I do not own anything. Credits to Hiro Mashima and Laramie Briscoe.

25

Acnologia

To say I'm nervous is an understatement. No matter if I've done something wrong or not, knowing I have to explain myself to what amounts to a group of judgmental assholes is never a fun thing to do. My foot taps uncontrollably on the floor, and I pull my phone out of my pocket, gazing at the picture me, Irene, and Erza took on Halloween. It's the only thing that calms me down some days, and I feel like I have a fucking target on my back, especially at places like this.

"Relax," Silver, clamps his hand on my knee. "You have nothing to be worried about. This is a technicality."

"One that could send me back to prison if someone deems fit to," I argue. The thought's crossed my mind a ton this week, so much that tonight's the first night Erza and Irene are staying at their own apartment since Halloween. I've kept them as close as I can, and the only reason they went back tonight is because Irene has to do laundry. I don't have my own washer and dryer yet, but you can bet your ass as soon as I'm out of this meeting and I know they aren't sending me back to jail, I'm running out to buy a set. I want them with me all the time, I'm a better man when they're with me.

"You know as well as I do that's a snowball's chance in hell, Acno. You've done great with the program, you completed your hours in record time, and you look fucking happy. You're a model for what this program was meant to do. I hope they see how successful you've been and offer it to others."

I don't give two shits about others; all I want to do is get home to the woman who makes my world turn round, hear the kid who makes my heart melt, giggle as she chases the cat, and not have to think about this shit until my next parole meeting. Which are getting fewer and farther in between.

"Acnologia Belserion."

Just hearing them call my name sends a ribbon of fear down my chest, deep into my stomach. They have the power to ruin my life, to destroy what I've worked hard to build, and that's the scariest thing of all. None of them would think twice about it.

"C'mon," Silver tells me as he grabs my file. "Let's get this over with."

We walk into the room, and there's a table. Before it sits another table, three men and two women watching me. I can feel the judgment already. This was exactly what my first parole hearing looked and felt like.

We have a seat, and Silver's the first to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, as Acnologia's parole officer, we're here to provide proof he's fulfilled the community service stipulation, his restitution payments are on time, and he's kept himself a law-abiding citizen since his release. If it would please the court, we're asking you to allow him to go to bi-monthly meetings as long as he checks in with a phone call every week. He has done everything the court has asked him to do, and it's redundant for him to have to continue to see me every two weeks, when I've had no problems out of him and he's building a business."

I sit here, listening to people talk about me as if I don't matter, as if they're discussing what they're going to have for dinner tonight.

"A business?" What looks to be the oldest person on the board asks.

"Yes, sir," I answer. "I'm a mechanic, and I'm building a clientele."

"How many clients do you have?" he asks as he looks at a piece of paper. "How many lives would we disrupt if we revoked probation and stuck you back in?"

I hate this, every little bit of it. I know he's being a hardass on me, because that's what they're supposed to do. I'm supposed to feel remorse for what I've done, and I'm supposed to prove I'm a changed man. I am a changed man, but I don't know if any of these people will ever be able to see it.

"Around twenty," I tell him, adjusting in the seat so that I can set up straighter. "But I have a lot of walk-ins, and many people call me for my thoughts and expertise. The people whose lives would be disrupted the most if you put me back in though are those I've been working to help, specifically the little girl you've asked me to mentor. She looks up to me, she loves me," I say the words, even though they're hard to get through my tight throat. "Told me so herself the other day. If I'm ripped from her life, I think it would undo all the good I've done."

I watch as they huddle their heads together, tapping my fingers on the wood table. I know from experience this whole thing usually takes less than twenty minutes. Isn't that crazy? Twenty minutes to decide your life. Less time than a sitcom to decide if you're worthy of being kept out of prison. It's always struck me as cold, and I feel the chill in my body today.

"Mr. Belserion," the same man speaks as the group breaks apart. "It appears as if you're doing good things. Continue doing what you're doing, and remain out of trouble. We've decided to go with your parole officer's recommendation. Good luck to you, young man."

