Chapter 2: Waking Girl

Two days after Porlyusica had forced Natsu to remain in the infirmary he was already healed and no longer sick, but he hadn't left. Instead he stayed to check on the girl lying there on the bed beside his sleeping. He wanted her to wake up which struck the others as odd – but they said nothing. It was dawn three days after Natsu's own recovery that they had received a startled yelp from up the stairwell and down the hall. Naturally, everyone had raced to see what was wrong and had been stunned to see the girl sitting up a bit looking around. The startled yelp had been Natsu who previously had been asleep until the girl shot up and scared him half to death.

Pinkish chrome eyes looked around the room. Before her eyes fell on those near the door. She went pale and then averted her eyes towards Natsu. In that moment she stared and then began a frantic motion to get out of the bed. Her legs, still weak, gave way and she stumbled into the boy's arms. Rose-chrome eyes looked up into dark green and she weakly made her way onto the bed beside Natsu who was looking at her in worry that she was going to hurt herself. Shakily her hands reached out and cupped his face. Her fingers slid through his hair, traced under his eye and where she could reach at the moment while staring at him and then she began crying. Large tears welled up in her pretty eyes as she dropped her hands and fisted the pants leg of her borrowed night clothes.

"Are you okay?" the others watched as the girl nodded her head and then looked up at Natsu with sparkling eyes – joy evident amongst other emotions – one of the most prominent ones was over flowing relief. She wiped her eyes and nodded again.

"I'm okay…I'm just so happy….it's been a long time since I saw you last…Natsu…" the others looked dumbstruck. They had guessed that maybe they knew each other, but the girl saying it was nothing short of shocking.

"You're…Saya…right?" she shook her head.

"Yes! I haven't seen you since we got split up as little kids!" she said this in a manner that seemed like a family member would have. Her happiness, the joy she felt and excitement as she watched her old friend before her couldn't be described.

"Just hold the phone! You two know each other!" the girl, now identified as Saya turned her head to them and instantly shot towards Natsu like a bullet. She curled up to him in fear and he placed a hand on her head knowing that she was merely startled.

"Yes, I know Natsu – I've known him since I was three….who are all of you?" Erza sighed.

"I'm Erza Scarlet, this is Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfilia, Gajeel Redfox, Wendy Marvel, Happy, Carla, and Lily," she said pointing to each person.

"And I'm master Markarov." Saya looked at the dwarf of a man.

"Hello….Natsu! Koko wa doko?" the others looked dumbfounded again.

"This is the magic guild FairyTail – you're safe here." The girl relaxed and moved over to Markarov.

"This is where Natsu is? Where his friends are?" she asked him calmly.

"Yes, he's been with us for several years," he stated.

"I wish to join." Everyone looked shocked again.

"Are you a wizard?" the girl looked at the master of FairyTail.

"Yes, a Time wizard." Gray paused.

"A Time wizard?" he asked she nodded.

In the manner that Natsu would produce a flame about his fist she produced a clock gear made of what looked like particles of tiny metal.

"A Time Dragon Slayer," she said bluntly. Everyone in the room looked at the four dragon slayers and felt a sense of trouble coming.

"Another Dragon Slayer?" Natsu looked her over.

"So that's why your hair has those colors in it – the time dragon…Tempiria now I get why you asked for her!" she turned to him and vanished the magic.

"Yep!" the girl smiled.

"Well then, once you're all better we'll get your guild mark and find a room for you in Fairy Hills. I'm sure you'll like it here," Markarov said.

"Thank you so much sir. Um…." Saya looked at Natsu who gave her a wide grin.

"Welcome to the family," he told her this with enthusiasm and the others felt themselves ease.

Natsu was acting like his normal self. The girl before him must have gotten him out of his stupor from earlier. Saya was talking with him and the others walked away to give them time to catch up. Lucy smiled as she looked at Natsu's joy filled eyes while Saya was explaining what had happened between the time they'd seen each other last and now. It was nice to see him out of his sulky behavior. She left them be as Porlyusica set to cleaning the girl's wounds again and Natsu began talking to her. The healer watched them as she finished and checked the girl's vitals. In relief she was able to tell the girl that in just a few days she could get herself settled.

It was later in the day that Porlyusica left the room and walked down to the tiny main part of the Guild Hall. It was such a rundown place, and she felt piteous for the guild despite hating humans. Her mind wandered to Natsu and Saya who were still at the moment. They'd not stopped except when Porlyusica had to interject – she didn't want to bother them because she knew that those two hadn't seen each other in what she could tell was far too long. She looked at the others who were seated around the main area of the hall and sighed as she looked at the children and some of the adults.

