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Welcome home dad

The walk home was relatively quiet, both Natsu and Buffy were lost in thought at what they had seen. Buffy might make a joke about how Ma'at and Mesektet were copy infringing on Lord of the Rings – Galadriel and her Mirror, since they both showed them separately where they come from.

And so the subdued trio made it to the house.

"So…" Buffy started but then trailed off, not really knowing how to continue. "What a day huh?"

"Yeah." Natsu said, and then he shrugged. "I found out about the history of Dragon and Dragon slayers. Apparently in the past dragons didn't treat dragon slayers as their sons and daughters, but as soldiers, they started older than us as well; oh yeah, I also found out that I was the second oldest dragon slayer, being 10 years old, of five dragon children that were born 400 years ago, that traveled to the future with the Eclipse gate. Didn't find out anything about my biological parents, only that they were both dragon slayers that fought in the Dragon war, or find any information on my brother." Natsu then dropped down heavily on the sofa. "Mesektet didn't want to ruin anything Ankhseram might have panned to tell me. So...what did ya find out?" He leaned back watching his partner leaning on the wall, clutching her bag of books that Ma'at had given her.

"Me?" Buffy's green eyes were slightly out of focus; Natsu noticed. Whatever she had found out confused her.

"Huh, that apparently I have two half brothers and a half sister in another world," Buffy said, then walked to the sofa and sat beside Natsu; Happy meanwhile sat on her lap, where Buffy started to absent minded scratch him behind his ears.

"And it's not Earthland or Earth, it is a completely different dimension. It is also divided by a cataclysm; they call it Broken Sky - to the Dominions, a world where there is a single continent, with sunny weather and there are rocky plains to the north, arid deserts in the south, green steppes in the east, wind-swept craggy grasslands to the west and a fertile central mass. It is surrounded by a massive sea which sailors are unable to cross due to huge monsters destroying any ships that come near the world's vast, uncharted ocean, referred to as Deepwater. And then there is the 'splinter' world Kirin Taq…"

"That sounds kinda cool – sea monsters huh." Natsu smiled at the thought; yep he'd like to take on one of those monsters. Buffy grinned, knowing where the slayer's mind went.

"You would find that cool huh? Well it gets cooler, their riding animals are … wyverns."

"Really."

"Neh, Natsu," Happy pouted, "You are not thinking of replacing me." Happy's big eyes started to water. "You meaniiiieeeeeeee!" and with that wail he flew upstairs.

"Happy!" Natsu called after him but the upset flying feline gave no response. Buffy shook her head in expiration at Happy's behavior, sometimes she wondered how in the worlds she was still sane hanging around those two … for a week; it's only been week? She can not believe this; it felt like she'd known Natsu and Happy for years.

"You better go to the furball, before Happy thinks himself into a bigger mess," she said instead, getting a snort from Natsu. But he still stood up to go after Happy.

"That might be a good idea."

"Yeah," Buffy murmured as she watched Natsu climb the stairs to console the upset Exceed. Then she stood up and went to the kitchen pantry for some canned fish, after using the can opener she tipped the continents on the plate and then turned to bring the plate to Happy. At the doorway she hesitated, knowing how ravenous Natsu was as well, so she decided that she'll make a late supper for both of them and they would eat together with Happy in her room while watching videos, before going to sleep.

When Buffy opened the doors to her room, balancing two plates, one full of the omelet she made and the smaller plate filled with fish for Happy. The two males were already on good terms…

"Happy what did I tell you about scratching the furniture?" she growled at the feline, who backed away from the wooden closet, that he'd been scratching away at, fearfully.

"Ugh, Natsu save me; Buffy is being mean to me!" and with that he hid behind Natsu.

Natsu meanwhile shifted so that there were no signs of Happy. "See, Buffy? Happy is not doing anything, so just calm down."

"Sure I will; I'll also eat this fish with the omelets that I made for us …" Buffy trailed off when a huge ball of blue fur collided with her, sobbing and hugging her.

"Ahh, you said don't scratch it; I'm sorry Buffy; I am so sorry, won't do it again I promise!"

