A/N:

Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long to update! Let me know what you think by private messaging me and/or leaving me a review! Your insight gives me inspiration to write more! Or if you have a favorite part, let me know what you liked best! Love 3

Chapter Two

Lucy pulled a hand down her face in exasperation. "Let yourselves in!" she called through the bathroom door. "I'll be out in a minute!"

"Aye!" Happy's muffled voice replied. She heard the front door click open and shut.

With a heavy sigh, she got up in the tub and pulled the drain plug before reaching over to grab a towel from the rack nearby.

I think that this is the first time that they've actually used my front door. Wow. What's the special occasion?

She chuckled to herself and climbed out of the tub. Even though they had interrupted her bath, Lucy had to admit that she was excited to see both Natsu and Happy. After all, she hadn't seen them in almost a week!

On the bathmat, the mage threw the towel over her head to tousle-dry her wet hair. The cotton fabric was draped over her face, leaving her momentarily blinded as she rustled her hands through the towel.

Suddenly a chill rolled up her spine as she felt the presence of someone else in the room. Whipping the towel off her head, Lucy glanced around the bathroom to find that she was alone.

Cocking an eyebrow, she shrugged and raised a leg up on the edge of the tub so that she could dry off properly. Her ears twitched when she heard a snicker from behind her and she looked down between her legs to see a familiar blue cat covering his mouth with both of his tiny paws.

"Happy", she mumbled dryly.

"Lucy is naaaaked!" he chortled.

Lucy put her leg back down and turned to see the bathroom door was wide open. "I didn't even hear the door open. How did you get in without me noticing?" At the moment, she was too stunned to be angry and she just stared inquisitively at the cat.

"It's because we're ninjas!" hissed Natsu from the other room. Before she could react, he had poked his head around the corner, his scarf wrapped around his face in ninja cosplay.

The apartment fell silent and the two mages blinked at each other for a moment before Lucy remembered that she was stark naked. "Get out!" she screamed, grabbing hold of Happy's tail and blindly tossing him at Natsu's surprised face. Slamming the door behind her Lucy seethed, her face as red as a tomato.

Stupid cat! Stupid Natsu!

When she had calmed down and collected herself, Lucy wrapped the damp towel around her waist and breasts before opening the bathroom door once again. She glanced around the room and saw two shaking figures in a lump under the blankets on her bed.

"Stay there!" she barked irritably. "I'm getting changed, so unless you have a death wish I suggest that both of you remain where you are until I say otherwise."

"Aye sir!" Happy and Natsu whispered in unison, their voices trembling nervously.

Lucy shook her head and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear along with a plain tank top and her pajama shorts. When she was decent, she took a seat at the table in the middle of the room and cleared her throat, "You can come out now."

In a split second, both of her partners were at her knees, begging for forgiveness.

"We're sorry Lucy!" Happy cried, his eyes dramatically enlarged and glossed over with unshed tears.

Nice. He's playing the 'cute' card. Tsk.

"Why were you naked anyways?" Natsu asked bluntly.

Both Lucy and Happy flinched at his stupidity and lack of tact.

"I was taking a bath, but then some idiot and his cat decided to invade my privacy", Lucy replied through clenched teeth, her eyebrow twitching furiously.

Is he really that clueless?

"Ohhh", Natsu cooed. Happy sweat dropped and elbowed Natsu in the ribs, scolding him for his lack of apology.

"I mean, I'm so sorry Lucy! Please forgive us!" Natsu started bowing generously.

Lucy rolled her eyes and signalled for them to get up from the floor. "Yeah, yeah. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

The dragonslayer and the cat bounced up from the ground and Natsu went behind the chair to wrap an arm around the blonde.

"Sure thing, partner!" he replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Lucy turned her head to the side in embarrassment, her cheeks glowing pink.

"So… What's new?" Lucy wanted to change the subject.

"Glad you asked!" Natsu left Lucy and leapt on her bed. He propped his hands back behind his head and beamed. "We just got back from a job with Lisanna!"

Lucy's eyes widened. "Lisanna", she repeated in monotone.

"Yeah!" started Happy as he summoned his wings and flew over to the pink-haired mage. "We had a great time! We battled some dumb bad guys and totally kicked butt!"

"Lisanna was awesome. She used her takeover magic to transform into a giant hairy spider monster!" Natsu said. "The guys from the dark guild definitely weren't expecting that! And the looks on their faces…" He started to laugh, "I couldn't tell if they were horrified or just plain disgusted."

The blue cat giggled, "Or both!"

"Those guys were so lame. As soon as they realized that they'd be facing off against a giant bug, they all just turned tail and ran right into our trap", chimed the dragonslayer thrusting a fist into the air in triumph.

"Natsu burned them to a crisp!" Happy squealed excitedly. He held his paw out and high-fived Natsu.

