Disclaimer Hiro Mashima owns fairy tail and all it's awesomeness. I also do not make any money at all off of my fanfics either...unfortunately lol.

*Lucy's p.o.v*

How could I be so frigging dumb! I knew it had been a bad idea the moment I walked into Blue Pegasus, but I'd still stayed with Master until after my talk with Jenny. She was right I should have put more thought into how Hibiki would have felt, if he'd have returned to the guild and found me standing there after he'd thought me to be dead for the last seven years. Jenny had suggested I should wait until after their Master had broken the news before seeing him and I got where she was coming from, don't get me wrong, but was it so wrong for me to want to rush and see Hibiki so badly after us being apart for so long? For me it had only been a week, for all intensive purposes. Two if you included the return trip.

"Um miss, we have arrived at Magnolia station." The steward mentioned pointing out of the window and snapping me out of my very deep thoughts. Luckily for me this was the last stop this train took, or I might be halfway to Hargeon by now. I departed the train and decided that I needed to go and sort my head out a little before returning to the guild. And I knew just the thing to help me do that, a nice long bath followed by a good nights sleep in my own bed. I mean I'm probably not thinking straight today because I didn't sleep well last night, what with being slumped over a table and all. Yes that's just what I needed, to go home and have some time and space to myself to think things over.

"Open gate of the canis minor, Nikola." I called watching as Plue manifested in front of me for the first time in 7 years...Oh it had been seven years since I last called any of my spirits they must have been so worried about me. I made a mental note to call them all later and tell them I was back...Though calling Plue had probably already done that task for me.

"Pun, Pun." Plue called in his weird bark type thing, as he rushed over to hug my ankle. I felt tears spring to my eyes at his action, I hadn't realised how lonely I was feeling.

"Oh Plue," I whispered, plucking him up off the ground into my arms so that I could cuddle him. "I've missed you."

"Pun," Plue replied nuzzling into my chest as I started to carry him home with me.

"It's nice to be home right plue?" I asked, setting him down on the wall next to the river and hopped up next to him, so we could do our usual routine of balancing as we walked home. This felt so nostalgic I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face, I truly was home. "We're here." I sang as I jumped down in front of the house that contained my cozy apartment. Wow it hadn't changed at all since I left, wonder how my room was doing after 7 years of being neglected...I shuddered at the image that popped up into my mind. Oh well better go in and survey the damage. Here we go I looked down at Plue as I pushed the door open and as I was about to take my first step back into my home I noticed somebody blocking the stairway.

"L-landlady," I stuttered as I started to sweat profusely, this could not end well for me.

"I heard you were back and I'm glad you're safe." She said placing her hands on her hips. Okay that wasn't as bad as I'd expected, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad experience for me after all.

"But your rent is something else!" Her tone switched from slightly warm to being harsher. I knew this wasn't going to be good for me, I'd never thought of how much rent I would owe her after seven years. "You owe me 5,880,00 jewel in back payment for the last seven years if you don't pay up, you're not setting foot in this house!"

I was wrong this was worse that I could ever have imagined it was horrific! I stood rooted to the spot where I was standing just on the doorway into the house, feeling my newly restored hope drift away at my landlady's ultimatum I turned around, let the door swing closed behind me and went to find a place to sit down. Once I found a spot next to the river, where I had only minutes before been wobbling along happily, I sank down onto my butt and tried to think up a solution to my dilemma.

"5,880,00 jewel is a lot of money that I don't have." I wailed burying my head in my hands. "What am I going to do?"

"Pun Pun," Plue tapped his paw against my arm in a reassuring gesture. I may have (maybe) lost my boyfriend and, (definitely) lost my home all in one day but at least I still had my friends to count on and I knew they would never leave me.

"It's just so much has changed in these last 7 years Plue it's hard for me to adapt to. The guild is broke, most of the members have left to find other guilds, Jet and Droy look totally different now. Bisca and Al are married with a daughter...nothing's the same anymore is it?" I asked tilting my head to the side, so I could see his face.

"Puuuun." He nodded in agreement. Great how am I supposed to deal with all this?

