Gosh, I love you guys spamming me even though I take forever with updates. Thank you for your reviews!
Angry9guy, a good checklist, maybe forward it to Mashima xD Especially the part about Fried's confession and Erza's therapy.
Isanien, reading the whole thing over the course of a few weeks... You know that's 1188 pages, font size 10? Are you mad? xD (Also THANK YOU.) Hmm, drunk Jellal and Laxus. Gonna have to think on that, unless you (or someone else) has more input on that?
ImUnknown321, there will always be overprotective Jellal :D Always. Next time featuring Rosemary's full name.
User312308102004, no worries, while I do have an approximate idea of the ending scene, the outline until then is still... well, I'm on page 27 of 66 of notes ':D So probably not this year either, yay? :D
To infinity of this story and beyond!
Meredy roused with a twist wringing her insides like a wet dishrag. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she held her stomach. It wasn't so bad, she thought to herself, she was being stupid. The fever was almost gone after all.
Warmth spread in her belly, a slight weight sliding onto it. She frowned against the darkness, finally filtering completely out of sleep. Warm? She'd been feeling empty and achy, homesick – not that she'd tell him once he came home. She signed. Whenever that was going to be. Missions with Juvia were neat, but hearing about her guildmates cleaning up after the battle of the decade in Era? Staying over, playing with the baby, seeing Erza and Jellal…
Ache turned to jealousy. Meredy furled her fingers around the blanket. She snuffed her face into the cushions, confused when something dropped from her forehead. Unbracing her hand, she found a cloth. Moist, probably cool at some point. Her stomach was next, and sure enough when she checked, there was a hot water bottle. Come to think of it, the pillow was inviting her to cuddle into it, recently fluffed. On the nightstand, she could make out the silhouettes of a mug of what had to be tea, a glass of water, and another mug with a flowerhead dangling over the rim.
Just how deeply had she been asleep?
"Comfortable?"
Meredy's eyes snapped to the end of the bed. Her body flowed into the mattress like melted butter.
"How are you feeling?" His hand reached for the bundle she'd made of herself. He missed her foot twice, trying to locate it, and she smiled, not giving him any hints as to where it was.
"Tired," but warm, Meredy thought to herself.
Jellal patted her knee through the covers. "Dinner's almost ready. Do you want to eat with us now or later?" He leaned sideways to rummage for the lacrima cramped into his pocket. The screen momentarily illuminated his face. Lines clung to his lower eyelids, though no less than usual. Baby duty – gladly taken. No visible scars, no leftover bruises from the fight, not that she could see. "It's still early."
"Later," Meredy yawned. She turned over, enjoying Erza's habit of hoarding blankets around herself.
He didn't get up immediately. Opening her eyes, Meredy could not catch any light from the lacrima. Back in his pocket. It tempted her to call him a stalker – he must have been watching her – but the silence was soothing, and the attention welcome. There was no room to belittle herself for being a child. After all this time, she simply enjoyed his company.
"Jellal?" Her voice was still small with sleep.
"Mhm."
"Do you remember how you came in dead last in the 24-hour race out of everyone, including Happy and Droy?"
"It hasn't been that long…" Jellal pulled a face; she could hear it in his tone.
"And do you remember how you lost the tournament of the Grand Magic Games in front of the entire country because we made you taste chillis and then Ultear—"
"Your point?"
Silence. Then, "Just checking."
She harked into the next silence. She could practically hear him purse his lips in annoyance.
He dropped his palms on his lap with finality, the bed creaking as he got up. "And thus, the very last time he ever took care of her came to a premature end," Jellal sighed.
Meredy couldn't keep from giggling anymore. She buried her face in the pillow when she heard him round the bed. Eyes shut tightly, she refused to meet his glare where he crouched at eye level.
"Welcome home," she whispered. A smile stretched her words.
Jellal flicked her shoulder. "You too."
His clothes rustled as he stood. He was almost out the door when Erza knocked on the jamb.
Merely yelped in belated pain. "Ow! Erza, he hit me!"
"Did not." Jellal stuttered for words when Erza crossed her arms. He returned to Meredy's side. "I didn't! I only flicked like this." With zeal, he aimed for her arm this time.
Meredy scowled at him, but it didn't last long with how gleeful his grin was.
"Owww," she whined, again too late.
Erza shook her head. Trading places with Jellal, she ran a hand over the 'injured' spot. "You alright?"
"I was better until just now…" Meredy pouted. Seeing Jellal imitate her, she sucked her lips in, caught.
