…Is anyone still alive out there? Well regardless, I'm finishing it. I know I haven't updated this story in an ungodly amount of time, but I'm finally getting around to finishing it up, I just wanted to make sure I was enough chapters ahead before I actually started posting it again. However, I'm currently stuck on the climax happening around Chapter 15 so another snag has been hit and I just decided to post this now.

Anyways, this chapter gets a little repetitive and overdramatic…what do you want from me I wrote it two years ago!

I don't own Winx Club in any way shape or form

Sun peaked in through the window, causing the blonde princess to raise her head groggily. It took a while for her to register not only, where she was, but whom she was with. Before long she remembered she and her friends decided to stay in Sparx, as it was late when it was time to go home, and that they had fallen asleep in her mother's bedroom. The picture of her parents clutched tightly to her chest. She looked over to see Luna and Rosa next to her on the king sized bed and Harmony, Melody, Zina, and Alison curled up in sleeping bags on the floor. She got up off the bed and maneuvered her way around the others and went to go place the picture back on her mother's desk.

"Keep it." A voice said from the door way.

"Huh?" She turned her head to see her grandfather.

"Bloom would want you to have it. Think of it as an apology gift."

"It's going to take a lot more than a picture of my parents to get me to fully forgive you and grandma for everything you kept from me." She said stubbornly.

"I know." He said. "I know it's going to take a long time for you to trust me and your grandmother again. We're not going to deny what we did was wrong. But you can stay mad at us all you want, but we still love you."

"I know." She said, staring at the ground. "I love you guys too; you raised me and everything, but…somehow that just makes everything so much worse."

Oritel nodded, he understood. After all it was easier to be lied to by a stranger than by those that you trusted, let alone your own family. "I know, but…there's something I want you to do for me."

"What?" she asked.

"Your friends, Luna, Alison, and Harmony, I want you to try and convince them to talk to their grandparents, and Roxy. We haven't told them that you girls know yet, but I'm concerned that this may ruin their relationships. Just…don't let them put it off."

"But…why?" She asked.

"If they're anything like Miriam and I, they'll want to explain themselves. The idea itself was mostly put into place by us, but the point still remains that they need to talk it out."

Daphne nodded. Oritel turned to leave the room before Daphne stopped him abruptly. "Grandpa?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you…the way you guys went about it was wrong, but I know you and grandma were just protecting me." She said quickly hugging him. She didn't know if she forgave them yet, but one huge lie doesn't erase the 16 years of love and care they had given her. He hugged her back, and she let him leave. She turned back to her sleeping friends. She was always the first one up; Luna and Harmony were usually the last. She's always woken up early, just like her grandparents, while Luna enjoyed her beauty sleep, though she always insisted it was because of her moon powers; Harmony was just a little lazy.

"Hmm….Wake them up for laughs and risk getting maimed by Harmony….or let them sleep?" She pondered. "Wake 'em up." She said with a mischievous grin. She grabbed a fluffy pillow from her mother's bed and whammed it on top of Luna's face. She woke up gasping and sputtering, before turning to glare at Daphne.

"That is so not funny!" She yelled in a tired raspy voice before Daphne shushed her and pointed to the other girls. Their stirring woke Rosa, who was quick to go along with it. The three girls grabbed a pillow and attacked Zina, Alison, and Melody. They were rudely awakened, and as payback they grabbed their own pillows and a mass pillow fight had erupted. Amongst the chaos and flying feathers, Daphne managed to silently get their attention. She quietly pointed to the only member of the group still asleep, the fairy of ice was curled up in her sleeping bag, duo-colored hair sprawled out around her in a tangled mess. Evil grins spread across the six fairies faces. On the count of three they all pelted Harmony with pillows. She awoke with a scowl on her face.

"Alright, you're all dead!" She said, grabbing her own pillow and hitting whoever she could. However she was outnumbered and was soon on the ground being pelted by pillows.

By now all the girls were in a fit of giggles, pelting Harmony with their pillows as feathers flew all around them.

