*I Do not own Fairy tail or the characters*

Sitting at the bar looking quite pleased with herself, Lucy Heartfillia, sipped on her strawberry margarita. She was glad to be away from Magnolia, brawls at the guildhall and most importantly she was glad to be away from the demolition crew she called a team. She loved them she really did but she needed some peace and fun without worrying about damages, so when Cana approached her about a weekend away to check out this new club in Clover and some shopping it was a God send.

'Ha I still can't believe I actually ditched them' she thought to herself while absently twirling her finger on her glass. Her team aside from being destructive where also quite over bearing in a protective kind of way. 'Jeez get kidnapped a couple times and you never hear the end of it' She definitely needed some time away from their brand of crazy She couldn't even have a proper conversation with any guy without them being burned, frozen or held at the end of a sword. Even Cana could see how frustrated the blonde had become, which is why she proposed this little escape in the first place. Lucy couldn't help but laugh to herself while she remembered how she had gotten this time to herself, she was quite cunning when she wanted to be.

Flashback

Lucy sat in the guild reading her book trying to avoid her team since she was still mad about how their last mission had turned out, surprisingly they didn't lose any jewel due to destruction so her rent was paid, but that didn't mean she was left completely unscathed. She had ended up caught in between a the raging inferno and harsh blizzard that is her teammates endless fights when they ended up tumbling down half the mountain after defeating the monsters they were requested to vanquish. She couldn't even remember what sent the two off that time but it never really mattered anyway the result was always the same. She ended up at the bottom of the mountain with her clothes half singed off and her limbs numb from the cold, but the worst part was her hair was so singed that it took cancer and hour to fix. Once they got back to the guild she just walked over to the corner sat down with a book and sent out a dark aura that just screamed not to be messed with. Cana sensing her friends need for a real break approached the blonde with caution and strawberry milkshake in hand.

Seeing the drink placed in front of her Lucy quirked an eyebrow at her friend as she took the seat next to her. "Cana I'm not in the mood to drink so if that's spiked no thank you." she replied to the gesture colder than intended. Cana responded with a smile as she slid her arm over the celestial mages shoulder and said, "I can assure you that drink is as virgin as you are, you just seemed pissed and I wanted to bring a peace offering to butter you up for my suggestion." Interested but not exactly trusting, Lucy took a sniff of the shake before sipping on it. "Alright go on…" the blonde said. Cana took a second to look around for any dragon slayers before she spoke, their damn super hearing could ruin her plan. Satisfied that there was no one around to overhear she began.

"Ok Lucy I know you need a break from the crazies you call a team, and before you defend them hear me out. Every time you get back from a mission you come over here and sulk with your nose in a book for hours until you cool down enough to face them. I get it really and I don't know how you even stand it most of the time, but if you don't take some time from them you are gonna snap. And as amusing as that will be to see I don't want it to get to that. I care about you and think you need some down time, so I propose you come with me this weekend to Clover, there is this new club that's opening and it will good to unwind then maybe do some shopping just you and me. Who knows you might even meet a guy and have a lil' fun." The last part had the brunette waggling her eyebrows at her younger friend.

"Cana, that sounds wonderful and all, and I really appreciate the offer but unless I'm at the guild or in my apartment they never let me out of their sight, and even then it's rare. I mean they even barge in on me in the bath for Mavis' sake, not like you haven't done that too though." Lucy replied exasperated. "Lucy you are the smartest girl in the guild I know you can come up with a way to ditch them for the weekend. In fact the cards have already told me you would. So I already made the travel arrangements and got the hotel so I will be by your place on Thursday night to pick you up for the train here is your ticket. Now I got a date with a barrel so if you will excuse me" and with that Cana left for the bar. Lucy just stared at her for a minute and then started to think to herself.

'If Cana said the cards told her I can ditch them than I know I can. She is great at what she does, and I really do need this. Hmmmm let's see today is Sunday so I have 4 days to figure this out. I could try to get them to go on a mission but they wouldn't leave me behind alone…O I GOT IT! I just need to divide and concur I can get them to go on separate missions thinking the others will be here with me, it is going to take a little finessing but I think with the right motivation I can do it. So now I just need to find missions that will take them away from Clover for enough time for me to get back, and it would probably be better for me to convince other people to ask them to go so I don't look suspicions. Well I guess I will start tomorrow time to head home.'

With that Lucy made her way home keeping up her menacing aura so her team would know not to break in she was going to get a good night's sleep to get to the guild super early to figure out the best missions and how to go about getting her friends out of her hair for the upcoming weekend.

