Natsu watched as Nashi talked with Gale and Levy. He squinted slightly, trying to concentrate. There was something about this girl that made him feel strange, he couldn't pin point it. Her smile, her laugh, her overall appearance was just too familiar. Her scent was no different; it was so recognizable yet so new at the same time. He could pick up traces of vanilla and some other scent. It was the vanilla that made his thoughts wander, back to a simpler time, a time with her in it.

Lucy.

Natsu shook his head.

No, you can't think of her. You're with Lisanna now.

Natsu often thought of the beautiful blonde woman who had once been his partner, even after all these years he could not ignore the love he felt for her, but he knew he had to. As much as he loved Lucy, he had made a choice and he chose Lisanna. He had often thought of breaking up with her like he had originally planned on if it didn't work out, but he couldn't find it in him to break her heart. Even if he didn't return her feelings, she was still his friend and he wanted her to be happy, even if he wasn't. Besides, what would be the point? The love of his life was gone and he would never see her again.

Natsu was startled when a cold hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to find his girlfriend, Lisanna, staring at him worriedly.

"Natsu, are you okay? You've been awfully quiet." Natsu smiled at her, though it did not reach his eyes like it used to.

"Don't worry Lisanna, I've just been thinking about my new job is all." Lisanna shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't lie to herself; she didn't like the idea of Nashi staying with her boyfriend. It was awkward enough that she slept with his clothes on, but now she was staying at his house and he had to watch her twenty four/seven so nothing bad happened to her. Lisanna felt a new feeling rise within her, one she hadn't felt since Lucy. Lisanna ignored it, pushing it into the recesses of her mind.

I am not jealous of that little girl.

"Natsu don't forget, if it becomes a challenge for you, you can always take a break and let someone else in the guild watch her for a little while," said Mirajane who had listened to their conversation. Natsu nodded in agreement. Mira giggled, confusing Lisanna and Natsu. She pointed a finger across the guild.

"You might want to bring Nashi home soon Natsu, she looks like she's getting tired." Natsu watched as Nashi tried to keep her head from falling down and her eyes open. He sighed, standing up from his seat.

"I suppose you're right," he said, heading toward Levy's table. Levy noticed Natsu approaching and shook Nashi's shoulder. Nashi was pulled out of her tiredness when Levy pointed to Natsu.

"Well, it looks like its time for you to be getting to bed," said Levy. Nashi nodded ecstatically, excited to spend some alone time with her father. She might not have been able to tell him the truth, but she was determined to earn his love anyway. Nashi hopped off the bench before turning to Levy and Gale.

"Bye Gale," she said, waving at her new friend who responded the same way.

"See ya later Nashi-chan." Nashi ran over to Natsu's side, beaming with happiness. Natsu wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Nashi was with this newest development. She reminded him too much of Lucy, the person he was trying to get over, but he couldn't disobey the masters orders, so he would have to cope.

"So, are we going to your house now?" she questioned, looking up at him. Nashi couldn't wait to see what it would be like living with him.

"Yeah, just give me a second," he said in a very dull tone that didn't go unnoticed by Nashi. Her smile faltered, remembering the odd looks he was giving her earlier that day. It hurt her believing he would rather not be responsible for her, more than she thought it would hurt.

"Oi Happy! We're heading out now!" Natsu yelled out to the guildhall. Nashi could see a little blue thing heading in her and Natsu's direction. She gasped when she made out the object as a flying blue cat. It was wearing a little red and white striped vest and he had a green backpack. The cat stopped right in front of Nashi, holding out one of his little paws for her to shake.

"Hello, I'm Happy!" it said, startling Nashi even more.

"You can talk just like Carla," she said, remembering the white exceed from the day before. It was then that Nashi made the connection that this was the same blue cat her mother told her stories about. Happy put his paws on his cheeks, little hearts visible in his eyes.

