A/N: Ugh. Just barely getting this out after a full year. I really do suck at updating and for that, I do apologize. I really want to finish this story lol I just haven't felt like writing. I keep trying to write but end up closing the document after a few minutes.
Also note, if I get any court proceedings wrong or any legal jargon, I am not a law expert and the only knowledge I have of court is from various shows I've watched, and one court case I witnessed as a child. That said, I will try my best! Hope you guys enjoy this update!
Natsu's POV
Today was the day; today was the day I would receive karma for all of my many mistakes. Jellal had told me that he had worked out a deal with the prosecution that would result in lighter sentencing, but that didn't change the fact that I was going to be deemed guilty. Years of darkness, wicked mistakes and stupid missteps were about to come bite me in the ass. None of this mattered to me, however, as I was nothing more than a hollow shell of my former self. I had pushed away the best thing in my life; Lucy, and lord knows that was a stupid decision. I wanted to give her the best chance at happiness, but all the rationalizing in the world couldn't ease the ache that pierced my heart. I wanted nothing more than for Lucy to walk through the door, wrapping me in her embrace. She was all I thought about, she was the reason I wanted to be a better man.
"Dragneel! It's time." I turned as one of the guards entered the room. I said nothing as I stood up, following the guard as he led me to the courtroom. I remained silent as I was led to one of the tables, taking a seat next to Jellal, who was busy shuffling through documents.
"Are you ready?" Jellal asked; I simply nodded, remaining silent as I kept my head down. I heard footsteps echo through the courtroom as reporters, witnesses and strangers filled the room.
"Natsu," I turned slightly as I heard Jellal whisper to me.
"Look who's here," Jellal whispered. I rolled my eyes, raising my head and turning back to the crowd. I scanned the faces of people, wondering who Jellal was trying to point out, and that's when I saw it, rather, her. The familiar blonde hair that flowed down those rosy cheeks, those beautiful brown eyes that connected with mine. Sitting a few rows down was Lucy, her gaze soft as she stared back at me. She gave me a small wave before looking to the side sheepishly. My heart was racing as I turned back around. Lucy actually showed up for me. Even after everything I had done? Before I could even sort out my thoughts, I heard one of the guards at the front clear her throat.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Makarov," I mentally sighed. Makarov was known for being a ruthless judge with a very short temper, much like his stature. How could Jellal possibly convince him to give me a lighter sentence? I stood up as Makarov entered the room, his face already showing signs of irritation as he took to the bench.
"Let us proceed," Makarov's voiced boomed out. Man, for such a tiny man, he sure could shout. I sat back down, turning back to gaze at Lucy once more. She gave me an encouraging nod, and somehow, I felt slightly relieved.
"Today we have the case of the City of Magnolia vs. Natsu Dragneel. Prosecution, you may proceed," Makarov said. I turned to look at the prosecution and my eyes widened as I saw Kagura Mikazuchi, the current DA and probably the most vindictive and successful lawyer in the business. I knew plenty of former associates that had been put away because of her, and as far as I knew, she had never lost a case. This was definitely not going to be easy.
"Thank you, Your Honor," Kagura said as she walked to the center of the room. Her stern gaze connected with mine for a brief moment, and I saw the slight hint of amusement sparkle in her eyes.
"People of the court, as many of you know, Natsu Dragneel has built the reputation of being one of, if not, the most dangerous drug kingpin in all of Fiore. For years, we have tried to apprehend him and he has always managed to slip through our fingers. However, today we are presented with the opportunity to serve justice where justice is due," Kagura began, her voice firm but cold as she spoke.
"That said, I know that we cannot convict Mr. Dragneel over word-of-mouth, so I invite our first witness to the stand. She was a former associate and flame of Mr. Dragneel, and I know she will be able to show you the heinous acts that Mr. Dragneel has committed," My eyebrows immediately narrowed as I knew exactly who she was talking about. I turned and I felt the anger boiling in me as I saw Lisanna enter the room, dressed all prim and proper as she approached the bench. As she passed me, she gave me a devilish smirk, chuckling slightly as she did.
