A/N: Hello everyone its been a while, I'm hoping everyone is doing well. Sorry I haven't been able to update I was in school for the last two months and to be honest struggled with this chapter. Not because I didn't have anything to write, it was more that this particular chapter went through many rewrites because I felt like this is going to be another turning point in NALU's relationship...you'll see. Furthermore, I wanted to make "the next step" feel real while keeping the source material in mind, especially now that I also have 100 YR Quest to consider. All in all I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always please like, follow and comment because I love hearing feedback and it motivates to come back faster. :D

Natsu hates silence.

Always has.

Most likely, always will.

Silence is awkward. Uncomfortable. Boring. Lonely.

He chalks it up to his past experiences.

Like when he would sit on a wooden bench with a rolled-up tissue paper in one of his nostrils outside of the principal's office waiting for his dad Igneel to pick him up from school after getting into another fight. The principal made him sit in silence and reflect on his behavior. Not fun.

Or when he broke up with his high school girlfriend and best friend Lisanna. Before he could even get the words out of his mouth, they awkwardly sat across from each other in silence.

Worse of all was his first night in his jail cell. No light. No cellmate. Not even a squeaky bed. Just a silence that made him feel even more empty and lonelier than he already felt.

As he sat in front of Ms. Lucy at the Fairy Tail bar of all places, he tapped his fingers against the table.

She hadn't said a word since they entered and took a seat in the farthest booth in the back.

Silence was inevitable, with all the crap that had just gone down.

He looks at his boss who sits across from him in the booth.

She looks out of the window. Physically she's here, but her mind is elsewhere.

He needs to say something, anything to not be consumed by silence.

"Fuck them."

Ms. Lucy snaps her head towards him, "What?" She looks confused, almost if making sure she's hearing him right.

Each second that passes he feels the cold hands of silence beating his chest like a pair of bongos.

"Fuck Cherry—whatever her name is," he repeats. "And everyone else."

He sees her eyes scan his face.

Shit. I mean crap, I shouldn't cuss in front of the boss.

"I mean screw them," He quickly adds. "And especially mustache man."

"Mustache man?" She smirks.

"You know, the tall blonde guy with the mustache, the one that didn't let me enter into the meeting."

She takes a deep breath and sighs, "Oh, him."

"His face pisses me off." Had his hearing not been as good, he would have missed what she mumbled under her breath. "You wouldn't be the first."

"Right?"

"What?"

"You agree with me that mustachio man is an asshole."

She shyly looks away as a small smile begins to form on her face.

"It's fine Ms. Lucy," He smiles seeing his boss relax a little bit. "I promise I won't tell anyone that you're also egging on mustachio man."

"I take it you don't know who he is?"

"Does it matter?" he throws his arms behind his head.

She opens her mouth as if to say something, but then closes her mouth and sits back into the booth. "No. It doesn't."

He truly did not know who her father was. Much less the weight that his name carried—her surname.

Could there possibly be someone so careless— so ignorantly blissful? She finds herself relaxing into her seat as well. Who are you Natsu Dragneel?

"No. It doesn't."

It doesn't.

It doesn't?

She could already hear her father chastising her, "Do you know the weight our name carries in this society?

'Without a name you are useless.'

"I don't think that's true."

"Hmm?" On a reflex she must of have said it aloud.

"I don't think being without a name means you're useless." He raises the menu to his face. "I mean, what's in a name that is so important. It's just a name, right?"

Considering her upbringing, everything; a name holds power, a sense of being part of something, belonging.

"Some may think otherwise." A sense of belonging to what exactly?

"I guess, but I think the most important is the type of person you are." He puts down the menu, and raises his hand calling on the waiter, "Yo Kinana."

"Natsu," A violet haired woman with short hair comes to the booth. "Long time, no see, what I can I get for you?"

"I'll get the fire pasta with the black chicken extra crispy, three slices of the roast with extra hot sauce, and the devil's fire drink," Natsu hands her the menu. "Oh, and some diablo potatoes wedges with extra pepper."

"No greens?"

"Nah."

"Alright then," The waitress, Kinana turns to her. "And you."

With the amount of food that Natsu ordered, wouldn't that be enough for the two of them?

