Disclaimer: Not in this life.

Negotiate

I couldn't believe what was happening. How could my father do such a thing? How could he hire another Guild to kidnap me?

Why couldn't he leave me alone?

I walked down the stairs to the hidden room. I had no idea this existed until today and I would be jumping in excitement if I weren't so distraught over Phantom Lord's attack on my family. Mira's voice pulled me out of my despair.

"Laxus, we need all hands here! Phantom Lord has attacked and they're demanding we hand over Lucy!"

The deep voice laced with cockiness was vaguely familiar. I had heard it before from one of Fairy Tail's S-Class Mages. I had only met him once, but I would always remember that smug grin and muscular build of a war god. If nothing else, Laxus Dreyar made quite the impression.

"That's the new chick, right? You know, she's actually pretty hot. You convince her to be my girl, and I'll deal with your little problem."

Cana slammed her hand on the table. "Damn it, Laxus! Can't you pitch in to help without expecting anything back?!"

"Oh, hey Cana! Is that jealousy I hear? You could take off your top and I'll help you take out the Phantoms."

Cana and Mira shrieked in rage. I saw the usually happy barmaid reach for the lacrima. From the look on her face, I'd say she wasn't planning on gently scolding him and cutting the connection. I bounded over and grabbed her arm. Both women looked at me in shock. "Lucy…" Cana choked.

"Leave her out of this, Laxus."

His lecherous grin grew wider. "Hey Blondie! What are you going to do if I don't?"

I didn't answer his question. "I hear you want to make a deal. Pretty pathetic that you have to blackmail a woman into going out with you."

The grin vanished, replaced with an angry scowl. "Watch it, Blondie."

I shrugged it off and placed both hands on the table. I knew he had a good view of my cleavage. If he was like every other man, they would cloud his judgement. "You want to make a deal? Fine. I'll play your little game. I've got a feeling you'll like the stakes."

The grin was back. "I'm listening."

"If you help us defeat Phantom Lord, I'll become your woman and yours alone. I'll even tattoo your name on my ass if you keep the destruction of the surrounding area to a minimum. Wouldn't want to end up owing money to our own city."

As predicted, his gaze was locked on my chest. "I'm liking this so far."

"If you can take down the entirety of Phantom Lord by yourself, without any outside help, I'll will remain your woman for the rest of my life. Even if you should toss me aside and chase after other girls, I will not be with any other."

"Lucy! No!" Mira and Cana shouted at the same time.

The gleam in the Lightning Mage's storm blue eyes sent shivers down my spine. "Oh I like you, Blondie!"

"No one will take you seriously if you show your emotions, Lucy! Do not give them a hold over you! You a Heartfilia and Heartfilia's own the room!"

I kept my voice steady, just like my father taught me. "If you should attempt to do so and fail, you will become my slave. Should you refuse any of my commands, you will be punished. Keep in mind that Virgo and I can get very creative. That is the deal. Take it or leave it. Should you refuse, I'm sure we'll get by just fine on our own."

Laxus rubbed his scruffy chin. I had to admit, for an asshole, he looked good with a five o'clock shadow. "The tattoo applies to the second choice, right?"

I nodded."I give you my word."

The smug grin on his face said it all. "You're on, Blondie."

I allowed myself a smirk. "Deal. Now if you excuse me, I finally got the latest Weekly Sorcerer and I'm dying to ogle the top three bachelors of Fiore."

Laxus smile never wavered. "Be my guest, Blondie. The second you become my woman, all your attention will be on me. I'll make sure of that."

I scoffed, "Oh please! You'll drop me in a matter of days and then I can go right back to my ogling. It's not like you can take out an entire Guild by yourself."

His eyes flickered from blue-gray to orange. It was gone so quickly, I convinced myself it was my overactive imagination. "Watch me." The whispered response was the only sound in the room. The lacrima cleared and I straightened my back, standing with all the pride and dignity of a noble. I turned Cana and Mira. Both were staring at me with a mixture of horror and sorrow.

"What?"

"You were doing fine until you challenged him." Cana's voice was flat.

"I challenged him? He's the one who brought it up! And what I said is the truth. He'll swoop in and help us, I'll go on a few dates with him, maybe lose my first kiss to him, and then he'll go right back to his womanizing. I don't care how strong he thinks he is, but he can't take on all of Phantom Lord by himself and win." I flipped through my magazine. "Oh, Hibiki is so freaking hot!"

