Hiya!

It's Tuesday. I've got no excuses other than being lazy. I need to get my head in the game cause the next few chapters need work and 50 is not written yet X_X

Happy reading!


And thus, the next day, Anna was waiting for them as they finished work. As Natsu and Lucy walked out from behind the counter, Cana stopped them, nodding toward her.

"Is that her?" she asked them. Natsu took a moment to catch on, but Lucy nodded. "You weren't kidding. She looks a lot like Layla." Anna looked up from the crossword she was working on and noticed the three of them, standing up to meet up.

"You must be Cana," she guessed. Cana looked down at her shirt, noticing she had once again forgotten her name tag.

"Sure am!" she greeted. "And you are Anna, right? It's a pleasure to meet you." They shared a handshake. "I'm gonna get in trouble if I hang too long, but I'm looking forward to see you again Wednesday," she grinned. As if on cue, Laki called her over and Cana hurried off with a grin and a wave. Lucy noticed Laki's expression as she saw Anna, but she figured Cana would fill her in and waved at her before they left.

They walked back to their apartment and both had a quick shower before they headed out again. Lucy grew anxious as they walked in the street, falling quiet as Natsu and Anna chatted. She kept her attention on what they were saying if only to keep her mind from spiralling out of control. She still hadn't told Anna exactly what had transpired with her father, and she didn't know if Anna had researched it or if someone had told her.

"This is a pretty neighbourhood," Anna pointed out as they approached the Heartfilia mansion.

"Yeah, I guess it is," Natsu agreed, glancing around. He'd been so focused on his task when he came by, he had never really taken the time to appreciate the freshly trimmed trees and bushes, the clean white snow across untouched yard, the simply gorgeous houses – really, they were much more of mansions than houses. They made Zeref's place look cheap, even though he also lived in a nice neighbourhood – with the difference they didn't have as much yard there.

"You've never paid attention before, have you?" Anna noticed with a small laugh.

"I've only been here twice," he defended himself. Anna looked confused for a moment, then looked toward Lucy, noticing for the first time how quiet she had been in the last few minutes, and taking in how pale she looked, despite the cold air colouring her cheeks pink.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" she asked softly, taking her hand in hers.

"Yeah," she whispered. She caught Natsu's expression and sighed. "It's just a bit hard for me to come here. After everything." Anna squeezed her hand in a grasp that reminded Lucy of her own mother, and she found unexpected strength in it.

"We're here for you, Lucy. If you want to leave, we can leave," she reassured her.

"It's okay. I'm feeling better already. Thank you, Anna." She stopped in front on the gate and typed in her mother's birthday, the light flashing green as the lock clicked. They barely stepped through when they noticed Madam Spetto rushing their way. However, the maid paused as she beheld Anna, staring with a mix of shock and confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked in a stunned whisper.

"My name is Anna Ashley," she introduced herself. "Layla was my cousin. I was sorry to hear of her passing."

"Lady Layla's cousin?" Madam Spetto repeated, trying so hard to shake her shock. "Of course, that explains your resemblance. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Anna. I am Madam Spetto, the housekeeper." She finally recovered enough to notice Lucy, approaching her with a quivering lip. "Oh, Miss Lucy. It's good to see you again." Lucy surprised herself when she moved forward to hug her, the poor housekeeper starting to cry.

"It's good to see you too," Lucy whispered, surprised that she really meant it. "I've read your emails, but I couldn't…"

"It's okay, Miss Lucy. It really is. I'm just glad to see you." She took a step back, observing her fondly. "You look better than when I last saw you. I'm glad you're doing better." Her eyes turned to Natsu. "And you… I still feel bad for how I treated you the first time I met you." By the confused look on Natsu's face, he didn't remember the housekeeper telling him he didn't have to take Lucy away. "I am forever grateful that you took such good care of her."

"That was no big deal," he grinned. Lucy scoffed a little.

"That was a huge deal," she pointed out.

"Not really," he shrugged. "It's not like I could've just turned my back on you." Anna smacked him on the shoulder.

"Just take the compliment, Natsu," she scolded him, making him chuckle.

"Well, let's not stand around in the yard all day," Madam Spetto declared. "I made tea and snacks."

