Finished - March 1, 2022

Word Count - 11,623

Music - Two Steps From Hell - Believe

Summary:
The Dragneel family of three start their morning by helping Natsu pack for his Mission with Erza and Grey. But when Natsu returns, something is wrong. Something is missing and his life will change forever.

**********************************

Three sets of bare feet padded against the floor, quickly shuffling from room to room. The busy family gathered themselves hastily in the early morning rush.

"Have you seen my leather hip bag?" Natsu was in the process of tearing apart his dresser.

"Did you look in the closet?" Lucy answered him from the living room.

Before Natsu had time to open the sliding doors, an excited voice caught his attention.

"I found it Papa! It was on the couch."

Looking down, Natsu saw his daughter holding his pouch up to him. Her tiny hands raised as far up as she could reach.

"Thank you Layla!" He praised. "Im hiring you as my new detective."

The small child was lifted up by her father and tossed in the air, earning delightful giggles from the girl.

"Goodness, looks like you're having fun." Lucy stepped into the room, observing the silly scene. Natsu hugged his daughter one last time and set her feet back on the ground.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked his wife.

"I think we're all set." She reached into her bag a puller out her list, scanning her notes.

"I'm going to miss you Papa." Layla hugged his leg.

"Don't worry sunshine." He placed his hand on her head lovingly. "Uncle Grey and I have a very short mission. We'll be back tomorrow."

"Why can't I come? I can use magic too." Layla held out Plue's silver key with big eyes.

Natsu and Lucy made eye contact and sighed. Layla was just like her mother, always wanting to be helpful: a true heart of gold. However, she was only three years old and not ready for a mission.

"How about this," Lucy kneeled next to Natsu and Layla. "When your father comes home, we can all go on a mission together. As a family, all three of us."

"Really?!" Her eyes sparkled in excitement.

"I think that's a great idea! You can even get your official Fairytail mark, for your first mission." Natsu agreed.

"Then it's settled, next mission we all go." Lucy held out her hand to her daughter, who gave her an enthusiactic high five.

Natsu grabbed his large bag and swung it over his shoulder. He carried his things towards the door prepared to leave. He slipped on his shoes and wrapped his scarf around his neck.

The two girls joined him in the entryway, Layla running around the room wildly, screaming in excitement. While Lucy watched his moves closely, her nerves always rising whenever he left. She never truly recovered after he left for so long to train. Even though years had passed, her anxiety always spiked every time he left the house.

"I will be right back, I promise." Natsu reached out to his wife and squeezed her hand, knowing she was nervous.

"I know you will, I trust you." She smiled.

He leaned down to her lips and gave her a kiss, he savored her flavor and love. He wouldn't see her until tomorrow evening, so he soaked in the memory.

"Alright alright, go before Erza kills you. She hates it when you're late." Lucy stopped him from going any further, much to his disappointment.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." He sighed and opened the front door.

As he was walking down the steps, Lucy waved, sending him off. "Stay safe!"

"I will!" He called out, getting further away.

"Papa!" His daughters voice caught his attention and he turned around. "I'm going to practice while you're gone. So Plue and I can be ready for when you come back!"

Natsu smiled, proud of his little girl. "Im counting on it!"

With a final goodbye, he set off to the train station where he met Erza and Grey. He could smell their scents before he could actually see them, once we was close enough he saw them sitting on a bench. Erza, Grey, Wendy, Happy and Charlie were all waiting for him. Hopefully they weren't waiting long.

"Hey guys!" He called out to his teammates, notifying his arrival.

"Natsu!" Wendy stood from the bench and greeted him.

"Am I late?" He asked.

"No, but almost. Erza was about ready to leave without you." Happy flew to his partner.

Natsu missed having Happy around the house. After Layla was born, he had decided to leave the nest. But he still visits the Dragneel house almost everyday.

"You cant leave until the train leaves." He pointed out.

"Don't challenge Erza when she is angry." Grey shivered.

"Thats true, I don't doubt her."

Natsu somehow seemed to weave around Erza's wrath and they all boarded the train on time. Natsu found it more difficult to ride the train without Lucy. He had become so accustom to using her as a head rest, her smell calming him down. Now that she stayed home with Layla, he found the habit of bringing a piece of her with him. He snatched one of Lucy's hair ribbons and used its to settle his nerves. Lucy had multitudes of hair ribbons, she never noticed him stealing one.

He took the simple blue ribbon out of his pocket and sniffed the familiar fragrance. He tied it simply around his wrist, timing it securely, so it wouldn't fall off during his mission.

It was hard for him to leave her behind, especially because they always went on mission together. Luckily, this would be the last mission he would have to take without them. Next time, they would be on the train together.

**********************************

About thirty four hours later, the mission was complete. The task too easy for the group of highly skilled mages, however, they all agreed to take safer missions that originated close to home. Because they all had families and wanted to be able to return quickly. They were in no need of money, so the idea proved simple.

The group returned to the guild directly from the train station. The moment they opened he doors, they were all greeted back eagerly. Erza sat herself at the bar and immediately ordered a hearty serving of cake, while Wendy sat down at a random table to rest her feet. Grey was tackled by his wife Juvia, who was around four months pregnant. She was not so happy about him leaving without her.

Natsu understood the situation completely, he and Lucy had the same conversation about her pregnancy. He wanted her to stay home and out of danger while she was carrying their child. Now, Grey was in the same predicament and loosing the battle.

Natsu watched his friends interaction for a moment before sitting down at the bar.

"Welcome back, would you like anything to eat?" Mira greeted him sweetly.

"Absolutely!" Natsu pat his empty stomach.

"The usual, I presume?" She asked.

"You know me." He sighed in defeat.

Mira winked and left to make his favorite meal. Meanwhile, Linsanna ran up to him excitedly.

"Hey! Welcome home." She smiled.

"Hey Lis." Natsu stood up to hug her.

"How was the mission?" She asked as she sat next to him.

"It was long."

"Long? You were only gone for one night." She giggled.

"I know, but it felt like forever." He complained.

"It probably felt that way because you were away from your family." Linsanna shook her head, this boy was smitten.

"Did you see Lucy and Layla today?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "They came to the guild around lunch time. Layla seemed vey excited about something."

"Lucy promised her that we would all go on our next mission together."

"Oh! That's a great idea!" Lisanna's face brightened. "She is ready and she'll love it."

"I think so too." Natsu stated.

Lisanna kept him company while he ate, it was nice to catch up with her. He hadn't spent much time on the guild lately, since he was so focused on his immediate family. But he loved the guild, they were still family. It was nice.

Soon, his plate was clean and his stomach full. He thanked Mira for the meal and started his journey back home. The sun was starting to set as he watched the sky burn with magnificent colors. No doubt, Lucy would be putting Layla to bed soon. The thought of some alone time with Lucy excited him.

He approached their cozy forest cottage, his feet instinctively quickening. However, a certain smell found its way into his nose. A smell he hated with all his being. The smell of blood.