A hand appeared on top of the page. I looked up to see Mira standing there and Cana doing a reading on a table. "He might have just helped us if you had went with the deal. Now that you've insinuated that he would fail, he's going to prove you wrong."

"Mira, no one is…"

"She's right, Lucy." Both Mira and I stared at a fidgeting Card Mage. Three of her Cards were laid out on the table. I saw the pictures, but I had no inkling as to what they meant. "If anything, Laxus is always up for a challenge. He seeks to prove his own worth is not dictated by his heritage. You told him that if he defeats an entire Dark Guild, he will own you until you die. The last Card states that he will be victorious in his pursuits."

I wanted to brush off their concerns, but the total convection on Cana's face made me nervous. Could Laxus really do it? Could one take down such a powerful Guild? If it were anyone else, the answer would be a big, fat no. But I have never seen Laxus in action. All I knew about the man was from gossip around the Guild and Weekly Sorcerer. I knew he is a Lightning Mage and a playboy. He is never with the same woman twice, and only remains with them for a few days before jumping to his next target. There is only one man in Fairy Tail that rivals his bedmates, and that man is my newest Spirit and friend: Loke. Actually, now that I think about it, Loke has lived for centuries. If he has always been this way, then his bedpost must be whittled down to nothing by now. Even Laxus cannot hope to compete with an immortal.

A soft chime signalled the arrival of a Celestial Spirit. The dust cleared to reveal the man I was just thinking about. "Speak of the devil. Loke, what are you doing here?"

His eyebrows were furrowed in worry. "Mira and Cana are right, Lucy. Laxus will take your challenge to heart and he will do it just to prove you wrong. Call him and back out of the deal or you will regret ever laying eyes on Laxus Dreyar."

"You guys are being ridiculous! No man is that powerful."

The door slammed open. Natsu stood in the entrance with a look of amazement on his face. "Hey! Laxus just attacked the robot!"

All four of us sprinted up the stairs after Natsu. We ran past the rubble and stepped outside. The crowd watched in awe as lightning danced around the giant robot. I noticed Team Thunder God standing to the side, acting as if this were normal. The only female was filing her nails, the Seith Mage was poking fun at her, and the Rune Mage was flipping through a new book. A distant scream rang in the air only to be cut off shortly after by a flash of light. A person jumped out of a window and was struck by a stray bolt. We all watched as the robot, that had been forming a magic circle slowed to a halt. A high pitched cry pierced the air.

"No way… He couldn't possibly…" My voice tapered off to nothing as another flash of light flashed in the windows. He was at the very top now. Preparing to face Phantom Lord's Master, Jose. "He just took out the underlings and the S-Class Mages! Is he truly going to face a Guild Master after using that much magic?"

A hand clutched my shoulder. "I told you, Lucy. Laxus will do so just to prove you wrong. The fact that you'll be his alone is a bonus."

A giant, golden dome encased the Phantom's robot. The mark of Fairy Tail decorated the front along with swirling Dragons encased in Lightning.

I would never admit it, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And I have seen stars dance across the sky under a blood moon with my late mother. Nothing should have been able to top that. But this did.

Everyone stared in awe at the brilliant light show radiating from the glowing dome. It vanished as quickly as it came, taking with it the magic-laced atmosphere that tingled the exposed skin of my arms, waist, and legs. Stray bolts of lightning arched over the metal shell as a large ball of condensed lightning burst out of a broken window and sped towards us. It dived from the air and struck the ground, shaking the earth with its impact. The magic dissipated and revealed Laxus Dreyar, standing proud with a look of smug triumph on his face. He walked right up to me, ignoring the glares from my friends and the praise from his Team. He didn't stop until he was only centimeters away. He leaned over me and stared straight into my eyes.

"I win." I was scooped up on thrown over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. He slapped my ass when I began to hit his back. I ceased all movement after that.

I saw Natsu spewing fire behind us. "Hey! Where are you taking Luce?!"

"I'm taking her to get her first tattoo!" Laxus chuckled darkly. "By the way, you'll be getting it on the small of your back. If you got it on your ass, then know one would see it. And I want everyone to know who owns you. That and I don't want anyone seeing your ass. It's all mine now and I don't like to share."

