2 weeks after the Incident~

If wishes could only come true, Oh all the mighty and grand things I would do!

I cradled my broken wrist close to my heart with my good hand and lowered my gaze, everyone in the courtroom's piercing eyes dug tunnels into my previously impenetrable soul. ''Is this true Ms. Dragneel?'' I heard my fake surname being called I and looked right into Aquarius's electric blue eyes. ''Is it true that you suffer from a mental illness?'' ''U-um.'' I began stuttering, looking to my right I could feel the smirk on Ivan's face while he loudly sipped his coffee feeling like he won against me. 'I hope he burns his tongue.'

''Y-yes!'' I managed through tightly shut eyes, admitting that fact made me feel like a hole in space was bound to open any second and swallow me whole no questions asked.

''But that isn't the reason I was fired-'' I didn't get to finish my reasoning when Aquarius dismissed the day's session. ''Lucy why didn't you inform me of that fact?'' Virgo asked me when we stepped from the building onto the sidewalk checking for any cars of course. ''I didn't want anyone to know, I wanted to be treated quietly.'' I looked her in her sky blue eyes.

''Besides I wasn't fired because of that and Ivan knows that.'' ''You are receiving treatment right?'' she asked cautiously eyeing me. ''I'm not dangerous to myself or anyone else,'' I assured her but that slightly hurt I'll admit. ''Then what is this illness?'' she pried further pushing the door of the cafe open and holding it for me. ''It's just I hate being alone..look I don't like talking about it, the thing is I'm getting better.''

I finally said relieved when she dropped the topic and ordered me a strawberry smoothie to go. ''I'll see you later Virgo and we'll discuss a comeback.'' ''You sure you don't want me to walk with you?'' she stood up quickly grabbing her lunch and purse. ''Yeah I'm sure, I see my father outside but thank you anyway.'' ''No problem.'' she smiled a pretty smile. ''What are friends for?'' I smiled back at her glad she felt that way about me.

''What are you drinking?'' Papa asked when I climbed into my car. ''A pineapple and strawberry smoothie,'' I replied inquiring about his paper bag. ''Can I make a trade?'' ''Well, what is it?'' I asked quirking my eyebrows.

''Pink frosted donuts, Igneel bought three for me and I already told him I didn't want them.'' he began to rant. ''If you donut want them why should I want them?'' I asked him smiling but he wasn't amused by my corny joke. ''Natsu would have laughed,'' I said feeling a bit defeated at the reaction. ''I don't see why he would.'' he cornered me and I took his donuts regretfully groaning because trading with a parent was never a choice. ''What do you want for lunch?'' he asked drinking half of my cup and then handing it back to later.

''I want to visit the Dragneels.'' I bit into the tasteless pink donut. ''Why would you want to do that?'' Papa asked terrified with my request. ''I volunteered to tutor Juvia and Gray together.'' ''Why would you do that?'' he frowned. ''They have their parents.'' ''Because I am nice.'' I smiled and sipped my smoothie knowing I won when he groaned and turned the car around in the direction I wanted.

The only reason he has been acting this way is because he told the Dragneels about our past, how he left me and the sorts when I told a white lie about where he had been, he just came in and told on himself saying why should he lie about his sins.

But as a sinner has to pay for their deeds eventually, Grandine bullies him in a new way every time she sees him which he isn't too fond of.

On days like this I'd like to lay silently lay next to me maybe I could play with you hair and kiss you, swear that's all I want for today.

''Natsu, come on let's go!'' I looked up from my for the second time in the day log and ran to catch up with Laxus, I was in for a scolding but I didn't care a patient of ours offered a place where we could shower and eat a good meal. ''We are truly blessed.'' Laxus sighed pulling me by my wrists to hurry me and make sure I didn't stray away. ''I can't wait to shower!''

I said maybe too enthusiastically because Laxus covered his ears like he lost his hearing. ''My God! you are so loud.'' ''Sorry,'' I said sheepishly looking around at the people who clearly felt the same way as him. ''I hope I never meet another person like you or I'll go out of my mind.'' he continued grilling me over my mistake. ''Okay, okay bro! I get it.'' I said embarrassed and then he quieted down.

''Come in here doctors.'' a young lady said nervously in Wolof, maybe she was worried I wouldn't understand her and carry on walking. ''Give me a minute,'' I replied stopping to stuff my camera, journal, (not a diary like Laxus says) and log inside of my already stuffed travel backpack.

