Author's note: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL

Things you should know before you read this:

-I do not pair OCs with the main characters.

-As much as possible I do not like OOCness or whatever you call it. I'll try my best to keep the characters as they are.

-This story is LUCY-centric. Meaning most of the story will revolve around her.

-I'll probably make Lucyxeveryone in this story. (More or less)

-NO YURI or YAOI. They don't do it on the manga so I won't do it here as well.


Chapter 1

"Natsu.." Lucy shivered as she tries to move in a more comfortable position. "S-stop moving.."

"No.. I'm trying to find a comfortable position." He replied.

"But you are making me feel uncomfortable!" She exclaimed. She knew how stubborn the pink-haired mage could be but she can also be stubborn when she wanted to.

"Then stop moving."

That was it! She punched him right on the gut making him faint almost immediately.

"This is the last time I'm letting you sleep on my lap!" She crossed her arms as she looked away from him.

"U-ugh.."

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-TRAIN-

The train gave a warning sound to each drop-off area as it passed by.

Team Natsu was in that train coming from their recent mission. Trying to get rid of bandits was not difficult until one of them was able to capture Lucy making her teammates limit their attacks to avoid getting her hurt.

It did not sit well to her that she caused trouble for her team. She knew to herself that she was capable of fighting but there was no way she had enough power to match up with her dragon slayer partner, ice mage friend and fairy tail's Titania. Heck even Wendy can beat her if they were going to engage into battle together.

She looked at her team and sighed.

Gray was resting on his hand as it rests at the edge of the window. He had cuts and bruises all over his hands and arms.

Wendy and Carla are both seated at the other side of the train sleeping. They had bandages on their heads and legs.

Erza did not receive bruises as much as the others but she was exhausted due to trying to save Lucy in a less destructive way she could possibly do. She was strong but controlling her outburst and thinking of a strategy to save her nakama was tiring for her body even for Titania.

Happy was also not spared in the battle. He had kept Lucy from being hit by attacks which made him use his magic more often that he usually do.

Natsu on the other hand had it worst. After saving her from the bandits, the area where they were was collapsing and while they all were trying to run outside, Lucy tripped and for a second she saw a huge rock falling towards her. She tried to brace herself from the impact but she did not feel anything besides warm arms wrapped around her body. Once again Natsu saved her. He exaggeratedly burned the rock with his body and carried his blonde partner to safety.

This seems to always happen. She fights and wins some of her battles but always end up in trouble making her depend on her team to save her.

Suddenly an image of Aquarius came to her thoughts.

She frowned at the memory of their mission about Face. She had number of horrible missions that she can remember but this was definitely the worst. The feeling of being the only one to survive the cube and the only one everyone can depend on was dreadful.

"Had Natsu ever felt that before?" She looked down on him. Her hands softly brushed his hair making the fire mage loosen up his face which made her smile. He probably felt more at ease when his head was rubbed.

Her thoughts went back to that dreadful mission. It was not like she was not proud of herself when she had helped her nakamas escape their deaths but it caused her to sacrifice a friend for it. Lucy knew at that time she was not trying to be brave or a hero. She just desperately wanted to save her friends with what she could do.

Lucy looked down from her unconscious partner to her other teammates. Regardless of how many doubts she had within herself, her team somehow always silently reassured her that they wanted her not because of her power but because she was Lucy herself.

Now the least she could do for them is stay awake until they reach Magnolia. Rather than falling from self-pity, she decided to keep anyone from trying to break their rest that they all deserved.

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-Magnolia Train Station-

"Natsu." She softly touched his shoulder to wake him up but it didn't work at all. The dragon slayer only grumbled and kept his head on her lap. He seems to be comfortable as he let a smile creep in his face.

Lucy smiled and decided to wake him after her other teammates. She slowly reached for Gray's hand to get his attention. "Gray. Wake up.."

She bend her head slightly to see if Gray opened his eyes.

The ice mage responded with a grunt then slowly opened his eyes to see Lucy leaning towards him but not as near as he had imagined since a certain pink idiot was keeping her to her seat.

She smiled and quickly turned her attention to Erza. Tapping her leg did the job.

"We're already here?" She looked around to make sure for herself that they were indeed in Magnolia. It felt like they only slept for a few minutes.

