Okay...So I know I'm a day early...again. I have something else I need to work on this weekend. Apologies! Enjoy the chapter :)

~Shana~

Quick note from otakuprincess... be ready to have your tissues out and keep your hands in the vehicle at all times guys! This emotional Rollercoaster is sure to be a bumpy ride...

The inmates at Fiore Correctional Maximum Security prison were leaving their cells to go to the breakfast hall, but Dan was finding it hard to get out of bed. All day yesterday, whispers echoed throughout the halls about Samuel's murder. It pissed Dan off. Just because he'd spent the day in his cell didn't mean he couldn't hear them when they passed by. He was right in assuming that he would be the only one who would miss Samuel Zentopia.

"C'mon Straight! I'm hungry!" his guard demanded.

Dan pulled himself to his feet, despite his reluctance, and followed the guard in silence. The abnormally loud breakfast hall fell silent as he lumbered into it. All eyes focused on him.

"What the fuck…" he whispered, staring at the picture of a cartoon Shar Pei in a leather jacket, pegged to the wall. A jackknife stabbed the Shar Pei in the forehead. Someone had drawn red around the entire dog.

"Who did that?" the guard demanded, stalking over to it. He ripped the drawing down and withdrew the jackknife, closing it before tossing it to another guard to dispose of at the warden's office.

Dan knew nobody would confess, so he continued to the cafeteria line to receive his crappy, frost-bitten Eggo waffles and 2 slices of bacon. At least the Eggos were warm this morning.

He sat at an empty spot toward the end of the row closest to the door. The sooner he was done breakfast, the faster he could get the hell out of there.

"Your protection is gone now," the inmate called Sugarboy said casually from beside him. He was one of the inmates Dan had had problems with when he first got there, "You better watch your back."

"I can fight my own battles," Dan spat back, "Nobody's bothered me for years. That's not going to change just because Samuel's gone."

Sugarboy laughed, "You have no idea, do you?"

Another inmate, known only as Guttman, let out a low chuckle, cracking his knuckles symbolically.

Dan pushed away his food, getting up to walk away.

"He screamed like a little girl," Guttman snorted, "I could hear him and I was 3 or 4 cell blocks away."

Dan froze, his anger coursing through his veins.

"I don't even think he fought back," Sugarboy added, "Dumb fuck was dead before—"

Dan grabbed the back of Sugarboy's blonde head and smashed it into the table three quick consecutive times. Blood sprayed all over his half-eaten food.

"I don't need Samuel's protection," Dan repeated, "My brother wasn't perfect, but he was my brother and you will respect his memory around me. Don't ever mention his name again or I swear…I will kill you."

He straightened up, wiping some blood from his fingers onto Guttman's coveralls, and headed out of the lunchroom, not looking back.

Lucy glanced back at her husband, sprawled out on the pathetic cot the hospital had loaned them to sleep on overnight. She was exhausted. She'd stayed up for a good portion of the night, watching their eldest son in his sleep.

His restlessness while sleeping had been the only sign of movement they'd seen from him since coming out of surgery yesterday. He'd murmured a few times what sounded to both Natsu and Lucy like "Wendy", but he didn't open his eyes.

Still, Lark hadn't officially awakened from his sleep. The doctor assured him that it was normal since he'd had a bit of a head trauma, but fully expected him to wake up at any time. In the meantime, the sleep would only help him. His body was simply trying to heal itself.

They'd already been on the phone to Levy and Gajeel that morning. The other kids had asked to stay home from school again today and Levy hadn't argued with them. However, she had pushed her own daughter out the door, promising that she and Daisuke could visit with Lark later, provided that he improved during the day.

Lucy placed her head in his hands, sighing deeply.

"C'mon Lark…wake up," she pleaded softly.

As if he'd heard her, Lark stirred a bit, cracking his eyes open slightly.

"Lark," Lucy whispered, "Thank Mavis…how are you feeling?"

She glanced back at Natsu again, wondering if she should wake him, but decided against it. The tension between them had been too intense yesterday. The last thing she wanted was to stress Lark out right after waking up. Besides, she wanted to assess Lark for herself first.

"Ugh," Lark groaned, "I've felt better."

"I'll get a nurse," Lucy said immediately, moving to get out of the chair.

"Wait," Lark murmured.

Lucy stopped, turning to Lark.

"I'm sorry," Lark whispered. He didn't have tears to cry, but the look on his face said it all. Of all the people in the world, Lucy was the one he would never, ever hurt purposely. The fact that he'd taken a swing at anyone was alarming to him. The fact that he'd hit Lucy...

Lucy bent over Lark's bed, gently, pulling his good side into a hug, "I love you, Lark. We might have our issues at times, but nothing will ever change that. I know you didn't want any of that to happen."

"Natsu's going to kick me out," Lark murmured.

Lucy pulled back, assessing the forlorn look on his face, "Lark, why would you ever think that? We would never kick you out!"

"I hit you," Lark said, the guilt and anguish he felt expressed in his eyes, "I would deserve it."

