Chapter 1: Birthday Week

Lucy's Apartment (Around 9 AM)

The light shone bright through the windows in Lucy's apartment on an early Monday morning. She could tell that it had to be a bit past 9 as the bright hour had already passed through and gave the room a warm and airy glow. Stretching, and yawning, she could hear a couple of voices coming from the rest of her small place. Lifting her legs down to the floor, she was alerted by the sounds of the blue furred cat under her foot.

"Ouch! Lucy, why are you being so mean to me? I didn't even do anything yet" Happy said as two streams of tears had rolled off his eyes. She hadn't noticed him sleeping below until she stepped on his tail.

"Happy?" she asked a bit groggily, "What are you—"her voice was cut off by the sound of two bickering idiots in the kitchen.

"Watch where you're going flame brain" yelled Gray as he started pushing Natsu out of the fridge.

"Oh yeah, freezer burn, you wanna fight about it?" asked the pink haired man as he started to combust his hands.

"Thought you'd never ask" replied the raven-haired man, an ice fist forming.

Lucy made her way down to the room and looked at both of them with a bit of a groggy look. Looking between the both of them, she decided not to engage and yawned on her way to the bathroom.

Natsu looked at Gray with a questioning look, "Is it just me, or is something wrong with her?"

Gray looked back at Natsu, defrosting his hands and placing them in his pockets "Yeah, no kidding. With the noises we made, she should have kicked us out about the time we got in."

The blonde opened up the door to a rather steamy bathroom, and didn't question yet again. Sitting on her porcelain throne, she sighed a breath of relief and washed her hands. Walking out of the room, she looked at her tub and waved without a care. "Hey Erza" was all she managed to say before heading back to her bed. The red-haired woman just grew a darker shade of crimson as she saw what had transpired.

Lucy plopped on her bed and began to get under the covers, when she was stopped by her friends.

"Hey Lucy, what's wrong?" Happy asked as he jumped up on the bed.

"Yeah, are you feeling sick or something?" asked Natsu before standing a bit behind Gray.

"Why'd you do that Flamezilla?" Gray yelled before turning his attention back to the petite blonde in her bed sheets.

Erza came out of the tub a few seconds later with one of Lucy's towels wrapped around her waist. Not much could be covered, and the only ones who noticed were Natsu and Gray. Turning their heads from her, they readjusted themselves in their pants before getting closer to Lucy again.

Lucy looked at her friends for a moment, before getting back under the covers. "Guys, it's going to be a rough week for me, so if you don't mind. I'd just like to be left alone, okay?"

"But don't you remember, we are supposed to head out back to Hargeon today!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Aye!" chimed Happy. "Today is the day of the Hargeon Sea-Farers Festival" he said while holding up a flyer.

"Team Natsu is supposed to be doing bodyguard work for some famous singer" Gray said as his shirt disappeared.

"And we all said we'd go" Natsu chimed.

Lucy just looked at all four of them and said a few words. "I'm not going. Have Fun. See you guys in a week."

Natsu was cut off before saying the next few words "Are you su—"

"Yes, now GET THE HELL OUT!" she roared as she pointed to the door.

At The Guild Hall (11 AM)

The Guild Hall had its usual hustle and bustle going on. Cana and Gildarts shared a mug as he slumped his arm over protecting his daughter.

"Daaaad!" Cana whined. Looking over to Macao, she slipped him a wink.

Wakaba nudged his old pal, "She still has it hot for you old man"

Macao blushed slightly as he lifted his arm over his head, "Don't let Daddy know or he'll kill me" he whispered between gritted teeth.

Levy and Gajeel took off to one side, where they were enjoying each other's company. She sat on his lap, reading her latest novel out loud to him and smiled. He feigned interest, but seeing her smile made him grin widely. 'The Shrimp ain't so half bad on my lap' he grinned devilishly before seeing her smile again at him.

Mira, Elfman, and Master Makarov sat in the middle of the bar, when the guild hall doors slammed open to see a dejected team come bursting in. Lightning and storms were outside the guild hall. The three slumped in so sad and you could hear silence in the hall. They slouched over to their favorite spot, Happy flying slowly down.

Everyone could see the looks in their faces, when Erza called out, "Mira, three beers and keep them coming!"

The hall gasped as Erza never called out for drinks in the early morning.

"Aye and two salmon" Happy said dejectedly.

