Nearly 3 Months Earlier

"Did the author give you an explanation?" Lucy asked as she stared at the terminated contract in front of her. She looked up when she heard sniffling and saw Aries on the verge of tears. "Hey, hey." Standing quickly, Lucy walked around her desk and draped an arm around her friend's shoulders while reaching for the box of tissues with the other. "Aries, it's okay. Things like this happen in our industry. It's not the end of the world."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know. It's just," Aries stammered, her voice heavy with the tears she was trying to hold back. "I think the author left because of me. "

"Because of you? Why do you think that?"

As co-director of the children's publishing department, Aries personally worked with a handful of authors throughout the year. The compliments she received from the authors she worked with in their acknowledgements were always glowing. It was hard to believe that an author Aries was personally overseeing would cancel his contract because of her.

Aries burst into tears, no longer capable of holding them back. Quickly plucking several tissues from the box, she wiped at her eyes furiously before blowing her nose. This cycle went on for several minutes with Lucy trying to offer words of comfort, but they only made Aries cry harder. Lucy was forced to remain silent and just wait until Aries calmed herself down.

This was the second time Aries had been in her office, upset over a cancelled contract. Last week, another author had decided to cancel the publication of his book and returned his advance in full. Although occurrences like these did happen in their industry, it was rare to have two cancellations with the same editor merely a week a part. If this was anyone else, Lucy would have been concerned that the editor was doing something to misrepresent the company and scare off authors, but this was Aries. No one worked harder to champion an author's book than she did. The whole situation was troubling, but Lucy didn't want to upset Aries any further. She would look into the matter personally and see what was going on.

"Why don't you take next week off, Aries?" Lucy stood and grabbed the trash bin from under her desk, offering it to her friend so she could dispose of her tear-stained tissues.

"Are you—Are you firing me?" Aries blubbered, her hands already reaching for more tissues to soak up another flood of tears.

"No, of course not!" Lucy said quickly. "I'm not going to fire you. I just thought—"

"Forgive the intrusion, ma'am." Lucy looked up to see Virgo enter her office, looking surprisingly annoyed. "You have a visitor that insists on speaking with you."

A visitor? Lucy wasn't expecting anyone to stop by and all her meetings were finished for the day. Levy and Gajeel had gone out of town with his parents so it couldn't be them; Gray was still in Italy with Juvia; and Natsu….There was no way it was him, even though Lucy wished he was here. Natsu would have barged into her office unannounced, his dark eyes glinting with mischief and his mouth tilted in a smirk. It had only been a week since he had left, but she felt his absence significantly. Lucy continued with her training, going through the usual routines of exercises and managing her sparring sessions with any willing gym member. Although, it was hard to find anyone worth much of a challenge. When she wasn't at the gym, she focused on her work, trying to drown out Natsu's absence with proposals, contracts, P&Ls and anything else Lucy could think of. His departure didn't cripple her, but it deflated something inside. It just didn't feel right without him there.

"I'm sorry, Virgo. Please tell the person that he or she will have to wait." Lucy looked down at Aries, who had was silent as tears flowed down her cheeks. "In fact, could you schedule them an appointment for Monday morning? I'm unavailable at the moment. If it's something urgent, then just take down the information and I'll look into it over the weekend."

"I understand ma'am. I did suggest scheduling an appointment but she—"

"I told her I didn't need an appointment to see a brat who ran away from home." A woman entered the office and the moment Lucy saw her, her eyes widened in shock.

"Wait a moment. I didn't say you could come in here." Virgo protested, but to no avail. Brushing past Lucy's secretary, the woman's heels clicked hard against the floor as she made her way to the center of the room.

For Lucy, there was no mistaking who she was. From her pin-straight blue hair—slicked back with not a strand out of place—to the familiar, navy blue suit skirt she wore that accentuated her hourglass figure, nothing had changed. It was like she had walked out of one of Lucy's childhood memories. And like in Lucy's memories, somehow, the woman's beautiful features weren't marred by the permanent scowl she wore and her dark blue eyes seemed to glitter even as they glared in her direction.

Lucy stepped back, gripping the edge of her desk for support. "A-A-Aquarius."

Aquarius stood in Lucy's office, a person from her past she never thought she would see again. If Aquarius is here, then could that mean...? Lucy's eyes drifted to the door, fear gripping her as she held her breath. Is he here?

"It's just me," Aquarius answered Lucy's unvoiced question. She stared at Lucy and for a moment, Lucy thought there might have been a flicker of pity in her eyes but then it was gone. The mad panic that was rising in Lucy's heart eased. She relaxed the death-grip she had on her desk and felt some of the tension in her body escape. Her memories of Aquarius weren't cheerful, but Lucy remembered the woman never lied.