"Foods on me Ms. Lucy, order whatever you like."

"You don't have—."

"It's lunch time."

"I'm fi—."

"You gotta' eat something, the food here is best that downtown Magnolia has to offer."

"He's right." The waitress smiles. "This place may not look like much, but Mira is a wizard in the kitchen."

"What do ya say?" Natsu takes back his menu and slides it across the table towards her.

She nods and takes the menu. Her eyes scan the "Fairy Tail Bar and Grill" menu. "I'll get a salad."

"Okay." Kinana begins to write on her notepad.

"Now wait a second!" Natsu slams his palms on the table. Making her jump from her seat and the waitress drop her pencil. "Salads don't count."

"Says who." She playfully retorts.

Oh no. Not cool. Not professional at all.

"I knew it." He points his index finger at her as if he solved the greatest mystery known to mankind. "You can be fun."

She didn't know whether to be annoyed at his behavior or the fact that he thought of her as "not fun." On the other hand, the rational and professional side to her was taking it as a compliment. "Regardless, I will be ordering the chicken salad."

He shakes his head, "Don't get the salad."

"Is there something wrong with salad?" She mouths, not wanting to disrespect the kind waitress.

"There's nothing wrong with it, just, if you're gonna eat something from here you gotta go with something else—let me order for ya." He takes the menu out of her hands. "You'll thank me."

"Natsu." She sighs.

"I'll get a white sauce pasta extra cheese and strawberry smoothie cuz my boss here loves strawberry flavored drinks," He sniffs the air. "You got any onion rings back there?"

"Just made them this morning."

"I'll take an order with the yellow sauce."

"Got it." Kinana walks away.

"Natsu," She leans forward, almost whispering. "Thank you, but I don't like onion rings."

"That may be true everywhere else Ms. Lucy. But I gotta a gut feelin' this place might just be the exception."

If you say so. "So how for long have you been coming here?"

"It's been so long," He nostalgically smiles. "Since Igneel adopted me, so I must have been—what—four or five years old."

"Adopted." She repeats.

"Yeah." He scratches the back of his neck. "Parents died in gnarly car crash."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

He shrugs as he as stirs his cup of water with the straw, "Drunk seventeen-year-old crashed into our car as we were leaving the gas station." His voice sounds distant, almost monotone like. "Kid must have been a speed demon because the impact made the car flip a couple of times before it finally hit the gas station. And it started to—" He closes his eyes. "To catch on fire. Don't know how I got out. When I came too, I was lyin' in the hospital covered in bandages from head to toe.

"Natsu."

"Guess the accident must have messed with my head cuz' since then I've had motion sickness."

"Natsu." As if calling him by name pulled him back to reality, he shakes his head and then begins to smile, "What was the question that you asked?"

"The restaurant."

Why, how can you smile?

"Right," He puts his arms behind his head. "it's like a second home to me." He slides out of the booth. "C'mon, you gotta see this." He motions to her with his hand.

"Okay."

He leads her across the room to an old fairy tale theme pinball machine with fire breathing dragons flying across the painted blue sky, armor wearing knights with swords in their hands, and a bearded wizard casting a spell. Natsu starts pulling the machine away from the wall.

She looks around, standing in guard, hoping they wouldn't get in trouble, "Natsu, what are you doing? You could get in trouble."

He clicks his tongue, "It's fine."

The legs of the pinball machine scratch against the wooden floor with a loud creak.

This was definitely going to get them kicked out.

"Look." He points where names were crudely carved into the now uncovered wall.

She reads them. Natsu, Gray, Erza. Erza. Could it be? She continues. Cana. Lisanna. Elfman. Mirajane, Laxus. Mirajane and Laxus. Is it? No way. Must be a coincidence. Wait. Wait. She remembers something from a while back.

"Oh." Natsu looked disinterested at the mention of Laxus's name.

"Oh?" Flabbergasted, Freed pressed a gloved hand to his chest, "What do you mean, "Oh."

"What?" Natsu asks.

"Why did you look disinterested when she mentioned Laxus Dreyar's name," He stands up from his chair. "Is Laxus Dreyar not to your liking?"