"You met Carla? She's my girlfriend!" Happy stated proudly. Nashi giggled at him. Whether it was appropriate or not, Nashi placed a hand on his head and started rubbing her hand behind his ears. Purrs started to emanate from the blue cat.

"I like her Natsu~" he purred. Natsu didn't respond, he only walked toward the guild doors. Nashi stopped petting Happy and the two followed after the dragon slayer.

"Bye Auntie Mira!" she called out to the barmaid. Mira waved goodbye to Nashi as the doors closed behind her.

Nashi trailed after Natsu and Happy, trying to keep up. Now that they were alone, Nashi felt hesitant to speak to her father. He hadn't shown much interest in her at all today. Nashi pulled her backpack a bit farther onto her shoulders.

"So, where do you two live?" she asked, trying to strike a conversation. Natsu did not answer her question. He didn't want to be anymore involved with this girl than he needed to. As soon as they found her mother, Nashi would be taken out of his hands, the aching feelings in his heart would decrease, and everything could go back to normal, it was as simple as that.

Nashi lowered her head sadly. It was going to be harder than she thought earning her father's love. It was like he was purposefully trying not to get to know her. As much as it pained her, she wasn't going to give up so easily.

Nashi noticed that she had followed Natsu and Happy into the woods just around Magnolia. She was so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed exactly where they were headed or felt the pain growing in her legs. Nashi looked up ahead and sighed in relief.

Not far from where they were was a small house. Part of the building's appearance didn't match the rest of it, so Nashi assumed they had expanded the house at one point. It had a tree growing out of the building and she could see a colorful sign that read "Natsu and Happy" out in front of it. Happy shot her a glance over his shoulder and smiled.

"Welcome to our home!" he cheered. Nashi couldn't help but smile. Ignoring the burning in her legs, Nashi jogged passed her new roommates and up to the front door. Happy sped up to her; Natsu continued his leisurely pace.

For a girl whose mom was just kidnapped, she seems unusually excited, Natsu speculated, Weirdo, kinda like Luc- wait, no! DANG IT Jii-Chan, why did you have to put her with me?

Natsu approached his front door and unlocked it with the key. Pushing the front door open, Natsu and Happy strolled in like any other day. Meanwhile, Nashi was admiring her father's home. It wasn't nearly as fancy or decorative as her house, but it still felt like home. The house wasn't dirty like Nashi thought it would be, however, there was one thing that Nashi didn't like.

"Eww, what's that smell?" she asked, cupping her hands over her nose. Natsu didn't answer; he just walked down the hallway. Happy shook his head, disappointed in his partner's behavior. Honestly, what was his problem?

"It's old fish bones and guts. I leave them in the sink," he said, pointing toward the kitchens opening. Nashi wanted to gag.

"Why don't you throw them away?" said Nashi, throwing one of her hands toward the kitchens direction while the other remained on her nose.

"Its Natsu's job to throw them away, but he's too lazy," he replied, "Honestly, I have no idea how he stands it. His nose is stronger than anyone's."

Join the club Dad, Nashi thought, removing her other hand from her mouth. It still smelt revolting, but she would have to live with it if she was going to stay here, and she WAS going to stay here. Nashi saw Natsu return with what looked like two sheets and a pillow. He walked up to these two hangers sticking out of the wall. He set down one of the blankets and the pillow and began tying the other one to the two hooks.

Nashi couldn't understand what he was trying to do, but her mind was drawn to the wall he was hanging the sheet on.

Before her was a wall full of mementos. Some were nailed to the wall, others placed on the shelf under it. Each object had a sticky note attached to it, telling how he received that specific item. Nashi couldn't take it in all at once. She placed her hand gently on the shelf and ran her hand over it. Nashi could tell that he regularly dusted it to preserve all his precious memories. Her eyes fell on the end of the shelf. A small box sat isolated from the rest of the mementos. It wasn't like the rest of her father's stuff; it seemed too dainty and girly to belong to Natsu. Nashi walked up to it, eying it with curiosity. Eventually she found the sticky note that went with it. Taking it in her fingers, Nashi read the note.