"We've just arrived." Lucy said as she looked at Wendy waking up on their own.

"mhmmp…Mhmhmp.."

The blonde mage turned her head to look at Erza and gave her a look as if asking if she had said anything. Seeing how Gray and Erza look at her made her remember that Natsu was sleeping on her lap.

She looked down at him and saw that he couldn't breathe since she was leaning her stomach against his face.

"Ah! Sorry Natsu. I forgot you were there." She gave him her apologetic smile. "Well atleast you are awake now." Although she did not mean to wake him up that way.

Natsu did not actually sit up at she had hoped for. He nudges himself closer to her belly as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

This made Lucy blush furiously. Did he forget that he was on her lap and inches away from her- "KYAAA! NATSU! GET OFF ME NOW!"

"Lushy's fat is suffocating Natsu." Happy commented.

"Shut up you blue cat! I am not fat!" She gave him an annoyed look.

Erza was about to slam Natsu's head on the floor when she saw how Gray looked at Natsu. The idiots would probably end up fighting so she decided not to exert effort on them and went to Wendy's side to assist her. Wendy had bruises on her legs which made it difficult for her to walk. Carla would suggest to fly her to the guild but she was also far too tired to do so.

Gray looked at his blonde teammate who was having trouble of getting the pink-haired idiot off of her. The image of him on her somehow slightly pissed him off or maybe he was just pissed off by him.

When he saw him tighten his grip around their celestial mage's waist, he quickly kicked his ass literally to wake him up.

"Ugh!" Natsu fell down to the floor. The pain all over his body made it easy for the ice mage to get him down.

"Oi flame-brain! Wake up or we'll leave you here." He said as he stood up but he stopped when he felt pain from the side of his stomach.

This was not left unnoticed by Lucy. She looked at him worriedly and all her thoughts when they were all asleep came back to her. "Uhm.. Gray, are you ok?"

He looked at her and stood up. He knew what she was thinking so he gave her a smile that proudly says this was nothing.

Lucy was about to ask again until Natsu stood up ready to punch Gray on the face.

"OI! That hurt you stripper freak!"

"It's your fault for not waking up. We should have just left you here until you get sick."

"What did you say?!" Nastu had his fist ready to fight Gray while the ice mage held Natsu's collar and was about to hit him as well.

"SHUT UP YOU IDIOTS!" Erza slammed both of their head to each other.

Lucy, Wendy and Carla could only look at them with pity as Erza drag them out of the train with her.

"Are you ok now Wendy?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. I can walk but I'm a bit tired." She smiled at her. Lucy-san was always caring and she somehow felt that she needed to assure her that she was alright.

"Carla. If you are tired, I could carry you." Happy suggested as he lay flat on his seat.

"You could barely stand." Carla pointed at him. The he-cat always acts stupidly but his gestures are always pure.

"Aye.."

Team Natsu started collecting their things outside the train.

Wendy was carrying Carla while Lucy carried Happy. Gray walked along side Erza while Natsu was tied above the piles of luggage of Titania. The motion of the cart made Natsu sick again.

"I-is that even safe?" Lucy questioned Erza as she looked at Natsu.

Erza stopped and looked at Natsu. "He's fine. He seems relaxed anyway."

"U-ughh.. grhmp.."

"I don't think Natsu-san's relaxed at all.." Wendy looked at him worriedly.

Even though Lucy didn't do much in their last mission, she could feel the strain on her body causing her to walk slower than everyone else. This was not making her feel any better at all. Knowing she did not do much yet she felt more exhausted than her teammates made her feel weak.

She looked at her team in front of her walking as if their injuries were nothing. They all look amazing regardless of their tear out clothes and bodies covered in bruises. They always look straight ahead.

How many times have she looked at their backs?

She tightens her grip causing Happy to yelp. "Ah! Lushy you monster that-"

Happy was about to insult her more until he saw Lucy's face. She was making an expression that he could not explain.

"Lushy are you ok?"

She unintentionally ignored the blue exceed in her arms.