Not just any blood, but Lucy's blood.

His heart rate skyrocketed as he charged forwards, his eyes blurry with uncertainty. The closer he got, the more powerful the stench became. The stronger the smell, the more blood had been spilt. This was too much to be a simply finger cut, this was much much more severe.

"Lucy!" He burst through the doorway, the door slamming on the other side of the wall. However, one foot inside and he saw it.

His house was completely upturned, furniture upside-down, curtains ripped, books and pictures scattered all over the floor. The entire room was utterly destroyed.

"Layla!" He called for his daughter, praying that she was conscious somewhere.

However, there was no answer to his many calls. Not a sound in the house. Nevertheless, he continued to search for his family. The first place he checked was the kitchen, this was where the terrible odor of blood was originating from. He was scared, scared of what he might see beyond the wall.

Turning the corner, he was not surprised to see the room in shambles. But there was something more pressing that caught his attention first. A large slash of red covered one of the walls, a giant splatter of blood. The red liquid dripping down the wall and onto the floor, staining the contents below. This was what he had smelled from the forest. It was definitely Lucy's blood.

Natsu was incredibly filled with rage, he started pounding his fists against the wall where Lucy's blood was. The skin on his knuckles breaking, making his hands turn red from both Lucy's dried blood and his own.

Once he called down, he returned to his search. They couldn't have vanished without cause, someone else was in their house. Someone took his family. Hunting for anything that could help, evidence of Magic, anything left behind.

This was when he caught a whiff of a strange scent. He immediately locked onto the smell and stowed it away in his mind. It smelled like a man, probably the person responsible for taking his family away from him. Plus, injuring Lucy so greatly. He would never forget this scent, not until the day he died.

Natsu finished scanning the house, he looked in every nook and cranny, neither Lucy nor Layla were found. He needed to get help, he didn't have the strength to do it himself. He ran as fast as he could back to the Guild, knowing there would still be people there.

His mind was so disconnected from his body that he barely remembered any of the journey, too focused on what he had seen and what he was going to say.

He pressed himself firmly against the large wooden door and slammed it open. The sudden noise caught everyone attention, all eyes looking at a very disheveled Natsu. His eyes red, tears pouring down his cheeks, he fell to his knees.

"They are gone." He weeped, finally accepting the truth.

Levy was the first person to reach him and placed a hand on his back. "What happened Natsu?" Her voice soft and concerned.

Natsu explained what he had just witnessed, this emotions bubbling over as he stuttered through every sentence. Everyone stood in shock at his tale, not wanting to believe what they were hearing.

They had seen both Lucy and Layla just a few hours ago, were they really taken away? Without haste, everyone went searching for the two missing Fairytail mages. They scouted all though the night and the next day, however no one could find anything.

This did not stop them from looking, especially Natsu. They searched every town, every forest, mountain, cave, yet found nothing. They asked their neighboring Guilds if they had heard anything, yet no one had any useful information.

Eventually, months passed and the guild was starting to loose hope. This was when the worst happened.

Natsu was sitting, depressed at a table in the guild. Taking a mandatory day off from his endless searches, when all the dragon slayers popped up their heads and made eye contact. They smelled something, smelled someone familiar.

Gajeel, Wendy and Natsu lead a group of people out the doors, to meet the person approaching their doors. Just along the road walked Loke, his suited frame walking slowly towards the guild. His face starring at the ground, not giving any hints to his mood.

The Celestial Spirit continued their walk silently, only stopping when he was standing directly in front of Natsu. Slowly he lifted his head and made eye contact with him. Loke's eyes were bloodshot and heavy with sorrow.

"Loke..." Natsu begged for good news.

"Im sorry...Im so sorry..." The Spirit cried once more.

"Please, no." Natsu breathed.

Instead of answering with words, Loke opened his hands to reveal a large set of golden and silver keys. They were not connected by Lucy's usual loop, nor accompanied by her leather pouch. Just a collection of loose Celestial keys, nothing more.

"Our contracts broke." Loke sobbed, not able to look at his friends any longer.

Levy gripped Gajeel's arm in surprise and horror. Natsu reached out his hands and took the beloved keys into his possession. He could feel the familiar magic presence of each key.

"There is only one reason a contract is broken when the summoner is unwilling." Loke continued. "A celestial contract breaks when the magical host...dies."

"You're sure she was unwilling?" Natsu tried to find a different explanation.

Loke nodded, "I could feel our connection snap."

Tears immediately poured from Natsu's eyes. His heart racing in panic, he found it hard to breath. He felt as if the flooring beneath him was collapsing. He was falling, his mind swirling with rage and hysteria. He clutched is heart, to keep it from exploding out of his chest.

"Im so sorry we weren't able to help her, our job was to protect them." Everyone present was now sobbing.

"Them...even Layla?" Natsu looked into his hands and saw Plue's silver key, the one that Layla used. Even her one spirit, that she loved with all her being was also broken. His little girl taken from him at such a young age, too soon for his heart to take.

"Both of them, gone..." Natsu screamed and roared in agony, he had lost both his wife and his child in the same moment.

For a minute in time he had the world, happiness in his soul and a wonderful life. He didn't realize how beautiful his life was, how easy he had become accustom to love. Yet now, he was alone. Just one person drowning in a sea of loss.

"Lucy's last wishes were to give you her keys, that you could pass them unto Yukino. She wished for your safety and happiness. I must go now, I hope that we will see each other again. I will miss you, Fairytail." Loke couldn't contain himself a moment longer and returned to the spirit world.

Erza and Grey helped take Natsu back to his house, the man too shaken to make any rational decisions. Thankfully, the Dragneel house was repaired almost directly after the accident. They wanted it clean for when Lucy and Layla came home, but now the house seemed pointless.

Natsu barely slept and spent as little time inside the house as possible. He spent most his days wondering around the forest and taking reckless missions. He hated being in the house, it only reminded him of his past life. Therefore, he didn't touch anything, he left it exactly the way it was when his family had been there. The kitchen unused, the fridge now empty and the beds never slept in.

Upon Natsu's right wrist, Lucy's ribbon was tied. The same one he had taken with him when he had left for his mission. There that lonely ribbon stayed, tied around his wrist in remembrance of his family and the love he once held.

This was life now. A guild that constantly worried about Natsu's health and an empty house that no one dared touch, because of the memories associated with a better time.

**********************************

Hidden away in a foreign place, a group of dark mages cultivated their plan. Years in the making, these corrupt mystics had concocted a scheme. An arrangement that would end the life of a man so hated amounts their group. The target if their operation was no other than Natsu Dragneel. Their plan had many pieces, one of which included the removal of his social life. They had eliminated the mans family in order to separate him from his friends. They knew that taking away his most loved ones, Natsu would loose himself. This is exactly what happened. Everything was going according to plan.

