Natsu had a feeling in his stomach as he saw the lacrima vibrate on Lucy's hip. Lucy answered it but he couldn't hear anything because she placed it to her ear canceling any noise from coming out of it. Natsu was fidgeting around Lucy as he kept hearing Lucy reply with 'coming home soon' 'did something happen?' and 'what was wrong' finally Lucy brought the lacrima away from her ear as the explosion sound hurt her hearing and made the lacrima broadcast the voices on speaker now.
"Yes everything is okay, it's just *cough cough* Nashi is crying and on fire!"
That was all that natsu needed to hear as his eyes glowed yellow and scooped up his pregnant mate from the floor as he made haste to attend to his other kin. How stupid was he to leave Nashi who was only 10 months and some days old alone in a house full of strange people and lonely? He didn't know how he got to his house but saw two people outside that he didn't care for as he came to smell that they weren't enemies and dash passed them leaving a stumbling Lucy on her feet next to them. He charged inside the home now full of smoke as he saw a burning ball of flames in the middle of the floor eating away at the wood beneath it. He couldn't handle the pain anymore of hearing Nashi crying in such sorrowful pain yells as he made a attempt to rush forward to scoop her up to cradle her before someone stopped him.
He was angry and livid as someone or something dared to interfere in calming his daughter down. He looked back only to see a armored Gajeel in iron ready to fight him.
"Heh… how ironic of me helping you become a better father, basterd…"
"*natsu growled at him as he no longer believed in communicating in words and went feral as a dragon protecting their young.*"
"Shut up, and listen! Your harming your daughter more when you run to her rescue for petty things like this! Draw the line salamander!!!! If you don't do it now, what will you do when she hurts Lucy with her fire tantrum for not getting what she wants!!!"
That seemed to snap natsu's unconscious mindstate to be aware now of what he was doing. He panted now as he felt the full pain of hearing his daughter cry and cry and cry for someone to hold her now! He didn't want to leave her their on the floor helpless but some of gajeels words had some truth and common sense to them. Natsu had his own little tantrum of flames as he punched the floor underneath him as he grounded himself from not moving as he kept panting to not loose his head again.
"That's right salamander, now talk to her and let her know your rules if she wants you to pick her up. Tell her she is not allowed to "fire up" whenever she's upset or angry. Teach her from what's right and what's wrong…"
*Gajeel relaxed his armor now knowing that natsu had woken up now and was in full control of himself again. Gajeel didn't like the buddy buddy company but he hated seeing the pink blob destroy or start his family relationships on the wrong foot… it was like watching himself do those mistakes and he wanted to fix it.*
*natsu finally calmed his breathing down and calmed his flames down too as he finally got the courage to sit on the floor and look back at the scene that hurt him the most. Seeing his daughter helpless on the dirty, burned floor.*
"Nashi…"
*thats all he needed to say for her to stop crying, she looked up at him and finally she calmed down to the point the flames where snuffed put instantly. She patted herself down as she sat down now and reached her arms twords his direction to get him to carry her…*
"No Nashi, papa is mad at you…"
*natsu flinched at himself at what he just said, he knew this was a lie since he never could be mad at his little girl but after what Gajeel said he needed to set some boundaries with her now.*
"pa-pa angwy? Pa-pa leawe aAshi.."
*Nashi began to tear up again as she threatened him to cry but she stopped as she saw natsu didn't move from his place to comfort her or show emotion through his face to go comfort her… she only felt some weird feeling of obeying her father now as she saw his eyes glow yellow… she really thought she had done something bad for him to use his scary eyes on her..*
"Nashi, you did a bad thing burning the floor and crying while I was gone… didn't you promise to be a good girl while papa and lucy went to go to work and buy Nashi a special surprise?"
*Nashi lowered her head now as she remember now that she did promise but somehow forgot about it… she didn't like surprises because whenever she did get one either natsu or Lucy had to leave to go get it. But she didn't know how to tell him this so she began tearing up again but these tears where different.. these were tears that she missed them whenever they would leave..*
".. yesh… aAshi promise…. "
"Okay, … "
*natsu didn't know what else to do next so he looked at Gajeel for further advice but Gajeel only shrugged letting natsu grunt at him with annoyance leaving him in a awkward position now with Nashi.*
"Now you tell her how you feel stupid…"
*Gajeel couldn't help it and went ahead and gave him the answer to the problem, gajeel really deserved a father of the year award right about now..*
"Nashi… you know papa missed his little baby while he was at work, right?"