She was swallowing in her self-pity again. This kept happening ever since she lost Aquarius. There were times that she did compare herself to her team before the mission about Face but she simply brushed it off because she knew that her team was strong to be compared with. However losing a friend made her realized that regardless how strong they were, if she kept depending on them, they might endanger themselves for her.

They seem to be farther away that she could never reach them.

It was annoying.

Finally some ruckus took the celestial mage's attention. She looked at her right on a small alley between two buildings that leads to the another street. She saw group of men dressed in cloak talking to each other while one of them were holding a huge bag.

She was about to move along when she heard some voices that seem familiar to her.

Right on cue, a head of an exceed wearing a vest popped out of the bag as if he was trying to escape.

"T-That cat!" Lucy exclaimed which alarmed the men causing them to run away immediately.

"Shoot!" She mentally cursed herself.

Happy looked at Lucy confused. "What cat?"

She looked at her team who were far away from her. Calling them now will only cause her to lose sight of the kidnappers.

She stared at Happy seriously earning Happy a very unsure look.

"Lushy..?"

"Happy. I'll give you a boost and try to fly to Natsu after that ok?"

"What are you-"

Happy was not able to finish his sentence when he felt Lucy used his tail to turn him around making him extremely dizzy.

"W-WHAT ARE Y-YOU DOING?!"

Lucy finally let go of the tail, sending happy flying to her team.

"AHHHHHH!"

When she saw that Happy would reach Natsu, she ran to follow the strange men who captured the exceed.

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-Streets of Magnolia-

Lucy successfully was able to follow the culprits. She thought of attacking them but her lack of magic could be their advantage.

"GET US OUT!"

She heard a voice in the bag which was familiar to her.

"If you don't, Sting-kun will bury you alive!"

"Sting?" She vaguely remembered the sabertooth's light dragon slayer. "Ah! So that cat was from sabertooth after all!"

"Fro thinks so too!"

She heard another voice. How many cats did they capture anyway?

Lucy thought deeply. If they were able to kidnap the twin dragon slayers' exceeds, wouldn't that mean that these groups of men were strong?

"Why was I the one to notice them being kidnap.." She mentally complained to herself. "I just hope Natsu follows soon."

Then a thought hit her. She's relying on them again!

She knew if she keeps that up, she'll never be able to stand along her team.

Suddenly the culprits took a turn which Lucy hastily followed. She made a quick turn only to have collided with someone.

"Ouch!" She rubbed her hip that hit the floor.

Lucy opened her eyes to see who it was she bumped with. "Sorry.. I wasn't- Yukino?"

Yukino also opened her eyes as she rubbed her head that bumped with her celestial friend.

"Lucy-san? What are you doing here?"

Lucy remembered that Yukino came back to the sabertooth guild after the GMG which means that she must know those cats that she was following.

"I was following some men who looked like they kidnapped some exceeds from your guild." She stood up and offered Yukino a hand.

"They've been kidnapped?! Sting-sama and Rogue-sama were looking for them. Where are they now?"

"I think they are on their way to the train station. Hiding those exceeds in a crowded place.. What were they thinking?"

"Great! Then I'll be on my way. Thank you so much Lucy-san!" Yukino bowed to show her appreciation and was ready to run on her way to the train station.

"Wait! I'll go with you. They might be dangerous." Lucy ran with her.

"Are you sure? You seem exhausted."

"Yeah but like I'll let a girl ambush a group of men alone." Lucy smiled.

Yukino thought that involving the fairy mage might be a mistake but she can't help but smile back. She knew her blonde friend will never take no for an answer. The sabertooth mage really did respect Lucy's strength but mostly her kind hearted nature.

"But Lucy-san.. You're girl too.."

"Well two female celestial mages is better than one right?"

Yukino knew that admiring Lucy was not a mistake.

"Arigato Lucy-san!"

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-Team Natsu-

"NATSUUUUU!" Happy shouted in mid-air.

Erza, Gray, Wendy and Carla saw Happy flying towards Natsu without using his wings.

"H-Happy?" Natsu slightly moved his head to see his exceed flying dangerously fast towards him.

BAM! Happy hit his unfortunate target making them both rolled down from Erza's huge luggage.

"Happy, Natsu-san! Are you both alright?" Wendy rushed beside them while trying to lift some of the luggage that fell on the exceed and his partner.