Erza gave them both a mild look of displeasure for their antics. "Do you know what caused your fever?" She felt Meredy's forehead.
Jellal meanwhile searched the bed for the fallen cool cloth.
The hot water bottle, Meredy kept strapped to herself. She swatted him away where he had to lean over the bed, then, reconsidering, plucked at his shirt until he read her thoughts off her stubborn forehead, handing her the mug with tea.
Meredy sat up with a laborious groan she found wasn't necessary anymore. A good sign – she really was feeling better – but there was no way she would quit nagging now that she had the desired audience. "Remember that beast tamer whose lizard took a bite out of you?"
Jellal crawled off the bed to elbow Erza. "She's taking us down such beautiful memory lanes."
"How could I not," Erza grumbled. Her hand went to her thigh, rubbing the healed flesh.
Both hands wrapped around the mug, Meredy took a sip of tea. "Well, he broke out of his cell and one of his snakes bit me. He's back in custody now though."
"Didn't you ask Wendy to heal you?" Jellal was back on the bed, touching her forehead.
Meredy didn't have it in her to push him off. A small jerk of her chin would be enough, perfect even, because he retracted his hand but didn't retreat from the bed just yet. "I did, she healed me, I just… I guess the wound infection had spread enough to cause a fever."
"That's odd. I remember when Wendy first healed me after Erik's snake had bitten me," Erza said. The appreciative flicker in Jellal's eyes didn't go unnoticed when she used Erik's actual name instead of Cobra. "I was fine afterwards. And she's come a long way since then."
"Not everyone can be you, Erza…" Meredy mumbled into her tea. She ignored the knowing glances that were exchanged.
With a shrug and her hands on her hips, Erza held out her hand. "I'll ask her to drop by sometime soon."
Jellal laid the lacrima in Erza's hand.
"You're leaving?" Meredy sat up straighter. Noticing her own enthusiasm, she crumpled back into the pillows, a dry cough in her throat.
Jellal gave her a look for the cough.
He followed Erza to the kitchen. Meredy could hear them talk, but the words only became intelligible when they moved back down the hall.
"It's alright. The fresh air will to her good."
"She does love her walks…" Jellal sounded like a puppy left in the rain.
Erza snickered. She patted his cheek teasingly, then wrapped Rosemary into the baby sling against her chest as she went out the front door. Jellal turned the key in the lock, lingering for a moment. Had there been a window next to the door, he wouldn't have returned within the next minutes, Meredy was sure. Stalking his daughter. Woefully watching until she was out of sight.
But return he did, a soft sigh on his lips as he plopped himself down on the bed and sat against the headboard.
"So much for dinner." Meredy glanced up. She had deposited the empty mug on the nightstand, but her face was far from snuggled into the cushions – her ears needed to be free to listen. Not to what was being said, merely their voices. Preferably close like now, his tone deep with gentleness.
"We'll eat together." He kept his gaze forward. The front door, Meredy thought, but he wasn't looking, not really. Eyes glazed, chest deflating, Jellal shuffled closer. "I'm sorry if we don't spend as much time together as we used to. I should have known it was today." Scooting down, his arm cushioned her shoulders.
Meredy closed her eyes. "I didn't want to believe you could forget. You of all people – writing the date at work every day. I don't think half of Fairy Tail knows what year it is, but you forget."
He chuckled. "She'd be mad at me."
"Hopping mad."
"And then I'd be bullied for the next week."
"At least." Meredy couldn't ban the smile from her voice. "We'd pick on you together. Like old times." A sniffle invaded her nose. She ignored it for as long as she could, until it was so runny and loud, she had to wipe her face with her sleeve.
Jellal produced one of the countless handkerchiefs he carried for cleaning baby slobber. "She'd be proud how solemnly you're keeping up tradition."
When he advanced with the handkerchief instead of handing it over, habit from Rosemary kicking in, Meredy quickly took it from him.
He busied himself with tucking the blanket tightly around her instead, as far as he could reach without removing his arm. "Is that why you're remembering all those glorious failures of mine? Ultear's bullying?"
"They were hilarious." Meredy hated how stuffy she sounded, blowing her nose hard.
"So why the 24-hours race?"
"That was hilarious too."
"It has nothing to do with her!" He poked her side.