"Why are you—"

"Five years in this city and it seems you've forgotten all your manners," Aquarius interrupted. "No wonder your employees are sniveling in your office," she looked back at Virgo and motioned toward Aries as she spoke, "obviously the girl is too distraught to be productive. She can conclude her business with your boss at a later time. Take her somewhere and hold all calls and visitations, urgent or otherwise, until our meeting is concluded."

Virgo arched her brow, annoyed with Aquarius's bossy personality. It was only with the slightest of nods from Lucy did Virgo relent. "I understand," she replied tersely.

"Aries—"

"I'm sorry Lucy," Aries jumped up from her chair, suddenly overly cheerful. "Just look at me, crying in your office instead of figuring something out. I'm sorry to have bothered you and now I'm holding up another meeting." Gathering her belongings, Aries uttered several more apologies as she turned to leave the office, scurrying past Aquarius to follow Virgo out.

"Now," Aquarius began once they were alone. She crossed the room to stand in front of Lucy, her dark eyes fixed on her. "Sit down. We need to talk." She moved past Lucy to sit behind the desk, leaning into the chair as if this was her office. Still shocked by Aquarius's presence, Lucy ignored the fact that she had taken her seat and sat down where Aries had been sitting moments before.

"How...how did you…" Lucy trailed off, hating how small her voice came out.

"How did I find you?" At this, Aquarius laughed, but it was a dry and humorless sound. "Was that your attempt at a joke? Did you really believe he didn't know where you were all this time?" Lucy looked down at her feet. She had thought that. Aquarius shook her head. "You should know running away to the other side of the country and changing your last name is not nearly enough to hide from him."

"I didn't run away," Lucy protested. "I—"

"I'm not here to debate that issue," Aquarius cut her off, clearly not appreciating Lucy's rebuttal.

He knows where I am . Lucy clenched her hands into fists on her lap. "What does my father want with me?"

Aquarius was her father's lawyer, hired shortly after Lucy's mother's death. Lucy had thought her father intended for Aquarius to become Lucy's new stepmother. She was only seven when her mother had died of a strange illness. The loss was devastating. There were still things a young girl at her age needed her mother for, especially since her father started distancing himself from her, growing colder every day. However, Aquarius made it very clear that she was there to do the job she was hired to do, nothing more and nothing less. Which meant Lucy received the same cold and distant treatment from both her father and Aquarius.

"He doesn't want anything," Aquarius sighed. "I'm here because your father is dead."

Outside the window, there was nothing but a sea of gray, dark clouds. Lucy turned away, pulling the shutter down. Her laptop sat in her bag, occupying the empty seat next to her. It was the only thing she had brought with her when she left her office with Aquarius, heading to the airport to board the private plane that awaited them. She'd considered doing some work during the 13 hour flight, but Lucy couldn't concentrate.

Father is… dead.

Lucy couldn't see how that was possible. Her heart didn't ache at those words. She didn't feel an overwhelming sadness; she didn't feel anything at all after Aquarius told her he had died two weeks prior. All Lucy felt was a sense of befuddlement. Her father had been such an indomitable force in her life. It was hard to believe someone like him could be gone so suddenly. Her father had been a proud man. In her mind, he was too proud even for death to want anything to do with her. The only thing she could focus on was the fact that, after five years, she was going back to that place. Something she swore she would never do again.

One of the plane's personal flight attendants smiled as he passed Lucy, making his way to Aquarius who had taken a seat on the opposite side of the plane. He bent down and whispered in Aquarius's ear, before returning back to his station.

"We'll be landing in 10 minutes," Aquarius announced, not looking up from the laptop she had been furiously typing on since they had boarded the plane. Those were the first words she had spoken to Lucy since they had left New York.

After Aquarius had delivered the news of her father's death, she stated Lucy needed to return with her to hear the reading of her father's will. The requirements specifically stated that Aquarius was not allowed to divulge the contents to Lucy unless she returned to her home. This all confused Lucy. Her father had made it very clear that he had disowned her. What did her father's will have to do with her?

No matter how much she asked, Aquarius remained silent, until, finally, Lucy relented and agreed to return with her. Lucy had told herself it was so she could have closure, to really put the ghosts of her past to rest. Now, as the plane descended, returning her to the place that had been nothing but a nightmare for Lucy, the anxiety she had been suppressing slowly rose up inside of her.

"Aloha!" A greeter enthusiastically shouted as he tried to offer Aquarius and Lucy leis when they stepped off the plane. It was one in the morning by the time their plane landed, and although Lucy knew the greeter meant well, his exuberance made her feel even more weary. She tried to give him a smile, but it turned into more of a grimace. Whereas Aquarius, not known for her cheerfulness to begin with, gave the man a withering look that erased his smile.

