PLEASE READ!

(Quick Note! One of these - * mean that if you don't know something, you can scroll down and I have it clarified below ^~^)

(This chapter might be more of a filler since I'm trying to slow things down a tad to build some of the story. I hope you still enjoy it anyways!)

Hi everyone! Again I am so sorry for my absence and so thankful for all of you who have stayed with me despite the wonky update schedule. I won't make any promises about updating right now because I am preparing to go to University so I am definitely busy but I hope to be able to update at least once a month.

Lucy: Alright that sounds not too bad. But as a writer you should really try to write once a day. Maybe just do bits at a time each day?

Fairy: Yeah that actually sounds like a very good idea. I'm glad to have an awesome writer pal!

Natsu: Can we please start already? I am really hungry. I forgot to eat before starting the scene. -Lucy glares- I mean whenever you two are ready…..

Happy: Coward….

Fairy: Alright guys, gals, and non-binary pals~ (Credit to Thomas Sanders) Let's pick up right from where we left off! Places everyone places! And…. Action! -a puff of smoke returns us to the story-

Lucy's P.O.V

I lay numbly in astounded silence, tucked back in the guest bed in Natsu and Wendy's house. I went over every word they had said, over and over in my head, trying to see in my mind's eye what they had described, the me they had described. As an author, I have always had a wild and vivid imagination. I have been able to create creatures beyond comprehension, abilities that defy the laws of physics, and places too beautiful to properly picture. I even allow myself a little space to believe in the magic of reality sometimes. Never once have I been hard pressed to suspend my belief when it comes to the world. Not once until now. The earth shaking so violently it had thrown people off their balance. The sky rumbling with thunder and flashing with lightning. Water bursting through the earth's crust like a geyser. Roaring flames consuming the entirety of my favourite old oak tree. These are scenarios I can easily create in my mind. I just can't quite wrap my head around the image of me causing it. The girl who had unknowingly decimated her home and put the people she cared about in danger. My brain could not properly understand the words they were saying, the story they were telling. I could hear them but nothing made any sense to me. Not until Natsu spoke of when he found me.

I felt the pinprick of a shock pinch the back of my neck. Something Natsu said, something about me laying on the floor like an empty shell… It made my skin crawl. The frosted fingertips of a hazy memory danced down my spine, a shiver followed, not far behind. I could feel the memory hovering at the edge of my mind, just out of reach. But I could feel it. Part of me didn't want to see. Part of me wanted to run. To run and never stop running until I couldn't run anymore. Leave everything behind But there was another part of me, a small piece, that had to know. I felt the familiar ache of denied curiosity in my chest.

The memory of when I was laying on the floor is very distinct in my mind. I shuddered and suddenly I was back there, in my living room, laying beside my father's dead body. My nose filled with the sharp smell of fresh blood. My body throbbing faintly. And the body that was my father, lifeless on the floor. I remember looking over and meeting his eternal gaze. The haunting emptiness of his now dulled eyes is something I could never forget.

I curled into a ball, the blanket wrapped tightly around me, and tried to hold all of my broken pieces together. I could feel again, no longer numb to what happened but instead it felt as though my entire being had been rubbed raw, sliced and diced, then burned. I felt tears welling in my eyes again so I buried my face into the pillows. I inhaled and realized that they still smelled of Natsu. I curled further into the covers and pillows and closed my eyes. I considered trying to fall asleep but I was too awake. Instead I just laid still and allowed my mind to wander away from everything that had happened and to a happier place in my memories. Flashes of the night sky adorned with twinkling stars scattered across the sky in constellations reminded me of when I was very young and would stay up until dawn talking with my mother about what the constellations meant. I remembered very little of my mother. I only really had a few things left of her; a journal I have yet to open, the necklace she gave me, and the stars.

My eyes flew open. 'My mother's things are still in my home! My things are in my home. I didn't even bring any clothes! What happens if that house collapses!?' I gasped aloud as my realization and return to reality continued. 'Leo! Aquarius! Virgo! Aries! I can't believe I hadn't thought of them sooner! I need to make sure they're alright! I need to go home.' I scrambled to me feet, nearly tripping over them in the process, and made my way quickly down to the kitchen. Natsu and Wendy were still sitting there, with their cats sitting on their laps, engaged in quiet conversation, which came to a quick stop when I turned the corner. I didn't care I had something else on my mind.

"I need to go home. I need to see my family." My voice was calm but evidently my emotions were displayed all over my face because both Natsu and Wendy's expressions filled with caution and well-meaning concern but they remained silent. "Hello? That wasn't a questions guys. I need to go home now so I can make sure my family is alright. They could be hurt or worse! They must think I've abandoned them! What if one of them died!" Natsu stood and grabbed my arms which I had been waving wildly as I spoke.

