Sometimes, Makarov enjoyed the simple things in life, like riding on the train with his grandson, even if said grandson was already a grown man. Their relationship had seen good days, bad days, and everything in between.

He'd invited Laxus on a whim to visit the grave of Yuri Dreyar. The answer was always no with Laxus, but the younger man had been pensive lately, and quiet like something was heavy on his heart. He accepted the invitation, and Makarov was happy just to spend time with him.

At the moment, Laxus face was crunched up a little as he sat between his grandfather and the window.

"You still get motion sick?" Makarov chuckled.

Laxus crossed his arms and shot back a sulking glare reminiscent of his somewhat troubled teen years. "You know why."

There was momentary relief for the motion sickness at the next station, but then the men felt the presence at the same moment. Jose Porla stepped into the compartment they were in, seemed startled, and checked his ticket number. "Of all the things...! You two!" He went on a long rant, complaining about his ticket number, his bad luck, and his decision to catch the late train. The rant went on even when the train started and Laxus' sense of tolerance vanished with the next wave of nausea.

He narrowed his eyes, and Jose felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. "You're annoying me," he uttered in a calm, still monotone that threatened great violence.

"That's some attitude to take with a former saint wizard," Jose answered as he sat in his seat. "Doesn't your kind have motion sickness?"

Makarov gave him a threatening glare. "I don't."

Laxus' closed his eyes as his stomach turned. "Gramps, don't sweat. One move and I will blow this train off the tracks and fry him like an egg. I might do it anyway. I'm bored."

Jose shut his mouth, because he watched Laxus throw Jura to the ground and the young man seemed like he'd rather fight than sit on the train anyhow.

He could remember back when Makarov's guild really only had Gildarts. The other wizards were mediocre and the rest of the guild was made up of children that were broken and bruised to the core. When he'd fired the first shot and instigated the guild war between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail, he still considered Makarov's guild to be comprised primarily of weakness.

These days, Phantom Lord—his entire legacy—wasn't even worthy to be mentioned among Fairy Tail's greatest achievements. It was just the first guild war and the warm up round for those orphans who had become such a force that they could declare 'war' on whomever the hell they pleased, and then crush whoever the target was.

At the next stop, Laxus said, "Get off."

And he did.

After Jose got off the train, Laxus slumped over in his seat more from the motion sickness and eventually fell asleep until they got to their destination.

The grave was only a couple of miles from the train station, so they walked together.

Makarov looked back over his shoulder. "Ten years ago, Jose told me that he believed the Balam Alliance would usurp the authority of the government and that by this time, we'd be living in the age of dark magic. Do you see now? When you were younger and people said our guild was weak…they couldn't see what I could see."

Laxus nodded. "We were all young together. We sharpened each other as we grew. We fought for and with each other, we struggled, and we grew strong."

They continued together like this, talking about the guild and the nation, and Makarov found his grandson had grown almost immeasurably. Laxus had inherited his heart and his vision to make an impact in the world.

When they got to the grave, Makarov placed flowers on the grave and they were silent for a moment.

"Gramps…" Laxus uttered in a quiet, unsteady voice.

"What is it?" Makarov looked up.

"I am going to be a father."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and Makarov suddenly understood why he'd been so pensive lately. It was a lot for anyone to take in, especially the first time. Laxus kept his personal life personal, even from him.

Makarov smiled gently then and said, "How do you feel?"

"I feel a lot of things. It happened accidentally, so she cried when she told me, but I didn't feel unhappy about it when I really let it sink in," he explained.

"Who is 'she?'" Makarov asked, probing at Laxus' impenetrably private personal life. Laxus never, ever, ever, ever allowed his dating habits to be known by anyone. Not the Thunder Tribe, not him, nobody. Makarov knew at one point Laxus was having a lot of reckless sex with women he didn't know while he was on jobs, but there hadn't been any such news in a long time. "Are you in a relationship? Will you tell me that much?"

"Gramps, are you asking me if I knocked up some woman during a one-nighter? I can't even believe that's your first question," Laxus replied in a voice that was somehow amused and irritated at the same time. "I stopped that nonsense a long time ago. I've only had one girl for the past year."

"Is it anyone I know? A wizard?"

Laxus said, "No, she's ordinary, I guess, and extraordinary also. We've been together for over a year. She doesn't mind that I come and go, and she's always happy to see me. She's a good girl."

"She makes you happy?"

He nodded.

Makarov was elated to hear that Laxus had somehow managed to build a relationship despite all that had happened in his life. Ivan had a child with a woman wizard for the purpose of producing a strong child and had scrawny little Laxus. They were never together, never happy. Laxus was left behind by their selfishness.

The older man looked up at him proudly. His voice cracked a little, "I have always hoped that you would have the courage to love someone even though all that happened. You don't know how much I have worried about you, hoping you could really live and enjoy the things that are important. Having friends, falling in love, having a baby… You inherited a sorry lot in life, and nothing that happened was your fault. But you have grown, and you have overcome every challenge that has faced you, and you have soared so high above all that was against you. I am so proud of you."

Laxus felt tears sting his eyes at the sight of his grandfather weeping out of sheer pride and happiness for him. His mouth curled into a little grin. "She has a little bump, Gramps."

"Oh? Do you know how far along she is?"

"Three months."

"Are you hoping for a son or daughter?"

His grandson seemed almost intimidated by the question at first but finally said, "I want a son."

Makarov wiped his eyes although he remained no less weepy. "One of my greatest desires has been that I want to see you become a father. When you hold that baby for the first time, I think a part of you that has always hurt will be healed. You didn't have an opportunity to experience true love from a father from the perspective of a son, but when you're the father, you'll be able to experience it. I think some questions in your mind will be answered, and you'll have closure where things are yet undone."

The moment meant so much to both of them, because their struggles together had been for the duration of Laxus' entire life. He'd started off in last place with so many disadvantages, and as his life went on, fate twisted and turned him this way and that way, but in the end, Makarov could always see the light in his grandson's eyes.

After they'd both calmed a bit, Laxus looked at the tombstone and asked, "What about him? Was he a good father?"

"He was a great father. He traveled a lot as a wizard. But when he would come home, he loved me and he did his best. I know as a wizard you probably wonder how you can be a good dad when you travel sometimes for months at a time, but you can. Love your family the best way that you can," Makarov said.

Laxus nodded as he committed the words to his heart. "That's one of the many things I worry about."

"If you're scared or worried or if you have doubts, it's okay. Every man who is real man is at least a little afraid. It's a journey to become a father. It's a lot to go through, but you'll find yourself as a father as you go along. You'll find so much strength inside of yourself, Laxus. And this fresh sense of amazement."

They stayed there for a while longer and talked until the sun started to set and Makarov turned back toward the road. "Let's head back."

"Gramps…"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."