Lucy took him into her arms again, stroking his hair. It didn't feel like when Wendy did it. It was much more…motherly. Still, he felt comforted by her touch.

"Never," Lucy murmured, "We have a lot of talking to do, but we would never, ever kick you out. And it's Dad, Lark...not 'Natsu'."

Lark nodded. His eyes were still heavy. He wondered if Wendy had been helping him sleep with some sort of Angelic intervention. Was she even still there? He glanced around the room, looking for traces of Angelic glow. There were no signs whatsoever. Of course, he half-expected that. Wendy had tried to erase his memory of their conversation, so of course she would be using whatever trick the rest of the Angels who followed Fairy Tail used to disappear from his sight now.

"I'm going to get a nurse," Lucy told him, withdrawing from the hug, "I'll be right back."

Lark let out a deep breath, somewhat relieved by the fact that Lucy had seemingly forgiven him. His body did have minimal pain, but it seemed that Wendy had done a good job of healing the worst of his injuries.

He glanced over at Natsu, who was now getting out of the cot, watching Lark take in his surroundings. Lark froze in fear. Natsu didn't say anything at all as he got up and crossed the room to Lark's bedside... then pulled him into a gentle hug.

"Do you understand what you're asking us?" Virgo asked, her eyes clouded and dark as she contemplated what had just been asked of Fairy Tail.

The entire 8-Island crew, minus Lucy, were seated around the Board Room table with two representatives of the Fiore Correctional Board: Jellal Fernandez and his colleague, Erik Cubellios.

Jellal nodded solemnly, catching the eye of Gajeel Redfox, who sat at the end of the table. It had been with reluctance that Gajeel had joined Fairy Tail for this discussion, given everything else that was going on, but Jellal had specifically gone looking for Gajeel to ask him to be there. His solemn scowl darkened the table, making Jellal realize that by the end of the meeting, Erza would likely not be the only Angel completely ticked at him.

"Unfortunately, we do know what we're asking you," Erik replied, "We are well-educated on the incident in Magnolia that both of these men were a part of 16 years ago. And we know that you were all directly involved too. The fact is, Fairy Tail has an impeccable reputation for protecting their clients and the prisons aren't safe for them right now. We need your help."

Lisanna shook her head slowly, "No. My vote is no."

"They would remain isolated the whole time," Jellal told them, "You would not have to have contact."

"No!" Laki half-yelled.

"Will you think about it?" Erik asked, pushing a piece of paper toward Cana, "It will be worth your while."

She picked it up, reading the 7-digit dollar figure, then snarled her disgust as she pushed it toward Loke.

"You won't get an answer from us today no matter what you say," Loke told Jellal firmly, "We are missing an integral part of our management today. She should definitely get the final say since it was her nightmare that lead to their incarceration in the first place. No decision will be made without her. And as you can see, majority already rules that it's not going to happen."

Jellal nodded, "We understand your reluctance. Unfortunately, we are in a time crunch. These men need protection and they need it now."

"What makes you think Fairy Tail can protect Dan and Jackal if the prisons can't?" Loke asked Jellal and Erik.

"Because whoever is attacking these inmates," Erik supplied, "has done their homework on the location of each inmate in the prison. They know where and how to find them. But they won't find what they're looking for if we move them. It will buy police some time to figure out who's doing this and why."

"And how do you know it's Jackal and Dan they'll be after next?" Cana asked sharply. She still wasn't in favour of the idea. It didn't sit right with her at all and she was dying to go consult her cards.

"There's already been two other attacks," Jellal stated, "One on Kyoka and one on Kari. The fact that Samuel has now been taken out leads us to believe that whoever the murderer is, they're targeting the people who were directly related to your incident 16 years ago."

"All the more reason to say no!" Kinana threw her hands up in frustration, "We were all involved in that incident 16 years ago!"

"We don't need to think about it," Mest told them, "If they're murdered in their cells, they deserve it. These men threatened Cana with a broken wine bottle. They strapped bombs to Lisanna, Virgo, and Laki."

"They killed Juvia," Kinana whispered.

"Okay," Erik said, standing up, "We do understand. We just thought we'd ask. Fairy Tail has not be known to turn down any mission in the past. Your ethics and morals are second to none when it comes to protecting those who have nowhere else to go for help."

Jellal passed a business card to Virgo, "Here's how to get ahold of us if you change your mind."

The two men left the room, escorted by Gajeel who pretty much slammed the door behind them.

"Unbelievable," Cana huffed.

"They're right, you know," Mest said quietly, "We've never turned down a mission before."

"Well, I don't feel bad about turning down this one!" Lisanna said angrily, "They would have killed us, Mest! And they wouldn't have lost any sleep over it either!"

"I can't argue with that," Mest agreed, "And I'm not saying we should take the mission, but we haven't ever turned one down."

Aries laid a gentle hand on Loke's thigh, "Fairy Tail has been integral to a lot of people," she said in a low voice, "Myself included. It's okay to not accept every mission. The good you do can't be disputed. I'm sorry!"