"Well… I couldn't have done it without Lisanna", Natsu's voice drifted off and he stared hazily at the ceiling.

"I helped too!" scolded the cat, crossing his arms at his friend's lack of recognition.

Natsu looked over to Happy and smiled, gently placing a hand on his head, "Of course you did, little buddy."

Lucy smiled weakly and twiddled her thumbs as her two friends reminisced their most recent job, their voices and laughter fading into an unintelligible murmur as her thoughts wandered elsewhere.

So much for them being annoyed about my solo mission. They didn't even notice that I left…

After what seemed like an hour, Lucy heard her name amongst the chatter and looked up to see two pairs of eyes staring at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked. He was propped up on one arm and he tilted his head to the side in uncertainty.

"Y-yeah", the blonde stuttered. "I'm good. It must have been nice to go on a mission with Lisanna after not seeing her for two years."

"Yeah, it was great!" said Natsu, appreciative of Lucy's understanding.

"She's the best!" added Happy with a grin.

Lucy got up from the chair and started towards her bed, "How nice… Anyways, I'm pretty tired. I had a—"

"Say no more!" interrupted the dragonslayer as he got up from the bed. He picked up the cat and tucked him under his arm before opening the front door of Lucy's apartment to leave. "We'll head out now. Have a good night, Luce!" And as quickly as they had arrived, her two friends had left for the night.

Lucy turned and watched Natsu close the door behind them. "Goodnight…"

She climbed under the covers of her bed and snuggled into the blankets, her eyes glossy and emotionless.

What just happened? Have I been replaced?

She shook her head and closed her eyes.

No, I was the one that replaced Lisanna when everyone thought she was dead. And now that she's back from Edolas, she's occupied her rightful spot with Natsu.

Lucy sighed. She didn't know what to think right now. Was she was angry with Natsu for not noticing her absence for the last week? Or was she jealous that all he talked about tonight was Lisanna? Was she sad that she was clearly no longer needed by her teammates? Or was she happy that they were finally reunited with a beloved friend whom they thought had been lost forever?

"I don't know how I feel…" she whispered, a single tear rolling down her flushed cheek.

She was exhausted and groaned, knowing full well that she would be up all night overthinking her situation. And so, rolling onto her side, Lucy pulled the blankets over her head, cocooning herself in the warmth and comfort of her bed. Right now, all she could do was take a deep breath and hope for the sanctuary of sleep.

Lucy shifted in the mess of blankets on her bed, her new position exposing her porcelain face to a sliver of morning sunlight peeking through the curtains. She flinched before slowly blinking her eyes open in adjustment to the sun's brightness. As her senses came to, Lucy realized something. For all the busy thoughts that shrouded her mind last night, her feelings had somehow been spared with a dreamless sleep.

No dreams are better than bad dreams, I guess.

With a heavy sigh, the blonde shrugged off her blankets and got up from her bed with a conspicuous lack of enthusiasm. She sauntered towards the kitchen and opened the fridge to find that it was empty except for a bottle of ketchup and a dangerously old casserole in a dish. Lucy exhaled loudly and didn't bother checking the cupboards for food; her rumbling stomach had reminded her that they too were empty.

I forgot that I forgot to buy groceries yesterday…

She chuckled dryly, a groggy state of indifference sweeping over her. She was too exhausted to care much about breakfast, confusing thoughts having left her restless all night. Still, the celestial mage stared blankly into the open fridge as if waiting patiently for food to magically appear.

Food-make magic, now that would come in handy.

After a few unproductive minutes of staring off into space, the brisk chill of the open fridge brought her back to reality and Lucy gently pushed the door shut with her fingertips.

Whatever, I'll just eat at the guild.

She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face in a raw attempt to freshen up, but she somehow managed to come out looking worse for wear. The polished skin on her cheeks highlighted the dark circles under her eyes, and the bored, open-mouth expression on her face resembled that of a spritely sun-fish. Fortunately, and uncharacteristically, today Lucy didn't seem to care too much about how she looked.

Running a brush briskly through her tangled hair, Lucy wandered over to her dresser where she randomly rifled through the drawers with her free hand and yanked out the first few things she touched: a coral halter top and a pair of jean shorts.

When she was dressed, the blonde grabbed her precious keys from the nightstand, fastened them to her belt and gave it a good shake to be sure that they were secure. Slipping on a pair of black flip-flops, Lucy opened the front door to leave the apartment building.

Outside, Lucy peered up at the cloudless sky and raised both arms up to stretch. The sunshine beamed down on her face and she could feel the positive energy rekindle her weary spirit. At that moment Lucy decided that today she wouldn't bother stressing about her situation with Natsu. Everything would work itself out in the end.

"After all, it's another beautiful day!" she stated cheerfully.

Her ears perked up when she heard a nearby cat-call, "And a beautiful girl!"

Lucy looked to her right to see the familiar faces of nameless male friends who slowly passed her by on the nearby river in their gondola boat.