"Energetic as always." Carla commented.

"Happy, where is Lucy?" Erza finally noticed that their celestial mage was nowhere to be found.

Gray turned his head to look for their blonde team mate as soon as Erza mentioned her name. "Where did she go? She was just right behind us." He frowned as he worriedly looks for her from where he stands. "Damn it. I let her out of my sight and she's gone already."

Happy finally snapped out from being dizzy. "Lushy you are so horrible! You used my tail to swirl me around and toss me to Natsu." Happy complained.

"Eh? Where's Lushy?" the blue cat finally opened his eyes and looked for his blonde nakama.

"That's what we were asking you. Baka neko." Carla looked at him with her usual annoyed expression.

Erza didn't mind Lucy running off by herself because she knew she was strong but lately Lucy had seemed to have lost some confidence after the Face mission.

She remembered the day that they all return to Magnolia. Lucy was terribly quiet although she would smile from time to time. Erza didn't know what happened at the time they were all sucked up in the cube until she came to visit her celestial mage in her apartment. She remembered how Lucy silently cried on her bedside as she held a golden key that was broken to pieces.

Lucy sacrificed a friend for them. She didn't cry when they were with them. Erza finally understand why she was silent the whole trip and why she didn't shed tears in front of them. She knew that Lucy wouldn't want them to feel responsible for her not being able to see Aquarius anymore.

On that day and forth, Erza pledge to herself that she would never leave Lucy on her own again.

"How should I know? Lushy mentioned a cat then tossed me to Natsu." Happy said as she rubbed his tail.

"GWAH! That hurt!" Natsu finally stood up. "What the hell Happy?!"

"Don't look at me. It was Lushy's fault."

"Where is Lucy-san?" Wendy asked.

"Luce is not here?" Natsu asked them as he tries to stand up only to have fallen again when someone tripped over him.

"GWAH!"

Natsu's head felt like spinning. He got hit a lot since they arrived Magnolia and he wasn't even in the guild yet.

"Ugh.. That hurt." the blonde mage scratch his head where the pain was coming from.

He was about to argue to the person who caused him to fall until he saw the fire mage's guild mark.

"Fairy? Natsu-san?"

"What are the twin dragon slayers doing here in Magnolia?" Gray asked. He didn't have any grudge against them but it was definitely weird that they were in their town.

"Sting wanted to make friends with Natsu-san so we went to your guild only to know that you guys were in a mission." Rogue bluntly answered.

"The hell Rogue!" Sting slightly blushed. To him, Natsu was still someone who he had admired as one of the greatest dragon slayers which why he wanted to be friends with him but it was still embarrassing to admit it himself.

Rogue only glared at him. If it wasn't for his idiotic plan to make friends with the fairies, they wouldn't have lost sight of their exceeds.

"Anyway we can't stay long. We're looking for our cats." Sting explained as he stood up.

"Cats? You mean the frog looking cat and the vest wearing one?" Erza asked. She remembered saving on of them with the help of Millianna.

"Vest wearing-? His name is Lector!"

"That's what I said." Erza replied.

"Yes, that's the one. Anyway it was nice seeing you. We must be on our way." Rogue was walking away until he heard the sky dragon slayer shout.

"AH! Maybe they were the one Lucy-san mentioned." Wendy remembered what Happy just told them.

"L-Lucy..?" Sting felt he choked as he mentions her name.

"You mean the fairy tail's celestial mage." Rogue equally felt nervous when they talked about the blonde girl.

"Yeah she's fairy tail's but anyway where is Luce?" Natsu said as he pat his pants to remove the dust he got from the ground.

Both sabertooth mages fell silent and kept their eyes from making eye contact with the fairies.

"Why would Lucy follow them?" Gray asked. He wasn't really in the mood to look for cats but knowing Lucy had followed them, he would just have to make an exception.

"Maybe they were lost so Lucy-san wanted to help them?" Wendy guessed.

"But Lector is with Frosch so they shouldn't get lost at all." Sting finally said something.

Erza rubbed her chin thinking seriously. "They must have been kidnapped by bandits to be sold off to some circus or something."

Everyone just looked at the scarlet mage with fear.

