(If you want a better effect for reading, listen to sad Fairy Tail soundtracks)

"Blood relatives often have nothing to do with family, and similarly, family is about who you choose to make your life with."

-Oliver Hudson

Lucy felt her back whipped as she slouched even the slightest in her seat, her little feet dangling from the edge of her chair. She let out a small gasp of pain only to receive another blow in the back by the uptight women circling her like a shark.

She did not cry out this time, realizing her mistake in a matter of moments.

Jude Heartfillia watched from the back, arms crossed behind his back in a dignified manner. He said nothing as the little ten year old was smacked in the back for letting out even the slightest bit of undignified relief from the pain position.

Heartfillias did not slouch.

Lucy played with her feet, still dangling from the large chair. She felt a whip at her feet and stopped.

She placed her arms on the rest. She felt a whip on her arms and put them on her lap.

She stayed there, perfectly still, in the most glorious and lady-like position that a ten year old could possibly achieve. Lady Lucy of the Heartfillia Konzern could rival any other fine heiress at the moment.

A smile crawled up Jude's face and attracted the attention of young Lucy, feeling a glimmer of hope as she saw pride twinkle in his usually cold eyes. She let out a small giggle of happiness but it was cut off as her head was wrenched forward, forcing her eyes to stare into the hard, angry eyes of the women.

Lucy held back tears as her nails dug into her cheeks, knowing it would only bring more pain.

"A Lady does not get distracted, young mistress." The women hissed, before slowly releasing her face. "One more time!"

Out of the corner of her eyes, Lucy saw that Jude's smile had vanished and was replaced by cold disappointment.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Dadd- I mean father," Lucy called out after the session was finished, feeling brave. "D-did I do well?" Hope sparked in her face as she remembered that period of his smiling face.

The man kept walking.

"Father, did I look like a real heiress?"

No reply.

"Was I okay?"

Still nothing.

"…Would mother be proud…?" She dared to ask the question.

Jude whipped around, an overwhelming amount of grief trapped in his sorrowful eyes. He looked wild for a moment, fuming and possible tears ready to spill. But in moments later, he regained his composure.

"Do better next time." Was all that was said and he walked away quickly, leaving the rejected young girl ready to cry.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maybe it would've been better if Layla had died before she had been born.

Because once having a loving family then having it ripped apart the next day is more painful than people could truly understand. If she had never know what love was, she's be happier than this – desperately trying to claw any affection out of her father.

It was a selfish thought to wish early death on someone, especially her own mother. But after these brutal sessions of ethics and lady-like procedures, that usually included her getting hit or emotionally bullied, sometimes it was usually okay to be driven into a corner of thought like this.

As Lucy stared out of her window and into the starless sky, she felt a urge to run. To run to another family and feel love again.

But who knew that she could really have that dream come true?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucy pointed to the magazine Spetto was reading, feeling a rush of rare curiosity. To be too curious was unlady-like. But this strange insignia had caught her eyes.

"What is that?"

Spetto traced Lucy's gaze to where a fairy was blazed proudly onto the page of a magazine. Happy smiling people with the same marks were on the ad, posing overdramatically and each showing off their magic.

"It's a Mage Guild called…hmm…Fairy Tail! What a peculiar name." Spetto read and traced her thumb down, "They're known for being very reckless but being very devoted to their..er…nakama?"

"Nakama?" Lucy repeated, dumbfounded by the word but intrigued. She looked at Spetto then waved goodbye, racing down the halls of the mansion until she reached the room she was looking for.

Pushing open the doors, it revealed a magnificent library with dozens of books. She walked through and looked around until she found the book she was looking for. She flipped it open, reading it with more interest than ever.

Nakama: comrades or friends. Sometimes used by protagonists to describe those who fight alongside them or friends in general.

Lucy grabbed another book, flipping it open.

Nakama: comrades, allies, or friends.

She repeated the process, trying to understand this word more than ever.

Comrades.

Friends.

Allies.

Fighting alongside.

Those you can rely on.

Family.

Lucy froze, her finger placed on the word that was boldly written in black ink. She read it over and over again, then dared to say it.

"Family…Nakama…" The words felt hot on her tongue but for some reason, she embraced it and felt it envelop her in a crisp light. "Nakama…nakama…nakama, nakama, nakama!" She repeated the word, letting the feeling spread throughout herself.

And for the first time in a while, she felt happy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sit up straight!" A harsh voice snapped but Lucy did not react, feeling herself release from this usual routine. She had never felt so broken before, but this could be understood.