"Hey Porly! I heard Natsu got himself a real fine dame up there – is that true?" asked Wakaba.

"MY NAME IS PORLYUSICA! DO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Wakaba sighed as he looked at Macao.

"Leaving a teenage boy up there with a teenage girl…unattended that's a disaster waiting to happen," said the ex-master.

"Macao, perhaps I should remind you that this is Natsu we're talking about." The man looked to Gray.

"Should I remind you that he's only about sixteen? And that…" a well-placed heavy book – lit aflame landed directly between Macao's eyes making him fall backwards.

Everyone turned to where Natsu was from the hall where the infirmary was. Flames about his hand as he glared down at Macao and held onto Saya with the other as she braced herself with the banister. The girl looked around the guild wanting to see who everyone was and as she looked around to Porlyusica she received a glower.

"What are you doing out of bed girl? You should be resting!" Saya nodded.

"I know, but I need to meet everyone and I was tired of being cooped up. Natsu was telling me about how nice everyone here is so I wanted to meet them!" she said giving the woman a smile.

"Fine! Natsu! If anything happens it's on you! Got it Fire breather?" Porlyusica cast a look to Natsu who smiled.

"Got it."

The others watched him help her down to the main floor where they got her to a seat. Once she had been settled down in a comfortable bench with a high back she was stared at by the others. Lucy smiled at her shy nature as she inched closer to Natsu in hopes of easing her nerves. She knew the girl meant nothing by being close to him – from the sounds of their conversation from earlier they were the closest of friends. She moved over to her and settled next to the girl who looked at her.

"Hi, I'm Lucy – Erza introduced me earlier, but I wanted to meet you personally," she said as she held out her hand.

"H-Hello Lucy…nice to meet you personally…" Saya took her hand and Lucy eyed her oddly.

"You're hot skinned like Natsu," she stated. The girl went red.

"I know – it runs with Dragon slayers….except for the cold climate types." Lucy let her hand go and Saya glanced around the room.

"It's good to have you here Saya," said Gray as he looked at the others.

Before they knew it people were introducing themselves to Saya, asking about her and what her connection to Natsu was. The girl melded into the guild as if she'd always been there and it made Natsu all the happier – it meant they accepted her already. Saya looked to him and smiled as Mirajane came over to her with something cool to drink and a small bowl of broth. Saya thanked her and ate slowly as the others left them be and the normal group settled to a table to watch the girl as she slowly sipped at the tea and broth. Natsu was quiet as she took the gentle gulps and couldn't help but shake his head. She hadn't changed in all these years – still peculiar about things, meticulous and always doing her best to be a lady despite her rough and tumble nature.

She was nothing more than identical to his personality in a fight. Rearing to go and not quitting until her body could no longer fight. But it made him wonder how she had gotten so beaten up, and more so – who had done it. The idea of someone intentionally harming her made fire rush in his veins in anger. It was a deep seething rage that he hadn't felt as often as he believed he would in his life. But he remembered, times prior to Igneel, to FairyTail, and the things that came after, Nirvana, Edolas, Tenrou Island, and most recently the Infinity Clock. He felt a faint frown come to his face as he thought about what had transpired and the one detail he remembered the most – the fact that all of these people were so foolish, so greedy that they were blinded to who they were really hurting.

"People can always say what they want…but if you think about it…FairyTail has been the one bracing the world from the end for so long….I wonder if…we can keep doing that or if we're about to run out of luck."

"Natsu? Are you okay?" asked Saya. He looked to her.

"Yea, I'm okay – just a little tired." She nodded.

"You were sick…I can tell you had a fever recently because your still a little warm…all the same I'm glad you got better so soon. So tell me….about the jobs you guys take," she said.

"Right now we're not taking any – ever since Tenrou Island FairyTail has become the lowest ranking guild in Fiore. We're pretty much…the bottom of the barrel. Before the S-Class Trials we were the best guild out there, Twilight Ogre overtook us when Natsu and the others vanished for seven years….when they came back some things started looking up but…." Jet stated.

"Since then we've been in a few scrapes, but we're still…clinging to the bottom rank." Saya frowned.

"Isn't there some way to get back up to the top?" she asked. Macao sighed.

"Yea, but by the time we did it all of us would be old folks and the next generation would have that problem put on them." The girl looked at the guild hall.

"I see…I'm sorry…I wish I could have seen the Guild before it fell…but if you were gone for seven years then why aren't all of you older? Or…I don't know…" Natsu looked at the girl.