"Father." I looked up into the sky as an image of him popped up into my mind. "This means I haven't seen or been in contact with him for seven years either. He must be worried about me." I looked back down to the ground, memories of Cana and Gildarts family reunion on tenroujima flashing into my mind followed by memories of my own father and past came rushing up to the forefront of my mind. Before I realised this feeling of wanting to see him began welling up inside my chest. I'd felt something similar before Acnologia attacked but it hadn't been this intense.

"Maybe I should go and see him...You know Plue I think this may be the very first time I've ever wanted to visit my dad." I explained turning to smile at my spirit.

"Pun pun," He nodded in excitement at my words. Yes I think seven years is a long enough time for my dad to have suffered my lose and maybe have rebuilt his fortune...

"I-it's not like I'm going to ask to borrow any money or anything!" I quickly refuted this thought that strayed into my head...though if he offered me some money I most certainly wasn't going to turn it down.

*Hibiki's p.o.v*

"Well that was simple," Eve beamed walking out of the knights detention centre, where we had just deposited the bandits and collected our reward. Yes I had to admit it had been too simple, I'd been hoping for a job that would keep us a little busier but anyway what's done is done.

"Hey guys I'm going to go and pay my respects to Lucy's parents and fill them in on what's happened." I explained, starting to turn off of the path onto the trail that lead up to the cemetery where Jude and Layla Heartfilia were buried. While Jude-san had been alive he had constantly come around asking if our search had brought any new information to light. Every time he would leave more disheartened that he might never see he daughter again. as had I. The last time I'd seen him, before his admittance to hospital, Jude-san hadn't looked well at all so I'd promised, instead of him always straining himself and coming to see me. I would come and inform him immediately when I got some news, good or bad. Not long after that he died. It had been a shock and I knew he had died with an uneasy heart so it was only fair that I hold to my word now, and go and tell him the news and then maybe he could rest in peace along with Layla and Lucy.

"I'll come with you." Eve volunteered sauntering over to my side. I turned my head to look at Ren to see what he intended to do.

"I'm off home, I want to spend some time with Sherry." Ren waved, walking off in the direction of the train station. Well it didn't surprise me, Ren hadn't been as close to Lucy as Eve had. Thinking back I didn't think he spent any time with us after the oracion seis incident had wrapped up. He'd always been too busy wooing Sherry after he had helped his mum recover.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Eve." I smiled watching my younger teammate walk ahead of me. This would be his first time seeing the Heartfilia family grave.

"Yep it seems so," He said looking back at me with sad eyes. "Are we going to talk to the head manager about Lucy's funeral?"

"Well we have too, I mean the funeral will be soon." I sighed looking up at the beautiful sunset that was gracing the sky this evening. Lucy would have loved to see this, she always loved watching the sunset. Maybe we could hold her funeral around this time of day?

"Are you sure there's absolutely no way she's alive?" Eve whimpered, tears threatening to fall again. Why did he always have to cry, it made me feel like a total ass when I had to shut his hope down and it also always made me want to join in his tears.

"Eve please," I begged, not wanting to have to answer this question again. I couldn't let my heart be broken once more. It had only just started to fully heal, hoping that Lucy would...No she's dead end of! I wouldn't let myself think those thoughts again, they were just too painful.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, looking down at the ground as we started the ascent up the hill that overlooked Lucy's parents resting place. I'd known about this place since Lucy had talked about bringing me here to meet her mom, she had been so happy about the idea that I'd promised to come with her as soon as she returned. Well I guess in a way I was keeping that promise. I would be visiting with her when she returned, just not in the way we'd original planned, but at least I'd be bringing her back to her parents.

"It's alright, I know it's only because you miss her." I replied trying to put his mind at ease.

"Don't you miss her, Hibiki?" Eve asked looking back up now that we had reached the stairs that lead down to the grave site. Why were there so many stairs here?

"Every day." I whispered looking off into the distance. Oh I think somebody's already here, that's unusual.

"Hey doesn't that look like..." Eve said pointing down to the figure that I'd just noticed.

"Lucy." A blue flying cat spoke hoovering closer to the blonde head of hair that stood below. HAPPY?!

