Chapter 1

"They really are beautiful, aren't they," Lucy said, mostly to herself but partly to the wizard sitting next to her. Looking up from the blanket where they sat, the rainbow cherry blossoms were a delicate pink hue as they occasionally fell to the ground around them.

Lucy's battle with Zeref on Tenrou Island seemed just a distant memory now, and life slowly returned to a relative state of normal for the celestial wizard. Well, as normal as life can be for a member of Fairy Tail. After Wendy gave her the okay to work again, and she begged Master Makarov for forgiveness along with promising to not go behind his back like that again, Lucy started going on jobs again with the rest of her team. Usually there was never a lack of jobs to choose from the request board, but this time of year the board got understandably barren. Because today, the annual Fairy Tail Rainbow Cherry Blossom Viewing Party, they and the rest of the guild were taking time off to enjoy the scenery and life's blessings in general. And no one had been counting his blessings more since that day than Natsu.

He said nothing, but watched her beside him as she gazed up at the blooms, sunlight shining on her golden blond hair and deep brown eyes. He always seemed to lose himself in those eyes, and the thought put a small smile on his face. Never would he have expected that inviting her to come with him back to Fairy Tail that day would change their lives forever. He remembered her first viewing party in Magnolia, mostly because she had caught a cold while on a job right before and was stuck in bed all day. He and Happy had gone without her, but he really didn't have much fun. He spent the day sulking and thinking about how excited she had been, telling Wendy all about the wonderful spectacle she hoped to witness with her own eyes. And now, she was basking in their beauty, taking it all in as her gaze moved from the trees to the friends around her. Not hearing a reply, she met his gaze and smiled. "It's everything that everyone said it would be. I can't wait until later to see them all change colors."

"Why? That's the part you've already seen, isn't it?" Natsu replied, a blush creeping into his cheeks. He wasn't sure if the Master was still angry about him and Happy uprooting one of the trees back then and sending it down the canal that flowed in front of Lucy's apartment. Although he would never admit that he and Happy were the culprits that night, he knew by her smile that Lucy realized who was responsible. He would have given anything to see the look on her face when she saw it passing by her window that night.

"It's different when you experience it with someone else." Lucy hoped the blush she felt wasn't showing on her face as she looked back up at the blossoms around her. She had missed being with everyone when it happened during her first year in Magnolia, but looking at the sight before her now, she decided it was worth the wait. Being able to enjoy it with her best friend made it that much better.

Her best friend... She paused and replayed the thoughts that had been spinning around in her head since her battle with Zeref. Even though she felt in her heart that everything she had said about Natsu was true, she had never said it aloud until that moment. Could she really just say he was a friend when there was obviously more there? They had a history now; she had put her life on the line for his against the most powerful wizard alive, for no other reason than to ensure his safety. That, she figured, meant more than just friendship to her. And she was fairly certain that Natsu was trying to tell her the same thing, in his own way, but neither of them really wanted to say all of that in front of half the guild that day in the infirmary. They didn't really get much chance to talk privately about it after she started working again either; Erza, with her overprotective eyes, made sure of that. Perhaps tonight she would ask Natsu and Happy over after the party and they could finally talk...

Just then she turned to look at her good friend Levy as her voice rose up from the crowd. "Aw man, why can't I even get one number on this stupid card! This is my year!" Jet and Droy, her other Shadow Gear team mates, laughed at her frustration, and even Gajeel had a smirk on his face. They all were sitting nearby on a blanket taking part in the viewing party's bingo tournament, which apparently was very competitive on Levy's part.

"You say that every year Lev," Droy told her with a grin.

"Well, this year it's going to be different," she said with a pout, which only made the group laugh harder.

"You say that every year too!" Jet said, which made Gajeel openly chuckle and Levy visibly blush.

Lucy giggled at her friend, and walked over to visit for a bit. She had been so lost in thought that she didn't even realize that the tournament had started. If this was any indication of how the rest of the day's festivities would play out, Lucy was in for some crazy fun indeed.

Nearby, there was another girl taking in the scenery. She was similar to Lucy in age and build, but sported a mint-colored bob. She watched Lucy with thoughtful eyes as she sat on the blanket with her friends.

"Hey Natsu, aren't you going to play?" Happy asked, looking over at his friend. He didn't have the same look on his face that he did the last time they were here, but Happy could tell that Natsu wasn't quite himself. Usually he would have been one of the first people to grab a punch card, just so that he could beat Gray at something that wouldn't involve Erza beating him up afterward.