"Our first master Mavis Vermillion saved us from Acnologia's attack which should have destroyed Tenrou Island and us…she sealed it for seven years and then when we came too we hadn't aged a day, the world had changed, we had lost some good people, most of us were scrounging for information – we're trying to put FairyTail back up to the top." The girl frowned.

"What about those games?" everyone turned to Romeo.

"No, Romeo we're not doing that again – we've been humiliated every time and every time we've failed!" the boy glared.

"But we have Natsu and the others back! If we put them on a team we can win! If we do we'll be put back to the top and get the Guild Hall back!" Saya and the others looked at Romeo.

"What games?" the Tenrou Team looked at the boy.

"The Grand Magic Games! It's held every two years and the winner gets a load of Jewl and title as the best guild in Fiore, the strongest, and they're given first rank!" said Romeo as the group looked amongst themselves.

"Yo! Gramps! What do you say?" Natsu called out to Markarov who sat atop the bar with a beer mug in hand while thinking.

"Hmmm…." His eyes were closed as he thought and the others looked at him in waiting.

"I think…we'll…KICK THEIR TAILS AND GET FAIRYTAIL BACK ON THE MAP!" the guild hall erupted in a yell of joy and excitement.

"Alright! FairyTail is going on a war path," Natsu couldn't help but grin widely as he clenched his fists, fire sparking in places around his body as he looked at his guild mates.

"Natsu…I wish to help." He looked at Saya.

"Do you?" Markarov jumped from the bar and moved over to the table.

"Well, you'll become a member and…if you…would let me consider you as a teammate for the group going to the Grand Magic Games," the master said.

"I would be delighted. So, is there anything I need to do?" Natsu looked at the girl.

"Training would be a good start. Once we do that we can figure out who's going to be on the team we send," he said happily.

"Alright."

It was then that Markarov set off to get their applications in order while he cooked up his team in his head. Naturally Natsu would be a perfect choice, Gray, Erza, and perhaps Lucy. His eyes landed on Saya and he couldn't help but get the feeling that the girl was going to be an advantage – there was a strange bit of magic coming off her that he could pick out as quite old and powerful. He walked from the guildhall and down the streets of Magnolia to set up his application at the Magic Council branch in the town and felt himself hoping that soon enough things were going to get better for them.

That evening Saya had stretched as she laid back on her bed in the infirmary hoping that how things were going meant she would finally have a home again – with Natsu by her side. His friendship when they were children had been everything to her, they were so close that their parents had called them brother and sister. She had already known that from the get go – they weren't blood related, but they were family much like FairyTail was. Her pinkish-chrome eyes looked around the room she was in and noticed that Natsu wasn't present at the moment. He had mentioned something about getting Lucy home because the girl had asked for him to walk back with her. She had told him she would be fine and now wished she could have walked with them.

Her entire being itched to get up and run – she was the type to always be moving, running, fighting, playing, laughing and enjoying life, but right now she wasn't able to. She noticed that had also been something that had stayed with Natsu from his childhood – his spirit was a wild as always. She smiled as she snuggled into the pillow and blanket knowing that the boy she's been beside for years was strong enough to be alone. But, that sense of something strange from seven years ago had surfaced to her mind. The day that she had felt a certain black wizard's presence surface again.

While she laid in her hospital bed she felt her eyes sting with sadness as she tried to think about those days from further back – how much she wanted to return to the time where all of them were together, smiling, laughing, happy and unafraid despite always being in a fight. They were Dragon Slayers, they were comrades and seeing it break apart she had heart broken. The one that got her the most was losing Natsu. Not being able to find him, having no means of even beginning to search for him. And then she had stumbled into Magnolia only a few days ago and had by some miracle found him. She felt tears run down her cheeks. Why couldn't things have stayed as they were?

"I miss being with everyone…I miss being able to see everyone first thing in the morning…the playful bantering, the brotherly arguing…I miss all of it." She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

At Lucy's Apartment….

Natsu sighed as he flopped onto the sofa and Lucy looked at him. He seemed tired, more so than usual. His pink hair messier than normal, his bangs hanging in his eyes instead of styled away from them. She actually liked the style he had now better – true his innocent childish personality was adorable, but she liked it when he acted older, more mature from time to time. There were days when he would get to serious for her liking and then he would get quiet, or become a bit temperamental and then she felt like she was losing him. Lucy sighed as she walked over to the boy, still not dressed as he normally was despite his scarf. She thought nothing of it though as she walked over to him and slowly grasped the scarf.

"Lucy…what are you doing?" he was staring at her – the deep jade green of his eyes more apparent because of her closeness.

