A/N: Well guys this was an idea that came to me out of nowhere. I've been meaning to do a story involving Ultear for a while now but wanted to have a fresh new idea that I could bring to the table. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fairy Tail series or any characters in said series.

Warnings: Slight OOC

"I don't know about this..." - Regular Speech

'I need to get back!' - Regular Thought

"Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!" - Attack

"The Northern Fortress, Monday 2:36 p.m." - Place Setting

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Magnolia, Thursday April 27, x799

It was raining pretty hard, all one could see for a few feet ahead of them were sheets of water falling down in front of them. It had been like this for a few hours now. Many predicted a harsh storm was coming but at this point, they began to think something worse was on the horizon. Due to this thought, many had closed their shops for the day and stayed in doors.

But the ones in Magnolia weren't the only ones affected. The cold rain reached far out into the forest, hitting as far as Natsu's house, flooding the area around it. No one was able to traverse the path which was the only sure fire way back to Magnolia so they were as good as stuck there. Besides, who would want to walk out into the freezing, dreary weather when they could just stay in doors? Sure maybe a few of the Fairy Tail guild members had managed to swim their way to the guildhall but it would seem the Dragneel household would not be able to make it today.

But that did not mean all was well within the household. In fact, the air was pretty thick inside the house. On the porch, Mirajane desperately hugged her husband, crying into the crook of his neck to muffle her ragged sobs of distress.

"Shh..." Natsu tried to comfort her by stroking her hair, something he knew she always appreciated, "sweetie, she didn't mean anything by it!"

Mirajane continued to cry, only pulling away for a brief second to answer him. "Still! I just wanted things to continue like they were!" She sobbed. Mirajane absolutely dreaded this day, even if she did know that it would come sooner or later.

Natsu held her tighter. "Mira... we both knew this day would come eventually!" The pink haired man said softly, looking at the falling rain and coupling it with Mira's tears. Both made him extremely upset.

"I know! I just didn't expect it to happen so fast!" She sniffed, trying to find comfort in his smell.

Natsu just kept looking out into the rain, letting Mira calm herself down.

Inside the house, leaning on the glass door to look at the two, Gray Fullbuster ran a hand through his hair. "God," he whispered to himself, "I can only imagine how hard this is for her." He pitied Mira, she had always tried to connect with her step daughter but it would seem the girl's natural personality came from her mother, causing her relationship with Mira to be a little distant.

He was over at the house for the day, since before the rain started, because he had to drop off one of Mirajane's cooking pots that Juvia borrowed. But when the rain started, they all insisted they stay for lunch at least, they didn't want him to catch a cold after all. So you can imagine how awkward he felt right now and just wished he had left despite their protest.

"Uncle Gray!" His faux niece called to him, "you're tea is going to get cold!" She warned.

Doing his best to put on a smile, Gray turned around and looked into the living room. At a small kiddie table sat a plethora of stuffed animals and fake dishes and cups. The only living, breathing humans at the table were Lisanna and Ume. Lisanna had spent the night so that's why she was there but now she stayed and had convinced Gray to stay and help her with Ume. The youngest Strauss pitied her sister as well, but now it was up to her to get Ume to see what was wrong.

Ume's personality was quite unique when compared to her other guild mates. She had her mother's brain, Natsu's devotion, but she also inherited the old Natsu's utter cluelessness towards other's feelings. Not to mention her mother's inquisitive and deceptive nature. But that wasn't all she got from her mother, she also shared the same appearance as her. Ume was practically a carbon copy of her mother, right down to her hair and eyes.

"Yes, hurry up Gray!" Lisanna urged him to come back. To get through to Ume, she needed Ume's favorite uncle. "These crumpets are delicious, Ume!" She gushed.

Ume just looked at her with her blazing red eyes. "They're just regular biscuits, Aunt Lisanna!" She said, completely destroying Lisanna's enthusiasm.

Gray shook his head as he took his place at a small pink, plastic chair next to a teddy bear. Normally Gray wouldn't be caught dead doing this for any other child, but Ume was very dear to him. "Can I have some tea?" He asked, deciding to play along for now.

