Natsu sighed. He wished he could be there for Lucy. But he had a feeling that, even if he were there, it wouldn't make a difference. Not even he could erase the pain of losing the only living relative she had left. Her Father.
Natsu felt a flame of hatred rising inside him, but it was quickly dampened. Even if that man had never seemed to care for Lucy, always drowning himself in his work and pushing expectations on to his daughter... he was still her father. It was obvious that she should cry over his death. However, Natsu wasn't sure that they were all tears of grief; Lucy tried desperately to disguise it, but he knew her better than anyone else in the guild. Right now, she was crying not because she was sad or feeling regret; she was relieved. He could see it in her eyes, every mission they went out on together- somewhere, in some corner of her mind, she was thinking about her father. About how she felt the need to give him a second chance. But at the same time, her conflicted feelings forced her to stop thinking about him and carry on with the mission.
That's what she needed; a goal, a mission. Although Natsu loved going out on 'requests', his own enjoyment was only a secondary reason for accepting them. He did it for her sake. If he could give her something to focus on, then maybe, he could ease her worries enough for her to be able to be truly happy. Even if it was only for a moment, it would still be worth it.
For Lucy.
He groaned as his stomach grumbled weakly. "Let's go back, Happy." His blue cat, although idiotic at times, seemed to sense the atmosphere, and simply nodded before following him back to their home.
When they got there, Natsu leapt face-first onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. After what seemed like hours, he turned to lay on his back. Pictures and memories hung on the walls; the request flier for their first mission together, the signature of the 'Salamander'- although, he was a mere impostor, Lucy's maid costume... so many memories. And there were pictures of their team; himself and Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy and, occasionally, Gajeel and Lilly.
One picture in particular stood out from the rest, probably because it was one of the only ones framed. Him and Lucy...and Lucy looked happy. Natsu sat up on his bed, continuing to look at the picture with a slight smile on his face. He loved it when she was happy. He only hoped that she could now be free to smile as much as she wanted.