Penitentiary ✅

Chapter 20

"No! You are not taking my little girl away from me! I won't lose her again!"

"Lose your little girl," I whisper. "Lose your LITTLE GIRL?!" I stomp up to him and grab his collar. "I haven't been your little girl since mom died you asshole!" The room started getting brighter. "Maybe if you actually treated me like your kid instead of your maid, then maybe we wouldn't have such a fucked up relationship!"

"LUCE!" Natsu grabs me from behind making me lose my grasp on my father's collar. "I know you're mad but you need to calm down. If not your power will get out of control," he whispers into my ear. "Just calm down, ok. I know you don't want to hurt him."

The brightness dims down a little until my father says something that puts me over the edge. "They've turned my little girl into a monster."

The light radiating off me gets brighter as my eyes widen. "M-monster?" I whisper. I look down at my hands. "I-I'm a monster?"

"Luce, shh, you aren't a monster," Natsu whispers. "You're an amazing person ok."

I look up as he talks to me. "Why would he call me a monster?"

"Hey, don't cry," he whispers wiping away tears that I didn't even know I had. "He's an idiot. He can't see what an amazing daughter he has."

The light I was producing dimmed as I calm down with Natsu just hugging me. 

"You... You did this to my daughter didn't you?"

"No, I did not."

"Yes, you did! You didn't even flinch when she started to light up!"

I turn around with tears streaming down my face. "He didn't do this." I look back up at Natsu. "Let's go. Please."

"Go wait in the car. I'll grab all of your stuff." 

I nod and walk out without looking at the father who now sees me as something that's not even human. I'm just a monster in his eyes now.

Natsu's P.O.V.

I glare at her father as Lucy walks away.

"A monster? Really?" I tower over him as he backs away in fear. "She is your daughter and you call her a monster?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"I-I didn't mean to-"

"Didn't mean to my ass old man! You called your fucking daughter a monster! She could have lost control if I wasn't here! Honestly, you're lucky I even stopped her! She could've killed you without even realizing it," I growl. "But since I care about her, I stopped her so she wouldn't see herself as a murderer. And you know what I wanted to beat your ass when she told me it was you who brought her there but since I know she still cares about you, I didn't." I stack a few boxes and pick them up. "When I get back up here, I better not see you."

His body shakes as he slowly walks away. As he does, I hear him whisper, "I really messed up this time. Please forgive me, Lucy." 

"You'll be lucky if she does," I grumble walking down to my truck and placing it in the back. Thank goodness they gave me this. It would've been a pain in the ass to use my other car. I kept going up down until I had the last two boxes. Well, that's what I thought until I see a small box with designs that says, to my mom. I open it and see a bunch of letters. I close it and put it in one of the boxes and carry it down to the truck. 

I look in the car and see Luce asleep, her tears all dried up but I can still see the streaks of where they fell. I place the last of the boxes in the back and sit in the driver's seat looking at the sleeping girl next to me. I gently push a strand of hair behind her ear to get a better look at her face. 

"Definitely caught my attention, haven't you, Luce?"

I pull my hand away and sigh. You can't do this Natsu. She's too young. But it's only two years, that's not bad. Mom and dad have a 4-year difference in age. But then again they were in college when they met. I run a hand over my face and turn my truck on pulling out of the driveway of Lucy's old home and start heading to my house. 

Halfway there, Lucy starts to wake up. "Hey, sleepy head."

"Hey," she says quietly. "We almost at the house?"

"Yeah. We'll be there in 10 minutes." I glance at her when we reach a stop sign. "How're you feeling?"

"I don't know," she replies. "I felt like I was weightless. Did you feel that way when you were finally able to use your power?"

"Kinda," I say. "I felt like a source of energy was ready to burst out of me. The weightless feeling was there but it was very faint," I explain. 

She hums in response and looks out the window. "Hey, Natsu?"

"Yes?"

"You really think I'm not a monster?" She whispers.

We pull into my driveway and I put the truck in park. I look over at her to see her still looking out the window. "Luce, look at me." She doesn't budge. "Lucy, look. At. Me." She shifts in her seat and finally looks in my direction. Grabbing her face with both my hands, I keep her head facing me. "You are not a monster. You'll never be one either. If there was anyone who's a monster in the organization, it's me. Understood?"

"But-"

"No, but's."

"But you aren't a monster either," she tells me.

I smile and kiss her forehead lightly. "Thanks, Luce. Now come on. Let's go inside. You can go into the house while I bring stuff in."

"I can help you know," she pouts. 

"Yes, I know," I chuckle. 

"Then let me help."

"Nope. Go inside."

"Can I at least take one of my clothe boxes so I can get an outfit for school tomorrow?"

"Sure, but I get the rest."

"Fine~," she groans.

Getting out I see her grab two boxes. "Hey, you said one!"

"Did I?"

"Yes!"

"Oops! Sorry not sorry," she sticks out her tongue and walks into the house.

"I swear," I chuckle. "Such a hand full.

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Done!

Bye-bye!

Word Count: 1070