"W-what? Why would they sell them to a circus?" Sting asked Erza. He was curious of how she concluded such theory.

"Well they are talking cats." She emphasised. "Not everyone knows that they are exceeds and not just some plain cat."

Sting and Rogue paled. That actually made sense!

"You're horrible Erza! What do you think of us?" Happy said.

"I actually have to agree with he-neko. What are we to you?" Carla asked.

"Hm.. Entertainment." She said with a serious face.

Everyone froze at her statement. "You're horrible Erza!" Happy cried as he hide behind Natsu.

"Oi oi.. That's mean." Gray finally said.

"I was only kidding." Erza said.

"Don't say stuff like that. You scared them." The ice mage pointed at the twin dragon slayers as they worry in their corner.

"Happy will be awesome as a circus cat!" Natsu said excitedly. He didn't understand that Erza was joking.

"Aye!"

"You were complaining about it a minute ago." Carla said as she looked at the blue exceed.

"A-anyway we should definitely look for them now!" Sting managed to escape his gloomy state and ran to look for his friend.

Rogue nodded and followed his dragon slayer partner.

"Wendy, go back to the guild and tell master what happened. Natsu, Gray and I will look for Lucy." Erza said as she ran to follow the twin dragon slayers.

Gray soon followed her. He really didn't like that Lucy left without them.

"Demo.." Wendy looked at them worriedly. She wanted to help look for Lucy-san as well.

"You're horrible Erza! Why am I not included?" Happy said as he fly to follow them.

"Don't worry Wendy, we'll bring back Lucy." Natsu patted her head.

Wendy looked at the fire mage and saw he's determination to find their celestial mage.

"O-okay! Please be safe everyone!" Wendy waves as she carried Carla to the guild.

-Hargeon Town-

"I can't believe they manage to use a train with cats in their bag without getting caught! I'm starting to think the security of that train station is a joke." Lucy said as she hid behind the corner of a café building.

They have been following the cloaked men for three hours now. By the time they reach Hargeon, Frosch and Lector were quiet. Both Celestial mages guessed that the poor exceeds must have been tired from struggling to escape.

"Lucy-san, look there. They entered an inn." Yukino pointed at the group as they enter the building.

"What is wrong with them? Don't they think anyone would find it suspicious that they have a huge bag with them?" Lucy looked at them as if they were stupid.

"They did manage to ride a train without anyone noticing them."

"I guess.."

"What should we do now Lucy-san?"

"I guess this is where they'll be staying. Let's book a room and wait until we regain my magic. I haven't recovered much since our last mission. We could also call for our team for back up." Lucy explained as she tries to look for something in her bag.

"Here." Lucy took Yukino's hand and placed something on it.

"Lucy-san?" Yukino looked at the card.

"Cana gave me one of those. If you were in any trouble, use that and I'll be there for you." The blonde mage smiled.

"Arigato! You can rely on me as well Lucy-san."

"For now let's leave some clues for our friends to follow. I guess somewhere with Lacrima with be good. You have two dragon slayers while I have one, an ice mage and my guild's strongest woman following our tail."

Yukino just notice some piece of paper Lucy has. She seemed to be spraying some perfume on it.

"Have you been leaving trails for them to follow us?"

"Yeah, I left one in the train station and even in the train we rode just incase they'll ride that one as well as the train station we just came from." Lucy twisted the paper and started placing it between the crack of the café building.

"How are you so sure that they'll be following us?" Yukino asked. She thought that it might have wasted Lucy-san's effort to leave clues if they're friends weren't looking for them in the first place.

"Uhm.. well I just know. Somehow they always manage to be there when I need them whether I like it or not." Lucy chuckled as she remembered the times her friends miraculously saved her from death's door.

"You really have a great team Lucy-san." Yukino complimented her. How she wished she had a team like that. As much as she liked being with her two dragon slayer friends, she didn't want to hold them back that is why she decided to only tag along with them on their breaks from their missions while she stay full time in their guild as a bar maid.

"Thanks! I bet Sting and Rogue are great too." Lucy smiled at her.

Yukino returned a smile and nodded.

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-Train Station-

"Are you sure this is where Lucy went?" Gray looked around. Ash brain somehow manages to get a scent of their blonde friend. That didn't amaze him at all rather he felt disturbed. "Is this idiot some kind of pervert?"