Ume nodded her head excitedly, happy to have Gray come around. "Yes you may Uncle Gray! But I would suggest you eat your crumpet, Teddy Bonkers has been eyeing it ever since we sat down," she warned.

Raising an eyebrow, Gray looked at the stuffed bear. "Just try it Bobo," he growled before blinking and realizing he just threatened an inanimate object. Maybe he was getting a little too into this. Deciding to tackle the elephant in the room, Gray looked at Lisanna and gestured for her to start things off.

"*cough* ahem, Ume?" Lisanna called to grab her attention. "W-What made you ask Mira who your 'real mom' is?" Lisanna scrambled her words, very unsure of how to approach this topic.

Ume took a sip of her tea and hummed. "Well, because me and Mira look nothing alike." Lisanna winced a little when she heard Ume call Mira 'Mira' when only yesterday she called her 'mom'. "We don't even act alike."

Gray nodded his head. 'Ah, so it seems that her mom's personality broke past the nature barrier. I guess it is true that people are not affected by their surroundings and will always have a predestined personality. I was hoping Mira could of at least molded the girl a little differently...' he thought to himself.

"But you can see that what you said hurt her, right?" Gray asked, hoping that Ume knew what she just said weighed heavily on Mira's heart. If all goes to plan, then Gray would definitely ensure that Ume doesn't live a life of regret like her mother did.

Ume looked at Gray, not even fazed. "I guess," she shrugged.

'Dammit!' Gray cursed in his mind, looking at Lisanna who seemingly shared the same thought. 'She's already starting to grow cold, this isn't good!'

"Ume," Lisanna stepped up to the proverbial plate, "Mira loves you very much, like you are her own daughter. So can you imagine what it must feel like to be a mom and have your own daughter ask if she was adopted?"

"But I'm not adopted! Papa is still my dad!" Ume stated.

"And how do you know that?" Gray asked a bit quicker than he probably should have.

Ume put a hand over her small heart, "I just do. I feel it in my heart. But with Mira, I just don't have the same feeling in my heart. I love Mira, but I don't know if it's as much as I would love my real mom," the child of Natsu said.

Lisanna nodded, understanding her reasoning. She knew how it was to feel one's family in their heart. "While that is true, that really hurts Mira. She likes to think that you two really are mother and daughter."

"So Mira likes pretending that we're related by blood?" Ume asked.

"Yeah," Gray nodded curtly, "she does."

Ume tilted her head to the side, "why though?"

Lisanna clasped both of her hands around her tiny teacup, "well, she's grown very attached to you. After all, she has raised you along with Natsu since you were a baby. She used to change your diapers, rock you to sleep, read you bedtime stories, and even fed you. To her, you really are her daughter."

"I agree," Gray chimed in, "she was so happy once her and Natsu got married that she showed you around the guild like a trophy!"

"The guild..." Ume looked down, the wheels turning in her head to come up with a no doubt brilliant deduction. "The guild... they know I'm not related to Mira, don't they? And they didn't tell me..." the small girl said.

Lisanna and Gray shared a concerned look with each other, completely stunned that this little girl of only eight years old was able to find that out.

Not really sure how to answer the question, Lisanna let Gray be blunt. "Y-Yes... but the-"

"Gray," Natsu's voice called out to him as he opened the front door and walked Mira in. "Help Mira to the couch, I'll take Ume from here." He offered.

Gray quickly got up and nodded, completely willing to let Natsu fulfill his duty of being a father. He shuffled over to the still sniffling Mira and helped her over to the couch on the adjacent side of the living room. Lisanna excused herself from the faux tea party and went to take care of her sister.

"Ume," Natsu called out to her, "come out here with me. I wanna talk to you."

By no means was he mad. Since the days of him running around being a Mage in Fairy Tail, before being a father, Natsu would've been very blunt and rude. But now, having experienced the extra years of parenthood, he has mellowed out quite a lot and has learned to hold his tongue to learn more about a situation. His appearance has caught up with his personality as well, he got taller, his body got broader, his spiky hair began to lay down a little more and his features got sharper. Not to mention the scruff he had building on his chin.

