"Natsu."

Nobody made any sudden movements. They simply watched to see how their two friends would handle seeing each other after nine years. Nashi began to grow impatient by her parent's lack of response. She decided to break the ice.

"Daddy!"

Natsu snapped out of his daze and turned his attention to his daughter. He could see Lucy stiffen from the corner of his eyes. He figured Nashi had not told her that he knew. Natsu kneeled to Nashi's level as she ran up and hugged him. He held her close as he rubbed the back of her hair.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked. Nashi shook her head.

"I'm okay," she whispered, "I knew you would save me and Mommy." Natsu smiled softly. He turned his gaze up to the blonde who was staring at them in pure shock. He could hear Lucy's heartbeat increasing. Erza twitched uncomfortably due to the awkwardness in the room.

"Why don't we leave the three of them for a few minutes," she said, grabbing Happy by the tail, pulling him with her. Aside from Happy's struggling, nobody argued with her as they all walked out of the cell, leaving Natsu, Lucy, and Nashi all alone. After everyone had left, Natsu released Nashi, rising from his crouching position. He could see Lucy clutching her pants nervously. Nashi stood off to the side, waiting for her parents to say something.

Lucy let out an uneasy breath, "It's been a while Natsu," she said quietly. An uneasy smile crept onto Natsu's face.

"Yeah, it has. You look different."

"You too."

The awkward atmosphere didn't take long to return. Natsu rubbed the back of his head while a nervous sweat trickled down Lucy's face. Nashi sat down on the floor, feeling that this was going to take a while. Lucy took a deep breath.

"So, you know about Nashi?" she asked uncomfortably.

"You mean that she's my daughter? Yes, I know." He said with a hint of frustration in his tone.

Lucy laughed humorlessly, " I told her not to say anything. I guess she couldn't keep it a secret. It's understandable."

Natsu shook his head, "Nashi didn't tell me. Gray figured it out by himself and told me. Nashi had nothing to do with it."

"I suppose it is kind of obvious. Pink hair, fangs…"

"She can use Dragon Slayer magic too."

That last one didn't surprise her, Nashi did burn a kid a few hours before she was kidnapped. Lucy's brown eyes fell on the floor. Now that she had started the conversation, she knew topics she didn't want to discuss would be spoken of. Oh how much she just wanted to curl in a corner to avoid Natsu's eyes.

"I just want to understand one thing Lucy," he started, "Everyone tells me the same thing, but I want to hear it from you. Why?" he said, desperation in his voice. Lucy couldn't ring herself to meet his eyes. She clutched her right arm uncomfortably.

"Why would you leave? Why would you keep this from me?" asked Natsu. He had to know the truth behind it.

"I was there," Lucy hesitated, "I was there when Lisanna confessed to you."

Natsu stiffened. How had he not noticed? It was then that he remembered the conditions he was in when Lisanna confessed. The storage room was filled with all different spices, he couldn't even smell Lisanna and she was right in front of him. His attention was back on Lucy when her voice began to tremble.

"I was going to tell you Natsu," she whispered, "I really was. I was going to tell you everything, about Nashi, about my… feelings for you," a blush appeared on her cheeks, "But then she beat me to the punch. I couldn't face you after that."

"You know me Luce," he said, Lucy flinching at the old nickname, "Even if Nashi wasn't my child, I would have helped you raise her."

"I know, that's why I couldn't tell you." Natsu watched her in confusion.

"If you found out, you would have tried to help, and Nashi would have ben a priority in your life, but at the same time, so would Lisanna. It wouldn't be fair to either of them, or me, if you lived your life like that. Raising a child while seeing another woman, I just wanted you to be happy, I was trying to do what I thought was right."

"That wasn't the right thing to do," Natsu interrupted, his eyes hardening, "that was the selfish thing to do. You didn't want to share me with Lisanna, so you took care of Nashi by yourself!"

Lucy's bangs covered her eyes as Natsu spoke, but he could tell she was crying.

"I didn't see it that way," she spoke, "You chose Lisanna. If I told you the truth, you would be tied down with the position of deciding who mattered more, me and your daughter or your girlfriend. To begin with, you loved Lisanna, so who was I to deprive you of that love by telling you about her?" Lucy raised her head, letting Natsu see her tears.

"You may think I did it out of selfishness, but I know why I did it! I DID IT BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!"

Natsu was taken back by her sudden outburst. Nashi watched with interest.