"Alright, Al…right…I…I give!" She said between gasps of laughter. The remaining girls collapsed to the floor, trying to catch their breath. When their laughter finally died down they remained spread across the floor in a perfect circle.

"I don't think I've laughed like that since I was a kid." Harmony said smiling softly. "But I'm still gonna kill you all later."

"Whatever you say, Harm." Daphne said, still smiling.

"So…are we going back to Alfea today?" Luna asked.

"No." Daphne said. "Zina, Rosa, Melody, and I are going back to Alfea. You, Alison, and Harmony are going to go talk to your guardians."

"Fair enough…" Alison sighed.

"No it's not; I have nothing to say to them." Harmony said sharply.

"After what we learned yesterday, I think you can come up with one topic of conversation."

"That's not what I meant." She growled.

"Look, you're going to talk with her sooner or later, just get it out of the way now." Zina said rolling over onto her stomach, resting her head in her hands.

"I think you should, Harmony." Melody said. "This is obviously bugging you why not just do it and get it over with?"

"You don't get it, Melody, so don't pretend that you do. Sister or not, your parents didn't know anything about any of this, Roxy did and she kept it from me. You, Zina, and Rosa got lucky."

"Lucky?" Rosa said in disbelief. "My mother lied to me, too Harmony so don't play that 'nobody understands me' card! Luna, Alison, and Daphne know exactly what you're going through and in a way so do I. Believe it or not, it's not all about you."

Everybody went quiet after that. Nobody had ever seen Rosa talk like that, but could the blame her?

"Rosa, I didn't mean it like that. I know you were lied to too, but it's not the same thing."

"Being lied to by someone you care about and trust hurts, Harmony, no matter what it's about."

"Alright both of you calm down." Alison said. "She didn't mean it that way, Rosa. But she's right, Harmony. We're all in this together. Our situations may all be unique, but it all leads back to one thing, our parents are still gone, and it's up to us to find them."

"She's right." Daphne sighed. "So please, just do what I asked? Rosa talked with her mother when she found out, and I sorta talked to my Grandfather before the pillow fiasco. I'm not asking you three to forgive them, I'm just asking you to talk to them."

"Uuughh…But I don't wanna!" She whined, sounding like a child who had to take a bath.

"Yeah, well neither do we." Ali quipped.

"I didn't want to talk to my grandfather either but I did, and I think we understand each other now. So please just do it."

"You ever wonder what it would be like if everyone in this group minded their own damn business?" Harmony asked sarcastically. "Fine…"

0o0o0

The brunette princess had been the first to be dropped off, as Solaria was closest to Sparx anyway. She swallowed hard as she came face to face with her home, the giant castle of Solaria now seemed so intimidating to her. She didn't want to have this conversation with King Radius. Her papa, as she called him. Things were so complicated now that she knew the truth, and she didn't know what to think of the king anymore. Without realizing it she began walking, because she was instantly recognized as the princess nobody bothered to stop her. She walked as slowly as humanly possible, the usually perky princess now as meek as she was 10 years ago as an insecure little girl.

She finally pushed open the gigantic double doors to her Grandpa's throne room. The king looked shocked, though happy nonetheless to see his granddaughter back home.

"Luna! What are you doing home?" He asked getting up to go hug his Little Luna.

She guessed that Oritel had not contacted him, otherwise he'd probably about as excited as she was. Their relationship had always been one filled with laughter and fun, hardly a fight ever happened between the two royals, but now she had a feeling one was going to break out.

"I was close and decided to come by," She began. "I was on Sparks, visiting the King and Queen."

By now the King's face fell, and he was wondering if she knew what he thought she knew.

"Yeah." She said. There was a short silence between the two before she spoke harshly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were trying to protect you…" He said before she interrupted him.

"Do you know how many times I've heard that in the last twenty-four hours?" She asked. "'We were only trying to protect you!' I can protect myself! And hiding my parents from me was a horrible thing to do!"

"I know, Luna, but what would you do in my position?"

