WARNING THIS IS A VERY SAD CHAPTER! I WARNED BEFORE ABOUT MENTIONS OF MURDER!
Thanks to Evergreen and Elfman, catching Jose Porla and finding the red car two nights before Lucy was given back all the things he stole from her house. ''How did he get in my house?'' Lucy mused over dinner with Jude, the both of them only thinking of Ivan. ''He wouldn't go as far as freeing an actually wanted murder? ''I swear I thought he was better than that.'' Lucy twirled the spaghetti on her plate with her good hand terrified of the people who wanted to harm her, they could literally be anywhere and anyone.
All she knew now was that she had to be extremely careful and win her case, hopefully putting Ivan behind bars, maybe he would confess and they would learn about his partners.
3 months after the first treatment- April 23rd
Lucy yawned like a baby lion from her perch in front of her brand new mirror. ''You can just go to sleep and we can work on this later,'' Jude replied to her yawn. ''Nah I want to be there early.'' ''But the baby shower is like three hours from now!'' her father whined picking up a brush and turning on the hair dryer. ''I'm Levy's best friend for life, I should be there early enough to help her with the finishing touches.''
''You helped set it up days in advance, I think you've done enough and she'll understand.'' Lucy scoffed and shot daggers at her father through the reflection of the white framed mirror. ''I have to be there early.'' Jude gave up on the argument but proceeded to start another one. ''Why do you need straight hair?'' ''Because it's easier to manage.'' ''But your wavy hair is beautiful.'' Lucy sighed and watched Plue run around with Happy who was here to keep him company so she could go to Levy's party. ''What?!'' Jude rudely answered to the knock on the hard oak front door.
''I'm not expecting anyone,'' she said meeting his questioning eyes. ''Hm..'' Jude was skeptical about who was at the door so he ran silently to the door, looked through the peephole and right into a green eye that was almost too close to the peep hole. ''It's the Dragneels','' he hissed to his daughter back in her room. ''Well, why aren't you letting them in?'' Lucy asked following him back to the door. ''Grandine's going to attack me again.'' ''You can handle a choke-hold, besides you were the one who told her our past.'' Lucy giggled a little when her father ran away as she approached the door, she had told a white lie and said Jude was always with her but then he confessed right there on the spot.
Since then Jude tried his best to avoid the Igneel and Grandine because they always had something up their sleeves. ''Oh, Lucy I'm so glad to see you!'' Grandine planted a gentle kiss on Lucy soft cheeks and Igneel patted her head affectionately.
The spring wind swept an entire family minus one, and plus one into Lucy's fort-like house. ''Lucy, I bought those snacks you wanted from the market back where we live.'' Gray chimed happily flashing his deep dimples and attractive smile. ''Thank you! I can always count on you.'' she smiled at him and then noticed Juvia the plus one's jealous glint.
''Oh, Juvia I see you brought a gift as well.'' turned out all of them bought quite the haul with them and sat it on the sturdy coffee table. ''What is this?'' Wendy asked pointing to the purple vase on the table in between all of the prizes they brought, it had sticking out of it a leafy plant and underneath it was a small channel of roots. ''Sweet potato slips,'' Lucy answered and brought up the fact that father and daughter were going to plant a big garden in the backyard soon. ''Where is Jude anyway?'' Igneel eagerly looked around for his best friend who emerged from the kitchen with refreshments and a sour face.
''There he is!'' they cheered him when he sat the plate of sesame seed candies and trail mix down. ''Oh! I really like these,'' Juvia picked up a sesame bar and unwrapped it, while Gray and Wendy were more interested with the cranberry and blueberry juice they were offered.
''What's with your hair by the way?'' Igneel was the one to break the silence on her wild hairstyle that oddly looked a girl who escaped a prison fight's new do'. ''Papa was doing my hair,'' she replied innocently eating bin bin crackers, the snack she asked for while her father felt the fire in Grandine's sparkly eyes. ''I can do your hair.'' she offered taking the opportunity excitedly.
When the two women went back to Lucy's room upstairs, Jude relaxed next to his friend. ''You've got it rough,'' he said taking a bite out of the snack pile and receiving Juvia's death glare. ''Nah! she is barely mad at me,'' Igneel smiled fondly and took a sip out of his hurt son's glass, before beginning a three-hour long conversation much to his family's utter demise.
The dawn was bright, bubbly, and fair so of course events were waiting for those that seek happy occasions.
Though I find it hard to believe or perceive happy times keep on running back to me masking the face of hardships that come waltzing through the dark.