"We've landed," Aquarius spoke into the cell phone she had retrieved from the inside pocket of her suit. "Have the helicopter ready by the time we get there. I don't want any delays." She ended the call, pocketing the phone again as she ushered Lucy into the back of a black car with heavily tinted windows and slid in after her. The second the door clicked shut, the driver drove off across the tarmac.

It was a short car drive from Honolulu International Airport to where the helicopter was stationed. The large blades were already whirling by the time they arrived, creating a spiral of air that made Lucy's hair whip around her the moment she left the safety of the car. Aquarius wasn't disturbed by the gusts, walking confidently toward the helicopter. The driver offered his arm to Lucy, who happily took it. He guided her toward the open door of the chopper, helping her strap inside and handing her a headset.

"Thank you!" she tried to shout over the noise, but her words were picked up and tossed away by the wind. The driver tipped his hat slightly, probably having read her lips, before sliding the door of the helicopter shut. Lucy watched as the driver jogged back to the car before driving off.

"—taking off now." The pilot's voice crackled into her headset and a second later, they were back in the sky, heading north. Lucy knew it would take another two hours before they reached the private island where their destination was located. Aquarius was still working on her own laptop, ignoring Lucy's presence altogether. It seemed five years apart wasn't enough to change that. She sighed, leaning her head against the side of helicopter, watching the scenery below shift from dark lands to dark ocean. She watched the waters below for some time, lost in her thoughts until she felt the helicopter start to tilt to the right. It scaled a small mountain peak, and dipped as it crest its height. The chopper leveled and headed toward the large manor in the distance. Lucy looked away from the window then, staring at the floor of the helicopter instead.

"Prepare for landing." The pilot announced as he hovered the craft above a lit helipad, gently guiding them down.

It was just after three in the morning and Lucy was exhausted. She hadn't been able to sleep at all during any leg of their journey. Her nerves wouldn't let her relax. It was 8 am back in New York, so she had officially been up for 24 hours. She shook her head slightly, trying to wake herself up. All she needed was a cup of coffee, and then Lucy would be able to handle another hour or two to hear what Aquarius needed to say before she booked the next flight back to New York. Get in and get out. That was her plan.

Aquarius snapped her laptop shut, checked her phone and stored it away. The door opened and she stepped out, straightening her suit jacket before making her way inside. Lucy took a deep breath, slowly unstrapping herself and removing her headset. Following after Aquarius, Lucy kept her head bowed as she walked. She let the sound of Aquarius's heels and her memory guide her inside. If she didn't pay attention to anything, if she didn't look around, she wouldn't remember anything unnecessary. Lucy could pretend she didn't know where she was.

When they came to the back entrance of the manor, Lucy froze at the doorstep, her eyes focused on the threshold. Five years ago, she had stood on the other side of the doorstep, frozen just like this. Lucy remembered that day. It wasn't fear which had stopped her back then, but a surging feeling of happiness. One more step and she would be free. And she had taken that step, swearing to herself she would never be on the other side of that threshold again. But now, here she was.

Lucy closed her eyes and crossed over.

Aquarius was waiting for her at the foot of the back staircase. Lucy focused on Aquarius's tapping heel against the polished floors. She could feel the walls pressing on her, the ghosts of moments she buried here whispering to her. Digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands, Lucy tucked her balled fists under her armpits as she crossed her arms.

Get in. Get out. Get in. Get out. Don't focus. Don't remember. Block it all out. You're not staying. You're not staying. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He can't trap you. You're fr-

"Did you hear me?" Aquarius asked, ceasing her foot tapping.

"Could you...could you repeat what you said?" Lucy lifted her eyes to the height of Aquarius mouth, watching as her lips tugged themselves lower into a deeper frown.

"Meet me in my office at 10 am sharp," Aquarius repeated, her words ringing with irritation. "You can rest in your room until then. I instructed the staff to have it prepared for you. However, they were told not to speak with you until after our meeting. And, you are not allowed to ask them any questions either. Is that clear?"

Stay here? No . Lucy swallowed the panic, pushing it back down inside of her. "That's not necessary," sh said, digging her nails further into her palms. "I've come back here with you, so just tell me what you need to say now."

"Tch," she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "You've been back for five minutes and you're already demanding things. This is not up for negotiation. 10 a.m. sharp." Before Lucy could protest further, Aquarius was already striding down one of the many dark hallways, disappearing deeper into the manor.

Lucy followed the staircase up with her eyes, counting until she got to the fifth and final landing. Her bedroom was located at the very end of the east wing, on the fifth floor. It was the place she had spent most of her childhood in, wishing she could escape this gilded cage. Placing her hand on the banister, Lucy took the first step up and felt the old feelings of anxiety flare up again.

