Chapter 1- Gale Storm

Lucy Heartfilia was doing one of her most favorite things to do in the whole world, and, for the first time in days, she was feeling not as hopeless about her situation. True, she may have just been ignoring the situation completely, but dwelling on the matter itself had brought her nothing but a headache.

Lucy's nose buried further into her book, reading page after page hungrily. She was getting absorbed into these books Levy had given her, tales of romance and adventure, knights and dragons. Levy had purchased them from a traveler who said they were from another world, unlike anything they'd ever seen before. Lucy had to agree with the seller; she couldn't put the book in her hands down, just like all the others that were stored in her room, safe from Natsu under her bed where he'd never find them.

Lucy glanced up from her book, looking at the slowly approaching guild. She hadn't shown her face in a week, she'd been so busy with her thoughts and reading, but her fridge was empty, and she needed more money if she was ever going to pay for her rent. She'd been purposefully avoiding it, simply because HE was constantly there, and she was thoroughly done with him and all the lies that were spreading through the guild.

Lucy sighed as she shut her book, feeling her depressed resignation flooding her again. Natsu was being painfully oblivious to her plight, but he'd thankfully had enough sense to leave her alone while she'd been brooding. Still moping, she stepped onto the ledge of the waterway, continuing on her way. She still didn't believe Mirajane's words, there was no way she'd ever like Natsu as anything more than a friend. He was obnoxious and loud, incorrigible to a fault and absolutely disgusting all the time. And while he loved his nakama more than anything, that's all he and Lucy were supposed to be; nakama. At least until Mirajane opened her big mouth and made life a thousand times more complicated. With a grimace, she recalled the last time she'd been in the guild, and the conversation that had taken place.

"Mirajane, for the last time, Natsu and I aren't dating!" Lucy moaned as she sat with Levy at the bar, who was giggling and not helping the situation in any way.

Mirajane grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "Lucy, he's head over heels for you; even a blind person could see that."

Levy nodded her agreement. "You've got him on a string Lucy, you could snap your fingers and he'd be at your beck and call!"

Lucy shook her head, gesturing across the room where Natsu and Elfman were having an arm wrestling contest. "Look, he's just not into me. Besides, he had Lisanna, remember?"

Mirajane laughed outright at that. "My sister? She's too wrapped up with work and her latest crush to bother with Natsu. They used to get along fairly well as kids, but people change Lucy. And while my sister's taste in men isn't up to my standard…" Her eyes flashed a dark, mysterious color before returning to their normal color. "She's informed me that Natsu isn't her type."

Levy nodded, but Lucy groaned, shaking her head. "I won't believe it till Natsu tells me himself. But I don't like him like that Mirajane, and I doubt he does too."

Levy jumped up to her feet. "I'll accept that challenge!" She said with a smirk, and she walked over to the group of men cheering on a huffing and puffing Elfman as Natsu grinned, pushing the big man's arm to the table.

Lucy watched her go, unease settling in her stomach. "Levy, what are you doing?" She called out, and Levy waved her off.

Natsu roared as Elfman's arm hit the table. "No one can beat me!" He yelled, a broad grin stretched across his face as he jumped up on the table. "I'm the champ!"

"Then I challenge you!" Levy yelled over the group of men cheering, and instantly every eye was on her.

Natsu looked appalled. "What?"

Levy grinned. "You heard me. I'm challenging you, Natsu, to an arm wrestling match."

The guild went quiet, then someone laughed. "You? Against Natsu? How drunk are you Levy?"

The men started laughing, but Levy banged her fist against the table. "I'll do it and win! I bet you I will!"

Natsu moved forward, eyes glittering. "Then fine. Let's go then Levy."

Levy grinned, eyes shining with the same maniacal gleam. "Let's make it interesting. If I win, you spill your darkest secret to the entire guild, here and now, so that everyone can hear." At the look on Natsu's face, she chuckled. "Yes, that one."

Natsu gritted his teeth. "Then fine! If you lose, then you can't see Gajeel for a month!"

Gajeel spat out his drink from at the bar, but Levy nodded. "Fine. I'm not going to lose."

Cat calls sounded around the bar as Lucy stood up. "Mirajane! Stop her! Natsu's going to break her arm if he isn't careful!"

Mirajane couldn't hide the fear in her eyes, but she shook her head. "Levy's a big girl Lucy. We've got to let her make her own mistakes."

Lucy whirled on Gajeel. "Aren't you going to stop them?"

Gajeel gritted his teeth. "Shorty's gonna be fine." He spat, eyeing Natsu sourly. "But if he breaks her arm, even the Devil himself won't stop me from killing him."

Lucy wrung her hands as Levy and Natsu sat down, both looking extremely determined as they grasped hands. Max moved forward, swallowing nervously as Levy leaned forward, muttering something to a very confused Natsu. "First arm to touch the table loses, no magic allowed. If your elbow leaves the table, you lose. On three. One, twoooo…" He paused to swallow again before he backed away. "THREE!"

