Hi guys! Once again thanks to my sweet reviewers:
SimplyIsabelleS: Lolz! Don't worry she won't be killed or anything. Your question will be answered in this chapter(i guess) and Sting is not a bad character, so no worries there :) Thanks for your review!
bluefrost15: I'm so glad you found this story interesting. You have no idea how happy I was to read your review. Thanks for your review!
Thanks to all those who Favorited and Followed this story.
R&R
"Sting" said Lucy mustering her voice, "W-what in the world is going on?"
"What would you do if I said whatever I did up till now was just an act to lure you to follow me to this place" asked Sting as he looked at Lucy, with a smirk crawling up his lips.
Lucy stared at him, trying to absorb his words.
Act
Lure
What is he trying to say?
Why do I feel so…betrayed? Did I trust him way too much just because he was good to me and helped me at times?
As these thoughts ran through her head, she failed to notice a person approaching the two blonde. He placed a hand on Sting's shoulder to catch his attention.
Sting jolted when he felt somebody touch his shoulder, "Don't freak me shadow-freak?"
"Shut up" replied the shadow-freak or rather Rogue. He hit sting on his head and said "Don't make her wait here. Bring her in and lead her in. Our lady is waiting at the library"
Sting glared at him and turned around to enter the mansion, "Do that on your own"
He went inside the mansion not looking back at all. Lucy took this as a cue to run from this place. Rogue was looking at Sting figure disappear inside the mansion. Rogue heard some noise behind him, he didn't bother to turn around and said, "If you're thinking of running it's futile"
Lucy froze in her track and looked/glared the raven haired guy, who had his back facing her. Rogue turned around and looked at the girl. He approached her and kept an arms distance between them. He smiled gently at her, "We won't harm you. Our lady just wants to have a word with you. Trust me, we mean no harm and I apologize for Sting's behavior"
He didn't seem like he will harm her. But doesn't mean he can be trusted. Rogue noticed Lucy's uneasiness, and said, "You heard of Levesques?"
"Levesques?" asked Lucy, as she arched her eyebrow at rogue, not letting her guard down. As if she just remembered, she said, "L-levesques! I remember"
Her eyes wide as it struck her, why the name felt familiar, "It was Mama's maiden name"
Rogue nodded, as he gestured towards the house, "This is our lady's, your grandmother's, place"
Lucy remembers her mother's word; her mother's side grandmother hates them. She doesn't know the reason, but was not interested in it, anyway.
"She's on her death bed"
To this Lucy, looked at Rogue, with disbelief, "She just wants to talk to you, so please…come in" requested Rogue, frowning slightly.
Not many people know about Lucy's mother's maiden name, so Lucy nodded as a reply, to which Rogue smiled thanked her.
So Lucy followed him inside, keeping her guard. She adored her surrounding, which were filled with shrubs which were perfectly trimmed, adorned with beautiful flowers.
The surrounding seemed similar to Lucy, as Rogue led her inside the mansion. The inside of the house reminded Lucy's of her home, where used to live with her Father, before he expired. They walked for few minutes and stopped in front of the large doors.
"She's waiting inside" said Rogue, as he motioned Lucy to move in. Lucy cautiously took her steps and opened the doors. She pushed them open, and moved in, what looked like Library.
It was filled with huge shelves holding books of every size and color. Lucy adored the place, and moved further, searching for her so called grandmother. When she took a turn in one of the corner she found an elderly woman, pale and thin, sitting in one of the chairs accompanied by a table.
Her hair had turned grey, which was tied in a bun. She in simple gown and was wrapped in a shawl. It seemed like she reading a book.
Lucy made her way to the table, cautiously placing her steps. The elderly woman looked up, when she heard gentle tapping of the heels. Lucy smiled awkwardly when she saw the elderly women.
"You must Layla's and that Jude's daughter?" asked the woman.
"Y-yes…Lucy Heartfilia, ma'am" replied Lucy, mentally scolding herself for calling her grandmother ma'am.
"I won't bite you dear" replied the woman, with a gentle smile, motioning Lucy to take a seat.
Lucy did like she was told and took her seat opposite to her grandmother. She fidgeted in her seat and everywhere but the old lady. She glanced and tried to see what book that old woman was reading.
Her eyes, kind of, softened when she saw it was a photo album of her mother's childhood.
The lady noticed Lucy's gaze on the book and gently pushed the book towards her. "Your mother was anything but a lady" said the woman, trying to start up a conversation.
"Really?" asked Lucy not believing what her grandmother's said, she continued, "I heard, from the people who work at the mansion, mother was truly a lady with perfect words and manner"
"Who knows" replied her grandmother, smiling. She continued, which almost sounded like a whisper, "She probably hate me"
Lucy arched her eyebrow to her grandmother's reply.
"When your mother stayed here….
"Layla-sama! Your mother has called for you" said a maid, entering her lady's room and gasped, "L-Layla-sama, please wake already!"
The said woman, Layla Levesques, was currently lying on her bed wrapped form head to toe in her blankets, humming as her response.
After some time, the maid finally managed to wake her lady and dress her up.
"Tomoko, when it's just the two of us, call me Layla" said Layla, as she sat down so that, the maid or Tomoko could tie her hair.
"Yes yes Layla" replied Tomoko, as she combed through Layla's silly blond hair.
