Hello dear readers! In the process of writing this new chapter, it dawned on me how many storylines are present and I feel like I will lose grip on them if I don't reread the chapters often enough. So, if you ever spot a plot hole, please don't be afraid to comment or message me!

Thanks a lot, CJ for proofreading!

Lucy regretted her white lie more with every day that passed. It had been a week since she lied to Cana about her relationship with Natsu and so far she had managed to avoid being around him for too long.

The community home had organised a bake-off this morning and she had hastily paired up with Levy, leaving a bummed Natsu behind, who was forced to work together with Gray. Of course, it had been a disaster and Lucy was grateful Levy was able to save their cake.

Everyone had just finished cleaning up, but the atmosphere still was a total mess. Two days ago, the master of the community home had decided to round up every visitor and told them about the true meaning of the Fairy Tail building.

For everyone new, this was the first time they saw the seemingly fragile, old man. Lucy had imagined him old, but not as tiny as he had stood before them on the wooden balcony in the main hall. He needed a crate to stand in order to reach over the railing and people had snickered at the comical act it had started to become. Though, everyone went silent when he had calmly recited what Mirajane had told Lucy and Cana before.

Some people had laughed, some people cried with relief because they had already developed magic powers and were afraid something was wrong with them. Most people were still confused. When the home was filled with people, everyone seemed lost and didn't quite know what to do. The overall atmosphere had become awkward and Mirajane was in charge of answering everyone's questions. Which had now become a day job to her.

Cana couldn't stop sulking about the decision of the big boss. ''There are still last names missing, it just doesn't add up!'' she had screamed the night before as she had angrily pulled pieces of paper off her detective wall.

Lucy smiled when she thought about her friend's rants. She was glad she was busy with her mission of finding her dad instead of spiraling into negative thoughts.

Her gaze drifted around the main hall. Gray had brought a new girl with him and it was quite obvious she had a thing for him. They had been to the neighbouring bakery and Gray was teaching her how to properly eat the local pudding bread. According to Cana, they were a couple and Lucy was rooting for them. Gray had cold-related magic and she could control water; they were a match made in heaven.

The sound of squeaking sneakers on the polished wooden floor made a few people look up.

''Guess what I got?!'' Loke yelled, attracting attention instantly as he ran through the door.

''An STD?'' Gray joked, causing Erza to spit out her drink.

Loke gave him a stink eye and acted as if he hadn't heard him. ''I won tickets to the Akane Beach Resort!'' he yelled as he held up a whole bunch of papers.

He scraped his throat to fill the awkward silence that followed.

''My family is quite rich, so I've been there too often,'' he said with a cocky smile and smacked the pieces of paper down on the nearest table, ''you guys can divide the tickets.''

Lucy did not even pay attention to the sudden chaos over the tickets. Akane Beach Resort. That name rang a bell. Vague childhood memories of luxurious summer vacations floated through her mind. She remembered the extremely large banquets, the lack of other young kids, and how hot the weather always was. With all her might, she tried to remember her parents, but only her dad's face came up.

A sudden memory flashed by of her building a sandcastle at Akane beach with a boy that was around her age. A baby landwhale had wiggled towards them and in their excitement, they had started petting it. It didn't take long until the animal's parent found their young and had tried to attack them. The red-haired boy had jumped in front of her and a bright flash is all she remembered before waking up in her hotel room bed.

She felt stunned by the sudden resurface of the memory and looked back at Loke. Could he be...?

She shook the thought out of her head and said goodbye to everyone before going home. In the corner of her eye, she could see Natsu approaching her and quickly made her way to the garderobe.

''Are you leaving already?'' she heard him say behind her as she tried to find her coat.

She quickly turned around. ''Yeah.. Cana, ehm, she texted me she has found out something about her family,'' she lied.

Natsu's face lit up. ''Oh that's great! Can I come?''

''No.'' she said. It came out so direct, it made his smile vanish instantly. ''This is something personal.''

''I thought I was involved in this. I actually liked being around you, just chilling at your place...''

''Well, I guess you don't need to be around us anymore, since you're so good at mastering magic already,'' she sneered back.

Her words pierced him like arrows. Anger welled up in his gut like a spreading wildfire.

''Oh, so that is your problem, huh?'' he said in a tone she'd never heard before, ''You're avoiding me because you're jealous?''

It hurt her to see him so upset. All these lies she had to tell to cover up her white lie to Cana brought up a side of her she had never wished to meet.

He stomped his way past her, pushing into her shoulder with his in the process, and snatched his coat off the rack.

''I thought we were friends!'' he fired at her before walking out of the building.

Lucy rubbed her hand over her shoulder and felt tears burn behind her eyes. What on earth was she thinking?

''I'm home!'' Lucy yelled before walking up the stairs to their apartment. No reaction. Cana must have fallen asleep again.

''Yo!'' Her friend suddenly appeared on top of the stairs. ''You won't believe everything I found out today!''

Switching from alcohol to iced coffee had turned Cana into an endless bundle of energy and Lucy just couldn't get used to it.

''Come up, come up!'' she gestured and ran towards the living room.

Lucy sighed and dragged herself up and looked up at the detective wall, covered in webs of threats and pictures.

''What do you think?'' she asked, her eyes filled with excitement.

''To be very honest, this could just as well be a mood board. I have no idea what you see in this.''

''Remember how I mentioned not every last name was present yet? Even when looking at family trees and indirect descendants?''

Lucy sat down on the couch. She had enough on her head to be dealing with this too today. ''I do, you couldn't talk about anything else.''

Cana kept wavering her arms out to family trees and pictures pinned to the wall. ''The only family names we haven't found yet are Gryder and Clive. One of them must be my father's last name.''

''I know, you've told me many times before. Don't you think there might be a chance the original mages with those names did not have children at all?''

Cana zoned out in thought for a few seconds. ''Then I should at least be related!'' was her reply.

Lucy stood up again to start making dinner. She opened the fridge, only to come eye to eye with withering vegetables.

''Oh yes, Loke called and he gave the three of us tickets to Akane Beach Resort! How awesome is that?''

''Three?'' Lucy asked.

Cana raised a brow. ''Ehm, yeah? I mean it's pretty obvious Natsu will come along with us, right?''

''Oh, yeah... right,'' she said. An uneasy feeling crept up her spine. She would have to tell the truth one day soon.

''I can't wait!'' Cana jumped up and grabbed a strawhat off the coatrack, which she put on her head.

She winked playfully. ''Time to have some summer fun.''