~Lucy's POV~
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Natsu asked as he squeezed my hand.

"I'm ready." I replied hastily, squeezing his hand back. His eyes were full of worry and determination. I brought my fist up towards the wooden door, hesitating slightly.

I slammed my knuckles against the cold wood, scared from the loud noise that it produced.

"I'll be here, I'm not going to let him lay a finger on you." Natsu stated firmly and confidently. I smiled at his overprotective side. I simply nodded to show my thanks.

The silence filling the air was increasing my nerves. What if my dad didn't want to see me?

The house rattled as the wind struck it. I had so many memories at this small little house. It saddened me to think that this might be one of the last times I see it. 

The wind chime sang as the wind danced through its limbs. It reminded of my mother's angelic voice. None of this would've happened if she hadn't gotten sick. 

The door suddenly creaked open, exposing a very sickly person. My dad's face was drained of color and emotion. The bags under his eyes shone out against his pale skin.

His hair was tangled in knots and he reeked of sweat. The grime had begun to build up and collect on his shirt. His eyes lit up as he saw me, but were instantly sad as he noticed my black eye.

"Lucy, my baby." My dad cried out desperately. He brought his hands up towards my face, making me flinch at his sudden action.

"Hey, no touching," Natsu said interrupting my dad's motion. He stepped in front of me and glowered at my dad. I grabbed onto the back on his leather jacket as he blocked my vision. 

My dad gazed into Natsu's cold eyes with confusion. I peeked my head around his waist with curiosity. 

"Would you like to come in?" My dad asked suddenly. He looked at me, expecting an answer from my mouth. Natsu looked at me and nodded. 

"Yes, thank you." My dad held the door open as I walked through the archway. The kitchen was completely trashed, and the floor was filled with random objects from around the house. The family photo's that were supposed to be placed on the mantle, were all facing down with broken glass surrounding them. 

I ran over towards them, avoiding the scattered objects in the process. I picked up the glossy black frame containing the photo of my mother and I. I carefully wiped the glass away from the unharmed photo. I stared at my mother's beauty, feeling envious for a split second. No wonder so many people attended her funeral. I slipped the photo out of the frame and held it in my hands. 

Though the photo was very light, our memories weighed down my heart. I felt Natsu's hand land on my shoulder. I gave him a nod of reassurance, still holding the picture in between my fingers. 

"You look so much like her," my dad said noticing my action. I gave him a quick smile, but it quickly disappeared.

"Why did you have to hit me?" I said not cutting him any slack. We stood a solid five feet away from each other, neither of us daring to move a single step. 

"I don't know," my dad said shaking his head. He looked at the floor with a cloud of guilt surrounding him. 

"That's all you have to say?" I said, starting to raise my voice. "You promised me that you would stop drinking." I stated confidently. "Do you even know what a promise is? You can't say 'I don't know' to a promise." I glared at him with anger filling my soul. 

"I was planning to stop, I really was." He ran his fingers through his short hair, looking strained. 

"Were you really?" I snapped, really letting my anger go. 

"I know Lucy, I'm such a terrible father." He threw his hands in the air as he fell to the floor. Tears fell from his eyes. I felt no pity, no sorrow for the person that he had become. 

"Like hell you are," Natsu unexpectedly replied. "What is she going to tell people when she goes back to school? She's too beautiful not to be noticed. You could get in serious trouble."

I instantly blushed at his unintended compliment. 

"I know, what I did was stupid. I decided that I am going to reach out for professional help. I want to get better. I want to be apart of your life." He rubbed his eyes vigorously, tears remaining to fall from his brown eyes. He started to crawl closer to me, I refused to show him weakness. 

"Please stay with me," he begged. His voice was scratchy, compared to his honey smooth voice when mom was alive. 

"She won't be staying with you anytime soon." Natsu said stepping closer to me. "She'll be staying with me until you get your shit together." I sort of liked this demanding side to Natsu. I smiled at the thought of being with Natsu all day and night. 

He just understood me. All of the points that I had wanted to make, he stole right from my mind. 

"I agree," I said to clarify his statement. 

"That's understandable," my dad said through a sob. "I really promise to get better for you Lucy." My damaged heart couldn't take the sight of his image. He looked desperate, and for some reason, I believed his words. I bit my lip, fighting the tears that arouse to my eyes. 

"I'm going to grab some of my stuff." I said shakily. I ran past both of the boys and ran up the stairs. Tears silently fell down my cheeks, not being able to contain myself. I climbed the wooden stair case swiftly. My room was the first on the right, so I easily stepped inside. I slammed the door and slid down the wall. I brought my hand up to my mouth, silencing the sobs that wanted to escape my mouth. 

My room had been untouched thankfully, but the air felt ominous. I lifted myself up from the carpeted floor and grabbed my suitcase from the closet. I threw it on my purple bed, missing it's soft cotton. I started to stuff it with all the clothes and necessities that I had. I heard a knock on the door as it opened. 

Natsu leaned against the archway examining me. I quickly tried to wipe the tears from my cheeks, but he caught me. 

"Lucy," he said sadly. He walked towards me, I embraced him instantly. His strong arms guarded me from the outside world. He rubbed my back as I cried. 

"I-I tried to be strong Natsu, I really tried." I replied hoarsely. 

"You're no weakling, I'm really proud of you." Natsu said as he wiped a tear from my cheek. I stared up at him aimlessly. He was smiling at me, even though his eyes showed sadness. As if he knew the answer to my prays, he gave me a little kiss. I smiled at his cute reaction, stunned at how fast our relationship had been moving. 

"Thank you," I replied with a smile. He disconnected his hold of me and looked around the room. He scanned the walls up and down. He sat on my bed as I packed the last of my things. He grabbed the teddy bear that my mom had given me when I was little. He played with its plushy arms, smiling in the process. 

"I'm ready," I said zipping up my suitcase. Natsu stood up and handed my the teddy bear. 

"This looks important to you, so you should take it." I examined the little manufactured bear. After 17 years it's cotton began to go stiff. The originally brown shell had been dirtied from all of the adventures that I had taken this bear on.

I remember playing in the gardens and out by the fountain on a hot summer day. I would bring my teddy bear with me if mom or dad couldn't play. Since dad was always so busy, usually my mother would play with me. 

"Thanks," I replied genuinely. I let out a sigh of relief and exited my room. I carried my heavy suitcase down the clunky stairs, seeing that my dad had not left his place. He was still standing in the exact same spot when I left. He turned towards me, reality shocking him all over again. 

"When you moved out, I never thought it would be anything like this." A single tear slid down his cheek. I turned away, refusing to let his sadness affect me. 

"One week," I replied bluntly. I ignored his guilt, denying the feeling of pity inside me. "I'll meet you for lunch in one week." I needed some time away from my dad, but not completely cut him out of my life. 

"Of course. I will call you Lucy." I just nodded my head to pleasure him. I wasn't planning to answer any of his calls anyway. I started walking towards the door, not looking back. For once my curiosity was at ease, and I didn't care what he looked like. He did something terrible, but created something beautiful. 

He created the strong bond between Natsu and I.