The ride back on the train had been a long one. Juvia had fallen asleep against Gray and he was the only one still awake. He just had too many questions on his mind. How had Raven Tail survived? Why didn't Bickslow tell him he was alive all of this time? Maybe it was only Warner and Carma that made it out, but that didn't sound right given what Babasaama had told him.
So then why hadn't he received word from his brother over the course of these 3 years? Did Bickslow think that he couldn't trust him? He thought that they had come to terms with that a long time ago.
He sighed, that couldn't be that either. Raven Tail had their reasons to keep the rest of the world in the dark.
As the train came to their stop, he shook Gray awake and watched as the ice mage picked up his sleeping girlfriend. Exiting the train, he knew he needed to speak to his grandfather. He would find this information interesting.
Ivan sighed as he returned home empty handed. Remy would be mad with him for not bringing Vik home, but he had no idea as to where the boy had to be. Bickslow had headed home as well, he and Lisanna wanted to get Xenia to bed as it was way past the girl's bedtime.
Remy was waiting up for him, but instead of looking worried, he looked rather smug. "Back so soon?"
He was kind of unnerved by his husband's actions. "Yeah. I couldn't find him."
He waited for the yelling to start, but instead found his lover chuckling. "I think I have an idea of where he could be and don't worry. He'll be fine." Remy jumped up from his seat and started stocking towards him.
"What do you mean?" He said really confused, as his lover backed him against a wall.
"You know I do like it when you shave." Remy said into his ear. What did that have to do with anything? Sure he hadn't been able to shave in a while but that had nothing to do with their son at the moment.
"Remy, I think we need to find Vik. You said you know where he could be, but what if he isn't? It's getting cold out there you know." He said, trying to talk sense into his husband.
Remy gave him a frown. "And here I thought we could enjoy the night alone."
"Not when our kid is out running the streets." He said, annoyed with his lover's behavior.
"But he's not on the streets." Remy said annoyed that his night had been ruined.
"You don't know that." He quipped back.
Remy sighed. "He's with Kitt. He'll be fine."
That made him raise an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't stand Kitt."
"I don't hate the boy. He's just confused. Much like I used to be." Remy stated.
He still didn't understand what Remy was talking about. "What do you mean? You were never a drinker."
Remy face palmed. "That's not what I meant. I'm talking about us."
"What about us?" Really what did Kitt have to do with Remy and himself. That made no sense.
"You and me, before we started…well you know." Remy looked at him expecting him to know what he was talking about.
"No, I don't know. What are you even talking about?" He asked dumbfounded.
Remy let out a growl of annoyance, before slamming him against the wall and locking lips with him. While he still had questions, he had to admit that he rather liked this side of his lover. From time to time, it was okay to have angry bouts of passion, but now was not the time for that. He pushed back on Remy giving him a look of confusion over his actions. They just didn't fit the situation.
Remy gave him a glare. "Kitt doesn't realize that he is gay, Ivan. Just like I didn't know all of those years ago. Really when did you get so dense?"
"I'm not dense, you just wanted to jump into bed without even saying anything. Besides, how can you be fine with Vik being sexually active? He's only 17." He argued back.
"Like you're one to talk. You were sleeping with Kaya when you were 16. Besides, you never had a problem with Bickslow and Lisanna doing it." Remy sneered.
"That was because the boy was in his twenties. He's not a teenager. And I regret that. I should have never slept with Kaya because all it did was screw up her life." He said with more venom than he thought he could muster.
Remy gave him a funny look. "But we didn't know about our feelings yet."
He looked away from his husband. "If I didn't sleep with her, then I wouldn't have married her and she wouldn't have had to die in child birth."
"Ivan…" He looked up, Remy was closer again, and he was going to say something, when he received a slap to the face. "Ivan Dreyar-Resus! Don't you dare blame yourself for that!"
He touched the side of his face. "That hurt, you bastard!"
"Well I was hoping to knock some sense into you. It's not your fault that she died. That's just how life works. Do you regret Laxus too? That boy is alive because you married her and I bet he wouldn't be too happy with you if he knew that you regretted your relationship with his mother."
"He didn't like me too much to begin with anyway. He was probably glad to find out I "died"." He didn't mean to sound so bitter. After all, he did have a good life with his lover and their two children, but that time was lost. That time of watching Laxus grow up was gone. The boy became a man without him even knowing. Bickslow came to them as a man, but they were able to help him train and grow. Laxus was beyond growing and he had missed everything.
To his surprise, Remy walked over and placed him into a hug. "I doubt that he hates you that much. You just don't know each other."
