She was restless, pacing back and forth across her small cottage living room. Something wasn't right. She could feel it in her bones. Some internal warning intuition that told her danger was inbound. Burying her face in her hands she sighed wearily. This wasn't happening.

Taking a deep breath she looked over to the corner of the room where a small wicker bassinet sat tucked. Small blankets spilling over the edges and little cooing noises could be heard. A small hand appeared and waved a little trying to hit the small plush toy that hung above it.

Running wasn't as easy as it used to be. Not that it was easy in the first place, but now it was even more daunting. The thought of being out in the open, vulnerable and having such precious cargo to protect increased her anxieties.

God she wished Natsu were here along with Gray and Erza. Hell, she wished she was back in Magnolia sitting in the guild listening to the rowdy banter. But she wasn't, and she couldn't. Well, that probably wasn't true. She knew her guild mates would accept her back with open arms, but she just couldn't face them, or ….him.

She bit her lip as the memory came to the forefront…..

The rain's soft pitter pattering on the window panes was soothing, coupled with the gentle rumble of distant thunder. She sighed and stretched. It was only then that she noticed the feel of warmth at her back.

Natsu.

She was going to kill him for crawling into her bed while she was sleeping again. But first things first! Mother nature was making a call and if she didn't answer soon then things were going to get really awkward.

Cracking her eyes open she suddenly frowned, she opened her eyes wider. Something wasn't right here. This was not her apartment. And to make matters even worse she knew damn well it wasn't Natsu's little cottage either. Bracing herself she peeked under the blankets and scowled, damn she was also naked. Just what kind of shenanigans had she gotten herself into now?

Carefully she turned trying not to disturb the person next to her. For a second she forgot to breathe. Panic washed through her system and she became very aware of one thing.

Run.

Her mind screamed to escape. There next to her was the hulking muscular frame of one Laxus Dreyer.

Letting out a huff of breath she cleared her mind and began to focus once more. Trying to think of what might have brought on this feeling of dread.

When she went to town a few weeks ago she heard rumors while at the Apothecary that there were notices of various wizards being attacked. Apparently there was a nationwide alert to all guilds to be wary.

She couldn't think on her own, she needed some help. Biting her lip she went to the small desk next to the window and opened one of the drawers. Gently she pulled out a familiar pouch on a worn leather belt. Smiling fondly she opened the pouch and pulled out a shiny golden key.

In a soft tender voice she spoke quietly.

"Open gate of the lion, Leo."

"Well, it's about damn time!"

She let out a soft cry as she was suddenly turned around and was engulfed in a warm embrace.

"Loke!" Her arms went around his waist and held him tight.

"I've missed you! I'm sorry I haven't called you guys out. I just didn't think it was safe."

"Hey, shhh. It's okay. But why haven't you gone back to the guild?"

Just then a soft cooing noise drew the Lion spirit's attention. His eyes went round and he turned quickly then turned back to stare at her.

"Lucy?"

She smiled fondly as she moved out of his arms and walked over to the bassinet.

"His name is Rai." Reaching in, she picked up the squirmy bundle and brought him over towards Loke.

"He's my pride and joy, isn't he beautiful." Looking from her baby to her spirit she gave a sad smile. "He has his father's eyes."

Loke turned his wide eyes down to the little bundle of flailing limbs that batted and tugged at his mother's hair. A little tuft of blonde hair sat upon the little cherubs head. Peachy pink dimpled cheeks framed a toothy giggling pink mouth and there in two dazzling blue-gray orbs was the answer to an unspoken question.

"Luce… When did he?.. How did you?...Does he know? Cause I swear if he knows and he told you to take a hike, I swear I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"Calm down. It was about 16 months ago, give or take a week. And if you don't know how then I'm going to start questioning your manliness Loke." She smirked absently readjusting her hold on the baby and bouncing him in her arms as she strolled towards the kitchen.

"Haha, very funny." He deadpanned. I know damn well how it happens, I meant, .. ya know.. I mean.. It's Laxus. How did you manage that?"

She snorted. "I wouldn't tell you even if I could remember beyond the just waking up naked next to him part, you perv."

He was slightly incredulous. "Wait, what? You don't remember?"

Sighing quietly as she pulled a bottle out of the fridge and stuck it in a bowl of hot water to warm. "It was the night of Levy's birthday party. I really don't remember anything after about shot number….6…uh.. ish." She shrugged and took the bottle out of the water to test it before she began to feed the baby.

"Luce.. you gotta tell him. You know that right?"

"I know, but I'm not brave enough for that!" She said forcibly. Her eyes blazing as she turned to look at him. "You don't know what it was like for me after…..the things I heard him say. I don't even think he remembers either. Cause he never even looked at me or anything!"

"What did he say?"