"….Tomoko and Layla got along very well, after all both of them were of the same age. Layla treated Tomoko as her best friend. She supported Layla's every decision no matter how childish or dangerous they were…"
"I want to attend a university, like any normal student, mother" said Layla, standing in front of her mother, who looked at her.
"A lady, like you, should never attend a place where commoners go. Please refrain yourself from making such childish requests"
"…she somehow managed to make me change my mind. I allowed her to attend Fiore University, under the condition she will marry the person, I pick as her to-be-husband. I can bet she was so excited, that she didn't even listen to my condition" said the woman, as she smiled to herself.
Lucy smiled as well, she never heard stories of her mother's; apart from the ones her maid-servants told her, but they were stories of Layla after she got married, not before.
"Layla passed the test, because of high intelligence level, and…that's where she meets him, your father…"
"Layla Levesques" said Layla as she extended her hand to the person sitting next to her, "Nice to meet you"
"Jude" replied the guy next to her, shaking his hand with hers. He had short but spiky blond hair, and a muscular body.
"No surname?" asked Layla, as she placed her hand on the desk, looking at Jude.
"Heartfilia" replied Jude as he groaned.
"…Jude was from a middle class family. He was studying to become a successful business man to support his family. Layla, at times, brought that kid home, along with some other friends for group studies, sometimes alone with Jude. I became worried; I didn't want her to have a deep relation with anyone, especially a guy, but like other teenager, she was stubborn…"
"What is it this time, Levesques?" asked Jude, as he sighed and closed his book and looked at the blond girl standing in front of him.
"Isn't Levesques mouthful?" asked Layla, changing the topic.
"Any another option?" asked Jude as he packed his books and got up to exit the library. Layla followed him, swinging her bag.
"There is!" said Layla, as they exited the library. Jude gave her what-do-you-mean-look.
"Layla" replied Layla as she smiled, slightly blushing, "Call me Layla and I'll call you Jude"
Jude, too, slightly blushed and turned his face so that Layla doesn't see it. "People might misunderstan-"
"I don't mind" blurted Layla, her face completely red. Jude blushed too like Layla.
"Idiot!"
"…Shortly after that, Layla informed me that she was dating Jude. Like any other mother I refused their relation. But she refused to break-up with that brat. I tried to convince her, but she listened to me. After months, she came to me…
"M-mother" said Layla, in a shivering voice.
Her mother looked at her daughter, trembling and fidgeting with her fingers, "What's wrong?" she asked, "Did that brat leave you?"
Layla didn't reply, and kept her gaze on the on the ground, refusing to meet her mother's sharp gaze.
"I-I'm p-pregnant" replied Layla, a sob escaping her lips. Her mother's eyes widened when she heard it. Layla, bit her lips, to stop herself from crying.
"…I was angry, needless to say. After my husband died, all I had was Layla, my daughter. When she blurted out she was pregnant, with you in her womb, I didn't know what to say" replied the woman, gripping the end of her shawl.
Lucy could hear the pain in her voice. Yes, Lucy has heard stories from her mother, that she was just a student when she had Lucy in her womb.
"I was scared to lose Layla, so I did what I thought what I thought was right. Locked her in her room and cut all her contact with all her friends from the university. But I guess Tomoko was helping Layla somehow"
Layla sobbed in Tomoko's arms, with Tomoko gently patting Layla's head.
"Layla" said Tomoko, lifting the sobbing girls head, "Don't' cry it's bad for the child"
Layla nodded, but tears never stopped rolling down her cheek.
"T-Tomoko"
Tomoko hummed when she heard Layla call out her name, "I w-want to l-leave this place"
Tomoko eyes widened when she heard what Layla said, but before she could reply Layla added,
"P-please! Help me!"
Hearing the say this way, made it impossible for Tomoko to refuse. She sucked in her breath and let it out and said, "I got it. I'll make arrangement for it…somehow I'm sure other will also help you" She smiled at Layla, locked her eyes with her dear friend, "We all love you, Layla…We'll help you somehow"
Layla smiled, for the first time after weeks, and hugged Tomoko, apologizing and thanking at the same time.
"…Layla managed to sneak out at night, without alerting me and settled with Jude's family. She gave up her studies to take care of herself. Jude studied very hard and, you can see how successful he became" she said, letting out a laugh, out of happiness/sadness.
Lucy smiled sadly. She didn't know why, but she felt sad.
"You must be wondering why I'm telling you this"
Lucy whipped her head and met her grandmother's eyes. Lucy kind of understands why her grandmother called her here.
"Mother was really a kind person holding o grudge against anyone" replied Lucy catching the elderly lady's attention, "So don't worry. I'm sure Mother might have forgiven you a long time ago!" grinned Lucy.
The elderly woman couldn't hold in anymore. She always regretted locking up Layla, not meeting her when she gave birth and most of all, regretted not being able to apologize to her, before her daughter passed away. She covered her mouth as her tears felling down her face and muttered a thank you.
"Cheer up…Grandma!" said Lucy, blushing slightly, because this was the first time she ever used that word.
"Cheer up, Mother!"
The elderly woman smiled at Lucy, and said, "You resemble Layla so much"
Lucy smiled and blushed, at her grandmother's word. Being referred to, she resembled her mother, made her happy and it filled her with pride for some reason.
Any mistakes? I was in a hurry to update this chapter, so I didn't check it properly. I know this chapter had too many drama or something. But hey, the genre itself says 'Drama'
Sorry for the late update! Busy with exams and college. Don't forget to review!