If Lucy had blinked, she would have missed the entire thing. The second Max said 'three', Lucy caught Levy's mouth move, and a look of shock fixed itself to Natsu's face. Whatever she'd said caused him to freeze, eyes wide as his brain struggled to make sense of the statement, and Levy slammed his arm against the table.

The guild was instantly in an uproar, everyone cheering as Levy was hoisted from her chair into the air. No one was bothering to yell about foul play; everyone was merely glad that Natsu had finally been bested, and by the least likely girl in the guild. Natsu, however, remained in his seat, the shock too much for his poor brain. Lucy bit her lip, trying to keep from laughing at him as she clapped for Levy with everyone else. Levy laughed, flushing slightly as she was paraded around the guild several times before being dropped down in front of Natsu. She whispered something in his ear, and he turned bright red as reality came back to him.

With a smirk, Levy turned around, waving to the entire guild. "Now, Natsu. Isn't there something you want to tell EVERYONE?"

Natsu shook his head. "That was a dirty move Levy."

Happy swooped in, landing on his foster-father's shoulder. "Aye!"

Levy shrugged. "I don't recall anyone saying that I couldn't do that. Just no magic, and my elbow couldn't leave the table."

Happy grinned. "That's true!"

Lucy rolled her eyes as Gajeel stood up. "Come on Salamander! She beat you fair and square, spill the beans! What secret could you have that would be so amazing?" He laughed. "Nothing too earth shattering!"

Natsu stood up, his face still red as he balled his fists. "Shut up Gajeel!"

It didn't take 3 seconds after the words left Natsu's mouth that the rest of the guild was up in arms. "A bet's a bet Natsu!"

"Spill the beans!"

"Come on!"

"Spill it! Spill it!" Lucy winced as the chant began to echo through the guild, and finally Natsu slammed his fist into the table.

"Fine! I'll tell you!" He roared, and Lucy gaped as the table broke in two, a scorch mark where his fist had impacted. Silence reigned as Natsu found himself unable to look at anything, and Lucy turned away with a shake of her head, going back to her notebook as she prepared for what she knew would happen. Natsu would tell his secret, the guild would laugh, and then everyone would begin to fight while Natsu cursed angrily. Mirajane and Levy would make some sort of remark, then continue to try and make her believe that she and Natsu were meant for each other.

Lucy glanced back, unable to help herself when Natsu didn't speak for a long time. She would never admit it, but she was rather curious what he was having trouble saying to the guild. It was just like Gajeel said. What could Natsu have to say that was so secret? Every secret he'd ever shared with the guild wasn't too mind-blowing, unless it was the time he confessed to having stolen some of Lucy's… personal belongings. Then she'd practically blown a gasket.

Her eyes picked his pink hair out of the crowd quickly, and just as she found him, he looked up, their gazes meeting. He sucked in a deep breath, then he yelled out, "I'minlovewithLucy!"

Lucy froze, her eyes wide as she stared back at Natsu. "Wha-"

Natsu swallowed, straightening up as he watched Lucy, as if waiting for something. After a moment, he took another breath, taking a step forward. "Luce, I'm… I'm in love with you."

Lucy felt like all her blood had frozen in her body, and she looked away, suddenly unable to look at the pink-haired idiot. She shifted awkwardly in the still silence of the guild members who were too shocked to do anything other than stare. "Natsu, don't be ridiculous. We're nakama, you said it yourself."

A hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back around to face him. "Luce, when I said that, I thought it was true, but it wasn't. To me you're so much more, I can't stand the thought of losing you to anyone, and when you aren't here nothing feels right anymore. I can't stand it when I see you run off with some guy who leers at you like a piece of meat, or when Loke gets too clingy. And while I still don't understand it completely myself, I know that I love you Lucy. You're like a piece of my soul that was missing, and some jester in weird sunglasses isn't about to take my mate from me."

Lucy's mind was blank as he leaned down and kissed her, and the guild erupted into cheers as Mirajane and Levy started hopping up and down together with joy as Lucy remained frozen to her chair, unable to think. Natsu pulled away, eyeing her curiously. "Luce?" He asked softly, and gently he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

Lucy's brain felt like mush, and her heart was pounding in her chest. All that registered in her head was that this was Natsu, and kissing Natsu was a big no-no, but her heart was going crazy against her ribcage, pulling her arms to around his shoulders.

She compromised, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him away, a little too roughly as she jumped to her feet. The guild fell silent as Natsu stumbled backwards, confusion written all over his face. "Luce?"

Lucy stumbled backwards, tripping over her feet as she tried to make sense of something. "Natsu, this isn't… I'm not…" She was fighting for words that didn't want to form sentences, and with one final shake of her head, she sprinted for the door, leaving her notebook on the bar counter as the door shut, hiding a very confused Natsu and guild staring after her.

