Lucy was beginning to regret her life choices.
Here she was, in the back of a police car, on her way to a rehab center for troubled teens and young adults, looking at a sentence of 7 years with opportunity for parole. As it turns out, beating a guy with a crowbar within an inch of his life is illegal.
Who woulda thunk it?
The DA was willing to drop the blackmail charge in exchange for a guilty plea for the assault, and Father managed to buy off the judge that decided her sentence. After that, they were informed Lucy had been assigned to a special rehabilitation center, "Magnolia's Center for Troubled Young Folk." Lovingly dubbed The Fairy Ranch by those in the underworld. From what Sting told her, the Fairy Ranch wasn't to bad of a place for a member of the Keys to hole up for a bit. One of his 'idols' from his high school was apparently sent there a few years ago (after intentionally burning down their school he said), and seems to like it. Knowing Sting though, his idol is probably just as insufferable as he is. So that doesn't amount to much in the long run, at least when it comes to making new friends.
Lucy shifted slightly in her seat, looking down at her hands. Her black polish was almost gone, her right pointer nail chopped short. It broke sometime before the cops banged down the door to the motel room she was throwing her target around in. It was his third seedy hotel room that week, and she had finally caught up to him. She had been assigned to rough him up, a lesson to others that you shouldn't miss payments when you owe money to Jude Heartfilia.
Her eyes were drawn out the window, her mind back to the present as the car turned down what seemed to be an old gravel road, if the crunching under the tires was anything to go by.
The Fairy Ranch wasn't like a normal rehab center. Instead of the usual high walls and cement pads, this center was participating in a study in conjunction with the Magnolia University's Psychology Department, so it was supposed to be more 'friendly'. Their goal was to revolutionize penitentiaries by altering the participants' behavior instead of just punishing them. Not many people were assigned there, but they apparently wanted Lucy because of her gang-violence related background. It was their goal, they told her father, "To set her on the right path toward being a healthy member of society."
Lucy chuckled at the absolute irony of them telling a gang lord they would set his child back on the straight-and-narrow. It was almost to much to handle. In all fairness to the scientists, she had planned to retire from the gang life soon anyway. She had just graduated high school, and was preparing to go to college to be a writer. The thug life wasn't really for her, no matter how good she was at it. Luckily, a perk of passing through the Fairy Ranch's program successfully (which, from what others said, was no feat to sneeze at) was your record being expunged. However, in order for this to occur, you had to spend your entire sentence there, regardless of parole.
The car drove past what seemed to be a couple horse pastures, bumping along a road that obviously was used infrequently, according to the weeds scraping the undercarriage.
The sound of metal clanging drew Lucy's eye toward the front seat. It had been 7 minutes since they first turned onto what she assumed to be the center's driveway. Through the windshield she could see a tall chain link fence being pulled open by a burly man that had to be at least a head and a half taller than her. They passed through the gate, pulling up to what seemed to be the main building.
Her driver, a man she would later learn was named Reedus, got out of the car, waved to the small group of people slowly walking toward them, and opened her door.
Lucy took a deep breath, and stepped out, ready to meet the people she would be spending the next 7 years with.
A.N.: Hello there gypsies! I hope you have been well! This is the first installment of The Fairy Ranch 2.0. As you can see, the story is getting a MAJOR overhaul, but do not fear, it will be better than before.
A few changes to note for those coming from the original story:
Lucy won't be as harsh/dark as before. I like the idea of her being a good 'thug' (IDK what to call it, if you have a better term, tell me in the comments) but not really wanting to do that with her life. Like getting a job at your mom's store, but not wanting to take it over when they can't run it anymore... Ya get me? But at the same time, she won't be as happy-go-lucky as she was in the beginning of Fairy Tail. I tend to write Lucy more seriously, because I feel like she is smarter than she lets on. LET THOSE SMARTS SHINE THROUGH GIRL!
NO WEAPONS. I thought good and hard about this, but realistically that wouldn't be a thing with the kinds of crimes involved here.
This is not really a song-fic anymore. There are some that will definitely have song recs, but not expressly built in.
Gray will be less pissy. He's not really a hot-head unless Natsu is involved.
This will be a slower-burn, sorry y'all.
Memes will most likely be included. I love my memes.
Things that will remain the same:
Natsu will still remain roughly the same. I like his character here.
The structure of the Ranch is stupidly similar, with only minor changes.
Please keep in mind that I am a college student, and I have off-and-on bouts with health issues/depression, so it can be difficult finding time or motivation to write.
Thank you to everyone that came over from the original, or those that are new to the story! :D I hope you stick around and enjoy the madness I have to offer.
Until next time,
Rory
P.S.: Yes, I am going through an online-name change/adjustment. I used to be Minerva Monfort. I will go back and forth between that and Rory. Have patience and understanding please.