"This is ridiculous," Lucy chided herself aloud. "You're not a child anymore." She took another step as she spoke to herself. "One night. You can handle one night." All the way up, Lucy spoke softly to herself, giving herself the encouragement to continue climbing the five flights and make her way down the hall. She placed her hand on the doorknob of her bedroom, twisting it and letting the door swing open slowly. "He can't look you away anymore."

The room was just how she had left it five years ago. Even unused rooms were kept in immaculate condition—even if those who lived here were often ignored. Compared to the other rooms in the manor, Lucy's bedroom would be considered modest in size and plain in terms of decoration. The walls were a warm beige and the rest of the room followed the same neutral tones. It held the standard furnishings: a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. A door on the left side led to a bathroom and more closet space. On the opposite wall, french doors led out onto a balcony that faced the sea. The only luxurious items were the custom made bookcases that lined most of the walls of the room. They were filled with first editions and rare books, childhood favorites and treasured stories her mother had spent nights reading to her when she was a girl. Lucy ran her fingers over the worn and loved spines, gently greeting her dear friends. There wasn't a speck of dust on any of the books, thanks to the draconian manner the house was run under. It was because of these books that she had been able to survive so long in this loveless house. She could escape the loneliness and the abandonment simply by opening a book. When she was reading a book, Lucy wasn't the unloved daughter of a cruel man, but a pirate, a explorer, or a warrior. For a moment, she was strong and fearless.

A particular book stood out amongst the others and Lucy slid it out from the shelf. It was her favorite. The one her mother had read from often when she was still alive. It was the book about the wingless fairy—the story Lucy had started to tell to Natsu to distract him from his fear of flying. It had been painful leaving it behind the night she had decided to leave. She wouldn't leave without it this time.

The canopy bed was turned down, the fluffy pillows plumped and practically begging Lucy to lie down and sleep. Setting the book on the nightstand, Lucy stripped out of her work clothes and into the soft chemise that had been laid out for her. She slid into the bed, grabbing the book before pulling the covers over her head, hoping the bedding would act as a barrier against the nightmares that often plagued her as a child. Snuggling with her cherished book, Lucy closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

The next morning, Lucy was awoken by cold water being doused on her. Her first thoughts went to her mother's book, fearing it might have been ruined by the water. To her relief, she saw that it hadn't been a victim. Aquarius stood over Lucy, holding the book in her hand and slamming an empty pitcher on the nightstand with the other.

"I said 10 am sharp," Aquarius glowered down at her. "It's now 10:11."

Salt coated her tongue and the smell of the ocean clung to her. "Is this sea water?" Lucy sputtered, shivering in her soaked clothes.

"At 10:01 I sent someone to fill this pitcher from the ocean. Seven minutes later he returned here. It took me three minutes from then, to walk from my office to your room to find you still sleeping like a spoiled brat, making others wait on you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"If I have to wait on you for one more minute, I'll throw you into the ocean next. Let's go." Aquarius slid the book back in its place on the shelf, before storming out of the room.

Lucy had only a heartbeat to scramble out of the soaked sheets and run into the bathroom to grab a plush robe before following Aquarius to her office. It was on the fourth level of the manor and near the entrance of the west wing. She had to skid to a halt to avoid crashing into Aquarius when Lucy finally caught up to her.

Aquarius opened her office door and Lucy entered after her. The first thing that caught her attention was the view. The far wall was made entirely of a smooth, clear glass that filled the room with an impressive view of the ocean. It supplied the space with bright, natural light complimenting the soft blue walls and light furnishings. The entire room gave off a relaxed and welcoming feel, unlike the person who occupied it.

"Your father left very specific instructions on how he wanted his will to be executed. As the executor of his will, I have followed the final will and testament of your father to the letter." Aquarius removed a small, gold key from her pocket and inserted it into the keyhole of one of the desk drawers. A black box was placed neatly on the desktop before she closed and locked the drawer again, pocketing the key. Lucy sat in a plush navy blue armchair, trying to repress her shivers as she waited for Aquarius to tell her what this was all about. Her father was not a man of false threats. When he said he disowned her, she had no doubts that he had meant it.

"In order to proceed, I need to confirm your identity," Aquarius slid the black box across the desk. "Place your right hand on top of the box."

"You know who I am," Lucy laughed trying to lighten up the mood. "This is silly."

"I'm not one to make jokes when it comes to serious matters." Aquarius's scowl deepened. "Nor am I one to repeat myself."

With a sigh, Lucy reached out and placed her right hand on the box. She felt a small prick at the pads of of her fingers and she snatched her hand back. The box beeped before opening. Aquarius took out a small stack of papers and pushed the box to the side.