"That bitch," I muttered to myself. She had probably struck some sort of immunity deal with the DA in exchange for her testimony.
"Please state your name for the court," Makarov said, glancing at Lisanna.
"Of course, Your Honor. My name is Lisanna Strauss, former associate and ex-girlfriend of Natsu Dragneel," Lisanna said, smiling with the fakest sweetness I had ever seen.
"Ms. Strauss, can you tell us a bit about your history with Mr. Dragneel?" Kagura asked.
"Certainly," Lisanna said, flashing me a sinister smile.
"I met Natsu in high school when I found him sitting alone in a park. I could tell that he was having a rough time, so I invited him to hang out with me. Soon, meeting up in the park became our regular thing. Somewhere along the line, we ended up getting together, and that's when everything began to spiral," Lisanna began to explain our history. I rolled my eyes, really wishing I could be anywhere else so I didn't have to hear her annoying voice recap details I would rather forget.
"We began to build our business, and we were making good money doing so. After some time had passed, we had talked about running off and starting a real life together. The night before our high school graduation, I had a party at my home. Natsu and all of our friends came to celebrate and the night started off great. Eventually, Natsu and I were spending some alone time together while everyone else was chatting outside. I kept hearing strange noises and I asked Natsu about them, but he played it off. In reality, he was distracting me so his friends could start their little plan," Lisanna continued. I turned to look at the jury, and I gulped slightly as I could see them hanging on to every word.
"What plan are you speaking of?" Kagura asked, leaning back against her table.
"A few minutes had gone by when my older sister burst into the room, exclaiming that our house was on fire. She asked me to come with her and instructed Natsu to call the fire department. My sister and I tried to evacuate our family but we were unsuccessful. In all the chaos, I wanted to make sure Natsu was okay so I ran back to my room to see if he was still inside, and that's when I found my safe emptied. I hurried outside to see Natsu and his crew running down the sidewalk. I tried calling out to him, but he never turned back," Lisanna explained, flashing me an annoyed look.
"At first, I was confused about everything that had happened. I tried calling Natsu, texting him, but never heard anything from him after that night. Once we got the report on the fire though, everything began to make sense. Natsu had gotten me alone so his friends could rig our house to start the fire. In the chaos, Natsu had stolen all of our stash and my cash," Lisanna finished explaining. I shuddered slightly as I could hear both the crowd and jury murmuring amongst themselves.
"So, you're telling us that Natsu betrayed the one he loved most, long before he became the vicious criminal we know him as today?" Kagura asked, crossing her arms in a way that shouted superiority.
"Exactly right. When I met him, he was a lonely and depressed boy. I could never have imagined that he would become the monster that he turned into," Lisanna's gaze shifted to me, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness. As our eyes locked, something inside me just snapped. I slammed my palm down on the table, rising from my chair. All eyes in the room turned to me, witnessing the negative energy that flowed between me and Lisanna.
"You mean the monster you made me, you spiteful witch!" I shouted, my fists clenching at my side. I was fighting every urge to leap across the room and sock her in the face.
"Mr. Dragneel!" Makarov's voice boomed as he slammed the gavel down. I sighed as I looked up at the stand where Makarov was glaring at me with burning fire.
"This is still a courtroom, and despite your complicated history with Ms. Strauss, I will not tolerate any violent outbursts. Sit down or you will finish this hearing in a jail cell!" Makarov shouted. I sighed as I sat back down, trying to quell my seething anger. I turned back to look at Lucy, hoping I could draw some reassurance from her. Her gaze met mine, and I could see she was as concerned and confused as I was. As I looked at her, I felt something stir inside of me, as memories began racing through my mind, the most prominent one being the last time I saw my father; I was five at the time. I don't know why the memory decided to present itself now.
"Is this the shop you were talking about, Daddy?" I bounced with excitement as I stared out the car window. Father had been talking about this cool new toy store that had opened recently and he had finally agreed to take me to it today.
"Yes, son. Just let me find a place to park," My father's gruff voice echoed from the front seat. I nodded enthusiastically, excited for all the cool toys I was going to find inside. Once we parked the car, my dad turned to face me.
