DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. BUT I CAN WISH^^

SO THIS IS THE END...

ENJOY!

"Papa?" a young girl tugged at her father's shirt.

Sting looked down at his daughter fondly, patting her head. "What?"

"Me and Lecter-niku (Lecter-Cat) want ice-cream."she pouted, looking so much like her mother.

They never really did agree on who's hair she had.

When they had debated on it for a whole day, he had surrendered.

Golden it is.

But as she grew, anyone could see that the locks draping down her face were not gold, but a light butter-yellow.

Lucy was wrong.

He did not want to lie to his own daughter, so the day she had approached him, looking tearful, was a day that he had been steeling himself for.

"Papa, my friends all have a Mama. Where is my Mama?"she had tearfully asked.

He pinched her cheeks and explained to her, carefully choosing his words, that her Mama had gone and wasn't coming back. She listened intently as he explained the concept of death.

When he was done, he handed her a soft doll, in a bright, baby-blue dress. "This is your mother's sister, Michelle."he told her, like Lucy had told him five years ago.

Kimi just wiped away her tears and beamed at the doll, "Hi Auntie Michelle!"

"Your mother used to love her very much. Since she is gone, it is your turn to look after Auntie, okay? Promise me you will cherish her."

Kimi nodded vigorously.

"Auntie, don't worry. I will look after you!"she promised solemnly, "come on, let's play with Lecter-niku!"

They took off, hand in hand.

As for her promise, it was one she kept, because for the following years, Michelle had the best side of the bed, her own wardrobe and softest seat at the table.

Kimi had insisted.

Sting was not used to the hollow feeling of emptiness inside the pit of his belly.

Like that empty chair.

Like the feeling of loneliness everytime he came home.

Like the right side of the bed that was always cold.

Like that so-alone feeling that reverberated through the house, scratching down the walls and echoing down the hall and along the slippery tiles of the toilets.

Then, there was silence.

Utter silence.

Her keys remained fixed on the windowsill.

It never moved.

At first her spirits would pop around from the Spirit world to see how Kimi was doing, but after awhile, they stopped trying.

And the gate remained closed.

Locked tight.

And the next morning, Sting would see droplets of dew on the windowsill.

Just like tears.

"Tadaima!" He would say to the empty house.

Pretending that she was still there.

Pretending that the cold dinner left on the stove was made by her.

Even though he knew that it was all Lisanna's work.

But it can't hurt to pretend.

Right?

It pained his heart to look at his daughter.

She looked exactly like her.

The same face.

The same nose.

The same pout.

The same smile that always sent his heart somersaulting.

She had his hair and his eyes.

The resemblance ended there.

Full stop.

When her death anniversary came, it always tormented him to no end.

Because the emptiness seemed more significant that ever.

Because the hallway seemed to whisper her footsteps.

You are hearing things.

Because he would wake up with the right side of his bed slightly warm, like lingering embers, like she was just there, moments ago.

You are going crazy.

Because the dining room seemed to fill with soft breathing.

Stop it already!

He would visit her grave, with Natsu and Lisanna, Gray and Juvia, Erza and Jellal and Rogue and Yukino.

They never stayed for longer than two hours.

"Take Kimi and Lecter home please."he whispered to Natsu, because he knew that if he spoke any louder, he would cry.

Natsu seemed to understand too.

"Okay."

They left, two by two, until only Sting was left.

Her marble tombstone shimmered under the dark.

"I'm sorry."he wept. "I never stopped being sorry."

The wind caressed his cheeks and whispered, loud and clear, as if she was beside him. "Twerp."

Her tombstone took him a week to carve. Fine marble, pale white.

There was only one word on it.

'Forever'.

He sat down beside her grave.

"I wish you were here. How are you? Your spirits are missing you...Loke married Aries last week. He wishes you were there. I do too. I miss you." he whispered, the thin stream of tears trailing down his cheeks.

"You know, "he continued, "Kimi is telling all her friends that one day you'll visit her from heaven, as an angel."he laughed softly.

"If you're there, I just want you to know...I love you. I will never stop loving you, Ne?" He took a deep breath, "I wonder if you still love me..."

It was a stupid question.

But he couldn't help but doubt.

After all, she was dead, wasn't she?

"And...if you are...can I see you for the last time? Just once? At least to show me that you are there. "he begged, "I never got to say goodbye..."

The leaves on the trees swayed with the breeze.

Silence.

"I...I'm going now, Luce."he whispered.

Something fluttered past, and he caught it.

It was a thin slip of paper.

Blood red and inked with a singe line of words, her handwriting.

"Twerp. Of course I love you."

【END】

YAY. FINISHED

R&R?

SAYONARA ALL! I ENJOYED WRITING THIS!

MAYBE IF I FEEL LIKE IT, I'LL DO A BONUS CHAPTER.

AHAHAH...BYE BYE AND ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU lucyglitter11! ^^