"Oh yeah!" Natsu exclaimed, pouncing behind her at the prospect of food. They followed her into the foyer, and they all sat down while Madam Spetto went to grab a platter with various snacks and a pot of tea with cups. Once she finally sat with them, Lucy found that she didn't know what to say.

"Did you want me to take you to your mother's vault?" Madam Spetto asked carefully after a moment.

"Not quite yet," Lucy admitted. "I was… I've come to realize mom hid a lot from me. Has she ever mentioned Anna to you? Or her family?"

"No. Lady Layla didn't speak much of her past, but I know she kept tabs on her family."

"She did?"

"Yes. You were probably too young to remember, but she was devastated when she heard of her mother's passing. She left for a week." Lucy could vaguely recall her mother leaving her when she was six or seven years old. It had been odd, because her mother had never left her before – or after, for that matter.

"I remember," she admitted. "I wanted to go with her, but she said I couldn't. I was upset because she didn't want to tell me where she was going."

"Do you know why she left in the first place?" Natsu asked Anna.

"I don't. I always assumed it was because of her step-father."

"Why?" Lucy questioned when she stayed quiet.

"Because Jose was a bad man. Layla didn't change her name until she was married. She went to school here as Layla Ashley. There was a missing person notice for a week before it was withdrawn. They found her, but they decided it was best for her to stay where she was."

"Jose?" Madam Spetto repeated. "Jose Porla?" Anna's head whipped toward her in shock.

"You know him?" The name did sound familiar to Lucy.

"I know of him. Master Jude sent him to jail after he abducted Miss Lucy." Natsu's and Anna's eyes shot to Lucy, who looked just as surprised as they were.

"I always thought it was just a random attack," Lucy mumbled. "He tracked her down?"

"After Maria passed away, he must have left Acalypha," Anna mused. "I didn't really want to keep in touch with the man."

"Are we just going to gloss over the fact that you've been abducted?" Natsu growled.

"I was eight. He didn't even hurt me," Lucy argued, paling as she realized he had told her she looked just like her mother when she was her age. It was the main reason why Lucy had even followed him after school. Because he knew her mom.

"But still," Natsu tried, and Anna scoffed.

"You were abducted too, Natsu, and you didn't even tell me. And from what I hear, Lucy had a much less traumatic experience than yours."

"It wasn't traumatic," he argued. "It was frustrating." That was quite the understatement. He hated feeling powerless. Hated that someone would use him to hurt Lucy. He didn't even care for the new scar at his side. Didn't care for all the violence inflicted on him. Not as much as he would have if they had been trying to get to Zeref, if he'd let himself admit that much. Infuriating. Enraging. And the fact that Lucy's own father had ordered it… As much as he liked a good fight, he had never really thought of himself as a violent person. And just how close from okay he had been with the idea of actually killing someone still didn't sit well with him. Maddening. The experience had been maddening. He had just about lost it.

"It's okay to talk about it, Natsu," she insisted.

"I know," he grumbled. "But I'm telling you, I'm fine. I'm still fucking pissed, but I'm fi- Ow!" Anna smacked the back of his head with enough force to make a point, but not quite enough to actually hurt him.

"Watch your language, Natsu," she scolded him. He scowled a little.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Lucy noticed the look of confusion on Madam Spetto's face at their interaction.

"Anna is Natsu's godmother," she explained, watching the confusion turn to shock. "That's how I met her."

"But, Miss Lucy… I was under the impression Natsu and you were dating."

"We are," Natsu replied defensively, because he had been the one telling her that much and he didn't like being doubted. Lucy sighed. Of course, he had missed the point.

"I was Natsu's father's best friend," Anna explained. "We're not actually blood related."

"Why does everyone freak out about that?" he groaned, ducking another smack from Anna.

"Because if you were related to her, you'd be related to me," Lucy explained. "Which would make us cousin."

"Oh… Oh!" he finally realized. "Yikes."

"So you might want to be careful not to say that kind of stuff without explaining it properly."

"Yup. I'll remember that." He didn't care for what people thought of him, but he sure didn't want people thinking he was dating his first cousin. It seemed too close for the relationship they had. Way too close. There was a bit of an awkward silence stretching for a while.