"Fine, here is your fish, so let's eat our dinner," Buffy said, handing Happy his plate. "But as of tomorrow we will go to the pet store to get you a scratching post."

Happy gave her a glare at those words. "I'm not a pet," he said seriously.

"No you are not, you are Natsu's and I's partner and fellow member of the guild. However you are also a cat that needs a scratching post. Think about it," she said turning toward the blue feline who was visibly thinking over her words, "When I need to fix my nails I go get a nail file to do it. A scratching post is the cat version of a nail file."

Happy then smiled and said, "Aye," and then got back to eating his fish. Buffy meanwhile gave Natsu his omelet, which he took it and then leaned back and accepted his plate piled up with six omelets with bacon and cheese. Buffy sat beside him on her bed with her own plate.

"Yeah," she said. "I still owe you an explanation that ..."

"Nah, I can wait for what Ankhseram has to tell me, unless you think I really, really need to know … is it life or death for someone if you don't tell me?"

"No, if it was, you'd already know everything."

"Then that is enough for me."

"Okay." Buffy nodded. "Oh this is stupid!" she exclaimed "Let's watch a movie or something."

"Aye!" came a chorus from both Natsu and Happy. "So what are we gonna watch, Buffy?"

"I was thinking something funny …"

"Let's watch something with dragons!"

"Let's watch something with fish!"

In the end they managed to watch Dragonheart for Natsu and his dragon obsession; they watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit for Buffy's something funny and the Little Mermaid for Happy's fish obsession. And then they started to watch Star Wars – A New Hope, but both Buffy and Happy fell asleep. Leaving Natsu to watch Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi films alone.

***LA night***

During the night Buffy woke up hearing a light snore; blinking her sleepy eyes open, the first thing she saw in the moonlight was that the TV screen was off, the second she was sleeping in her clothes, indicating that she fell asleep in the middle of the movie, the third her bed was crowded.

Not an unknown occurrence since both Samantha and Jack had a habit to cuddle up, either with each other or with her and Samuel. There was a time when they travelled and stayed in various inns Buffy often went to bed alone only to wake in the middle of the night with Jack, Samuel and Samantha in her bed.

It appeared that that was also Natsu's and Happy's habit, since she could see the white of the scarf and pink spikes on her pillows; oh well; she was comfy so she won't complain and now she could satisfy her curiosity, which she hadn't had the opportunity yet. So she patted Natsu's spikes and with much surprise figured out that they were soft … great, she thought now she'll have hair envy. She wiggled herself back in the position to fall back asleep.

***still night - time***

Natsu was woken by a sound of a floorboard squeaking. Quietly disengaging himself from the hold of both Happy and Buffy who were sound asleep, he crept to the door.

It looks like they had an intruder. He'll take care of that … and so he did; Natsu rendered the creeping man unconscious and tied him to the chair, gagging him so that there won't be any more noise from the intruder till morning, when Buffy would call the Rune Knights.

Before he returned to his night's rest, he locked the doors that the intruder unlocked, and Natsu drew a moustache and glasses on both Happy's and Buffy's sleeping faces before going back to sleep.

***morning***

The morning was greeted with Buffy's grumbles, while she used mascara remover to remove the drawings on her face, and while Natsu was leaning on bathroom's door frame, watching her with a mischievous grin.

"What do you mean intruder?" she asked; Buffy really didn't feel like bitching at Natsu, no matter how deserving this stunt was of bitchy Buffy, but priorities.

Natsu shrugged. "An intruder broke into the house, I've tied him up. Because it was late, and you were asleep."

"That didn't stop you drawing on my face," growled Buffy and predictably Natsu's grin became full blown, while she rubbed the cotton pad furiously over one stubborn black line, which did not want to be erased. She will get revenge for this; this is not how she wanted to spend this morning.

At that, Happy walked under Natsu's feet rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Aye, Natsu you should wake me up, I'd help you." Buffy grinned at smudges that turned Happy into the blue and black panda eyed cat.

"Did you look in the mirror, Happy?" she purred, grinning at the cat.

Happy meanwhile had a strange foreboding feeling. So he activated his wings and flew up to the mirror. "What you mean?" he asked Buffy, and then Buffy made space for him to actually look at his reflection. "…whaaa Natsu that's mean!"