"Thank you, sir," I get up from the chair and push away from the table so fast I'm pretty sure I could have toppled both of them. Running through the hallway, I make it to the door, bursting through, inhaling the fresh air in my lungs. Bending at my waist and putting my hands on my knees, I inhale deeply, telling my pounding heart to slow down.

"You're good, Acno," Silver comes up behind me, rubbing my back. "You're good."

"I was scared," I admit, breathing heavily, wiping sweat from my forehead as I straighten up. "You don't realize how claustrophobic you are until you're stuck somewhere you don't want to be, and I told myself I'd never be back there again. Going before them, even if it was to prove I had completed the conditions of my probation scared the fuck outta me."

"It's not unusual," Silver gives me a bottle of water.

I drink quickly and heavily from the bottle, letting the liquid moisturize my parched throat. There are only two people I want to see right now. Irene and Erza are my home, they are the things that ground me, and I need grounding right now. I know we've never discussed it, but if they can't come to me, I'll go to them. Consequences be damned.

I remember the way to Irene's apartment from the night I helped her off the bridge. That night seems like so long ago, when it was only weeks. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. It makes my head spin, but in a good way. I wouldn't change a bit of it for the world. All my bad decisions have lead me to this moment, and that in itself is one of the most profound conclusions I've ever come to. Things happen for a reason, and while we may not understand the reasons in the beginning, we damn well figure them out in the end.

Parking my truck, because I wanted to make a good impression, I head up to the apartment I know Irene and Erza live in. Maybe I should have called first, but I'm so fucking excited to see them. Knocking quickly and loudly on the door, I can't help but call out. "Irene!"

"Acno?" she questions as she answers, opening the door for me.

I don't wait for her to say anything else, I pick her up, spin her around, and plant a kiss on her right there. In the back of my mind, I can hear Erza clapping, happily giggling as I finally pull back from the kiss.

"What the hell's going on?" Her eyes are wide, and I see just how much I've surprised her.

"I'm free." The two words are like a mic drop in the room and we both feel the weight of them.

"Free?" She twines her arms around my neck, pulling me closer, our eyes locking. "Free? As in…"

"As in, I'm still on probation, and I'll never have a squeaky-clean record, but I've met all the terms. As long as I continue to pay my restitution and stay out of trouble, I'm free," I breathe the words out against her neck as I pull her into my arms.

She hangs on tightly, tighter than anyone else has ever held onto me before. The strength of her hold brings tears to my eyes. Not one person in my life has ever tried to hold me this close to them, ever cared where I was, or what happened to me. She doesn't have to tell me how she feels, because I can tell, just by the way she holds me. At my knee, I can feel something, I look down, and Erza's got her arms wrapped around me, too.

"You're not going away?" She looks up at me, the same brown eyes as her mom, and it takes everything I have for me not to drop to my knees in relief.

"No, Sprite, I'm not," I reluctantly let go of Irene, bend down and pick up Erza. "You're stuck with me."

She grins as I hug her closer to me. "I think it's the other way around."

I laugh because I don't care which way it is, all I want to know is we'll be together, as a unit, in the future. There's no way I can go back to my apartment, not after the emotional day I've had.

"Do you wanna stay here tonight, with us?" Irene grips me around the waist with one arm, Erza with the other. In the circle of her arms, we're that family I've always wanted to be.

"I'd love to, but tomorrow you're coming home with me, after we go buy a washer and dryer."

She shakes her head, opening her mouth to protest, but I cut her off with a kiss. No other kiss has tasted better, because tonight, I'm just a free man kissing the woman who's completely changed his life.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

It's been a while, huh. I couldn't post any updates because fanfiction had encountered an error.

Anyways, as long as people keeps reviewing, here it goes.

Thank you, ROBINON and TalkAlot35.

Drop comments, reviews, questions, requests. Y'all be appreciated.