DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRYTAIL

A/N: I was asked if this story may now become a NaLu with the rewrite, I hate to disappoint but this will remain a LoLu story. I do have a couple of other NaLu stories, feel free to read and comment, but even with the rewrite the shipping will stay the same.

On to chapter 2!

Loke had awoken sprawled on the floor of the latest hotel room. He could barely recall what city they had traveled to this time, though it was obvious that it didn't matter anymore. Her magical presence had long since faded.

"Damn... How long was I out for," he muttered to himself. A hand coming up to cup the back of his head. The pain has subsided though the wound was still raw.

Shakily, Loke managed to get up on one knee, and then was able to force himself to his feet. He shook his head, the sudden movement having caused the room to spin.

"What the fuck happened? I feel like I was hit by a train. And of course they took Lucy... what is with her and always getting kidnapped... really, can't she just stay saved...," his frustrated musing cut off by the sound of a groan coming from the next room. Lucy, I better find you in one piece. He thought to himself as he made his way into the other room.

"Damn dragon slayer," cursed Loke under his breath. He had caught a whiff of the pink haired flame brain as he left Lucy climbing the stairs to the train station.

'Well this will make things interesting. At least I've got the upper hand, she had to have been thinking about me in her closet this morning. Especially after how red her face went when she finally saw me.' Loke stood in the plaza in front of the station. He smirked as he added a tick to his mental scorecard, then took off for the guild hall.

The train slowed down as the Hargeon station came into view. Lucy stretched in her seat again thankful to see the end in sight. The afternoon sun was heavy and hanging low in the sky as the train finally came to a stop. Gathering up her book and travel pack from her seat, she quickly repacked them. She grabbed her suitcase from the rack above the seats and made her way off of the train. Thankful for the lack of a crowd to maneuver through.

She made her way to out of the station and down the steps. Pausing on the bottom step, Lucy pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket. Mira had kindly written down the description of the wagon that was supposed to be picking her up from the station plaza. Before she could even unfold the paper a voice called out to her.

"Well, color me surprised, if it isn't lucky Lucy Heartfelia!"

Lucy turned towards the sound of her name being called, only a few people knew about her nickname from her former life. It wasn't something that she brought up often, hardly never after the battle with Phantom Lord, and even less now that her father had passed.

The man who had called out to her was walked towards her at a brusque pace. A well tailored suit dark blue suit jacket billowed around his torso, cropped matching pants, shiny black dress shoes, and a striped tie made up of dozens of different hues of blue. His arms outstretched in front of him he grabbed her hands as he greeted her again.

"Miss Lucy, its has been a long time," his voice was pleasant enough. A smile graced his features as he spoke, smiling blue eyes, black slicked back hair, rounded chin, and a straight nose. He was fairly ordinary but still handsome.

"Damian? Damian Blackwater, wow. How long has it been," Lucy was almost flabbergasted. He was barely fourteen when she had originally run away from home. That would have made him fifteen when Tenrou Island had disappeared, Lucy estimated he had to be about twenty two now. And boy had he grown up.

"I'm surprised you remember me, having been gone so long. I almost didn't believe it when you walked out of the station. But there you were, matching the description that Mirajane had forwarded on to me. You look exactly as I remember, utterly and unequivocally beautiful." He brought he hand up and kissed the back of it.

Lucy blushed as her other hand escaped his grasp and went up to her mouth, her teeth grazing her knuckles. She remembered how he had followed her around her father's house growing up. Tailing after her while their fathers negotiated land contracts, legal matters, and discussed business. He had professed his love for her for years, and it seemed that things had not changed in the time that she had been gone.

"Ah, don't worry, I still plan on doing things right. I will court you properly. And if I cannot win your heart, then I shall bow out gracefully," he said, as if able to read her thoughts.

"Umm... Well... How about we focus on the task at hand. You have hired me as your bodyguard," Lucy stammered, trying to regain her composure.

