Me: Love you guys, for all your reviews and all those who fav-ed this story and my other stories. Love you all for all the support! Thought it was not possible to post it on Tuesday but finally doing it.'Cause I made you wait, here I present another long chapter of 'Broken'!
Natsu: Don't make us die now and move forward already. Beatress doesn't own Fairytail. All she owns is the plot. So, don't be mad at me for anything you don't like. Blame her for that!
Me: Gosh! Enjoy the chapter…
Chapter-11
He opened his eyes slowly, only to meet with the wooden ceiling. What happened? Where was he? Infirmary? Why was he there? His head began aching. His hands rose to his head, holding as the pain shot through his head and felt the bandages wound on it. He got wounded. But how?
He blinked twice in surprise before realizing the situation.
"Uh… I heard Emi's cry and then? Emi, where is she?" he said, as his eyes frantically searched for his daughter.
"Daijo obu, Natsu… Emi is safe… How about you?" the white haired take over mage entered the infirmary with a tray of food for the wounded mage.
"Where is she?" he demanded to know, his eyes narrowed.
"With her mother. Did you forget? You did leave her six years ago, right? Then why sound too concerned about the mother or child?" the aura around the takeover mage darkened as she finished what she has said, rendering his speechless by reminding him of his actions.
Silence filled the atmosphere between the two.
"If you care about them, then why did you leave them in the first place?!" the barmaid shouted. Lucy was like her sister and she couldn't see her in pain. She remained quiet when she left because that was the right thing to do at that time. Now she is seeking explanation when she came back because this is the right thing to do this time. She has seen the worst during the past six years. Sitting at the counter, cleaning those old clean glasses with old rags, she saw the guild change-Lucy leaving the guild, Erza avoiding the guild, Juvia's cries, Wendy's sad eyes, the sadness everyone were drowned in… everything! Something even worse to mention…. She saw Natsu die… Oh, how painful was it! Seeing the playful, happy demeanour vanish into some serious guy who didn't even resemble a bit to someone she has known from his childhood, it was not easy to take…. To see him die…. She was his life…. How he meant it when he said that to her! On the day he came back from his solo mission after a long time…..
~0~
FLASHBACK
"Natsu! Baka! Wake up! It's enough okay?" Lucy shook the sleeping man awake as her eyes let the tears rain down her face.
"Arghh…" He choked, getting a hold of her hands, taking a deep breath in so as to survive from all the choking he has been subjected to since the past fifteen minutes.
"Lucy! What happened?! Why are you…"
He stopped midway, looking at her eyes which were swollen and red from all the crying she has done from the past two days.
"Natsu, you baka," she muttered as she hid herself in his arms, shedding few more of those tears.
"Lucy?" His eyes were open wider than they should normally be. He made her cry? He saw his left arm wound with a bandage.
"Baka, why did you leave without me? That's so unusual… Besides you did promise me you wouldn't leave! And see, you got yourself hurt…" she punched him lightly with her fists.
"Lucy…?" he could manage to say. He couldn't react on her actions. It was so unusual to see her so scared. She wasn't scared when she was kidnapped and was being brutally tortured by the iron dragon slayer. Neither was she scared when they were trapped in the hell palace… Why was she so scared out of her wits, when he only got a fractured arm? They sure have seen even worse situations than these…
He left alone on the mission on purpose because he wanted both his child and his mate to be safe and taking them on a mission is only a threat to their life.
A smile crept on his face as he thought about how fatherly concerned he was becoming…
"You're smiling? Baka, I have not slept for two days and crying ever since only to find you making fun of me!" She pulled away from him as she stomped out of the infirmary muttering a 'stupid Natsu' under her breath.
~0~
"Lucy… Shall we dance?" Natsu asked for her hand.
Mirajane, when found out about the upset Lucy, announced a party to cheer her up.
Light music was being played and the guild members couldn't help but try out their lessons on social dancing that they've learnt before the Balsamico Ball. Their feet were finely tuned to the music as their bodies were carried away by the tune. Everything was enchanted about the night.
"Lucyyy!" he whined like a kid as she pouted and turned her face away. He puppy eyed her and she couldn't resist her body's urge to be held by him. Oh, how long will she take before disclosing the secret she's holding within her! It was… she didn't understand how to tell him… She was… nervous a bit, anxious and may be scared. But he loved her, right? He'll love their baby too and cherish both of them till the end of his life. It's 'her' Natsu we are talking about! 'Her' Natsu, right?