"The box could only be unlocked by the blood sample of Lucy Selene Diamant," Aquarius read off the top page of the stack. It was weird for Lucy to hear her old name spoken aloud after so long. "If another tried to open the box, or tried to remove it from the island, the contents stored within would have been destroyed."

He always had to do things with an extra flare , Lucy thought sourly as she massaged the pads of her fingers.

" I will keep this simple," Aquarius began, as she read from the paper aloud. "My business was built to withstand even the death of its creator. I will appoint my lawyer, Aquarius, to step into my position on all executive levels and as a member of the board. Specific instructions were left to her for her to follow.

Layla's Island and the estate erected on the property are never to be sold under any circumstances. The staff employed to maintain the land and the estate are to remain and no member may be fired. Their wages are not to be decreased or withheld for any reason. I leave these aforementioned assets, as well as all other assets under my name, to my daughter and sole heir, Lucy Selene Diamant. "

Aquarius slid the paper across the desk so Lucy could read the handwritten words. At the end of the paper was her father's signature: Jude Robert Diamant.

"This is a list of the assets under your father's name," Aquarius slid a thick stack of papers over to Lucy. "And these are instructions left to me in regards to your father's transportation business and other business investments left for me to manage." This stack of papers was swept into her briefcase and closed. "Although you are not in charge of the management of these business endeavors, you will receive an amount of the profits that Jude had already established under your name. I will leave it as is. There should be a statement on the final page as to the amount that the accounts held the last time the numbers were ran. If you have—"

"I don't understand." Lucy stared at the paper, reading the line over and over again.

I leave these aforementioned assets, as well as all other assets under my name, to my daughter and sole heir, Lucy Selene Diamant .

"My father disinherited me. He said if I left, if I married L—" The word stuck in her throat. It was hard to speak the name—to even think about that person.

"Yes. That brings me to my next point." Aquarius leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Your father was not bluffing when he said he would disinherit you if you married Loke." Lucy tensed. It seemed Aquarius had no problem saying his name. "But you're not married. You never were."

"What do you mean, I'm not married?"

Lucy remembered that day. The small ceremony on the beach as the sun set in the background. The simple band Loke placed on her finger. She had left her father and had been excited to start the new chapter of freedom with someone she loved and who loved her back. There were no words for the overwhelming feelings she had felt on that day. Lucy stroked her ring finger with her thumb, feeling for the ring she knew was buried in her ottoman at home.

"Your naivety is frustrating. Your father would not allow his only daughter to run off and marry a gold-digging playboy and not do anything. The officiant was a fraud, an actor hired by him. Your marriage license was forged too and never filed. He asked if I would make sure of that. You two may have had a wedding, but you were never legally married."

All of it...was a lie?

"How could he?" Lucy stood, anger filling her up quickly. "He had no right to interfere! That was—That was the happiest day of my life! "

"No right?" Aquarius laughed dryly. "Where is Loke now then?"

When Lucy didn't answer, Aquarius shook her head. "He left you the moment he realized you weren't going to be his pretty little piggy bank."

"That's not—" Lucy tried to defend Loke, but Aquarius barreled on, speaking over her.

"Open your eyes, you stupid girl. Loke never loved you, he just loved your father's money."

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. The first year after they had gotten married, every day was filled with bliss. She had never known such happiness, not after her mother had died. Loke made her feel loved, a feeling she had been deprived of for most her childhood. All the time they spent together, Loke would fill every second with love and affection. How could Lucy believe that was all an act? How could she believe Loke would betray her heart like that, especially since he knew about the isolation her father kept her in? There had to be an explanation as to why Loke had left without a word. Aquarius could call her naive or stupid or whatever else, but that's what Lucy believed. She clung onto that small hope with all her might, knowing he would come back to her and explain everything. There was a part of her, that still loved him after all.

"You don't know him like I do," she said quietly, more as a reminder to herself. "Last time I left, I didn't say a word to anyone. This time, I'll make myself crystal clear." She spoke louder, holding the lawyer's gaze. "I'm going to leave here and never return. So don't look for me and don't try to contact me. I want nothing from a man who never wanted a thing to do with me, except to lock me away in this place. You can burn my inheritance for all I care."

"You're just going to throw away everything, just like that?" Aquarius sighed, looking away from Lucy. "I'm just glad your mother isn't alive to see how truly pathetic her daughter turned out to be. You'd be such a disappointment to her." The woman had always been cold, but never once had her words struck Lucy so profoundly. Her heart ached at the mention of her mother, a woman Aquarius never even knew and had no right to speak as if she did.