The others nodded, remembering when Aries had come to them. Since then, she and Loke had found a closeness that she'd never found with another person. She'd fit in with the entire crew, becoming an integral part of their team. Loke and Aries had moved in together a few years back and were contemplating marriage.

The table fell silent for a few minutes as each person got lost in their own thoughts.

"We've handled worse cases," Mest said, "Remember that witness protection case we had last year? He was not a good man either, but we did our job and because of that, some even worse men were removed from the streets permanently."

"It's not the same," Lisanna argued, "He was a bad man, but he wasn't a murderer, stalker, or sadist like Dan and Jackal are. They tortured us and they didn't care who got killed along with us. Those bastards don't deserve our forgiveness."

"They don't," Loke growled, "And that's what will always make us better people than them. We have morals…and when we get kicked to the ground, we get back up. Look around us – Fairy Tail is an amazing accomplishment. We have a lot to be proud of. We have a client list as long as this table of people we've helped. If we did take this mission, it would be to show them they didn't hold us back...in fact, they made us who we are today."

The others nodded, thinking over the various missions they'd had throughout the years. It was true. Fairy Tail never stayed down, no matter how difficult their missions were. Juvia would be very proud of what they'd accomplished.

"We're going to accept, aren't we?" Virgo sighed heavily.

One by one, they all nodded. None of them were happy about it, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

"Of course, we have to run it by Lucy," Kinana said heavily, "If she's not okay with it, the whole idea is out the window."

The others nodded again.

"Damn our moral compasses!" Cana murmured.

Mira and Wendy were watching Lark and Natsu. Wendy had a little tear in her eye. Neither Lark nor Natsu had said anything. Natsu still held his boy firmly. Lark lay completely still, eyes wide open as Natsu held him.

Mira glanced at the young Angel beside her, noting the look on her face.

"Erik is leaving you with the Dragneels while Jellal goes with him, isn't he?" she asked.

Wendy nodded. The room door opened and Lucy returned with a nurse, who went straight to checking Lark's vitals. Natsu backed out of the way.

The edges of Mira's mouth twerked a bit, noting how Wendy hadn't taken her eyes off of Lark at all. She was not oblivious to the loneliness the teenage Angel felt. Mira was also a jack of all abilities. She was an Angel of Death. She was a mission organizer. She was Markarov's right hand Angel. But she was also completely attuned to emotions, felt by both human and Angels alike. It occurred to her that Wendy and Lark were very much the same in that way...they were both surrounded by people/Angels, but felt completely alone.

"Maybe it would be a good idea to put an Angel on Lark-detail full-time until we know how this situation is going to play out," she suggested, "It looks like he's still very mixed up."

The nurse was asking Lark a barrage of questions: How was he feeling? Did he have pain? How many fingers was she holding up?

"That's a good idea," Wendy agreed, "I…would volunteer…since the rest of the Angels have their usual assignments…"

Wendy felt her cheeks heat up again and wondered if Mira could hear her blood racing. If she did, she gave no indication.

Mira nodded, "We'll run it by the other Angels tomorrow. There will be an Angels' meeting to discuss how to handle things from here."

Wendy nodded, still watching Lark as he answered the nurse's questions.

"Damn him!" Erza seethed.

Juvia had just convinced Erza to leave the meeting that Jellal and Erik had just finished with the Fairy Tail crew. Her eyes were so red, Juvia could feel the anger pulsating even across the 3 foot distance between them.

"I'm not happy about this either," Juvia told her, "It's like my employees' nightmare is coming back to haunt them."

Erza didn't respond, her anger growing by the minute. She smashed a nearby flower pot, making bystanders jump as it randomly smashed into the pavement.

Juvia cocked her head, trying to understand Erza's reaction. She had hated Dan and Samuel as much as the rest of them had...but this was deeper than that. Something else was bothering her.

"We need to check on the Dragneel kids," Erza said finally, letting out a deep, cleansing breath to signify that she was done with her temper tantrum.

"Okay," Juvia agreed, "Let's go."

"Don't go too far," Levy warned Connor.

He was in the back yard, just enjoying the fresh air. The past 24 hours had been really stressful and he really felt the need to kick a ball around for awhile.

"I won't!' Connor promised.

"I'll see if anyone else wants to come out too," Levy suggested as she ducked back into the house to attend to the other children.

Connor nodded, but he wasn't worried about having company. He was happy to just be outside, kicking his soccer ball into the net over and over instead of worrying about his brother and his parents.

Connor lined his kick up again, running to smack the soccer ball into the net when a squirrel ran up a tree beside him, sending his kick wayward. The ball bounced into the forest.

Gray followed Connor, smiling at the innocence of the little boy as he skipped to the edge of the forest to find his ball.

Connor sighed, heading deeper into the woods to search for his ball. Knowing it couldn't have gone far, he frowned when he had to enter the forest more than a few feet. It hadn't been a hard kick. Something ticked at the back of his brain…he could hear something.