Natsu took a drink from his mug and gave him a smile. "Nah, you go ahead buddy. Thanks anyway." He was too distracted with his thoughts to focus on a game of bingo at the moment. Happy nodded and flew over to where Wendy and Carla were sitting, hoping to catch the female Exceed in a good mood.

Now alone on the blanket, Natsu sighed and lay down on his back to look up at the trees. His hands behind his head, he closed his eyes and listened to his friends' laughs carry across the park. It made him happy to know that his family was having a good time together. Especially Lucy. He smiled as he thought about all the adventures they had been on together, how much their friendship had grown over the years together, about how much he had grown up. He was definitely not the same person he was when he ran into her that day in Hargeon. And he thanked God for that every day since. Thinking back to that day in the infirmary, he knew he cared about her and was pretty sure she felt the same way about him, but there was one thing he knew for certain: now more than ever, that he never, ever, wanted to say goodbye to Lucy Heartfilia. And he planned to do everything in his power to make sure he never had to.

"Okay, get ready everyone!" Mira called as the last rays of sunlight slipped down over the horizon. The evening promised to be a beautiful one as the stars began to slowly become visible with the fading sunset. There wasn't a cloud to be seen as the time ticked slowly closer to the viewing party's grand finale.

Lucy and Happy had rejoined Natsu on the blanket and were anxiously awaiting the moment when the blossoms would begin their famous display of technicolor brilliance. Natsu watched her hand as it gripped the blanket in anticipation. "Excited?" he mused.

"Very," she answered, as her eyes shifted upward from the trees to the sky. Seeing the stars shining brightly above her almost made her feel her mother's presence again. Her face fell slightly as she thought about Layla and the times they would sit together on her window seat and look at the night sky. Like her daughter, Layla was a Celestial Wizard and had a deep connection to the stars. Lucy remembered those times fondly now, and wished her dear mother could enjoy this with her.

Natsu noticed her reaction. "What's wrong?" he asked, more serious now.

Lucy looked back at him and gave him a small smile. "It's nothing, really. Just thinking about my mom," she said as she turned back to the sky. Natsu looked at her with surprise but said nothing. Lucy hardly ever mentioned her life before Fairy Tail, so it was a big deal when she did. He knew she had died when Lucy was young, but she never really went into more detail than that and Natsu never pushed her to say more. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, and he didn't want to open that old wound for her again. Instead, he put his hand on hers and looked up at the night sky.

Startled by his touch, Lucy turned to look down at the hand covering hers. His touch was comforting in that moment, and she watched him as he looked up at the stars. She smiled and asked herself how she ended up with such a special person in her life.

As the last light faded on the horizon, a sudden burst of light enveloped the trees and then the gentle pink became the beautiful spectrum of color that they had been that night on the tree floating down the canal. Lucy gasped in awe as she looked around her at the magical foliage surrounding them. She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears as the emotions overwhelmed her in the moment. Her mother would have loved to see this.

Natsu looked over at Lucy just as a tear slipped down her cheek. He wasn't expecting that reaction, but figured it had something to do with her mom. He gave her hand a squeeze. "Lucy, you okay?"

She wiped her eyes and gave him a brave smile. "Yeah. I think my eyes are getting tired."

Standing up, he turned to her and offered her a hand. "C'mon," he said. "Me and Happy'll walk you home."

"Actually, I'll catch up with you later Natsu," Happy said suddenly. Natsu and Lucy both looked over at the little blue cat. "I just remembered I have to talk to Wendy about something." And with that, he brought out his wings and was off.

Lucy and Natsu just looked at each other is disbelief. What was that all about? Then, Natsu shrugged his shoulders and grinned. Taking his hand, Lucy stood up and grabbed her bag. "Ready?" she asked. "Lead the way," he answered, and they made their way through the crowd.

They walked in silence as they neared Lucy's apartment. Natsu, with his hands up behind his head, walked a few steps behind Lucy. She seemed deep in thought as they passed under the streetlights and he noticed that her mouth turned down as though she were troubled by something. He was about to ask what was bothering her before an unfamiliar scent made him pause. Hurrying to catch up to her, he grabbed Lucy by the arm and quickened their pace. "Natsu, what's the rush," she asked him, then fell silent when she noticed the tense look on his face.

"Someone is following us," he said quietly, not looking back.

The two speed-walked the rest of the way to Lucy's apartment. And then, just as Lucy reached for the knob, a soft voice spoke behind them.

"Are you the daughter of Lady Layla Heartfilia?"