would never leave you. Or when you two were walking down the streets of Crocus, dad would let your hand brush against his. And I don't need to tell you how protective he can be around you."
"Damn it." Natsu huffed again.
"You can deny it all you want but on some level, somewhere deep inside of your heart…you love dad. Though your mind says otherwise, your heart doesn't…so don't tell me you two don't like each other when it's pretty clear that you do."
"Freaking damn it." Natsu said as he gritted his teeth.
Why couldn't he shake those words out of his damn skull!
Natsu ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
It was true that he was extra protective around his guild mates, especially a little more around Lucy due to all of the leering and perverted looks she received from most of the guys no matter where they went.
But he was like that with anyone he was close to.
Lucy just needed a little extra attention that's all, Natsu tried to justify.
And of course he knew Lucy liked him. They were a nakama; they were family. They were supposed to love each other…right?
Natsu suddenly got a feeling in the pit of his stomach that the kind of "love" Igneel was talking about was something else entirely.
He wasn't talking about family love in the way siblings love each other but love, love.
The kind of love shared between a man and a woman.
Natsu bit his lip slightly.
There was no way Lucy could love him like that…could she?
Erza
Erza watched the drip down her window as the storm continued to rage outside, her knees pulled up to her chest beneath her bed sheet.
It was the perfect literal representation of the turbulent storm in her mind.
She had fallen asleep easily enough, having helped Senna set up her spare futon in the armor room adjacent to her room, and let the exhaustion she had fought off all day finally catch up with her.
But even while she slept, her dreams did not put her mind at ease.
She had dreamed she had been walking along the beach near the edge of town, her feet taking her through the shallow surf as the warm water rose and fell at her ankles. The soles of her feet gently grinded against the soft but course sand, thus eliciting a pleasant feeling in Erza's feet. She wore a simple, white sun dress; nothing more, nothing less. All the while, the sun was setting against the horizon.
She had wondered what she was doing at the beach but then again she could care less. She felt so calm, so at ease, that she just wanted to get lost in the moment.
As her legs carried her at an easy going pace, she noticed someone standing off in the distance.
As she got closer, mush to her surprise, that the person was none other than Jellal.
He wore a simple white button down shirt with the first two buttons near his neck undone along with the buttons on his wrists. A simple pair of khakis completed the look.
Jellal, as if sensing her presence, turned his head towards her and gave her the simple, small she loved so much.
But Jellal wasn't alone.
Holding his hand, was a little girl who wore a sundress similar to Erza's. Her blue hair with crimson highlights flowed freely in the wind.
Jellal kneeled down and said something to the girl, who in turn finally noticed Erza. A wide, beautiful smile formed on her face and she instantly began to run to Erza.
"Mommy!" The girl called out.
Erza, for reasons she couldn't explain, knelt down with her arms outstretched ready to embrace the girl.
It was at that point when she had woken up with a startled gasp.
Which is where she was now, unable to fall asleep, the vivid images of the dream playing over in her mind.
She knew who the child was.
And who her father was.
"Jellal." Erza whispered.
She loved Jellal, more than anyone else in the world, and she knew Jellal had the exact same feelings for her. She had wanted to take time to reconnect with him, to get to know him again. But now she feared Senna's arrival and what she entailed, would push him away from her again.
She had lost him once before…and she couldn't bear to face losing him again.
Levy…
Like Erza, Levy had woken from a dream herself, but it was of a different nature.
Her bedside lamp was on as she slowly turned the page of the book she had been trying to read. Now her eyes stared off into nothing, not seeing the words on the page before her.
Her mind replaying the dream in her head.
To be fair, the dream was something of the surreal nature.
She had found herself in a large, low lit library, sitting at an empty table. The massive book shelves held volume after volume of well-organized pieces of literature, the shelves themselves reaching high into the darkness of the ceiling; seemingly disappearing into nothing.
For a second, Levy thought she had died and gone to heaven.
She had immediately sprung from her seat and went to the nearest book she could find. Reaching the shelf, she gently pulled the book from its place, opened it and found that the page she had opened to was blank.
Levy frowned.
She tried another book and was met with the same result.
Levy frowned again.
She tried another book, then another and another.
And every time, she was presented with blank pages.
"Did you know that what you're doing could be considered the definition of insanity?" A voice said.
Levy turned her head to the voice and saw Saito leaning against a shelf.
The young mage smiled at his mother before fixing his posture.
"What…what are you doing here?" Levy asked.
Saito shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets before walking away from Levy and down the aisle of another shelf.
"Hey, wait!" Levy called out.
And so a game of cat and mouse had begun. Levy would find Saito on one side of a shelf and then he would be right behind her. Sometimes he would be two steps ahead of her and others he would be on the opposite side of the room.