"I would be honest!"

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way…but if I had to go back I can't say I would do anything different. You are my entire world Luna, and I would do anything to protect you, even lie."

"But what about Stella? You're daughter! Doesn't she mean anything?" She asked, her brown eyes beginning to tear up.

"Of course she does, I loved your mother more than anything in the entire world, She and Brandon meant everything to me and this kingdom, when they disappeared I…I was so lost. But I had somebody who needed me….I had you. You were the only thing that kept me sane the months after your parents disappeared, the last little piece of your mother I have left lives in you, and I'd be damned if I was going to risk you too."

"Papa…" She began. "You're not going to lose me…I swear." She said softly.

"I'm sorry I lied Luna, but you do understand why I did, right?" He asked hopefully.

"I'm starting to…but that doesn't mean I'll forget about this." She said, wrapping her arms around her grandfather's large frame, while he did the same. "Just please…don't lie to me anymore, have faith that you taught me to be careful, have faith in me."

0o0o0o0

Alison wasn't looking forward to this. Her grandparents were so formal and strict; she doubted they even regretted anything they did. She marched passed the guards, with all the confidence in the world inside of her, driving her forward. Within a couple of minutes she was standing outside of the throne room. She knocked on the door harshly, and when she received permission to enter she wasted no time. She gave a small curtsy, as was required, before facing her grandparents again.

"Grandmother, Grandfather." She said, formally, no sort of emotion in her words.

"Alison!" Her grandmother exclaimed joyfully. "What are you doing home, dear?" She asked.

"I came to talk to you…regarding my mother." She said, her eyes narrowing on the last word.

"What did you wish to know about her?" Her grandfather asked, remaining behind an emotionless mask, so as to not allow his surprise to surface.

"I know enough about her, considering she's famous and a hero." She said. "What I wanted to know is how the two people who raised me to value honestly could lie to me about who I was."

"Ali-"

"How could you lie to me about who I am?!"

"We didn't lie, we just didn't tell the truth." The king said.

"Like hell you didn't lie!"

"Don't use that tone with me, Alison, remember who you're speaking to!"

"Who's that, huh? My lying grandfather or the stoic king of Tides?" She said.

"Alison, stop it!"

"How could you do this, both of you? You kept a huge part of me away for my entire life like it was nothing. Do I really mean that little to you?" She asked, her anger quickly melting into sadness.

"We only did it because you mean so much to us." The Queen spoke up.

"Care to enlighten me?"

"When your mother was younger we were very protective of her." The queen began. "But after a while we saw the error of out ways and gave her the freedom she so desired… only after she and your father disappeared did we realize it was a grave mistake."

"Mistake? You think it was a mistake to give her freedom?" She asked sarcastically.

"Yes, she got her independence but at what cost?!"

Alison frowned. They had a small point but she wasn't buying into it. "My mother was a hero." She spoke up. "She lived and possibly died helping people." Alison insisted, her voice growing stronger with every word. "I didn't know her…but I know she wouldn't regret a thing."

"We knew her, Alison…we know she'd want to be here, watching you grow up into a beautiful young lady, not missing, never having even seen you take your first steps or say your first words." Her grandfather insisted.

At that, tears managed to find their way into the teen's eyes, but she managed not to show it. "It doesn't matter." She said. "Because I'm going to find her." She didn't know where that had come from, but right now, the thought of finding her, alive and well, just seemed so right. Impossible as the notion might be, it brought her some form of comfort in believing her parents were out there somewhere, despite the fact that the odds were against them.

"Alison, no! It's dangerous out there, only a fool would go looking for something that might not even be there in the first place!" Her grandfather pleaded, genuinely worried for his granddaughter. The poor man had given up hope long ago that his baby girl was still out there somewhere.

"And only a quitter who's had their faith crushed would give up the chance to find their only daughter and son-in-law." She said, her emotionless violet gems staring into them. "Goodbye…" she said.

