Authors Note: So this is my second Nalu fic on this sight, it takes a but more a...darker?...spin then my other one so I hope that you all enjoy! I have no idea how long I'm going to make this one so anything is possible I guess, lol. Thank you for reading leave a review if you like!

Fate was cruel, she had been since the time Lucy had been a small child standing in the cemetery watching as her patents' caskets were being lowered into the cold ground. She had only been four when both of her parent's had been killed in a freak car accident leaving Lucy the heiress to a massive winery/brewery as well as massive estates that she would gain control of on her twenty fourth birthday as per her parent's will. This familiar aching in her heart was something that Lucy was used to since she had only ever been met with heartache after heartache though she doggedly kept trying to find the good in the world and remain hopeful of a brighter future.

But as she stood across the street on the sidewalk watching her pride and joy go up in flames Lucy felt her hope slowly fade away as if the heat from the inferno melted it. It had taken years, twelve years to be precise, for her to finally take a step back and admire her hard work as her bookshop blossomed as it was awarded Magnolia's Top Bookstore for the third year in a row. It had taken only four minuets for the flames to spread from the bar next door and devour everything she had worked so hard to achieve. Even though the sprinklers she'd had implemented in her shop had kicked on the second the flames broke through the walls and had started to spread the intensity of the flames had just been to much, the books to much of a adrenaline boost for the flames there'd been no hope of stopping it. Even now the fire fighters were having a difficult time keeping the flames from spreading as they attempted to put them out.

"Lucy!" A short blue haired woman shouted, sprinting towards her, worry on her face as she skidded to a stop her hands instantly clutching Lucy's arm as she looked from the building to Lucy as she panted, obviously having sprinted from wherever she had been. "Are you okay? You weren't in there were you?"

"No, I wasn't." Lucy murmured softly not looking away as she watched the flames lick at the treasured hand carved sign. It had been a present from the woods-smith she had made a business agreement with to get discounts from his shop. Tears slowly filling her eyes and rolling down her cheeks she shook her head wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "It's gone, it's all gone Levy."

"I know Lucy, I know." Levy murmured soothingly and wrapped her arms around Lucy she cried silently.

It had taken the fire fighters three and a half hours to finally put out the blaze and by then Lucy's bookstore was completely in ruins while the bar right next door and the coffee shop, which Levy owned and managed, were only minimally damaged. It had seemed that Levy's cafe had only sustained smoke damage from the flames since the cafe and bookshop were open to one another thanks to a now ruined hand made archway that Lucy had had made when she and Levy had decided to make a business agreement to hopefully flood each other's businesses with more customers.

"Lucy Heartfilia?" The fire martial prompted, gently touching her elbow to get her attention as she stared at the smoldering ruins of her shop.

"Yes." She said and wiped the tears off her cheeks before she turned towards the man. "Can I help you?"

"Ms. Heartfilia it's far to soon to determine what started the inferno but we do know that it originated from the bar next door to your shop." He told her and glanced towards the ruins. "It's to soon for us to determine if it is safe to allow you to sift through the remains to see if there is anything salvageable, however, you might be able to tomorrow I can give you a call after our inspection if you would like."

She gave him a grateful smile. "That would be wonderful. Thank you for all of your work."

"I would like to apologize-"

She shook her head and put her hand on his arm. "It's a bookshop, sir, it was kindling to the flames."

He sighed. "I wish there was still something we could have done, my family and I frequented your shop Ms. Heartfilia, the rankings were right your shop is number one."

"Thank you." She said and turned back to stared at the smoldering building as the fire martial moved off. "Was," She murmured softly. "It was number one." She jumped when her cell phone rang suddenly in her pocket and she scrambled to pull it out and check the number. A fresh wave of tears filled her eyes as she saw the familiar number. "Virgo." She answered immediately, her chin quivering.

"Princess are you alright!" The older woman demanded in a sudden rush.

"Yes, yes I'm all right." She said and wrapped her free arm around herself as she sniffled trying to hold back the tears. After her parent's had died their housekeeper, Virgo, as well as her father's butler and foremen had all stepped up becoming her guardians and had raised her as best they could. They hadn't tried to replace her parent's, but offer any solace that hey could to a grieving four year old child and offer her the mother and father figures that she needed due to the loss of her parents. "I wasn't there when the fire spread."

"Oh thank the gods." Virgo breathed. "Loke and Capricorn are on their way now, they should be arriving any moment now."

Smiling softly Lucy shook her head. "Virgo, you know that they don't need-"

The squealing of tires interrupted her and Lucy turned her head and watched as both doors to a black SUV were shoved open.

"They're here." She said.

"Good," Virgo let out a sight of relief. "I will be there tomorrow morning, for now allow Capricorn to handle everything."

"Okay." Lucy said and said her farewells as she watched a tall salt and pepper haired man emerged gracefully from the car and surveyed the area calmly, his eyes landing on the smoldering remains of her shop while another much younger man launched himself form the car.