Lucy frowned at the memory. She'd gone and locked herself in her apartment, bolting and nailing every door and window she owned shut to prevent any unwanted visitors as she'd sorted through her thoughts. Levy had come knocking a day later, but when Lucy didn't answer, she gave up after an hour.

Not that having Levy would have disrupted Lucy's thoughts any; Lucy found it pretty difficult to focus when she thought about Natsu kissing her. More than once she caught herself day-dreaming about kissing him back, running her hands through his hair, and again Lucy found herself shaking her head at the thought. She'd toyed with the idea since Natsu had kissed her, and in the end she'd finally decided how she was going to solve this.

She had no idea what Natsu had meant when he called her his 'mate', but she was quite positive that she was not going to be anyone's mate, nor was she going to sit by and let her friends run her love life. Lucy's plan was simple, go in, explain to Natsu that she didn't feel the same way, tell him they could still be friends, and she'd leave on a mission that would take her a few weeks. In that time, Natsu would realize how stupid it was that he was in love with her and would eventually move on to find the girl of his dreams. She'd planned everything down to the last detail, a thousand ways to counter every argument he or anyone else could make, and a hundred escape strategies, just in case.

Lucy nodded as she drew closer to the guild, bracing herself for whatever was inside. As she reached the door, her nerve failed her, and she turned away from the guild. Maybe she'd just sit outside for a bit and read before going in. There wasn't really a rush or anything.

She opened her book again, finding her place again as she sat outside in the warm summer air, immersing herself in the book. To her horror and dismay, her eyes refused to stay glued to the pages, instead flickering to the guild every once in a while. She groaned, snapping the book shut as she threw it away from herself angrily. "Now if only L. Frank Baum wrote relationship advice. But then, life would be too simple, wouldn't it?" She muttered, burying her face into her hands.

There was a soft giggle. "You can say that again."

Lucy's head snapped up, and her eyes widened. "Wendy!"

Wendy smiled as she held out the book in her hands. "The Wizard of Oz? Is it any good?"

Lucy nodded as she took the book back, placing it on her bag. "It's a wonderful story Wendy, about a girl just trying to get home." She sighed, shaking her head. "I haven't read the end, so I don't know if she ever gets home, but I'll get there eventually."

Wendy paused for a minute before she sat down on the bench, eyeing Lucy. "Lucy, is something wrong? Can I help in some way?"

Lucy shook her head. "No Wendy. I've got it all figured out actually, I just have to stand up and go inside."

Wendy's eyes widened, and she glanced back at the guild. "Does this have something to do with Natsu?" She asked excitedly, and when Lucy flushed, her eyes went wide with excitement. "It does! Did he tell you? What did you say?"

Lucy frowned, eyeing the smallest dragonslayer. "What do you mean? Weren't you there?"

Wendy huffed slightly, shaking her head. "No. I was on a mission with Romeo, and only got back a few days ago. No one's talking though, so the entire thing's been very hush-hush." She gestured at the guild, sighing. "Everyone's been so wrapped up in keeping Natsu preoccupied, I can't even ask Mirajane what happened."

Lucy glanced back, frowning. "He's… What do you mean preoccupied?"

Wendy shrugged. "People keep challenging him for battles and contests, and when they finally get him going they don't let him stop until he passes out from exhaustion. So far Levy's the best, she can almost always get him to arm wrestle her. But when he thinks no one's watching, he gets the saddest expression in his eyes. Half the time I keep feeling like he's just putting on a show for everyone so they won't get worried."

Lucy sighed, and before she knew it, the whole story came tumbling out, from the arm wrestling match to her hurried exit after Natsu had kissed her. She even included her plan, explaining her reasonings as well, but Wendy just listened to the whole story, an expressionless mask on her face as Lucy spoke, and when Lucy finally finished, she waited for a minute before she spoke. "Lucy, how do you feel about Natsu?"

Lucy paused, frowning. "Natsu is… well, he's Natsu. Obnoxious, loud. Dependable to a fault."

Wendy shook her head. "No, what does he mean to you?"

Lucy blinked, thinking about it for a moment. "He's… I'm not really sure Wendy. He's too important to lose, I know that. He's my rock, and he's always there when I need him."

Wendy smiled. "Lucy, there's something you should know about dragonslayers." She flushed a bit, but kept her gaze even with Lucy's. "Dragonslayers are… picky when they fall in love. Mates do not come and go as easily as you'd think, nor are they obvious at first. Like Levy and Gajeel for example. He tormented her and her teammates, pinned her to a tree and left them to be found by the guild the next day. But after he was accepted by the guild, and he began to get to know her, he realized that she was what he had been looking for."