He pinned me with a serious look somewhere between a stare and a glare. "Luce. Calm down. Do you really think that we would've let anyone get hurt?"

His question slapped me in the face and I relaxed a little. I searched his eyes then looked behind him at Wendy and realized there was hurt in their eyes. I sighed heavily, suddenly feeling worn out and exhausted. I felt as though the weight of everything that had happened in the past couple of weeks was finally settling on my shoulders.

"Aren't we also your family Lucy?" Wendy's quiet voice trembled with such emotion, it stirred the memories of my own voice when speaking to my father, when he would leave me to go on business trips after my mother passed. I rested my hands on Natsu's and he immediately let go. I stepped over to Wendy and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Of course you're my family, Wendy. You, Levy, Gray, Juvia, Cana, Erza, Jellal, everyone!" I leaned down to her ear. "Even Natsu." She giggled and I released her, thankful that she was reassured. I wasn't lying either. Ever since moving here, I really had felt as though I had found a place where I belonged. I made friends almost instantly. I had found people who cared enough to pretend to hate me to protect me and then go and save my life, to get angry with the abuse I put up with and me putting up with it, to go out of their way to keep me safe and have helped me many times over. And maybe they're not perfect. Neither am I. They had accepted me into their family and treated me as one of their own for the most part. It was something I wasn't used to. A wave of gratitude warmed me.

"Okay, we should probably get going so we can pick up your things and see your family." I threw a surprised look at Natsu. He caught my look and rolled his eyes. "Wendy and I were talking about going anyways. Well actually we were arguing. Wendy was trying to convince me to let you go but I wasn't sure. Now that you're here and you obviously aren't going to take no as an answer, we may as well go together." He glared at me knowingly. "And we will stay together. Got it?" I nodded, the corner of my mouth turned up, hinting at one of my famous mocking smirks.

"Got it."

Not long after I was dressed, in Natsu's clothes so I looked a little odd but I was dressed nonetheless, and we were walking to my house. Or whatever's left of it, after everything that had happened a couple days ago. I was a little nervous because the last time I was there… Well it wasn't exactly a good experience. When I brought up my father to Natsu, he said that Erza had called the police and they had collected the body, easily declaring it suicide. They wanted to question me but no one told them where I had gone so apparently I had the police looking for me as well. Awesome.

I also asked about school as we were walking. Both of them laughed and told me how the only reason they went to school was to keep up normal pretenses. According to Wendy, most of them had finished high school at a young age because after they turn 13 they dedicated their time to protecting their home. Wendy, being 13, had just finished a couple of months ago. She finished early. On the other hand, Natsu had spent an extra 9 months in school after he turned 13. He grumbled a lot after Wendy told me that. I thought about it for a second then I brought up the fact that I hadn't completed school yet. Both Natsu and Wendy rolled their eyes.

"We've both seen you in class Luce. You know what they're teaching already."

I shrugged when Natsu said that. I mean, it wasn't untrue. I used to attend an IB* private school in the capital city of Crocus in which the curriculum was fairly advanced due to the type of programme it was; but I had yet to get a diploma. I had never been concerned for my education until I moved here. There was constantly so much going on that I was afraid my teachers and the principal would be left with an undesirable impression of me.

"Yeah you don't have to worry too much about that! The principal and most of the teachers are the elders or their children of our clan which is the same generation as our parents were." Wendy said nonchalantly.

I abruptly stopped walking as I remembered what Natsu had told me about their parents. "God I'm so stupid!" I shouted, resulting in Wendy leaping about a foot in the air. Even Natsu flinched. "Sorry. I'm really sorry."

"What are you talking abou Luce?" Both Natsu and Wendy were giving me odd looks. I paused for a moment, thinking back to when Natsu and I had both shared stuff about our parents. 'I'm pretty sure he mentioned his father and Wendy's mother disappearing when they were younger.'

I didn't know how to explain without sounding utterly heartless and stupid so I just started walking again. Both of them pestered me for a couple of minutes so I mumbled some excuse about how I was insensitive sometimes. They didn't seem fully convinced but they did drop it thankfully. I had no desire to bring about any bad memories or to paint myself as a self-centered dick so I dropped it as well.

A few minutes later I started recognizing houses and I realized that we must be getting near mine. 'I forgot how close we live to each other.' I thought as we rounded a corner.

"Oh. My. God…." I don't think I've ever seen so much yellow police tape before, let alone the amount of unsettling destruction that had been done to the surrounding area. Cops milled around the scene, walking in and out of my house, conversing with each other, and taking down notes on, I assume evidence or their findings. I stood still and surveyed the damage. Not only was there an entire tree missing most of the other's had been blown practically sideways by the wind. The ground had been shaken out of place and there were small craggy rocks sticking up from the earth. My house was burnt on one side, missing shingles from the rooftop, there were smashed in windows and holes in the walls as well.