All the fight went out of her then and she whispered weakly. "I was sitting at the guild debating on telling him, because I had just found out earlier that morning after a visit to Porlyusica. I was waiting for him to show up cause while I didn't know what to say, I figured I'd figure it out once he got there. The next thing I know he is walking through the doors with Bickslow and Freed and he's going on about how women were so clingy and that no one was going to tie him down and trap him. That all women wanted from him was his name and fame. I left after that and I haven't looked back since." Her expression became haunted as she seemed to stare out at nothing. "I left everyone without a single goodbye. I'm a terrible person." She began to sob clutching the baby closer to her chest. "And now Rai will have to pay for my cowardice."

"No, he won't. You can go back to the guild. Everyone will understand, and you don't have to tell Laxus till you're ready."

Lucy sobered up quickly after that. "I can't go back, not yet. I'm not ready. But I do need to ask you something, and it's very important to me. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't. You know this."

He nodded slowly, "What is it?"

"I want to break our contract and give your key to Rai. I need to know that if something happens to me that he will be protected. I want you to be the guardian when I can't be there."

Loke was stunned, he didn't know what to say. He hated the idea of breaking his contract with Lucy, but for her to ask him such a thing, and bestow such trust in him was something that touched him. "I would be honored Luce. I mean I hate not being your celestial spirit but knowing you have that much faith in me….. well, words can't describe how touched I am."

"Thank you Loke, I'll hold on to the key until he's old enough to take care of it himself. You have no idea what a weight this is off my shoulders." She leaned into the protective spirit and looked down at her baby smiling as she watched his eyes flutter closed while absently still suckling on the bottle.

Pulling away she turned and went to put Rai back to bed. As she leaned over the hem of her shirt rose a little causing something to catch Loke's eye. He frowned slightly and moved closer.

"Luce, what's that?"

"What's what?"

"On your back. There's a mark there I haven't seen before."

"I don't know, maybe a bruise. I've been working out and I've fallen a couple times when I misstep."

"No, it doesn't look like a bruise. Here let me see." He moved closer and reached a hand out to lift the back of her shirt.

Batting his band away she turned and crossed her arms, "Stop it pervert!"

"I'm not being a pervert. I'm serious, let me see. It looks kind of familiar." He motioned for her to turn around but she stood firm, stubbornly refusing him. "Seriously Lucy, I think I know what it is. I just want to make sure." He held up his hands, "Here I won't even touch you, just turn and lift the back of your shirt a little."

She narrowed her eyes a bit more then sighed and turned doing as he asked.

"Damn, he must not know, or he's ignoring it. You've been marked."

"Marked? What the hell does that mean?" She turned quickly lowering her shirt once more.

"It means he's mated to you."

She paled. Mated? The panic was back. She didn't know much about dragon mating rituals, but she did know one thing for sure. Mates were for life…Damn.

"Okay, so what does that mean then? And why do you think he doesn't know or he's ignoring it?"

"As you know dragons are super protective about what they deem to be theirs. If Laxus knew he mated you, then he would probably be searching Earthland over trying to find you. The fact that you've been gone for so long and he hasn't even come close yet is an indicator of that. Or as I said, he could be ignoring it, but I doubt that's the case. You and I both know how selfish he can get. And that's when he is in control of himself. If he was consciously aware of this,… I think he would be going on a rampage."

"So either A. He hasn't found me, or B. He doesn't know." She rubbed her temples, "This is getting more complicated by the minute."

Loke sat on the couch and rested his arms on his knees. "Humans are always doing something crazy to complicate their lives."

"You're one to talk Mister." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey! That's not fair! I was trying to protect Aries! Way to bring up the past Luce." He muttered dejectedly, his mood souring.

Her gaze softened, "You're right, I'm sorry. But it does prove that humans aren't the only ones that do things that complicate their lives, on purpose or not."

"Yeah yeah.." He let out a deep breath then rubbed his face vigorously. "Okay, here's the thing, he's gonna know something is up, whether he is aware of the mating or not won't matter for long. Right now you aren't in danger, but you're anxious. And while your bond isn't that strong, he'll feel it. So if you don't want him to find out faster than when you're ready, then you need to calm down. But Luce, we gotta go back, and you gotta tell him. You may not like it, and he may not deserve it, but he does have the right. After that you go from there. Who knows he might actually surprise you."

Frowning she let her lower lip stick out a little in a pout. "When did you become the responsible one?"

"When you gave me responsibilities." He turned his head pointedly towards the bassinet.

She stuck her tongue out at him and he returned it with a chuckle.

A few moments passed while they both reflected on the past and the earlier conversation. Loke was seriously starting to wonder what the heck he was gonna do. When suddenly he sensed something on the peripheral of his awareness. Moments later Lucy darted towards the bassinet and grabbed her baby from the basket she put the baby in Loke's arms and then reached next to the couch returning with a small duffle.