Lucy snorted, waving her hand in exasperation. "But Wendy, this is Natsu we're talking about. He's just a kid in an adult's body!"

Wendy shook her head. "I think he was like that at one point, but he's grown up quite a bit Lucy since you first arrived. Even if he hasn't, he's grown up enough to know you're what he's been searching for as well." She smiled sadly, glancing back at the guild. "Dragons and dragonslayers are extremely similar when they pick mates Lucy, they'll only pick one, and they mate with that person until the day they die. But if you reject him like that…" She shook her head, standing up. "Let's just say that nothing good will happen."

Lucy frowned as she glanced back at the guild. Wendy followed her gaze, smiling slightly as she indicated the book on top of Lucy's bag. "Lucy, do you know where home is?"

Lucy glanced at the small girl, an eyebrow raised. "My home's a couple blocks south of the guild on the riverfront."

Wendy giggled, shaking her head. "Not that home. My dragon, Grandeeney, used to say that home is where the heart is, and that I'll always be home when I have someone who cares for me just as much as I care for them, if not more." She turned around, looking up at the sky, and she inhaled deeply. "So I'll ask you again, do you know where home is?"

Lucy watched as Wendy trotted off, her pigtails swinging slightly as the girl ran, and Lucy pondered the girl's words. She glanced down at the book, frowning slightly. "Home… is where the heart is." She mused thoughtfully, then she stood up. "Bah. I'll have to thank Wendy later, but I don't think I'm that desperate for advice to take it from a 14 year-old." She muttered, stuffing the book into her bag as she walked up to the guild doors again.

Her gall failed her as she reached for the door, and she gulped as she reached for her keys. "Plue!" She called, and with a puff of smoke Plue appeared, waving happily up at her. She grinned as she knelt down, patting the dog on the head. "Plue, can you do me a favor?"

Plue nodded, saluting her, and she pointed to the doors. "Can you go in and check that no one's paying attention? I want to slip in unnoticed."

Plue nodded, and she opened the door a crack so that he could get in. After a minute he returned, giving her a thumbs up. Lucy breathed out a sigh of relief. "Alright then. Let's go."

Lucy wasn't sure what she'd expected when she entered the guild, but she was quite certain it wasn't this. The entire guild was brawling, chairs, tables, glasses, and liquids were being thrown everywhere in what looked like a giant tornado. She saw a flash of red in the mix, and sighed, knowing that if Erza was in the mix, the fight wasn't stopping any time soon. She'd probably had her piece of cake destroyed, Lucy could see the squashed remnants of a strawberry on a foot as Erza roared angrily.

Lucy sighed as she and Plue picked her way to the bar, where Mirajane was mysteriously absent for once. A quick peek over the counter revealed the white haired mage sprawled on the floor, a sizable lump swelling on her forehead as blood streamed down her face. With a sigh, her fingers brushed Loke's key, and he appeared next to her. "Morning Princess." He said, swooping down and kissing her hand. He glanced at the tornado, eyes wide. "Someone step in Erza's cake again?"

Lucy nodded. "Can you do me a favor Loke? I need to get Mirajane to the infirmary, but I'm not strong enough." She smiled at Loke, who started beaming. "I need a big, strapping young man to-"

"I'm on it Lucy!" Loke said, scooping up Mirajane eagerly. "Maybe when I get back we can go on a date~?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but chuckle at the lion's antics. "Maybe. I'll think about it."

Loke bowed, and, with Mirajane in his arms, he ran up the steps. Lucy watched him go, guilt weighing on her stomach as she walked over to the request board, eyeing the jobs. Maybe she should take one and be done with it.

Lucy wasn't sure how, but several things all happened at once. As she reached up for a mission as a secretary, a sudden blast of heat shot past her, scorching the wall. She whipped around, eyes wide as Loke appeared on the second story, eyes wide in panic as he yelled something. But Lucy's eyes were fixed on the large oak table that was flipping through the air straight for her. She didn't even have time to scream as the table smashed into her head, and the world went dark.

Hey y'all!

I've been in a loop- I've been watching Wizard of Oz and reading almost every book ever written on this amazing world, and all of a sudden, I decided to write this. If you can't guess, Lucy's going to be our Dorothy Gale, running away from her problems instead of facing them. I'm rather curious- who do you think is going to be who in this story? It's going to be a mix of the book and the movie.

I'm also curious- how many of you read the title and thought, 'this going to be all about Gajeel and Levy'? Cuz when I titled this, I chuckled a little to myself. Just so you know.

Tell me what you think! Reviews, harsh and complimentary are always welcome- I'm trying to become a better writer, so it's always nice to inflate the old ego, but I've been thinking I'm the shit, and I know nothing. ^^' So don't feel bad about criticizing me. I'll try and get the next few chapters typed up and up on fanfic soon- the next chapter at least by Monday.

Have a kick-ass day!

-Kitkat