Two years they waited until Natsu had completely isolated himself from the Guild. They tracked his movements and watched his actions intently. They memorized his simple schedule, the pattern of taking missions, barely sleeping, eating too much and only talking to people when absolutely necessary. The only time he saw his friends, is when they decided to visit him, Natsu never visited the Guild.

This was the perfect time to execute the second part of their plan. Now was the time to swoop in, when he is the most vulnerable and knock him down. With nothing left to live for, no motivation, no hope, he should be an easy target. Far weaker than the massive threat he would have been in his prime.

Hidden within the many vipers, two women lay behind the scenes. Stuck in a dark place, far away from their home, they hear every evil intent against their friend. The two females had given up hope of rescue years ago and are more determined to escape by the day. They hear the chatter from beyond their cell and are notified regularly about how badly their family is holding up.

However, they had a plan too. They had waited and yearned for a chance at leaving the horrible room they had memorized. Finally they found an opportunity and jumped without hesitation.

"This will lead you back to the Guild." The mother instructed the five year old child.

"I can't leave without you, mama!" The girl urged.

"You have to go." She placed a broken key into her small hand.

"They will hurt you when they find out."

"It's alright, just do what I said and everything will work out." She wiped a tear from her daughters cheek.

"I find the guild, tell them what's happening and then bring them back here." The child repeated the plan.

"Good." The woman kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly. "Now go, before they come back."

Sneaking to the corner of her cell, she uncovered a whole in the ground. A tiny dark, tunnel that lead out. They had spent years digging in secret and surprisingly able to hide it from their captors.

The woman took her daughters hand and lowered her down into the tunnel quietly.

"I love you mama!" The small girl whispered.

"I love you too, Layla." She smiled, knowing that this was probably the last time she would ever see her again. "Go find your father."

The child turned back into the pitch black cave and started crawling further into the ground. Even at such a young age, she knew every rock and dust spec inside her tiny tunnel. She dug it herself, with nothing but her hands and a few sharp rocks. Layla would dig her escape everyday while her mother kept watch above ground. Sending her magical signal every time trouble appeared.

However, they were mostly left alone. No one in the Dark Guild knew that they were still alive. The day they arrived, they were to be executed. However one of the Dark Guild members decided to "spare" their lives and keep them for his own entertainment. The man named Mogdo stole them away and locked them in his personal dungeon.

Mogdo barely ever visited them, only paying his pets a visit when he needed to release some stress. Therefore, Layla and Lucy's visits were filled with physical and emotional trauma. In the two years of their captivity, they had zero interaction with anyone else.

Layla kept creeping through the narrow passage, dirt under her fingernails and dust in her mouth. She clutched the shattered, golden key that hung around her neck. The only connection she had left to her parents.

Finally, she reached the end of her tunnel. She could see a few streams of light seeping through the cracks in the dirt above her head. This was it, the last step before she was free. Layla prayed that she dug far enough outside the dungeon, then she could slip away unnoticed. But she wouldn't know until she officially broke through the dirt.

Taking a deep breath she started to scratch away the last layer of earth, one she started, the unsupported dirt fell away immediately. Her little eyes scanned the bright surroundings, nervous of what she might see.

Her opening was surrounded by grass and a thick forest lay about ten feet beyond. She snuck a quick look behind her, to see how far away she had gotten from the dungeon. What she saw shocked her. It was a massive castle! She had no idea the scale of the building they were being kept in. However, this was not the time to marvel at architecture.

Instead she scanned the large stone wall for any scouts, surprisingly she saw nothing. Straightening her legs, Layla sprinted across the grass and towards the safety of the forest. Her bare feet loving the soft fuzz beneath them. She ran and ran and ran! Layla ran as fast as her tiny feet could carry her. Long passed the castle and the dungeon.

Her heart pounding with life and she sprinted for what seemed the first time in her life. She felt so scared and so free at the same time. Her dirty face shined with anticipation and she dashed through the trees.

Lifting her head up, she saw the sun! Not just small streams coming through her window or the glow of a torch, this was real. A warmth that covered her entire body, a feeling of peace.

Feet came to a stop as she caught her breath, her heart still beating rapidly. She was far enough away from the castle to take a minute rest.

Layla lifted the necklace from her chest and examined the broken key. Her mother said it was Aquarius's key. Layla heard stories about this spirit, how the key had broken long before her birth. During their time in prison, Layla was told many grand stories of Fairytail. She loved to hear her mother speak of better days, to see her eyes light up in nostalgia. Layla hoped that she would make great memories someday too.

In the mean time, she had to get home first. As instructed, she whispered a series of words to the celestial key and it started to glow. The key lifted itself from Layla's hands and hovered just above her palm. The key spun around for a moment then locked unto something and straightened.

Her mother had cast a directional charm on they key, to point her way. The same spell could be used to bring her back to this place, to help save Lucy.

Once she found her direction, Layla followed the path and made her way home.

**********************************

After many long nights of traveling through forests, mountains and towns, Layla finally reached the Fairytail Guild Hall. The building was much larger that she thought it would be. Two wooden doors towered over her small frame, she doubted she would be able to open them by herself. Nevertheless, she pushed with all her might and slowly fell into the massive hall.

Her first glance inside was mesmerizing, the large room was open and full of commotion. People running around, yelling and having fun. Layla immediately fell in love. For the first time ever,  she felt home, even though she had never been there before. Well, not that she remembered.

A woman caught her eye as she was walking towards her,  eyeing Layla.

"Hello there, are you looking for something." The woman asked.

Layla nodded, this woman somehow looked very familiar.

"My name is Levy, I can help you." She took Layla's hand and lead her further into the room. The sudden appearance of this small child concerned Levy. In addition, she was wearing rags and was covered in filth. Something was off.

"I'm looking for my Papa." The child whispered, her voice soft and not confident.

"Your Papa..." Levy trailed off. That specific expression sounded so familiar...everything about this child looked extremely nostalgic.

Then it hit her. It knocked into Levy so hard, the wind was knocked out of her lungs, she couldn't breath, couldn't move. Her eyes simply starred at the small girl in absolute bewilderment.

"You...are...are you...Layla?" Levy gasped, her words falling out of her lips.

Levy watched as the child nodded. Levy's heart ached in her chest as she answered such a simple question. But the meaning of it was incredibly powerful.

"Oh my God." Levy couldn't stop the tears from her eyes and she pulled the confused girl into her arms. "You are alive."

Layla did not expect this kind of reaction, she knew she had been gone for a long time. But did they really miss her this much? She didn't even remember these people and yet her appearance brought them to tears? She didn't know she could have that kind of effect on anyone.

"You are alive." Levy repeated again, catching her breath. "Oh my god you are alive!" Her voice change from relief to urgency.

"Gajeel!" Levy called out to her husband.

"What." He groaned from his spot on a nearby bench.

"Go find Natsu!" She ordered.

"Heck no. No one knows where he is anyway." The man shrugged.

"Gajeel." Levy growled. "NOW!"