"So, is it just you here, Madam Spetto?" Anna questioned.

"Yes."

"It must be lonely."

"Oh, the Master was always busy," she brushed it off. "I'm used to it."

"What will happen to the mansion while he's in jail?" Lucy asked.

"I'll be caring for it, for the time being. But I've been considering finding an assistant, I'm getting older, and this is no small place."

"We know a maid," Natsu grinned, making Lucy frown. Did they? "I can ask her to send her resume to you."

"Why, yes, that would be lovely."

"Who is in charge now?" Lucy questioned.

"As per your parents' will, it should be you," Madam Spetto admitted. "But because you're still only eighteen, Master Lobster is in charge until you turn 25." Natsu laughed at the name but stifled it at Lucy's glare.

"How long is he in jail for?" Anna asked.

"Fifteen years," Lucy replied sharply. He had gotten six years for raping her and nine for planning Natsu's abduction and because of the injuries he sustained. But because he had confessed as soon as the charges were laid, he had probably shortened the sentence by at least five years. Even twenty years seemed pretty lenient, but Lucy was still grateful she hadn't had to face the trial. Thanks to it, the media hadn't been able to find her, and no recent images of her had circulated – the most recent having been from the public-school records.

Natsu scoffed at that. It didn't seem like nearly enough to him either. "You think he deserved more?" Anna questioned him.

"He deserves to rot," Natsu spat, not caring much for Madam Spetto's offended gasp.

"Fifteen years for abduction is a pretty harsh sentence," Anna pointed out. "Especially considering you don't have trauma."

"He's only got nine for that," Natsu groaned, causing Anna to raise a brow.

"What are the other six for?" Lucy could have slapped him, and by the look in his eyes, he would have let her.

"Domestic abuse," Lucy replied. Anna probably knew enough about the judiciary system to know that the numbers didn't add up, because she gave her a long look that said she wasn't buying it, but thankfully, she didn't press the matter. Lucy placed her cup down and stood from where she was sitting, Natsu quickly imitating her. "Would you mind taking me to my mother's vault?" she asked Madam Spetto, hoping she wouldn't mention the rape.

"Of course," the housekeeper agreed, standing up in turn.

"Do you want Natsu and I to come with you?" Anna asked, and Lucy nodded, if only because she didn't trust that Anna wouldn't ask Natsu to tell her more about her father. So, they made their way down the hall. Madam Spetto stopped to show Lucy the new room she had made for her and told her where all of her things were stored and assured her that she was welcome to sleep there any time she felt like it. Then she led them in the mansion, Anna stopping every so often to look at the family portraits.

Madam Spetto led them close to where Jude's rooms had been, and down a smaller hall, behind a door that led to a flight of stairs. Lucy didn't think she had been there before, but the mansion was huge, and she hadn't explored all of it, spending most of her time with her mother or in the library. She had done most of her exploring when her mother's friend, Grammi, had come to visit with her daughter, who was Lucy's age. But even during the two weeks they had spent together, Brandish and Lucy had only had enough time to explore half the mansion, and her father had never liked her being too close from his quarters.

Lucy was almost surprised when Madam Spetto flicked a switch to turn the light on, half expecting the short hall to be lit by torches. But the bright bulbs made it feel like a regular hall rather than an underground one. And at the end of it stood an old oak door, the crest of Aquarius embedded in the wood.

"What is this place?" Natsu asked, sniffing the air. It was humid and musty, but he could still pick up a faint chemical smell from cleaning product. It seemed like an odd place to have in such a fancy mansion.

"It was intended as a bunker," Madam Spetto explained. "Most of everyone in this neighbourhood have similar ones, because it was built during the cold war. But the structure wouldn't withstand nuclear attack, and there are plenty of storage, so Lady Layla claimed it for herself."

"Does he know?" Lucy asked.

"Of course." She nodded toward a camera in the corner. "But he was happy for Layla to have her own space, even when he had to come and pull her out of a good book in the middle of the night. He hasn't been down here since she passed, but I've kept it in order for you." Lucy's hand found the heavy key at her side and hesitantly took it, making her way toward the door.