"But how are we even supposed to know each other? It's not like we are going to stay peaceful. War is coming and Laxus is an S class mage. He will be ordered to fight for Fiore." He knew this for a fact. It was the same reason he and Remy had been called all of those years ago.
"Do you really think he would fight against us? Against Bickslow? The two of them are friends. If anything, he would be happy to see us alive, along with your father. We're a family. Laxus knows what happened. I doubt that he would side with the King after knowing such information."
He tried to pull free from Remy's grasp, but he didn't have the strength. His lover held him tightly against him. "Just promise me, that no matter what happens. You'll never leave me. I've already lost too much"
Remy gave him a sad smile. "I love you. I have no reason to ever leave you. Even if you are a handful from time to time" Remy leaned in placing a kiss on his forehead. "Why don't I show you how much I love you?"
He had just gotten to sleep, who would be knocking on his door at this time of night. Makarov raved as he stormed off towards the door.
"Whatever it is, it can wait till morning." He said not looking up at his guest.
"Gramps it can't wait." Laxus said, his arms crossed at the door.
The old man sighed. "Fine, but I'm not making anything and I'm tired, so make it fast."
Laxus let himself in, sitting down on the small couch as he jumped onto his easy chair.
His grandson let out a huff, before starting to speak. "What if I told you that there are still some Raven's flying about?"
He blinked a couple of times. "Laxus, now is not the time for jokes."
"Gramps, I'm not joking. Babasaama was visited by two members of Raven Tail." He stated.
He let out a weak laugh. "That old coot is probably just seeing things in her old age."
"I highly doubt it. What she said was rather convincing. If it was just Warner than I would have given it a pass, but she had no knowledge of Carma's existence, yet she knew her as Warner's wife." Now this sparked his interest.
"What else did she say?" He wanted to know more, he wasn't ready to admit that Ivan and Bickslow could be alive, but he was still interested none the less.
Laxus sighed. "While they were there, they were looking for information on Winoona Fertes. Warner's mother. They also came with a warning."
His eyebrows scrunched together. "A warning of what?"
"As much as I want to make that treaty with Absolon, it may all be for nothing. Absolon must be gearing up for war as well. Both governments want it and Absolon may have an edge. If Raven Tail is involved than we much prepare ourselves for the on slot. I will fight, but only to protect the innocent people of Fiore, not for the ideals of a King bent on controlling our neighbors to the north." Laxus proclaimed.
"Do you think that Ivan and Remy agreed to start a war?" While it wasn't too surprising, he didn't think that his son would want to see innocent lives be messed with. Wasn't that why Raven Tail was formed in the first place.
"Only if they saw no other option. Think about it Gramps, their guild and home was destroyed. They may have had nowhere else to go after the blast and it was their only option. Also as experience has taught me, anger and hatred are the worst kind of fuel. It may have been a decision made in anger and now they may be looking for a way out. Why else would they reveal two of their members to Ooba?" Laxus did have a point.
"So how do we go about contacting them?" He didn't want to sound too hopeful, but if there was any chance that they could be alive, he would not waste any time.
Laxus leaned into the couch. "That part I don't know, but I feel like a trip to Absolon is in order."
"When will you be going?" He asked, knowing he would have to stay here and hold down the fort.
"I will take the Thunder Legion and our families. I can easily write it off as a vacation for us all." Laxus said, slightly gloomy.
"Won't that put them in danger?" He asked.
"Not if they don't know the reason for the trip. We will keep it just between you and me."
He watched his wife put their daughter down to sleep, as a small beeping noise came from their living room.
He left, he knew that signal. Warner and Carma were on their way back.
'You don't seem too worried. If they are coming back this soon, than they must have not gotten any information.' The demon said in the back of his mind.
He smirked to himself. 'That wasn't the point. It did what it needed to do.'
'And what was that exactly?' The demon asked.
'The world has believed us dead for far too long. Let the rumors stir first. Put the people on edge a little before the curtain opens and the first act begins.'
'I'm still lost. There is no reason to speak in riddles with me. It's not like I can tell anyone anything.' The demon scoffed inside his head.
'The people of Fiore think that we were in the wrong, but this will clench Fiore's need for war. They will come and try to attack our borders as the rumors grow. King Fiore will feel a need to silence those rumors, by attacking the country that started them.' He thought back.
'How is that a good thing?' Cetus said confused.
He chuckled slightly. 'Because they will have walked right into my trap.'
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
I know, no Vik, Kitt, or Edvin in this chapter, but we did need to spend some time with the other characters. Remy and Ivan needed some love and this story is about both Bickslow and Laxus, so really they need to be featured, lol.