"I don't hate the guy…it's just Laxus…no biggie."

Freed's eyes widen and he presses both his hands to his chest, letting out a small gasp as if he were on the verge of having a heart attack. "No biggie?"

Natsu casually shrugs his shoulders. "Yeah."

"Natsu," She casually asks. "Do you happen to know Laxus Dreyar."

He traces his fingers against the wall carvings, not really paying attention to her. "Yeah."

"Since when?"

"A long ass time," he dryly chuckles. "Why ya a fan of his or something?"

From a business point of view, he's one of the most sought out artists, especially for promotional work. So, yes. She nods. If she could only nab Laxus Dreyar for the front cover or better yet the retired model and his new wife Mirajane Strauss-Dreyar, that would earn her some points with her father. "What about Mirajane Strauss?"

"Yeah, I know Mira."

Oh my god Natsu is well connected. Not only was he personally recommended by Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, but he also knows Laxus Dreyar and Mirajane Strauss. She could already see success in her future.

"These are the names of the people who I grew up with and are like a second family to me." He places his arms behind his head. "Man, the stories I could tell about those two, I wonder if that'd make me some good money?" He laughs to himself. :I remember this one-time Laxus and me…."

She continues reading the names. Gildarts, Makarov, Laki, Kinana, Macao, Romeo, Wakaba. This must be where he gets his sunny disposition from. A childhood filled with friends—no family, that he cherishes and fondly looks back on.

I wish I could say the same.

"…and that's why Mirajane is not allowed to hold knives outside of the kitchen." Natsu claps his hands as he laughs. "Till this day if Laxus sees an earthworm he cringes."

Under the names, is a small crudely carving of a stickman family with initials above their heads. "What about these?"

"That's a Natsu Dragneel original." He grins. "These guys are my family; Happy, Mavis, Zeref, Wendy, August and Larcade."

"You're related to someone named Happy?" She teases.

"My cat."

"You carved your cat's name onto the wall?" She smiles.

"Why not?" He takes his phone out of his pocket. "My cat's the coolest." Showing her his lock screen, a picture of two small blonde-haired boys with a dark blue haired teen girl sitting in between them on top of a picnic blanket on the grass and a blue almost gray furred cat lying in the center in front of them. "He's my best buddy. And these two." He zooms into the boy's faces. "Those guys are mine."

Natsu is a father. Natsu is a father? How does she not know this? How can she be so careless? If there was something that she prided herself in it was knowing the people, she worked closely with—at least the basic information.

All those nights of working overtime, I was taking him away from his boys. She personally knew how it felt to have a parent leave—stolen from her due to work. Guilt started to weigh in her head. I'm the worst.

"This one with the messy almost bowl cut hairstyle is August he's eight years." He points to the older looking boy, "He's super smart—a genius, nose stuck in a book kind of guy." Natsu proudly smiles. "And this little man right there with the spiky hair is Larcade, this picture was taken on his third birthday. You don't know how many times I hadta' retake the picture." He laughs. "He wouldn't stop makin' funny faces."

"Lastly, behind those two goofballs, is Wendy, the other brain and future doctor of the family."

"Your sons and daughter are adorable." She gushes.

"They really are," He scratches at his cheek. "But none of them…are my own. The two boys are my nephews, and the girl is my cousin." He gazes at the photo. "However, that doesn't matter to me—what's important is the fact that they are my family and I gotta take care of them."

Family. She felt a strong pang in her chest,"Oh."

"As for those two." He sighs as he turns his sight to the names Mavis and Zeref. "They're the boy's parents. He's my older brother and she's my sister—well…one of the sister's I've never had."

He mumbles something under his breath and shakes his head, "What about you? Got any brothers or sisters Ms. Lucy?"

Sadly, the closest thing she had to a sibling was a three-foot doll Gonzales, later renamed Michelle when she became a little older. Yet even she left her behind to go to doll heaven. "No. I am an only child."

Considering her mother had fallen ill after she'd been born talks about adding an extra member family had been put on hold indefinitely.

"Hey foods ready." Natsu cheers.

"Not so fast ya brat." A small statured mustached man with wooden cane walks past her and smacks Natsu's right side with his cane.