This made Gajeel turn his head to his wife, this was when he noticed the tattered child in her arms. He recognized the childs scent immediately. He charged out the door to grab Natsu without hesitation. Levy had faith that Gajeel would be able to find him with his sensitive nose.

In the meantime, she had to help Layla feel more comfortable.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Levy asked, setting Layla down.

"No." She answered.

"Okay, well...do need anything?"

The small girl shuffled her feet, looking at the ground. Then quietly asked for a drink of water.

"Of corse you can have some water! What do you want to eat?" Levy giggled.

"I can have food too?" Layla's face turned upwards, her face smiling brightly.

"Yeah...." Levy stopped for a minute and was now filled with worry. How she was living before, that she didn't have free access to food or water?

Levy helped Layla order some food and had to teach her how to use a fork and knife, which was also scary. Where had she been these two years? From the looks of her, not a happy place. The bigger question hanging over her head was if Lucy was still alive, but she didn't want to ask just yet. Plus, she wanted Natsu to see her first. Levy was trying to keep her hidden from the rest of the guild until Natsu got there. She knew he would want to see her before everyone else bombarded her.

"Layla." Levy noticed that she wasn't eating the rest of her food, which was odd, because she knew Layla was very hungry. Plus, she was Natsu daughter and would never leave without an empty plate. "Whats wrong?"

"I'm nervous." Layla admitted.

"Nervous? About what?" Levy asked.

In all honesty, Layla was terrified. Her mind was swirling with anxieties.

Would her father even remember her? She couldn't really remember very much of him. She was so young when she was taken away. However, she held onto a memory of boisterous laughter and warmth. This was all she could recall of her mysterious parent.

No matter long ago it was, she remembered him being a very happy man and she loved him very much. She was excited to see him, yet also nervous. What if he didn't want her back? What if he moved on from his past family and started a new one? Would she have new siblings? Would they like her? Would they even want a damaged child like her?

"I just hope Papa will accept me." Layla sighed.

"Accept you?" Levy took Layla's hands into her own. "Layla, your father loves you more than anything else in this world. You might not remember him, but he remembers you. He is a strong, loyal and caring man who wants nothing more than the happiness of others. When you left, he was devastated. He wants you back more than anything, trust me."

Layla took a deep breath, her lips trembling. "Thank you."

"Of corse." Levy smiled.

Their moment was interrupted when two men barreled through the front doors. The loud noise followed by boisterous yelling and words too mature for Laylas ears. She recognized the first man to be the man Levy had sent out earlier. However, it was the second man that caught Laylas attention. He stood in a defensive stance and looked very disheveled, his choice of words announced his obvious displeasure. However, the mans eyes were sad and lonely.

Was this her Father? He wasn't anything like she thought or remembered. Nevertheless, she needed to be brave.

"Papa?" Her tiny voice squeaked, making the entire room silent.

All heads turned to the small girl sitting at the bar with Levy.

The singular word echoed through Natsu's brain, the same voice that haunted his dreams and plagued his memories. He didn't trust his senses anymore. Too many times had he hallucinated the loving voices of his lost family, he wished they would go away. But then, this was the last piece he had of them, so if they left, he would truly be alone.

"Papa." He heard it again. Natsu closed his eyes and turned to walk away, frustrated that Gajeel had dragged him back to the Guild. He was about to leave when something grabbed his hand. Natsu stopped and looked down, there was a small grip holding unto his pinky and ring finger.

His eyes traveled up the arm to see a child, she looked dirty and almost scared. Her two brown eyes bore into his soul and she squeezed his fingers slightly. Natsu took in a breath as a hint of strawberry hit his nose, under all the grime and dirt was a sent. Her scent!

Natsu fell to his knees, unblinking. His brain was completely frozen, overwhelmed with emotion. He knew exactly who this was. But it couldn't be true. His little girl, his sunshine was standing before him.

"Papa." Layla repeated for a third time, lifting her hands to his face and examined his shocked features. His mouth hung wide open and tears fell from his eyes, life slowly flowing back into them. As if his tears were washing away years of grief and struggle.

"L-Layla?" He stuttered.

"Papa!" Layla couldn't hold herself back anymore, and launched herself into her fathers arms.

Natsu's brain couldn't register this news properly, his body shook with emotion as his arms traveled around his daughter. She was so small in his hands, so fragile. But she was really there, alive! He held her tightly, stuffing his nose into her dirty hair. Tears fell uncontrollably from his eyes as he broke down.

For years Natsu had held in his emotions and played tough, but the moment he held his little girl, he was nothing more than a broken man. He let out all his pain in a wail of sorrow and happiness. A joyous cry filled the room and everyone celebrated the reunion of the Dragneel family.

After several days without rest, Layla finally fell asleep. She passed out in the arms of her father, his presence making her feel safe and warm. The one thing she remembered about him from her childhood.

Natsu followed her every step as Layla was cleaned and given a bed in the infirmary. He would never loose her again. Currently he was sitting next to her bed, watching her sleep. Her small body using only half of the bed.

His mind was still processing this new information, Layla was alive. Was Lucy alive too? Natsu dared not hope for too much. He was given a miracle and didn't want to push his luck. Right now, he was thankful for what he had.

A soft knock rapped against the infirmary door, letting him know that someone was coming inside. Turning he saw Levy standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Natsu." She greeted softly, not wanting to wake Layla.

"Thank you Levy." Natsu spoke from his heart, watching as she sat down next to him.

"For what?" Levy asked, confused.

"For taking care of Layla and making her feel comfortable. But mostly for finding me and bringing me back." Natsu looked down ashamed. "I know I haven't been very loyal to the Guild lately. I never communicate with any one you and I don't visit anymore."

"We all understand how hard everything was for you." Levy placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You all tried so hard to keep me connected and I pushed you away."

"You are back now. That is all that matters."

Natsu met Levy's eyes. "Thank you."

Levy lifted her hand from his back, satisfied. She was glad to see Natsu was coming back. The true Natsu was slowly being rejuvenated.

"Oh," Levy remembered what she came here to do. "We found this."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace, a simple leather band tied around a small golden object. A very familiar object.

"Aquarius!" Natsu took the key from Levy gently.

"Layla had this around her neck when she entered the guild."

"Thats means..." Natsu trailed off.

"This definitely belonged to Lucy, but I'm not sure why Layla has it now. It could mean anything."

"But that means they were together, at least for a little bit." Natsu starred at the golden key. It gave off a magical presence, a presence that Natsu had long forgotten. Lucy's magic. As lovely and familiar as it felt, it filled him with longing and sorrow.

A massive wave of guilt washed over him. How could he have let this happen? How could he let his family suffer alone for so many years? Why did he give up on them? Natsu clutched the broken key tightly in his fist, he didn't even realize that the jagged end had cut his palm.

"What on earth?" Levy noticed the blood trickling down his forearm. "Natsu!"

