AN:

Hello everyone, I managed to finish off a day earlier than expected. I was going to hold off till tomorrow, but I don't think the wait will make much of a difference other than giving me the chance to forget about my own deadline. :D So since it's completed here it is. Hope you guys enjoy!

Releasing a sigh as he sat beside Natsu's sleeping form Jude gave the young man a look over his exposed back. He still didn't know all the details of how the young man got injured, but Lucy and told him Natsu had gotten injured to protect her. Jude saw Natsu's sleeping face contort in pain, Jude held a hand over Natsu's back just above the skin, the water for the container on the floor that Lucy had been using to help sooth Natsu's back slithered up to his hand neatly laying out over the younger man's back sending a sensation of relief over Natsu's face as the pain slowly dissipated.

Jude flicked his hand in the direction of the bowl reding on the floor and the water shot back into it as if nothing had happened. Satisfied that he'd stopped the young man's pain for the time being he grabs the strange little long box his daughter called a remote. A contraption in this world he still had yet to figure out. "The hell it works whenever they do it…" he mutters looking between the skinny black box in his hand and the big shiny box on the wall. Pressing random buttons, he received nothing in return but a blank screen, a vein on his head twitched in annoyance, "Fine you picky little bastard don't work for me!" he growls throwing the remote across the room.

The skinny black box bounced off the foot of the bed and the big black box flickered to life which only served to further annoy him. "In other news, police have yet to find even a single suspect in the bombing that occurred just a few days ago outside a popular romantic restaurant and we have just received a video release of what occurred that night!" the man on the screen says his image vanished to be replaced with said video.

No audio played confusing Jude, 'This is news?' he wondered squinting at the video. Watching as to familiar figure stepped out of the restaurant, 'Wait that's…' he thought watching as the pinkette who was now resting beside him said something to his daughter before rushing off. Jude blinked even more confused when Natsu turned on his heels after approaching something into the darkness. He watched as the boy ran to his daughter and an unknown light shot out as the young man tackled his daughter and was sent flying.

Jude's eyes were wide as his gaze shifted from the tv's screen to Natsu whose face was beginning to show signs of pain again. With his hand, he ushered for the water to come to his beak and call repeating a process he'd done just moments ago. Jude fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

"Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair." He repeated pointing an index finger Natsu's way before continuing, "Be careful not to break mine young man for you see as of right this moment you are the only human; I'm putting my trust in to protect what little of my heart that I have left." He explained. His gaze unguarded and yet somehow protective, "I suggest you don't break that trust."

Jude's head was bowed little droplets of water rushing down his face, "T-Thank you for protecting my heart boy perhaps... I can trust you after all." He says.

~oooOOOooo~

Nina ducked dodging Lucy's fist swiftly while dropping down to perform a quick leg sweep with a knowing grin, 'Gotcha!' she thought. Lucy always fell for this. This is why her eyes widened when Lucy bunny hopped over it and landed a quick to the side of her padded face. Upon landing the young blonde dashes at her not giving her time to recover from the shock.

"Lucyyyy," the blonde announced licking her foot straight up into the air connecting with Nina's chin, "Kick!" she shouted watching as Nina went a foot or two higher than her extended leg could reach before dropping back down. She stopped only when she noticed Nina bleeding and stumbling barely being held up by the rope, "Oh crap Nina! I'm sorry I didn't think I hit that hard." Lucy says rushing over to her friend.

Nina's head dipped forward to look at Lucy and she grinned with pride despite the blood that trickled down her chin from her lips, "Don't be I'm alright. A little surprised and shocked, but I'm alright." The older woman waves off. It'd been a while since someone had caught her off guard like that. A worried scream hit their ears before Kylie was in Nina's face her hands cupping either side of the girl's face asking a million questions. Nina blinked in surprised to Kylie's usual concern for lack of personal space, "Kylie, it's alright." She says squeezing the ropes tightly. Nina's gaze flickered to the girl's lips causing the urge Nina felt to kiss Kylie to grow exponentially.

This wasn't the first time this kind of situation had happened. It happened just about every time she got hurt. It's started on the day of her motorcycle accident. Every time she got hurt no matter how tiny the injury it would send Kylie back to that hospital… back to that moment when her heart showed no activity… back to when she died. Nina pushed her feelings aside putting an arm around the girl she loved pulling her close as she sat back against the ropes, these were the only moments she was allowed to have.

