Happy was startled by the sudden sound of the door slamming open. He was eating a fish on Natsu's couch when a giggling Nashi and a just as happy Natsu walked in. He understood why Nashi was so happy, but to see Natsu sporting a real grin was almost rare. Happy was pleased to know he was right about her, things were definitely going to get better for Natsu. A sly smile appeared on Happy's face.

"So~ did you two have fun?" Nashi skipped over to the blue exceed, swinging around her new dragon plushy.

"It was awesome Happy! I got Natsu some patches to stop his motion sickness and we went on a bunch of different rides." Nashi held her dragon a few inches from the cat's face, "Look what Natsu got me! His name is Igneel."

Happy glanced at his partner who was blushing. Happy giggled, nibbling on his fish again.

"It sounded like you two had a blast. What about you Natsu, did you have fun with Nashi?" Nashi turned around, hoping for a good report from her daddy. Natsu rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Yeah, it was fun. You should have come with us little buddy," he replied. Happy shook his head.

"Nah, it sounds like you had a blast just the two of you." Nashi nodded, running over to her hammock and putting away her backpack and Igneel.

"I'm going to put on my pj's. I'll be right back," said Nashi, heading off to the bathroom. Natsu and happy were the only ones left in the room. Natsu began to feel uncomfortable by the weird looks his partner was giving him.

"What?" said Natsu. Happy jerked his head in the direction Nashi ran off in.

"She really likes you Natsu. I'm glad you're starting to give her a chance." Natsu flopped onto the couch beside Happy. He let a sigh fly out of his lips.

"I don't know what it is about her, but I feel so different around her, you know? She has some weird affect on me," he glanced over at his buddy. Happy nodded once, completely agreeing with what he meant. They heard Nashi running down the hallway and smiled at her when she came into the room wearing Natsu's shirt. Nashi strolled over to her hammock and started climbing into it. Natsu and Happy got up from their seats and drifted toward Nashi. She smiled at the two of them, clutching Igneel tight in her arms.

"Thank you for today Natsu. I had a lot of fun," she said. Natsu gave her a gentle smile and ruffled her hair.

"I did too Nashi." He was about to walk out of the room when Nashi spoke again.

"Can you sing me a song?" Happy snickered at the thought of his partner singing. A light blush decorated Natsu's face.

"Nashi, I already told you, I don't really sing." Nashi shrugged sadly.

"You can't blame me for trying." Natsu nodded in understanding. The pink haired man turned off the lights and walked toward his bedroom, his exceed not far behind.

"Why won't you just sing to her Natsu?" Happy asked when they entered the bedroom. Natsu unwrapped his scarf and folded it nicely on the dresser.

"I'm just not a singer Happy. It's not one of the things I'm good at."

"Have you ever even tried?" said Happy, pulling off his backpack and vest. Natsu didn't respond. The two friends finished dressing into their pajamas and fell onto their respected beds.

"I tried once." Natsu's voice interrupted the silence, "Lucy thought I should try it." Happy said nothing. Anything with Lucy in it was a sensitive topic, but he was surprised that Natsu continued to speak.

"It's funny really, I was so afraid of the fact that Nashi being here would just bring back painful memories of Lucy. And although she has, they don't hurt, if anything, it feels good remembering." A blissful smile appeared on Natsu's face as he closed his eyes.

Happy stared at him in bewilderment. Never before had Natsu been so open about that sort of thing. He didn't know how she did it, but Nashi was slowly fixing Natsu. Happy closed his eyes, welcoming the sleep that was overtaking his body.

"Aye Natsu, It does feel good."

🌟FAIRY TAIL🔥

There was nothing but fog and darkness as far as the eye could see. Nashi spun around in circles, hoping to find something. A cool breeze blew past her, sending chills up her spine.

Nashi was startled when she heard a whispery voice come from behind her.

"Nashi."

She could recognize that voice anywhere. Nashi spun around to find a woman standing a couple yards away from her. She seemed paler than usual and she wasn't smiling like Nashi was used to, but that didn't change the fact that she was there.

"Mommy?" Tears of happiness began to run down Nashi's cheeks. The little girl started sprinting toward her mother in a desperate attempt to reach her.

"Nashi." Her mother's voice sounded grave.

Suddenly, the dark fog began to change shape. Nashi could make it out into thousands of arms. A handful of them shot at Lucy, grabbing her limbs and started pulling her further away from Nashi.