*natsu crawled up to her looming over her tiny body that seems to collapse on itself any minute now. She looked up at her papa now as she saw a face she never saw or more like remember from him since the day she was born… she saw for the first time her papa crying and showing her how fragile he was too just like her..*
"Pa-… DADDY!!"
*Nashi began to wail now as the left over smoke left through the windows and the rays of sun began to finally climb inside to leave a very touching scene of natsu hugging his daughter in his arms… she clung onto his clothes and roared some screaming yells into his arms as she let out all her pain she suffered for those three days without him for the first time in her life…*
"Sh, shh, shhh, it's okay I know my little Nashi is small still… but sometimes daddy needs you to be strong to not miss him when he's away on big missions.. daddy loves you so much Nashi… don't cry anymore and smile more… you look much prettier when you smile.."
*natsu patted her back gently as he looked at Gajeel for anything he was doing wrong but only saw a crying Gajeel which shocked him a bit and made him laugh at him thinking Gajeel cried because of his little speech to Nashi, when in reality Gajeel was crying because he couldn't believe how FUCKEN amazing he was, first a good singer, second the best husband, third the best father, and finally the best at training morons like natsu. He felt like he really needed a award now..*
Nashi curious as to why her daddy was laughing and spotted two kids around her age standing behind the door entrance looking at her… they looked the same but one wore a dress like hers and the other wore pants like a boy. She pushed her daddy to stop hugging her and stood up on her own wanting to impress the incomers. Natsu stopped laughing as he saw Nashi give her first steps and walked on her own twords the twins who looked at her with curiosity and began to babble in their baby talk.
"Told ya, you just need to let them go sometimes natsu… they are going to keep growing, our only job is to raise them to be good people.. "
*Gajeel bent over twords natsu as he got out of the little fire breathers way to let her meet his kids now, natsu looked at him then back at Nashi as he saw her little body somehow begin to grow almost like a illusion that in 20 years from now, she would be walking out of this house to meet new people and have her new beginnings start.. this made natsu wipe his nose and look away from Nashi in the opposite direction of where Gajeel stood.*
"… hey Gajeel,"
"Hmm.?"
"Thank you…"
With that the metal dragon slayer smirked in disgust but finally let out a 'any time salamander' as the two watched their kids talk and touch each other's arms showing off their elements and magic.
____________________
Lucy, levy, Erza and mira talked things out on what had happened clearing things up to lucy as they waited for things to calm down with the commotion inside and the two grown dragon slayers to come out.
Lucy didn't think the situation was bad till she saw the house spewing smoke from its windows. Erza and mira came out after they saw natsu rush inside because they really didn't want to see what would happen with a enraged father who was overprotective of his daughter in that scene. They also never believed Gajeel would dare go behind him in his armor to fight some sense into him. They waited and waited till they saw the smoke lighten up and finally things quieted down. They waited patiently as Lucy fixed her clothes and groceries that where a mess from the sprint natsu did.
Levy noticed first as she saw her twins talking to Nashi who looked much better now who she played with them. Levy motioned to Lucy for her to look, Lucy covered her mouth to not scare Nashi as she saw Nashi walk on her own for the first time!!! Nashi kept getting along with them till they began tell Nashi their names.
"Hello.. my name is Laurie, … this is my sister letisha.."
"Hi…. What's your name?"
*Nashi feeling a bit embarrassed by them already talking better then her so she tried her best to say her name and sound decent.*
"Hi, my -ame ish Ashi.."
"Ashi? That's cool! Do you have metal magic like us?"
*letisha began showing her arm turn into metal as she wrote the word 'metal' over it. She was a script mage like levy but she could turn any part anything including herself into anything.*
Nashi touched her arm fascinated already as she shook her hand no she didn't know how to do that yet..
"It's okay Ashi, we can show you if you want too.."
*laurie cut in as the awkwardness began to fade.*
"Thawk yu.., do you wat to play wiht Ashi?"
*the twins shook their heads as Nashi stumbled on her feet but soon began getting the hang of walking as she played with the other kids around her house..*
Lucy and Levy watched them play as Erza and mira said sorry again for Nashi and left to join the guild back in magnolia.
It was a peaceful windy sunny day, filled with child laughter and two men arguing on fixing the burned floor. Lucy never felt that such a moment would feel full filing ever.