EP.106|The Concept Of Fear

“Lavender eyes. Got it.” Cindy nodded as she hung up. “Lavender eyes?” Mal asked. “Yeah, apparently, that’s why Lucifer’s kidnapped Facilier and Acadia.” Cindy answered as the four entered Facilier shop to see it was trashed.

“My gods...what the hell happened here?” Operetta questioned. “Looks like someone was here before us.” Zeref observed.

“Let’s start looking.” Cindy announced as Operetta suddenly felt sick. She quickly rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

“Again?” She groaned, sitting against the toilet. “Ughh...this is too much work…” she added.

“Why...why…” she kept hitting her head softly on the wall.

“Operetta?” Mal asked, knocking on the door. “Yes?” Operetta asked, throwing up again. “Can I come in?” “Yeah.”

Mal walked in on Operetta throwing up and held up her hair back. “There there, there there.” Mal soothed.

“How long have you been sick?” Mal asked. “Since the wedding.” Operetta groaned, drinking a pink liquid Mal gave her.

“Operetta, if you don't mind me asking,” Mal sat next to Operetta.

“Are you pregnant?”

Zeref looked around the shop only to enter a old work office in the back which was, as the rest of the shop, was ruined.

“Gods, this place took a real beating.” Zeref observed, dusting off the label on the door to reveal none other than Doctor Facilier.

His body tensed up, even though Facilier and Zeref are so-so now, they didn’t start off that way.

Zeref then began to remember when she first met Facilier.

Freddie kept sobbing, she hadn’t seen her father in years and because of her boyfriend she got to see him again.

“I missed you so much dad!” Freddie hugged her dad tightly, still shocked than she can hug him in his physical form and not when he’s a ghost.

“You missed me that much huh?” Facilier chuckled, wiping Freddie’s tears. “Mhm!” Freddie nodded, still crying a bit.

“If you keep on crying you're gonna fill the room with tears.” Facilier warned her as Freddie finally let go.

“You've grown up so-” but before Facilier could finish “BESTFRIEND!!” Hades cheered, tackling Facilier.

“I missed you too Hades.” Facilier laughed, Hades crushed him in a hug.

“Facilier! Why did you leave!” Hades sobbed. Zeref face palmed, shaking his head and sighing.

“Why is my father so embarrassing...” Zeref muttered. “I think he's nice.” Freddie smiled.

“Hades! I can't breathe!” Facilier groaned, Hades quickly let go of him and chuckled. “For the gods sakes, you cry more that Panic dose.” Facilier laughed.

“I just missed you so much!” Hades sobbed. “Gods, dad stop crying.” Zeref sighed. “Shut up, Zeref!” Hades wiped his tears.

“I didn’t know you had a son, Hades.” Facilier was surprised. “Yeah, you were still locked in the Shadow Realm when Zeref was born.” Hades informed him.

“He’s also dating your daughter.” Hades added, Zeref glared at him. “Thanks so much dad.” Zeref growled lowly.

“So, this is the Zeref you kept telling me about Freddie?” Facilier raised his eyebrow. “Yes.” Freddie nodded. Facilier then noticed the necklace around Zeref’s neck.

His eyes widened in anger. “You! No wonder you look familiar! You killed my father!” Facilier yelled, pinning Zeref to the wall.

“Yes, Zeref did kill grandpa, but I forgave him. He’s not the same murder her was from back then.” Freddie told her father.

“You may have, but I never will.” Facilier grunted. “Facilier, you gotta chill. I know my son, when he killed your father he was in a dark place that nobody could get him out of.”

“Luckily, your daughter managed to perform the miracle that neither me, Pain, Panic, or even Persephone could do.”
“Your daughter got him out of that dark hole. Without her, Zeref wouldn't’ve redeemed himself. Without her, millions of people like your father would have died.”

Facilier looked at Hades and back at Zeref “that doesn't mean I’ll forgive him.” Facilier clenched Zeref’s neck.

“Think about it this way Mr. Facilier, without Young Master Zeref, Miss Freddie would have been dead.” Pain stated, pulling on Facilier’s arm.

“Excuse me?” Facilier questioned. “Earlier this year, Miss Freddie’s depression gotten to a point where she killed herself.”

“Young Master Zeref got so sad to the point where the ghost of his past haunted him, he begged the gods and goddesses to give Freddie back and take his life instead.”
“So, me and Pain told Freddie to use Master Hades’s Reborn Potion to bring Young Master back to life. When she came back, Zeref’s eyes had to so much happiness in them it made us cry.” Panic explained.

“You’re daughter cares for Zeref just as much as Zeref cares for your daughter.” Hades stated, Facilier looked at his daughter’s face, her eyes coated in worry.