As she was reaching for the door she turned her head to look at them one last time before leaving. This wasn't over. It was far from over, but right now she needed to leave. She could hear her grandmother's saddened cries, even after she closed the door, and could almost see the king trying to comfort her.

As she left a pang of guilt hit her. That could have gone better, obviously, but the fact that they just gave up sickened her. She'd make-up for their mistakes. And she'd start by using any means necessary to find her mother and father.

~0~0~0~0

She stood, planted in one spot in front of Roxy's house. She had been there for what felt like hours. So much time that could have been spent resolving the issue, lost. Thrown out the window with each step she didn't take.

She shouldn't be this nervous. She was Harmony. She looked out for number one and didn't care about anyone but herself! Why should she care if Roxy and Andy lied to her?

Because for once I thought someone actually cared about me.

She pushed that thought away and forced her way up the stairs to Roxy's door. As usual, the door was unlocked-it was only mid-day after all- so she walked straight in. Walking further into the living room, she saw that Andy was strumming his guitar while Roxy rocked Beth to sleep.

Roxy knew her. By the glare on her face directed at herself no less, she knew something was up. She quickly got up from her spot on the couch.

"I'm going to go put Beth down in her room. I'll be right back." She said to Andy before rushing up the stairs with the sleeping child in her arms.

Andy got up and smiled, despite the scowl on Harmony's face. "Harm, how's it-"

"Save it!" She growled, running on pure anger and betrayed right now. She ignored the surprised look on Andy's face and looked to the staircase, awaiting Roxy's return. She got her wish a minute later, when the concerned looking queen came back down the stairs.

"Harmony what's going on? Why are you home all the sudden? You look upset."

"Yeah, well I have a right to be." She growled bitterly. "Guess where I just got back from?"

"I should hope Alfea, otherwise I'd like to know where you've been spending your time outside of school."

"Nope. Actually, me and my dorm-mates just got back from an interesting trip to one of their home planets." She said. "What was that place called again? It's on the tip of my tongue… Oh yeah, Sparx."

Color seemed to drain from the Queen's face as she heard the familiar planet. "I've heard it's very lovely there…" She said trying to play cool.

"I'm not here to talk about the flora and fauna, Roxy. You know what this is about, you both do!"

Both Roxy and Andy shrunk back in shame.

"I don't know why I thought either of you actually cared about me. You lied to me! Just like everyone else in my life, you lied!

Do you know the things I've missed out on because of this huge lie that you've told all of us?! I have a sister! A family! Somewhere out there in the world I have a mother and father waiting for me! I could have found them by now but your lie prevented that! How could you do that to your friends? Either of you? How can you sleep at night knowing this is partly your fault?!"For the first time in as long as she could remember, the ice fairy was in tears, and she was breathing in short, ragged breaths after all the rage she let out.

Roxy's faced softened considerably. "Have you let it all out?"

Harmony nodded her tear-stained face silently. Truthfully, she didn't really think it was their fault. She just wanted someone to blame for the absence of her parents. The fairy longed for the days when she didn't care about finding them.

"I…I don't know where to start, Harmony. So I suppose saying we're sorry is the best place to do so."

Harmony said nothing.

"When I found you when you were 7, I didn't know at the time who you were. I chose to take care of you when you wanted or needed it out of kindness…however, once you spoke to me more and more, and I got to know you and where you came from…that coupled with the resemblance left no question, you were my old friends' daughter.

I didn't know what to do with the information, so I contacted King Oritel. We'd kept in contact after the Winx's disappearance, but I had no idea he and the other Royals planned to keep the children in their care in the dark about their lineage. However, he told me everything when I confessed that I had you under my care for the time being. He…he begged me to keep it a secret for fear that if you knew, you'd one day rise to tell the truth to the others. In his own defense, his reasoning made sense. He'd lost not one, but both of his children to the battle between good and evil, and he was not willing to lose his only granddaughter. I began to see the light to this plan and foolishly agreed to deceive you the way I did. After suffering the loss of all of my best friends I couldn't bare if something happened to you…and I knew your parents would want me to keep you safe…so I agreed to it. And…I do somewhat blame myself for all of this, for a variety of different reasons."

