Hello everyone! So very sorry about the long, long, long wait for my return! But, as you can clearly see I am back. I will try my best to get to all of my messages, though that might take some time since there are quite a lot of them. I do plan to finish all of my stories still, though my uploading speed will remain relatively slow. But it wont take me years this time, promise. I hope everyone is pleased with this chapter, my fingers are sore from typing, especially since I haven't been doing very much of it lately. Busy, busy, busy. Please, try not to spoil anything for me because I am NOT caught up with the manga yet, and I really am trying to. I just felt like you guys have waited so long for me and have been so patient that I had to do something for ya! Well, here you go! R&R!

It's hard to imagine my father now, with all that was just told to me. And if anything, I'm more nervous than when I first made the choice to come back here. I still have a hard time believing that this was all because of me leaving, but I wasn't here to see it all for myself, so who am I to question what Mrs. Spetto saw for herself? I ran a hand through my long blond locks, now longer than I ever used to keep it. I saw Natsu glance my way, concern shining in those dark eyes of his and I knew that as long as I had him near me, that I could manage anything. He was my rock, my support for anything that I needed. And I would be the same for him.

There was a light tapping on the door to the drawing room, followed by a moments pause before it slowly opened to reveal another of the staff. One that I wasn't familiar with. Most likely a newer hire from after I left. "Mistress, I am sorry to interrupt, but your father requests your presence in his office." I could her the anxiety within the helpers voice, as if she were afraid that I would yell at her for interrupting or act as if she had done something wrong. I can only hope that that's not what my father has been like this entire time.

With a sigh, I stood up before sending a soft smile towards the worker. "Thank you, I will be up in just a moment." I replied before nodding to give her permission to leave. This felt so odd, it's been way too long since I've had to do things like this. Such formality, and holding someones life and career in my hands like this was something that I never enjoyed. It made me feel as if I was playing at God or something. Having employees is one thing, but having servants was on it's own level entirely. I could feel Natsu's gaze upon, and I'm sure he was thinking of how strange it was to see me like this. Everything was about appearances here, and everyone knows that appearances can be deceiving.

I took a moment to glance down at the pinkette, my eyes holding his for a few seconds in an attempt to relay my feelings in this moment. Yes, I was scared, but I was ready. No matter the outcome. "Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Spetto. Would you mind keeping Natsu entertained while I see to my father, please?" I asked, sending the elderly woman a soft smile. I could see the nostalgia within her eyes and I knew what she was thinking. I was reminding her of my mother, very formal in front of others yet always very kind. And now, I knew what everyone meant when they said just how much the two of us look alike. I was practically a spitting image of my mother. I'd have to be blind not to see it after looking at the portrait in the grand entrance.

Mrs. Spetto nodded, standing up and making her way towards the door. "One moment Mr. Dragneel while I show the mistress to her fathers office." Natsu blinked for a moment, apparently having been lost in thought before he met her gaze and nodded. Depending on how things went with my father, I would wait to introduce them. I had to face him alone first, face the demons of my past. I sent a soft smile towards him, as a reassurance before heading towards the door. Mrs. Spetto led me down the long hallway, making our way back towards the grand staircase before began our ascend. My hand found it's way to the railing, my mind roaming over the last time I had walked these steps. Well, more like ran. That was the day that I had had enough. I had took off, run away from my life of solitude to embrace freedom in ways that I could never have imagined possible. It still surprises me to this day that I was able to make it so far.

We stopped just outside the office, a moment of silence passing between us as the woman eyed me with worry. Once more, I smiled in an attempt to reassure her, something that I seemed to be doing quite often today. Though, that only meant that they cared for me, and I for them. I didn't want them to worry too much about me. No matter the outcome today, I was going through with this and I will be fine. This was something that had to be done. "Thank you, Mrs. Spetto, for everything. You may take your leave now. I can handle from here." The elderly woman only nodded, another short pause before she turned and made her way back to Natsu.

There was a pang in my chest at the thought of him. Oh how I wished that he could be here with me for this but I knew that I had to do it alone. That didn't make this any easier. My hand raised, knocking on the intricately carved wooden door three times before I waited for permission to enter. A soft murmur could be heard coming from within and I took that as my answer before grasping the cool metal of the door knob and opening the door.

I was greeted with the view of the office, but everything was dark. It was relatively hard to see with the thick curtains drawn forward, blocking out any sunlight that would usually pass through the large windows behind my fathers desk. Judging from the outline that was cast from the computer screen, being the only source of light within this room, I could tell that mostly everything was the same as before. Other than the newer computer, the appearance of more books than the last time I was here, all the furniture at least appeared the same. My eyes landed upon the male sitting at the grand desk in front of the windows on the other side of the office, an ghostly glow cast upon the man that I knew as my father as he stared at the computer screen with fingers tapping the keys with rapid succession. I waited, just a few feet in the office after having closed the door for him to acknowledge my presence.

It only took a moment, him pressing a few more keys before his eyes finally made their way to me. He stared for a moment, with a look that was rather close to shock upon his face. Or, at least what I could make of it before he finally stood up and came around to stand in front of his desk. "Lucy..." His voice was soft, a breath catching within my lungs at the sound. It was almost endearing, something that I had not heard in this mans voice for so long. I haven't heard it sound in such a way since before my mother had passed.