"Gramps!" Her secretary turns around and rubs his arm. "What the hell!"

"You put my pinball machine back in its place or you're getting another whacking." He raises his cane, ready to attack again.

"Fine." Natsu groans as he obediently puts the pinball machine back in its place. "Ya didn't have to hit me old man, I was gonna do it anyways."

"Ha!" He lets outs a dry laugh. "I may be old but I ain't senile."

"Whatever." He loudly retorts under his breath. "Makin' me look bad in front of Ms. Lucy."

Watching the exchange between the two men makes her let out a small laugh.

Hearing her the shorter man turns towards her, "Hey brat ya got no manners." He taps Natsu's shoulder with his cane.

"Hey." Natsu frowns and crosses his arms. "Will ya stop hittin' me!"

"Hello there, I am Makorov this brat's grandfather figure," He extends his hand to hers "And who might you be, this kid's girlfriend perhap—."

Girlfriend! Just the implication makesher heart start pounding and not in a good way. "No, I'm his…." Her mind goes on a blank. She's obviously his employer—his boss yet saying those two words felt weird. What kind of boss let's her employee drag her to a bar in mid-day? Professionalism and ethics nowhere to be found.

"She's a friend." Natsu nonchalantly adds.

A friend who he works for.

Better than nothing she guesses.

Mr. Makarov gives her a look over, his eyes landing on her chest, "Makes sense." He nods his head.

She just had to wear her long black sleeve keyhole top today, giving the older man even more reason to her ogle her.

"My name is Lucy." She shakes Mr. Makarovs hand. Her eyes widen as she catches herself, she had not given her full name.

"Well Lucy welcome to Fairy Tail."

"Thank you."

"Now with the introductions out the way," Natsu takes her hand, making her jump in her spot at the sudden contact. "Let's get to the real reason why we're here, to eat."

She lets herself be dragged along with him as her eyes don't leave his clasped hand around her own.

Once at the table he lets go and slides into the booth as if nothing happened.

Her hand still feels his warmth as she takes her seat across from him.

The helicopter promptly landed on the rooftop of the Heartfilia Tower at 12:16pm.

Not a second to early or late.

Aries pushes her bangs out of her face as the propellers on the helicopter begin to stop.

The side door opens.

A man jumps out, coolly landing on his feet. He straightens out the wrinkles on his suit jacket, adjusts his tie and combs his hair with his fingers. Loke Leon was back in Magnolia.

"Mr. Loke." The pink haired secretary rushes to his side. "Welcome back."

"Aries." The red-haired man takes something out of the helicopter, a small bouquet of flowers. "As per usual, these are for you."

Aries blushes from head to toes, "T-thank you." Though it was a ritual to receive flowers from her boss when she was unable to accompany him on his business trips, the gesture still managed to make her blush and smile.

She hugs the small bouquet to her chest. "How was y—your trip sir?"

"Business as usual," He opens the door for her. "Chasing after rich old man in hopes of snagging sponsorships for advertisements, attending parties of all kind, and getting to meet new and old money. However, this time if I may humbly brag has been the most fruitful.

"Oh."

"I had the opportunity to get a share a drink with the Horatio Hara."

"H-horatio Hara." She repeats with awe. "HxH Jewelry, wasn't h-he the one that designed Queen Hisui's crown."

"Yes." He presses the button calling for an elevator. "The same. But enough about me, how have you been, I've noticed that you do not stutter as much."

"Thank you," She bows. "I—I have been practicing in f-front of the mirror with my r-recorder just as you suggested."

"I am proud of your progress, even more so of the effort." He smiles.

"Mr. L-loke you're too kind," Aries cautiously turns towards her boss. "Thank y—you for your c—continued support."

"Of course," He nods. "So how have things been in my absence, have I missed any good news, any fresh gossip off the press?"

The elevator doors slide open on the fourteenth floor and his ears are assaulted by his coworkers gathered in the waiting room, speaking—shouting amongst themselves as they exchange of what he assumes is the latest gossip.

"I wonder what happened?"

"So, how was the pasta with the white sauce?" Natsu asks as he takes a bite out of his blackened chicken leg.