''Lucy over here!'' Levy waved her hand wildly from her seat behind the crowd of people who showed up for her baby shower. ''I'm coming.'' Lucy rushed over handing the petite lady the water and food she went to get for her. ''Whew!'' she sighed finally sitting beside her best friend. ''Sorry Lu, I didn't expect so many people to show up.''
''It's completely fine, I like doing things for people.'' Lucy brushed a loose strand of hair off of her slightly sweaty forehead with her good hand. ''I'm sorry for making you go get it with your hand and all.'' ''It's okay I feel much better and who else could hear you in this rowdy crowd.'' ''I know it's like we're attending a concert, they wouldn't even know if Erza went into labor.'' ''I'm sure they would being that Jellal is by her side.'' Lucy looked at the red head who quite angrily ate crackers and cheese while looking like she was going to deliver at any second now, her doting husband stuck to her side like glue uninterested in anything besides her and her needs.
''So tell me again how you and Natsu confessed to each other,'' Levy said a cheeky air in her voice, pink lips in a small smile. ''Come on Levy.'' she hissed looking over her shoulder just in case someone was listening. ''I even made you a doughnut sandwich! do you know how the people in the kitchen looked at me when I put a chicken tender in there?'' Levy chuckled evilly in reply and began diligently eating her nasty abomination of a sandwich .
Lucy was afraid of being teased again by her friends and her own father who joined in on the teasing when she spilled all her beans everyone, just not to the Dragneel's not yet at least.
Grandine shouted for everyone to be quieter and they obeyed not used to having a second Mira-Jane in the house. ''I'm sorry,'' Igneel said apologizing for his rowdy wife who insisted on sitting and talking with the first-time pregnant ladies. ''It's fine.'' strangers assured him for fear his wife would come for them. ''Where's your dad?'' Virgo asked sitting down beside Lucy with a plate of macaroni and cheese.
''I don't know, I should go look for him.'' Lucy rose from her seat and brushed her blush pink dress off and adjusted the black ribbon around her waist, she was fond of the dress that was made in honor of her premonition dream.
Her shooting star stud earrings shone radiantly from her ears thanks to the sun overhead and her telescope necklace bounced on her collar bone as she passed Gajeel who was planning on barbecuing birds with his high-rising fire.
''Gajeel get away from there! you know your cooking is nasty.'' Levy just about screamed when she saw her husband manning the grill. ''Wow! you're supposed to always support me!'' he cried back over the gales of laughter Levy induced.
''I can't support nasty food,'' she said igniting the spark of laughter again before getting up, gathering Erza and moving inside away from the smoke.
Lucy ran into the house and went straight to the kitchen where her father was taking a seemingly important phone call. ''Okay, I'll talk to you later,'' he said quietly when he saw his daughter busy grabbing a water bottle from the freezer.
''Hey! there's my little girl,'' he announced her presence to anyone who didn't she was his little girl. ''Who were you talking to?'' she asked grabbing a baby carrot off of his plate and munching away. ''No one important.'' he fibbed with a straight face. ''Ouch!'' Lucy said going to go find out who was at the door for the second time in the day.
The newly cautious girl looked eagerly through the peephole, smiling when she saw familiar faces again. ''Evergreen! you said you wouldn't come?'' she yelled opening the door alerting Erza of the visitor. ''Who is he?'' she asked gesturing to the tall white haired male beside her.
''This is my superior,'' Evergreen said simply, handing Lucy a bouquet of scarlet flowers and her heartfelt card meant for Erza and then a jar of sweet, dried orange peels for Levy who requested the meaningful item. ''Ever, you can't just leave like that come in,'' Erza called to her childhood friend, ''I would, and I promise I'll see you late but I'm just passing by,'' she replied gesturing to her black officer getup.
''I don't cosplay you know.'' she scolded but still, she was pulled in by Lisanna. ''I have an announcement and I'm glad my brother could make it,'' she said shocking everyone who had never really seen Elfman before. ''You're related to the Strauss's?'' Evergreen said surprised at the new discovery. ''Well, Ms. detective I thought I told you my name?'' he raised a white eyebrow. ''I'm getting married!''
Lisanna cut in impatiently, everyone was quiet inside and outside of the house and then they all collectively started screaming bloody murder, probably frightening people for miles. ''To who?!'' Some idiots within the household yelled. ''Lisanna how come you didn't tell me!'' Lucy and Mira yelled in unison scaring the happy girl. ''I just did!'' she laughed still feeling surreal.
''Not before me,'' Mira said half jealousy burning behind her clear blue eyes, but she wasn't the only ones feeling the burn Elfman being one of them. ''I'm turning 25 soon,'' she groaned slumping down on the couch feeling defeated in life by her little sister. 'Come home and marry me.' she thought bitterly to herself.