Her hands gradually drifted to her abdomen and his eyes followed her actions. Both of them couldn't help the smile to creep on their faces. She gave her left hand only to be held by his right. He on purpose let his hand brush her abdomen while sliding it on her waist, to get a feel of their child again.
"How long will you be playing hide and seek, Lucy?" he thought as he held her.
She smiled even more at their contact, feeling his hand brush against her abdomen. It was like, she need not tell him and he already knew.
"But I have to tell him…." She thought.
"And I will let you tell me, not going to steal your excitement! And besides, you look cute on your every attempt of trying to tell me," he said, looking into her eyes, melting her heart right away.
"Finally, with the baby… WE ARE ONE!" this was their simultaneous independent thought, as their feet carried them onto the dance floor.
"Lucy…"
"Huh?" she lifted her head up to hear him carefully, amidst the music that was being played. However, he was loud enough for the entire guild to hear him.
"Regarding the question from the morning…"
"Don't mention it! It's already over… right?" she smiled at him but he insisted on answering her.
"The reason why I didn't take you with me…" By this time, every head in the guild turned to the couple at the centre of the guild.
" is because… I didn't want you to get hurt… I can bear any amount of pain I have to go through… but I can't bear a single piercing through your skin. You're my life, Luce! I can't live without you! The day I have to do that is the day when I'm de-"She covered his mouth with her hand. Tears dressed her eyes.
"Enough Natsu! I don't want to hear. I just can't! I love you baka… Don't just leave me like that! It was scary! I cannot live without you either… I just cannot think of living without you! I… I…" she said, hiding herself in his arms while he dug into her hair.
"I love you too…" he whispered and they danced along with the music while the others resumed their activities, smiling at how much the couple loved each other.
END OF FLASHBACK~
~0~
All the pain from bearing all the changes in her siblings….She hid it in herself until the time was right. And now… she was going to set things right. She was going to unite the couple, clearing their misunderstandings. She will get the most adorable family together!
She saw a regret in his look from the words that came out of her mouth. But there was also a kind of happiness that flashed in his eyes.
"Natsu…" she muttered at what she saw.
"So, she is safe…" he sighed.
"He's not concerned about all the stuff I said… All he was worried about was Emi and Lucy… What happened to Natsu? Whatever… If he still loves them, then I am going to get their family together I promise!" she promised to herself mentally.
~0~
"Emi…" she muttered to herself as she brushed her daughter's hair gently. Her daughter had not woken up since the past one hour, worrying the blonde dead.
The sight of seeing the most loved ones wounded and drowning in blood… can leave any devastated! And Lucy was in such a state- Natsu lay in the infirmary with all the bandages on his body. And her daughter was in front of her eyes without speaking and only sleeping. She was out of danger- that's what Wendy said. Though the little girl smiled at her mother soon after she woke up after the accident, the mother was not convinced. She was her mother for God's sake! She couldn't help worrying about her.
"Gray, how did you get hurt?" the blonde asked, her eyes still fixed on her daughter.
"Huh? I was… I… I was having a men's talk…" his reply was vague, with all the stuttering possible.
"Did you fight Natsu?" she asked.
"Why do you worry?" he asked coldly.
"Why did you?" she asked, not bothering his comments.
"Why, you ask, after everything he's done? To get answers for all the questions…." He let a little growl escape.
"Why did you hurt him? That was least I expected from you… How could you do that?" she snapped.
"Lucy…."
"He was bleeding, you know… The blood flowed down like a river, dampening all the ground nearby…. What would you do if something happened…" she stopped herself from even imagining the consequences.
"Go and rest Gray... You have to go to the party tonight…" she said.
"You're not coming?" he asked.
"I have to take care of Emi… So tell Mira, I cannot make it. She'll understand," she replied. He nodded and he left.
~0~
"You still love him, don't you Lucy? And he still loves you both… Then, I don't understand this game he's playing…" Gray thought as he stood against the door of his room.
He looked out of his wind, being greeted by the cold moist air. The clouds overtook the sky while the sky became darker and darker because of the aggregations.
"The clouds… they remind me of someone… Juvia…" his thoughts again ran on the water mage.
~0~
FLASHBACK:
"How long will you be gone then?" she asked, her eyes tearing up.
