Yoodles~ I'd like to shout out to all of you readers, followers, commenters, and favoritors! It is very much appreciated! Well, resulting in the kid's age... I give up they are like ... 4-5 ish? I don't know. Oh, yus, for yous reading the chapter~ Play this song whilst reading: "And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? "Your clicks make my day brighter! Okay let's begin~

As the tears slowly stopped and the children cried themselves to sleep, Lucy carried them both off to bed. Walking into the room her bare feet met the plush carpets. She was glad the landlady had added that in the time she had been gone. Her smile faltered slightly as she bit her lip. She left twice... twice. Once in the seven years, and then once her kids were born... Lucy sighed a heavy sigh. How much more could she screw up? Lucy tucked in her children and kissed both of their soft smooth little foreheads while briskly walking out of the room. Lucy shut the door with a bitter feeling his her heart. The room was silent as her nails dig into the wood of the door. Tears streamed down her cheeks again. She was going to leave again...

But this time she wasn't coming back.

She slipped to the floor in quiet sobs into her hands and her shoulders shook. Natsu stood in the shadow of the kitchen gripping his fists as the feeling of uselessness. He walked over to her in silence. His footsteps were labored as he knelt beside her before tentatively lifted his hand and rested it on shaking shoulder. Lucy looked up at Natsu as tears and snot ran down her face. Any normal person would cringe, but Natsu hugged her close while kissing her forehead.

"Luce... don't cry. You'll get through it. I promise."

####

*The Next day~*

Lucy pulled her two children into the guild with a tired frown on her face. Jace was trying to naw off his arm while Riko looked as if her soul had been taken.

"We don't need any friends! We have each other!" Jace wailed as heads of various wizards sweat dropped as they watched Lucy struggle to pull her children into the guild. Lucy sighed as she dropped to the eye level of the children.

"True. But these guys are our friends too. Don't you think it's a little unfair to ignore them? Let alone its rude."

Jace huffed while he stopped gnawing his arm. "...They won't like us..."

Riko looked down, as her little hands tightened around her summer dress, "Just like everyone else from before..."

Lucy's smile faltered as she pulled her kids into a hug. "I doubt it. Nobody will ever treat you like that here. And I can promise you both that," Lucy pulled away as she cupped both of their faces. "Now, let's go meet some friends."

Jace nodded reluctantly. Obviously the little talk had no effect on him, but the words to disagree stayed lodged in his throat. Riko followed obediently while her little heart seemed to want to burst out of her chest. Her blond hair was tied into a cute little bow that seemed to compliment the light pink dress she wore.

"Momma... what if they do not like us?" Riko's quiet voice sounded panicked and quick as they approached Gajeel who was rubbing his wife's ever growing belly. Lucy seemed to frown but quickly shook her head while approaching Gajeel and Levy.

"Levy-chan!" Lucy beamed while Levy looked up and also smiled.

"Lu-chan! Have you moved in well enough? Do you need someone to babysit Jace and Riko? Because Gajeel is really good with ki-"

Gajeel's gruff and rather loud protest silence his wife while Lucy chuckled. "Levy. I can't look after you and two more shorties."

Jace pouted while growling as he stormed forward, "I'm not short Metal face!"

Gajeel twitched while turning to the pinkette in an angry manner. "What'd you call me twerp?" Now, this look would normally deter any child from fight and resulting to immediate begs of forgiveness, but the boy, who in stark comparison to his father, seemed to only use that to add gas to the fire.

"I called you Metal Face!" Jace yelled while attempting to jump at him and succeeding in doing so if his mother had not snatched him back. Jace looked at his mother who smiled in a sickly sweet way.

"Jace stop." Jace froze while his little knees began to shake.

"B-But!"

"Jace."

Jace's eyes suddenly looked at the beautiful floorboards as the tiny sweat beads ran down his neck.

"What do we say when we're rude to adults?"

"...Sorry..." Jace stubbornly looked away while his chubby cheeks grew warm. "...sir... It won't happen again... toda-" With a quick tap to the head, Jace and his little sister were released in a sense and left to wander over the other children. Jace glanced at his younger sister. She cowered while glancing at the other youths. Jace frowned while looking at the others, most of the children didn't even seem to notice them. Except for two children who approached the two newbies.

The first was a boy a little taller than Jace with short red messy hair and yellow/greenish eyes. His hair covered over small blue tattoo over his eye, one that you could just barely see. The redhead's eyes were soft as he placed his sword into its sheath. The boy wore sleek black armor that seem to go in contrast with the golden Fairy tail across the chest plate. It seemed that his face was set in a stern look much like another mage the children had met previously.