"MOMMY!" Nashi screamed, increasing her speed. It was all in vain when Nashi felt some of the hands grab hold of her. Their fingers dug into her skin, causing it to burn slightly. Nashi fought against them, trying to pull herself free. She watched helplessly as her mother was pulled into the darkness, vanishing into thin air.

"MOMMY!" she screamed, shooting up in her hammock. Nashi scanned the room, finding herself back in Natsu's house. She fell back onto the hammock, letting a sigh fly out her lips.

It was just a dream.

Nashi wiped away some of the tears that had formed while she was sleeping. Sitting back up, Nashi pulled Igneel close to her and started climbing out of the hammock. Her feet made a soft thud when they came in contact with the wooden floor. Nashi tiptoed through the darkness, trying not to bump into any furniture. When she reached the hallway, she used the walls to guide her way to her daddy's room. Nashi opened the door slowly and walked to the side of the bed. She shifted Igneel to one of her arms and used her free hand to shake Natsu's shoulder.

Natsu groggily opened his eyes to find Nashi staring at him. His worry spiked when he caught a glimpse of the dried tears on her cheeks.

"What's wrong Nashi," he asked, propping himself up on his elbow. Said girl hugged Igneel tightly, showing Natsu how vulnerable she felt.

"I had a bad dream."

Natsu had no idea how to handle this sort of situation. He had never had to comfort a child after having a nightmare before. Nashi looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Can I spend the night with you?" Natsu blinked a few times. He was about to tell Nashi no, when he got lost in her chocolate irises. By gazing into them, he could see how utterly scared she was, but what disturbed him the most was how much they looked like Lucy's eyes when she needed him to comfort her. Natsu sighed, scooting over so Nashi could have room to sleep.

The little girl climbed up onto his bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Natsu was in the middle of lying back down when Nashi started snuggling into the side of his arm. He was taken back by her action, but didn't fight it. It felt right for some reason. Natsu relaxed as Nashi rubbed her face into his arm.

"Natsu," Nashi whispered. Natsu glanced over at the girl beside him. Her eyes were falling slightly, sleep taking its toll on her, "do you think we'll save Mommy?"

Natsu shifted so he was lying on his side, facing Nashi.

"Nashi, you are a member of Fairy Tail now, and you always will be. We look out for our family. I promise you, I will find your mother."

Nashi nodded, too tired to form any coherent thoughts. She scooted closer to her father. Natsu wrapped an arm around Nashi's body to provide what little comfort he could. The two drifted off to sleep, feeling completely at peace.

🌟FAIRY TAIL🔥

Lisanna struggled to hold the laundry basket in her arms. She was heading over to Natsu and Happy's house to drop off her boyfriend's clothes. The thought of her boyfriend made Lisanna blush. She didn't get the chance to see him yesterday because she came to the guild late. Gray said something about Nashi winning a bet so Natsu had to take her somewhere. Lisanna gripped the basket a bit tighter thinking about her boyfriend spending the whole day with her. Natsu didn't seem to happy to be watching her the other day, and if the situation remained the same, yesterday must have been torture.

Lisanna's smile widened at the sight of her boyfriend's house. She sped up her pace as she came to the door. When she opened it, her boyfriend, his exceed, and the pink haired little girl were nowhere in sight. She spotted a hammock hanging up by Natsu's memoirs and figured that's where Nashi slept, but the girl was not there.

"Happy! Natsu!" she called out. A fluttering sound could be heard from the kitchen. Happy came flying out of the room, a groggy look on his face and a fish in his mouth.

"Hi Happy," said Lisanna. Happy flew over to the couches arm and sat on it. He took the fish out of his mouth and smiled at the white-haired woman.

"Good morning Lisanna."

"Hey Happy, where's Natsu and Nashi?" she asked.

"Nashi had a nightmare last night, so she slept in Natsu's bed. They are probably still sleeping." Upon hearing that Nashi slept in Natsu's bed, Lisanna heart pinged with jealousy. It was an innocent act of comforting the child, however it frustrated the young Take-Over mage. Lisanna disguised her anger with a smile.

"Well, I'd better go wake them up," she said, putting the laundry basket on the couch.

Lisanna walked down Natsu's hallway and stopped in front of his bedroom door. She opened it and her eyes fell on the two individuals in bed. Natsu had his arms wrapped around Nashi while said girl was snuggling into his chest. If anyone other than Lisanna had found them like this, they would have thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Lisanna stared at the pink haired individuals, well mostly at Nashi. Since that girl arrived, her regular life style had become mixed up. Tired of looking at the adorable sight before her, Lisanna coughed loudly, startling Nashi and Natsu awake. They jolted up, trying to catch their bearings.