Mira came with three mugs and looked at the three slumping over sadly. "Here you are. Is everything okay? Where's Lucy?" she asked as the placed each mug in their owners coasters.

"She's not coming" said a discouraged Natsu as he started sipping on his drink.

"I wonder why. We have to cancel the job now. Hargeon is going to be pissed trying to find a replacement this late" Gray said as he placed his head on his arm, on top of the bench seat.

"Hmm. I don't know but I can check if you'd guys like. Shame about Hargeon though, but I'll inform them immediately" Mira said in her sweet sisterly tone as she went back for Happy's food and milk.

Levy came over to them and saw all their depressed looks. "It's simple guys, don't you know what this week, and specifically this Friday is?"

All of them looked dumbfounded when a certain ginger-haired celestial spirit glowed in to the center of the hall. Walking over to them, he laid his hand on the table, looking at all of them. It was clear from his look that Lucy had slapped him hard across the cheek before he spoke. "What did you do to Lucy?" Loke asked at the two males in front of him.

Levy chimed a bit, but before anyone could get a word in, two figures made their way down the stairs from the top floor. "Is Blondie in trouble or something? And what's with you?" he laughed at Loki's reddened face.

Tensions started to boil in the guild hall. All of them started arguing with each other, Loke with Sting, Natsu with Gray, Erza with both of them, when a normally quiet voice yelled.

"ENOUGH!" Levy screamed. The floor looked at her with awe, even Gajeel was impressed as he came up behind her.

The whole lot looked at her for a moment waiting for her to cut the silence.

"Friday is Lucy's Birthday" she said a bit down. "This will be the first birthday she's going to have without either of her parents. Didn't you guys wonder why she's been mopey all of a sudden? "

"Well, yeah, but I assumed she was on her period" Natsu said stupidly before Erza knocked him unconscious from a blow to the head.

"Idiot" Erza said as she readjusted her gauntlet.

"Friday?" Loke asked.

"So Blondie is having a big day, huh? Then I wonder where I should take her out first?" Sting asked out loud before getting looks from two other men.

"Who says you get to ask her first Lightbulb?" Gray said as he started forming his ice circle.

Cana couldn't resist the temptation, "Gray, your clothes" she called out.

"Not now woman!" he quipped back.

"Yeah, but it's obvious that if anyone should take her out, it should be me" Loke said casually. "We are bound to each other, so it's only natural. Besides, I could show her things beyond the world. Maybe she'd like to see the Celestial World now that the rules have been lifted due to us" he grinned.

"No way Loke. Everyone knows that one day in the Celestial World is three months here in Earthland. Besides, I say it should be me. She's naturally attracted to me, everyone here knows it. I may as well give her the best night of her life" Gray said with a cocky smirk.

Sting came up from behind, and placed his vote. "Come on, it's not going to be any of you losers. Besides, she needs a REAL man" nodding to Elfman on the bar. "Not an exhibitionist or a spirit. Besides, I've had a thing for her since I met her. It's just that Flame Brain here keeps hogging her all to himself" he said pointing out to Natsu who slowly crept off the floor.

"Hey, that's my line!" Gray yelled up at Sting.

Natsu came up off the floor rather quickly. "None of you deserve her. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't even be here in the first place" he said a bit weak as he soothed the bump on his head.

"Besides…" he trailed off.

"You lllllloooooovvvvvveeeeeee her" Happy said under his breath to Natsu.

"Happy I swear, "he retorted.

"Alright then. One girl, four guys" Mirajane said happily as she placed Happy's meal on the table.

"The only way to settle this is the old-fashioned way" she said as she grabbed a few Popsicle sticks, breaking the bottom of one. "Whoever gets the shortest goes and takes out Lucy on her big day. And everyone else does not interfere. Deal?"

"Deal the four said in unison as they each grabbed a stick. Dejected that they couldn't do anything, they each had their own reason for winning.

Especially if the prize was beautiful Lucy.

Okay everyone, I hope you enjoy the first Chapter of "The Birthday Girl." I will keep updating as needed. Note that this story will have multiple outcomes. It's basically a multiverse of each outcome. So each winner will be chosen at the same time.

Please let me know who you want to go first, second, third or last. I have a set winner in my plans, but seeing how all pairings are acceptable, I will push out aftermath results and outcomes as well. It's only fair.

Welp, Thank you guys for reading.

-Eva