"Go ahead and run inside. I have to grab something from one of the shops down the street. Shouldn't be more than twenty minutes," My father said. I nodded, bounding of the car as I felt excitement coursing through me. Upon entering the store, my eyes lit up as I noticed all the shelves filled with various items, like actions figures, Legos, stuffed animals and so many other things.
I glanced around, wondering where I wanted to go first. As I scanned the aisles, I saw something that caught my eye. Sitting on a shelf down the aisle was a stuffed red dragon. Dragons were by far my favorite animal so I excitedly hurried over to it. I grabbed it off the shelf and hugged it tightly; this was definitely the toy I wanted. I perused the aisles a bit more, seeing a couple of action figures I would want to come back for later.
Glancing at the little kids watch on my wrist, I noticed that roughly 45 minutes had passed since Dad dropped me off.
"He only said twenty minutes… maybe I should go find him?" I wondered to myself. I headed towards the front of the store, wondering if my father was simply waiting for me. I approached the entrance, disappointed that there was no sign of him.
"Everything okay, little guy?" I turned to see one of the cashier ladies walking up to me, a soft smile on her face.
"I can't find my dad," I said, clutching the dragon slightly.
"Oh dear, well I can help you find him. Did he come inside with you?" She asked. I shook my head.
"He told me to go inside while he ran to one of the other stores. He said he'd only be twenty minutes," I said, looking down at the floor. Dad hadn't forgotten about me, did he?
"How long has it been?" The woman asked. I glanced back at my watch.
"About an hour," I said, and I felt nervous as I saw the smile on the woman's face fade, a look of concern growing in her eyes.
"Did he mention what shop he was going to?" She questioned. I thought about it for a second and realized he had never told me which store he was going to.
"No," I said, my voice shaking a bit. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I felt so lost. I had grown very attached to my father, as my mother had died when I was a baby.
"Oh don't cry, honey. Come with me," she said, reaching her hand out. I eyed it for a moment before taking it. She led me to one of the benches by the door, motioning for me to sit down. I obliged, sitting down on the wooden bench. I sniffled a bit as I hugged the dragon close to my chest.
"Wait here a moment. I'm going to make a quick call and see what I can do," she said, patting my head. I nodded, watching her disappear to a different room a few feet away. I sat in silence, watching the automatic doors open every so often, customers walking in and out of the store. I kept hoping one of them was going to be my father, but I was only met with disappointment.
After what felt like hours (it had been about twenty minutes), I turned to the doors once more as they opened. My brows furrowed in confusion as I saw two cops walk in. Did someone do something bad? I turned to the left as I heard the door open, the woman from earlier reappearing as she approached the police. They were just barely out of earshot but I could make out a few of their words.
"Is that him?" I heard one of the officers ask. The woman nodded. They began chatting about something, to which I couldn't make out. Eventually, one of the officers came over to me.
"Hey there, little man. What's your name?" The officer sat down next to me, a warm smile on his face.
"Natsu… Natsu Dragneel," I said. I saw the officer turn to look at the other, nodding as the other officer began typing in something on the tablet he was carrying.
"So your father left you here?" The officer turned back to me. I nodded slightly as I felt the tears well up in my eyes again.
"Was that the toy you were going to buy?" The officer pointed to the dragon that I was still clutching to my chest. I nodded again, trying to fight back the tears that wanted to break from my eyes. The officer remained silent for a moment, before pulling out his wallet.
"Excuse me, ma'am," The officer turned to the cashier.
"Yes sir, what can I do for you?" she asked, approaching us.
"I'd like to purchase that dragon," The officer said, handing her a card from his wallet. She smiled sweetly as she took it.
"Of course, I'll be right back," she said as she turned and headed to one of the registers. After a few moments, she returned and handed the card back to the officer before going back to the other one.
"There you go, buddy. He's your dragon now," The officer said, smiling warmly at me once more. I sniffled as I mustered a small smile back before looking down at the dragon in my arms.
Eventually, the officers told me to come with them. They led me out of the store and into their car. They attempted to make conversation with me, but I didn't feel like talking much. I simply hugged the dragon close to my chest, watching the clouds in the sky as we drove along. Eventually, we pulled up to the curb of a large house which had a sign out front; it read "The Vermillion Home for Children".