The attention was now on Lisanna and Levy whined that it was her baby shower though she couldn't lie that she was happy truly happy for the girl who was newly twenty-three.
Riding upon the clouds and falling through water in the spring time is the reason for which some people live like us normal people.
The warm breeze of a winter long gone ran through Lucy's free strands as the sun kissed the top of her head more passionately than could ever fire blaze, the sun began to dance down below the horizon so that night could breathe one more with clear resolution.
Spring was here and it was gracing most of the globe with its clear skies and the stories birds who came back home told in song.
Piano keys were lightly stroked in Lucy's mind and pictures drawn by Natsu hung on the walls of her mind, she held her pink-clad hand close to her side tonight and watched her father through half-closed sleepy eyes filled with contentment, he was talking on the phone again and this time she was trying to hear what was making him wear a bothered facial expression. 'Hah,' she exhaled propping her beautiful face up on a soft palm, opening her eyes to see a bit clearer.
''Well then, when will it arrive?'' he was asking oblivious daughter watching from her her place on the steps of their house. ''Why is the evidence I need floating around the planet?'' ''Because someone tried to get rid of it and failed that's why we found a jackpot of other serial murders,'' the trustworthy voice on the phone replied. ''Did you look at the pictures and dates?'' ''Yes, I don't want you doing anything rash so I won't tell you over the phone.''
''Just tell me who you saw.'' Jude waited seven years for this moment and he wanted it to hurry but the voice on the phone clicked four times which was code to tell him that the line might be tapped. ''Where are you.'' Jude continued but the voice responded with the same code prompting him to disconnect the call abruptly. 'Just tell me.' Jude thought pathetically holding the invisible but very real scar over his heart, his teary eyes were wiped by his own hand unconsciously.
Lucy was now very awake watching Jude though she couldn't hear him, she could see his tears fall through his frantic hands that tried to wipe away the burning droplets before they fell to the ground. 'Why? today is a happy day.' she wondered to herself watching him close his door before she could stand up to greet and comfort him.
Jude could feel an ice in his soul as he tried to sleep, but a burning torch with fierce white light burned in his mind depriving him of sleep deeper into the dark night. ''Layla.'' he tested her name again for the first time in awhile.
''It took so long to feel alright and begin to live again.'' he buried his head in the warm pillow that was under him. ''I just knew it,'' he said quietly while profanities cut through his mind. ''I did nothing wrong.'' he was reassured but he was heartbroken. 'It can only be someone nearby, someone in this city at least,' 'The boy who administered the anesthesia has already been investigated, he was lying so who did it?.'
Jude slipped in and out of sleep and many sinister dreams sweating, his heart on the floor in pieces like an old fallen plate. Someone had taken his wife's life away from him and he was going to find out soon after all these years.
His heart broken in his chest made him feel broken though he was in optimal condition for someone who looked older than he was due to all of the stress he endured.
Frogs gave small croaks all into the night restless for upcoming events, Owls asked the questions everyone wanted to know from their burrows in trees.
''It's going to be okay, you know the success rate of this surgery!'' Jude laughed bending down to hug Layla's small frame tightly. ''I feel kind of eerie,'' she said her hazel brown eyes twinkled full of life when she looked into her husbands. ''Why do you feel that way?'' he asked seriously waiting for her answer.
Layla sighed. ''I don't know maybe it's because of Lucy's being at home by herself.'' ''She is with Igneel's little boy and the rest of his family.'' Jude smiled standing up, happy he could trust the pink haired kid. ''His name is Natsu.'' Layla pouted cutely.
''He is going to be my son-in-law one day.'' ''She is just thirteen and you're marrying her off already?'' he asked wheeling her into the operation room. ''Just breathe and I'll be right back,'' he said responding to his pager. ''The last time I heard that I was in pain for eight hours.'' she laughed referencing her labor with Lucy so many years ago. ''I can't imagine, but this time I'm the doctor.''
Jude bent over and kissed his wife's blushing cheeks and then her waiting lips. ''Who do you think I am?'' she asked when he turned to go. ''My beautiful and wonderful wife,'' he replied going to get ready for the liver transplant operation. ''I love you!'' Layla called raising her blonde eyebrows and waiting for the quick response. ''I love you more than you do!'' ''That is a truth,'' she said to herself lying down on the gurney to relax like her doctor told her. ''What am I worrying about?'' she asked her visitor. ''I'm going to be alright.'' ''Of course, you will.'' the new voice agreed.