"Sure Papa!" Ume said as she scooted the chair out from beneath her and ran outside after her father. When she opened the door, she saw her father leaning on one of the wooden posts that held the ceiling up, staring out into the rain. "What did you want to talk to me about, Papa?"

Natsu set his hand on her shoulder when she stood near him. "So, you figured out that Mira isn't your real mom?" Natsu asked the obvious. Getting a nod from Ume, he continued. "But do you know who your real mom is?" He looked down at her.

"No, I haven't heard her name. No one at the guild has talked about her but Uncle Gray seems to know something by the way he looks at me sometimes. It's like I remind him of someone." Ume spoke with knowledge that betrayed her years.

'Damn,' Natsu whistled in his head, 'she's definitely got quite the head on her shoulders. She catches on quick.'

"You're real mother's name is Ultear Milkovich," Natsu revealed.

Ume's eyes sparked with realization. Natsu was a bit miffed by just how much she resembled her mother, Ume's eyes almost haunted him at some points. "Ultear Milkovich? That name sounds familiar... I think I've heard Meredy and Mr. Jellal say it a few times before. And come to think of it, Uncle Gray has said something about a woman named Ur Milkovich."

Natsu's eyes widened. 'Wow, she's very perceptive. If we don't watch it, she could prove to be very dangerous...'

"Ur Milkovich is your grandmother, she trained Gray and Lyon when they were about your age," Natsu told her. "Kinda makes you want to learn which magic you're adept to, doesn't it?" He smirked. It's been a while, but he's sure he still has an expert hold on his Fire Dragon Slayer magic.

"Oh, I've already learned which magic I like, Uncle Gray taught me the basics of his Ice Make!" Ume said, holding out her hands and let a chilling frost coat her small fingers, not affecting her in the slightest.

"What? When?" Natsu grumbled.

"A couple of weeks ago when I asked him!" Ume chirped. "He's a surprisingly good teacher."

Natsu just crossed his arms and mumbled to himself. "Well I guess it's alright. After all, ice magic does run in the Milkovich bloodline. I guess I just have to get used to you using ice." Natsu would've preferred for her to take on his magic but he wouldn't blame her, if that was what she wanted then he wouldn't argue.

"Mom was an Ice Make user?" Ume asked in awe, eager to learn more about her birth mother.

"Well, in secret she was," Natsu stated, "but her main magic was something called Arc of Time which allowed her to control the time of certain objects. Perhaps we'll see if they have a few tombs left if you're interested in learning it," he proposed.

"Wow..." Ume said, completely awed by the sheer power her mom held at her finger tips. "You think I could learn that time magic?"

Natsu chuckled. "Of course, you are her daughter after all, not to mention you also have Dragneel blood running through your veins." He smirked as he snapped his fingers to ignite a small flame, watching it flicker in the air.

Ume watched the flame in her father's hand intently, a bit weary of it which was expected of a young child. "How come you don't go on missions anymore dad?"

"Because I want to stick with my family of course," he looked at her with a warm smile, "You're too young to accompany me on a mission and Mira works the bar so someone has to watch you. But I kinda like taking it easy and not constantly fighting." That was perhaps the only time Natsu has ever lied to his daughter. In truth, he misses going on missions with his friends but for him, blood family always comes first.

Ume nodded, completely seeing through his lie. "Alright... but... if mom was *sniff* still here, do you think she would've gone with us on missions?" She asked hopefully.

Natsu shook his head sadly and crouched down to eye level with his daughter. "No Une, we probably wouldn't have. You see, Ultear was being chased after by the Council."

"Was she a bad person!?" Ume gasped.

"No! Well, a few years before you were born she was, but she changed. Ultear made some mistakes and lived the rest of her short life in regret because of it. She did her best to stop crime and to stop people from making the same mistakes she did but had to do it while constantly looking over her shoulder." The older Dragneel stated.

Ume nodded. "So... she was like an undercover agent? Having to sneak around for justice?"