She did not how long she had been running, time seemingly nonexistent in this library, but the chase finally ended when she finally caught up to Saito. He stood at the top of a stair case, flipping through a large leather bound book that rested on an angled pedestal.
However, someone else had arrived.
"Shorty? The hell are you doing here!?" Gajeel asked.
"Gajeel!?" Levy asked.
The sound of the heavy books cover closing alerted the two back to Saito…who had simply disappeared.
"Where'd he go?" Gajeel asked.
Timidly stepping up the small stair case, Gajeel right behind her, Levy approached the book.
The leather was fading and the binding looked like it had been replaced. The tan of the leather seemed to have lost its luster with the passage of time.
The title on the center of the book in simple script said "LEVY."
Levy tentatively opened the cover and the pages seemed to automatically flip to the middle of the book.
There, on the parchment paper and drawn in out in charcoal, was an amazingly detailed picture of Levy in a rocking chair, reading a book in one hand, the other resting on her swollen belly.
Levy gasped and stepped back from the book and into Gajeel as the page turned by itself. Gajeel placed a protective hand on her shoulder.
The page turned and Levy felt Gajeel's hand clench her shoulder slightly as the Dragon Slayer inhaled sharply. A new drawing had appeared.
This drawing showed Gajeel gently holding Levy from behind, his arms gently wrapping around her petite frame as the two looked at the small, bundle in Levy's arms. An impossibly small hand barely wrapped itself around Levy's outstretched pinkie finger.
Levy and Gajeel instantly knew what or to be more accurate, who was gently wrapped in the blanket.
The page turned again.
This time it revealed a now grown Saito in his Dragon Skin. Though his features were hard to discern since his features were hidden, his eyes seemed to be staring directly at Levy and Gajeel…a forlorn look forming in his eyes.
The dream abruptly ended there.
Levy had been unable to fall asleep since.
Levy bit her lip.
What was the purpose of that dream? Had it been to show her the future or to show her something else? And why was Gajeel there with her, seemingly able to interact with her?
Levy let out a long tired sigh.
Things were not adding up.
Gray
A flash of lightning illuminated Gray's room and he squinted at the sudden burst of light. The low rumble of thunder echoed off in the distance.
From his room, he could see Sam peacefully asleep on his couch, his chest steadily rising and falling with each silent breath. His right arm was draped over his eyes, thus sparring him from being awoken by the lightning.
Ever since he had climbed into bed, Gray had been unable to fall asleep and he wondered if the others were facing a similar problem.
Gray cursed under his breath and rolled onto his side, his back to Sam. He was still unnerved by how he and Sam looked alike.
But that was not what he was currently dwelling on.
"He's not just my son…he's Juvia's too."
A sad but confused look formed on Gray's face.
"And so are those two girls."
Gray had always been well aware of how Juvia felt towards him. The water mage was head over heels in love and even though Gray would never admit it, he grown to enjoying her company. But he wondered if there was more to it than just a simple attraction between the two of them.
His thoughts went back to how Wynonna nearly killed Juvia right before his eyes… the hysterical, gut wrenching panic he had felt at the mere thought of losing her.
The exact same feeling he had felt during the Grand Magic Games.
Gray unconsciously rubbed his chest where one of Motherglare's hatchlings had delivered its fatal attack.
He remembered the feeling of each attack as it struck his body…how he was literally blasted to pieces.
But there had been something else he remembered.
Despite being blasted through the head, Gray had found himself looking down on the battlefield, stuck in the limbo between leaving the body and entering the afterlife. He had watched as Lyon had called for Meredy…and how Juvia had wept over his body. It was then in a stark moment of clarity, that Gray had realized the extent of Juvia's feelings. It wasn't obsession or puppy love…it was true love. And she had nearly died because of that love.
She had nearly died because of him.
But then Ultear had reversed time…and Gray found himself back in the fight.
He hadn't told anyone about his experience; he was too afraid to do so, too conflicted with his feelings to tell Juvia.
Gray let out a tired sigh.
He was still trying to figure out how he felt for the water mage, all these months later. And even though he told Juvia she was being "clingy", he would admit to himself that he had kind of liked being with Juvia the way they were before they were attacked.
But now that Sam, Jenny and Chiara were staying with him and Juvia, the realization that they were his children was starting to set in. That he and Juvia, sometime in the future, had…had…
Had sex. Those two simple words echoed in Gray's mind like a gunshot.
They had made love; they had brought themselves together in a union that had produced three children.
Gray gritted his teeth at the thought.
It didn't seem possible.
He may have liked Juvia…but he didn't love her the way she wanted him to.
He couldn't love her that way…could he?
XXXX
Juvia had awoken to the crack of thunder and a small, barely noticeable whimper.