"Happy." A pink haired man warned, shaking his head to stop the feline from disturbing the blonde. Natsu? What the hell was going on here. Was I hallucinating? I glanced to my side to see if Eve was seeing what I was. From the look of utter shock on his face I was guessing it wasn't just me.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Hibiki?" Eve whispered, as if he was afraid that his voice might break the spell and the scene in front of us would disappear into thin air.

"I am...but how is it possible?" I breathed out, feeling tears well up in my eyes and my throat close up with emotion. My god that really was Natsu and Happy...but they didn't look a day older than when I last saw them. How?! I looked down to see if that was my Lucy with them, but I could only see the top of her head as she was looking down at the spot where Jude-san's grave lay.

"Duck!" Eve grabbed my shirt and yanked me down behind the wall, just as the blonde looked up to gaze at the sky. The face that greeted me when I peeked up over the edge of the wall was all to, heartbreakingly, familiar. This had to be a dream! It just had to be.

"What is going on here?" I asked gazing down at the people who were supposed to be dead. Who I'd seen die before my very eyes!

"It's okay, sorry for making you worry over me." The girl finally spoke. I turned to look at Eve, the way he was looking at the girl in question confirmed it. There was no way I could ever forget the sound of that voice...She really was Lucy!

"Are you sure?" Happy inquired, walking over to place his hand on her boot. My eyes were glued on the scene unfolding before them, could this be some sort of illusion magic?

"Yeah, I just wasn't prepared to hear the news about my dad, I mean it's only been two months since I last saw him...No wait that's not right, it's been seven years now.I last saw him here, in Acalypha, and I had the feeling that my relationship with him might change," She sighed sadly, bringing her face back from looking up, so she was facing her pink haired teammate. Before tilting it down just enough, so that her face was most likely covered by her bangs.

"Hibiki." Eve started to say before I put my hand out to silence him. I needed to think, I needed to stop this strong urge inside my chest from making me dive over this railing and tackling the girl to the floor. I could not do that...could I?

"I don't really understand it, how come I can feel so sad...and lonely, but yet for some reason; the tears just won't come. Is it because I truly held no love for my father?" She brought her head back up now so that she was staring Natsu straight in the eyes. Natsu had a weird look on his face that I just couldn't seem to figure out..It was almost as if he wanted to hug his friends pain away.

"That isn't true," Natsu replied, crossing his arms over his chest, and getting a puzzled expression on his face. "I don't know how to put this, but I don't think it's about whether you cry or not after a loved one leaves you."

I felt my body go numb, I'd heard words to that effect once before, in the months following, the announcement of Tenroujima's oblivion. I'd felt numb, sad, lonely; all of what Lucy was feeling right now but I couldn't for the life of me cry. Eve was bawling like a baby, several other members who had been friends with a missing member had cried, but I had just sat there feeling dead like my world had ended. This had continued for awhile until I had confided in Jenny and her words to me were: "How much you loved a person cannot be determined by the amount of tears you shed after they leave."

"Didn't Jenny say something like that once?" Eve asked me in hushed tones, as I chuckled lightly at the irony of this situation. Natsu was comforting Lucy in the best way he could, as Jenny did for me. When it really should be me down there right now holding the grieving woman in my arms whispering sweet words of reassurance in her ear. Hell I should have been the one to inform the poor woman of her late fathers passing...but I had thought that Jude-san had gone to meet with his wife and daughter when he passed. Now she would truly be alone...Focus Hibiki!

"Yeah she did." I sighed returning my attention to Lucy. She really hadn't aged a day, she was still my beautiful Lucy...No that's wrong, I don't get to call her mine anymore I had someone else to call mine now. But why was I feeling so jealous of Natsu at this moment?

"Yeah thanks." Lucy finally replied to Natsu's statement her voice still full of untold sadness. "It's strange but I really am fine, so let's go home okay."

"Okay." Happy and Natsu agreed, Natsu offering Lucy his hand while Happy flew up into her arms. She walked over to the pinkett with Happy in her arms and let him take hold of her hand as they exited the cemetery together.

"Pinch me will you Eve." I asked once the three were all safely out of sight. I still wasn't sure if I actually saw what I saw or if it was some incredibly realistic illusion magic. "Ouch that hurt!"

"See it isn't a dream!" Eve cried with pure joy. "LUCY IS ALIVE!"