"Come on, buddy," The officer who purchased the dragon for me spoke, getting out of the car. I nodded, stepping out of the car. He led me to the porch, ringing the doorbell as we approached the door. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal an elderly woman, a soft smile on her face.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. This is the boy we called about earlier," The officer said. The lady looked down at me.
"So you must be Natsu, is that right?" The woman asked. I nodded, still clutching the dragon to my chest.
"Thank you officer, I'll take it from here," The woman said. The officer nodded before turning to me.
"Best of luck, kid," The officer smiled at me, patting my head as he did so.
"Thanks for the dragon," I replied softly.
"Of course," The officer replied before turning to head back to his car. Once they drove off, I turned back to the woman.
"Follow me, dear," she said, leading me inside the house. She led me upstairs, and as we passed a few rooms, I could see other kids that were either my age or a little bit older. Some of them glanced at me, others ignored us walking past. She led me to a room at the end of the hall. Turning on the light, I could see a small bed in corner, an old, wooden desk and a dresser in the corner.
"This will be your room," The woman said. M y room? What happened to my room at home?
"I already have a room though. Dad is going to pick me up, right?" I turned to her, and I could see her gaze flicker with sadness. She kneeled down, putting her hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't think your father is coming back," My heart lurched as she spoke. Tears began to stream down my face as I turned to look at the floor.
"I wish this wasn't the case, but unfortunately, it happens to many children, which is why we have homes like these," The woman explained, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll let you be. Supper should be ready in an hour if you get hungry," The woman said before she stood up and exited the room. I ran and flopped on the bed, hugging the dragon tightly to my chest as I sobbed into the sheets. Eventually, I stopped crying and sat up, looking down at the dragon in my lap.
"I'm going to name you Igneel!" I exclaimed, hugging the dragon once more.
"You'll never leave me, right Igneel?" I asked, the dragon still clutched tightly against my chest.
I was snapped by to reality as I heard the sound of the gavel slam once more. I looked up to see Makarov glaring at me very irately.
"Mr. Dragneel, for the last time, sit back down! I suggest that you start adhering to the decorum of this courtroom instead of standing there daydreaming," Makarov barked. I turned back to look at Lucy, and after seeing her gaze meet mine, coupled with the memory, I know what I needed to do.
"Actually, Your Honor, would it be okay if I said something?" I asked. I heard a few gasps echo from around the room.
"What are you doing?" Jellal whispered to me, grabbing my wrist.
"Trust me," I whispered back, giving him a serious look. Jellal said nothing as he let go of my wrist.
"Well, Your Honor?" I turned back to Makarov. The old man remained silent for a few moments before sighing.
"Very well, proceed to the stand," Makarov said. I nodded as I walked to the room, ignoring the cold gaze of Lisanna and the confused looks of the onlookers. I sat down at the stand, glancing once more at Lucy. Her expression was filled with both confusion and concern as she watched me. I gave her a wink before clearing my throat.
"As you already know, I am Natsu Dragneel. You have heard a lot of terrible things about me today, and I just want to save everyone the time by saying that is all true," I began to speak. I heard a few gasps and murmurs, and I could see every gaze in the room watching me with rapt attention.
"However, the real truths I want to share are the stories that you don't know about me," I said, taking a deep breath as I finished. I could feel emotions brewing in my chest. I looked at Lucy once more and she gave me an encouraging nod, as if she was reading my thoughts and knew exactly what I was about to do. I nodded back. It was time to let all this darkness go. It was time for a fresh start.