The next morning she woke up earlier that she ever had before with a smirk on her face ready to implement her plan. After getting dressed and ready she made her way to the guild. Entering through the doors she realized that besides Mira she was the only one there. It was then that she decided she needed an ally and the Matchmaking Bar Maid was the perfect choice.

"Heya Mira" Lucy said exuberantly sliding into her favorite seat at the bar. "Oh hi Lucy my you are early, the kitchen isn't even ready for breakfast yet" the white haired beauty replied. "Oh I know Mira I just really need your help with something." Lucy stated hopefully. Mira was defiantly curious about what the blonde could need her help with and why this early 'unless it's about a boy and she doesn't want to be overheard', she thought happily.

"Oh my help you say could it be about a certain boy, maybe a fire mage, or an Ice mage perhaps?" Mira replied slyly with hearts in her eyes. Lucy could almost see the babies she was picturing in her head and sweat dropped at the thought. With a cough to break the older mage out of her day dream Lucy started her explanation "Well sort of, but not in the way you think. Cana asked me to go on a little weekend get away with her to you know unwind without worrying about the place getting destroyed, so I need you to help me find missions for my team to go on separately for enough time for me to get out of town from Thursday night to Monday night. I need to unwind without them constantly breathing down my neck."

"So you don't need love advice how disappointing" Mira sighed. Lucy knew this is where she was going to have to get a little creative to get her onboard so she continued, "Well you know Mira it is kind of hard to get to know anyone when any guy that comes up to me is threatened to be burned or have their balls frozen off, or they get a sword to their jugular, I mean at this rate I'll die an old maid." She added a sigh for effect and noticed this got Mira's attention so she decided to run with it. "So for the sake of my future children I need you to help me find missions for them to take separately in different directions from Clover where I will be." She knew that she had Mira at future children but decided to sweeten the deal so she was going to put the proverbial nail in the coffin as they say. " So if you would please help me I would like to find a mission perfect for Gray to do with Juvia, one for Natsu to do with Lissanna and Happy and I thought you might know where "Mystogan" is so we could send Erza in that direction. All I need is you to find me the requests and I'll take care of getting them to agree." And with that she let Mira process what she was saying.

It took all of 5 minutes for Mira to snap back from all the baby combinations she was making in her head, and to look at Lucy with a mischievous glint and smirk, "Lucy Heartfillia, who knew you could be so devious, I absolutely love it and I am going to help you and I have just the requests you are looking for." With that she shuffled through a binder of requests that she was going to put up on the board before the blonde came in with this more than interesting proposal and picked out the three that where best suited and laid them out on the bar. "Ok so this one is calling for a water mage and it is in the far north of Fiore the town keeps flooding, this one is a monster fighting quest to the south of Magnolia it won't take that long if they go by train but it's a 3 day walk, and "Mystogan" is to the west and has actually sent a request for us to assist him with a dark guild. I was going to give that one to Erza today anyway at Master's request so if you can handle the other two I got that one." Lucy was extremely pleased by this and took the two flyers placed her breakfast order and decided to wait until her targets, er um friends decided to show up to put her plan into action.

Once the guild had started to liven up and the members started to file in Lucy decided to look around at her options. Gray sat down at their normal table sipping on some iced coffee and not too far away a certain blunette peeked behind a pillar with hearts in her eyes. Nodding to Mira with a smirk Lucy made her way to her acquired target. She came up right behind Juvia and coughed to get her attention causing the water mage to jump.

"Love-Rival is there something that you need of Juvia" she asked a bit startled. Lucy only smiled and replied, "Honestly, Juvia, I am not your love rival we have been through this. I just wanted to let you know that there is this mission that calls for a water mage." She handed the flyer to Juvia and counted mentally to five.

"Love rival this will take almost two weeks to complete with travel, you are trying to get rid of Juvia to have Gray-sama all to yourself!" the rain woman said glaring at the blonde. Internally Lucy was giggling she knew that was going to be the reaction and she couldn't wait to see the next one. "Juvia it really hurts that you would think that of me, I was actually thinking because it was so far north and cold you would ask Gray to help you, I mean that is the area he grew up in and all he could surely be of help." And there it was the simply shocked face that she was expecting followed quickly by the self-doubt she was also counting on. "Juvia is sorry that she accused you of treachery, but Juvia does not believe Gray-sama would agree to go." The blunette answered a bit too dejectedly. This was going exactly to plan for Lucy as she started to talk again, "Maybe not if you asked him outright but if you make it seem like it was his idea you can get what you want. Just follow my lead ok? We are going to go sit at that table and not even look at him like he is not even there and if you play along I guarantee he will ask to go with you." Juvia was hesitant but agreed with a nod and they made their way to the table and sat down without even acknowledging he ice mage.