Laxus swayed to the side from the force of a powerful strike. I fell from his shoulder and braced for impact. He must have regained his balance because I was wrapped up in his arms once more and set safely on my feet. I turned my head away from his massive chest to see the source of the attack. Erza Scarlet stood proud and tall dressed in a new armor I had never seen before. The armor was white, blue, gold, and black. Her hair was in a long braid down her back and secured with a dark blue ball. "Laxus! Release Lucy this instant!"

"Uh… No."

Erza glared at her fellow S-Class Mage. "Laxus, that was not a request!"

Gray stood beside her. "Let her go, Laxus!"

Many members of the Guild were preparing to attack Laxus. It wasn't right. A jerk he may be, but he was still their family. This all started because of me. This was all my fault, and Laxus is the only one who sees it. The ruined Guild Hall, the attack on Team Shadow Gear, even being owned by Laxus Dreyar. All the blames lies at my feet. I had to stop this. I may not like it, but a promise is a promise.

I stepped out of Laxus' hold, but remained in his reach. "Stop!"

Everyone gaped in shock. "Lucy, what are you doing? Get away from him!"

"I can't. I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

Gray lowered his hands, if only slightly. "What are you talking about, Lucy? Get away from Laxus now!"

"I won't!" I peeked over at Mira and Cana. Both looked angry but resigned. They knew I had volunteered for this. They watched me make the deal.

Cana sighed, "She's right. She has no choice."

Levy, wrapped in bandages, stumbled closer to her childhood friend. "What do you mean? Lucy always has a choice."

Mira shook her head sadly. "She doesn't. Laxus attacked Phantom Lord because Lucy made a deal with him."

Laxus wrapped his arm around my shoulders and leaned down so that our cheeks brushed. "That's right! Lucy created the deal herself. I was actually impressed." I didn't have to look at his face to see the smug grin on his face. I could hear it in his voice.

Gray clenched his jaw, glaring daggers at Laxus. If looks could kill, Laxus would be six feet under. "What were the stakes? What in the hell could interest you so much that you would waste you precious time on Phantom scum to help us?"

The chest pressed against my side vibrated with his laughter. I shivered at the dark pleasure laced in his voice. I had heard a laugh like this once, from the man my father had chosen as my fiancé. Everyone thought him a saint with the looks of a god, but I saw the evil that lurked beneath that perfect smile. He was one of the many reasons I had run away from home.

"Lucy promised that if he helped us defeat Phantom Lord, she would be his girl and tattoo his name on her skin. She added that if he took down the entire Guild without aid, she would become his for the rest of her life. That even if he should leave her, she would be with no other. If he failed in his attempt, he would become her slave. That was the deal and both agreed to it."

Fairy Tail gasped in total shock at what Cana's explanation. Gray seemed to snap out of it first. "Lucy… Why… Why did you do that?"

I couldn't look him in the eye. I couldn't look anyone in the eye. "I did it because Mira was begging for his help. When he brought up a deal, I knew I could make him help you guys. He came and he defeated Phantom Lord. That's all that matters."

Erza took a step towards me. "Screw your promise, Lucy! He's not worth it!"

I eyed my friend with sadness. "Shame on you, Erza. My Magic is based on promises. If I don't keep this promise, how can my Spirits trust me? I always keep my promises, Erza. You know this."

Natsu ignited his flames. "Then I'll make a deal with Laxus! If I win in a fight, then Lucy goes free!"

"No. Natsu…"

A bolt of Lightning struck the pink haired teen in his chest. The Dragon Slayer fell to the ground. His body twitched with the aftershocks.

"I win again. Let's go, Blondie!"

I was tossed over his shoulder once more.

As I hung from his shoulder, I had the gut wrenching feeling that my time with Laxus was going to be much worse. Because of Natsu's reckless nature, Laxus was going to make my life a living hell. Knowing that this situation was the thing I had been running from and rejecting my whole life, I could not bring myself to regret my current predicament. I had asked for it. I was the one who made the stakes. I agreed to this with a clear mind and iron will. My actions had saved my family from the danger I had brought to them, even if unknowingly. My actions had prevented everyone from getting hurt worse than they already were. Yes, I now belonged to a wicked man and would never be able to marry the man I loved, but my new family was safe.

I made a Deal with the Devil.

And now I must pay the price.

I might make this into a story. It does have some potential. If I do, then here's the sneak peek. Let me hear what you guys think. You want more?

-SPN :3