Yo! I got some free time so you get a new chap! Also, this is what Grandine looks like but only with more dark hair like Wendy and a little older. Enjoy!

Lucy knew it was a bad idea, and it didn't help that both Grandine and Igneel seem hesitant about it. She hasn't known Igneel as much as Grandine, but the few mentions made she made about her husband have made him seem as a father who was supportive of all the shenanigans of his kids.

If a man like that didn't support this, then clearly Lucy should not too. But one look at Natsu's hopeful face made her melt. He really was just trying to help, anyway. Not to mention Aquarius didn't have much of a choice.

'Curse me and my melting heart.'

Now, it's almost time for the aquarium to close and Lucy was sitting outside his house on the porch, waiting for him.

So far she had heard no bad news, neither from her colleagues nor from Aquarius. That must be a good sign.

'Right?'

"Any news?" Grandine asked, coming out to the porch.

"Not much. I'm hoping that means he's alright."

"That kid is not the one you should be afraid about." Grandine snorted before sitting down next to her. "So, how much of that list did you finish?"

Lucy took out her notebook and gave it to Grandine. She didn't mind it since Grandine was there when she first wrote it.

------N------------A------------L------------U------

"What are you doing here?" 14-year-old Lucy looked up to see a white-haired woman sitting next to her at the waiting room. She was wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope around her neck.

"Are you Mama's doctor?" she asked, closing the book before it revealed anything.

"I am. My name is Grandine. You are Lucy, right?" Lucy nodded before she looked away. She knew what was coming next. "I am sorry for what happened, dear."

Bullseye! For the last few days, that's all Lucy has heard. 'I'm sorry'.

"I know you must have heard it a lot. But I want you to know that you are not alone."

"You don't know anything about me." Lucy went back to her notebook, doodling on a different page.

"I don't. But I know how you feel." Lucy looks up to see Grandine give her a sad smile. But it wasn't the same as the smile everyone else was giving her these days. It was a smile of understanding.

"You're not the only ones with shitty dads."

"You just said a bad word." Lucy said, not knowing how to react to this strange women.

She must have said something bad because Grandine started cursing silently mumbled something about "ignite being a bad influence." What does she mean by ignite?

"Does it get better?" She suddenly asked, wanting to know. It isn't right that she's feeling this much pain.

"Yes. With time and someone to count on, it does."

Lucy thought about it for a bit before turning the book back to the page she was writing on. "Mama used to have a list of things she wanted to do. She did almost all of it before she met father." she said, showing Grandine the note book.

"And now you want to do the same?" Lucy nodded. She wanted to live her life to the fullest like her Mama did. But for that, she needs to get out of her shell.

Lucy suddenly heard quiet giggles next to her. She turned to see Grandine trying to muffle her laugh with her hand. Feeling offended and a little embarrassed, she took the notebook away from her. She should have known that adults wouldn't understand something like this.

'Why did I let her read it?! She must think I'm such a child!'

"I'm sorry, I was not laughing at you. It's good that you are doing this. I just remembered when I was your age." Grandine reassured her. "It is perfectly okay at your age to want such things."

Lucy was still not convinced, though. Her face must have conveyed it because Grandine came closer to her and put her arm around her.

"Tell you what, if by the end of your highschool you still have done nothing from this list I will help you complete it. I will even let you date one of my boys." She said teasingly with a wink.

Seeing Lucy's red face, Grandine started laughing loudly, startling some people passing them in the room. Soon enough, even Lucy couldn't help but laugh along with her.

------N------------A------------L------------U------

"Funny how things come to be, huh?" Grandine said and Lucy couldn't help but agree. 4 years ago Grandine had said that. Now here she was dating one of her boys.

'And I couldn't be anymore happier about it.'

"Lucy, I know you are a good kid, and both of you are happy together. But there is something that I have to tell you."

Hearing the serious tone, she looked up to see Grandine flipping through the new addictions she made in the note book. She was keeping her eyes on the note as if avoiding Lucy's eyes.