Facilier saw the look in Freddie’s eyes when she looked at Zeref, the same look he gave Acadia when he first met her, the look a person only gets once or twice in a lifetime.

He knew his daughter, she wasn’t the one to fall in love so easily, but for some reason, with Zeref, she fell head over heels in love with him.

Zeref had to same look in his eyes when he looked at Freddie, she really was the light in his life. She gave him a second chance when nobody else did.

She gave him the love he craved for his entire life, she made the abandonment he felt all his life slip away.
She was his rock, his light, his stars, his moon, his everything.

Facilier sighed and let go of Zeref. “You obviously mean a lot to my daughter, so I’ll let you off with a warning this time.” Facilier dusted off his hands.

“That was a warning?” Zeref croaked, trying to regain his breath.

“Yes, but if you ever, and I mean ever, hurt my daughter. I will lock you up in the spirit realm and then you’ll know what real pain feels like.” Facilier threatened, making Zeref shiver in fear.

“Y-Ye-Yes, si-sir.” Zeref stammered. “Good, now with that over” Facilier hugged Zeref “thank you for being there for my daughter when I couldn't.”

“You’re welcome.” Zeref smiled.

Later on that day, Freddie and Zeref laid down under the giant pomegranate tree Hades planted in his garden for Persephone’s honor.

“So, did you like your present?” Zeref asked as Freddie nodded, laying on top of Zeref’s chest. “I really did, you’re the best.” Freddie smiled, kissing Zeref’s lips.

Zeref looked at Freddie and smiled, admiring her beauty. “What?” Freddie asked. “You’re just so beautiful.” Zeref kissed his girlfriend once more.

Freddie laughed and slapped him on the chest playfully “you’re pretty handsome yourself, HellBoy.”

“If I’m HellBoy then you’re my Shadow Girl.” Zeref chuckled. “Well, I’m happy this Shadow Girl got a HellBoy.”

Freddie kissed Zeref long into the night, passion filling the both of them.

Zeref snapped out of his memories and saw there was more dust on the label to reveal the word Senior.

“Uh-oh…”

Operetta and Mal sat in the bathroom as Operetta kept throwing up.

“So, does he know?” Mal asked as Operetta shook her head. “I don't wanna drop a bombshell on him like this when we just started dating.” Operetta lowered her head.

“You should tell him, he has a right to know.” Mal rested her hand on his shoulder. “But what if he leaves me? What if he wants me to get rid of it? What then?”

“Look at me, Hunter’s a demon” Mal began, soon getting interrupted. “I know Mal, what does that have to do with anything.”

“Demons care for their mates, no matter what, life or death, they stay true to their one mate. You may not know this Operetta, but the night before we left for the mission, Hunter and me were on the roof.”

“Why were you on the roof?” Operetta groaned. “Neither of us could sleep, but what he told me on the roof is something you need to hear.” Mal added.

“He told me that he wasn’t feeling worthy of your love, like it was a sin to be loving you, to have marked you, for you to love him back.”

“All the guilt of the crimes he commited came rushing back to him, he felt like you were too good for him. That you needed someone better, someone who could give you everything a girl like you deserved.”

“He loves you Operetta, but he just feels like he unworthy of your love.” Mal concluded.

“He has to know I love him, just as much as he dose. I know I’ve been distant with him, ever since, you know…” Operetta looked at Mal as Mal nodded.

“Yeah, but he’s just worried you don't love him anymore.” “I do, I really do, I’m just worried. He’s my demon, he’s my best friend, my partner, my everything.”

“He’s my Hunter, and he hunted down my heart and isn't letting go any time soon.” Operetta sighed, smiling as she thought about her life with Hunter.

“There’s nothing for you to be worried about, he’s gonna love you even more then he does now. But promise me you’ll tell him after the mission.” Operetta nodded.

“Good, now we have to do something about that.” Mal pointed at Operetta’s stomach. “How are you keeping it from not showing?” Mal asked. “A spell Giles showed me, but it’s wearing off, hence why I’m throwing up. The spell kept all the sickness down until now.”

“Here, drink this” Mal passed Operetta a blue liquid “it’ll keep a shield over it so it won't get hurt.”

“How long does it last?” Operetta asked, drinking the potion. “9 months. That should last you the mission, however long this will take.” Mal answered.

“Thanks Mal.” Operetta hugged the female demon. “Mind not telling anyone?” “Sure honey.” Mal smiled.

Zeref quickly tried to get out of the office but the door locked and the blinds shut, emitting the entire room in a very dim light.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Zeref cursed, tugging on the doorknob. Zeref was then forcefully pulled into a chair, handcuffs on his wrist, bounding him to the chair.