Meredy yelped. The handkerchief landed on the floor. She had to defend herself, thrashing her legs in what had become an unforeseen prison of fabric. Catching his attacking hand, she slammed the back of her head into his arm. It wasn't enough. Jellal easily wound out. It cost him his hearing for a minute when Meredy shrieked, soon a shaking heap of laughter and heaving breaths.
Neither heard the front door open. Pigtails drawing shadows up the wall like devil horns, Wendy watched with amusement.
"He's… evil," Meredy panted. The shadow horns lined up almost perfectly with his head. She didn't mind anymore when Jellal left to change Rosemary, or even when Wendy finished healing and skipped after Erza into the kitchen, ready to make dessert pancakes.
Two hours later, the house was in silence.
Juvia peered through the kitchen window. Plates dried next to the sink. The lights were off, but it wasn't even dark outside yet. She snuck back to the front door.
"I don't think they're home, darling."
"Where else would they be?" Gray wasn't put off so easily. Neither from inserting an ice copy of the key in the front door.
They knew that Meredy was fine and most likely staying over. Juvia had packed a few things from Fairy Hills, worried when Wendy had gone with Erza.
The hall was deserted. The bathroom, door open, was just as empty. They checked the bedroom.
Curtains drawn, the setting sun seeping in from the front door was their only guide to see. Blue hair in the middle. His chest rose and fell evenly. He'd gotten the hang of falling asleep quickly, whenever needed – or whenever possible.
Rosemary was sprawled on Jellal's chest like a starfish, head drooping into the hollow of his neck. Meredy had chosen Jellal's left arm as her pillow. On his other side, Erza was hogging his right arm, his palm pressed to her face, her back curling into his side. With her free hand, she held Wendy who was using the crook of Erza's body as a nest to snuggle into.
Charle appeared behind Juvia and Grey.
"And here I was going to pick her up to come home," she tutted fondly.
Gray smiled. "She already is."
Stirring lazily with her straw, Lucy chinked ice cubes against the inside of the glass. "Here they go again…"
"Just a regular day at the guild." Levy slurped up her own lemonade.
Behind them, the bench creaked. Erza had gotten up from her table. "Jellal," she fumed after him, "how many times do I have to say it? Don't make the bed – I mean don't wash it."
"Why not?"
"Because it was my turn."
"Does it matter who puts it in the washing machine?"
"It does! I've told you a hundred times to let me help you, but you always do everything."
"And I told you that I don't mind." He sounded calm, though perhaps only tired after hours of debate about him rejecting the title the Great Ishgar Council wanted to give him. No breather, no end to arguing, just a change in topic.
Erza stomped her foot. "But I do!"
"Then… be faster about it?" Jellal caught himself walking away and stopped. He didn't like to fight at the guild. At the same time, he was learning to stand his ground. "You already did the shopping today."
"And I was going to do the bed afterwards; it was my job."
"It doesn't matter—"
"It does to me!"
"Well, I'm—" Jellal frowned to himself. "Not sorry for doing the laundry. I took a break from work and was happy to do something that didn't involve staring at tiny letters."
"Then play with Rosie!"
"She was sleeping!"
"Good!"
"I know!"
Levy hackled the melting cubes in her drink with her straw by far less gently than Lucy. "You know, we have this argument so often, but it's always the exact opposite," she murmured. "Gajeel never does enough around the house. I know he tries to avoid it if he can."
"Excuse me?!" Gajeel combusted on the spot.
Lucy cringed when he marched over from another other table. Dragon Slayer ears – Levy must have gotten used to it. She didn't wince, didn't even blink.
He slammed his hand on the table, sending ice cubes clattering with the glasses jumping. "I earn us good money, woman!"
"You better after you made me pregnant with twins!"
"And they're darn awesome!"
"Don't distract from your laziness, Gajeel."
"Damnit, it worked with Titania," he grumbled.
Lucy shared his wry smile. "Yeah, they're pretty much back to hugs and kisses." Glancing over her shoulder, she could hardly turn back quickly enough, blush streaming into her cheeks. "Okay, too much." She focused hard on the rest of her drink. Contrary to Juvia, whose eyes were bulging out of their sockets, thirstily observing every detail.
Lucy waited until Gajeel looked equally distracted by his guildmates making up by making out. "But isn't that easily solvable?" She lowered her voice close to Levy. "Like with a plan for chores?"
"If only he paid attention to it." Levy slurped up the melted ice.
Gajeel whirled back around to them. "Hey! I cooked twice last week!"
"Two days out of seven days – wow…"
"Lunch and dinner. And you loved that steak."