"It's really good." The taste wasn't something that her palette was accustomed to it, the plating lacked finesse; the sauce mostly likely poured with a ladle drenched the pasta and the extra cheese piles on top the dish like a small cheese mountain. However, it was a welcome addition.

It reminded her of her father's few attempts at cooking, it had a homemade quality not allowed to be reproduced in the finest kitchens.

"You want some?"

"Hmm." His voice snaps out of her thoughts.

He sliced a piece of his blackened chicken lathering it in a red looking sauce and then places it on her plate. "Just for the record I don't usually share my food, but since it's ya first time, this will be an exception." He jokingly smiles.

With those simple words, she feels her face become warm and it wasn't due to the carbs on her plate.

"Fair warning." He says before she puts the piece of meat into her mouth. "I eat really spicy food. So better have your smoothie at hand."

She playfully rolls her eyes. Unbeknownst to her secretary she may not look like it, but she has acquired a high tolerance towards spicy foods.

She takes a bite out of the blacked chicken, and it melts in her mouth making her smile as she takes in more of the sweet and tangy barbecue flavor.

"Good huh?"

She nods.

Natsu had underestimated her.

Not that she was she surprised. People tended to have a bad misconception about her when they see her, believing her to be a weak and dumb heiress. After all good looks and brains were a rare combination to come across these days.

A smirk was beginning to form when she feels her lips and tongue go numb. An inferno assaults her mouth and nose. Her nostrils feel hot. The roof of her mouth stings. Her eyes are becoming watery. The fire inside her nostrils are making it difficult to breathe through her nose. Her pulse is spiking, beating against her wrist and neck. She coughs as the heat travel down her throat.

"Drink the smoothie!" Natsu shouts across the table.

Her hand trembles as she reaches for her drink. And now she's beginning to feel the heat creep it's way up her ears.

"Whatever you do don't touch your eyes."

If she could give the pink haired man a look she would.

Throwing years old table manners instilled in her out the window, she throws the straw out of the smoothie and begins to chug the drink down. Somewhere in the back in the mind she can hear her nanny Aquarius cursing her name to the seven winds.

The heat in her mouth is starting to dissipate to a bearable degree.

She slams the empty cup onto the table.

"Here is some milk." Natsu slides the liquid salvation in front of her.

Lucy eagerly takes it into her hands and continues to down the glass of milk.

Done with her glass of milk, she slumps against her seat and sighs in relief.

"You okay?"

I felt like I was going to die, she presses two fingers to her neck.

"I'm fine."

He raises an eyebrow and begins to smirk.

Why is he smirking?

She rolls her eyes.

"I warned ya didn't I." His teasing not lost on her.

"Who in the right mind eats—."

Crap.

What is she thinking?

What is she doing?

As if a switch had turned on in her head, she sits up and fixes her posture and her skirt. She clears her throat. "Yes, I am fine. Thank you."

How could she let her guard down so carelessly? Never had she done something so out of character.

"By the way what at time will the poor student money event thing end at?"

"You mean the Impoverished Fashion Students Gala? Is it tonight?" She takes her phone out of her purse.

He nods.

Not that she didn't trust him, but she had a compulsive habit of wanting to see things for herself. A calendar reminder flashes on her screen confirming her suspicion. She sighs.

"It is tonight." She locks her phone and places it on the table. She didn't want to go to another "tax deductible night." Since her father tended to be her escort for these sorts of events and after the verbal lashing she received from him this morning she didn't want to see him.

"You don't have to go, you know."

Was her discontent showing her face, she shakes her head, and relaxes her facial features. Neutral is unreadable, unreadable is good. "

"The gala thing, you look like you don't want to go"

"I don't know what you mean" She pauses, hoping to convince herself than him. "I want to go. I am going to attend the gala."

"Look I know you're the boss and all but you don't have to force yourself to go especially after what happened today with the Che—."

She felt a pang in her chest.

Did he think she couldn't handle—put aside her emotions for one night?

Weakness.

"You're weak, emotional. It's your greatest flaw." Her father's word echo in her head. "Fix that pathetic mindset because the wolves smell blood in the air, and they will come to attack!"

Was her weakness so palpable that even someone like her secretary was starting to notice the cracks in her armor?