Natsu sweat dropped a little. "Yeah, sure I guess..." he scratched the back of his head. Taking one last look out at the rain, Natsu pushed off the post and made to go back inside, "if that answers everything, I'm gonna go check back with Mi-"

"But Papa," she grabbed his hand and led him over to the porch swing where they sat down, "I still have a lot of questions."

"Alright," Natsu sighed, patting his legs, "what else do you want to know?" He asked, prepared to give her any answer that she wanted.

"How'd you and mom meet?" Ume asked.

"Oh that's an easy one! I thought you'd ask harder questions!" Natsu laughed, "I first laid eyes on your mother during a council meeting when they arrested Erza as a coverup for something even bigger. At first we didn't say much but, as you have probably guessed, that changed." Natsu told her.

Ume nodded. "Okay... what did you do together on your first date?" She asked.

"Another easy one, huh? Well she used her status as a pseudo celebrity to get us reservations at some fancy restaurant, but that didn't matter, I don't even remember the name of it," he said honestly. It was true he didn't remember the name of the restaurant but he did remember what happened after when Ultear gave him a tour of her office and then they... well you get the idea.

Cupping her chin with her fingers, Ume tried to think of a really hard question, it soon hit her. "Aha! I think I got one that will really stump you Papa!" Ume declared.

"Oh really? Well then, bring it on!" Natsu smirked.

"What made you marry Mira after mom died?" She asked, curious as to what made Ultear and Mira so similar.

"Woah..." Natsu's eyes widened. He honestly didn't expect such a deep question from his adorable little daughter, "that is a tough one..."

Ume nudged him with her small elbow. "Well?" She asked expectingly.

Natsu coughed into his fist. "Well this one will have a much longer explanation so buckle up..." he grunted. "Well, it all started when..."

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*Flashback to a few weeks after Ultear's death*

Natsu sighed for the millionth time as he danced the doll in front of a three month old Ume who didn't look very amused. He was scared to death that he might upset her again so in order to avoid a crying baby, he tried to keep all of his attention on her. Of course, he was able to see his surroundings through peripheral vision and saw that most of the guild's members have left, which was understandable considering it was nearly eleven o'clock at night.

Many had worried about Natsu, telling him to go home not just for his sake but Ume's. But he couldn't, he couldn't sleep at night and the cold loneliness of being alone was almost too much to bear. He might as well stay at the guild for as long as it's open.

The few people who were close to Ultear all grieved at the short little burial they held for her but he took it hardest. How couldn't he? He was not even twenty and he was already a father without the mother. This wasn't like any other trial before, this was life changing. Many people told him that he couldn't handle a child and that Ume would be better off at an orphanage but he wouldn't be able to live with himself for giving away the last tie to Ultear he had.

Gray, Lucy, Erza, and many more eventually agreed with him and offered to help him in any way they could. Everyone understood that Natsu would no longer be able to go on jobs so many brought him home cooked meals and simple easy bake stuff that even he could make. Bisca and Alzack even showed him all the best baby stores to shop at as well as give him some of Asuka's old clothes.

This lightened the burden a little but that was only in public. When he was alone he just couldn't keep up the facade and broke down. He wasn't complete without Ultear. Sure their relationship was a bit strained from the years of secrecy and the fact that she had his baby without even trying to tell him about it, but he could get over that with time. When he was first introduced to Ume, he looked at her with pride and hope. Pride that he and Ultear could make something so beautiful and hope that this child meant they could finally try to live like a normal family.

And then Crocus happened...

Resting his chin on the table, Natsu closed his eyes. "Uh..." he was very tired. However, despite how tired he was, he could never sleep. Not after he failed.

Ume kicked her feet in her basket, wanting her father's attention again.

"What do you want?" Natsu grumbled, looking at his daughter with tired eyes. "Well? What is it?" He didn't know why he was expecting an answer from her but he was. He was just looking for some distraction.

The light tapping of heels across a wooden floor grabbed his attention. "And how is my favorite father and daughter duo doing?" Mira smiled sadly, heartbroken to see Natsu in such a sorry state. To her, he looked like a mess and probably hasn't slept in weeks.

Natsu picked his head up to look at her. "Hey Mira, what's up?" He tried to smile but couldn't muster the energy to do so.