Gray was still sipping on his ice coffee as he saw his teammate and his stalker head in his direction, he was about to sneak away until he realized that neither one had even looked his direction. They seemed to be in deep conversation and had not noticed him, and for Juvia to not have notice him meant something was up for sure so he decided to listen in and remained seated and quiet. He heard Lucy speak first. "Sorry Juvia, really I would love to help but Aquarius has the next week and a half off to spend with Scorpio so I wouldn't be of much help on that type of mission anyway, not to mention I'm not a big fan of the cold, and that far north this time of year would be downright freezing." For effect Lucy added a shiver. "Juvia understands, Juvia just thought with a unison raid we could make quick work of the flood waters and that Taurus would be[KS1] able to help build a damn." Juvia improvised perfectly. Lucy noticed Gray listening in from the corner of her eye so she knew this was the time to really ramp it up so she continued, "You know Juvia I am really flattered that you would even ask me, but you are more than capable of handling the flood waters on your own, you just need a partner that is strong and can put up with the cold long enough to build the damn," she paused and tapped her finger to her chin to look as though she was deep in thought, not failing to notice the way Gray stiffened and was beginning to creep away, "I GOT IT! Why don't you call Lyon I mean he sure is strong right, and who better to stand the cold than the "Ice Emperor" himself. Not to mention I'm sure he would love to spend the time with you, and it would promote inter guild comrade." She finished off with a beaming smile knowing Gray was frozen in his tracks gapping at her. Juvia caught on quickly and replied "Oh that is a good idea I think I am going to ask Master to contact him for Juvia." Before she could even stand Gray was blocking her way.

"Oi, Juvia, why do you need to ask Lyon for help when I'm right here, I am stronger and can handle the cold way better than that loser, no need to look outside the guild for assistance." Gray said a little put off, he had thought Lucy was going to offer him up to the nut case but when she mentioned his rival and how strong Lyon was he knew he had to prove that he was clearly the better choice and was prepared to prove it to the both of them. Juvia was ecstatic at the turn of events and decided she would need to call on the blonde and her obvious powers of persuasion more often. She tried to curb her enthusiasm with her reply "Oh Gray-Sama, Juvia did not mean to overlook you. Juvia thought that you would be far too busy, but if you would like to help then Juvia accepts." She handed the flyer to Gray and he looked over the details, when he realized it would take about two weeks he paled a little and turned to Lucy.

"Hey, Luce, this is gonna take about two weeks how are you on rent, the team wasn't planning anything right?" he questioned. "No missions that I have planned, I think it would be fine. My rent is good for the next two months and I was planning on laying low and working on my novel. I'll tell the others that you'll be gone for a while." She said with a smile.

"Ok, sounds good then I'm gonna go pack then." He was a little worried leaving Lucy for two weeks but flame brain and Erza would be home so what could happen and with that he left. Lucy smirked and winked at Juvia and scouted for her next target. She saw the youngest Strauss sitting at the bar talking to her sister, and she was on to phase two of her plan.

She walked over and sat down right by the young takeover mage and greeted her "Hey Lissanna, what's up!" the girl smiled at her and replied, "Oh hi, Lucy just hanging out how are you?" Lucy new this one was going to be way easier on the first part but maybe more difficult on the second, to get Lissanna on board would be easy she was sweet and didn't think of her as a love rival. Getting Natsu to agree to leave without her would be the hard part. "Oh I'm good but I was just thinking, I've been feeling kind of bad, you know since you got back we have been non stop with the whole being frozen for seven years, and then the whole mess with the games and everything, I realized that maybe you haven't really gotten to catch up with Natsu and Happy as much as you would like. I know he is always going on missions with me to help with my rent and I just feel like maybe I've been being selfish not letting you two have time together." Lucy said with a sad face looking down.

Lissanna instantly pulled Lucy into a hug and responded, "Oh, Lucy you are so sweet to think of me like that, and you are the farthest thing from selfish." Lucy smiled this was almost too easy. "Thanks Lissanna, I really appreciate you saying that, but you know my rent is caught up for a little bit so I was thinking that maybe you would want to ask Natsu and Happy to go on a mission, you know to catch up. I saw this monster hunting one I know he would love, and if you walk you can have more time to catch up, I know he would love the idea of not taking the train, and maybe you could fish on the way home like Mira said you did as kids, I think it would mean a lot to them both." Lissanna took the flyer from Lucy and looked it over with a smile. She pulled Lucy into another hug and began to speak, "Lucy this is so sweet of you I'm gonna go ask him right now!" Before she could walk away Lucy grabbed her arm and said "You know Lissanna let him think it was your idea I don't want the credit." With that Lissanna winked and made her way to where Natsu had just walked in. Lucy watched as the two talked and saw the smile on her partners face widen, but then fall when he walked her way, she prepared herself for the hardest part of her plan. Deceiving her best friend wasn't easy he knew her well, and that damn cat was too perceptive for his own good, but she convinced herself last night and through this morning that she wasn't actually lying to him and that she did want him to have the time to catch up. He sat down next to her and began to talk to her