Connor's brow furrowed as he followed the noise. It was coming from a bush. He stooped, carefully pulling back the branches. Inside was a half-grown kitten, caked in mud.

"Hello," he said softly, reaching for it.

Gray's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the pathetic-looking animal. He wondered what on Earthland could have happened to her to make her tolerate being in that state. She would never be seen in that state willingly.

The kitten growled, then swiped at him as he reached for it. It winced and upon closer inspection, Connor realized it had a small cut on its' leg.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Connor promised, reaching again.

This time the kitten let him pick it up. It was filthy.

"Are you lost?" Connor asked, cuddling the kitten into his chest.

"MEOWRRR!" the kitten hissed.

"You're hurt," Connor told her, "I'm going to take you inside...so stop being so nasty!"

The kitten seemed to accept this once Gray sent through a wave of comfort to her, and she settled into Connor's chest.

It took the Dragneel children all of 2.4 seconds to realize that Connor was carrying a kitten. Instantly, they all gathered around, inspecting the poor thing for other injuries, all of them happy to have the distraction from their current problems.

"Where did she come from?" Hansuke asked.

"I found her in a bush," Connor told them, "She's hurt!"

"Okay!" Levy called out, "Back away, everyone. Let me take a look."

Obediently, Aki, Aimi, and Haru backed up so that Levy could see. Aki wondered momentarily if she saw a flash of recognizance on Levy's face, but dismissed it when Levy cautiously took the kitten from Connor's arms.

Gray smiled at the children. Over the years, he'd grown to really love this family. He wished that he could interact with them directly, never having had kids of his own. He knew Juvia felt the same, even though her primary assignment was to look after her old employees. Sometimes he wished that he and Juvia could live as an Earthland couple and adopt like Gajeel and Levy had done. Wish all they might, Gray and Juvia were not Guardians. And they couldn't settle in Magnolia even if they were Guardians. Too many people would recognize them. Neither would they qualify for a Doover. So both had settled with the knowledge that at least they were able to be together.

He caught Mira's eye across the room, winking as she sent out another wave of comfort to the distraught kitten.

"Hello, little one," Levy said softly, "Mieske, can you get me a wet cloth, please?"

Mieske scampered away, looking for a fresh, clean cloth.

Levy sighed, "Nevermind, Mieske – we need to give this poor little thing a bath! She's so caked in mud, we won't be able to see what's going on no matter how many cloths we use."

Mieske returned with a basin, filling it with warm water.

The kitten saw the basin with water and started protested loudly when Levy moved toward it. She swiped at Levy as she lowered the kitten into it.

"Aki, Aimi and Haru – this is going to be a harder job than I thought!" Levy told him, "Aimi and Haru, help me wash the kitten! Aki, please go get a towel!"

The kitten hissed again, her green eyes wild with protest. She scratched Levy again, jumping out of her arms. And so the chase began.

Lucy came back into the room after taking a phone call, her face ashen. Immediately, Natsu went to her side, but after a moment of low whispering, she shook her head and approached Lark's bedside. Lark was curious about what that could possibly have been about, but didn't ask questions. He was still on thin ice.

"The nurse said they're keeping you here again tonight to be sure your concussion is gone," she told him gently, "then perhaps tomorrow if the doctor is happy, they'll let you out in the morning."

Lark paused, glancing up at her. The turmoil he felt exuded through his eyes.

"Home, Lark," Lucy clarified, "You'll come home tomorrow. Where you belong."

Lark still didn't answer, his eyes wide with anxiety as he glanced over to Natsu.

"You know we're going to have to discuss what happened," Natsu said slowly, almost afraid to bring it up, "We can't keep going like this, Lark. We don't want to fight with you. We need to sort out whatever is bothering you and find a way to get past it."

"I know," Lark agreed.

"If you can't talk to us," Lucy continued, "then Cana would always listen to you. Everything you tell her will be confidential…but I hope you'll talk to us instead. We love you. We want to help you."

Lark nodded again. He felt a wave of peace pass through him, easing his anxiety.

"Don't worry about it now. In the meantime, do you feel up to visitors?" Natsu asked, making a much-needed change of subject, "Your siblings will see you tomorrow. It's a little much to bring 7 kids to the hospital... but your friends are anxious to see that you're okay."

Lark felt a smile spread across his face. Every sign of the anger Natsu had directed toward him yesterday was gone. Maybe it would be okay.

"Yeah. I think I'd like that."

"Maybe while they're here, we'll go home for showers," Lucy suggested, "Are you okay with that?"

Lark nodded again, "Yeah. I'll be fine tonight. Go get some rest."

"They'll be here shortly. We'll come back later to make sure you're okay," Natsu told him.

Natsu squeezed his good shoulder as they both got up. The two men held each other's gazes for a moment before Natsu finally took his wife's hand and headed for the door. Both Natsu and Lucy turned, giving him a last smile, then slipped out of the room.

