She lives! Hello everyone! I'm back! I hope you all had a great 2 weeks! I was in Hawaii so I know I did! You ready to dive back in? I know I am, I had some great ideas come to me! Enjoy your long awaited chapter!

That was the last thing Natsu saw before blacking out, the little boy on his chest and his breaths coming out labored and rapid.

Light streaks in through the room, curtains stirring in the breeze and the smell stale and sterile fills Natsu's nose. Squinting his eyes shut, he tries to fight off consciousness, anything to help the sharp pain from an oncoming headache. His stomach rolling in protest. Taking a lungful of air, he pushes through the nausea and headache and slowly opens his eyes. Hissing at the invasion of light to his eyes he decides he's better off with them closed. The room is too bright to handle this early in the morning.

"Natsu?" a voice calls from the corner. The gruff question could come from none other than his adoptive father.

He moans a reply, but a violent cough follows after. His throat feels raw and hot. As if someone made him swallow a hot iron rod. He tries sitting up, only to feel a hand on his shoulder pushing him back down.

"Stay down son. You've been through hell and back."

Blinking back the brightness, Natsu finally willed his eyes to stay open. Finding Igneel kneeling beside the bed with tears welling in his eyes. Igneel handed Natsu a glass of water and sat back watching him closely. Natsu gave a grateful nod and took a tentative sip. His throat ached at the motion but it felt amazing to have something cool the burn in the back of his throat.

Natsu tried again. His voice was hoarse and gravely, breaking on every couple of words, "What happened?"

"You are one lucky son of a bitch. Natsu, what you did was reckless and dangerous. If you weren't in a hospital bed right now I'd be tempted to put you in one myself. Your mother has been an absolute mess because of what you did."

"Pops I-" Igneel held up a hand.

"But as mad and terrified as I was. I am proud of you, Natsu. You saved so many people. One of my coworkers identified you, and called me as soon as he saw you. Scared me half to death. But nothing...nothing makes me more proud than what you did that night. You're a hero, Natsu."

Natsu went still, shell shocked by his Dad's omission. He'd never seen his Dad so torn up before. Let alone admit that he was genuinely scared. "Dad...I. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or Mom. I just had to go in and make sure everyone got out safe. You'd always taught us that when others are in trouble we help them in whatever way we can." Natsu turned away from him, ashamed that he made everyone worry over him. He didn't deserve their worry, he already put his parents through enough with Tartarus.

Igneel silently rose from the edge of the bed, Natsu didn't need to look at him to know that he was disappointed in him, let alone angry. If he had only stopped Jackal from lighting more of those stupid fireworks off then maybe none of this would never have happened. Him and that boy- 'the boy!'

Natsu ripped his head towards his dad's direction, "Dad, do you know what happened to that little boy? The one that was with me? Is he okay? Did his Mom find him?"

Igneel just stood and stared. His eyes searching Natsu's frantic deep green eyes. He was debating whether to tell him or not.

"Dad please?" he begged. His throat warbled without the help of the fire damage. "I need to know that he at least got to see his mom."

"He did, son. He did." He said, but his eyes told him otherwise.

"Why do I have the feeling that you aren't tellin' me everything."

"Natsu, I think this is a discussion we should have at a later time. You just woke up and I can't imagine that you have a whole lot of energy. I rather not strain your voice as well."

"Don't do that." he croaked.

"Do what?" Igneel questioned.

"Deflect. Pretend that I'm some dumb little kid who won't ask any questions."

"I'm not-"

"You are Dad! News flash I'm not ten anymore! You can't pretend everything is alright all the time!" He seethed, followed by a chorus of coughs that hurt more than Natsu was willing to show. He didn't need his father to have more 'munition against him to try and avoid this conversation.

"Natsu." he warned, the only way he knew how. Igneel's temper flaring the more he pushed. His breaths became deeper and harder as the conversation continued.

Natsu kept pushing, voice cracking here and there from the abuse, vocal chords screaming in protest the more he talked.

