A/N: Hey everyone, just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the minor errors in the previous chapter. My fingers must have been typing far too fast. Anyway, as usual, I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters. I hope you enjoy my story nonetheless. Hope to hear from you all!
XOXO: Andromeda
Chapter 2
Home
One Year Later
Lucy stood in the middle of the guild hall and looked around tentatively. All eyes were on her and a deadly silence filled the air. All around her were looks of shock and awe. It had been so long since any of them had seen or heard from the Celestial Spirit mage. Lucy bit her bottom lip nervously as she shifted her weight from one foot to another.
"Hi, everyone," she said cautiously. "It's been a long time… I hope it's all right that I've come home…?" Her words trailed off worriedly in the silence before the noise erupted and several pairs of arms engulfed her.
"Lucy!" cried the voices of Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, and Wendy. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she looked down at all of those currently attached to her waist. Lovingly, she ran her hands through Natsu's salmon hair as he nuzzled his nose into the soft material of the shirt around her waist.
"I've missed you guys, too," she laughed lightly.
"You were gone far too long, Lucy," came the concerned voice of Master Makarov. "You had us all worried!" Lucy grimaced. Even though everyone knew that she left to train, she still felt guilty for being gone so long. "It's been nearly a year, child. What took you so long to come home?"
She flinched. She'd nearly forgotten the time differences of Earthland versus the Spirit World. "I'm sorry, Master," she said as she hung her head in shame. "Time must have escaped me. I was in the Spirit World training with Loke and the others. I forgot that one day there is three months here."
A few of her guild mates exchanged open-mouthed looks of awe. "You went to the Spirit World, Lu?" said a curious Levy from where she stood with Gajeel and her team. "I thought you were going to travel Earthland for your training?"
"I did," Lucy replied as she gently extracted herself from Natsu and the others. "When I first started to train, I spent it all over. Then…" she hesitated and chose her words carefully. "The circumstances changed and I had to finish my training in the Spirit World. It all went by so fast – I didn't even realize I'd spent two days there. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry everyone."
Most of the guild smiled and accepted her explanation but, her team, the Master, and a few others gave her questioning looks.
"Actually, Master," she said as she took a few steps forward. "There's a few things I need to discuss with you." Makarov raised an eyebrow at her. "In private, if you don't mind."
Without hesitation Makarov hopped down from where he sat on the bar and led Lucy up the stairs to his office. Natsu tried to follow them but was quickly rejected by Lucy. "No, Natsu," she said firmly. "I need to speak to Master alone."
"But Lucy!" he said indignantly. "You've been gone almost a year! Something is wrong, I can tell! You're my best friend and you're keeping secrets from me."
Lucy flinched again. "I know and I'm so sorry, Natsu. But I need to talk to Master first. I promise, I will tell you everything as soon as I can. You're right, something is wrong. I'm working on it, okay? Please, trust me."
Natsu clenched his teeth and fists, clearly having an internal battle with himself. "Fine," he said after a minute. "Promise you'll let us know what's going on?"
Lucy smiled gently to hide a slight sadness. "I promise, Natsu. As soon as I can, I'll tell you everything."
The guild was rather quiet and subdued as the waited for Lucy and the master to return from his office. They'd already been in there for an hour and everyone was getting anxious. A few of the guild's resident dragon slayers tried to listen in but a sound barrier of some sort must have been placed upon the room.
Makarov sighed and looked at the girl solemnly. "So, this is why you took so long to return?"
Lucy nodded gently. "Yes. I'm sorry, Master. Truly, I never meant to be gone for so long. I – I had no choice, though. I traveled around for nearly four months before I decided to visit Bosco. I was there a little over a week when I first collapsed. I…" Lucy sighed. "I thought it was just the flu at first, but it wouldn't go away. I could hardly get out of bed for three whole weeks. I think Loke finally had enough because he forced open his gate and went to search for a healer. Took the healer nearly three days to figure out what was wrong with me. It seems that I inherited more than just my magic from my mother… I got the same illness that killed her."
"Oh, Lucy," Makarov said sadly. "The healer found a cure, I take it?"
Lucy looked away. "Unfortunately, no, he didn't. I'm still sick."
Makarov looked confused. "But then, how is it you look so well, child?"
