Lucy was late on rent. Again. Yet there was not much she could do about it. Why? Well if you must ask, it was because her team didn't want too. And she knows she pretty useless without them. Well, she thinks that. She should know that her teammates didn't think that. They just thought she should have a break. They though after the tartous thing that she wouldn't want to work. But it has been three months already and Lucy was ready to move on. She knew Aquarius would make fun of her, but why am I telling you this story? She should.

...

Lucy was spent. She hated this, her guild mates treating her like fragile glass. Their pitying glances and worried frowns. She didn't understand why it was aimed at her. She wasn't the only one who lost something or someone. Both Natsu and Gray lost their freaking father! Elfman, while mind controlled, blow the guild up! That's just a few, but the point was she wasn't the only one suffering! And yet everyone was focused on her. Maybe because they knew she was weak. Because the only way she could save anybody was to sacrifice one of her dear friends.

"Lucy?" I snapped out of my self pitying/self loathing thoughts and slowly looked up at Mirajane. Yeah, I know that having inner turmoil seated at the bar really wasn't the smartest decision I ever made, but I was waiting for Natsu and he wa- "Lucy?" Mirajane asked again with even more concern in her voice.

"Yeah, sorry. What was that?" Even to me my voice sound distant and hollow. Which probably didn't help matters.

When Mirajane's eyes became yet even more disquiet I knew I was right. "I asked if you want something to eat. Are you okay?"

Before I could brush off the question Natsu finally arrived. "Ay Luce!"

I turned away from Mira and waved to Natsu who was walking towards us with a surprising large grin and Happy floating beside.

"What gots you in such a good mood?" I asked a tiny bit afraid of the answer.

"We found a way to pay your rent without taking a job!"

Sigh. Here we go. "How?" I don't mean to be short with him. It just happens.

"Well it involves this thing i just bought at the market..." He mumbles a little bit when notices more than a few people staring at us. "Well, we'll tell you on the way." he started gesturing to the door with a clear 'get moving' look on his face.

"Natsu! Just tell me." Sometimes conversations with Natsu aren't very fun. Normally his slightly airheadedness is cute to me, but not right now. Mostly cause I'm just not in the mood.

"Well, if you would just come with, Luce, you would find out. All that matters is that you don't have to take a guild job, buuuuut you can keep your apartment!" He sounded so excited about it that I almost felt bad about shooting whatever idea he had down. Almost.

"No." One word of mine and I got many more of his, most of which was whining. I made it worse when I added "I'm going to take a solo job."

"What's flame-brain complaining about now?" Grey asks as he slides into the stool beside me at the bar. Where, as you should know, this entire headache inducing conversation was taking place. Surprisingly Natsu didn't respond to him just kept pouting at me. The expression was so adorable that I almost backed down. I hadn't thought about taking a solo job when I threw that out there, but the more I thought about it the better the scheme sounded. I could take a job, one that's not to hard but not to easy, and I could prove myself. Then I would be less depressed and crap.

With these determined thoughts running through my mind, I stood up and marched right over to the Request Board, greeted Nab, then started looking for a suitable job. It took me approximately ten minutes to look through them all and pick a perfect one. By then Erza, Mirajane, Natsu, Grey, and Juvia had all tumbled over and were watching me. "Mirajane, I'll take this one!" I finally announce and watched with mild amusement/mild annoyance as all my friends leaned in to get a closer look at the flier I held out in front of me.

It was a job in the next town over that asks, very politely, if we could get rid of a mysterious monster that was eating the livestock.

"Are you sure Lucy? The local guild turned it down, it could be more difficult than it seems." Mirajane said.

"Or it could be so completely harmless that they disregarded it," I point out. "I'll be just fine." I tell to the five, well four, faces peering at me worriedly.

"Yeah because I'm coming with."

"Yes, I too shall accompany you on this mission."

"You can count me in."

"Well, if Grey-sama is going I too shall go. Even if it's you, Love-rival."

"Aw that's so sweet," I manage to choke out and my friends nod their heads in agreement, "but no." Their heads jerk to a sudden stop. "I'm going on this solo for once; I've never done that before."

When they all started to protest, lead by the Titania herself, I was surprised when it was Mira who stopped the complaints.

"Guys let her do this," she started in her sweet voice,"she's been feeling down all week. Doing this job will cheer her up."

"Thanks, Mira." I said thickly. Wow these few minutes have got me emotional. Sniff. There were still some shaking of heads and pressing of lips, but they finally said they would allow me to go; I needed permission apparently. And that was that. I was taking a solo job.

I have a really good feeling about this, I thought to myself at that time. If only I had known then what I know now.