"What was the phone call about?" Natsu asked as soon as they were out of hearing range. A few minutes ago, he'd known something was wrong, but she'd promised to tell him later. Their first priority was making sure Lark was comfortable.

"Fairy Tail has a new mission request," Lucy answered, "but they won't take it until I've had a chance to talk to them."

Natsu's brow furrowed, "What mission could possibly be so important that they'd interrupt you during a family emergency? Wouldn't they just take it?"

Lucy shook her head, "This one affects me and Levy personally. Actually, it affects all of us at Fairy Tail."

Natsu glanced at her, waiting for the explanation.

"They want us to protect Dan and Jackal."

"Hell no!" Natsu half-yelled, "Why are they even entertaining the thought?"

"Because it's what Fairy Tail does," Lucy replied, "We help people who are beyond help."

"But why?" Natsu protested, "Why Fairy Tail - they're in maximum security prisons!"

"Because apparently 3 of the crew that came after Levy and I that night have already been attacked," Lucy told him, "Jackal and Dan are the only ones left. If they aren't at the prison to be attacked, the hope is they'll be saved."

"I don't give a shit," Natsu spat.

Lucy shook her head, "I don't want them in Magnolia anymore than you do, Natsu. But I'm not making the decision. Fairy Tail...is going to do what Fairy Tail does best."

"So you're in favour of this?" Natsu demanded.

Lucy shook her head, "I'm not. But I don't have to be. I'll take a leave of absence as long as Dan and Jackal are there. I'll recommend Gajeel as the primary guard since he was there, but not as emotionally affected. Loke and Mest will be okay as well...Cana, Lisanna, Virgo, and Laki will have to decide if they're okay to keep working or not. I already know I won't be, so I'll stay home with Lark. He will need recovery time anyway."

Natsu scowled his disapproval. He didn't want Dan anywhere in the city, let alone at his wife's place of work. He hadn't met Lucy until after her ordeal, but he'd helped her get through the aftermath every year after that. The anniversary of Juvia's death was always hard on her. Every year, all of Fairy Tail took the day off to have a banquet in her memory. At night, she would cry. Lucy never really stopped feeling guilty for what happened to Juvia. It killed Natsu to see her hurting and not be able to take the pain from her.

"Natsu..." Lucy stopped walking, taking her husband's hands in hers, "I won't go near Fairy Tail while Dan is there. I promise."

He pulled her into a hug, "I'm just worried. I hate the man and I've never even met him."

"I know," she said into his hair, "But it was a long time ago. I have no intention of coming face-to-face with him. I'll avoid Fairy Tail as long as it takes."

"I don't like it," Natsu repeated, working to calm himself.

"I have to check in long enough to give them the go-ahead," Lucy told him.

She was still locked in his tight embrace.

"Okay," he said finally, "I'll go check on the kids."

They shared a kiss, long and lingering, before they broke apart.

"I love you, Luce," Natsu told her.

"I love you too," she smiled.

Natsu could hear the ruckus coming from the house long before he opened the door. He approached quietly, wondering why the kids would all be screaming like that.

Entering the house slowly, his eyes widened as a white blur whipped across his field of vision, followed by Mieske and Hansuke. Both had oven mitts on while Connor chased behind them with a laundry basket. The laundry that was formerly folded neatly inside the basket was strewn all over the kitchen and living room. He had a deja vu moment, remembering a similar scene with a certain squirrel many years ago.

"What the..." Natsu started as Aki darted past him. She was sopping wet, leaving a trail of water behind her as she dashed in the opposite direction of the boys. Aimi crossed her path, a towel in her hands as she glanced around the room wildly.

"Hi Natsu," Levy squeaked out meekly. She was also sopping wet as she continued to run. Haru appeared with one of Natsu's fishing nets, stalking down the hall behind the other 3 boys. He was just as wet as Aki and Levy.

Natsu's mouth was open in shock. The white blur zoomed past his vision again, disappearing into the living room. Natsu could hear thumping footsteps thunder down the hall after it, disbursing in different directions.

"I've got her!" Mieske called out triumphantly.

"Got her?" Natsu asked blankly, "Got who?"

The other children appeared from every which corner, racing to where Mieske had a laundry basket effectively trapping the white blur.

Natsu was thoroughly confused.

"Daddy!" Brielle exclaimed, finally noticing his presence. She abandoned her post around the white basket, throwing herself in his arms.

He revelled in her hug for a moment, lifting her onto his hip, before curiously approaching the living room. The kids were all gathered around the white blur, who was trapped under the laundry basket. Hansuke had hurried off, re-entering the room with a large tub full of water.

"7th time is the charm!" Connor yelled, "Battle stations, everyone!"

"We're almost done, kitty...just let us wash the soap off of you," Hansuke urged.

"What kitty?" Natsu asked nervously.

"You'll see," Brielle told him, a big grin on her face.

An ominous hissing noise permeated the air as Aki lifted the laundry basket and 3 kids attacked the white blur all at once, pushing her into the water and scrubbing her as fast as they could.