He snapped out of his trance and looked at his hand. Whoops.

"I'll go grab the first aid." Levy sighed.

Natsu carefully cleaned off Aquarius's Key and placed it on the bedside table. Then he put pressure over his small wound.

The smell of blood caught the attention of a hypersensitive nose. Layla opened her eyes, now very awake. Blood was a common smell of her childhood, however, she had never smelled this type of blood before. She sat up and looked around, trying to find the source of the smell.

She seemed to be in a large room with many beds. Was this a room specifically designed for sleepovers? Why were there so many beds? Why was everything white?

However, her attention was drawn to the far corner, where two people stood. She recognized both these people as Levy and her father. The woman was tending to her fathers hand, they stood very close together. This concerned Layla. Were they together? Had her father moved on from her mother? Did he marry Levy while they were gone? Did he even want mother back? Layla liked Levy, she was very kind and loving. But she didn't want a new mother, she wanted her mom!

Immediate tears sprang from Layla's eyes, and she expertly hid her verbal cries. However, this did not stop Natsu from noticing his daughters cry. His head spun swiftly around and he ran to her bed in worry. Making Levy drop everything in her hands and loose all progress she had made in wrapping his wound.

"Layla, what's wrong?" Natsu sat on the bed and wiped away her tears.

Layla sniffed in attempt to keep her weeping under control and asked, "A-Are you married-d?"

Levy looked back at Layla in confusion and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am married."

This caused the child to wail even louder, causing both adults more turmoil and bewilderment. Was there something wrong with being married? Did Layla have something against Levy?

"Layla, tell us what is making you upset." Natsu pressed softly.

"You don't need us anymore, you have a new family." Layla sobbed.

"New family?" Natsu repeated, trying to understand.

However, Levy seemed to figure out the problem. "Wait, do you think that we are...?"

Natsu and Levy shared a glance, a silence brewed over the situation. Then they each burst into laughter. Now it was Layla's turn to be confused.

"No no sweetie, we are not married." Levy wiped comedic tears from her eyes.

"Sunshine." Natsu lifted Layla from her bed and into his lap. "You are my family, my only family. I will always need you."

Layla vaguely remembered his nickname, his voice unlocking her memory. She was glad that her father had not married again, hopefully all three of them would be together again. Layla absentmindedly reached for her necklace, remembering her mother. However, the key was not there. Her necklace was gone.

"My necklace!" Layla panicked.

"Don't worry, Aquarius is right here." Levy handed her the key.

Layla immediately placed it around her neck, feeling more comfortable.

"Layla," Levy took a deep breath, ready to ask the question that plagued her mind. "Where did you get that?"

The child looked up at her innocently and answered simply. "Mama gave it to me."

Levy gasped and covered her mouth in shock, her heart pounding loudly. Natsu's eyes widened as his breathing became uneven.

"Do you know what happened to her?" He asked, still not allowing himself the hope of her survival. He couldn't even bring himself to say her name.

"Yeah." Layla nodded.  "Mama says we were taken away. They treated us really badly and stole our magic away. I don't remember much, but I remember feeling really tired and it hurt a lot."

"They drained your magic to the point of breaking your celestial contracts." Levy breathed in realization. "Then why didn't Aquarius's key disappear?"

"All of Mama's other Keyes vanished, but not Aquarius, cause her key was broken. Mama said it could help us."

"How can this help us?" Levy asked.

"She cast a spell on it, that it would lead me here. She said it would also lead us back to her."

"So she's alive?!" Levy's face brightened and she jumped up with excitement. Levy ran out of the infirmary and rushed to tell everyone the good news.

Layla nodded and smiled at the positive reaction. But waited for her father to rejoice. However, he didn't look happy.

"All this time..."

"Papa?" She reached out to him.

"Two years...you were alive this whole time and I gave up on you. I abandoned you." Tears down Natsu's cheeks.

Layla crawled out from under her covers and held her fathers hand, she knew it wasn't his fault and she never blamed him.

"It's okay papa, it's not your fault. We can still be a family. Mama and I need you, now more than ever."

Natsu smiled at his daughter's courage and maturity, especially for a five year old.

"Alright, you win for now. Let's go get your mother."

**********************************

A loud heart beat pounded in Lucy's ears as a massive headache formed in her temples. Her wrists numb from being shackled to tightly to the wall behind her.

It didn't take long for Mogdo to notice Layla's disappearance and he was forced to tell his friends about his secret. The rest of his Guild Mates were furious that Mogdo had kept the two women alive against their wishes.

"You idiot." The leader named, Draskell, lashed out at Mogdo. "Not only did you keep them alive. But you let one escape!"

"I am terribly sorry sir." Mogdo bowed deeply.

"Your apology means nothing to me. You have singly handedly ruined our plans!" The Master quickly summoned something slender from his magical arsenal. "We had Dragneel isolated and alone. You gave him exactly what he needed!"

"Please forgive me!" Mogdo begged.

His please were ignored as Draskell lifted his hand and quickly struck Mogdo with his whip, sending a loud crack to snap across his back. Mogdo whimpered, but did not scream. 

"You gave him hope. Plus, that child will lead them straight back to us!" The large man continued to rain his attacks down on his fellow guild member.

Lucy could only watch and listen as the man muffled his grunts of pain. It was a horrible sight. If this was how Draskell treated a friend, how was he going to deal with her? An enemy, the wife of their target.

Once it seemed Master Draskell was satisfied, he stopped his attacks. Mogdo slowly crawled away, never taking his attention away from the master. Lucy watched as he scurried off quickly, she almost felt sorry for him.

However, her attention quickly changed when the large man walked towards her. He knelt down to meet her eye level, since she was seated against the stone floor. His face came uncomfortably close, therefore, she got a good look at him.

Draskell looked mature with his grey beard and dark blue eyes. He didn't't look like an evil man,  but hidden in his blue eyes was a lust for pain. Lucy could recognize it anywhere, she saw that same look in many enemies in her past.

"You are an unexpected problem." He frowned.

Lucy did not answer.

"We can't kill you, since we know that Fairytail is already on their way here." Draskell continued, talking more to himself. "That would just make them even more angry."

He stood up and took hold of Lucy's chin and pulled it upwards, forcing her to look his in the eye. This only made Lucy's head pound more.

"What a shame, we went through all that effort to stay invisible. You helped the child escape." Once again Draskell knelt down to face Lucy in the eye. "Don't think you've gotten away with that so easily."

A sudden slap of pain slashed through Lucy's legs and she let out a scream of shock and pain. She wasn't expecting anything to hit her so suddenly, in addition, the pain was immense! A second later the same pain repeated itself, then again and again.

A whip like sensation thrashing against her thighs, stomach and cheat. Lucy lost count of how many time the whip had stricken her, just focusing on her breathing and keeping conscious. When the raids finally stopped, she was able to catch her breath. During the momentary lapse, she could feel blood running down her sides and pooling bellow her bottom.