"It's alright," Nina reassured Kylie who was crying against her shoulder. Kylie knew she was fine now, but despite knowing this the tears wouldn't stop. The feelings wouldn't stop… The memory wouldn't stop... "I'm right here." Nina continues gently running her other hand over Kylie's back.

"N-Nina I'm so sor…" Lucy tried but Nina smiled at her and waved her off.

Nina continued to pet Kylie's back and reassuring her. It was the best thing she could do… Trauma, it's a very difficult thing to get over. More so emotional trauma than physical, "Shhh, it's alright."

~oooOOOooo~

Natsu groaned hearing hushed talking beside him, his back felt really cool not like how overheated it'd gotten when he'd been hit by that scorching air released from the explosion. Cracking open his eyes, he looks around with a groggy gaze, "This strange thing is a cat?" he hears Jude's voice.

"Yeah, his names Happy." Levy's voice came.

Natsu grunted catching their attention as he sat upright from laying on his stomach, "Hey buddy," Natsu mutters groggily. Happy leaps out of Levy's arms rushing to Natsu's. Natsu chuckled as Happy happily rubbed his face against his stubbled chin, "I missed you too buddy." He says as he pets Natsu's head. Happy's head jerked back and the small kit made a face, "Do I smell that bad?" Natsu questions lifting his arm to give himself a sniff. Natsu made a face concluding he was in desperate need of a shower.

Jude blinked watching the exchange, this creature… "Boy," Jude starts still eyeing the small blue-furred creature, "this Happy is not what you think it is." He starts poking at Happy who in turn pawed at his finger irritated at being poked.

Natsu looked to Lucy's father confused, "Eh?" he asked as Happy walked up to his lap and curled up comfortably on his arm.

Jude tilted his head, "Normal humans and animals have no magical power." He explains.

Natsu raised a brow, "Happy doesn't have any magical power." He says. If Happy was a magical creature like him he'd know, right?

"Then why is he wearing a seal?" Jude questioned pointing at Happy curiously watching as the kit's ears dipped back in warning.

Levy stared between the two, Gajeel who entered the room with a tall glass over water to his lips, "Morning dumbass." He greets his cousin who looked incredibly confused.

"A seal?" Natsu asked waking Happy by picking him up and giving him a look over.

Jude nodded, "You have one too." He says reaching forward to touch Natsu's right arm tracing the magical pattern that laid hidden.

Natsu's eyes widened, "You can see it?" he replied in surprise looking from Jude to his hands.

Jude shook his head as a response, "No, but I can sense it through very faintly now that I've actually been looking for it." He tells him looking back up to the pinkette.

Natsu glared down at his hands, "Why does Happy have a seal too?" he demanded to know. The question directed at the one person in the room who could possibly give him an answer.

Gajeel sighed rubbing at the back of his neck, "They had too or you woulda found out about our heritage. Grandeeney and Igneel said they wanted you to lead as much of a life without danger as you could. Especially after what happened with your real mom…" he tells Natsu.

Natsu's hand reached up his fingers gently grazing the dull scar on his neck at mention of the incident, it was hard to notice because he did his best to keep his skin tanned, so it wasn't all that noticeable, but it was there. He could still feel the phantom pain of the knife as it cut at his neck…

Gajeel frowned at the motion, it was a motion he'd use to preform often though as of lately he hadn't seen him doing it nearly as much.

Natsu's fingers recoiled back as if the scar had burnt them, "I see…" he says putting his hand back down to his side. Those memories needed to stay where they were… They were in the past and he didn't want an encore performance arising to traumatize him again. That was the last part of him he ever wanted Lucy to have to witness. "So," he starts his gaze dropping back to Happy who'd curled himself up beside Natsu on the bed, "what is he?"

Gajeel steps forward dropping to sit at the end of the bed facing his cousin. He could just tell this was gonna take a minute, "Happy, Lily, Carla, Lector, and Frosch are creatures know as Exceed." In a grumpy tone. His brow twitched, 'How is it that all the responsibility of explain always falls on me?' he wondered mentally cursing his old man for not just explaining all this to him in one day. This was gonna be such a pain…

Natsu blinked cluelessly, "What exactly is an Exceed?" he asked with a long pause. Happy looked up from his resting position wagging his tail seemingly smiling as the word Exceed left Natsu's lips. And then everything else Gajeel mentioned registered, "Wait, their Exceed's too?!" he yells pointing at the lump resting Gajeel's breast pocket.

Gajeel gave off a dull stare, 'I knew it… I'm gonna be here forever.'