In which Kiera Redfox just needs reassurance. A lot of it.

For as far as she remembered, Lucy Heartfillia-Dragneel's generation was not one that followed the mantra of "the early bird gets the worm."

Quite the opposite actually, most of her guild-mates, when they were all younger, would not arrive at the guild before 11am and some would even have the audacity to take a nap upon their arrival at the guild instead of going to work.

In fact, the only time Lucy, who lived so close to the guild that it was embarrassing to arrive after 11am, even considered waking up before 10am was when the first of the month was approaching and she still didn't have the money for her rent. The need to get a job and earn money suddenly took priority over her twelve hours of sleep knowing that by default of earning said money, her sleep would now take place under the canal.

Now, many many years later, after kids and everything that came with adulthood, any minute of sleep past 5am was considered a win.

Lucy Heartfillia-Dragneel was in her bed, enjoying her sleep when she suddenly found herself awake and confused as to what woke her up.

She hadn't heard any notable noise and to honestly, after living with her son and her husband for the last decade and so, she could now sleep through a dozen natural catastrophes without any problem.

She looked at the clock on the other side of the room. 5:09AM. 9 more minutes of sleep than usual.

Unusual but not surprising considering the fact that Natsu was still out on mission with their two kids and that none of would come back before this afternoon. Maybe, she could take advantage of this rare vacation and sneak a few more hours of sleep.

Lucy snuggled again in her bed, feeling content and forgetting the reason for her awakening.

She was drifting back to Dreamland again, when she heard it and recognized it, the sound that woke her up. She thought it was the wind moving the bell that Natsu insisted on keeping as their doorbell. But it was clear as day now. It was the unmistakable cling and clang of someone trying to break in her house through her locked bedroom window.

The celestial mage awoke instantly again without moving. She didn't want the intruder to know she was awake yet and waited patiently until he finished fighting with the lock.

She sighed to herself, today would have been such a good day to sleep in if she wasn't being robbed.

The sudden breeze flowing through the room a few minutes later warned her that the window was now open and the sound of steps told her exactly how close the intruder was to her bed.

Lucy whirled around when the intruder's foot thudded against her bed frame, throwing her bedding, zodiac keys in hand, ready to fight when she locked eyes with ruby pupils.

Ruby pupils that belonged to, she realized, none other than Kiera Redfox, her goddaughter.

She was wearing one of her usual flowy long skirts and bright blue rain boots. Her green-blue hair was in two loopsided ponytails that she was sure Levy put great effort in... the day before.

Her outfit was completed by the green bag that seemed to never leave her back.

If Lucy wasn't in the room when Levy gave birth, she would swear Kiera came out of the womb with it.

The blonde woman sighed, the hand holding the keys dropping to her side. "Kiera, you scared me baby, what are you doing ?" She asked the girl.

The green-haired girl smiled at her, almost sheepishly, her showing missing tooth instantly mellowing any anger Lucy had. "Auntie Lu!" She yelled more than whispered. "You're awake !"

Lucy chuckled, laying back down in her bed. "I am now, indeed" She tapped to the empty space beside her. "Get down that window and come here. What are you doing breaking in at such an early time ?."

As opposed to the afternoon, Lucy wanted to add but she simply smiled at the girl waiting for her to get off the window frame.

Kiera sat down next to her in the bed, suddenly looking very serious. "Auntie Lu. I'm afraid time is of the essence. I need your help and it's urgent."

Lucy frowned. "Okay…" She started. "What's happening ?" The Heartfillia heir kept the panic at bay despite the seriousness in her goddaughter's voice. Knowing Kiera, it was certainly not that serious. The girl was just always that dramatic.

"It's supposed to be a secret. Can I trust you ?"

Lucy gasped dramatically at her. "Of course, my love. What is it ?"

Kiera retrieved a notebook from her green backpack and opened it at the last page. Inscribed in the worst writing imaginable was what looked like a contract ? Contract as in there was a single clause and two signatures.

"I have been proposed to participate in a business venture and I need Virgo to tell me my wealth horoscope before I decide if I want to invest in it." Kiera explained.

"Can you summon her, please ?" The tween asked, her expression solemn.

Lucy could not begin to imagine what type of business venture an 9-year-old could be approached about but she was also looking at Gajeel's child.

That was enough for her to simply mumble her approval, not ask any follow-up questions and grab her keys to summon her spirit.

Virgo appeared in her usual maid dress and accompanied by the sweet sounds of her chains clanking against each other.

Kiera waved enthusiastically at the spirit. "Hi Miss Virgo! Can you…"

"No." was the only thing Virgo proposed to the conversation before disappearing in pink smoke, leaving both godmother and granddaughter in disbelief.

Lucy stifled a laugh and did an apologetic shrug. " I'm sorry Kiera, I think we called her too many times this month. We can try tomorrow if you want."

"At a later time, it's early in the spirit world too." She added quickly.

The Redfox progeniture looked at her pensively. "No need for that. Auntie Lu ?"

"Yes ?"

"I lied when I said I needed Virgo before making a decision."

"I actually already made the decision to invest and I used Uncle Natsu and Uncle Grey's bet money to do it." She continued, seemingly not aware of the mistake she made. "I just needed reassurance that it was indeed a good idea because I don't think it was."

Yes, Gajeel's child alright. Who could do something that will upset both a Dragneel AND Fullbuster other than a Redfox. But no, Lucy did not think it was a good idea either and she was about to say just that in big euphemisms when she suddenly felt her husband approaching their house at quite a fast pace.

Knowing his super dragon ear and assuming he heard the conversation and ALSO considering the fact that he was counting on that money to go on that flying fish trip that Lucy forbade, she turned very calmly towards her goddaughter. "Kiera, let's bring you home now."