His silence gave me the chance to take everything in. I still couldn't see him well enough, especially now that he no longer stood in the glow of the computer screen. But, what I could make out was something that I hadn't been expecting. His blond hair was no long neatly gelled back but was now long and lay against his shoulders. It wasn't even combed, from the look of it. And upon his face, I could the disheveled beard that now reached down to his chest. My eyes attempted to meet his, but I couldn't see his enough to make the proper contact. The contact that I almost yearned for after hearing that tone to his voice.

"You've grown so much." His voice startled me, even more so when it was still spoken so softly. Maybe what they had said was true, that he had really missed me and had fallen into despair after I left. But why? He was the one that drove me away. I couldn't come up with anything to say in reply to his words. My own voice having been left somewhere along the way up here. "You look so much like her." His words were always followed by a heavy pause, as if he were struggling to come up with the right thing to say. There was that pang in my chest once more. He had never acknowledged the fact of how much I looked like my mother before. The only time he ever mentioned anything of the sort was to compare us, to tell that I would never become a woman such a her.

"So I've heard." Was all I could manage. After years of separation, of never even having a phone call, this was the most I could manage? It sounded pathetic even to myself. He cleared his throat a bit, his hand reaching up and loosening his tie ever so slightly. A nervous tick of his that I have not seen since my mother was alive. It's the same thing he used to do when he was being scolded by her. "Father, I-"

I was unable to finish my sentence before he approached, quickly. My heart began to race, fear flashing within my eyes. I was so uncertain of what he was planning to do that I was frozen to the spot. I did my best to find myself once more but it was too late. He was upon me and then I felt the warmth of two strong yet gentle arms circling around me. My eyes widened, feeling his embrace but unable to return it for I was in shock. This was the last thing I would have expected when I thought of seeing him once more. "My dear child, I can't even begin to describe to you just how sorry I am for how I treated you. You were all I had left after your mother passed yet I never even saw it until after you were gone."

He took a deep breath, his exhale quivering slightly before I felt the warmth of what could only be his tears dripping down onto my shoulder. I felt like a small child standing there in his arms, unsure of what to do or say. How could I know? Our last meeting was the complete opposite of this. Instead of fumbling for words, I decided to finally return his embrace, my arms coming around to circle his around the waist. As I did that, I could feel just how much weight he had to have lost. I always remembered him as a tall, muscular man yet lean at the same time. This was different. And what Mrs. Spetto said rung through my head once more. He hasn't been eating, and it clearly showed.

He took a deep breath, his hand running down the length of my hair. My own eyes began to mist, a deep warmth filling my chest and I all I could think of was how happy I was in this very moment. My father does care for me, he has all this time. The only regret I had was that I hadn't done this sooner. But, then again, I probably wouldn't have been ready for it. "I've missed you so much." Those were the words that I had never thought that I would hear from him. Yet here I am, enclosed in his embrace and hearing him say them as if he weren't the same man as before. My arms gripped tighter, my fingers grasping the clothe of his blazer before I buried my face into his chest.

"I missed you too, Dad!" Everything that I had bundled up inside me seemed to come pouring out. All at once. My body began to tremble, my legs feeling weak but my father kept me standing. His own grip on me tightened as if he felt like I was would flee once more if he pulled away. We stood there for quite a while, the only sounds being our soft sobs as we continued to embrace. And, after some time, I could feel his embrace loosening and I already began to miss it. His warmth began to leave me, I almost felt cold without it before he pulled away and our eyes met. His were shinning with tears that were still waiting to be shed as I'm sure mine were as well. He smiled, the most sincere smile I had ever seen him with in my life.

He turned away, moving towards the curtains before pulling the open and letting the sunlight filter through the office. Now that I was able to see, my breath was taking from me. Along the walls, where the once was beautiful canvas paintings hung, now was filled with pictures. Pictures of me! Cutouts from magazines, newspaper clippings, posters asking anyone for any hints on my whereabouts. It was heart warming to know that he had tried to keep track of me.

"When you were gone, I was so worried. No one could find you. Not your friends, not the police nor the FBI. I even hired some private fellows to try and track you down yet nothing ever turned up. There was a point where I almost lost all hope that you would ever return. But, then you did. And my world seemed to get a little bit brighter. Though I wanted to see you so badly, to have this talk with you and apologize for everything, I just couldn't do it. I had told myself that you had to come to me. That it was your call whether this was something you wanted again. And here you are, back in my life, even if only for a moment and I couldn't be happier."

As my eyes scanned the pictures posted along the walls, I spotted one in particular. One of Natsu and I, and I couldn't help but wonder if my father had believed those lies the press had printed about me being pregnant and such. Though, he also had the interview we have given posted here where we cleared the air about all of that. But, I still couldn't help but wonder what he would have thought. I spotted another picture upon the wall, this one taken after I had come back. Another picture of me and Natsu and I found myself smiling softly at it. "So, when can I meet him?"