Natsu couldn't help it any more, he doubled over and clutched at his stomach because he was laughing so hard. "Kyhahahah!"

"Hey Happy," Buffy said quietly, just to be sure, she ran water to dampen the sound.

Happy glanced at her from the corner of his blackened eye. "Aye."

"That means war."

"Aye."

Natsu will not laugh forever.

*** Hank Summers living room***

Buffy stared at the man tied up in the kitchen chair and gagged. Did she mention that he was gagged?

"Uh, that is not a thief, that's my dad" She reached for the gag and removed it, while Natsu went to untie the now glaring Hank.

"Then why does he sneak in the house and leave the doors unlocked?" he defended.

"I'm not accusing you, Natsu."

Hank stood up from the chair, then whirled on Natsu. "It's my house." But the boy with pink hair – bad dye job, and what kind a man dyes his hair pink-, much to Hank's irritation, wasn't cowed by him, in fact he looked bored. The nerve of this hooligan.

"Yes dad it is, but still if you came in this late, why did you essentially brake in?"

"And there was no permanent harm done to you." Natsu added.

"Get out," Hank bit out.

Natsu shrugged. "Can't, I'm staying until my flat is liveable."

"I won't let my daughter associate with this delinquent …"

"Dad, one Natsu was here with me longer than you were; two he is my friend; three he just defended me from an intruder in the night, never mind that the intruder turned out to be you, sneaking in your own house, who does that anyway?"

"Buffy, I didn't expect you to be home."

"So you let yourself in and sneak around without turning on the lights because?" then she paused. "And where, besides sleeping, did you expect me to be at half past 3 am?"

Hank opened his mouth to answer,

"It was a rhetorical question, dad."

When did his daughter learn to speak to him like that, slanting his livid eyes to glare at the punk living in his house?

***Next day***

"Anyway Buffy there is your car," Hank was saying when a tow truck pulled over carrying a small car – the car was small, white with blue and red stripes and a number "53" on the front luggage compartment lid, doors, and engine lid.

"It is a Volkswagen Bug. And I think it is an appropriate car for you."

"Dad didn't you say that …"

"Yes and I'm sorry princess, but I don't have time. I have a scheduled dinner with an associate of mine and his wife and their daughter, who will study here in LA. I already called the catering and …" Hank trailed of when he saw that the boy from yesterday was still in his house.

"Why are you still here?"

"Because dad, I told you yesterday he is staying here until his apartment is fixed, and because he is my best friend."

"He attacked me…"

"Dad, first of all, you came in the middle of the night, he thought you were a bugler or something. And in case you forgot, I thought he was holding up a bugler too, before I recognized you."

"Yes but still …"

"Dad it is only for two more days," Buffy said, nudging Natsu who was glaring at Hank; yeah, the two defiantly did not get along. Happy didn't help either, even if he pretended that he was a normal cat, albeit with blue fur.

"Besides, he'll help me with cleaning the car, while you set up the house for the visitors."

***An hour later***

"You know dad, we could just stay upstairs when the visitors are around. You obviously didn't expect that I'd have company," Buffy said watching her frowning father. Yes she knew that this is his house, but as she previously said to him, he did leave her alone in here, even when he knew they wouldn't see each other for half a year or even more.

Course Natsu would let his opinion be known; the guy was frighteningly straightforward; Buffy was counting her blessings that he hadn't set her father on fire, yet.

"And I have no intention of leaving Buffy alone here."

"I don't appreciate comments from a punk like you about my behavior."

"Oh, and yet you command respect from me? First thing my father taught me was: give as much respect back as you give it. You haven't given me shit. So I owe ya nothing." Now that was not entirely true; the first thing Igneel taught him was: don't hit a guy's face in as a greeting – unless he is an asshole. Which Hank Summers was – therefore Natsu had no intention of playing nice with him. He was lucky he didn't set his clothes on fire … and he had only Buffy to thank; she'd probably not appreciate it if he'd set her father's pants on fire.

***To be continued.***

AN: If the car sounds familiar it should, that car has its own movies. Discleamer will go up in next chapter where the car will get introduced properly.