"Yes, I almost forgot. Tonight you shall have the night off, I will put you up in the hotel I am staying at. Then tomorrow evening we have the first event. A formal masquerade ball. This one and the one when we reach Clover Town you are free to attend at your leisure, and are not required to be my date. The others, on the other hand, you will be in attendance as my pseudo date as to throw off any unwanted attentions. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" Lucy smiled softly at him. He was a nice guy and all, he would lavish her with attention, she just wasn't planning on it being Damian.

The hotel the boar drawn carriage pulled up to was the most expensive and luxurious in the whole of Hargeon. Lucy had to remind herself to close her mouth when the bell hops took their luggage up to their rooms. First they dropped off Damian and his entourage in the penthouse suite, the elevator requiring a special key card and code for them to gain access to the top floor of the hotel.

Once Damian and his large mass of muscled body guards were unloaded from the elevator Damian turned back to Lucy.

"I didn't want to besmirch the honor of whatever woman took on this job, so you have a separate room. I requested that it have all the same amenities as this one so whomever happened to answer the request would feel right at home. I just didn't feel right about the potential of an unwed woman, well to be honest, any woman sharing a suite with so many men. Some of which are of a checkered history. Regardless I've already tipped the bell hops so they will see you and all of your luggage to your suite. Anything you need, food, clothes, just charge it to the room. The bill will be taken care of as a part of your travel expenses."

"...Oh... okay... thank you," Lucy stammered. Twice in one day he had caught her off guard.

"Enjoy your evening Miss Lucy," he smiled warmly at her, again taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it as the elevator door closed between them.

The bell hop opened the door to Lucy's suite, switched on the lights and bowed to her as she thanked him for the help.

"Oh, wow... this is going to be more like a vacation then a job," she said to herself as she took in the spacious room. The door opened into a foyer with a full living room. Stuffed chairs, a chaise lounge near the bay windows, bookshelves filled to the brim with hundreds of books of all different genres. Double doors led to another room occupied by a king size bed, a full closet and a massive marble bathroom. The tub alone could sit four adults.

The evening passed in relative silence. Lucy continued her book that she had started on the train, moving from one of the stuffed chairs, to the chaise lounge, to the bed, and back again. She couldn't help but feel out of place in the fancy room. It reminding her of the many rooms in her father's house.

"Ugh," she exclaimed, falling back on the bed. "Is it sad that I miss Natsu already," she asked herself. "I even miss Happy, that stupid cat."

"Well if you're bored I could take you out for a late dinner," said a very familiar male voice from in the living room.

Lucy's eyes shot open. She hadn't expected him to randomly show up here too. She got up off of the cloud like bed and walked through the double doors to find non other then Loke standing in the foyer.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't I keep an eye on my favorite celestial mage," he responded. Shrugging his shoulders, his head titled to the side, another one of his playboy smiles stretched wide across his face.

"Keep an eye on, or stalk," she teased. "First you show up at my apartment this morning, and now you are showing up in my hotel room, one would think you had an obsession."

"You are my obsession," he retorted, matter of factly. Lucy couldn't tell if he was being serious or playing around. Lucy decided to ignore his comment. Brushing it off.

'After all, there is no way that he could actually like me. He has always been one to play around, pretending to be serious to get the girl. That will never change.'

"Well I appreciate the offer for dinner but I was just thinking about going to bed. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."

"Alright but you have to promise me something." His face dead pan serious. No hint of joking as he stared directly into her eyes.

"Okay?"

"Nope, you have to promise first."

'I know I'm going to regret this...' Lucy sighed, "I promise."

"One night during this mission you will have a dinner date with me. No guild mates, no clients, no worrying about our contract. Just me and you and an evening together with no interruptions."

"...Okay...," she agreed quietly. Quite taken aback by his forwardness. No hint of his usual playboy demeanor in what he requested of her.

"Then I shall leave you be princess. Sleep well." With that he bowed and vanished back into the spirit realm as he closed his own gate.

Loke grimaced as he washed the blood from his hands. It was not something he enjoyed doing, torture was not his strong suit. The man refused to give up any information and it was the only option left to the celestial spirit in order to track down Lucy.

A/N: If you haven't guessed we have the current story line and the flashbacks filling in the blanks. Thank you again for baring with me during this process.