''Jude told me to administer the anesthesia already, he is going to perform this surgery quickly,'' ''Hmm.'' Layla hummed and looked around at her surroundings before picking up her phone and hitting record.''I love you so much.'' she whispered thrice before rolling over and looking at what was being put into her IV.
''What is that _?!'' she called the familiar assistant's name eyeing the last of the blackish liquid going into her arm. ''That isn't anesthesia!'' she panicked sitting up already feeling drowsy. ''I waited for you to see it,'' the visitor said calmly leaning on the wall watching Layla fall back on to her bed slowly falling asleep. ''It's actually a cocktail.'' but she was asleep.
''Oh ho! I almost missed this.'' the visitor said picking up her cute phone and stopping the recording, playing the beginning just to sadistically hear another successful murder completed after cleaning up the evidence that included getting the cocktail needle and changing the IV.
'Next stop the security room.' the murderer left the room like a ghost going to gather the day's footage and place all of the items into a box because the evidence was never destroyed but instead sent overseas and added to a collection later when the killer would be on vacation. - ''Who administered the anesthesia?'' Jude asked when he returned with a team of the best doctors.
''I did.'' a young doctor scratched his head shyly, his fake demeanor unnoticed by Jude who swallowed the lie. ''I wanted to apologize for taking so long but Crawford had me caught up with another patient, but she is already sleeping.'' ''When did you inject the anesthesia?'' ''Right before you came,'' he told another lie that was quickly ingested before the surgery began.
''That, can get you in serious trouble don't prescribe drugs without permission!'' Jude started to grill him asking how much he injected since he was clearly unqualified if he didn't know even that.'' ''Do you want to be fired?'' Crawford started but Jude cut him off. ''We'll deal with this later, right now we have a transplant to do!'' and like that the surgery started but half way through Layla went into Cardiac arrest but was resuscitated successfully and brought to the emergency care room of Jude's new hospital for recovery and to be monitored after the surgery. ''She went into Cardiac arrest,'' Crawford repeated the event to Jude. ''I know, there is no reason for why she did,'' he replied worriedly.
''Dr. Heartfilia come quickly!'' A nurse screamed hysterically shattering the normally gentle hospital atmosphere. ''Your wife!''
Birds gather in the streets to see the rushing distress humans fling themselves through every day and night, they giggle a bit before taking flight again.
'Knock' Knock' ''Papa!'' Lucy yelled through the hard oak door waking her father from his reviving nightmares. when he woke he instantly remembered the painful breaths he had to take when he lost his wife, a piece of their shared soul shattered and lost for now.
His mind had gone blank and went numb, he wouldn't let anyone take her body away from his side because he was bent on staying there forever and protecting her in death as felt he couldn't during her life.
''Yes?'' he asked gruffly, looking at the clock that read 1:00 AM when it really felt like it was actually 5 o'clock. Jude jumped from his bed and rushed to let his daughter inside when she called out to him because now that he was fully awake he remembered the danger that was around every corner for them.
''Yes?!'' he asked again alarmed as let the hyper girl in. ''We gotta go to your hospital, get ready!'' Jude grabbed his jacket threw it on and then asked for what reason they had to go. ''Erza went into labor and Jellal just called me.'' ''She decided to give birth at your hospital instead of at Magnolia general.'' Lucy filled him in as they rushed out the door getting ready for an hour drive.
Birds fill the skies like rain clouds, ''Ah what a beautiful sight,'' We say as they laugh high above our heads feeling the breezes we only wish to lightly touch.
Earlier-
''The deed needs to be done in a hurry before those documents arrive at the airport.'' ''Can you find a way to intercept the package and switch it?'' A voice frantically talked to the one in charge. ''Calm down, I've done this many times before.'' a low voice assured the worried one. ''I just don't want to get caught, I've never done something like this before but if you say you have the experience I can only trust you.''
''It's a shame that idiot Porla is in jail again, I could've used him to intercept the package but this time you do it.'' ''Me?'' the worried voice became even more irritable at the suggestion. ''Of course, it's just the two of us, I'll take care of the Heartfilia and dispose of the evidence.'' ''This sort of thing is easy for me,''
Chapter end-
I think this chapter was exceptionally sad even though I can't relay the feelings in writing.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)
When I first started writing this story I did not expect it to be so long but don't worry I will wrap this up very soon. (I think it's almost been a whole year.)
PS.
I am struggling with my studies :( also I predicted I would be sick two days before it happened on my birthday. (the 5th)
I just discovered this centering effect and now I am spamming it.
I CHANGED THE DESCRIPTION BECAUSE LOW KEY I FELT LIKE WAS LYING WHEN I LOOKED AT IT.