Lucy flinched again. "That's… another reason I was gone so long. The healer couldn't find a cure and I was getting worse, fast. So… to give me more time to try to find a cure, he – he implanted a magic lacrima in me to trap the sickness…"
The tiny guild master looked at her, somewhat terrified. "Lucy! Those kinds of lacrimi are extremely dangerous. It could have killed you – it could still kill you!"
Lucy nodded gravely. "I know. That's why I had to finish my training in the Spirit World. It was the only way to keep my safe while I was recovering. I'm sorry I didn't have time to send you a message before Loke took me away."
Makarov sighed and lightly waved away her apology. "Never mind, child. How long with that lacrima be able to contain the disease?"
Lucy slumped in her seat. "Well, normally it would only work for about a year. The Spirit King was able to expand its power for me, though. He was able to triple that time. So, minus the six months of Earthland time I missed while I was there, I still have about a year and a half before the lacrima will start to fail."
"My child," he whispered. "My dear girl, how can I help?"
Lucy smiled softly. "I have grandpa Crux looking into everything and I've also asked Princess Hisui and Yukino to keep an eye out for any information on it. They're all hoping to find a cure… I know it's asking a lot of you, Master but, could you possibly see about researching it through the Council as well? I've been working on my own but I can only get my hands on so many books and I know the Magic Council had a private library they'd never let me near. There has to be something, somewhere about this illness. I just… I need help finding it."
Again, the old man nodded. "Of course, Lucy. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I think you should also consult with Levy on this matter."
Lucy grew slightly panicked. "Oh, no! I can't, Master. I don't want to worry her. I don't want anyone in the guild to know, yet. I just spent all that time training to get stronger. And I really did get stronger. If everyone knows, they'll just pity me and treat me like some fragile doll. I don't want that."
Makarov looked like he wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it. "Fine," he said, reluctantly. "If you don't want your friends to know because they will worry too much, I suppose I can understand that. But I must insist that you confided in at least one of your guild mates. Levy could help you look for answers but if you prefer not to worry her, then I suggest Freed. He is just as good at such things."
Lucy hesitated but eventually gave a resigned sigh as she crossed her arms. "Yes, I thought I might ask for Freed's help. I know he'd keep it quiet for me and he is quite good at what he does." Lucy stood from her seat. "I'll go find him and see if he's willing to help."
"He's currently on a mission with Laxus and the rest of the Thunder Legion. They're scheduled to be back in three days. So, for now, why don't you go get your new guild mark so we can celebrate your return!"
Lucy gave him a bright smile as she followed him back to the main floor. The second Lucy sat down at the bar, she was bombarded with hugs and squeals of delight.
"Where do you want your new mark, Lucy?" Mirajane asked, smiling sweetly.
Lucy thought for a moment then carefully moved her top aside to expose the tops of her breasts and collar bone. "Right above my heart, please. Could I have it in grey this time?"
Mira blinked in mild surprise but didn't hesitate in her answer. "Of course! My, my, that's certainly a change from last time."
Lucy smiled warmly. "I know," she said. "But it feels more fitting this time." Mira only nodded at her as she firmly pressed the stamp to the exposed skin over Lucy's heart.
Time skip… Three days later
As the clock ticked closer to 10 pm, Lucy began to fidget in her seat at the bar. Master said Freed would be back from his team mission today. Normally Lucy wouldn't be so impatient but, as every second passed that she wasn't using to research her illness felt like a waste, she was eager to speak to Freed and hopefully gain his assistance.
An hour later, Lucy found herself knocking back shots with Cana as the rest of the guild placed bets on who would pass out first. Only four people (Makarov, Mira, Gray, and an amused Gildarts) bet that Lucy would win. Poor Cana never really had a chance as Lucy had a secret weapon; the lacrima in her body was absorbing most of the alcohol she consumed. No one really noticed when the guild doors opened and four people now observed the scene in front of them.
Finally, after about twenty-three shots of the strongest vodka Mira had to offer, Lucy slammed back her twenty-fourth shot as Cana slipped from her stool and promptly fell asleep on the floor, muttering about a rematch.
"I win!" Lucy shouted in triumph as she lifted another shot in the air before downing it with a victorious laugh. The guild exploded in disbelief and money exchanged hands as the losers grumbled. Makarov chuckled in glee at the large amount of jewels he won before he spotted his grandson in the doorway with his team.