I heard Laxus mention to the woman and her kids that I was always a slowpoke so I hurried over to clear my name. The house we entered was nice in a simple way and decorated with flower pots and plates that were carved out pieces of culture adding a beautiful zest to the homely place. ''Where can I take a shower?'' I asked inhaling the delicious scent of sweet potatoes and meat on the stove top cooking in a peanut butter stew.

''It's called Mafe.'' her little boy informed me with a wide smile, happy that I understood his words before showing me to the bathroom and telling me which knob was which.

''Wow!'' Laxus exclaimed suddenly when I returned in a fresher version of my attire. ''What?!'' I asked looking around alarmed by the jerk. ''They must have some magic in here, you don't stink anymore.'' he finished and was promptly met with my highly unnamed face.

''Fine sorry I'll stop teasing you.'' he tried to reconcile for a day's worth of insults. ''Here you look good.'' he shot a sudden compliment. ''That means nothing to me unless Lucy says it,'' I said probably blushing a bit because he whispered right into my ear. ''You disgust me sometimes.'' he then handed me a plate of food. ''I hate you sometimes,'' I whispered back taking it and digging in much to his further disgust but hey I can't help myself.

Laxus is the only one on the team who has been with me from start and will continue to be so until the end of our trip. ''Turn off the lights!'' he groaned from back at our camp but I had to write the endings of my day down for you even if it was using the moonlight. ''You're turning twenty-five stop being such a huge baby!'' I yelled back finishing up for the night and snapping a picture of the pale moon to put in my journal.

''Put the diary away and let's sleep,'' he said coming to beat me up for the insults and then lay beside me as I was his only companion. ''I'm tired, aah I wanna go home.'' he trailed a few minutes later rocking himself to sleep while clutching a pillow after preventing me from moving with his legs so I called it a night putting my longer hair into a small ponytail.

'Me too, I want to go home soon.' 'You're not the only one who misses someone.' I couldn't help my feelings looking at the clear night sky and focusing on the brightest star.

Vines run backward and dig into the wet soil of a buried and painful past, they'll find their way back to me and I'll finally know the truth.

In the blink of an eye three months past after Lucy found herself with a broken wrist, now the swollen forearm was healing up nicely and she caught herself going back to what she had been doing before.

Receiving mental treatment from the sweet doctor Mr. Seam who despite his intimidating stature was sweet and all around fun loving 24/7.

''Lucy we are going to start another type of treatment,'' Crawford said sitting her down for consultation. ''If that doesn't work we can go to our last resort.'' ''And if that doesn't work?'' Lucy mused out loud. ''We will make this work,'' he said patting her head with a slight chuckle. ''But what I'm worried about is if you can take this new treatment.'' he stood up to get the summarized version of what he was going to propose.

''Isolation?!'' Lucy asked if what she was reading was correct. ''Yes, we've had many patients like you and isolation has helped them all.'' ''how? that's what I am afraid of!'' her cinnamon brown eyes were wide with fear just thinking about it. ''It's okay, why would I prescribe something that didn't have a possibility of success?'' ''What's the rate?'' she questioned firmly. ''Eighty percent.'' after a minute of thought Lucy realized she was desperate enough. ''Okay I'll try it.'' she was desperate for a cure to her plague, she wanted to feel free from the hole only she was stuck in. ''We will place a stress monitor on your wrist like before and begin tomorrow.

But when tomorrow came she knew she wouldn't be able to do this. ''I've been through this before,'' she informed him. ''It's just like when I was younger, all I ever did was scream for help from inside of that box like room.'' ''Were you being monitored?''

''Yeah,'' ''Then where were the doctors and nurses?'' ''I don't know outside or something but they never came inside to calm me down.'' Crawford scribbled something down in his notebook for the fifth time in the day. ''That's sick.'' he sighed closing the book and placing it aside, looking at the time he told Lucy they would schedule another meeting later in the week to talk more.

''I have to meet someone soon,'' he got up and stretched the wrinkles out of his tall body. ''Oh~'' she said teasingly. ''It's not like that!'' he chuckled slightly. ''I'm too old for that.'' ''how old are you?'' she asked delaying him because she truly enjoyed his company. ''54.'' ''OH.'' ''see I told you.'' ''I thought you were older than that.'' ''Is that a compliment or an insult?'' ''No, it's just my father is 48 but he looks fifty-one.'' ''He'll catch up with his age.'' Crawford said grabbing his coat. ''that's only three years besides he's more relaxed these days.''

Lucy rode in the car beside her father and on the way home she couldn't help but think about all the stressful things he went through. ''What do you want to eat for dinner?'' he asked slipping his shoes off and leaving them by the door.

