of the next time 'round

Characters: Laxus Dreyar, Cana Alberona

Summary: And here they go again.

It was not a good day for Erza Scarlet. It should have been an easy case, Redfox vs. McGarden, a simple divorce, both parties had agreed on this. Usually, this was the sort of case that was over within fifteen minutes and she had made an appointment at the dentist for twelve o'clock. This would have worked wonderfully if the both lawyers had not decided to ruin her day.

"…excuse me, Mrs Dreyar," she said, interrupting Levy McGarden's lawyer for a moment.

"Miss Alberona," the brunette scowled, sending the blond man on the other side of the room a lethal gaze that made Erza flinch.

"Miss Alberona, then," she sighed. "But please, could you come to an end? Your explanation is getting quite long and Mr Dreyar might have to add a few points."

"Very well," the lawyer said with a nod. "Mr Redfox has, as I stated before, frequently slept over at his co-worker's place while my client was alone, dealing with a pregnancy and her job at the book shop. I have reports from a Miss Lucy Heartfilia to confirm this."

"What's the co-worker's name, Cana, dear?" the other lawyer drawled with a smug smirk.

"Juvia Lockser – and it's Miss Alberona to you, Dreyar," she snapped.

Erza swore that this was the last time that she would accept a divorce case when the lawyers were a recently divorced couple. She had not been present during their divorce but she had heard from a dear friend and co-worker that they had treated each other like air during the entire process and that Miss Alberona, formerly Mrs Dreyar, had refused any sort of compensation because she did not want to be 'depending' on her ex-husband. Well, it seemed like they were fighting out their differences now, over another couple.

"Juvia? Oh please, shrimp," the wild man next to Laxus said as he rolled his eyes. "Me and that crazy woman have been friends since we were born but I ain't got an affair with her. I should rather question why you have been hanging out with that Cheney-fellow all the time."

"Rogue is a member of my literature club who is also writing his own novel, plus, he is married to Yukino, remember? We attended their wedding," the blue-haired woman snapped back. "And he never spent the night as you would know if you had been there. Lucy and Lisanna, however, nearly moved into our place because I needed help with the twins and you were never there!"

"Someone had to earn the money and you know that there was no job in our town where I would have earned the same amount my current one pays me," her still-husband replied. "That Juvia lives there was good because that meant that I didn't have to spend hours on the train every fucking day. I was doing that job for you, remember that?"

"Very touching, Mr Redfox, but if you would please refrain from cursing at my client?" the lawyer asked sweetly as she looked at the judge. "I want to point out that my client does not claim that Mr Redfox was unfaithful. According to her, he is not the type for infidelity – something I cannot say for any husband I have met so far."

"Well, my client want to make it known that Miss McGarden frequently went out with her friends and did not return into the early hours for the morning," the blond man said, crossing his arms. "I personally believe that a wife who frequented so many parties is at least as accountable for the failure of a marriage than a husband who slept at an old friend's place."

Cana's eye blazed as she slammed down her file. "A husband who only bothers with what his father thinks of him…"

"…a wife that consumes more alcohol than the entire band called Quatro Cerberus…"

"…a husband who spends more time with some pretty little things than with his wife…"

"…a wife with issues regarding her father bigger than the country…"

"Oi, the shrimp hardly ever drank," Gajeel Redfox said. "And she also got no issues."

"And Gajeel's father is pretty easygoing and kind," Levy interrupted carefully. "And the only friend he frequently hung out with was Juvia who is – engaged, right?"

"Dreyar and Alberona, please refrain from discussion private issues right now," Erza sighed as she leaned back. "Alright, McGarden and Redfox, I'd say: shared custody for the twins and monthly support for Miss McGarden. Is here anyone with valid objections?"

"One moment," Gajeel said as he looked at his ex-wife. "Do you really want to go through with it? I mean, I don't want to end up like him," he mentioned towards Laxus, "all bitter and depressed."

She bit her lip before she tilted her head. "We did say in good and in bad days, didn't we?" she asked as she fiddled with the file in front of her. "And the kids are missing you…"

"Give the command and I shall be back, carrying your groceries and everything, shrimp."

"Come back," she said as she sent her lawyer an apologetic grin. "Sorry – but he's right."

"Yeah, sorry, Dreyar, but well, she's still my girl and I ain't giving up like that," Gajeel said as he patted his lawyer's shoulder. "I'd stay longer but we have twins to pick up from their nanny."

Erza closed her files as she dropped the black robe and dashed out of the hall, grabbing her bag in passing. She had an appointment with her dentist and she would make it in time.

"I didn't cheat on you," Laxus said as he collected his files and held them close to his chest.

"That's what they always say," his ex-wife replied with a huff. "Look, Laxus, I don't want to argue with you now. I want to go home, cook something nice and take a long, long walk in the park – because I am tired of all of this. I had a long week with many depressing cases."

"Just … don't drink too much, okay? I won't be there to find you with an alcohol poisoning," he said, seemingly joking but his eyes stayed serious. "Did you get it under control?"

"I haven't been drinking since that case," she told him. "That was the case with the killed and kidnapped children … pretty tough and … disgusting. Just when you thought you had seen everything, some sick bastard goes and does something like that."

"You didn't talk about that case with me," he said, holding out her coat. "That's not your usual kind of case … I didn't even know that you were involved until it was all over…"

"Gray was on a vacation and someone had to take the case so I accepted it," she explained as they walked down the stairs. "You were stuck in that case with Elfman Strauss versus Evergreen Strauss – their eighth divorce. By the way, did you get the invitation to their wedding as well?"

"It was in the post today, yes," he nodded. "The next time she sits crying in my office, I am going to ignore her. She might be my childhood friend but instead of getting a divorce every time they hit a rough spot, they should learn to sit down and discuss it properly."

"I personally think that Fernades will kill them both if they ever steal his time again," Cana said with a smirk. "Are you going to their wedding?"

"I have not much of a choice – Ever will murder me if I don't show up," he said. "You?"

"Elfman is still the older brother of Lisanna who is still one of my best friends – I don't have much of a choice even though I fear that I might be involved in their ninth divorce," she replied.

"Look, Cana, I know that the timing's bad and everything but still, I was wondering whether you'd like to go out for dinner next week," he said. "You are still the only one who's worth the trouble I got and well, the flat is kinda empty without the big red couch."

"You got the craziest way of saying that you still love me," she said as she rolled her eyes. "Lucky you, I somehow still got the patience to put up with your antics."

"You are also terrible when it comes to confessions," he smirked. "No dramatic talk about the way you missed my burned food or the way I used to wake you up?"

"Only a fool would be missing the way someone poured a bucket of ice cold water over one's head," she scowled. "I still haven't forgotten about that one."

He grinned as he intertwined his fingers with hers. "You are still the same mix of madness and miracle cure you used to be when we met," he muttered as he pressed a careful kiss onto her temple. "Any idea where we are going from here?"

She chuckled. "Ah well, in about a month, me and the red couch move back in," she started. "A month later, you might consider taking me out for some fancy dinner and proposing again. I'd say yes, of course, and if we are fast, we could marry before Elfman and Evergreen get their next divorce."