Silence. Roxy had her say. And Harmony, emotionally exhausted herself with her earlier rant, said nothing. All that was heard in the room were the soft sniffles of the daughter of Musa as she tried to get her emotions under control.

"Harmony…please say something." Roxy pleaded.

"I think she needs some time, Rox…" Andy said regretfully.

"No." The fairy finally said in a firm voice. "I know why you lied…but that doesn't make it better. Your friends could have been found by now if only I knew the truth…I was wrong to place the blame on you so harshly…but the point still stands that your lie was wrong. Especially since you were the only two people I ever trusted before I came to Alfea. How do you think that makes me feel? Knowing the two people I trusted were lying to me the whole time…" Her voice grew quieter.

Motherly instincts kicked in as she saw someone she came to think of as a daughter become an emotional mess again. Without a second thought, she rushed to the fairy of ice and wrapped her arms around her. Harmony finally let more tears come. She was so angry that her trust had been shattered, but right now she just needed someone to care about her. Soon enough Andy wrapped his arms around the both of them.

"Shh…we are so sorry for the pain we've caused you." He said soothingly.

"We know no amount of apologizing could make up for the trust we've broken." His wife chimed in. "But we love you, and we'll do whatever it takes to earn that trust back."

Harmony pulled away from them and wiped her eyes. She felt like a five year old again, when her best friend…er, sister, was snatched away from her in the orphanage. "You're right, it will take a long time to earn my trust back." She said, voice cracking slightly. "But you could start by telling me about my parents." She said in a tone reminiscent of a child who wanted something but was too afraid to ask.

Roxy allowed a smile to shadow over her face. "Of course." She laughed. A baby monitor on a dresser began to fill the room with little wails, indicating that Beth was up from her nap. Roxy quickly ran up the stairs and was back within minutes with a sleepy baby in her arms.

"I've actually always wanted to tell you about your parents." She said as she grabbed a large book from one of the shelves in the living room. She carried it, and the child, to the couch where she sat on the left side. Harmony joined her, sitting smack dab in the middle, while Andy took the remaining cushion on the right. Roxy blew the dust off the old album, which Harmony could only assume was hidden for obvious reasons, and handed it off to Harmony.

Azure eyes stared at it wide-eyed. She ran her fingers over the smooth russet leather of the hardcover photo album, before running her fingers over the bumpy blue embroidery that made up the cover. In large, sky blue letters, was the word WINX.

Cautiously, as if she was afraid of the very contents of the book, she opened it. On the very first page was the two pictures she'd seen in Daphne's mother's room. She page after page, drinking in everything she saw. Finally, Roxy gave her some direction, and flipped to a different section of the books.

"Before I found you…I got so lonely. I wanted to be with them so bad that I took out this book and just sat with it, reorganizing it again and again, until finally I decided to make some sense of it and organized by each girl."

It was then that Harmony saw the colored tabs sticking out of the book. Currently, the Queen had flipped it a dark magenta, almost red, tab. She saw picture after picture of her mother and father.

"This…this is them." She spoke, as if confirming it to herself.

"Mhhmm." The Queen said. "Your mom…she was an amazing person. They all were. She had such an amazing enthusiasm and passion for music. Almost as if it was a part of her. If a sad song came on the radio, suddenly she'd be in a somber, almost mournful mood. She was also compassionate…but a little spitfire. Didn't matter who you were, if she thought you were wrong you'd know it." She chuckled. "She was also a little bit of a tomboy, I can only imagine that's where you got it from." She said, flipping to a picture of Musa in her early years at Alfea, with her hair chopped short and in high pigtails with a plain red midriff shirt and baggy jeans with multiple pockets.

This got Harmony to smile. She was like her mother…even just a little bit.

"And…my dad?" She asked.

"You're dad…well, he was a little-"

"Let's just say he wanted to punch me more than once during our years as friends." Andy said with a laugh.

"What? Why?" She asked.