"She's getting ready to attack again!" Levy warned.

"Mieske! Towel patrol!" Hansuke yelled.

"On it!" Mieske yelled, as he, Brielle and Connor surrounded the kids washing the frightened kitten and formed a barrier with towels.

The kitten shrieked again, swiping wildly. Natsu's eyes were wide. Beside him, Levy smiled apologetically. There would need to be a house clean up after this.

"That IS a cat, right?" He asked Levy, "Because it sounds more like a mountain lion and I'm starting to get really concerned."

"Dad!" Aki greeted, "It's good to see you!"

"Success!" Aimi announced, "Kitty has been de-soaped! Stand by for toweling procedures!"

She, Aki, and Hansuke backed up, the kids with the towels ready to pounce. They grabbed the white blur, rubbing her down with their towels. She screeched, hissed, and clawed wildly into the air before they finally let her go.

The white blur disappeared down the hall, still spitting and hissing her disgust.

Natsu glanced from kid to kid, then at the absolute devastation to the house. The kids were soaked. The house was soaked. Wet footprints were everywhere.

"Anyone want to explain this to me?" Natsu asked after a long moment.

"Connor found a kitten," Levy said apologetically, "But she was so dirty, we couldn't see her wound. So...we decided to give her a bath."

"Turns out she's not black," Brielle informed him, "She's a white kitty, Daddy - and can we keep her?"

"All that was over a bath?" Natsu started to laugh, again surveying the damage to the house.

"Sorry, Dad," Aimi said softly, "We'll clean it up before Mom sees it."

Natsu continued to laugh, surveying the sorry state of the kids and the house. He desperately needed a good laugh. Pretty soon, Levy joined in, then the other kids one by one when they realized they weren't going to be in supreme trouble.

"I'll help you clean up," Natsu promised, "And then I'll tell you what's going on with Lark. But first...let's get a picture to add to the Christmas tree this year...then we'll take a look at that kitten."

Lucy arrived at Fairy Tail, her colleagues gathering around her to give her hugs of support.

Juvia loved that about the people that used to be her employees. They were still the kind, caring individuals they'd always been and were now family more than friends. She wished with all her heart that she could be part of that group hug...just for a moment.

"How's Lark?" Virgo asked.

"He'll be okay physically," Lucy sighed, "but we have a long way to go before everything else will be okay."

"We're all here for you no matter what you need," Loke told her.

She nodded, "Thanks. Cana, I might need you to talk to him."

"Of course," Cana promised, "In fact, I'll come see him when he comes home...just because I want to see him for myself."

"So...about Dan and Jackal," Lucy stated, getting right to the point. She wanted to get home to her family. She hadn't seen her other children in almost 2 days, considering it had been really early in the morning when all the drama started yesterday, "I won't stop you from taking the mission because I understand your points...but I think it would be a good idea for me to take a leave of absence during the time period that Dan and Jackal are here."

The other Fairy Tail members nodded.

"I like that idea," Lisanna said quietly, "I don't want to be here either."

"Or me," Virgo stated, "And I'm pretty Laki would say the same thing."

Kinana nodded, "That leaves Gajeel, Mest and Loke as the primary guardians. And myself, although I'm not sure what I can do to help."

"Fair enough," Lucy agreed, smiling at the brawny protectors, "Provided that you're all willing."

Loke and Mest nodded solemnly, obviously not that happy about the new development either.

Gajeel growled. He would worry about Levy every day those two men were in Magnolia, regardless of the fact that she was an Angel. He wasn't happy with Jellal putting Fairy Tail on the spot like that either and he had every intention of calling him out on that the first chance he got. In the meantime, the closer eye Gajeel kept on them, the less likely they'd be able to hurt Levy - and/or Lucy and the other girls.

"Then we're accepting the mission?" Mest asked.

"I guess so," Loke sighed, "But let's put a time limit on it. And I think we three," he gestured to himself, Mest, and Gajeel, "should be directly involved with the guarding.I don't want to be around them any longer than we have to be. We'll give them 2 weeks to figure out what's going on with the murders inside the prison...then they're on their own."

Juvia glanced over at Gajeel at the table, but he wasn't watching her. He was watching another corner of the room.

She followed his line of sight, recognizing Jellal as he stood concealed, watching the table discussion.

Jellal transported. Juvia took a deep breath, making eye contact with the man who served as her older brother. He nodded to her, then glanced away, the anger in his eyes still seething.

The house now somewhat back into order, Natsu, Levy, and the Dragneel children huddled around the table. The kitten was still very agitated and not at all impressed with the sheer quantity of human faces trapping her inside the circle of the table.

Levy and Gray both sent comfort waves to her, although Levy had to be much less obvious about it.

"We're gonna keep her, right Daddy?" Brielle asked, a bright smile illuminating the entire room.

"I don't know," Natsu hummed, "So far she hasn't been that friendly."