I heard a nervous laughter sound from behind me. I threw a curious glance at Natsu and he mouth that he would explain later. I nodded absent mindedly and looked again at the mess that used to be my home. I only lived there for a short while but I mean at least I had a home. But I guess I still do because the people who lived there with me will still be with me. I also found new people who care for me as well. Even though I had no blood relatives, I still had an amazing, loving family filled with people important to me.

With a loud sigh and a bit of reluctance, I started forwards again, towards the house I once called home.

A couple of police officers spotted me immediately and approached me, bombarding me with questions.

"Excuse me Miss Heartfilia, were you home at the time of this incident? If not where were you? If so, why did you run? Where were you staying until now? Were you staying with these two? How was your relationship with your father? Did you get along? Do you know anyone who would want to hurt him? Do you know why he shot himself? Did you kill him? Wh-" I wasn't sure why their assault of questions stopped until I heard the low animalistic growling rumbling deep from both Natsu and Wendy, paired with a wicked deadly glare from either of them as well might I add. I gave them a look and nodded my head, letting them know that it was alright. I had already been through something similar last time. They nodded back and the growling disappeared. I took a moment to compose myself and force a despaired expression, not that hard by the way, before turning around and facing the police and their questions once again.

"I was home actually. My father and I had a fairly good relationship." I heard a muted snort behind me but I didn't stop, "I lost my mother when I was very young so it was just he and I. I didn't run away I simply sought refuge from those who pry." I tried to keep the edge out of my voice as best as I could but I still heard it. "I was in fact staying with a couple of friends who have treated me as family. Question them and you will receive the same answers I am giving you." I paused as they caught up, writing everything I said in their little pocket notebooks. "I know many people who wanted to hurt my father. He was a famous business tycoon who dealt with people swiftly, showing no mercy. I have been taken and used against him plenty of times. However none of this is relevant. My father shot himself. I watched it happen." My voice broke so I cleared my throat and continued as calmly as I could. "My father had been enduring hell ever since the death of my mother. I assume he finally reach a point where he couldn't envision himself going on and figured it would be easier for us both, though it is not, if he ended his life. I DID NOT KILL MY FATHER." Cold, frigid ice seeped into my voice, a warning to them that I had no interest in answering anymore questions. They lingered for a moment and a fire lit in my eyes. They turned tail and walked away while I glowered darkly after them.

"Nice. I already knew that you don't take shit but now I respect it." I returned Natsu's half grin with one of my own. I looked to Wendy and smiled softly at her. She was staring at me in a rather odd way. Her jaw was lax and her eyes were wide. I looked at Natsu again and he laughed.

"She's in awe Luce. The only person she's seen deal with people through fear is Erza who prefers to use her physique. You did what Erza does with words." I rolled my eyes and gave Wendy a half hug.

"I'll teach you how to do it someday too, kid." She grinned broadly and I let her go. "Alright… Now it's time for us to go inside…" I turned my attention back to the daunting scene in front of me. 'I am so not looking forward to this... But I want to get my mother's things. I want my key necklace and I want to see everyone so I need to find out where they are. Probably at the police station.' "Natsu is the police station far from here?"

"No, why?"

"I think that's probably where the rest of my family is. I mean they lived with me so where in the world would they have gone? Especially since their contract still lies with me. A contract I will be burning as soon as I get my damn hands on it." In a moment of sadness, I realized there was the fact that I now "owned" Leo and Aquarius and everyone. Meaning that I could easily destroy the contract my father and drawn up and let them live free lives wherever they wanted to go. I would be sad to see them leave because I love them so much but I wanted this for them. I hated how my father thought he could own other human beings. It just wasn't right.

"Okay let's go." I started walking with Natsu and Wendy on either side of me.

(*IB: International Baccalaureate- it's a programme of education for 16-19-year-old students. International Baccalaureate is an internationally recognised course, taken by students all around the world. It's for really smart people)

Alright everyone that's it for this chapter! Like I said this one was a bit more of a filler because I wanted to build up to the more important parts of the story. I hope you enjoyed everything and I look forwards to any feedback that you have in the reviews! A heartfelt thanks to my AMAZING editor (And girlfriend) who has stuck with me through all of my writing, even when it's crappy. So most of the time haha.

Lucy: I dunno, as an author I kind of relate to your style.

Fairy: Aw thanks Lucy! That's very sweet of you!

Natsu: You make me too serious. I wanna eat fire chicken and chill with Happy!

Happy: I was barely in this scene! Why can't I be more important?! Wahhhhh

Fairy: Sorry Happy! Hopefully you'll have a bigger part soon. Say good bye for now everyone!

Guild: Bye bye everybody! We'll see you next time around! -All look at Fairy- Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later!

Fairy: -nervous giggles- Yup! See you soon! Love y'all byeeee

~Fairy