The other boy, was Star, whose face brightened at the sight of Riko as he shoved past the elder boy.

"Riko-chan!" He leaned past Jace to wave at Riko. "Do ya remember me? I'm Star! Remember-"

Then, Star was sent spiraling back into a tiny white haired boy who sat across from another boy with green hair. "Leave my little sister alone!" Star bounced back up with a new found vigor.

"What do you want lizard breath?! I was just saying 'hello'!"

Jace scowled while cracking his knuckles.

"Maybe she doesn't want to," Jace scowled. "What did you call me, stripper?!"

Star twitched while screaming and holding out his palm before pressing his fist. Star took a deep breath as a blue spear appear beneath his feet. The temperature of the hall slowly dropped, and the white clouds began to reappear. The red haired boy narrowed his eyes at Star. Did this idiot even know if they could use magic or not? Star smirk as he opened his mouth "Ice make l-" Before the words could leave his mouth, a sword was pressed against his neck. Star's eyes locked with dark yellow eyes piercing holes in his body. His delicate eyebrows were scrunched up in a protective glare. "Could you not start waving around you little ice toys until we are all introduced?"

Star gulped while nodding. His eyes grew as small sweat beads ran down the nape of his neck. The tension in the room seemed to multiply tenfold. Riko peeked out from her brother at the red head. Riko frowned to herself. His face was too nice to scrunch up. Riko moved from behind her brother and approached the taller, boy. Star stared at Riko in silent awe, as did many of the other kids. Riko rose her small hands, while struggling on her tippy toes, she cupped his face with her tiny hands.

"Momma said glaring will make you look older."

The boy glanced at Riko with a hardened stare before snorting and lowering his sword from Star's neck. "Mother said hiding behind other people gets you nowhere,"

Riko seemed to falter slightly before smiling, "Well, Momma says you can never be too caushious."

The later rose his eyebrows with a slight smirk, "True," He sheathed his sword with a sigh, "Well, I guess that's that... my name is Alois Fernandes, what's yours?"

Riko gushed while bowing, "My name's R-Riko Heartfillia," Her bright cerulean eyes shown with that shy innocence. Suddenly there was a loud gasp from one of the children who had been playing earlier. She had another girl by the collar as her eyes glowed a yellowish green. "You cheated Rena!" Rena smirked, her blonde hair shining as her pale blue eyes glowed.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You're the one who cheated, you're just blaming me, Astrid."

Astrid growled while tackling the other girl onto the floor as they began rolling around in a rabid cat fight. Star glanced at Rena and Astrid before turning to Jace with a smug look on his face. Jace seemed to get the message rather well as he lunged at Star. Riko gaped while more and more children as well as adults seemed to begin throwing punches. Soon the whole guild hall was a mess:

Chairs where spewed across the room, the stools overturned and the tables covered in scratches, scuff marks and drink stains that would stay months on end. Guild members lay in every which way. Some in painfully awkward pretzel positions. Others, lay on the hardwood counters, their spit and drool becoming puddles as other poor members hands just happen to be laying in that area. The even less fortunate ones who were now buried under other sweaty, sleeping bodies, yes, they had the short end of the stick, since it would be a while until they would be able to get up.

Lucy looked over the restacked guild with a bittersweet smile. Sometimes it was painful to think about it. But she had missed so much of their lives... She was only in their lives for 2, and she had missed 5.

So much time... I've missed so much...

Lucy looked over the people who were her friends, her family, and her nakuma. A brief smile graced her features when she saw her children. Each somehow excepted by at least one or two of the children, and the rest of the guild. Riko laid beside Alois, and the two girls who had been determined as Rena and Astrid. And Jace, he was sleeping on top of Star, who had Jace's tiny foot in his face. As a little boy with white hair lay beside him, along with a green haired boy who seemed to be protecting the said smaller boy? Lucy smiled. They were finally accepted somewhere.

Lucy looked down at the faded tattoo on her hand. The expression she made contorted her face into one of disgust and sadness.

It feels like I am still...

They are all completely different people. Each has grown, become parents, some lost children, others adopted. Everyone started a new arc in life...

... An outsider...

And she seems to be the only one stuck in that past...

That was short *-* Oh well. Sorry~ Anyways. Sorry this took so long. I was... dead and rather brain dead with writer's block SO here is the next chapter. I hope it makes sense and that it is enjoyable. Please, review, follow, favor, and what not. Ugh my brain is malfunctioning so, yep,

Ja ne

-Open Otaku