"From the moment you met me, you hated me. I spent so much time wondering what I did to you to make you so cold toward me. I couldn't think of a single answer that made sense. But then, I realized, that's just who you are, Aquarius." Lucy felt the anger boiling through her, but she kept her voice calm, adopting the same icy demeanor Aquarius always wore. "Don't you dare speak about my mother again. Someone as cold and heartless as you doesn't have that right."

The door slammed shut behind her as Lucy stormed out of Aquarius's office. It had been a horrible mistake returning to the island. Lucy thought it would bring her closure, but it only stirred up awful memories. She ran up the stairs, and grabbed her mother's book off the shelf. With her hair still dripping and salt water still coating her skin, Lucy ran down the five flights of stairs and out the door. Just like last time, Lucy never looked back.

"Good morning, everyone," Lucy entered the lobby of her company, nursing a large cup of coffee. The toll of taking back-to-back cross country flights was making it impossible to stay awake. Her body was begging her for sleep, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. After briefly falling asleep on the plane, Lucy woke from a nightmare that had her heart racing. She couldn't remember the details, but the only way she knew how to handle nightmares was with work and other distractions.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE CANCELLING YOUR CONTRACT WITH US?!"

Lucy's exhaustion suddenly evaporated as she saw a fuming Virgo pacing in front of her desk. Virgo had a permanently calm demeanor. There wasn't an instance that Lucy could recall where Virgo had ever lost her temper. However, here she was, Monday morning, yelling into her headpiece. Lucy just stood there watching, blinking in disbelief. It was then that she started taking in the rest of her surroundings. Editors were shouting at their assistants, telling them to stop working on projects they weren't even going to publish. The sales team was juggling phones and from she could hear, they were talking to distributors, printing houses, and the storage warehouses. Urano Metria was in chaos.

"What is going on here?" Lucy shouted and everyone came to a halt.

"Ms. Heartfilia," A woman stepped out of Lucy's office, dressed smartly in a pantsuit.

"Jeannette," Lucy looked at her, surprised to see one of the members from Urano Metria's Board of Directors. "This is a surprise." She tried to recover from the shock. This was the worst possible time for her to make an unscheduled visit. If she reported back to the other Board members about the state of the company, then they could decide to pull their investments. Urano Metria was profitable, but it still was a young company. It couldn't exist without their generous contributions.

"We would like to speak with you." Jeannette stepped aside, revealing the other four members that made up the Board of Directors as well as the three lawyers hired to handle the company's contracts. Their faces were set and grim. Whatever they had to talk about, wouldn't be good.

"I see," Lucy noted. "Virgo."

Her secretary walked over to her and looked at her with an unvoiced apology in her eyes. Lucy nodded slightly, indicating she didn't blame her for any of this. "Please show our board members to the conference room and make sure they're comfortable. I will join you in five minutes and we can talk about the business you wish to discuss."

Jeannette nodded and she followed Virgo along with the rest of the board members to the conference room down the hall. Lucy entered her office after they left, her mind frantic. What was going on? Everything had been fine when she left on Friday. What had happened in the span of two days to make the Board show up unannounced?

"Ma'am," Virgo called out as she slipped into the office.

"Virgo, what is happening? Why wasn't I informed of the situation—whatever the situation is?"

"We tried to reach you, but you left your phone on your desk and I didn't have another number to reach you at."

Lucy pulled the top drawer of her desk open and sure enough, her phone was there. The screen was full of notifications and missed calls from various members of her staff as well as agents and authors. Lucy shut the drawer with a little more force than she meant to.

"Briefly, before I meet the Board, what is the emergency that has everyone acting like this?"

Virgo pressed her lips together, her brow crumbling as she searched for the words to say. "There's no easy way to say this but, Urano Metria might be…finished."

Three weeks later

"Hey, Lucy." Levy's voice played on the answering machine. "I know you're there listening, and I'm not mad you haven't returned any of my calls. I know this is a tough time for you. I spoke with Virgo the other day and none of your employees blame you. You even worked your ass off to find them all replacement jobs. They're really grateful for everything you did." There was pause as if Levy was trying to figure out the best words to say. Lucy just buried her head, deeper under the covers. "I'm bringing over dinner tonight after work and some cookies Gajeel made for you. You don't have to eat those…." Levy chuckled but went quiet. Lucy thought it was the end of the message, but Levy continued. "I know I don't exactly understand how you feel. You put everything into your company and for it all to be gone—"

Lucy winced at those words. She could still remember hearing the Board members talk about pulling their investments and liquidizing the company after every author petitioned to cancel their contracts. Even if Urano Metria decided to reinforce the contracts and hold the authors to the terms that were agreed upon, the company would have to pause production and pull the books from the shelves until the legal disputes were over. That would be a costly endeavor and one that would have to be done for every single author. The company would have no revenue coming in, since every author was petitioning for release, making the heavy litigation costs seem unfeasible. Not to mention, if they did win, the trust of Urano Metria was too damaged within the publishing community. How would they market to future clients to allow them to publish their books after this? The Board said it would be best to cut their losses now.