"She's just scared," Connor defended her, "But now that her paw isn't dirty and her wound will heal, I bet she'll be the nicest kitty ever!"

"But we don't know if she belongs to someone," Aki protested, "We can't just keep her."

"PLEASE DADDY?" Brielle begged, "Look! She already loves us!"

The wet furball on the table had visibly sagging brows, showing off her disgruntled attitude...but she wasn't swiping anymore as the kids took turns petting her gently.

Natsu sighed, "Let's see what your mom says."

The kids cheered, making the kitten's ears flatten against her head.

"We'll need a name!" Hansuke announced, "Maybe Cloud."

"You only want Cloud because of your video games!" Mieske told him pointedly, "And b'sides - it's a dumb name!"

"Is not!" Hansuke huffed.

"I vote for Strawberry!" Brielle yelled, putting her hand up.

"You're a strawberry!" Haru told her, playfully ruffling her hair. Brielle pouted, but perked up right away as she re-engaged in the conversation.

"She's white - we could call her Albino!" Aki suggested.

"That's too much like rhino!" Connor argued, "She needs something prettier."

"I like Cotton," Aimi said shyly.

Nobody even heard her suggestion.

"What about Bond?" Mieske put in, using his huskiest voice, "JAMES Bond!"

"For a cat?" Haru protested, "And a girl cat? Naw. She needs something like Cremepuff - now there's a name for white cat!"

"Yeah!" Aimi retorted, "If you're planning to eat her!"

"If you get to pick a boy name, so do I!" Connor pointed his finger at Mieske, "And I think it should be Lando!"

Natsu snickered.

Levy and Gray exchanged glances. None of these names would make her happy.

"How about Carla?" Levy suggested lightly, "It's simple and feminine. She should like that name for sure."

The kids stopped arguing with each other, glancing around the table. There was a long silence before they all burst out laughing at once.

"What kind of a name is Carla for a cat?" Mieske laughed, "Honestly, Auntie Levy...you're hilarious!"

Natsu and Levy shrugged at each other, perking their ears for Round 2 of the kitten naming contest.

It was a light knock at the door. Lark might not have heard it, being that he was dozing lightly, except that the door creaked as it opened. Daisuke peered around the corner cautiously.

"Hey," he said lightly.

"Hey," Lark smiled.

Daisuke pushed the door open, entering the room.

"Shit, man...you look nasty," Daisuke commented.

Lark laughed lightly, "Yeah, well...you should see the other guy."

He glanced behind Daisuke, seeing Laki at the door. She waved, then backed into the hallway to give them some privacy.

"Sora didn't come?" Lark asked.

Daisuke paused, glancing toward the hall, "She's here...she's nervous about coming in to see you."

Lark frowned, "Why?"

"You scared her, Lark," Daisuke stated, "She's been a mess for the past 24 hours. Levy told my mother that she wouldn't come out of her room last night."

Lark nodded, feeling another searing pang of regret course through him. He'd worried a lot of people. He'd made a mess of everything.

Daisuke pointed to Lark's arm, "Does it hurt?"

Lark nodded, "Yeah. But it's not as bad as it could have been."

"You're not kidding," Daisuke agreed, "Nobody knows how you escaped that, Lark. You could've been killed."

"Are you lecturing me?" Lark joked - or tried to. His voice cracked.

"Yeah, man. I am," Daisuke said, his eyes brimming slightly, "You scared us. Don't do that again. Ever."

Lark nodded, "I won't. I'm sorry."

Both boys went silent for a moment, but Lark distinctly felt the comfort wave pass through the room. There was an Angel nearby, trying to smooth things over between the two boys. He wondered if it was Wendy.

"Yesterday spiraled out of control faster than I could keep up," Lark confided, his voice choking slightly, "I wish I could erase the entire day, Dai. I was scared...and when I get scared...I do stupid shit to avoid dealing with it. It's my fault. I never should have gone to get Sora and we shouldn't have fallen asleep against the tree...everything just fell apart so fast..."

Daisuke didn't respond, giving Lark a chance to tell him what happened on his own.

"It's my fault," Lark concluded, "I'm so messed up...and because of me, Sora and Lucy both got hurt."

"Things like this have been happening for months, Lark. It's not the first stupid thing you've done...just the most dangerous."

Daisuke paused, looking at his friend, then looking away.

"What?" Lark asked.

Daisuke paused again, not sure if he wanted to ask his question.

"The nightmare," Daisuke said slowly, "It wasn't a one-time thing, was it? There's a connection to why you're acting so weird."

Lark stared at his friend for a minute, trying to decide how to handle the question. It was a perceptive observation...one that made his realize Daisuke was an amazing friend. He felt another wave of peace pass through the room.

"It wasn't a one-time thing," Lark admitted, "I've been having nightmares all my life...but they're getting worse."

Daisuke nodded, "Then consider me in line for questioning when you get out of here."

Lark sighed, "Yeah, okay. I owe you that."