"Welcome back, brats!" he shouted over the noise as he raised his mug in greeting.
Lucy's ears perked up at the Master's proclamation and she whipped around in her seat to look at the new arrivals. Once her eyes found the familiar face of the green-haired Rune mage, Lucy stole a shot of whiskey out of Gildarts' hand, knocking it back as she quickly slid from her stool.
"You better slow down there, Lucy," he chuckled.
She flashed him a rather cocky smirk. "Don't you worry about me, old man. I didn't end up on the floor like your lovely daughter." He just barked out another laugh and shook his head as she walked away.
Quickly, Lucy straightened her forest green army jacket and made a bee line for Laxus and the astounded Thunder Legion before they could really gather their bearings to move. Within seconds she had pushed her way through the crowd and smiled up at the team before her. "Hey guys," she said as she took a moment to look at each of them.
"Lucy!" squealed Evergreen as she flung her arms around the blonde's neck. "You're back!" Lucy chuckled as she returned the hug and carefully extracted herself before she suffocated.
"Good to see you, Cosplayer!" Bickslow said with a big smile, his tongue rolling around as his babies floated behind him.
"It's good to be back," Lucy said quickly, only sparing him a small glance before she locked eyes with Freed. "Sorry guys, can't talk right now. I have to borrow Freed really fast." She didn't even give them a second to react before she grabbed Freed by the hand, lacing their fingers in a death grip so he couldn't escape, and dragged him to a less populated area of the guild. Freed yelped in surprise and nearly tripped as Lucy tugged him away. The entire guild watched on with a mixture of emotions on their faces: shock, awe, curiosity, bewilderment. And one or two faces held irritation. What on Earthland was Lucy going to do? And with Freed, no less.
Lucy finally came to a stop along an empty wall and turned to face the shocked and flustered man as he righted himself.
"Is there something you need, Miss Lucy?" he asked cautiously.
"Yes," Lucy nodded with a serious look as she crossed her arms, almost as if shielding herself from something. Taking a deep breath and nervously biting her lip, Lucy quickly stated her need. "I… I need you, Freed."
Lucy flinched. She knew how that must have sounded to everyone and she mentally slapped herself for her poor choice of words. Freed looked at her incredulously then furrowed his brows in confusion. "Me? Whatever for?"
Lucy, noticing the audience they now had, held up a hand. "One moment," she muttered as she took a generous step away from Freed. Briefly, Lucy closed her eyes to gather the necessary magic energy. She opened her eyes and swiftly drew her hands into herself before gracefully sweeping them above her head the then arc them downward to her sides. When her palms were parallel to the floor, she released the magic that had built up in her tiny hands. "Celestial Circle of Silence!" she commanded firmly. Instantly, a warm glow enveloped Lucy and Freed as a twinkling, golden magic circle formed beneath their feet and extended several feet in each direction to encase them in a translucent dome. When the spell was complete, Lucy sighed and once again looked up at Freed. Now she could talk to him without anyone hearing.
Freed gave Lucy and open-mouthed stare after observing the magic. So did the entire guild. Clearly Lucy had learned a lot while she was away. Before Freed could even compliment her on the impressive sound barrier, Lucy plunged right into an apology that baffled him at first.
"First, I wanted to say I'm sorry, Freed. For leaving like I did, I mean," she said as she bit her lip and sheepishly ran her hand over the back of her neck. "I didn't mean to upset people when I left for my training. I'm sure, by now, Laxus told you everything about the day I left," she paused here and Freed nodded once. "Right, well, I'm sorry I left without giving everyone a proper good bye. I'm home now, though, and I need your help." She smiled carefully at him.
Freed was silent for a moment before a flash of anger overtook him. "How dare you?" he seethed, glowering at her. "You've been gone nearly a year. You didn't even say a word to us – to any of us! Do you have any idea – I can't believe – all this time you've been gone, and no one has heard from you in seven months! You had Master worried sick! And now you have the nerve to ask me for a favor?"
Lucy flinched as he yelled at her. Though she had not expected this kind of anger from Freed, of all people, she knew she deserved it.
"I know," she said evenly. "I know. It's not fair of me to ask you for anything. And I'm so sorry for that. But I'm getting desperate, Freed. Trust me, I wouldn't be asking for your help if I didn't have to. I need your help with some research."
