Spoken {Sequel to Unspoken} ON HOLD

chapter nine

Previously...

"Laxus is showering. He sings in the shower," Layla replied, shaking her head in discouragement. He was singing very loudly. I couldn't make out every word, but I caught a few, moves and Jagger. Laxus was murdering a perfectly good song.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked. I spun around and saw her looking at her white-as-a ghost mum.

"It's a visiting order from prison," Layla said. "Jude wants to see me."

-----

-Lucy-

I couldn't breathe. My lungs were tight. He wanted to see Mum. Why? Did he want to explain? Was there even an explanation for what he did? He was trying to talk his way out of it. If he could get Mum on his side... No, that wasn't going to happen. She would never believe him.

My eyes wouldn't focus properly. I was vaguely aware of Natsu's arm around my waist, holding me tight. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have collapsed. What if she wanted to see him, too? They were married after all, and she must have things she wanted to say. She never got the chance to talk to him after he was arrested.

"Lucy?" Natsu shouted, standing in front of me. He frowned, taking my face in his hands.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I desperately tried to think of something to say.

"Lucy? Are you alright?" Mum asked.

"I'm fine, Mum," I muttered in reply.

"I'm not going. You know that, don't you? I don't ever want to see that man again."

Mum pulled me away from Natsu and into one of those hugs that made me feel like a little girl again. She held me tight and stroked my hair. She used to hug me like that if I'd had a bad dream or hurt myself. It made me feel safe and like nothing bad could happen to me. I stopped feeling completely safe like that from the age of five.

The night she found out she held me, and for the first time in eleven years I believed that eventually it would be okay. That night I felt like I got my mum back.

"Y-You can if you want. I understand if you do."

This trip was about Mum and Laxus getting closure too, not just me.

"No, Lucy. The only time I want to lay eyes on him again is when he's being carried away to rot in prison."

I flinched at how much hate was in her voice.

"Okay," I whispered.

"What's going on?" Laxus demanded, thudding down the stairs, hair dripping.

"Jude wants to see Layla," Natsu explained, making Jude sound like a dirty word.

I watched Laxus's eyes tense and his jaw clench.

"What?" he growled, disbelievingly. His face turned red with anger.

Mum held her hand up.

"I'm not going, Laxus . Of course I'm not."

"Good! Why can't that sick bastard just fucking leave us alone?" Laxus paced the room, shaking his head. "What the hell does he want anyway?"

"I doesn't matter. She's not going," Natsu said, trying to calm Laxus's temper.

"It does matter," he countered. "What the hell is going through his sick mind? Does he think Mum would actually want to see him? What was he going to say to her, oh sorry for selling our daughter—"

I cringed and squeezed my eyes closed as if that would prevent me from hearing what Laxus was about to say.

"That's enough, Jasper," Mum snapped.