You know what they say, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Ha, turns out she did not get the memo.
From lazing around in her apartment to following Natsu on his next crazy adventure - Lucy Heartfilia has about a thousand other things she'd rather be doing than standing in front of her childhood home.
"Lu-Lucy?!" Then again, seeing Spetto and the others is nice, more than nice even.
"I'm back," she allows the staff she hadn't seen in years to crowd her, biting her lower lip into a grin. "I missed you guys."
"Oh Lucy you should leave, of course, I'm happy to see you too dearie but-" the servant fell quiet for a brief second, "The exterior seems to have done you some good, you look wonderful."
Lucy dropped down to her knees as to hug the old woman properly.
"I feel good Spetto-san. Don't worry I'm not staying long, father and I just need to have a quick discussion." There were hushed whispers in the background, staff members paling with concern.
"Your father is waiting for you in his study..." The blonde's eyes softened as a young boy ran to the crowd that had formed around her, hesitantly looking around.
"Thank you. It's nice to see you again Luke," she easily slips out of the grip of the maids that tried to drag her to change out of her current clothes. "I'm sorry, I know it's your job but I'll be skipping the change of clothing and go see my father directly.
"Bu-but-!" She won't be the one to do the man any favors this time.
The walls of what had once been her home were as imposing as they always had been. The decorations shallow, nothing like all the flowers her mother used to have everywhere.
"Hello father," she didn't wait to be called in, chin tilted upwards.
"Lucy, I'm glad you came back." The man slowly turned, mouth falling agape when he saw the long sleeved shirt and dark jeans she had on. Despite being far from her worst article of clothing, they were enough to make her father do a double-take.
Ridiculous.
"I won't be staying," she wasted no time in clarifying this, eyes like steel. "I thought I owed you this discussion at least."
"Not staying? Whatever do you mean, Lucy this foolishness needs to stop right this instant! I thought you had finally come to your senses - " his stern, incredibly cold voice had always terrified her as a child.
"I have, come to my senses that is." She smiles then, "I do not want your money or anything that comes with it. I thought it best to discuss this face to face, but I want nothing to do with the Heartfilia fortune or name."
There was a tense silence then, her father's jaw dropping even further.
"That sentiment extends to you until - if, " she concedes the point, "If you decide to clean up your act, if you never do so then I'm afraid that this very well might be our last discussion."
His features had deepened from the last time the teenage Lucy had seen him, dark shadows residing under his eyes as well as wrinkles.
(daddy...)
"You-you will not come into this house and disrespect me!" A wry smile quirked her lips as paper scattered all around the room when he slammed his hands on the desk.
Jude took a deep breath as to regain his nerve, "Go to your room, we'll talk about your engagement to Prince Sawalu of Julenelle over dinner - " He does not even try to listen to her, bile rises up the length of her throat.
"It is not foolish and it is not selfish for me to want to be loved."
(you should know that, you loved mom so much)
"I'll make myself clear, there will be no engagement and there will be no further attacks on my guild."
There was a spike of magic from her keys, she could almost physically feel arms wrapping around her. Her father scowled dangerously, "Are you threatening me?"
The blonde tilted her head then, sunlight hitting caramel orbs, "No, no I am not. You may think you are above us, but thing is that the job was not legal even in the slightest. Phantom is being taken down as we speak, you do not need to be the next."
"My business is the largest in-"
"Your business is struggling and so are you. You talk about respect father, but I have none for the likes of someone who treats people like cattle." She hisses the words out, "Mom would despise you treating people like this."
(Jude's heart slams against his ribcage harshly as the world's prettiest woman laughs and grabs his hand to drag him deeper into the gardens-)
"Do NOT speak of her!" Oh screaming, now that's something they had not entertained before, not with her so young and searching for her father's approval.
"She was my mother!" Lucy snarls, "She is my mother and you can take many things away from me but that is not one of them! She is my mother and I am allowed to have memories of her to hold dear, I am allowed to love her just like you do."
(there's a child crying as her keys are taken and locked in the study)
"You tried to take that away from me when I was a child, acted like only you were allowed to mourn her-" her words fail her, throat uncomfortably tight, "You failed, even though I could do nothing back then. Try and lay a hand against my guild now and I will annihilate you."
She has forgiven many, many things in her life. Too often perhaps, she is not as kind as she used to be, a sad smile quirks her lips.
Not to mention, promises are not something she breaks, "Goodbye father."
She walks out to the sound of a glass being thrown to the ground. The main members of the staff are all standing to the side, eyes wide and some teary. "Don't cry Aed, you won't see that stew you're cooking at this rate."