''Lemon chicken soup,'' she said tossing herself onto the couch and unraveling. ''The Greek one?'' he asked hurrying into the kitchen. ''Yeah,'' she replied making herself mighty comfy on the couch, tired from dealing with people early every day she found herself sleeping just for a little while.

You might not know it but when you seep through the cracks in my window as silver or golden light, You go right through my skin and soak in my veins.

I sat by the window during a gloomy winter day feeling nothing but the bliss solitary days sometimes gave me, my body was snugly wrapped in my pink cotton blanket and I was sipping the peppermint tea that normally warmed my heart and soul on cold days. 'Aah,' I breathed out watching my hot tea scented breath dance in the open air and then disappear because it was merely a vapor.

Shivering a bit I decided it was time to close my window though I didn't want to leave my comfortable spot, I shut the glass and almost instantly became mesmerized by the bitterly weeping clouds, maybe they missed someone very much loved because as the wind cried with them they flung their small tears onto my window pane decorating it with falling drops of dew.

I fell into a quick slumber and when I opened my eyes again the sky was alright it had put on its best outfit colored pale blue, painted a beautiful swirl of peach and blueberry the clouds were in linear lines as birds dipped under the purplish parts playing an endearing game with the now happy weather. ''You're up?'' a familiar honey voice whispered calling my utmost attention. ''Natsu?'' I asked shocked at my revelation.

He was sitting in a wooden chair that he must've pulled up to my side when I was sleeping. ''You're back?'' I asked reaching to caress his cheek and surely I felt the soft skin. ''How could I stay away when I know you need me?'' he smiled his beautiful black orbs shone with mischievousness. ''Come here and join me,'' I said innocently opening my cotton blanket up to him.

''So, what have you been up to while I was away? he asked taking my blanket and rearranging it so he could sit beside me but also face me from the side. ''I did a lot of things but I wrote them down so you can read it,'' I said excitedly smiling at him feeling ecstatic now that he was here taking away my loneliness. ''What else did you do while I was gone?'' he asked quirking a pink eyebrow looking at him now I could see his hair had grown and he become beautifully kiss by the sun, his skin held a dazzling tan color and how I missed his sharp eyes that could stare into a soul if he wanted too.

I didn't notice it but I hadn't answered his question and my eyes were traveling all over his body gently taking in every detail that had changed ever so slightly since he had been gone, his lips were still as plump and soft looking as I had left them a year ago and that's where my eyes wanted to land. ''Hmm?'' he hummed snapping my eyes back to his onyx ones that were currently decorated by an extra soft hue. ''I should give you all that you want, right?'' he asked looking surely into my heart and electricity traveled into me from him, he was melting me for I was only ice before him, if only he knew, but he did know if only I knew this.

Natsu grabbed my waist tightly and knocked me on my back dotting my face and jawline with soft chaste and breathless kisses, I wasn't even going to fight the pain on my waist because I was too busy with his kisses and with his eyes, smile, and his everything.

Alas! when you fade away for a minute you leave me behind craving desperately our next meeting.

''Lucy get up!'' I heard my name being called by my father which was frightening if you were in that situation. ''You wanted to eat remember.'' My father replied when I groaned, I regretted the speed of my dream and wished I had a chance to kiss Natsu back and longer. ''I was having a good dream.'' I sighed and my dad hit me with. ''I could tell that's why I woke you up.''

I could feel the blush on my face even when I was taking bites out of my food. ''Don't worry you didn't say anything,'' My dad tried to cheer me up but I was slowly dying inside. ''You were just smiling and giggling so I could tell, I didn't hear any of the contents.'' I coughed twice on the savory dish reaching for a glass of water. ''Perhaps was Natsu in your dream and it was something in which I couldn't be included in?''

I nearly screamed choking on the water, if my dad knew what I was dreaming of there would be no dinner tonight. ''I knew it, Lucy you're grounded!'' ''I don't even go anywhere extra!'' I whined it was true but the fact that at twenty years old I had grounded looming over my head was baffling. ''And Natsu wasn't even in there.'' I lied through my teeth to save my butt from staying home.

''Oh really, can you swear on that?'' he asked but I didn't answer I just stabbed a chicken quarter with my fork and went to munching on the salad like I had been starving. ''DOuBle GRounDed!'' my father wailed in my ears because I lied straight to his face and he couldn't believe his baby angel would do that. ''Fine.'' I groaned and lowered my gaze embarrassed with myself. ''But let me off the hook soon.'' I pleaded with him. ''I think about it.''

Chapter End -

I hope you enjoyed this short chapter. :)

PS. I know the names of my chapters are strange but what's a girl to do. :(

-Peace