"I'm going to get Sora," Daisuke told him, "Mom doesn't want us staying too long. You're still very tired and you need your beauty rest," he shot Lark a playful grin, "BOY, do you need your beauty rest! After all, you want to look your best when the doctor comes to see you tomorrow."

Lark snickered.

He paused partway back to the door.

"Lark...she's a mess," Daisuke warned, his eyes full of the worry that he'd been carrying all day, "Be careful with her."

Lark nodded, taking the moment that Daisuke was occupied to glance around the room for the unseen Angel. He wasn't surprised when he couldn't pinpoint anyone, but prayed someone was nearby. A part of him was as worried about seeing Sora as she apparently was of seeing him.

The door creaked again. Daisuke appeared, pulling Sora gently by the hand as he encouraged her to come in. Lark raised an eyebrow at their joined hands.

"H-hi," Sora stuttered.

"Hey," Lark replied.

Sora glanced around the room nervously.

"So...how long have you two been going out?" Lark asked slowly, gesturing toward their still joined hands.

Sora's eyes widened as she withdrew her hand, turning bright red. Both Daisuke and Lark burst out laughing. Sora looked like she would burst into tears for a moment before finally curving her mouth into a small smile.

"There it is," Lark said softly, reaching for her other hand, "You should always smile, Sora. Nothing is ever so bad that you should lose your smile. I'm sorry I scared you."

"My dad's going to kill you," she said, her voice cracking.

Both Daisuke and Lark laughed harder at her attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"Yeah, I know!" Lark stated, trying to tone down his laughter a bit. His ribs hurt with the movement, "There's a line for that too. One for the lectures, the other for killing me. He'll have to get in line behind Natsu and Daisuke."

"And you haven't faced Aki yet," Daisuke reminded him.

Sora tried to laugh, but it came out strangled. Her face contorted into a mixture of expressions as she fought to get a hold of herself. Another wave of comfort passed through the room.

"Sora," Lark warned, "That's not a smile!"

She couldn't contain her tears anymore. She let go of Lark's hand, burying herself in Daisuke's chest. Lark and Daisuke both stopped laughing, Daisuke's arms wrapping around her. Lark watched them, completely unsure of how to handle Sora's reactions. He'd never seen her this way before. It briefly crossed his mind that she'd turned to Daisuke for support and not him...but then, why would she turn to Lark for support? He was the cause of this whole mess.

It was a long few minutes before Sora finally pulled away from Daisuke, wiping her tears on her sleeve.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

Lark extended his good hand, "Come here."

She glanced at him hesitantly before finally sitting on the edge of his bed and allowed him to pull her to his side, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry," Lark repeated into her hair, "I'm so sorry, Sora. It's all my fault."

She nodded into his chest before withdrawing, wiping her tears. He squeezed her hand, but she wouldn't look at him, instead tucking herself back into Daisuke's arm.

Daisuke and Lark both frowned. They exchanged glances.

"They made us promise not to stay long," Daisuke told Lark, taking Sora's hand again. The look in his eyes told Lark he just needed to get Sora out of there.

Lark nodded his understanding, "Thank you for coming. I hope you'll come by the house tomorrow."

Daisuke nodded back, "Definitely. Have a good sleep."

Sora tried to smile as Daisuke pulled her to the door, but it was very meek. She just didn't have it in her.

Lark stared at the door for a good few minutes after they left, trying to absorb the myriad of emotions coursing through him. If he hadn't felt remorse before, he did now. Sora had been shattered. The tears started etching out of his eyes whether he wanted to or not.

"Wendy!" he called out, "Can you help Sora, Wendy? Please?"

He waited, tears streaming down his face. No Angel appeared to him, but he did feel the wave of comfort pass through the room. There was a part of him that didn't expect she would show any signs of acknowledging his request, but now he had hope.

"Thank you, Wendy," he whispered.

He sniffed back his tears again, resolving to keep his promise to Wendy that he would try to figure things out with Natsu and Lucy. Too many people were hurting because of him...and not all of it was physical.

In the darkness of the unseen shadows of the room, Wendy felt a tear roll down her face too. Lark was beginning to understand the ramifications of his bad decisions. They'd been building up for months now. She was just sorry everything had to come to a head at once.

She couldn't appear to him, but she would go visit Sora later tonight. It broke her heart to see the young girl so distraught.

Lark sniffed, finally calling out for Plue, who settled onto Lark's bed immediately. She felt the pull again to go to him. But Wendy had crossed some serious lines with Lark already and she still wondered about her own repercussions if anyone figured out that she'd allowed him to see her.

But then, she'd erased his memories...

Wendy's eyes widened as she realized Lark had called her name just then...not just called out to the Angels, but specifically her. There was no way for him to know her name...

...unless he remembered.

YAY Kitten naming contest! Any guesses on what the kids will end up calling her? Should be interesting.

Lots of things will start happening now. Dan is on his way to Magnolia and Lark is going to go home soon. Not to mention, how will Happy handle the new kitten moving in on his territory?

Seeya next week!

~Shana~