Her palms clenched the metals clamps around her wrists, trying to squeeze themselves out of the magic sealing stone. However, they were too tight and fixed securely to the wall. There was no escaping. She could so nothing but sit there and endure.

"How was that?" Draskell asked, laughing. "Did you enjoy that?"

Lucy was unable to hold her young any longer and let out a string of unholy words. Spitting fire and insults, she was beyond furious. Lucy had held control of herself for two years for her daughter, that something might happen to her. But now she had nothing more to loose. She had been bottle up for too long and needed to scream, cry, curse and wail her emotions to the world. And so she did.

**********************************

"We're a long ways from Magnolia" Grey observed.

"I can't believe Layla walked all this way by herself." Erza agreed.

"We should be there soon, I think." Levy carefully watched Aquarius's key which floated around her neck. She was able to reverse Lucy's spell that had guided Layla to the Fairytail hall, this time it should lead them right bak to its caster. Lucy.

Several people volunteered to join the quest of retrieving Lucy. Too long had she been missing and away from he home. Therefore it was easy to find people to bring her back. The team consisted of Levy, Gajeel, Grey, Juvia, Erza and Natsu. A small, but effective group. Each person eager to bring Lucy home.

Layla wanted to join them on their journey, but Natsu was adamant that she stay safe back at the guild. He didn't want her anywhere near the people which had held her for so long. Instead she stayed with Wendy, Happy and Charlie.

"Aquarius is really starting to glow now, we must be close." Levy sprinted forwards through the trees, everyone close behind.

All was quiet as feet tapped against the forest floor in anticipation of who was ahead. Tree branches zoomed by quickly as they drew closer to their destination, when suddenly, they were faced with a clearing. A large empty field, green grass spread itself across the landscape like a blanket. As if it was a massive carpeted meadow in the middle of the woodland. 

"What?" Grey caught his breath from all the sprinting.

"There is nothing here." Gajeel sighed in disappointment.

"Maybe something is off with the spell." Levy turned herself around and examined the key more closely.

However, Natsu and Erza starred deeper into the empty field. It seemed they both remembered something from two years ago that the others hadn't quite picked up on yet.

"I remember this place." Natsu mumbled. "We came here in our search for Lucy and Layla, two years ago."

Grey stopped his quarrel with Juvia and took a second look at the empty field. "Are you sure?"

Juvia placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "We searched a lot of places, how can you remember this one?"

"I don't know." Natsu took a step forwards. "I just do."

"Either way, Aquarius is leading us ahead." Levy matched Natsu's stride and continued forwards.

The small group of six walked through the short grass, aiming to the center of the field. Each one on alert, knowing they were easily seen by anything learning in the woods around them. However, they soon realized that the forest the least of their concern. Because, as they continued to walk they were confronted by a glass wall.

"Wow, where did that come from?" Grey shouted.

"It just appeared out of nowhere!" Gajeel matched Grey's confused energy.

Erza waved a hand over the shimmering surface in awe. "It didn't just appear, it's some kind of barrier. It's invisible from a far off."

Levy traced her fingers down the force field, noticing that it was not solid, but more like a bubble. The texture wrapped and bounced like water. They could walk through it easily. The question was, what was on the other side?

Lucy. That's what lay beyond that barrier. Aquarius's key was shining and shaking wildly, almost in anticipation. She was close. Very close.

"Are you ready, Natsu?" Gajeel asked, noticing that he had not spoken in a while.

Natsu's fists were balled tightly at his sides and his head was down, he looked stiff. No one would blame him for being nervous. However, the man straightened, took a deep breath and spoke. "Yes."

Together they all pushed through the bubble barrier, finally they could see what lay beyond. A massive castle with the words "Graven Wolves" carved into the head post. Immediately, Natsu could smell everything. The stupid shield must have kept in all scents, sounds and appearances from the outside.

He could smell many people, none of which were Lucy, she must be buried deep within the building. However, this was not going to stop him from bringing her home.

Without warning he was filled with determination and sprinted forwards blindly. His body couldn't wait a moment longer, he needed to see her. He needed to get her out of this wretched place.

"Natsu, wait!" Levy called out to him. However, he was long gone.

His body moved on its own, he trusted his nose to find her more than he trusted a spell. His mind was foggy and numb as he blasted through the front doors of the dark guild. Many men jumped upon him, but he was too heated to go down. Natsu charged through dozens of people and multiple rooms trying to find Lucy's scent.

So blinded by his rage, Natsu's brain was not processing any sound. He pummeled his enemies in silence and roared violently in the quiet. He knew that sound was happening around him, yet still, no sound was registering. It was chaotic silence.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, when something familiar wafted into his senses. A smell, a lovely scent. The calming fragrance immediately brought tears to his eyes. Because, for the first time in two years; hope bloomed in his chest.

Natsu had not allowed himself the hope of her survival. For so long, he forced himself to believe that she was gone, rather than clinging to a thread that she could still be alive. It was easier to accept her death than to yearn in a false wish.

But now, within his withered heart; shriveled and cold. A hope was growing, the warmth of her coming back into his life.

With expert precision, Natsu locked onto Lucy's scent and followed it down several flights of stairs. Deep into the castle, he found the dungeons. The air was damp and the ceiling leaked water, the entire atmosphere was dark and gloomy. This was no place for Lucy.

Before he rounded the corner, he heard voices, none of which sounded familiar. They seemed to be arguing about something.

"What are we going to do?"

"They are in the castle!"

"We should get rid of her now!"

Not waiting a moment longer, Natsu burst into the scene and prepared to stop any assault. He found two men standing in-front of a cell, neither of them looked very intimidating. However, he was not taking any chances. He slammed each man against the stone wall, knocking them out quickly and quietly.

He took a second to make sure that no one else had seen him and turned around. His eyes trailed to the person inside the jail cell. His heart stopped and his knees buckled. No matter how cool he had looked the moment before, now he was a mess.

Lucy.

She was starring at him with wide eyes and bright smile. She was sitting on the floor, her arms chained to the wall behind her. She was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when she was taken away and hair was tangled and covered in dirt. Face matted with grime as tear stains trailed through the many layers of dust.

Nonetheless, she was beautiful. Her eyes sparkled, and her smile brought life back into his soul.

"Natsu." She whispered.

"L-Lucy." Natsu said her name for the first time since the incident.

Grabbing the bars of her cage, he heated his hands and bent them enough to climb inside. Immediately, he wrapped his hands around her. He broke down, sobbing into her shoulder.

Lucy wished she could embrace him, but her chains restricted her from hugging him back. Instead, she squeezed him with her neck. She soaked in his presence and savored the moment. She hadn't had any friendly physical touch since their parting. For the first time in years, she felt safe. A massive weight was lifted from her shoulders, the moment she laid eyes on him.

"You're so skinny." Lucy giggled, noticing how Natsu had not kept his physique as she remembered.

"You should see yourself." Natsu pulled away and wiped his tears, examining her condition.