"Lucy's letters to her mother"

Mommy?

"Was Lucy important to you?" the question slipped from Nashi's mouth before she could stop it. Nashi eyed her father, wondering how he would respond. Natsu had frozen halfway into tying the other end of the sheet to the second hook, his pupils dilated. Nashi was afraid that she had crossed some territory she shouldn't have crossed.

"How do you know that name," he said darkly. Nashi's heart began to accelerate. She couldn't let him know how she knew Lucy. Nashi's eyes wondered back to the board beside her.

"Y-Your wall," she stuttered. Natsu glared at her through the corner of his eye, demanding she explain. Nashi had to admit; she was terrified of her father right now.

"Y-You have a lot of mementos that involved her. I just assumed she meant a lot to you." It was the truth; Nashi noticed a large number of the sticky notes had her mother's name on them. Natsu watched her for a few more seconds before returning to tying the sheet.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't touch any of that." Nashi dropped the sticky note from her mothers box. She wanted her daddy to like her, not loathe her, if he didn't already. Natsu finished attaching the sheet to the wall; Nashi finally realized he was creating a hammock. He grabbed the pillow and extra blanket and threw them onto the hammock.

"I don't have an extra bed for you to sleep in, so you can crash in my old bed." Nashi raised an eyebrow.

"You used to sleep in a hammock?" Natsu didn't even nod. Nashi had forgotten Happy was there until he decided to speak up.

"Natsu slept in that hammock for years, but eventually he took the bed from Lush-"

"Time for bed Happy," Natsu interrupted, his frustration clear in his voice. Happy couldn't understand what had brought on this new behavior. He was acting rather coldly to her and it made no sense to him. Nashi eyed the make shift bed.

"How am I supposed to get in it?" Nashi asked, the hammock was a little higher off the ground than Nashi could reach. Natsu looked around the room until he found a decent sized box by the couch. He walked over to the box and kicked it to the hammock.

"There, now you can climb in." Natsu could tell Nashi had something else she wanted by the way she shifted in her spot. He stared at her with a blank face, only making Nashi feel more uncomfortable about what she was about to ask.

"Auntie Mira and Lisanna let me wear one of your shirts since I didn't bring any pajamas." Now Natsu understood why she was shy in asking him. Despite the cold façade he had, a light blush appeared on his cheeks. Natsu headed back through the hallway and into his bedroom. He pulled a random shirt from his dresser and came back into the living room.

"Hope you like dragons," he said, throwing the shirt, causing it to land on Nashi's head. She pulled the large t-shirt off of her head and inspected the front. The shirt itself was a red color similar to the color of Natsu's guild mark. On the front was a large pattern that looked like a dragon. Nashi whispered a "thank you" and asked for the direction of the bathroom. Natsu pointed to the hallway and Nashi followed his directions.

Nashi emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later. She found Natsu and Happy in the living room, already dressed for bed. Natsu was wearing a black tank top with dark green pajama pants. He wasn't wearing his scarf, so Nashi could see a scar on the side of his neck. Happy had removed his backpack and vest and replaced them with a little blue nightcap. Upon hearing Nashi enter the room, Natsu and Happy turned to her. Natsu stood from his seat while Happy activated his wing magic. Nashi drifted over to the hammock on the other side of the room, carrying her backpack and cloths. When she reached it, she carefully placed her stuff underneath the suspended blanket. Nashi hopped onto the box and climbed into the hammock. It rocked around upon entry, but ceased as soon as she she found the perfect position. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and looked over at Natsu who had neared the hammock.

"If you need anything during the night, my room is the one across from the restroom." Nashi nodded in understanding. "Do you need anything else?" Natsu asked, sounding uninterested. Nashi squirmed.

"C-Can you sing me a song?" she asked hopefully. Nashi could see a light blush appear on Natsu's face at the request. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry kid, I don't really sing." Natsu watched Nashi's eyes fill with disappointment. Finding nothing else to say, Natsu and Happy headed toward the hallway. Natsu flipped the light off, refusing to look back at the girl in the hammock.