"Well, how did you two sleep," she said sarcastically. Nashi looked away from Lisanna's gaze. Natsu scratched the top of his head.

"Yo Lisanna. What are you doing here?" he yawned. Lisanna placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, I came to drop off your laundry. Sorry I didn't do it earlier." Natsu waved her off.

"It's okay," Natsu said, rising from the bed and heading to his closet, " Nashi, go get dressed and we can all head to the guild together." Nashi nodded. Grabbing Igneel, Nashi jumped off the side of his bed and ran past Lisanna and into the hallway. Lisanna followed after her and to the living room.

A few minutes later, Natsu, Nashi, and Happy were dressed and they went to the guild with Lisanna. On the walk, Nashi reached for Natsu's hand. Natsu held her hand without argument. Lisanna saw this exchange and she felt jealousy rise in her. She thought that Natsu hated her, he certainly didn't like her the other day.

"Hey Natsu," Lisanna said, clinging onto Natsu's other arm, "Why don't we go out to lunch together, just you and me." Natsu was confused by the sudden invitation. He didn't really want to go, but as Lisanna's boyfriend, he felt that it was the right thing. Natsu felt a tug on his arm and looked down at the little girl holding his hand. Her eyes looked desperate.

"Natsu, what about me?" Natsu didn't know what to say to him, so Lisanna spoke up.

"You can play with Gale, Nashi. There are other children in the guild you can play with." Nashi looked up at Natsu, disappointment clear as day on her face.

"But Natsu has to watch over me."

"Who has to watch you?" all four people turned to the new voice who had joined their conversation. They were surprised to see Gray strolling to their direction. The sight of him excited Lisanna.

"Gray, Natsu and I want to go on a date, can you watch over Nashi for us?" Gray's gaze fell on the girl, or more importantly, her hand attached to Natsu's. He could see why Lisanna wanted a date with her boyfriend right that second. As much as he hated the idea of separating Natsu and Nashi, he knew Lisanna wouldn't stop until she was satisfied.

"Fine, I can watch her." Lisanna thanked him enthusiastically while Nashi's eyes fell to the floor. Natsu was about to ask her if she was okay, but Lisanna began pulling on his arm, dragging him off in some random direction. Gray watched as the couple walked away. When they were a fair distance away, he turned his attention to Happy and Nashi. Happy was used to the idea of Lisanna and Natsu going on dates, however, Nashi looked almost defeated.

"It'll be okay kid," he said patting Nashi on her backpack, "You'll see him later today." Nashi nodded sadly. Gray, Happy and Nashi started off toward the guild.

"I take it your day at the amusement park was a success." Nashi nodded and told a little bit about their day together. Just by Nashi's description of the day, Gray could tell that their relationship was heading in the right direction. The way Nashi talked about Natsu reminded Gray back when Lucy was still around, back to when Natsu's smiles were real. This got Gray thinking pretty hard about something he had been meaning to tell the pink haired dragon slayer. He had wanted to tell him for a few years now, but he didn't know if it was the right thing to do, but after seeing the way he treated Nashi confirmed his suspicions and solidified his resolve to confront Natsu.

"Are there really other kids at the guild aside from Gale?" Gray was startled, he had almost forgotten the little girl and exceed who were following him to the guild. Gray's dark blue eyes met Nashi's and he smiled.

"Yeah, come on, I'm sure Gale will introduce you." Nashi's sad mood was brightened by the sound of new friends and the three guild mates hurried off to Fairy Tail.

When they got there, Happy flew over to the bar while Gray helped Nashi find Gale. They found the navy haired girl sitting at one of the guild tables with three other children.

Siting beside her was a little boy about seven years old. He had light brown hair and dark eyes. He wore a light green shirt that read "I'm the Man".

Across from them was another boy and girl, both had green hair, however they were two different shades. The girl looked about fifteen years old with dark green almost black hair pulled back into a braid. She had on a cowgirl hat and vest with tassels. The boy next to her had green hair too, however his was a forest green. His outfit looked a bit more like a Native American with his moccasins and poncho. Nashi ran up to them, leaving Gray alone in the center of the guild. Gale spotted Nashi heading their way and waved to her excitedly.

"Nashi-Chan! It's good to see you," she said, scooting over so Nashi could sit down. The green haired teenager reached a hand over the table for Nashi to shake.