"Just taking it off so if you fall asleep you won't get strangled by it," she said. Though he was unsure he let her take it off and fold it on the side table. Lucy looked at him as he stretched and her eyes landed on the scar again.

"Is everything okay?" again she was looking at him face to face and she sat down on the sofa next to him before turning her eyes to the side of his throat.

The scar wasn't as horrible as it had looked when she first noticed it – but it was rather nasty looking. It made her wonder who would have done that to him and why. Her hand reached out and gently she placed her fingers to the mark and flinched when she realized how deep it must have gone. Her eyes landed where her fingers were and tears welled in her eyes. It could have killed him, she could have lost someone who was so close to her. Slowly her eyes blinked and tears ran down her cheeks. That was when a well-known warm arm wrapped around her and a hand settled on the back of her head, fingers nestled in her blonde hair.

"Why are you crying Luce?" the girl glanced at him as she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around him, resting her head next to the side of his throat where the scar was. She hardly cared about it now, it was all those times they had come so close to both dying that ran through her mind – especially the most recent one.

"I…was thinking about…loosing you or the others…I don't think I could bear it…Natsu…I'm sorry I…." he nodded hugging her tighter. Sometimes he surprised her by how understanding and gentle he could be.

"You don't have to be sorry – everyone in FairyTail is our family and if you lose someone you love it hurts. The pain of that person not being there lingers…I thought that Saya was dead…that's why I almost forgot her…" Lucy glanced up at him.

"I'm glad she found you…that she's going to join FairyTail and we're going to have someone new in our family…but I shouldn't be such a cry baby…that's all I ever do…" he laughed as she moved back a bit, still in his arms.

"Lucy you aren't a cry baby your one of the toughest girls I know. Hell, Erza even said you were strong, I think so too…you're one tough wizard," he said grinning that smile she had come to love.

"Thank you Natsu…" the boy gave another smile and she flushed.

"Any time Luce…if you need me I'll be there – I got your back no matter what." She smiled and reached up to run a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"It's funny…" Natsu tilted his head.

"What is?" she looked him over before smiling.

"The first time I met you I kept thinking – here's this crazy guy, with pink hair no less, and a blue talking cat….and he said he's looking for a dragon, that he's apparently a complete nutcase that I need to avoid….then you saved me…and I saw your magic for the first time," she said smiling at the memory.

"Yea…most people think my magic is insane and scary I saw your face that time – how shocked you were." He was sitting back laughing as he looked at her.

"I didn't think it was scary – I actually thought that it was beautiful."

She watched his cheek turn pink. Darker than his hair and it offset his eye color. She smiled and watched him momentarily in thought while watching his reaction as he stared at her.

"Beautiful? No one ever says that about fire magic. I get destructive, dangerous, a safety hazard…not that it's pretty." He was shaking his head, bangs falling into his eyes even more.

"But it was! And it is now! Beautiful…Natsu…do you realize how much you mean to me?" the boy in front of her smiled.

"Of course…you're my best friend, my teammate, Nakama! You mean the world to me like everyone else." Lucy sighed.

"No Natsu…you mean more than that to me…" Natsu looked at her momentarily as Lucy waited. She could see it clicking and then he went wide eyed.

"You mean…"

She couldn't help but smile at his expression. His eyes were wide as possible, the green of them evident now, his cheeks rose colored and his mouth faintly open. She couldn't help but admire the way he looked – faintly she could see that he had matured since she first met him. His features were a bit more defined, but he had always been that way except for when his childish nature got the better of him. She looked at his lips feeling her cheeks go red as she wondered if maybe she could…

"Lucy are you saying you…like me as in…" she went blood colored knowing full well that this was the most evidence she would ever need to know that Natsu Dragneel wasn't much of a fool as some believed him to be. Then again, hadn't she known it all along?

"Um…well I…y-yea…" she waited.

Slowly shock vanished from his expression replaced by calmness, and a bit of curiosity. And then she saw something that surprised her – he was smiling, eyes nearly glittering in joy – the same way that they had when he'd remembered Saya. Dark jade eyes locked onto her brown ones and he gave her a mega-watt smile.

"I feel the same…" ever the open one Natsu looked at her with the genuineness she had been taken with in the beginning.

"Hey can I tell you something?" he looked at her with a calm look in his eyes.

"What is it Luce?" she smiled.

"I was thinking about something…" she got close and he moved back on instinct.

"What?" she got a little closer and Natsu quickly realized he had nowhere to move.

"When I was around you for the first bit I thought you had black eyes…" she cupped his face looking at him as he felt himself shrink down and flush despite trying to keep himself calm.