"Ungrateful brat," the short man sniffed and she quickly and quietly said her goodbyes, hearing a loud banging noise from her father's study.
"Take care of him please?" Spetto bawls even more at her words, arms tightening around the blonde's waist.
To say this woman used to clean her diapers, she giggles. "If you can, warn him about the Aida family. They're as ruthless as he is in business, he shouldn't let down his guard."
"Of course my dear...that man is lucky his drunken decisions haven't caught up to him yet." The square-shaped woman muttered and she detangled herself from the embrace.
"I'll write," she promised. " I'm sorry I didn't do so earlier."
That she was, well now there was only one person left to see, "Hi mom."
"Dad's been taking care of this place well, I like the flowers." Lucy fell to her knees then, the large marble angel behind her mother's resting place casting a shadow upon her. "A lot has happened since I last saw you."
"I joined a guild..." I killed and I died. "I like it very much there, I think you'd like my friends. Levy actually read your work on the origins of magic and it's link with the limbic system. She's a fan."
Her fingers thrum on the meat of her thigh almost nervously, "I think there's someone you might want to see, someone who's missed you a lot - "
"Stupid brat, always stealing people's lines." Aquarius' fins flicked the back of her head, the woman's eyes moist as they looked at her best friend's grave. "Your daughter is still a pain Layla, as I'm sure you were wondering."
There's a laugh like chiming bells lost in the wind, unheard.
"Give the girl a break Aquarius," Cancer sat crisscrossed to her right, greeting his old mistress, " I miss you letting me experiment with your hair m'lady, your daughter never has the time with her leeches always around."
"Stop with the my lady nonsense and that's an order, I'm your friend!" Cancer cracked a smirk, braiding a six years old Lucy's hair. "You married a noble, m'lady. What's a man to do?"
The mermaid's fingers brushed over some lilies that were planted there, "Lucy's an idiot in the way you never were," the blonde's head snapped up. "But she's in good hands now."
"I'll bring Capricorn here as soon as I can." She promised, both her spirits snorting. "What?"
"Your daughter's a weird one m'lady and she thinks we haven't noticed." Cancer confided as if telling a secret. "The other spirits don't really care, but since we raised the girl we were worried for a while. She's still the same, that's all that matters."
"A bit less dumb and childish, but still the same little brat." Lucy paused at Aquarius' words, "See, crybaby. Crux won't speak and neither will the king, so we've resolved ourselves to let her play whatever game she's playing."
"On another note..." Cancer's arms wrapped around her loosely and Lucy fell, closing her eyes tightly. "Aquarius' still a bitch."
A tick mark appeared on the woman's face. "If we were anywhere else, I would drown you."
"I'm sure." Lucy choked down a laugh, looking up to the floating mermaid hopefully. There was a pause, Aquarius looking lost as to what to do. "For the love of the king woman, hug her."
Cancer was awarded a blast of water to the face for his efforts.
"Come here brat," said brat shot up to her two feet, burying her face in the woman's stomach. "Get snot on me and I'll kill you...stupid loveable girl."
"I love you guys," Aquarius awkwardly patted the human's head, lowering herself slightly as to wrap her arms around her charge.
Cancer snorted when the mermaid froze, a blonde strand almost landing in her mouth when the girl sunk her nose between Aquarius' shoulder and neck.
"Okay! Enough!..brat let go of me!" Said brat shook her head, arms tightening around the struggling woman's waist. "Stars, Layla you raised a monster!"
Aquarius' smile didn't vanish, the crab spirit earning himself the same armful of blonde seconds later.
I never stood a chance did I? the blue-haired woman shook her head, I thought I could hate her, but I never could...Yeah, yeah laugh it up Layla, you win. I love your daughter even if she's not you.
I miss you, I won't ever stop.
"You have a train to take brat," she reminded the young girl who was currently standing on Cancer's feet as to manage to wrap her arms around his neck.
"Escort me to the station?" Lucy gave a winning smile, head twisted backward so she could look at the mermaid. "Please?"
"In your dreams, I have better things to do." Aquarius clicked her tongue, "Like going on a date with my boyfriend - "
"Liar! I know Scorpio's always busy on Wednesdays with his contractor." Lucy accused, earning herself a flick to the head by the woman. Cancer wiggled his brows in the moody mermaid's direction, a grin on his sunglasses-covered face.
"You're not ten anymore, get over it." The water nymph then disappeared in a sea of golden sparks, "You're not as lonely Lucy, you'll be fine without me."
The interior of her house in the spirit world greeted her and she felt a tug at her celestial self. "I'll always need you, don't use that as an excuse!"
The water bearer shook her head, "Damned brat."