"Table for four" Meredy told the waiter.

"Oh course, madam. Right this way" Drake and Elise followed Meredy and the waiter towards the table. Drake couldn't believe that Meredy hadn't thought of a better plan than just waltzing into a fancy restaurant with an unconscious teen, but Drake did his best to ignore the stares he was getting for carrying her. Of course, as soon as Meredy flashed a bunch of jewel at the waiter, he was more than courteous to them. They sat down and Drake placed Nashi down gently, who just leaned back gently and continued to sleep. At least, that's what Drake liked to think of it as. Thinking about her on deaths door while Meredy treated them to a five star meal kind of irritated him, but he chose to think of it as sleeping regardless. Meredy seemed way to upbeat, and Drake found it slightly off putting.

"So just what the hell where you guys doing where Angel was undercover anyway?" Meredy asked beside him, and Drake sighed.

"We were doing a job when we were caught, and they captured us and kept us prisoner." Meredy was silent for a moment. She leaned in close to him.

"When I used a sensory link on you guys," She began quietly. "I felt a lot of pain around here..." Drake felt a little lightheaded as he saw Meredy wave her hand around her lower half. "Was your friend over there...?"

"Yeah, she was." Drake replied. Meredy's demeanor didn't change at all, which confused Drake further. How could she remain so upbeat and all smiles with the knowledge Drake had confirmed for her? It didn't make any sense. Drake quickly lost interest in that, however, when a lobster was placed in front of him. Drake, and Elise, began devouring their food, as Meredy watched, slightly amused. Drake had never been so happy to just devour food like this, and he was too hungry too care.

"So I take it I'm taking you guys too Fairy Tail?" Meredy asked, playing with her own portion. Drake eyed it ravenously, and Meredy pushed it towards him.

"How'd you know?" He asked, beginning to stuff Meredy's food into his mouth as well.

"Well, your friend over there is obviously Gajeel's kid, and I'd have to be stupid not to recognize a Dragneel when I saw her... " Meredy trialed off and eyed him. "And I knew Erik had a kid, but I never put two and two together and realized it was with Kinana." Drake felt like slapping himself as he realized who Erik was. His FATHER was Erik, he just didn't realize it. He'd dwell on it later, but right now, he had food to eat.

"So the train station is here?" Drake asked, trying to fight down his fear of said transportation. Meredy nodded.

"It doesn't go all the way too Magnolia, but it goes pretty far."

I already feel like throwing up. Drake heard Elise think from the other side of the table. It was relatively strange hearing what she wanted too say as she chewed her meal, without sounding as if she had food in her mouth.

"I can't wait too see how bad you are with transportation," Meredy said with a grin. "Your dad is terrible. I remember once we were tracking these dark wizards in the west and we had to board a train, and I swear he was going to die if he stayed on it any longer then he had too." Meredy broke out in a fit of laughter, and Drake tried his best to chuckle with her. He didn't really find it that funny, especially since he could understand his fathers discomfort.

"What's my dad like, anyway?" Drake asked, breaking Meredy's laughing fit with his question. Meredy made a face that made Drake realize she was thinking.

"He's a stick in the mud," She replied. "I remember once I asked him to help me set up a surprise party for Jellal's birthday, and he straight up refused, said it was childish I'd even asked. The others were completely willing to help me though. Richard especially."

"What does he look like?" Drake inquired. He knew it must've sounded pathetic, but he hadn't seen his father since he was eight, and all he remembered was a white coat, dark red hair, and a venomous smirk. (Hehe, he was so punny.)

"He looks a lot like you, actually." Meredy replied. "His hair spikes up though, and his eyes aren't purple." Drake tried to see it, but it didn't visualize. He sighed in defeat, and stared out the window. He could see, in it's reflection, Elise feeding Nashi, which barely worked at all, seeing as Nashi's head was tilted back and it wouldn't go down, and Meredy was watching with a bemused smile. He sighed again. He could still see the last time he'd seen his father, clear as day, as if it had been yesterday.

He'd just spent all day hanging out with Nashi, Elise, Ultear and Simon. He was in high spirits after watching Ul and Simon pretend too fight. Eve if it wasn't real, it still excited him. He told them both flat out when they got older, he'd beat them both, and they agreed. He came home and found his mother crying.

"What's wrong, mom?" He asked worriedly. She looked up.

"It's... it' nothing. It's just... your father got an emergency call from Jellal. He has to leave." Drake remembered his stomach turned so much he felt as if he was on a train.

Drake sprinted as fast as he could after his father, tears streaming down his face. He had to catch him, he couldn't leave without saying goodbye!

"Dad!" Drake shouted as loud as he could, and h saw his father turn, flashing his signature smirk.

"What the hell are you doing, kid?" He demanded, as Drake flung himself at him, crying intensely.

"You can't just leave without saying goodbye! You can't leave at all! Tell Jellal you can't make it!" He cried, grabbing at his fathers cloak, hearing him chuckle.

"Jellal doesn't work that way kid. He needs me, I can't just not show up. He was kind enough to let me stay as long as I did."

"Tell him your staying! He'll understand, he has a son!"

"And he's never around, is he?" Drake was stunned into silence, he hadn't thought of it like that. Jellal was barely around for Simon, but Simon didn't particularly like his father either.

"But Simon doesn't even like his Dad! I do!"

"Isn't that because Jellal was never around?" Drake's father had gotten him again. He felt his father push him off and go to eye level with him. "Listen up kid. I need to go, that can't change. But I promise I'll come back. When you need me and there's no other hope, I'll come back, and then you'll see me again, got it?"

"What does that even mean, dad?" Drake asked, feeling a fresh wave of tears breaching his eyes.

"Stop crying, it's not like it's the end of the world." He scolded. "Your a Fairy Tail wizard. You've got your friends and Kinana, don't you? Well, they're your family just as much as I am, and when you grow up, you better defend my honor and beat the Salamanders kid, got it?" Drake sniffled.

"Got it" His father chuckled again.

"Besides, how could you ever hate me? I'm too lovable."

"In your dreams, dad" Hugging Drake one last time, he grinned a him, stood back up, and proceeded to continued walking away.

That had been the last time Drake had seen him at all.

When I need him the most, and there's other hope... so where the hell are you, Dad?

"Drake," Meredy spoke, interrupting his thoughts. He jerked up, looking around like a lost child at a supermarket.

"Yeah, what? What happened?" He inquired, watching the girls look at each others strangely.

"Are you okay?" Meredy asked. "You were staring out that window for at least 25 minutes." Drake tried to hide the red from his face at the comment. Had she been trying to speak to him? He'd been too lost in the past to hear her, which was pretty big for a sound mage like him.

"Sorry, just thinking about getting home"

Are you gonna finish that? Elise questioned pointing towards the plate of food in front of him. He shook his head, and she grabbed it and began to eat it hungrily.

"Speaking of home" Meredy said. "As soon as you finish that, we'll get on the way too the train station, alright? You guys can try and catch some sleep on the train, if your not too busy throwing all this food up Drake paled.

"You fed us for your own amusement, didn't you?" He demanded. Meredy giggled.

"Partially, but mainly to get some food in you in general."

Drake wanted to strangle her for that.