"Not so sure…" he replied. He didn't even know why he was telling the water mage about his departure.
"Oh…Then, see you next time, Gray-sama. Take care of Lucy-san," she chirped as if it was nothing.
"You're not trying to follow me or stalk me?" he asked as he cocked an eyebrow, trying to be funny even in such a serious situation.
"Lucy-san's is in pain. Juvia can understand that. And Juvia can understand your urge to help her cope with it. It was before when Natsu-san and Lucy-san were not married that Juvia did stalking. But they love each other so much that Juvia wouldn't doubt you not to respect their love. Juvia trusts you, Gray-sama. Juvia will wait for you at the guild till you come back. Juvia will always love you, even in the worst situations," she assured.
END OF FLASHBACK...
~0~
His eyes dampened with the tears of his own.
"That was six years ago. Will she still love me after six years? She ran away when she last saw me at the park. I hardly called her name before she left me at the park, frozen. Never thought feelings can freeze people so much harder than the coolest ice," he said to himself in a low voice.
But will she still love him?
~0~
"Mommy?" the little girl gradually, fluttered her eyes before sitting in her position.
"Sweetie, you're fine?" the older blonde asked, her eyes full of concern.
"I am double fine. Natsu came and saved me! How is he, Mommy? Is he alright?" the older blonde flinched at the mention of his name.
"He is…" she sighed. Emi felt a wave of sadness irradiating from her mother. "alright… But still… he is unconscious"
Emi didn't miss the glint of sadness in her mother's voice. It was too hard to miss. It was like the smell around her mother was changing.
"Mommy, you are sad?" the girl asked, her eyes concerned about the woman in front of her.
"No, sweetie. Mommy is not sad. It is just that… whenever I see you, my mind drifts to the memories of the event that happened that day- how I lost you, how I found you wounded with Natsu, how the entire ground beneath both of you was covered with a blanket of blood…. I cannot forget all of them… It's a nightmare! I couldn't believe something like that, happened…. I cannot lose you, Emi… I can never…." The blonde hid her face in her palms, rubbing her against it.
"Mommy," the little girl gave a tight hug, holding on to her mother, who returned the hug. She could hardly move because of the fractured leg, a consequence of being the victim of that battle.
She pulled away from her mother, wiping her mother's tears with her little fists and grinning at her mother, forcing her to return the smile.
"Mommy, you're going to the party tonight, right?" she asked.
"Huh? No, Emi. I cannot leave you home alone… I'm not going anywhere, leaving my precious daughter…."
"But Mommy!" the girl whined. She has been explaining her mother to attend the party ever since she got the news but her mom wouldn't budge.
"Please, mommy! For me! You have to go. Besides, I'm a big child now… I'll be careful at home. Don't worry… I'll be sleeping till you come back….Please! Please! You've only been crying Mommy! Just go and enjoy for a while. It's no crime to have fun just for a few hours. Please mommy! I'll be fine! Or I'll be too worried about you!" the girl humph-ed as she turned away from her mother, pouting.
A smile crept over Lucy's face as she saw the little girl's pout.
"I can never win against you, can I? But still…. I really want to stay with Emi tonight," the blonde hugged her daughter from the back.
"But Auntie Mira told you to definitely come. Your friends will all be waiting for you. You don't want to make them sad again. And I swear I'll teach them a lesson if they're going to throw tables on you even for fun… I really don't want them to do so. Mommy, You can make the entire guild happy, so why not go there for a few hours?" Emi was too persistent.
"But Emi…Okay, fine! I'll go. But I'm not staying there for more than 2hours…" she mumbled as she pouted.
"Fine! Whatever!" the girl smiled as she saw the blonde pout.
Hugging her from back, she said "You're the best, Mommy!".
A wide grin adorned the little girl's face.
"No, sweetie, you are the best daughter," the blonde kissed her daughter's forehead, smiling at her.
Me: How was it? Too sleepy!(rubbing eyes)
Natsu: When will you end this?
Me: You already want it to end?
Natsu: Yeah, why not? You put us through all the pain. See, you're making Lucy cry too much… Guys, tell her to go soft on Luce a little… Post your comments in the box below and do tag your advice with that! Don't forget! (pleading with puppy dog eyes)
Me: (Yawns!)*sleeping*
Natsu: (in a low voice) Post your reviews and make her day like everyday. BUT DON'T FORGET TO TAG YOUR ADVICE!