Lucy was incredibly thin and pale. She looked as if she hadn't seen the sun in years, which she probably hadn't. In addition, she had dozens of strike marks across her legs and chest. Probably from some sort of whipping. A long scar trailed across her side, a violent wound that looked like it healed slowly and improperly. This was most likely the wound that she earned in their house, that caused all the blood in the kitchen.

"Layla?"Lucy asked in panic, ending themoment.

"She is safe."

"Thank god." Lucy seemed to physically relax with this new knowledge.

"Come on, let's get you out of here."

"Not so fast." A strange voice caught their attention from the shadows.

However, Lucy recognized this voice. In addition, Natsu recognized something else about this presence. The smell. This voice was radiating the same scent as the one he had smelled in his home two years ago. The exact stench he memorized, the person that took his family away.

Immediately, Natsu rose to his feet and guarded his wife. Standing just beyond the bars of the cage was a man; he looked older, but mature and dangerous. Natsu was shocked that he didn't notice him approaching. Especially because his scent was so carved into his brain. He must have been blindly focused on his reunion with Lucy.

"Draskell." Natsu could hear Lucy hiss from behind him. At least he had a name to the scent now and a face to blame.

"Hello Dragneel's." The foreign man chuckled.

Lucy couldn't see Natsu's face, but she could tell from his posture, that he was beyond furious. However, this didn't't seem to faze Draskell, because he kept stepping closer.

"All these years of precise calculations, and it all goes down the drain because of one loose end."

A deep verberation rumbled from within Natsu's chest, a threatening growl. Lucy had become very familiar with this sound and violence always followed.

"But at least this whole situation brought you here to me." Draskell continued his advance, now directly in front of Lucy's cell.

Natsu remained silent, his position hadn't moved from his spot protecting Lucy. Still attached to the wall, she couldn't do anything but watch the events play out.

Without warning, a massive blast erupted from Natsu's mouth. A fiery road filled the room with light and sent Draskell flying backwards. This left just enough time for Natsu to turn his attention away from the enemy and release his wife.

Natsu's hand gripped the magic sealing cuffs upon her wrists and heated his fingers. However the metal remained unaffected. Like the clasps were resistant to his heat, no matter how hot.

"What the hell?!" He cursed.

In an attempt to help, Lucy pulled against her chains, in an attempt to break them. However, her shackles remained cold against her skin.

"Finally figured it out, huh." Draskell wiped dirt off his pants, looking unfazed by Natsu's attack. "Did you really think we wouldn't do our research? Fire resistant seals are very hard to come by, but if you know the right people, anything is possible."

"You bas-"

"Ah ah ah." Draskell rudely interrupted. "Watch your language."

"You are going to pay for all the pain you have caused my family." Natsu jumped into action and lit his fists in rage. The two men lept around the room, dodging attacks and magic spells. The enclosed space made it very difficult for Natsu, he couldn't use his full power without potentially hurting Lucy. He didn't dare risk her safety, yet he was also determined to win, also for her safety.

Lucy continued to watch from her spot in the corner, she felt useless. She wanted to help somehow, but what could she do? She decided to take it one step at a time, she at least had to stand up.

Rolling her ankles, she slowly bent her knees and tucked them beneath her body. With a great effort, she straitened her legs and lifted her body upwards. Leaning heavily on the wall, she used her chains as leverage to pull herself up. Her knees shook violently and she finally found her footing.

It was silly, but she felt proud of herself. Such a simple task, yet it took so much effort.

Turning her attention, she watched Natsu and Draskell continue to fight. The two men moved swiftly, attacking with great passion and emotion. Nonetheless, it looked like Natsu was winning.

Lucy could tell that Draskell was slowing down, his stamina not as powerful as Natsu's motivation. This caused Draskell to start panicking, his actions shifted to defense and his demeanor became reckless.

Natsu had him on the ropes, Draskell was no longer attacking as his movements slowed. Finally, Natsu trapped him into a corner, he had nowhere to run. Draskell was now faced with a furious dragon slayer, with an appetite for murder.

Draskell watched as the furious man stepped slowly closer, cracking his knuckles with a laugh.

The dark guild leader looked for a moment to flee. However, there was nothing helpful for him in the dungeon. No way of escape. Then he saw something on the wall. A flicker of light that reflected Natsu's angry flames. A trail of water that leaked from above. A smirk grew upon Draskell's face as he found his new plan.

"If I cannot kill you, then we will all perish here together."

Draskell released a massive ball of magic, however the attack was not aimed towards Natsu. Instead his blast hit the ceiling above them. Immediately, a violent wave of water crashed down upon them. The current washed the mages away from each other and started collecting on the floor.

"Are you crazy?!" Natsu sputtered, clearing the water from his lungs.

"This dungeon was dug underneath a major river, soon, this room will be entirely flooded." Draskell laughed.

"What do you plan to accomplish by doing that? We'll just leave the dungeon."

"Maybe you can leave, but she cant." Draskell pointed to the far wall of the dungeon, where Lucy was chained to the wall.

No...Natsu completely forgot about Draskell and ran to Lucy. He waded through the water, which was already up to his knees. He could hear Draskell taunting him, even after he turned his back to him, but Natsu didn't care anymore, Lucy was his first priority.

"Lucy!" He called out to her. "We've got to get you out of here."

"Help me pull." Lucy was already working on her chains, attempting to pull them off the wall. Natsu grabbed the short chain and heaved backwards. However, his grip was slippery from the water and he could find a good leverage. Nevertheless, he pulled as hard as he could to dislodge the bolts from the stone.

"Good luck with that." Draskell splashed around in the water like a happy duck. He paraded around the flooding dungeon as if he had just won the lottery.

"I'm not done with you yet." Natsu sneered.

"Thats a laugh, seems like you're in a bit of a predicament. What a shame."

"Natsu, don't!" Lucy noticed that he was about to leave. "I need your help here."

Natsu snapped his head back around and cursed. He was torn, he wanted to kill Draskell, but he needed to get Lucy to safety.

"Yes, yes. Listen to your wife." Draskell started towards the stairs, where he could escape. "How obedient you are."

Natsu closed his eyes and pretended not to hear his insults, focusing his energy on pulling Lucy's chains.

"Well, goodbye Dragneel's." Draskell turned to leave, but before he made it to the stairs a second section of the ceiling fell down. His previous attack had weakened the structure, making it unstable.

The second breach crashed down directly upon Draskell's head. A multitude of large rocks tumbled from their plastered place on the ceiling and landed on Draskell. The evil man was was pinned down by the weight of the heavy rocks and kept him from the air just above his head. Within seconds, he was gone.

Lucy screamed in surprise as the watched what eventually awaited her. The second whole in the celling caused the water to rise faster. It wasn't long before her chest was engulfed by the flood.

This made them pull harder and more violently in desperation to free her from her bonds. Natsu yanked with all of his strength, yet the water level rose higher each second. It wasn't long before he had to dive beneath the surface to get proper leverage.