Offering her best attempt at a fake giggle, Mira took a seat next to him. "I'm doing fine, but I'm more worried about you. How are you holding up?" She questioned.

"I'm doing my best... it's just hard you know? I remember how we both were when we thought Lisanna died but this... this is different. This hurts so much more!" Natsu explained.

Mira nodded her head, understanding what he was going through. She may have not lost her lover and was forced to raise their child all alone, but she still lost one of the only family members she had left when Lisanna went to Edolas. Sniffing, Mira hugged the poor pink man, "I'm so sorry Natsu, I'm so sorry," she whimpered.

For once in a long time, Natsu melted into the embrace of a woman who was not Ultear. He didn't know what it was, but he felt that right now, Mira was the only one who understood him right now. He wrapped his arms around her and didn't let go.

Whether he knew it or not, Mira felt and heard his restrained sobs as they held each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the little child of Natsu and Ultear, wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. "Shh," she patted him on the back. "It's okay, let it all out, I'm here for you," she comforted him.

Natsu only allowed himself to release all of his pent up emotions for just a few minutes longer. He had to stay strong. He couldn't just let his emotions run wild like that.

Pulling his head up, Natsu sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Ugh, I'm sorry Mira. I didn't mean to-"

Mira put her finger to his lips to stop him. "Shh, it's alright Natsu, I know how it feels. So please don't hesitate to come to me if you need a shoulder to cry on, alright?" She asked him with a soft smile.

Natsu nodded his head and let out a sheepish laugh and a small blush dusted his cheeks. "I-I will," he stuttered which she found absolutely adorable. Not comfortable with the cute smile Mira was giving him, Natsu looked at Ume. "*cough* so Mira, I don't think I've introduced you to her yet. Mira, this is Ume Dragneel. Ume, this is Mirajane Strauss." He introduced them.

Mira laughed melodically as she waved at the cute little baby. "Hiya there Ume!" She greeted.

Ume started to giggle at the white haired woman, completely enamored with this new person. Natsu looked at Mira with widened eyes. "Wow, she hasn't done that with any other girl. She hated Lucy and Erza and Meredy, the only person she did like was... Ultear..." Natsu spoke in a hushed tone.

"Well I guess that's a good sign," Mira put her hand on his shoulder. For reasons unbeknownst to even herself, Mira felt her heart flutter when she heard that, she was one of the only women Natsu's kid liked? That was quite an honor. But as soon as she caught a peek at the clock, she sighed. "Well, looks like it's closing time already..." she sighed.

"Ah, I see," Natsu said as he got up out of the booth. "I should probably take Ume home, she needs some sleep."

Mira watched as he picked up Ume's basket and began to walk towards the door, seeing him leave all pitiful and sad like that spurred her into action. "Wait! Natsu!" She ran to catch up to him. "W-Where is Ume sleeping, I'm just curious is all..." she smiled sheepishly as a blush covered her face.

"Oh... right now she's just sleeping in my bed with me, Gray bought a crib but I don't know how to put the damn thing together," Natsu informed her.

Grabbing onto his free hand with both of her smaller hands, Mira leaned close to him. "Well, if you want, you can stick around for ten more minutes while I close up and I can help you put the crib together?" She offered.

Natsu smiled, he could stave off the loneliness for just a little bit longer. "That's a great idea Mira!" She blushed when he grabbed her hand.

*Flashback End*

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"And that's what started our relationship. A week or two later we started dating and a few months later we tied the knot. And I have to say, I've been happy ever since," Natsu smiled contently as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back into the swing.

Ume was looking down in her lap, mulling over something in her small head. "So Mira helped you get over mom's death?" She asked.

"That's right, without Mira, I don't think you and me could've made it this far," Natsu said honestly. It was true, without Mira, Natsu would've given up long ago.

With a steady breath, Ume got up off of the swing and made her way inside. Curious, Natsu got up and followed her into the house where he watched her go up to the still sniffling Mira who was talking to Gray and Lisanna.