"Shut up! I could smell Lucy walked here." Natsu followed the scent until he reaches a lamppost. He sniffed it until the strong scent came to him from the bottom corner.

He took the paper and carefully open it while everyone was peering behind him to see what it was. There was a note written on it.

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-Hargeon Town-

"Hargeon?" Natsu said as he looked at the paper questionably.

"She must have left that for us to follow her." Erza concluded. Their celestial mage always knew some tricks that would always help her team which never fails to impress her. She ordered the men to stay where they were as she walked towards the cashier's to buy their tickets.

"Then Frosch was really kidnapped if she had to leave trails for us!" Rogue exclaimed. He was terribly worried for his exceed. The little cat was gullible and easily lost. That's why he didn't like Frosch to go around without him.

"There's a different scent from it as well." Natsu interrupted him and tried to sniff the paper again. "Lucy is not alone."

"Maybe she had her spirits with her." Happy said.

"But she's drained from magic remember?" Gray said as he looked at his fire mage companion with annoyance. "Oi. How long will you smell that you fire breathing pervert?"

"Shut up ice brain! I'm trying to figure out who Lucy was with. It smells familiar." Natsu tried to remember.

Sting took the paper and tried to sniff it as well. "So this is what Lucy smells like. It seems different." He knew who's other scent belonged to and he was about to tell them until Rogue elbowed him on his side.

"Ouch! What's the big idea?!" Sting glared at his partner as he holds his ribs. His shadow dragon slayer friend simply looked at the side and ignored him.

"Yukino is probably with her. That scent belongs to her." Rogue informed them.

"Ah! So it was her." Nastu exclaimed.

Gray looked at the dragon slayers in front of him. Is their sense of smell extraordinarily stronger than normal? He knew that Natsu was able to smell anything far away but he usually sniffs for Lucy more than anyone else that is why he thought the flame idiot was some kind of pervert.

"But nah. Luce used some kind of perfume. Her scent is different from this." Natsu said happily as he put his hands behind his head.

"How in the world can you tell that?" Gray asked. This idiot is definitely a pervert.

"Lucy sprayed this perfume on my face when I slept in her bed last time." Nastu explained. He remembered that as soon as Lucy found out that he was sleeping right next to her, she took the bottle nearest to her bedside and sprayed generous amount of it on his face.

"I can still smell that cologne on me." He rubbed his face as if he was trying to remove the scent away.

The twin dragon slayers stared at Natsu with wide eyes. He said it as if it was nothing!

"Y-you sleep with Lucy?" Sting managed to ask. "Were they dating?" Heck were they in that type of relationship already?!

"Aye! But she usually kicks him after she finds out." Happy said.

"Kicks him out?" Rogue finally said something after being shock.

Gray noticed how the sabertooth mages react whenever the topic lands on their blonde teammate. He shrugged it off however he didn't like the idea of them thinking Lucy and Flame brain were in that type of relationship or any kind of relationship so he clarified to them. "Flame brain sleeps in her bed without her permission."

He really didn't understand himself but he just didn't like it.

Both Sting and Rogue sighed. They seem to be relieved after they heard the ice mage explain Natsu's actions.

"Let' go!" Erza was already boarding the train making the men rush to follow her.

"W-wait! We're riding a train again?!" The dragon slayers were not ecstatic of the idea of riding the vehicle.

"Why do you guys think were in the strain station anyway?" Erza sarcastically asked them.

"But.." Natsu lower his head in defeat. He'll just have to put up with it for Lucy. "For Lucy!" He shouted as he ran inside the train. She definitely owes him food after this.

The ice mage stared at flame brain like he was crazy. "What does he think he's doing?"

"D-damn it! For Lector!" Sting raised his hands as he bravely entered the train. Rogue soon followed as he nod in agreement. He would definitely do anything for Frosch.

Gray thought that one pink-haired idiot was enough. He didn't expect the twin dragons slayers to be the same after the way they acted during the GMG. "Are you guys idiots too?"

Happy flew in front of the ice mage as he looked at the poor mages having motion sickness even though the train hasn't moved yet.

"Aye!"