"Research?" Freed asked. He straightened up and made to turn away from her. "You don't need my assistance for something like that. I'm sure your friend Levy would-"
"I can't ask Levy," Lucy said, quickly grabbing the sleeve of Freed's coat before he could completely dismiss her. "I don't want to worry her." Freed paused to look at her curiously. "I…I'm sick, Freed. While I was away, I went to Bosco. I fell ill and I just wasn't getting better. Loke, he got tired of seeing me so sick, so he sent for a healer…" Freed turned to face her again, this time, a concerned look graced his handsome features. He nodded quietly, urging her to continue her story. "Well… the healer took a few days to figure out what was wrong… and – now that I know what's wrong – I was hoping you'd be willing to help me research… to try and find a cure…"
Freed looked at her, confused, and she knew what was coming next. "The healer couldn't find a cure? You seem perfectly healthy to me."
Lucy cringed. She hoped Freed wouldn't be upset about the lacrima like the master had been. "That's because… we were running out of options. Nothing else was working. We were desperate and-"
Freed interrupted and looked at her sternly. "Lucy," he said firmly. "What did you do?"
Lucy bit her lip and looked down in shame. "The healer… he contained the sickness… in a lacrima…"
Freed's eyes widened. "You don't mean…?" he practically whispered.
Lucy kept her eyes to the floor and nodded slowly. "It's in my chest. Right next to my heart."
Silence filled the space between them and Lucy chanced a nervous look at the man. Freed's face was growing redder by the second and his eyes narrowed in anger. It didn't take long before he exploded in a shaking rage. He blew up; ranting and raving about how dangerous such lacrimi were. Freed stomped around her inside the magic circle, flailing his arms about and shouting. Lucy stood there in a fragile, guilty looking state, letting Freed get all his frustrations out.
"…stupid! Disease Confining Lacrimas are far too dangerous to be trusted! They're illegal for a reason, Lucy! How could you let such a thing to be implanted in your body? It could-"
"I had to," Lucy interrupted gently. She finally looked up while Freed continued to pace in front of her. "I had no choice."
Freed let out a small growl of frustration as he scowled and turned away from her. "There's always a choice-"
"I'm dying, Freed," Lucy blurted out.
Freed froze. His eyes grew wide and his face went pale. Slowly, he turned to face Lucy as her words seemed to echo around them. The weight of her statement was crushing. As if frightened, he carefully looked at her again.
"I… I know it was reckless to let him put that lacrima in me. Believe me, I didn't want it at first. But then I started to get worse and… I don't want to die, Freed…"
Lucy's voice was all but a whisper by the time she finished. Silent tears made tracks down her cheeks. Something in Freed must have snapped because he quickly rushed to her side and, without hesitation, he drew her into his arms, tucking into his chest protectively.
Lucy was shocked by the sudden contact but was glad of the comfort he was offering. Lucy curled her fingers into Freed's coat and allowed herself to bury her face in his chest to hide her tears. Though Freed stood stiff as a statue, he held Lucy to him tightly, on hand around her waist while the other gently cradled her head to his chest.
Freed's expression was blank while they stood there together for several moments. His eyes seemed far away, lost in thought. Once Lucy's sobs subsided, Freed leaned down to whisper softly to her. "You're not going to die, Lucy," he said. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Lucy pulled away from him quickly and looked up with careful, hopeful eyes. "You mean you'll help me, Freed? You'll help me find a cure?"
Freed nodded firmly. Lucy's eyes lit up and she smiled so brightly, the entire room seemed come alive. A delighted squeal escaped her lips as she launched herself at the Rune mage, flinging her arms around his neck. Startled, Freed patted her back awkwardly as she hugged him.
"Thank you so much, Freed!" she happily screeched. Freed didn't even get a chance to reply before Lucy pulled herself away from him again, grabbed his face in both of her small hands, and quickly pecked his lips.
Freed froze and looked at her in wide-eyed bewilderment. A soft, embarrassed blush rose to his cheeks. That was unexpected. Lucy didn't seem to notice his reaction because the next moment she had grabbed him by the hand and proceeded to drag him out of the guild, muttering about which books they might check first. She didn't even notice the stunned faces of the entire guild as she hauled him away.
Freed felt an intense stare boring into his back as he allowed Lucy to pull him out of the doors. He gulped. He would have to deal with Laxus eventually.