She had endured years of this and to turn seventeen and soon be of marrying age was dawning soon. Her father reminded her enough of it.

"We will never be able to marry you off if you look like peasant trash!" The women snarled, smacking her back once again. She didn't respond but felt a stirring of anger as she was talked about as if she was an object.

"Lucy," A new voice snapped her out of her trance and she looked up to see her father leaning over her. "Remember that I've allowed you many gifts – including your keys. Don't make me take them away from you."

Lucy felt shocked. "B-but, they are mothers…I need them." Her voice cracked as she tried to reason with her father…no, beg to her father not to take her keys.

"Don't be so attached to those weapons – they are not fit for a lady of your standing." Jude growled, closing in further. "Layla should've never taught you magic and if she hadn't, you wouldn't be so damn stubborn all the time!" He began to yell and Lucy felt a rebellious spirit break inside of her.

She ripped out of her seat, startling both her teacher and Jude. "Don't talk about mother that way! She'd loved her spirits and she was right to teach me magic. How can you be so cold all the time? I'm your daughter! Do you even love me? Did you even love mom?!" She screeched.

Jude slapped her across her face and watched as she fell to the ground with shocked eyes, unsure of what he just did. "Get to your room." He struggled to keep his voice from shaking and turned away, hands crossed behind his back as he heard her shuffle from the ground and dash to her room.

The women stared at Jude with wide eyes and flinched as he waved his hand to dismiss her.

And as she exited the room, she could hear the soft sobbing and Jude murmering.

"I'm so sorry Layla…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucy felt her spirits mourn with her as they tried to unsuccessfully comfort her. Tears spilled from her eyes and something inside of her seemed to snap.

She was done with this.

She ripped open her closet, tearing out dresses and any other fancy item. She opened up a box she had stuffed into the back that was filled with casual clothes her father would be horrified with. She threw them onto her bed and snatched her suitcase, stuffing it with the clothes.

She sneaked out of her room and into her father's office, where she took a large dictionary and flipped it open. There, in a pocket of cut open pages, was a bundle of money. She snatched it greedily, feeling more tears burst from her eyes.

As she finished the preparations, she felt an urge to run but fought it, knowing she could not get caught. Lucy snuck out of her room, carrying her suitcase and tip-toeing down the glamorous and majestic staircase.

She opened the double doors and didn't look back.

"Goodbye mom."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Nakama?"

Lucy repeated the word, not because she didn't understand, but because it shocked her to hear that word again.

"Yeah, it means family!" The pink haired boy stated happily as he dragged her towards a large building called Fairy Tail with a fairy symbol on it.

"Family…" She repeated, awestruck by the word that was said so casually. "Family!"She repeated even more happily, laughing as she was pulled into the double doors.

But instead of exiting a broken family through those doors, she was entering a new one.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucy fiddled with her drink as Levy and Mira chatted happily beside her. The past seemed so far away now and her new family was closer than ever. She had people she could love and call Nakama.

Nakama. What a wonderful word, Lucy though and smiled to herself. Mira noticed this a playful grin crawled on the white-haired bar tenders face.

"Thinking about a certain boy you like?" Mira teased, leaning in closely.

"Mira!" Levy scolded, "Don't think every little thing Lucy does is because she likes someone!"

"It's alright, I'm just thinking." Lucy said with a happy sigh, "About how much I've changed from since I was a heiress. I used to be the marvelous Lady Lucy of the Heartfillia Konzern but now I'm just plain old Lucy of Fairy Tail, part of a family. Something I thought I'd never experience again."

Levy smiled, "Lucy, you don't need to be thinking about the past."

"I do, because there were so many times I wanted to give up on magic and my spirits and submit to my father. But the idea of having a family drove me on. I still remember the harsh sessions of discipline and being alone a lot, but if that never happened, how could I ever be so grateful for what I have now."

Her speech began to attract attention from the members, hearing the words seemed to bring a newfound realization to them.

"I felt a family once and when I lost it, I felt I could never retrieve it. But this Guild saved me from that and I've never been so grateful to that. I could be off by now, in an arranged marriage, living a solitary life with no magic or Fairy Tail. I've never regretted my choice to run away and I've never regretted joining a Guild." Lucy said and then looked up, with the saddest yet happiest smile on her face.

"Thank you Fairy Tail, for being my family. For being my nakama."

I hope you enjoyed this small insight into Lucy's life before she joined Fairy Tail.

I think having such a lonely life with no family would give her a real love for Fairy Tail and I dare say it, a love that probably rivals Erza's.

I hope you enjoyed this oneshot!