"Howdy Nashi, I'm Asuka," Asuka pointed a thumb at the little boy beside her, "This is my little brother Billy." Billy smiled at Nashi happily, "Hi Nashi-nee!"

"Hello Billy." The boy beside Gale reached over her to shake Nashi's hand.

"I'm Otoko Strauss. The big man with the white hair is my dad." Nashi could hear Elfman scream "man" from the other side of the guild. Nashi giggled and the rest of the table laughed along with her. From the bar, Gray sat, having witnessed the whole exchange. He smiled and Juvia and Mira couldn't help but notice.

"Watching Nashi, Gray?" asked Mira. Gray nodded, "Natsu and Lisanna went on a date and Natsu needed someone to watch over her."

"Do you know where they went Gray-Sama?" Juvia asked inching closer to him. Gray just shrugged his shoulders

"Who knows."

🌟FAIRY TAIL🔥

Natsu and Lisanna strolled into an "8-Island" restaurant. A waiter led the couple to a table and gave them their menus. The two sat in silence. Lisanna was staring at Natsu nervously while Natsu read over his menu.

"So~," Lisanna said, tracing the top of the table, "What were you and Nashi doing yesterday?"

"I took her to the amusement park," he said, still scanning his menu. He listened to Lisanna chuckle from across him.

"You must have been puking your guts out."

Natsu shook his head, "Actually, I didn't. Nashi bought me some motion sickness patches so the whole day was vomit free." Natsu looked up at Lisanna, shooting her an accusing look, "How come you never told me about them, I could have started using them years ago."

In truth, Lisanna knew about motion sickness patches a long time ago, but she just loved comforting Natsu on trains when his motion sickness was acting up. Now that he knew about them, her charade was up.

Thanks a lot Nashi, Lisanna thought crossly.

"I had no idea they sold such things," Lisanna lied, "but even with the patches, I bet your day was just dreadful," Lisanna put her head on her hand and leaned her elbow on the table, "Considering how much you hated the idea of being Nashi's guardian for the time being, spending the whole day with her must have been torturous."

Natsu's eyes fell on the table, a guilty expression on his face.

"To be honest, it was really fun," Lisanna's eyes widened, "the only reason I didn't want to watch Nashi, was because she reminded me of Lucy," a blissful smile formed on his face.

"And yes, she does remind me of Lucy, but not in the bad way I thought it would be. It doesn't hurt to think about for some reason. I don't know what she did, but for the first time since she left, thinking about Lucy is a good thing."

Lisanna was speechless, she couldn't even open her mouth. Their waiter coming to take their order saved her. For the rest of the date, Natsu and Lisanna would have small conversation, Lisanna making it a point to avoid the topics of Nashi and Lucy. Lisanna was afraid this would happen. Lucy did make Lisanna a bit jealous when she was apart of the guild, but after she left, she thought everything would go back to when it was just Natsu and her. It never did, but the jealous feelings began to subside.

When Nashi came, she almost reminded Lisanna of Lucy, and she feared Natsu would think the same thing. The feelings she had finally rid herself of had returned and they only grew because of the time Natsu spent with the girl. She had to keep them from growing too attached.

Natsu and Lisanna finished their food and began their trek back to the guild. Lisanna took Natsu's hand into hers, but he didn't tighten his grip around hers. When they got to the guild, Natsu found Nashi standing above a knocked out Otoko. The children surrounding the two backed away, hoping to avoid getting caught in the middle of this. Lisanna stared at her nephew, horrified by Nashi's actions.

"What happened?" she asked angrily. Natsu had yet to speak.

"He said women weren't as strong as men, so we wrestled and I won," said Nashi joyfully, completely oblivious to the white haired woman's fury.

"You can't just… you shouldn't… Nashi what you did was-"

"Awesome!" the girls turned their attention to the dragon slayer who was running over to Nashi. He picked up the little girl and started swinging her around.

"I can't believe you beat him. Do you know how cool that is Nashi? You're the best!" Happy yelled an "Aye, Sir" from the bar counter and all the people in the area laughed.

Everyone was to busy praising Nashi or laughing to notice the youngest Strauss sibling, feeling downcast and betrayed. She stared at Natsu longingly, confused as to why he would choose Nashi over her. Lisanna could feel her heart break inside her chest.

As long as Nashi was there, Natsu would only pay attention to her, and if he did, his feelings for her would only increase. Lisanna couldn't let that happen. If she wanted a future with Natsu, she would have to keep them from growing closer.

She couldn't lose him.