“Gods dammit!” He growled, tugging on the handcuffs. A large blue mist in the middle of the room.

“You have some nerve to coming here after what you did.” The mist then formed into someone he never thought he see again.

Facilier Sr.

Freddie Grandpa.

Facilier Sr is an extremely short, elderly man, with chocolate skin like Freddie. He has lavender eyes and is growing bald with only the outer rims of his head containing white hair. He also has a thick white mustache.

He wore a white tunic with the Facilier Family Crest symbol on the left collar, and black pants, all in which was covered by a formal white coat with white fur around the edges.

“PFFT!!! I forgot how short you were!” Zeref laughed uncontrollably. “Don't laugh at me, you little piece of crap!” Facilier Sr scolded, hitting Zeref with the wooden staff he had.

“Ow!” Zeref whined, groaning a bit. “You deserve it! After all the shit you’ve done!” Facilier Sr glared at him.

“Look, I’m sorry okay, I’ve changed believe me.” Zeref told him. “Don't give me that shit! You’re still the same kid who murdered me!” Facilier Sr scolded.

“I’m not!” Zeref repeated. “Oh really? You’ve changed? Please, I’m not that gullible.” Facilier Sr scoffed. “I’m serious, I have!” Zeref said.

“Mmhm, and I’m a young twenty year old” Facilier Sr sarcastically said, rolling his eyes “you haven’t changed one bit since that day.”

“You’re still just a murderer.” Facilier Sr stated. “You think I’m happy about that?! You think I like the fact that I murdered my girlfriend’s grandfather?! You think I wanted to do that?!” Zeref yelled.

“Wait, girlfriend’s grandfather” the it hit it, he finally figured it out “are you tell me, you’re dating my granddaughter?!” Facilier Sr yelled.

“Yes! I am dating your granddaughter!” Zeref confirmed. “You have some nerve to date my granddaughter after what you did. You have no right to be with her!” Facilier Sr scolded.

“You have no right to tell me who I can and can’t date!” Zeref shot back.

“You’re a murderer Zeref! Do you really think Freddie likes dating a murderer?!” Facilier Sr scowled.

“She says she loves me…” Zeref voice lowered. “Yeah, sure she does” Facilier Sr rolled his eyes “she will never love a murderer! She’ll never love you!”

Zeref heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. Freddie always told him she loved him, but could Facilier Sr be telling the truth? Could Freddie not love him anymore?

Could his Shadow Girl be gone forever? Did he lose the one he loved the most?

“Do you even love her?” Facilier Sr raised his eyebrow. “Oh course I do!” Zeref yelled, tears started to form.

“Then why did she almost die? Why weren’t you there Zeref? Why did you kill one of her closest family member? Is that really what a person who loves another person dose? Are you just using Freddie?” Facilier Sr interrogated.

Zeref started into Facilier’s Sr’s cold lavender eyes, fear struck through his body.

Then it hit him, that’s what Lucifer wanted. It was fear. He wanted others to feel the fear Zeref felt right now.

“You’re just an illusion. You’re not real. You’re just a fear, the fear and guilt I have of killing you. The fear that Freddie might not love me anymore. But that just it, you’re just a fear, one that I can get over.”

Facilier Sr smirked and got out of his face. “I love Freddie with all my heart Facilier Sr, I’ve loved her since the moment I met her.”

“When I figured out you were her grandfather and I killed you, I felt a massive weight on my shoulders.”

“Now that you’re here, I know that I was scared of nothing, I’m not scared of you, or losing Freddie. Nobody is scared of anything, it’s just the concept of fear we’re scared of.”

The handcuffs on the chair disappeared, “you passed my test, Zeref.” Facilier Sr smiled. “I now know you’re good enough for Freddie.”

Facilier Sr began to fade away “I entrust my granddaughter’s safety to you, Zeref.”

Finally fading away, Facilier Sr felt complete know his granddaughter found someone who loved her just as much as her family did.

Zeref then noticed the lavender flower plant on the floor where Facilier Sr once stood, he picked it up and examined it.

“Did you find anything Zeref?” Cindy asked, Zeref handed her the flower. “A flower?” Cindy obervered. “Any idea what it means?” Zeref asked.

“No, let’s take it back to the bar, maybe the others might know what it means.” Cindy guessed as Zeref nodded, the four leaving the shop.

Before closing the door completely, Zeref could hear the faint whisper of Facilier Sr saying the words…

“Thank you, Zeref…”

~A/N~

Hi everyone! Guess who has to go back to school tomorrow? Me! Ughhhhhh! I don't wanna go back! But what I wanna do is tell you that I'm so thankful for all the reads I get each chapter! Thank you!

See you soon,
Sugar_And_Spice125 💕