"Thanks you guys!" she called back, waving furiously in their direction as they faded off into the distance. She was well aware that she didn't look her best today, but she was thankful for their kind words anyways.

"Lucy?" a small voice queried from behind her.

"Hmm?" Lucy whipped around and met the gaze of an adorable blue-haired girl. "Wendy!" She could barely contain the squeak in her voice, "You scared me! Where did you come from?"

"Oh… Well, I just got here actually", the young dragonslayer replied with a crooked smile. She scratched the back of her head dubiously.

"No kidding. Because you definitely weren't there like ten seconds ago."

Lucy looked to the ground when she heard someone breathing heavily from below her. Carla was collapsed on the ground, her paws stretched behind her to brace what little body weight she had.

"And Carla too!" the celestial mage chortled. "Why are you so out of breath?"

Carla's eyes were closed and she replied between laboured breaths, "Someone…felt that it...was urgent…that she…see you…as quickly as…possible…"

Wendy sweat-dropped and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… Sorry about that Carla. But you know, I didn't ask you to carry me all the way. I wasn't in that much of a hurry!"

Lucy looked from Wendy to Carla as the banter between them continued.

"Not in a hurry? We practically teleported here the moment you heard that Lucy was back in town!" The white cat huffed and folded her arms across her chest. And as if to state her annoyance, Carla stuck her nose in the air and turned her head away from Wendy.

"I'm sorry, okay? I admit, I was really excited to see Lucy again. And I shouldn't have pushed you so hard", the dragonslayer apologized.

The white Exceed nodded in faint approval, but continued to avoid eye contact with her companion.

When the silence between the two friends became more than uncomfortable, Lucy asked, "Why did you need to see me so badly?"

"I missed you of course!" said Wendy, throwing her arms around Lucy's waist and pulled her into a hug. "We missed you", the bluenette added quickly.

Carla huffed.

Smiling warmly, Lucy gladly reciprocated the hug. "I missed you guys too."

"Really?"

"You bet!" the celestial mage released her hold on the young girl who was now looking very relieved.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that!" Wendy sighed. "With both you and Natsu gone we were stuck with Erza and Gray for almost a week straight. It was a little…overwhelming."

Knowing all too well how "unique" her friends could be, Lucy laughed. "Is that so?"

"Teaming up with a short-tempered masochist and a relentless stripper caused some serious anxiety", Carla finally chirped in. She summoned her wings and hovered above the two mages. Placing a paw to her forehead the cat closed her eyes in exasperation, "I don't think I could have handled it much longer."

Wendy chuckled bashfully, "Don't get me wrong, I love those guys, but… To be honest, you really help to…um…balance the team out…"

"Oh?"

"What she's trying to say is that in a guild of shameless hooligans, you've been placed at mild end of the spectrum", Carla added nonchalantly.

"Carla!" Wendy scolded. "That was rude!"

The Exceed rolled her eyes but didn't reply.

Lucy stifled a laugh and reached out to pat Wendy's head affectionately, "It's okay, Wendy. I think I understand what you were getting at. And thanks?"

The two of them giggled before Wendy abruptly changed the subject, "Are you feeling okay, Lucy?"

"Yeah, why do ask?" Apparently the dark circles under her eyes had not gone unnoticed. Lucy manipulated her face into what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The last thing she wanted was to worry her friends.

Wendy wanted to inquire about Lucy's health, but had a difficult time choosing the right words to get the point across without sounding mean.

"You just look a little rough…today. That's all", the dragonslayer finally replied. She twiddled her thumbs anxiously as she hoped that she hadn't offended her friend.

"You look like you were hit by a magic mobile", Carla added, an emotionless expression on her face.

"Carla!" Wendy hissed, clearly mortified by her companion's tactless reply.

The Exceed batted her eyes in a pitiful attempt to feign innocence, leaving Wendy thoroughly unimpressed. She was about to scold Carla further when they both paused mid-argument at the sound of Lucy gasping for air.

They looked to see Lucy hunched over and laughing hysterically. She had tears in her eyes, and had a genuinely amused expression on her face.

Well, I think it's safe to say that Carla is unfamiliar with the concept of "sugar-coating" things.

Wendy looked to Carla for an explanation, but the cat simply shrugged.

When she had collected herself, Lucy straightened up and wiped the corners of her eyes. "You two are great", she stated firmly. "Thanks for that. I really needed a good laugh."

"Um… You're welcome?" Wendy chuckled nervously. She used her hand to gesture in the direction of the guild. "Should we get going?"

"Sounds good!" replied the blonde, nodding in confirmation.

They started walking towards Fairy Tail with Carla following behind them. Wendy had been concerned about Lucy's general wellbeing, but after seeing her laugh and smile like she had, the blunette decided that she would not press further into the matter.

"I'm starving!" whined Lucy.