WASSUP BITCHES! I am back! The groove is back and not only am I back into the writing gig but I finished Chapter 11 and started onto 12. I actually wanted to update last night but there were some problems and I couldn't. I also probably might've hopefully finished 12 last night if I wasn't forced to bed. So, here's 10. Also, I just wanna go ahead and thank all those who stuck by me (for some reason) and so sorry for making you wait.

WARNING: I know absolutely nothing about police activity and all that so expect this chapter to be pretty crap. Just saying.

Natsu was having a good day. He really was. Not only was it a weekend and his day off from work, but he also got to spend a larger than average percentage of it with Gray. It was awesome. They watched TV, ate junk food, met up with the others for a bit, goofed around and even made out a bit (*cough cough* a lot*cough cough). It was really blissful. The only downside was that Gray had to leave early (much earlier than their usual eleven seventeen but, oh well) to help bathe Muff. Oh well, can't have everything you want (and doesn't he know that well). But that was pretty okay too since Happy (yes, the cat is the one who cooks, got a problem?) was making his favourite for dinner; spaghetti and meatballs in lasagna with extra cheese, meat and sauce (the very holy and delicious offspring of an entire week of food experiments) with spiced hot chocolate.

So, that brought the author and the few members of the audience to Natsu right now as he casually swung side to side in the hammock, waiting on dinner and wondering if Happy would mind him sneaking into the kitchen and stealing some food. He probably would… Just as Natsu was contemplating the best way to Ninja in and out without Happy taking notice, there was a knock on the door. He blinked out of his thoughts before elegantly falling out of the hammock and onto his pretty little face. Years of having it and he still fell out like a level one noob- lovely.

Grumbling some not so pleasant words and rubbing his now sore body parts a bit (that wasn't supposed to sound as suggestive as it does), Natsu stormed over to the door. He took a moment to breathe and calm down since it was kind of mean to yell at someone just because you fail at life before opening the door. "Hi, can I he-"

He instantly paused and stared at the man before him. His eyes visibly dimmed slightly and his mouth snapped shut mid-sentence as both arms fell limply to his side. "Oh," he said, voice uncharacteristically flat and monotone. "It's you. What are you doing here?"

Officer Brian Nulla stood before him. He was a tall and muscular dark skinned man with long white hair that he usually wore out and very dark eyes. Natsu always liked to call him 'Nutella' as a joke on his last name which he always pronounced like 'New-La", which was Latin for 'Zero'. And he always found it funny that his last name would translate to that of all things since, according to rumors, Brian- nicknamed 'Brain' (oh the brilliance) for his amazing intellect- had a split personality named Zero who just so happened to be even more of a sadistic and disgusting bastard than Brian. And ever since Natsu's father disappeared, he'd been responsible for the search to find him.

He was also the guy who continuously and frequently informed Natsu of their progress (none) and tried to get him into an orphanage. It had started when Igneel was first declared missing and, at first, it had seemed like he honestly wanted what was best for Natsu- but that was at the beginning. As time passed, he got restless and frustrated over Natsu's constant rejection to just do as he told him to and, soon, he didn't seem so nice. Natsu got a perfect look at his true colours and ever since, he'd been just as cold to Brian as he was to him. Hence why he wasn't so ecstatic to see him.

Not that Brian seemed any more enthusiastic than Natsu was about the visits if the constant looks of boredom and thinly veiled perpetual disdain and disgust directed at Natsu was any indication. "Is Atlas present?" he asked in that ever condescending and authoritative tone of his. Natsu didn't even bother to hide his scoff.

"He comes the weekend before Thanksgiving, remember?" he sneered. "Or are you really getting too old to remember things?"

Brian snorted disdainfully as he pushed past Natsu and strutted inside like he owned the place. Though that's how it was and had been for a while now; no greetings, no progress, no friendliness of any kind- just routine. Natsu wanted to have someone's head over the whole prospect of it. But, sadly, he couldn't. So, taking a deep breath, Natsu slammed the door shut and turned to look at Brian who was currently examining the place, no doubt trying to look for something to accuse him of inappropriate behavior and throw him in a cell over. He did that once when he found a bottle of chewable vitamins in the kitchen. He'd said something along the lines of "It could've been illegal drugs in disguise." Stupid reason or not, Natsu had to spend a night in a holding cell until five completely different annoyed and bemused looking specialists and scientists confirmed that the vitamins were, in fact, just vitamins.

"So," he started, allowing the bitterly familiar questions to form on his tongue, "Why are you here? Any progress?" he knew the answer before Brian even opened his mouth.

"No." he said. "However, we have reason to believe that we may have found something that could aid us in the search."

Natsu snorted. He'd said that last time. And the time before that too. None the less, Natsu just let him go on. He didn't have much to say though. Thankfully. After he finished talking, they stood staring at each other. After a moment, he opened his mouth again.

"I would still greatly advise that you-"

"No," Natsu cut him off, tone clipped and leaving no room for argument. The message was clear; 'You're never getting your hands on the deed.'

Brian snorted but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he strutted over to the door and opened it. "I'll visit when Atlas returns." Was all he said before unnecessarily slamming the door behind him. Natsu quickly rushed over to lock it.

"He's gone now?"

Natsu turned to look at Happy. He was peaking out from the kitchen and looking rather hesitant. Much like Natsu, he'd never liked Brian.

"Yeah," he pinkette mumbled, already feeling that numbing hollowness that always crept over him after one of Brian's 'visits'. They always reminded him of the fact that the house felt too empty too often.

There was a moment of silence between the two before Happy asked, "You still want to eat or should I pack up?"

Natsu blinked and looked up at him (when had his gaze drifted to the too old picture frames?). The feline's face was both sad and accepting, like he already knew the answer to the question. Swallowing harshly, Natsu recalled why that was. Quickly, he shook his head and walked over.

"It's alright," he said softly, picking up Happy. "C'mon, let's eat." Why should others suffer because I suffer?

Happy raised an eyebrow at him and shot him a rather incredulous stare but didn't call him out on the sad look in his eye. "Okay." He murmured.

The rest of the night was quiet and, suddenly, today wasn't feeling like such a great day.

Well, I did say the plot was thickening, didn't I? Oh? You thought it was just going to be pure romance? NIEN! Well, you can all actually pretty much figure out the plot and how it basically goes from here (or even from chapters 4-5) but I'd hope you all (and maybe more) stick around for the end result of it all. Well, TILL NEXT TIME PRECIOUS HELLSPAWN!