"My eyes are dark green you know that…um…Lucy?" she looked at him.

"I know, but I had to ask Mirajane what color your eyes were because sometimes they looked black and then they'd look green or tint red so…" he paused.

"Red? That's far from green Luce…" she laughed.

"I know but it was what got me. Natsu, I couldn't wrap my head around it and then Mirajane told me your eyes are a really dark jade and I finally saw it. I think that's one of the first things that made me like you other than your happy-go-lucky personality.

"I thought yours were nice too…um…Lucy…" she looked at him for a moment and leaned in but Natsu froze.

She realized something by that point – he was nervous. It surprised her somewhat. She eyed him as dark jade watched her closely. There was a calmness to his eyes, but also tension and insecurity. He wasn't sure about what she was going to do and that ever so slightly worried her. Maybe getting this close after admitting she had feelings for him. Natsu watched and waited – a small bit of his instincts taking over as he looked at the girl that for so long he considered a simple friend, a close comrade and someone he would give anything to protect. Honestly, he wasn't sure when those feelings that were mutual to everyone in FairyTail had changed into affection for just Lucy.

However, currently every fiber of his being was telling him to put a block between himself and her. He put his hands on her shoulders causing her to pause as he flinched in noting that she was staring at him and he waited for her to either yell or cry – neither of which he liked seeing or hearing. Did the blonde even realize how sensitive his ears were? He could hear her heart hammering in her chest. Lucy looked him over as he flinched back from her when his hands came to rest on her shoulders. He stopped her, and she knew why – he was telling her to wait a moment and let him get everything sorted. Lucy sat up realizing with a blush that she was settled on his lap.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" she moved back but he pulled her into a firm hold. Making the blonde Celestial Wizard stare.

"I don't mind I just…don't know about…certain things…" she went pink along with him and sighed.

"Your much more innocent than I realized…" she actually counted herself lucky in that area because the boy that was holding her more than likely wouldn't take things too fast for them. More than anything Natsu would want to retain her friendship.

"Hmmmhmm….you could say that…" he had laughed faintly and now was letting her lean against him as he placed a hand atop her head.

"Natsu…" he sighed.

"Can we just stay like this for a bit? I know I sound silly but…" she shook her head finding a bit of surprise by his mature and calm nature.

"I don't mind."

"Thanks Lucy."

She snuggled up to him and soon both were fast asleep. Even though it was starting to get cooler because of the fall weather she didn't need to worry about getting cold while lying against him – she had learned that when they'd traveled to cold climates – Natsu was a walking heater. If she got cold she just needed to get close to him and she would be fine. Taking a deep breath of the scent of what she supposed would have been brimstone and hickory she snuggled closer and continued into a deep sleep.

It was in the morning that had woken Lucy up. She stretched a bit and looked around having realized that she had been moved to her bed. She moved to her side and looked to see Natsu lying next to the window still sleeping. He seemed peaceful which she was thankful for – she reached out and touched her hand to his forehead and sighed in relief in finding that his fever from the last few days was gone. She brushed his bangs from his eyes and laid back down knowing they still had a bit before they would need to get to the guild hall to hear what Master Markarov had to say about the Grand Magic Games. She nestled her face in his hair and took a deep breath, catching the scent of hickory again before hearing a sigh and looking at the boy who now had an arm thrown around her.

"Guess I am Lucky Lucy after all."

{Chapter 2: Waking Girl – END}

Author's Note: Okay, yes I know the last part of the chapter is Nalu, but I love it and I think it's sweet. Some parts were rushed, Saya being awake, quickly deciding to join the guild and soon after the guild choosing to apply to the Grand Magic Games. But trust me these chapters are going to get hard to write because of the GMG and I'll have to span things out more. I'll try to avoid multiple filler chapters, but some chapters will have OMAKES in them. Also, yes I'm aware that some stuff is vague, that is on purpose…don't worry your little heads I know what I'm doing!

Also, the GMG won't show up until about chapter 9 or 10 so we have some time to get everyone's training done. I think I'll rework some of the GMG a bit because people have read repeats of it so much that they skip it. I want it to be interesting so some tag-teams will be changed up, some of the team will change, and there were be other surprises and twists. The GMG is getting a do-over with more action, comedy, some romance, mystery, horror, and surprises.

I won't leave out the important stuff promise. If I miss anything or forget something tell me so I can move it into another chapter later or find a way to add it to the story. Don't want to slack! Fairy Tail Wizards don't do that (unless you're Nan, then you slack.)

Arigatou Nakamas!