To Protect and To Serve

Chapter 25

Ring-ring!

"Hello?" Lucy said answering the phone. "Oh hi Juvia what's going on...No way...No way! Are you serious?!...Oh my God that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!...Yes of course I'll tell Natsu. Oh he'll be so happy! News like this are just what he needs to give him hope!...Oh...Oh that sounds nice...Yeah I'll be there and so will Nashi...Yes I'll kiss her for you...Uh-huh... Goodbye."

She hung up the phone and gave a small cry of joy.

"What's going on?" Nashi asked when she heard the cry. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no dear it's nothing. It's just that something great has happened to your Uncle Gray and your Auntie Juvia."

"What?"

"I'll explain it to you later. Right now we need to get you to school. Go get your bag."

"I heard you on the phone. Are you going to see my daddy today?"

"Yes I am."

"Can you give him this?" She asked while holding up a piece of paper. Lucy took the paper and smiled at what was on it.

"Of course I will."

"I made it just for him. Do you think he'll like it?"

"He'll love it."

After Lucy took Nashi to school she drove straight down to visit Natsu.

"Sorry that I came to see you so early in the morning Natsu but I just couldn't wait to tell you." She said when they were finally allowed to meet and talk.

"Tell me what?" He asked before yawning.

"Something wonderful has happened. Wonderful and amazing! It's a miracle really!"

"What? What is? Don't keep me in the dark woman!"

"Gray and Juvia found their son."

"What?" He said not sure that he had heard her correctly.

"Yes. That little boy in Juvia's class, he's Winter."

"Are you serious?" Natsu said trying to contain his rising joy. "You're not pulling my leg right? Because I love a good joke now and then but not like this."

"No. The D.N.A tests confirmed it. He's theirs. Their son is alive and he's come home to them."

He started to laugh then excitedly hugged Lucy and spun her around excitedly. The two of them were just overwhelmed with happiness and relief for their best friends who had been suffering for so long.

"My God that's the best news I've heard in months." 

"Gray wanted to tell you himself but right now neither he or Juvia can even think about leaving that boy alone so they asked me to tell you."

"No. No I understand. If it was me I'd be the same way."

"After Winter's adjusted to things they're going to have a party to celebrate. It's kind of like a late birthday for him since they didn't get celebrate on the actual date. We've been invited."

"I don't know if I'm allowed to go."

"Why don't you ask Erza to talk to them about letting you come? I'm sure she can work something out."

"Will Nashi be at the party?"

"Yes they invited her too."

"Then I have to go to that party. I know I'm not supposed to have any contact with Nashi pending the trial but I have to see my little girl. I just have to."

"Again just talk to Erza. Believe me if anyone can help you with this it's her."

"I still can't believe you got her represent me and I can't believe that you're helping through all this. Especially after what I did to you."

"We all make mistakes Natsu. You've made some stupid decisions but you're a good person and you don't deserve to go to jail."

"So you really believe that I'm innocent? That I actually didn't abuse my wife?"

"If I did do you really think I would help you like this?"

"No but what I don't understand is why are you doing this for me Lucy? I mean it's not like I've done anything to deserve your help or your faith in me."

"It's because for many years you've been my friend and that in itself is a tremendous thing. You've always been very kind and loyal. I could never ask for a better friend."

"Thanks."

She looked down at her feet in a very shy manner.

"And maybe...Maybe it's because deep down I still love you."

She didn't face him but if she did she'd see that his cheeks had turned burning red. He opened his mouth to tell her something but he was interrupted by the guard coming back to cut their visit.

"Times up Miss Heartfilia." The guard said.

"Alright." She told him before turning back to Natsu. "I'll be back to visit you when I can okay?"

"Okay." He said.

"Good. Oh! I almost forgot." She pulled a folded up piece of paper from her purse and handed it to him. "Nashi made it for you."

After giving it to him she left. Natsu unfolded the piece of paper and saw that it was drawing of him, Nashi, and Happy playing at the park together. He smiled as he looked at it. At the moment he was feeling very bittersweet. On one hand he missed his daughter so much. Words could not begin to describe how much he wanted to scoop up his little girl into his arms and hug her with all the love he had. But on the other hand he was very happy for Gray. For seven years he had watched his best friend and his wife suffer over the loss of their first child. Watching poor Gray drink his sorrows away and listening to Juvia scream and cry from nightmares about their son whenever he brought Gray home at night. Finally the nightmare was over for them.

Now he just needed to get out of his own nightmare and everything would be perfect. Well maybe not perfect because when you get down to it nothing  is perfect but they can be close to perfect. So if he could get out of this then everything would be close to perfect.