"When Natsu loves someone, he does with all his heart. That is why I never stopped his flings after his last girlfriend. I was both hopeful and scared that maybe one of them would make him forget her." She closed her eyes as if reliving a painful memory. "That boy always tries to keep all his hurt inside. But it's hard to always keep your guard up. And a mother can always see."

Lucy could feel her curiosity increase. Ever since she started dating Natsu, many been talking behind her back about how Natsu belonged to someone else. Even Natsu's little fan girls knows and fears this mysterious person.

"He's already been hurt once. That is why I have to tell you this now." Grandine looked up, making sure that Lucy could see just how serious she was about this. "If you are dating my boy because of just a list, then don't. Break it up now before one of you gets hurt."

Tears whelmed up in Lucy eyes at those words and she looked away. She was right. If this was just a curiosity of hers, then she should stop now. No one would hurt that way. But...

But the thought of going back, even to just being his friend, to being without Natsu, she couldn't even think about it. Her throat felt like it was closing up and she couldn't breathe.

It wasn't just about her list anymore. Natsu was more than just a note on her list, ready to be crossed out. She did not know how long, but as long as she could, she wanted to be near him.

She never wants to leave him.

She was trying to control her emotional reaction when she felt a hand patting slowly on her head.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked of that. I can see now how much you care." Grandine brought her closer so she could hug her. "I am happy that he has you. Stay by his side, alright?"

Lucy nodded, wiping away her tears. They sat there, Lucy enjoying the quiet peace that one only got from a mother. Even if Grandine wasn't her mother, it has been too long since she felt like this that Lucy didn't care.

But Lucy had something that she needed to clarify.

"G-Grandine? When you s-said that Natsu was already h-hurt once before... who did you m-mean by that?"

Grandine seem surprised at that question. "Natsu didn't tell you?"

"I-I didn't ask."

"Well, your ex is not exactly the usual conversation topic. Especially if you want to forget about them. Not to mention that boy of mine would rather ignore everything wrong in his life than talk about it." Grandine sighed. "I'll tell you about her then."

Lucy leaned closer in anticipation. Finally, she will know this mysterious girl that everyone in school has threatened her with. It has to be that her right?

"When Natsu was younger, he had a friend. They were inseparable. Our families were very optimistic about their future. We even thought they would get married one day."

Lucy suddenly regretted her decision. She didn't want to know anymore. If they even considered marriage, then this was serious, right? It wasn't just another girl he had as a pass time.

She didn't want to even think about Natsu getting married to someone.

'Not even to you?'

'S-shut up!'

"What h-happened?"

"... We don't know." Grandine let out a breath as if frustrated. "She went away to study away from home. We were all there on the day of her flight, but she felt... off before her trip. Afterwards, we never heard from her."

"B-but that means they d-didn't break up" 'That practically made her a debaucher!'

"No, a few days later Natsu got some pictures with her and some other boy. Natsu tried to contact her, but she wouldn't answer. We finally found from her sister that she found "someone better". After that, well, he just didn't care. Until you, that is."

Grandine gave her and smile and Lucy smiled back awkwardly. What was she supposed to say? Her boyfriend might still be in love with a girl she has never even met! It's not like they had a clear cut break up.

'No! Don't think like that Lucy, that's crazy talk! She's not even in the picture anymore... But...'

"What... What kind of person is she?" Grandine looked at her weirdly at that question before her expression soften.

"Lucy, you don't have to compare yourself with her." Now Lucy felt stupid for asking. She didn't want to compare herself, she just wanted to know if this girl was the same mysterious girl.

"She was a sweet girl. Kind, gentle, friendly..." 'Maybe this is the wrong girl' "But she was obsessed with Natsu,-" 'Oops, spoke too soon.' "-which was why it was so hard to accept at first. She was always possessive over Natsu, letting no other girls besides their close friends talk to him alone. If Natsu wasn't just as overprotective we would have been worried."

'Right, because this wasn't worrying at all! No wonder she's still a horror story at school!'

They sat there a few more minutes, Lucy trying to comprehend everything she has learned today.

"Come on, Lucy, let's go inside. I think we should bring out some of Natsu's old photos."