"I never knew my mother; she passed away shortly after my birth. From this, I only knew my father. Looking back, while I was overtly attached to him, he wasn't a good parent. He would often ignore me, instead leaving me in the care of various babysitters so he could go gamble and drink. During the seldom times he was home, he'd be busy with work calls or entertaining his woman of the week. Our house was basically a revolving door of young bachelorettes. Anyways, one day, he said he wanted to take me to the new toy store I had been begging to go to. I won't bore you with details but in reality, he took me there so he could leave and never return. That was the last time I ever saw him. I was soon taken to a group home where I would live until I aged out at 18. The staff at the home were nice enough, but I was relentlessly teased and bullied by other kids, mostly for my unnatural hair color, but also because my father didn't want me. My only friend at the time was this stuffed dragon that one of the officer's had bought me. His name was Igneel," I explained, turning to Lucy as I said the dragon's name. I could see the gears turning in her head as she realized why I named the one she gave me the same name.
"Anyways," I coughed, "life outside of the home was equally as rough. I was a terrible student, failed every class and constantly switch schools because I'd pick fights with bullies and get expelled. I was friendless, a social outcast, until I met Lisanna. She already explained the tale to you, but I will say that at the time, it felt like being on cloud nine. Someone finally accepted me, someone finally wanted me. As we began selling, I finally felt like I was doing something right. I was finally successful at something. I was making money; I had a great relationship and Lisanna helped me do better in school so I could graduate on time. Then everything went downhill," I paused for a moment, looking at Lisanna as I mentioned her. Her expression was unreadable as she watched me.
"The fire happened, and from there, I would go to work for a man named Zeref, eventually taking over his operation when he was killed during a run. Over the years, the pain I had experienced, the things I had done, began to brew a darkness inside me. I felt my heart harden as I closed myself off from the world, only caring about how much money I could make. If I couldn't have friends, if I couldn't have love, then you can bet that I was going to be the most powerful crime lord that Fiore had ever seen. Things were up and down for a while, that is, until I met a certain someone," I said, turning to look at Lucy once more. Her eyes widened as she realized I was talking about her.
"That beautiful, amazing blonde sitting there in the crowd. Her name is Lucy and the day she entered my life changed me forever," I said, gesturing towards Lucy. The blonde's gaze turned sheepish as the room turned to look at her. She gave a small, awkward wave to everyone.
"Lucy was originally a member of the Fiore PD and she infiltrated my organization in an attempt to take me down. At the start, we abhorred each other, constantly arguing and teasing each other. Upon discovering her identity, my initial plan was to use her for extra profit and then dispose of her. That quickly changed however when she got a call that her father was dying. I offered to go with her, to which her father called me a 'good man' and those words really struck a chord with me. No one had ever called me good before. After that day, the dynamic between Lucy and I changed. We learned more about each other, grew closer and eventually became friends. As I spent time with her, I could feel the darkness in me lifting. A life of crime was one I never wanted, and it took meeting Lucy for the change in me to begin. I shut down my operation a few weeks ago, deciding that it was time for a change. I want to be a better man, to live a normal life, for myself but most importantly for Lucy," I continued speaking and I could see Lucy's eyes brim with tears as I spoke.
"With all that said, I realize that none of this justifies the horrors that I've committed and that I deserve to be punished for my crimes. Whatever sentence you decide to give me, I will take it in stride. All I want is the opportunity to show everyone, myself included, that I can be a better man. Thank you," I said, rising from the stand. Everyone began murmuring to each other as I walked back to my seat. As I sat down, I felt Jellal pat me on the shoulder.
"Well done," he whispered. I nodded in return. The room was silent for what seemed like hours, the jurors and Makarov all contemplating what I had told them.
"Well, jurors, what do you think?" I lifted my head as I heard Makarov speak.
"We aren't sure, Your Honor. Perhaps it's best if you decide,' One of the men spoke. Most of the other jurors nodded their agreement. Makarov sighed as he turned to glance at me, before turning to the crowd.
"You, Lucy was it?" Makarov spoke as he pointed into the crowd. My eyes widened as he said her name, wondering what he wanted to talk to her about. Lucy stood up from her seat, clearing her throat.
"Yes, Your Honor?" Lucy asked. I watched Makarov with piqued interest, wondering what was coming next.
"Can you corroborate Mr. Dragneel's description of the events involving you? Do you think he is capable of the change that he claims you sparked within him?" Makarov asked. I turned my gaze back to Lucy, watching her think for a moment. What was she going to say? I know she cared about me, but with my fate now hanging in the balance, were her feelings really true? Did she really believe in me as much as she claimed to?