No.

She can't let that happen.

I AM NOT WEAK!

"—Lucy."

She hear her name escape her lips.

"Ms. Lucy." He waves his hand in front of her face. "You in there."

She clears her throat, "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

In another time she would find his concern as thoughtful, but at this very moment it made her feel that she was showing him her pathetic side. The kind that needed saving.

"I am, thank you." She says hoping to convince herself more than him.

"Hey ugh…Ms. Lucy," He scratches at his cheek and begins to look away. "I uhh…I know you're the boss and all, but I just want to say that if you want to talk or something or whatever, I want you to know that I'm all ears and umm…here for you."

Not knowing how to respond, she keeps silent, letting him continue.

"Because we're like a—you know a team. I'll help—support ya." The way he avoids eye contact reminds of her of a small and shy child. "It'll be like you and me against the Cherry Blends and the Irenes of the magazine business thing."

"Oh." Was the only thing that she was able to verbalize.

"Yeah, so if you gotta go to the money gala event tonight, as your secretary and your teammate I'll be there by your side."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome?" He lets out a nervous laugh.

From the way he was blushing, she felt and knew the courage he must have mustered to say those words to her.

"I—."

His phone rings, stopping her mid-sentence.

"School?" He picks up his phone. "Hello—yeah this is he…." His eyes widen.

What's going on?

His face becomes serious, and he begins drumming his fingers against the table. "He what!" The drumming stops. "No…yeah…I understand…I'll go and pick him up…." The call ends and Natsu pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Fucking shit." He sighs under his breath. "Hey ugh…Ms. Lucy I have to go to my nephew's school and—."

"Is everything alright."

He nods. "He's fine…I just gotta take care of something." He slides out of the booth and leaves a couple of jewels on the table. "I'm sorry. I'll see you back at the office. Sorry." He begins to walk away.

"Wait."

That stops him in his spot.

"Take the rest of the afternoon off." She blurts.

"I can't—."

"Yes, you can."

"I don't—."

"It will be fine."

"You sure?

Seeing as her father dismissed her for the day, she is sure. "Yes, now go."

"Thanks Ms. Lucy." He smiles as he runs towards the exit. "I owe you one."

She knocks on the door.

"Come in," Mavis Vermillion calls from the other side of the door. "Erza Scarlett." The blonde-haired woman smiles as the person in question enters her room.

"Mavis," Erza throws her arms around the smaller woman enveloping her in a hug. "It's been a while."

"It certainly has," Mavis pats her on the back. "I take it Natsu is not coming in today."

"Can't I just drop by to visit a friend." The red-haired woman smirks.

"True," She nods. "However, you my dear my friend are a very busy woman who is married to her planner. So, for you to go off book means that it must be important."

"Nothing gets pass you does it," Erza playfully rolls her eyes as she lowers herself into the chair closest to Mavis's bed. "Unfortunately, Natsu is busy with work."

"Natsu Dragneel the ever responsible—working man" Mavis chuckles. "Although it has not been easy, I never once doubted his potential."

She crosses her arms, "He certainly knows when to step up to the plate when needs be."

"He has you to be thankful for."

"Doubtful."

"You taught him how to read and write," The blonde raises an eyebrow. "How to properly bathe," She lets out a small laugh. "I've also heard of you teaching him through a seventy-five slides presentation on how to become a secretary."

Erza snorts, "The educator within me does not believe in cutting corners, even if the timing is of the essence."

"I can tell." Mavis teases.

"But enough about me, how are you doing?"

"I." She pauses.

"Is something the matter?" The redhead inquires.

"How are my boys and our dear Wendy?"

"I'm glad you asked." Erza takes out her cellphone and opens her photo album, "They are all doing well. Here is a picture of Wendy receiving the "student of the month" award third time this school year."

"The future doctor of the family."

"And this picture here is of August receiving a baseball bat and glove for his birthday, courtesy of Gray. However unbeknownst to him your son prefers books over sports. Oh, and here's another one. And here's one of Larcade's finger-painti—"

Mavis lets out small sobs and begins to fan herself hoping that her watery eyes dry, "I must say Erza, you have impeccable timing."