"Night Natsu," Nashi whispered. Natsu didn't resply as he and Happy went to bed.

"Natsu," Happy whispered after they entered the bedroom. Natsu began climbing into Lucy's old bed, now his bed, "Why are you so cold towards Nashi?"

Natsu laid his head on the pillow, gazing up at he ceiling above him. He thought about the way he had treated Nashi and had to admit, it was a bit uncalled for. It wasn't Nashi's fault she reminded him of Lucy. An image of the blonde woman appeared in Natsu's head. She stood only a few feet away from him, giving him that heart-melting smile she always did. No matter how hard he tried, he could never forget her and the feelings she gave him.

"You wouldn't understand Happy," Natsu responded to his little partner as he made himself comfortable on a pillow beside the bed, "I'm not trying to be cruel, she's just so much like her. And it hurts." Happy didn't question Natsu anymore, so they decided to sleep, the crickets chirping outside nulling their senses.

Nashi lay in the hammock, thinking about what she had overheard.

I'm hurting him.

Nashi didn't want to be the cause of her father's pain; she wanted to bring him joy, and she would do just that. She started to devise a plan in her head for tomorrow. She was going to earn his love. She wanted it more than anything right now.

Please Daddy. Give me a chance.

🌟FAIRY TAIL🔥

The sun hadn't come out yet by the time Nashi woke up. She sat up in her hammock, looking for the nearest clock. She found one hanging above the couch. Nashi smiled to herself.

6:04, perfect!

Nashi swung her legs carefully over the hammock's side and placed them on the box beside her. Nashi climbed out of her bed and onto the box. She quickly got off the box and tiptoed toward the hallway. It was still dark out, but still bright enough for Nashi to find the door to Natsu's bedroom. She cautiously pushed it open.

Her father's room wasn't all that impressive. There was almost no furniture aside from the bed and a dresser. Her eyes fell on her Daddy's sleeping face. He looked so at peace in that moment; Nashi smiled. She searched the room until she found what she was looking for.

"Happy," Nashi called out in a quiet voice. His ear twitched, however he remained asleep.

"Happy," she said slightly louder. This time, Happy's eyelids groggily opened. He looked around the room, trying to find the source that woke him up, until his eyes fell on the pink haired little girl standing behind the cracked door. Nashi used her hands to gesture to him to come to her. Happy looked back at his sleeping partner before activating is Aera magic and flying over to Nashi. She closed the door behind him and led him to her father's kitchen.

The kitchen was pretty messy, but Nashi expected that much. The smell of Happy's decaying fish was more prominent in there, forcing Nashi to breath through her mouth. Happy stared at Nashi questionably.

"Is something wrong Nashi?" he asked. Nashi shook her head, saying there was nothing to worry about, "I just need your help with something Uncle Happy."

"What do you need?" Nashi turned toward the messy kitchen, eyes slightly lidded.

"I want to do something nice for Natsu, so I thought I would clean up in here and make some breakfast, but I need a little help." Nashi finally looked Happy in the eye, he could see the resolve in her brown irises.

" I want Natsu to like me. I want him to see that I'm not a burden or a nuisance. I want to be his friend." Happy was at first taken back, but then a smile that only a cat could pull off appeared on his face. He finally understood what Natsu was talking about; she was a lot like Lucy, and because she was like her, it only made the task of watching her more unbearable. Despite her size and lack of power, Happy could tell she was persistent and would do whatever it takes to succeed. Happy folded his small arms over his chest and bobbed his head.

"Alright Nashi, I'll help you." Nashi grinned happily, pulling Happy into a bear hug. When she released him, she turned back to the kitchen, her body filling with energy.

"Let's do this Happy!"

"Aye, sir!"