"—but you have to take care of yourself. I'm worried about you Lu." Levy's voice choked up, but she rushed a reminder about her stopping by for dinner before hanging up.

It seemed Lucy's seclusion was over. It wasn't like Lucy was ignoring Levy or anyone else on purpose. She didn't know what to say. She felt like a complete failure. If Levy was coming over, she didn't want her friend to find her curled up in bed. With that thought, she threw back the covers and headed for the bathroom. She turned the faucet and waited until the water was hot before stripping and jumping in.

As she was getting out of the shower, the doorbell rang. Lucy quickly threw on a robe and raced to the door, thinking it was Levy. It was too early for dinner, but Levy might have decided to stop by earlier.

"Hey, Levy. Listen, I'm—"

"I finally found you." Lucy felt arms wrap around her, squeezing her tight. Her reflexes took over. She broke out of the embrace the way Natsu had taught her and grabbed one of the stranger's arms, twisting it as she moved. There was a cry of pain, before Lucy shoved the person against the doorframe. She hadn't been to the gym ever since she lost her company. Her movements were slower than they used to be, but she was thankful that she wasn't completely rusty.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" She demanded, twisting the person's arm up as she spoke.

The person hissed with pain. "Lucy. W-Wait. It's me. Loke."

Lucy let him go, dropping his arm as if it were a hot kettle. She backed away, only stopping when her back pressed against the hallway wall. She watched as he turned around, moving his arm gingerly. His hair was different. That was the first thing she noticed. It was shorter, the orange locks now short spikes all across his head. However, everything else was the same. His face. His voice. His hazel eyes that smiled down at her. After five years, the first man she had ever given her heart too—the first man she had ever loved, had returned.

A tremor started in her legs, making them shake uncontrollably. The strength in them disappeared, and she felt herself falling to the ground. Loke caught her, wrapping his arm around her waist. Instinctively, she leaned into him, feeling weak. He scooped her up, carrying her back into the apartment bridal style, and closed the door behind him.

Loke stared down at her as he carried her to her couch, looking at her like she was a dream that didn't quite seem real. Lucy was sure she was giving him the same look in return. Every place his body made contact with hers, she felt intensely. He laid her down on the couch, crouching down so their eyes were nearly leveled.

"Are you alright?" Loke's hazel's eyes were full of concern. Lucy could see herself reflected in them, and her heart started beating rapidly. His hand moved to rest on her forehead as he felt for signs of a fever. "You're warm."

Her body bolted upright, a blush creeping across her cheeks as she sat up. Her skin tingled where his hand had touched her. She turned her body, her eyes searching his face. It was him. There was no mistaking it. He was right there. All she had to do was reach out and touch him. Her hand was resting on his cheek before she even realized she had moved it. He leaned into her touch, his hand resting on top of hers.

"Loke?" Her voice was strained, as she held back the tears gathering in her eyes. "You're really here?"

Loke didn't say anything. He stood up and tugged her up along with him before wrapping her in his arms once again. Lucy felt him shaking. He held her as if he thought she would disappear. Her hands curled up against his chest, as she breathed in his familiar scent. He smelled like the night, with a hint of marigolds. It brought a memory to her mind of the two of them lying in a field, watching stars shoot across the sky. He told her to make a wish, but she couldn't think of anything else she wanted as she lied in his arms. He smelled like home. "God, I've missed you, Lucy," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion while pressing her against his chest.

Lucy pushed him away. Hurt flashed in his eyes. Her heart ached for his arms to be around her again, but she couldn't let herself get caught up in her emotions. She wrapped her arms around her to keep from reaching out to him again. There was no denying her racing heart, but she couldn't forget all the pain she had suffered when he left her. Loke couldn't just come back in and sweep the five years of absence away like nothing had happened.

"Five years." Lucy's voice trembled as she spoke. "For five years, I had no idea where you were…" her voice grew quieter, the tears morphing her words. "...if you were okay...if you were coming back. Do you have any idea what you put me through? How scared I was for you?"

"Lu—"

"I could understand if you didn't want to be with me. If you regretted marrying me. If you didn't love me anymore..." She made herself look at him then, and felt all the heartache she suppressed for so long coming to the surface.

"What are you saying?" Loke's voice was soft, he took a few steps toward her. "None of that is true. Being with you, marrying you, Lucy, how could I regret any of that? I love you."