Juvia stepped out of bed and tied her night robe around her body. Making her way over to the couch where the whimper had come from, a concerned frown formed on Juvia's face when she saw Chiara tightly gripping her blanket and teddy bear, her teeth biting into her lips slightly.
Another crack of thunder rumbled through the air and heavy rain.
Chiara let out another, more audible whimper.
"Mommy." The little girl whimpered in her sleep.
Juvia knelt down and gently began to run her fingers through Chiara's hair in a soothing motion. She did not know what compelled her to do so…but it just felt like the right thing to do. Chiara whimpered every now and then so Juvia acted on another impulse.
Juvia gently pulled up Chiara's blanket and laid down on the couch, her little girl held close to her.
This seemed to calm Chiara down and soon the little girls was back to a peaceful sleep.
Juvia smiled. Something about this, holding Chiara close to her, felt right…it felt natural.
And all the while, Jenny had silently watched Juvia. A small smile formed on her face as she couldn't help but remember how Juvia would do the same thing when she was little…when she herself had been afraid of thunder storms.
XXXX
Natsu had managed to finally fall to sleep…only to be awakened five minutes later by Igneel. It almost sounded like Igneel was groaning in pain…extreme pain.
Getting out of bed Natsu slowly crept to his bedroom door and opened it a crack.
"Natsu," Happy asked as he wiped some sleep from his eyes, "what's wrong?"
"Shh." Natsu hushed happy.
Natsu looked through the opening in the door.
Igneel lay on his back, the spare bed sheet kicked aside, and writhed in what seemed to be pain.
Igneel's back began to arch as he began to grip and pull at his muscle shirt; his hands threatening to shred his shirt. The thick chords of muscle in his neck began to show under the strain as sweat ran down his skin.
It took Natsu a second to realize Igneel was caught in a nightmare and that he was trying to grip at his scar.
Feeling that he had to do something, Natsu stepped out of his room to help Igneel.
"Hey!" Natsu said as he gripped Igneel's shoulders.
"Hey, calm down, you're alright!"
Igneel continued to fight against Natsu's hands.
"Igneel, wake up! You're just having a dream! Damn it man, WAKE. UP!"
Igneel's eyes suddenly opened…
And in one fluid motion, Igneel bolted upright, pinned down Natsu's one arm and used his free hand to choke slam Natsu to the ground.
Natsu tried to fight against Igneel's grip but the Light Caster wouldn't let up.
"Igneel!" Natsu wheezed, "It's me!"
Igneel suddenly froze as he finally became aware of his surroundings.
He let go of Natsu and pushed himself away from the Dragon Slayer; hyperventilating.
Coughing, Natsu sat up and gave Igneel worried look as he rubbed his neck as Happy came over help Natsu sit up.
Igneel looked at Natsu, then his hands and back to Natsu.
"D-dad?" Igneel asked.
"You were having a serious nightmare…I tried to wake you up but when I did you attacked me."
"O-oh my…o-oh my Gods I'm so sorry!"
Natsu gave Igneel a concerned look. What had he been dreaming of that prompted him to attack?
"You alright?" Natsu asked.
Igneel took a deep calming breath and shakily rose to his feet as he sat back on the couch.
"Y-yeah…I'm fine. I'm fine…I just need to take a breather that's all."
A tense silence fell between the two.
"You….you want to talk about it?" Natsu ventured.
Igneel shook his head as he rested his eyes on his palm.
"I'm fine dad…just go back to sleep."
"Are you sure? I mean I cou-"
"Dad…I'm fine." Igneel said firmly as he looked up at Natsu. His eyes were firm and his mouth was set in a thin line.
Natsu held up his hands defensively.
"Alright…alright."
Natsu and Happy headed back to Natsu's room. The fire mage casted one last worried glance over his shoulder at the mage who was his son before closing the door.
"Is Igneel alright?" Happy whispered.
"Yeah, he's fine Happy…he just had a really bad dream that's all." Natsu said as he tried to reassure Happy.
"But what the hell caused him to have it." Natsu whispered to himself.
Back on the couch, Igneel sat hunched over with his forehead and eyes resting in his hands.
"It was that nightmare again." Igneel hissed as his hands began to tremble slightly, a single, silent tear rolled its way down his cheek before dripping onto the floor.
"It was that freaking nightmare."
Another tear fell.
"Damn her…damn them all." Igneel whispered.
XXXX
A/N: And there we go guys! A little angst thrown in with some mystery. I hope I did a good job of getting into everyone's heads with this chapter. I tried to imagine how one would feel and think if they were in this particular situation. Anyhow, I did my best so that's all that matters right?
As always, read and review please! If you have any questions or comments just leave 'em in your review.
Until then, I will see you all next time; happy reading!