"Lucy!" He shouted his orange hair standing up in his usual spiky mane as he scoured the area searching for her wildly before his eyes landed on her and he took off at a dead sprint, sliding to a stop in front of her he enveloped her in his arms, cradling her against him as she let herself fall apart, sobs ripping her apart as she clutched his suit jacket in her fists. "It's okay Lucy, it's okay. We'll take care of everything."

"Miss Lucy are you alright?" Capricorn demanded having joined the two of them at a much more sedate pace, he rested his hand on her shoulder as Loke stroked the back of her head.

"Yes." She managed as her sobs slowly ceased and she just leaned against Loke, attempting to compose herself. "I w-wasn't in th-there when the fl-flames spread." She said through her hiccups.

"Good." Capricorn sighed in relief. "You do not need to worry Miss Lucy, Loke and I will see to all the insurance and financial issues are dealt with. You and Virgo can focus on how you are going to redecorate."

Lucy pulled back slightly and looked from one to the other. "You guys aren't going to try to convince me to come home?"

"We would prefer if you would come back to the mansion to take over the winery." Capricorn said with a nod.

"But we do understand that you are happy here in Magnolia tending to your bookshop and your budding partnership with Levy." Loke said still stroking the back of her head. "Therefore we are going to support you in your wish to carry on here, so allow me and Capricorn to see to all the financial and insurance parts."

"Yes," Capricorn agreed with one of his rare caring smiles. "Virgo said she would be arriving on the morrow to go with you to look at some contractors to begin the remodeling process."

Slowly Lucy's eyes filled with new tears, though these ones filled with a budding new hope. "I love you guys!" She cried and threw her arms around both of them. Both of them wrapped their arms around her, as if reassuring themselves that she was indeed unharmed. To say that Lucy was surprised that Capricorn returned her blatant show of affection was an understatement since the older man was much more reserved and composed then Lucy and Loke. It was rared that he would do more then simply rest his hand either on her shoulder or the top of her head. "I'm sorry that I worried you." She murmured.

"Do not apologize Lucy." Loke murmured just as softly and nuzzled her cheek with his own. "None of this was your fault."

"Loke is right Ms Lucy," Capricorn agreed. "The fault is not yours to blame, Levy informed us that the fire started in the establishment next to your bookshop, so if anyone is to blame it is theirs."

"Do you wanna say that to my face." Someone snarled, startling Lucy while her two guardians simply pulled away and rested their hand on her shoulders as they all turned towards their attention to the man.

Lucy blinked at him, taking in his slanted obsidian colored eyes and his tousled spiky pink hair. She stared back at him as he glared at her. "Capricorn didn't mean to insult you." she said apologetically.

"Ahh so that gives you the right to place blame?" He demanded with a sneer.

She blinked at him and leaned back into the two reassuring walls behind her.

"Was it not your establishment that caught fire to begin with?" Capricorn retorted.

"Capricorn." She rebuked softly, reaching up to rest her hand on top of his. "Look," She said and turned her attention back to the man standing in front of them glaring at the three of them with hostile eyes. "It's been a really long and rather upsetting evening. I'm sure your just as upset in your own way as I and my guardians are. With that being said I apologize for any insult that Capricorn insinuated."

The man stared down at her before he tsked. "We'll be talking." He snarled and turned, moving towards a group of people a ways away.

Lucy sighed and turned, frowning up at Capricorn she sighed. "Their my neighbors, do you have to stir up trouble?"

"If they cause any problems in the future you can-"

"Stop right there!" She hissed and shook her head pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation. "Picking fights with the people who own the bar next door to my shop is not the way that I want things to go. I know that it's been five years since I opened the shop up but I still don't know anyone who works there or the owner. So I would rather not make enemies the first time that I meet someone from there."

"You are absolutely correct Miss Lucy." Capricorn agreed and tugged at the lapels of his butlers uniform as if to straighten his already immaculate uniform. "Therefore I should go and apologize."

"No." She said and help up a staying hand when moved as if to approach the man. "Right now, we just need to let everyone calm down, he was obviously very upset about all of this, at least I'm assuming that's what's wrong. And you two are very upset about this as well, but in regards to me. Just for right now, let it go please. I'll deal with it once everything has calmed down."

"As you with Miss Lucy." Capricorn said and bent slightly at the waist as if bowing to her.

"So where are you two staying?" She asked after a moment.

"Well, since it was such short notice we'll be staying with you." Loke said with a grin as he waggled his brows at her.

Lucy stared at him for a moment before she threw her head back in laughter while Capricorn turned to him and calmly almost emotionlessly lectured him on the reasons behind why a guardian did not flirt with their ward. Slowly Lucy opened her eyes to watch the soothingly familiar exchange between the two men, it had been far to long since she had seen all three of her guardians, though she would have preferred for them to just show up with a surprise visit that they used to do not rush up here due to her shop burning to the ground. But now they were all here, well Virgo was arriving tomorrow but that was pretty much the same, and between the four of them it would be no time before her shop was back up on it's feet with it's door reopened.