"So why did you leave without even saying goodbye?"

Loke froze. His brow crumpled slightly, shame coloring his eyes. "I didn't have a choice," he answered, slowly. He took a breath, looking toward the window as he continued. "Your father didn't want us to be together. He made that very clear, but I thought he would come around to the idea if he saw how happy we both were. How much in love we were. But I was wrong." He moved to sit on the couch, hanging his head low as he ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Your father came to me one day, and gave me two choices. I had to leave you and swear to sever all contact immediately. If I didn't, if I chose to stay with you, he would have me killed."

Lucy gasped. "Father threatened to..." It seemed ruining her wedding hadn't been enough for him.

"Lucy. You, of all people, must know your father was not one to give idle threats." Loke crossed the room to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his own. "You have to believe me when I say I would have never left you like that if I had any other choice. I just thought, if I left, I could find a way for us to be together again. A means for you to really escape the hold your father had on you and no matter his threats, I could protect you. When I found out your father had died, I celebrated that day. All I could think about was finding you again. These five years without you—they were the loneliest years of my life. I didn't want to spend another second apart, now that there wasn't anyone standing between us. I imagined I would come back, explain everything and then...if you could forgive me for hurting you...if there was a chance you still loved me…we could start again." His thumb brushed against her ring finger—feeling the absence of the the ring he placed there, the symbol of their love and their promise to spend forever together. "Unless I'm too late."

More tears slipped down Lucy's cheeks as she closed her eyes. For so long, she had been waiting for this moment—for Loke to return and explain everything. It made the ache in her heart dull. She finally knew the truth. It wasn't because he had stopped loving her, it was because of her father. Her gut twisted with disgust and anger. All her sorrows traced back to him.

But he's not here anymore.

Lucy opened her eyes, smiling up at Loke. The hope she had kept tucked away was starting to swell inside of her. There were so many questions she had for him. There was so many things she wanted to tell him. She entwined their fingers together. Urano Metria may be gone, but now, life had returned someone she thought she had lost forever back to her side.

The following weeks passed by in a blur. Lucy spent every second she could with Loke. They were nearly inseparable, filling each moment of the day with stories, catching each other up on the last five years.

She told him about starting her company and how Virgo was her first employee. It was painful to talk about Urano Metria and all her former employees, but she wanted Loke to know everything. She told him about meeting Gray and Levy when she first came to New York. How their friendships helped her overcome Loke's absence. The most difficult thing was telling Loke about Natsu. He had become such a huge part of her life, but she had trouble voicing what he was to her. When she called him her friend, it didn't quite fit. It didn't accurately describe Natsu the way the word did for Gray or Levy. Natsu was special to her in a way that was unlike anyone she had ever met.

Lucy had explained to Loke about their fake marriage and how her father had ruined even that happy memory. Loke had proposed to her again right then and there, wanting to marry her and start their lives together. However, Lucy needed some time to think. Five years was a long time to be apart, especially since she had spent that time thinking Loke had abandoned her. There was so much that each had missed in the other's lives. Despite trying to bridge the gap and filling the other in on all the missing years, neither of them had been there to experience anything first hand. Things were definitely different between them now. They were both different. Could they really do it? Could they pick up where they left off and start a life together despite the changes they both have gone through? She didn't know what the future held in store for them, or if there even was a future.

It wasn't that she didn't care about Loke. Lucy had thought about him every day since he left her all those years ago. When she thought Lyon was going to kill her, Lucy wrote him a letter in hope that, even though she had no idea where he was, or if he even still loved her, it would reach him and he would know, that even after everything, a part of her heart was still his. Lucy cursed her father once again. If it hadn't been for her father's interference, Loke would have never left. They would have been married and wouldn't have lost the past five years because of her father's meddling. However, her life would probably be drastically different too. Would she have ever started her company? Would she had met Virgo, Aries, or any of her other employees? Would she have even met the friends she had now? Gray and Levy and Natsu.

Natsu. Her thoughts paused on his name. I most likely would have never met him...

Lucy dug through her ottoman in her bedroom, uncovering the small ring box she kept in the false bottom. The ring was simple, just a silver band with a small diamond fixed in the center. It had been four years since she had last worn it. Taking it from the soft velvet folds, she slipped the ring onto her finger.

Her father was dead and Loke was here, still in love with her, wanting the life they were robbed of. A life together. There were still things Lucy were unsure of about Loke and the five years he was away, but the love was still there. She had buried it deep inside of her heart, but it had never disappeared. They might have lost those five years, but they could spend the rest of their lives making up for it. Lucy removed the ring, letting it rest on the palm of her hand. There was no way of knowing how her life would have turned out if her father had never interfered. All Lucy had control over was how things would turn out now.