THE BET | NALU

Chapter 23

"I-I know you.." Natsu stuttered, his back to the wall as he just stared wide eyed at the man. What he saw..it felt like a dream. It felt like a dream very much. But it wasn't. It wasn't at all.

"I wouldn't have thought I was very forgettable." Jude raised an eyebrow, his eyes piercing into Natsu.

"I-I.." Natsu fell backwards and onto the ground as memories crashed into his head all at once. Every single memory that he had forgotten. He didn't know he had forgotten them until now though. Sometimes he heard the voice though, in his dreams. He never thought that they might've been memories. Just..dreams. Dreams of a girl he wished he knew. He had no idea that he HAD known that girl. No..he knows Lucy. Why did Lucy lie to him though?

Why did she just..not tell him? She let her father break Natsu's world. The one that Natsu had grown to despise..and he was the one who had taken away his memories. So why..of all people.. did she let his world crash and burn in front of her father. As if he had won already.

No..Natsu couldn't put that burden on her. This wasn't her fault. This wasn't hers in the slightest. If anything it was his fault. And even if it wasn't, he had still done a terrible thing to her that he couldn't even forgive himself for. So instead...he was going to make things better for her. He was going to try and right his wrong. But look at him now, a coward. A coward in front of a man with a weird mustache.

"I'm here to tell you to stop." Natsu finally spoke up after convincing himself to. His tone was deep and was like a warning, maybe even threatening. But considering he was still sitting on the ground, it didn't do much effect.

"To stop what?" Jude looked at Natsu curiously.

Natsu stared at Jude, his eyes deadly now, as if he had summoned up all the courage he had when he was younger. No..he had more courage than that. Natsu wasn't even a little bit scared anymore "To stop being..an awful dad."

"Excuse me?" Jude looked shocked at Natsu's demand, as if he had just been shot with an arrow.

"You heard me. Knock. It. Off." Natsu growled, slowing his words down as if Jude was deaf and couldn't hear him. That seemed to get Jude ticked off even more, but he tried not to show it, Natsu could see it in his eyes though.

"What makes you think I'm a bad father?" Jude raised an eyebrow as if he genuinely didn't know. Natsu had a feeling that he did know though, and was just curious as to what Natsu thought.

"The fact that you force your daughter into marriage. You took away her dream, so you can have money. You're not even poor, you're filthy f***ing rich, why in the world would you need MORE money?" Natsu scoffed "Father's are supposed to love and care for their children, your children are not business opportunities."

"At least I didn't abandon my child." Taunting. That's what Jude was doing now. He was bringing in Natsu's past. He was..He was making fun of Natsu. Because Lucy wasn't abandoned. He was showing off, that he could find out Natsu's past. Even when Natsu didn't remember it. Natsu had only known about before was because Makarov told him, but Makarov never told him about Lucy.

Maybe he didn't know?

"I would rather be abandoned then have you as my dad." Natsu snapped angrily, glaring dagger straight into the man "My father had a reason, you're just greedy."

"How do you know yours didn't leave you for greed?" Jude smirked, as if he had won. But Natsu was only getting started.

"Because he left me this." Natsu felt his hand go up to his neck, clutching his scarf "While you leave Lucy with nothing but her own tears."

Silence now. As if he didn't know what else to say, or as if he thought Natsu had already lost. Natsu kept going though.

"You only think of her as an object you can use to benefit yourself. What kind of father is that? An awful one, just like I said. You need to learn to respect your family before you lose them, because in the end, family and friends are all you've got. Money's just paper. Everything you have here," Natsu looked around to show all the expensive items "Just objects. They do nothing for you. Your family and friends are the one's who comfort you. They're the ones who love you. Not objects, not money, not business partners. Family and friends. You're nothing without them, and they're nothing without you."

Jude stood up this time, staring down at his desk, sweat dripping from his forehead but he said nothing else. Natsu stayed silent this time as well, not sure if he had gotten through to Jude or not. After some moments of uncomfortable silence, Natsu finally spoke up "That's what I wanted to say. I'm done here now. But don't think this is the end."

"Wait." Jude demanded quietly as Natsu had turned to leave. He peered his head back at Jude curiously, the old man started to talk again "You came here before. You said words..just like those. And I hurt you for that, I took away your memories. So why come back? Why is this so important?"

"Because I love Lucy." Natsu stated without a second thought "And she's my friend, so I'm nothing without her, just like I said."

More silence.

"You're brave lad, you're brave." Jude muttered, looking up now to look at Natsu in the eyes "Coming here a second time..you know..you were the reason Lucy couldn't get married last time." Natsu raised an eyebrow as the man continued "The man Lucy was going to marry saw what happened to you and immediately disapproved. I got mad. I got really mad and blamed it on you. I guess it was actually my fault then eh?"

A blonde haired girl that had been watching the interaction secretly showed herself at the doorway, tears clung to her eyes as she stared at her father.

"I'm sorry Natsu..and I'm sorry Lucy." Jude looked back at his daughter. Natsu stepped to the side to give Jude a clearer view of Lucy "You may marry anyone you want...I do recommend this Natsu here..he seems to have a way with words."

"He does.." Lucy nodded in agreement, walking more into the room so that she was in front of Jude's desk, Natsu couldn't help but smile when he saw the hug. As the two hugged, Natsu stepped out of the room then out of the house. He hoped that would make up for what he had done before, but he still wouldn't forgive himself for what he did to Lucy. So instead, he just left before he could cause her anymore pain.