"Loke, you gotta leave now!" She said in a rush as she was pushing him towards the back door. Rai was thankfully still sleeping but the frantic movements weren't helping. "Please.." She whispered and his heart nearly broke at her large pleading eyes that were slowly filling with tears. "I need you to protect him."

"Come with us, we can make a run for it, use Gemini to distract them."

She shook her head wildly, "I don't think that will work. The presence is really dark. I can feel it, and it's powerful. They might be able to tell, Please Loke! Go to Hargeon, Ill meet you there in three days. If I don't meet you by then. Then assume the worst. Or if you get followed go to Fairy Tail. But please whatever you do protect Rai!" She placed his celestial key in his hand and then turned towards the front door moving quickly as she strapped the worn leather belt around her waist and grabbed her whip out of the closet next to the front door. She took one last pleading look at him, her eyes darting to the bundle in his arms before she ran out the front door.

Lucy stepped out of her front door for all the world like she was a warrior looking to find out who invaded her territory.

"What do you want?" She called out brazenly crossing her arms waiting for whoever to come out of hiding or answer her.

"Heh heh heh, I knew I sensed some powerful magic. We were suppressing our own magic but she could still sense it." A thin thready voice spoke to her right still hidden within the trees.

"She doesn't look very strong. Lets leave her for the crows and be on our way. Master said only the strong ones." A deeper voice rumbled to her left.

"Don't be foolish" the thready voice called out. "She sensed our suppressed powers, and the magic I felt was powerful, it felt like Celestial magic." She heard a noisy sniff and a audible slurp. "I can still taste it in the air." Another loud sniff and the voice spoke again. "She isn't alone. Others are in the house."

"Mmmm, I smell something delicious. A virile young man for me to devour." Lucy shuddered as she heard the creepily lustful voice near her. "I'm going to go have fun playing with him." She heard again just as a whoosh of a gust of wind went past her and the door flew open and slammed shut once again.

"No!" Lucy yelled and then pulled out her keys, "Open gate of the Maiden. Virgo!"

"Punishment time Princess?" The female spirit asked as soon as she appeared.

"Go help Loke!" Lucy yelled as she ran moved further from the door. Panic overwhelming her once again as Virgo disappeared into the house. She unraveled her whip eyeing the trees around her. So far she only heard three voices, but she couldn't tell if there were more magical signatures. Her mind was a haze of fear.

Noise erupted in the house behind her, and while she was scared for the spirits, and her son. She was more concerned with who else might be outside.

"Earth-make Dome" Said the deep rumbly voice.

Lucy looked down as the ground began to shake and walls erupted all around her quickly she ran towards the edge and tried to jump out from the circle of the enclosing dirt.

"Nimble little thing isn't she?" The thready voice cackled.

Lucy snapped her wrist in the direction of the voice and felt it latch onto something. There was a hiss and she yanked revealing a short chubby little man. He had on dark leather clothing and a waistcoat that looked like a duster on him. He had greasy slicked back hair and thin pencil thin mustache under his round bulbus nose. His beady eyes glared at her from his place on the ground.

"You're going to regret that you little bitch!"

"I doubt that." She sneered back at him.

"Way to get yourself caught Otis." The rumbly voice deadpanned.
"I told you never to call me that! My name is Ramone!" the chubby man said with a poorly executed accent.

Lucy let a brow rise as she listened to the two, her ears straining to also hear if anything was going on inside the house. Praying to all the gods she could think of that her friends and baby were safe.

"Earth-make quicksand." The rumbly voice said again. Lucy felt herself suddenly starting to sink. She quickly released her whip on the chubby man and flicked her wrist toward a tree branch. There was a barely audible clinking noise and her whip was deterred from it's destination. Not thinking about how her whip would miss, she yanked and lost her balance falling into the sands.

"Earth-make dome" The voice called again. This time she didn't have time to escape the enclosure. Virgo appeared next to her within the dome and said quietly. I have subdued the woman, and Loke got away. I'm sorry Princess, but I'm very tired. I need to go now." And with that the maiden spirit disappeared.

Lucy wracked her brain for something to do. Loke had made it out with Rai, so now she just had to worry about getting herself out of this predicament. "Open gate of the bull! Taurus!" She called out quickly.

"Oh Miss Luuuucy, I just KNEEEEWWWW I'd get you alone sometime!"

"Now is NOT THE TIME! Get us the heck outta here!" she yelled ignoring his pervy words.

"As YOUUUUU wish!" The bull raised his large hammer and gave it a swing. Lucy had to duck her head as she just barely felt the air whoosh past her as it swung over her. "Watch it Taurus you almost took off my head!"

"I'm SORRRYYYY Miss Luuuuucy. It's just such a smALLL space in here!"

"Shadow cast, Dark slumber." Lucy barely had time to think as the spell hit her. Damn, she thought just before everything went black.