" I love you! And it's because I love you that I took Nashi away. You were in love with someone else and I couldn't force you to be with Nashi if your heart already belonged to Lisanna. I just wanted you to be happy! I didn't want Nashi's birth to ruin you and Lisanna's relationship!" Lucy threw her hands over her eyes, sobbing loudly. She couldn't believe she just confessed all of that, only now, it was much more complicated than it was all those years ago.

Lucy listened as Natsu's armored steps neared her. She was taken by surprise when he wrapped his arms firmly around her small frame.

"How would you know if I was happy?" he whispered, "You didn't stay long enough."

Lucy blinked back the tears in her eyes. Natsu pulled away slightly, still holding onto her firmly. He offered her a sad smile.

"Lisanna and I broke up a few days ago."

"Because of Nashi?" she asked sadly. This is what she was trying to avoid. It seemed as though it was all in vain after all.

"Yes and no," said Natsu, surprising Lucy slightly.

"It's true we broke up after I found out about Nashi, but not for the reason you think."

"Then why?" she asked, new tears building up in her eyes. What could have happened between them? Despite how terrible the thought made her feel, Natsu and Lisanna were perfect for each other, or at least she thought so. They had known each other for so long, how could they not get together? Lucy's breath got caught in her breath when Natsu brushed back a strand of her hair.

"Because, I never loved her."

"…"

"I was stupid. I thought, that we could fall in love, but a few days later, something happened and made me realize, that I could never love her the same way she loved me."

"What happened?" Lucy whispered, her heart rate sped up faster than she thought was possible.

A loving smile graced the Dragon Slayer's face. "You left."

"I-I" Natsu shushed the woman, stroking her long hair. Nashi brought her hands up to her mouth, trying to keep a squeal from erupting.

"When you left Luce, I broke. I was never the same. I may have looked the same and smiled for everyone, but they were all fake. Everything about me was not real. Everything, except the love I felt for one person. The one person I am holding in my arms right now."

"N-Natsu."

"Lucy, I love you."

Lucy eyes widened. In all the years she had been fearing her reunion with Natsu, she had never expected this sort of reaction from him. It made her want to cry. And she did.

Fat tears fell from Lucy's face as she threw her arms around his neck. Natsu held her tightly, smiling lovingly. Lucy mumbled into his shoulder.

"A-After all of t-this, how c-can you forgive and forget s-so easily?"

Natsu chuckled slightly, "Nashi taught me, that there is no point in holding blame. What happened happened. All you can do now is move forward. And now that I've found both of you, I don't intend on losing you ever again."

"I s-still fell s-so g-guilty," she sobbed, pulling away from Natsu's shoulder, "I took your daughter away from you, a-and you don't h-hate me for it. How c-can you ever f-forgive me?"

Natsu grabbed Lucy's chin tenderly, gazing at her strongly. Lucy had seen the look many times before. The look between her parents, between Bisca and Alzack, the look Juvia would give Gray on a daily basis, there was no mistaking it.

It was pure, unconditional love.

"Just tell me you love me." Natsu slowly pulled Lucy closer to him, their lips parting, as they got dangerously close. Lucy and Natsu's eyes began to drift closed against their will.

"I love you Natsu."

The kiss was everything Lucy had imagined when she was a lovesick teenager. It wasn't too much or too little, it was total perfection. Natsu released her chin and snaked his free arm around her waste. Lucy tightened her hold around his neck as he did so. They could feel the love for each other radiating off the other person.

The kiss didn't last longer than a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to them when they finally released the other. They kept their eyes shut, resting their foreheads against each other. When their breath was steady, they opened their eyes and swam in the depths of their partner's. Natsu smiled, rubbing his forehead against Lucy's

"I love you too, Lucy." A small laugh flew from Lucy's lips. She waited so long to hear those words come from him.

Natsu felt a tug on his pants and they both looked down to find Nashi staring up at them expectantly. Lucy blushed, forgetting her daughter was even there. They waited for Nashi speak as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Does this mean, we can be a real family now?" she asked hopefully, staring at her father with pleading eyes. Natsu chuckled, kneeling beside Nashi.

"If that's what Mommy wants." The two pinkettes looked at the blonde who squatted down to their height as well. She smiled happily.

"I wouldn't want it any other way." A face splitting grin appeared on Nashi's face. She threw herself onto her two parents who caught her with ease. The small family laughed happily.

Finally, after all these years, Nashi had the love of both her parents. She never thought it would be possible, but here she was, holding both her parents close at once. It was everything she could have hoped for.

Finally.