Like a deer caught in the headlights, the red-haired woman slowly lowers her phone to her side. "Mavis?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about…something troubling. However, I haven't had the courage to call you…. And yet like a godsend you're here, you came to me." She sighs.

"Is everything alright?"

Mavis turns to her left opening a drawer from her bedside table, takes something out, a packet of papers and hands them to Erza."

Erza's eyes widens as she reads the document's header, "What is this?"

The blonde-haired woman remains silent.

"Mavis are you—." She stops herself and takes a deep breath. "Please tell me this isn't the reason why you wanted to see me."

"I'm sorry."

"There must be something—." Erza jumps up from her seat and begins to pace "Medication, trials, surgeries, a medical breakthrough—."

"Please don't do th—."

"There's so many things to consider, it can't be like this, I refuse to—."

Mavis shakes her head and looks downwards, not wanting her friend to see her so weak and almost fragile, "I had an appointment with my doctor, and he said—." She swallows hard. "He said my condition has been deteriorating exponentially and there is nothing more he can do," A tear rolls down her cheek as she clenches her jaw. "There's no hope in medication or a procedure. Nothing."

"Then we need to get a second opinion and if that doesn't work, we go for a third. I refuse to believe that this is the only outcome—."

"Please. Don't." She takes a deep breath. "I know I have complained multiple times for residing in this facility, away from everyone, that much I am aware. I have never pitied myself. I didn't shout to the seven winds, exclaiming "woe is me." I took things as they are. It is not my fault nor anyone's fault for my weak constitution, for being born this way. And that still rings true."

She balls her fists. "However, it doesn't matter how many books I've read or the many therapists I have met with, I'm not able to make peace with my death and leaving my boys behind," The cracks in her strong façade were starting to show." It was inevitable. I—I still had hope that I would have more time. That even if I'm not present right now, I'm still physically here."

"Mavis," Erza wraps her arms around the smaller blonde woman. "I'm sorry."

Mavis sobs. "I don't want to leave them behind Erza, but I can't afford to be selfish. I need to think about them and as much as it pains me, I must do it. I need to write a will, to ensure they will be fine. This is the best outcome."

"I." The red-haired educator deeply sighs. "I understand."

She quickly wipes the tears from her face with the back of her hand, "The new medication that I am taking." Mavis puts her left her hand over her right to stop it from trembling. "It causes my hands to tremble, rendering me to be even more useless."

Erza places her hands on Mavis's. "You're not."

She shakes her head, "Soon the facility's lawyer will be coming in, and I know this will be difficult to ask, Erza can you stay with me until I finish writing the end of my will. Please"

"Of course."

"Another thing if I may," adds. "Please do not tell Natsu…not yet at least. I want to settle these matters myself first before bringing him into the loop."

"Mavis, I don't think that's the best decision." She sighs. "He needs time to process this new information. Natsu is starting to become not only financially but mentally stable as well. For it to be abrupt would have the opposite effect."

More tears begin to fall, "I know Erza. We both know how impulsive and stubborn he could be. He won't take what I say and do as an answer. He'll want to move mountains—take me to different specialists – more money wasted on someone who doesn't have a future."

"Don't say that" Erza grabs her by the shoulder. "Please don't say that about yourself."

"I am tired of seeing the distraught and pitiful faces of nurses and doctors as they tell me "we have done the best we can." I can't take it anymore and it's killing me faster than my illness." She takes a deep breath. "So please don't tell him, not yet, okay?"

Erza doesn't respond, instead she nods.

Mavis's face became unreadable. "Lastly, I will need you and Gray to deliver something to Zeref tonight it is of upmost most importance."

Erza's eyes widen, "I…. I understand."

A/N: So that was something. I really love the idea of Natsu always being there for Lucy and supporting her, even though we all know she isn't a damsel in distress. I'm also happy (pun intended) that Lucy knows about the existence of his extended family. With the way things are looking, I can guarantee that there will be a time when Lucy meets the family...Gray included much to Natsu's dislike, (HAHA). I know she has already met Gray in the storu but now she'll be able to see the family dynamic in motion. I know this is a slow burn and it can be tedious, but the payoff will come...soon. Hope you enjoyed. Until next time!