"No Dad. No running from this. Whatever it is, I can handle it. I have the right to know."

"You have the right?! No Natsu. You have the right to be a healthy teenager who should be having fun with his friends instead of being in a fucking hospital bed. Do you remember what happened that night? Do you?! I do. I got to that sight and you wanna know what I saw. I watched as my own son had to have compressions done because his heart stopped beating. Natsu. You died, and I. watched. It. happen. You were covered with soot and your clothes were practically singed off. Your feet were covered in ash and burns. But I will never, never get the image out of my head on how pale you were."

"I'm here now." he whimpered, like a child buttering up a parent after a scolding.

"That's beside the point!" he fired back, still furious. "I was beyond scared. What would have happened if they couldn't bring you back? You will never know true fear until the ones you love are ripped away from you."

"I'm sorry I didn't know. But I can't help any of that. I just want to know if he's okay."

Igneel took several calming deep breaths. "Natsu I don't know any other way to say this." Igneel took another breath, but this time it became unsteady, his voice shaky and full of emotion. "That little boy passed away on the way to the ICU. I'm sorry. They did everything they could, but the damage was already dealt." Igneel grabbed Natsu's hand, anchoring him into that moment.

Natsu just stared, blankly. 'No, no there's no way. I saw him, talked to him. He. He can't be gone. He has to be okay, I promised him.' "I promised him." he choked on a sob. Igneel pulled him into a hug, and that was Natsu's undoing. He shouted as loud as he could, clutching to igneel like a lifeline. "I promised. He was going to be okay. He was breathing when they got to him. I told him he was going to see his mom. I lied to him." he shook, trying to contain his grief. "I'm sorry!" he whined. "I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to."

Igneel shushed him, rubbing his back in comforting motions, telling him that he did everything he could and there's no one to blame. Natsu didn't know how long he sat there crying into his fathers shoulder, but he had run out of tears long before he passed out from exhaustion. Igneel tucked him into his bed, before stroking his hair and leaving the room. It'll be a long ride for him after this but he has no doubt that he'll come back from this.

'He'll be okay,' he thought. 'He has to be.'

Igneel walked down the hall. He had a few phone calls to make, and he'd be right there by Natsu's side. For as long as he needed him to be.

Lucy sat next to Natsu now, hip to hip, and rested her head against his shoulder in support. Natsu had started to cry when he told the part about the hospital. She wished there was some way she could help, but offering her support seemed like a great place to start. "You know," she said, "it wasn't your fault. That was all Jackal and them. They're the ones that decided to launch fireworks next to other occupied buildings. You did the right thing. And I'm sure that little boy would call you the hero that you are."

Natsu looked at Lucy from the corner of his eye, scrubbing away the last of the tears before giving her a broken smile, "Thanks Luce. My Pops did manage to catch the group and Jackal got jail time for multiple offences, the main being involuntary manslaughter. The others got probation and some other court stuff that I'm not versed in. The mother actually found me and thanked me for saving her little boy, I found out his name was Thomas. Every year I go to his gravestone around the same date and tell him about my year. I've made it," he gave a half hearted laugh, "kind of like my own holiday, because in my mind, I'm keeping him alive by telling him about my life. Its weird I know-"

"Not at all. I think that's a great idea."

He smiled then. "Thanks Luce. For hearing me out."

"Of course."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying being around another's presence admiring the people walking around them.

"You know" Lucy broke the silence, "you're a great man Natsu. I'm not just saying that because you told me your story, but you genuinely are an amazing person. I hope you know that."

Natsu looked at her lovingly before leaning over and planting a kiss to her forehead, lingering there as if to draw strength from it. He leaned out and gave her one of the brightest smiles she has ever seen, it caused her to mirror one on her own face.

"I do Luce. I do."

Well Well Well, look who decided to finally update. Sorry Hawaii time is really killing me in my regular time zone.

Hope you all had a great 2 weeks, welcome back to regularish updates.

Thank you: Ushindi, MaraDragneel3113, Copperreign12, and rao hyuga 18

Loved hearing from you!