"Yes, Your Honor. I will not deny that when I first met Natsu, I thought he was a despicable and annoying. However, as I got to know him, I saw the good person hiding beneath. Natsu truly does have kindness within him, and I've witnessed firsthand the love he carries with him, the love he denies himself. I firmly believe that given the opportunity, Natsu is capable of becoming an amazing man," Lucy said, and I felt my heart speed up as she spoke. Lucy really did love me, she actually loved me. Why did I ever try to push her away? Hearing her words made me realize how much of an idiot I had been. I was fighting every urge to not leap across the railing and kiss her all over.
"Thank you, Miss. You may sit," Makarov said. Lucy nodded, sitting back in her chair. As she turned to look at me, I felt empowered by the emotion that soared between us.
"I'm sorry for everything," I mouthed to her, hoping that she could read lips.
"I know; I am too," she mouthed back. I grinned at her, our gazes remaining locked until the sound of the gavel broke us apart.
"Well, we have certainly heard a lot of interesting testimony today. While it cannot be denied that Mr. Dragneel needs to pay for his crimes, I also firmly believe that he is capable of change, as shown by himself and his companion today. With that in mind, coupled with a private conversation I had with his attorney, Mr. Fernandes, earlier, I have decided," Makarov said. A lump formed in my throat. This was it; this was going to decide the rest of my future.
"Mr. Dragneel, I hereby sentence you to three years in prison, after which you will be required to complete 150 hours of community service. Should you fail to complete those service hours, you will be reprimanded back into custody until a new sentence is carried out. I also want you to take any revenue leftover from your operation and donate it to a home of your choice. Those kids that are in the same situation you once were need all the help they can get, and I know you can empathize with that," Makarov said.
"Of course, Your Honor," I said, exhaling a sigh of relief as I hadn't received a life sentence. It's certainly what I deserved, but now, I had a chance at a better future. Hopefully a future with Lucy, if she would still have me.
"With that, court is adjourned," Makarov said, slamming the gavel for the last time.
"Well done, Natsu. I wish you luck," Jellal said to me, extending his hand. I shook it firmly.
"Thanks for your help," I replied. Jellal nodded before letting go. He rose from his chair and exited the room.
"Don't waste this chance, boy," I turned to see Makarov approach me.
"I promise I won't," I replied. Makarov's brow furrowed a bit.
"That remains to be seen, but that said, take care of that girl," he nodded towards Lucy who was still in her seat.
"She definitely cares a lot about you," Makarov said before turning to walk away. She certainly does, doesn't she? How did I get so fucking lucky?
"Let's go, Dragneel," One of the guards approached me, holding up a pair of cuffs. I nodded, placing my hands behind my back. After I was cuffed, they began leading me out the door. I stopped however as we approached Lucy.
"One moment," I said to the guard. He sighed, taking his hand off my arm. Lucy chuckled as she walked up to me.
"That was pretty moving to watch, and those things you said about me… who knew you had it in you?" Lucy said, smiling softly.
"What can I say? You bring out the best in me," I said, returning her smile.
"Come visit me, yeah?" I asked. Lucy titled her head.
"Still want me around?" Lucy teased.
"Are you kidding me? I want you every single fucking day for the rest of my life. I love you, Lucy Heartfilia," I said and I certainly meant every word.
"I love you too, Natsu Dragneel. Good luck," Lucy replied as she leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on my cheek. The guard took my arm again and began leading me out the door. I turned back to look at Lucy one last time, Lucy giving me a wave. I winked at her, feeling all the love I had for her course through my body. This was it; this was my chance to become a better man and it was all thanks to her. Once this sentence was over, and I completed my service hours, I planned on taking Lucy on a real date, and finally asking her to be with me. For the first time in years, I felt hopeful for the future.
And there ya have it! Tried to make it as long as I possibly could to make up for the year or so wait! I am already working on the next chapter so definitely expect a sooner update from me. I won't make any promises on when that will be, but it definitely won't be a year again. To anyone who has stuck with this story, thank you from the bottom of my heart. See you for the next one!