"A-Are you guys okay?" Mira asked, more worried about them than her own well being. To her and the other's surprise, Ume didn't day a word and just hugged Mira tightly. On instinct Mira hugged the little girl back without question.

"I'm sorry... Mommy..." Ume apologized as she stuffed her face into Mira's stomach. Mira's heart melted when she heard her long time daughter figure call her 'mommy'. Lisanna and Gray smiled as they watched the two lock in their loving embrace. They knew the minor conflict would resolve itself and they were so glad it resolved as peacefully as this, not to mention it was heartwarming. It almost made Gray want to have a kid himself.

"I love you too sweetie," Mira sniffed as she held Ume tightly, glad to have her daughter back. All Mira wanted was for Ume to love her like a mom and now, she had that. Mirajane Strauss was officially the happiest woman in the world.

"Oh..." Natsu sniffed. "I'm a big sucker for happy endings! Come here you two!" He shouted as he joined in on the hug, eclipsing his two favorite girls and nearly crushing them. Lisanna and Gray immediately began to try and pry Natsu off in fear that he was crushing them, which he technically was, but he persisted. Ume and Mira laughed and giggled at Natsu's lovingness.

"Get off!" Gray said, "you're crushing them!"

"Natsu! They need air!" Lisanna said.

"Ugh fine! Geez, it's so hard to love people around here..." relenting, Natsu pouted as he released the two girls but Ume and Mirajane still hugged.

Ume's tiny arms were secured around Mira's body, trying to express her love and adoration through not only words, but body language. "I'm sorry mommy, can you forgive me?" She asked.

"Oh sweetie!" Mira said, nearly crushing Ume with a bone crushing hug of her own, "I've already forgiven you! It was bound to happen at some point but I'm glad you forgive me for lying to you, I won't ever do it again!" She promised.

"No, I don't blame you for lying. You raised me like your own daughter, you were my mother and you still are, but more importantly, you helped Papa and for that, I'll always love you," Ume said. Shedding a few tears of joy, Mira released Ume to go get some tissues to clean herself up.

Natsu, Gray, and Lisanna awed at the two, glad they not only made up but made their relationship so much stronger. Now nothing could come in between the two. About to go to Mira, Natsu happened to look out the window and saw that the rain had just stopped.

"Well would you look at that," Lisanna whistled, "the rain finally stopped."

Gray got up off of the couch and stretched. "Well since that's finally cleared up, I guess I can finally get out of here," he stated.

Hearing that her uncle was about to leave, Ume jumped off of the couch. "Wait! Uncle Gray! Can I come spend the night over at your house again?" She bounced up and down in excitement.

Gray just shrugged. "Sure, I'm sure Juvia wouldn't mind. But only if Natsu and Mira agree," just after he said that, he got a nod from Natsu and Mira called out to tell him that was fine, "well then I guess we can go, let's go then," he said as he began to walk out the door.

Lisanna chased after them, "oh! I should see if Juvia needs any help putting on that new bedspread!" She remembered to which Gray sighed as he felt a hole form in his wallet from yet another change in decorations.

Natsu laughed as he stood in the doorway, watching his former rival, his best friend, and his daughter walk back to Magnolia. Mira soon joined him and stood beside him, happier than ever before, save for when they got married. "Well, looks like we got rid of Gray," Natsu joked.

Mira nodded. "Yeah, but I was hoping to have a tea party with Ume..." Mirajane sniffed. Natsu sighed, not sure whether she was serious or just messing with him. But that gave him a rather great idea.

"Mira..." he spoke out, snaking his arm around her shoulder, "I was thinking, what if we had another little kid running around here?" He proposed.

Mira's eyes widened. "You mean..." she trailed off.

"Yeah, a real blood daughter of your own. I'm sure Ume would enjoy another brother or sister running around here with her," Natsu laughed.

Taking his hand in hers, Mira nodded excitedly. "That sounds like a wonderful idea Natsu," she hugged him. "I love you so much," she told him.

Natsu hugged her back. "I love you too Mira, I love you too."

The End

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A/N: So this was a little oneshot I cooked up in order to fill both the Ultear gap and the Mirajane gap in my life right now, I hoped you guys liked it as well.