"Well…when the two of us met your parents, they were in a rocky spot in their relationship. Eventually they broke up, and during that time, your mother and I got a little…close. We were only ever good friends, we bonded over music and other things, but your dad was definitely the jealous type."

At this point, Harmony allowed herself to let out a laugh-no- more like a guffaw in amusement. "You and my mom? That is priceless." She said through her laughter. Eventually Roxy, and even Beth, joined her.

"Ha ha, laugh it up, but your dad had a temper on him." He said in amusement.

"But he was also a sweetheart when he wanted to be. Or when he swallowed his damn pride once in a while." Roxy said with a roll over her eyes. Before their disappearance, Roxy and Riven had actually grown close. Close enough to be considered good friends, confidantes even. Not volatile friends like Layla and Riven, but good ones. When Musa and Riven had a disagreement, Riven would always confide in Roxy, as to what it was he could do to get back on Musa's good side. Well, it was either her or Helia. "Sometimes he could even be considered a doofus." She said with a laugh, turning a page to reveal a small picture of her parents. Her father was on one knee with a doofy nervous smile on his face, her mother's face was pure shock and happiness.

Roxy had to hold back laughter. "This was when your dad asked your mom to marry him. The entire group knew about it because he thought he was going to do something stupid and he wanted us in close proximity to prevent it from happening. Tecna linked him with Helia because he was the poetic guy in the group. Throughout the first hour, he was sweating up a storm and couldn't look your mother in the eye." She said through laughter. "The pièce de résistance was when Helia started teasing him about not even being able to form the words when someone else was saying them, and your dad got so fed up he blurted out 'Shut up! You're such an idiot!' just as your mother was telling him a story!" She said. Harmony and Roxy burst out into uncontrollable giggles.

"Your mom was so mad, until finally Riven just blurted out 'Will you marry me!' in front of the entire restaurant. There was a stunned silence, then he got on one knee and took out the ring. Stella snapped a picture at the perfect moment with her phone." Roxy's face had taken on a far-away look as she reminisced with Harmony.

She flipped the page and saw a few more pictures of her parents. One had her mother and father in a close up. She could faintly see the makings of a Santa hat on her mother. Musa was holding mistletoe in between them as she planted a kiss on her dad, who she could tell was trying-and failing-not to smile.

Next to that was their wedding picture, surrounded by a few singles of just her mother, or her mother with one of the other Winx, or all. Her mother looked beautiful in her wedding picture. Her dress was pure white, and her hair piled on top of her head in elegant curls. Musa was so beautiful…she wondered if she'd ever be that gorgeous.

"Thank you for this…for the first time in weeks I feel closer to my parents than I have in my entire life." She said. "I…I should probably get back though." She attempted to hand the book over to Roxy, who put up a hand to stop her.

"Keep it…share it with your friends. Your parents would have wanted it with you…"

"Now get out of here, squirt. Your friends and teachers are probably worried." Andy said with a smile.

Harmony clutched the book to her chest and was about to turn the door and walk out before abruptly turning. She dropped the book and wrapped her arms tightly around her second family.

"I love you guys…" She said. It was the first time she said she loved anyone out loud. "I'm sorry I came in so strong…I was just…hurt. I couldn't understand why you'd lie about something so important but…I see now. You loved my parents and the rest of the Winx like family. You were only doing what they would have done…I can't say I completely forgive you yet…but I understand a lot better."

"It was never our intention to hurt you, Harmony."

"And we love you too, so much."

"I guess I should go now." She said, embarrassed that she'd shown such a display of affection.

"Just know that we support your decision to look for your parents. And if you need anything…anything at all from us for help, just call."

"Will do." She said with a soft smile as she teleported back to Alfea.

"Do you think they'll find them?" Roxy asked. She couldn't bear to think anything otherwise.

"If anyone can find the Winx, it's their daughters. And with Bloom's daughters power on their side, it strengthens the odds even further."

"You're right…if those girls can't bring the Winx home, I doubt anyone can."