The two went straight to work, cleaning and finding baking supplies, while avoiding Happy's fish because neither of them wanted to go near them; Natsu could do that. Washing dishes, wiping down the table, taking out the trash, the two friends made the kitchen almost spotless. While Happy was finishing sweeping the floor, Nashi began working on their breakfast.

Pancakes.

The sun was starting to peak over the horizon as Nashi mixed the batter.

"Hey Happy?" Nashi questioned, Happy hummed in reply, "How else do you think I can get Natsu to like me?" Happy placed a paw on his chin in thought. In all the years he had known Natsu, he was pretty good with getting along with everyone. However, after Lucy left, Natsu became a bit more distant towards people in the guild. He would talk to them and have fun with them, but Lucy was always on his mind, making it harder to keep his relationships strong. Happy tried thinking back to when Natsu was his old self and thought of the ways Natsu made friends.

"I suppose the best way to become friends with Natsu is just to spend quality time with him," he said. Nashi looked at Happy, forgetting about the pancakes on the stove.

"In the past, Natsu would go through life changing experiences, forcing him to bond with them whether he wanted to or not," Nashi face palmed, "but I doubt you and Natsu will go through something like, so the best I can tell you is to spend some alone time with him and maybe he'll grow to like you."

Nashi reflected on Happy's idea. It actually sounded pretty good. If she could just show Natsu the type of person she was, maybe he would see her not as a reminder of Lucy, but as her own person. Nashi smiled, liking the plan. Suddenly, an offending smell came from beside Nashi. She turned her attention back to the stove, only to see it was on fire. Nashi jumped away from the flames, screaming. When Happy heard her scream, he saw the fire and screamed too. Too shocked to think of a solution, Nashi and Happy started running around the kitchen in circles. They continued to do that until Nashi heard a strange slurping sound. Nashi stared at the fire in astonishment.

Beside the fire was her father, but instead of putting the fire out with water like a normal person, he was EATING it. Like it was spaghetti, Natsu sucked up the fire in less than a minute. Nashi's mouth hung open, trying to understand how this was possible. She knew Natsu was some kind of fire wizard, but what kind of magic allows you to EAT fire? Natsu finished his meal, wiping the corner of his lips. He turned his attention to Nashi who had realized she had started the fire and began to grow nervous. Happy continued to run in circles screaming.

"Mind explaining what happened?" Natsu said, folding his arms over his chest. Nashi cast her eyes to the floor in shame.

"I was trying to make you breakfast," Natsu raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I wanted to do something nice for you, for letting me stay at your house, and I want to be your friend."

Natsu inhaled sharply. Now he felt guilty. Nashi wouldn't have felt so bad if he had just manned up and treated her better, instead of seeing her as Lucy. Natsu unfolded his arms and scratched his head. He took a deep breath, not quite sure how to explain things to his guest.

"I'm sorry." Natsu's apology stunned the little girl.

"I never meant to make you feel bad. You just, remind me of someone is all. Someone I miss very dearly." Nashi blinked twice, "And because you remind me of her, it hurts." His voice cracked.

"So you are trying to keep from hurting by treating me like a stranger," said Nashi. Natsu didn't respond.

"Is this person Lucy?" Natsu flinched, but instead of barking at her like he did the other day, he nodded. Nashi held her hands behind her back, offering Natsu an understanding smile.

"It's okay Natsu, I forgive you. I don't want to cause you pain, but I do want to be your friend," she said. Natsu stared at her with an unreadable expression. Before long though, he chuckled.

She really is a lot like you Luce.

"Sorry for the fire," Nashi said, looking past Natsu and at the burnt stove, "I really wanted to make you breakfast." Natsu waved it off.

"It's okay. Besides, the flames it created were pretty decent." Said Natsu. Nashi's smile broke into a full out grin at her daddy's compliment.

The two of them just stood in silence, ignoring Happy's screaming, glad that the tension around them had thinned, even if only by a little bit. Nashi's heart, glad to know she stood a chance at winning her fathers heart.

Things are going to get much better, she thought happily.