"That was a good steak." Levy nodded to herself. Lucy could see protests bubbling up though, things other than cooking, but they were overrun before reaching the tip of Levy's tongue.
"I want steak." Erza's eyes sparkled, suddenly between the girls' heads.
Jellal had sat back down. He plucked at her braid to stop her from creeping Lucy and Levy out, or crawling onto their bench.
Seeing as he had his arm up, Erza readily twirled back to their table, dropping herself into him before he could take the gesture back, securing his arm over her shoulders by grabbing his wrist. "Or soup." Her other hand snuck beneath his shirt, absently rather than intentionally. "Can we make soup?"
"Of course."
"The one with the noodle letters?!" she gasped with enthusiasm. The sparkles were back, bright and childish, softening his gaze indefinitely.
He squeezed her to him, then weaved his arm away. "How about you wait for Master to relinquish Rosebud, and I'll go shop some ingredients in the meantime. Including noodle letters."
"No can do." Her knee bumped against the table. She'd thrown her leg over his, keeping him in his seat. "We just discussed this. I'm going shopping."
Jellal gently shoved her knee off his. "It's fine."
"It's not."
"I'll be right back. Also please I don't spontaneously spend a fortune on—"
"Jellal—"
He took both of her hands in his. Not defiantly, not annoyed, but adamantly, he met her eyes. "Erza, there is nothing wrong with how much you do around the house."
"But I—"
"You don't have to feel bad or lazy or like a burden, because you're not. If it wasn't for you, I couldn't be further from where I am today. Just think of all the burdens you carried for my sake."
Too stunned to speak, she let him continue.
"Don't you remember the sleepless nights we spent because I had ruined a perfectly good day with my doubts? The endless weeks and months of running from the public, from your friends, because I didn't dare show them what you had been dying to enjoy for years? I made up so many lies and brought you so much misery and still, you stayed. You stayed and endured and tried, over and over, no matter the hopeless case I was. I was being so unfair, hardly trying myself, only ever ruining your hard-earned efforts in the blink of an eye, but you didn't give up on me."
"I would never give you up." Her voice wobbled, eyes swimming.
"I know." Jellal kissed her knuckles. He ran his thumbs over them, and she watched, mesmerised. "Thank you," he kissed them again, "for all that you did for me, no matter how small. And please don't feel as if you still owe me in any way – I told you that I enjoy doing the housework. Please believe me too when I tell you that I am in no way irritated if you don't help. You've done so much more than could be asked of any one human being—"
"Anything for you."
"My love."
Now both teary, they shared another kiss that made Lucy take a hasty, cool sip of lemonade. When they hugged, she could hear at least one out of two spines pop. She was almost glad when the next fight took her attention away.
"What do you mean, you won't accept it either?"
Gajeel huffed. Waving off, he angered Levy further.
"It's a great honour, Gajeel. And you will defend our country, won't you?"
"'Course I will," he grunted.
"Then why—"
"Why is it no big deal when Starboy here rejects the summons, but you get super mad at me when I do it?"
"Because, Gajeel, it will make you look like a criminal if you don't!"
"Jellal was also—"
"This isn't about Jellal, stop distracting."
"I'm not!" His forehead met hers, reminding Lucy too much of Gray and Natsu. Gajeel's lips twitched though, on their way to puckering. It had worked on Erza, that aggressive, fiery kiss in the heat of the argument.
Levy narrowed her eyes at the long silence. She leaned away, crossing her arms.
A hand appeared on her shoulder. "If I may." Jellal tried not to be too much like Erza rocketing into someone else's private space, instead turning on the bench in their backs to face them. "We did consider your concerns. For me in particular, declining the duty as Sentinel of Ishgar might drive a wedge between the Council and me."
"There," Levy said to Gajeel, "you hear."
"Nonetheless," Jellal interrupted, "you just said yourself that he will defend the country."
"Which I will," Gajeel growled.
Levy let out a razored breath. "So?"
Lucy scooted closer to her best friend. "I have to say, I don't see a reason not to sign it then. I was unsure at first too, but now I really don't see a catch. There's reward money too," her voice swelled. The only insecurity to her had been her own magic power; if she could defend the country, not if she would.
Jellal nodded. "It's true, the Council pays handsomely. I imagine the Ishgar Grand Council will too. But what if the invader isn't from outside of Ishgar?"
The girls exchanged a frown.
Erza got up when the door to Makarov's office opened. Taking Rosemary from him, she wheeled the Master into the room rather than back into his office.