When the water reached her shoulders, Lucy realized what she had to do.

Natsu came up for air and readied his lungs for another dive. However she called out to him before he could go back down.

"Natsu, wait."

"Not now Lucy." He escaped her weak grip.

"No! Natsu!" Using what little room she had, she pulled him back up to face her. "Listen to me. You have to leave."

"No, I will not leave you here!" He raged back.

"Please, take care of Layla. She needs you." Tears fell from Lucy's eyes, only to be wiped away by the water around her.

Natsu slowly understood the situation. "No...no...no..."

Another chunk of ceiling fell down beside them and even more water crashed down.

"You have to go." Lucy pushed him away from her. "Before it's too late."

"I cant leave you. I lost you for so long and I just got you back." Natsu cried, holding her shoulders.

"I know, thank you for coming back for me. Im glad I was able to see you again."

"I can't loose you again."

"I'm sorry." The water rested just under Lucy's chin, but quickly floated higher. Lucy stretched as high as her chains would allow, gasping for the last gulp of air. However, the surface was just out of her reach now. She could see it barely beyond her vision, but was too far to achieve it.

Using the last of her strength, she placed her feet against the wall and pulled with all her might. Natsu followed suit, yanking as hard as possible against the metal links.

It wasn't long before he ran out of air and floated to the surface, but Lucy didn't join him. He immediately dunked back down, but he saw no progress against the sealing stone.

He watched as Lucy's grip faultered as her body started to sink. He grabbed her arms and shook her in an attempt to wake her up. Her eyes were half closed, but still blinked back at him. With the last of her life, she pulled him close and kissed him.

Natsu watched in horror as his wife's eyes unfocused and her body drifted backwards, small bubbles escaping her lips. The last ounce of air in her body leaving, as she lost consciousness.

Unable to think, Natsu rose to the surface and coughed up the water collected in his lungs. He cried a loud roar and dove back down to her, refusing to accept this reality.

His entire body pulsated as a rush of fury erupted from inside him, even underwater he raged. He heated his body and released a massive blast of magic. This immense explosion caused the wall behind him to shatter into pieces. Fragments flew in all directions as water flowed through the new opening he had created. He felt his body be washed away and moved to a foreign place by the heavy amounts of water.

Natsu wasn't sure what he had just done, his mind too preoccupied. But he found himself crawling across the dirt and into a dry spot of grass. He flopped down and looked up, he could see the sky, clouds and the sun. How was that possible? He was just in the dungeon.

Sitting up, Natsu surveyed the wreckage he had caused. He was currently sitting on the grassy field just beyond the castle wall. Or what was left of it. His explosion caused a giant gash in the side of the castle and in the ground above the dungeon. Looking down, he could see the underground river that Draskell had mentioned.

Normally, he would marvel at his capabilities to cause such destruction. But he was currently more worried about Lucy's location. He had to at least bring her body home.

"Natsu!" Voice caught his attention, Natsu looked to the side to see Grey and Levy running towards him.

"I heard an explosion."

"Are you alright?"

"Did you find Lucy?"

They asked too many questions. Thankfully a voice caught their attention before he was forced to answer.

"Hey!" All heads turned to Gajeel who was about ten feet away. "Quickly come here!"

They all ran to Gajeel, who was hunched over an unconscious Lucy. Her hands were still bolted together, connected to a piece of surviving wall. Lucy was extremely pale and her lips were a light shade of blue.

"Oh my god, Lucy!"  Levy kneeled down check her friends pulse.

Natsu slowly watched from a distance as they discovered what had happened. He couldn't bare to go through it again and remained in his place. Therefore, he hung his head in shame and remorse for the loss of his wife, for a second time.

"She's still alive." Levy cried, tears falling from her eyes.

"We need Juvia!" Grey turned his head to find his wife and without a second thought he sprinted off.

Natsu's eyes widened, and he crawled quickly over. Gajeel had broken Lucy's magic cuffs, freeing her from the chains. The terrible bonds that were the reason of her situation. Her wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding.

"Is she really..." Natsu breathed, not wanting to raise his hopes again.

Levy nodded slowly.

With surprising speed, Gray came back with Juvia. The water mage sat down on the grass and hovered a hand over Lucy's chest.

"She has a lot of water in her lungs." She commented.

Natsu met her gaze with worry, his expression doing nothing to hide his emotions.

"Nothing I can't fix." Juvia eased his soul.

She took both her hands and waved them smoothly over Lucy's chest and lead them over to her throat and started pulling her fingers upwards. Slowly a blog of water lifted from Lucy's lips and exited her body.

A moment later, Lucy gasped and started coughing violently. She turned her body on her stomach, so gravity would help the liquid drain from her system. However, she was not awake for long. Once her fit ended, she flopped back onto the grass and passed out immediately. Her body too tired to carry on anymore.

Natsu swooped in and placed her into his lap, he too wanted to collapse. His mind had run through too much turmoil I too little time. He was reunited with his wife, lost her and got her back in less than one day. He was done with all the commotion and just wanted to go home.

There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the presence of their lost friend. This was the first time that had all been together in years and just the sight of Lucy gave them all encouragement, a positive boost of energy. After so long, she was finally back where she belonged.

**********************************

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Natsu was rudely awoken from his slumber by the feeling of something bouncing on his shoulder.

"Five more minutes..." He turned over, making the presence fall off him.

"We're going to be late." He heard the same voice move to the other side of the bed and yell in Lucy's ear.

"Layla...its too early for yelling." She groaned and put the pillow over her ears.

"Ha ha. Karma." Natsu chuckled in remembrance of all the times he had been woken up to Lucy yelling.

"I only yelled at you because you would sneak into my bed." Lucy caught his insult and rebuked him.

Natsu simply shrugged with a light laugh.

"Come on Papa, will you help me with my hair?" Layla pulled his hand.

"Of course sunshine, what would you like today?"

"Braids! Like Aunty Erza." The child giggled.

After the incident, life had returned to normal. Natsu returned to the guild and they all moved back into their house together.

Besides the fact that Natsu had become extremely protective, they continued as if nothing had changed.

Layla was finally able to get her own Fairytail guild mark, located on the back of her neck in the color yellow. The guild celebrated for weeks, rejoicing the return of their stolen family.

Layla made friends with the other Fairytail children easily and fit in as if she had never left.

Natsu was finally able to take off Lucy's hair ribbon, after wearing it for two years, the worn fabric was ready for retirement.

Lucy was committed to bed rest the first few weeks of her return. Firstly, she received a lot of damage during her capture. Malnourishment from giving Layla her food and physical deterioration of taking the shots for her daughter. Secondly, Natsu wouldn't let her do anything risky, he barely allowed her to walk.

The man never left her side, not for a moment. He was too scared that she would leave him or disappear. She had come back into his life by a miracle, and he would never let anyone take her away again.