"Hey there Luce, I know that we are partners and all and I don't want you to think I am trying to ditch you, but Lissanna asked if Happy and I would do this really awesome monster hunting mission with her, and I know you wanted to take some time off after our last mission so would it be okay if I went with her, you know we are still partners and everything it doesn't change anything…." He was cut off from his rambling by Lucy, "No Natsu its fine I think it would be good for you to catch up, and I just want to relax anyway. We can go on a mission when you get back just be careful and don't destroy too much." Natsu's smile returned full force and he brought his best friend in for a hug, "Thanks Luce, you're the best! Now you won't go on any missions while I'm gone right, promise?"

Lucy smiled and replied, "I promise no missions while you are gone, and you know a celestial mage never breaks her promises!" With that answer he was satisfied and jumped up with a fist in the air and stated, "Yosh! I'm all fired up now!" and he ran out the door. Happy however hung back a moment and eyed Lucy warily, "You are planning something I can feel it" the blue exceed said to his blonde partner.

"Maybe but if you keep your trap shut I'll make you fish pancakes for two weeks when you get back and that too is a promise." Lucy replied to the, oh too perceptive, cat. Happy looked at her for a moment more before he exclaimed "AYE SIR" and flew off. The blonde was about to turn to talk to Mira until her final teammate tapped her on the shoulder.

"Lucy I wanted to inform you that I will be going on an S-class mission at the request of the master will you inform the rest of the team." Erza stated but didn't give her time to reply before she hurried out the door for her mission. 'In a hurry to see someone I bet' Lucy snickered to herself before turning to a smirking Mira.

"So Lucy I didn't know you had it in you really, you pulled that off expertly care to share your secret to mind control. You made it seem like it was their idea." Mira was rather impressed by the blonde before her. Lucy shrugged and sipped on the shake that the bar maid had put down and said, "Male ego was my play on Gray, it works every time you bring up Lyon, Natsu's sense of Nakama is always the way to go and Happy is easily bribed, I didn't make any promises I don't intend to keep so I am in the clear as far as that goes, I am not going on any missions so that was the truth. So what did you say to Erza that had her rushing out of the guild?" Mira kept cleaning a mug that was already spotless and replied, "I just simply told her that a certain someone had requested her assistance personally." The two woman shared knowing smirks and began to giggle as Cana stumbled over. "See I told you that you could do it and all in one day that deserves a drink!" the card mage exclaimed ordering a round of shots. Lucy was glad she now had almost 3 whole days to herself before the weekend getaway to do as she pleased. This was turning out to be the best idea ever!

End Flashback

Lucy was brought out of her day dream as shots of who knows what where placed in front of her, she looked up to see Canna and to her surprise Bacchus. "This isn't going to make me pass out right I am clearly not on your level." The celestial mage stated cautiously looking between the two drunks. Bacchus smirked and chuckled a bit before he replied "Why hello to you two blondie, and you will be fine it's just a little fire whiskey nothing you fairies aren't use to." Lucy cringed a little but he was right she had it before and as long as she didn't have too many she would be fine. "Alright then what do we drink to?" she questioned. At this Cana stepped in and raised her shot glass, "To friends we won't forget and nights we can't remember!" Lucy smiled at her crazy friend and raised her glass clinked it with their glasses tapped it on the table and threw it back, wincing slightly at the burn. Cana then spoke up, "Hey we are gonna go dance wanna come with?" Lucy thought on it for a moment but decided she wanted to finish her drink before heading out on the floor. "Nah not yet you two have fun I'm gonna finish my drink I'll find you when I'm done." With that the two drunks stumbled to the crowded dance floor.

Lucy took her time to look around and noticed that there were some more familiar faces in the crowd, The Trimen were a little ways down the bar and she noticed Lyon on the dance floor. This was the opening day and a Friday night after all and she supposed that good news travels fast. Just as she was wondering if there was anyone else she knew she caught site of someone she particularly did not want to see and before she could even hope that he had not seen her she heard him say over the crowd, "LU-LU KINS IS THAT YOU?" Yup it was him Dan Straight and he was headed her way.

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