Jellal continued, "So far, we've only faced one threat outside of Ishgar – Zeref's invasion. I don't know where Acnologia came from, but the enemies you've faced as Fairy Tail were from Fiore. Most of them Dark Guilds, but what about your fight with Phantom Lord? Who is to decide which guild is in the right? What kind of sentence is the Council entitled to pass on you if you keep fighting against their decision?"
"That's some pretty blasphemous speech for someone called a Wizard Saint." Laxus leaned casually on the high backrest of Makarov's wheelchair. "Not afraid they could take that title away again if you tell them you're not signing up as a Sentinel?"
"So be it." Jellal shrugged. He went on right away, seeing Erza's protests from before rising up. And he wasn't keen on another few hours of discussion. "If there is a dispute within Ishgar, who do we defend? Fiore? No one?"
"Fiore, of course," Lucy chimed in.
"Are you allowed?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Jellal's features softened. "I'm not saying the new responsibilities are a bad thing. The title is, as you say, a great honour and comes with perks. More than anyone, those who fought in the war between Fiore and the Alvarez empire should be enjoying special privileges for their efforts and sacrifice – Fairy Tail above all. But if there is an internal conflict; if our neighbours attack us, I will not be caught between a contract and my family."
"If it's refusing the title to take care of Rosemary, I'll renounce in your stead." Erza sat down next to him on the bench, Rosemary on her arm. She was hellbent on Jellal receiving credit; on his acceptance as a wizard, not a former criminal.
Knowingly, he put his hand on her knee. "Rosemary will soon be six months old, then I can feed her just as well."
"But you—"
"I'd rather have it this way around, Erza. I don't mind."
"I do."
"You'd mind too if you were obliged to fulfil your duty and had to deny it." His thumb stroked up and down, his tone mellow. "One of us has to stay the outlaw and let's face it, it doesn't suit you." He twinkled humorously.
Sighing, Erza resigned. Their gazes went to Rosemary, tired from being entertained by Master all morning.
Laxus was the first who could tear his eyes off. "Well," he grunted, "I guess that makes five." He jerked his chin at Gajeel.
Gajeel was busy rocking the double basket of the twins on the table, intent not to cause another scene.
"Five?" Lucy looked from Gajeel to Jellal.
"When you're my age," Makarov rasped, "you're too old to follow anyone's orders." He grinned.
"I'm guessing Guildarts isn't too big a fan of that either," Laxus supplied. "So Ishgar has a nice little team of defence, but the five of us will protect Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail alone." The hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Especially if Fairy Tail still shits a mountain of diapers a day."
"Gajeel!" Levy chided.
He pursed his lips but said nothing. When Jellal excused himself to answer Erza's lacrima, Gajeel ignored even more nagging from Levy by following. He slowed on the stairs. Eavesdropping was not the intention. His ears still picked up the girls' chattering though, so he tried to tune it out by stretching his hearing the other way, ahead to the balcony.
Jellal was wandering along towards the storage rooms. "No, she's fine. You could have stopped by though; I'm sure she would have liked that." Arms over the banister, Jellal soon had to retreat into the pantry when the noise downstairs picked up.
Gajeel quickened his pace. The noise was mostly the twins.
"Why don't you settle down? With Kinana." He had hardly finished the word, when Jellal took the lacrima off his ear and regarded the screen. "Oh, but picking on me for not proposing sooner…" he grouched and turned the device off.
Gajeel didn't find it in him to snicker.
Noticing him, Jellal gave a helpless shrug. "Sometimes I wonder if women are really the more complicated part of a relationship."
"They are." Gajeel slouched with his shoulder against the doorframe. Glancing down to the main hall, he edged further into the room. "Hey, when was the last time you got lucky?"
Jellal's premature reply turned into a forcefully cleared throat.
"I know, right?" Gajeel groaned.
Not quite sure he wanted to elaborate in any way, Jellal cautiously followed Gajeel's gaze downstairs. "She seemed a little sour today."
"Today," Gajeel laughed dryly. "I get that she's mad, but she really shouldn't be. It was never a problem that we split up tasks. She actually liked not having to fight all the time, letting me go on quests. Maybe if she got a break, I mean like, if we got a break together, we'd both be less snarky."
"Good idea." Jellal nodded. The movement of his head slowed with Gajeel's brows raising. Jellal kept a sigh to himself. "That… was your way of asking us to babysit, wasn't it?"