She carefully unlocked it and felt Natsu's reassuring hand grabbing hers. She glanced at him and opened the door, flicking the lights on. She didn't know what she had expected, but that wasn't it.

Bookshelves covered two walls. There was a writing desk next to an easel, a reclining chair on the other side, a small table next to it, and cabinets filled with little trinkets that filled her eyes with tears – things Lucy had made in school, things from trips they had taken, and things that she didn't recognize at all. Everything was laid on top of a card with information on it. She walked in slowly, feeling overwhelmed by everything. She didn't know where to look first or what to retain.

She went to the desk first, because it felt familiar. There was no dust on the few papers lingering there. Sketches, Lucy noticed, feeling tears roll on her cheeks when she saw a portrait of her. She moved back before her tears could fall on the paper, not even daring to touch them.

"Can you guys give me a moment?" she requested in a small voice. Natsu's warm hand squeezed her shoulder gently, but he left the room without a sound, understanding why she needed space. After a few minutes waiting in the hall, Madam Spetto told Lucy they would be waiting for her in the foyer. Lucy assured she could find her way and listened to their receding footsteps.

She moved over to the trinkets, reading the cards on the things that looked familiar, feelings her emotions bubbling up so much that she soon couldn't read past the blur of her tears. She took a moment to collect herself once more, and moved toward the bookshelves. One of them was filled with regular books. Lucy read over the titles, recognizing her mother's favourites, as well as a few that she didn't know. The other wall, however, was filled with binders and what looked like journals. Years were written across the spines. Lucy hesitantly took one, finding it to be a photo album.

Everything in that row seemed to be photos, so she moved to the next one. This one had drawings that she had made. Though Lucy had never pursued drawing enough to be good at it, she used to draw a lot. As she progressed up through the years, drawings were more and more replaced with endless pages of her writing. Most of which she didn't remember writing at all. Every essay, every short story she had written over time was filed away, her mother having kept everything she ever made over the years.

Lucy's eyes drawled to the top row. The journals. They too had dates written on them. None of them were quite the same, but they were all similar in size, in dark colours, some of them textured, some printed. She reached for the journal that read 1997, the earliest date she saw, and yelped when another journal fell. It was a cheaper, smaller one. The kind that could be bought from the dollar store. She opened it. The first entry was dated 1994. There was less than one entry a month, from what Lucy could see, that were barely more than teenage drabbles.

She went back to the one from 1997, shuffling through it. This one had much more regular entry. The first one, dated August 5th, 1996, made her blood run cold.

"If I am found dead or go missing, please look for Jose Porla. He would be the one to blame. I am currently sitting on the bus heading south toward Magnolia. I may have found someone to help me there, but I'm scared Jose will come looking for me. Let this be my testament, should anything happen to me."

Lucy didn't even think of moving to sit, as she stood by the bookshelf, reading her mother's diary. By how sore her neck was, she guessed she had been standing there for at least an hour when Natsu's voice startled her.


Honestly, I was kinda going for something there, but as you know there are only so many more chapters, so while we'll get Lucy's summary, there won't be all that much added to Layla's back story, since it's not really relevant beyond the broad lines.
There isn't much to say here, there are two more chapters, then the epilogue, and then this story is over. I have a few other works on the go, including a request, but I've haven't had a lot of time to write and my writing desk is a disaster right now. I don't have a timeline for my other works since, as you know, I like to get ahead before I start posting, but one of them has a few chapters down already and I'm hoping it won't get too crazy long but considering this one was meant to be about 15-20 chapters, I guess we'll see how it goes lol

Anyway, enough babbling, and until next week!

Bookwork129: Natsu is pretty cute when he gets flustered haha.

Fafou14: Thank you, I do my best! I'm glad to know you're going to stick around for a while :)

Copperreign12: That was such a thorough review of the chapter! You make it sound put together so much more than I feel it is lol

52dreamer52: I'm sorry the secondhand embarrassment hit so hard, but also oddly proud about it ;) I'm hoping I can get all the loose ends tied in properly, but I'm only human lol

Mushi9: It's okay if it's a while, that's why I'm holding off ;) Kudos for sticking with it though :)

Valerioux: Will they, won't they, that is the question. I guess we'll find out!