Hello! Thank you to the people who have left kind and encouraging reviews. They seriously make me want to push forward with the story. I have three papers due this week and not a single one is even started but here I am working on this story, lol :) I wanted to squeeze out another chapter before all that was due so it wouldn't be so long between updates. This chapter is a little longer. I felt bad that the first chapter was so short. Enough blabber from me. Here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own anything :'(

Chapter II

"Ughhblrgghh..."

Lucy sighed as Natsu laid on the seat across from her with drool running down his chin. Every sway of the train made turned his face more green. Lucy pitied the poor boy. Without Erza there to knock him unconscious, he was forced to suffer the movement of the train. 'Maybe I should knock him out then..' Lucy thought. Then she sighed. She couldn't pull herself to do that. Hell, she probably didn't have the strength to knock him unconscious.

"Lucy?" Happy's voice pulled her thoughts and eyes away from the sick Salamander. "You never told us the job we're supposed to be doing."

"Oh! Right! The job was only 5,000J but the person said they needed someone to track down and bring in a murderer alive. He's been going around the town at night and targeting young couples. But the way he kills them is gruesome and obviously he uses magic," Lucy thought for a moment. "Come to think of it. The request didn't say what kind of magic he was using."

"Are you sure we go on this job, Lucy? Maybe we should go back and get Erza and the rest.." Happy asked worriedly.

"We'll be fine, Happy!" Lucy smiled and confidently added "I'm probably strong enough now that I could take him on by myself!"

Happy sat for a minute, staring intently at Lucy. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He exploded with laughter. He laughed so hard that tears sprang to his eyes. "W-what?!" the enraged mage asked, insulted by Happy's behavior.

"Natsu has had to save you on most of the missions we've been on. Hehehe" Happy said as he quieted down. Lucy huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine. I'll just prove that I'm stronger. Just watch Happy. I'll be the one to save Natsu this time around."

"Ughhblllaarh..." Natsu groaned, trying to keep the vomit down, as the train swayed a little more than usual. Lucy turned her attention away from Happy and turned to the sick boy across from her. 'Just you wait Natsu. I'll prove that I'm just as strong as you.' Lucy had the sudden urge to make Natsu proud of her. She couldn't explain it, but she wanted to prove herself to him. Natsu gave out another gurgle and almost slid out of his seat. 'I really wish there was something I could do for him..'

Lucy sighed and switched seats to sit next to Natsu's head. She pulled his head into her lap. 'I guess the only thing I'm able to do right now is to try to comfort him.' She ran her fingers through his hair. She was surprised at how silky soft his hair was.

"Oi! What are you doing?" Happy dropped down onto Natsu's stomach, making him groan.

"I'm trying to comfort him a little bit. We still have a little way before the train arrives. We've only been riding for twenty minutes," She said, shooing him off Natsu's stomach.

"Why don't you knock him out like Erza normally does?" Happy bounced over to the seat Lucy had previously occupied. Lucy sighed once more. The little blue feline was a lot more talkative today than usual. Maybe it was just because there was no one else to bother. "Do I look like Erza to you?" Happy stared at her. "Hmmm..."

"It was rhetorical, Happy. Why don't you go explore the train or something. Let Natsu rest. You're being too loud." Lucy really wanted to rest herself. She didn't realize getting worked up and yelling and dragging Natsu everywhere would take so much energy. "But Lucyyy, you're ten times louder than I am!" Happy complained. Lucy shot him a sharp death glare that sent a shiver up Happy's spine. "Lucy is scary!" He bounded out the compartment door and down the train.

Lucy shook her head. She'd have to get him later. She turned her attention back to stroking the pink spikes with care. Natsu's face was very slowly changing back from green to its original color. She noticed the drool still on his chin and pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket slowly so as not to disturb her friend and wiped it off. Natsu stirred and cracked open an eye. "Are we there yet?"

Lucy giggle slightly at the pitiful voice. He was so cute sometimes. Wait, since when is Natsu cute? He like an overgrown child. That's all. Nothing cute about it.' She shook her head to clear away the odd thought. "No, Natsu. Just take a nap or something 'til we get there."

Natsu nodded and closed his eye back. He breathed deeply. Then again. 'something smells really good,' he though. 'It smells like wildflowers.' The scent was oddly comforting to Natsu. With one more whiff, the scent lulled him to sleep.

Lucy watched Natsu breathe deeply and drift off to sleep. She smiled softly before she leaned her head back and fell asleep.

xxx

"Lucyy! Natsuu! Wake up! We're here!" The sleeping pair woke up with an 'oof' as Happy bounced on Lucy's chest then down on Natsu's stomach. Natsu was the first to get off the train and he fell to ground praising it and attempting to hug it. "Sweet, unmoving ground! How I've missed you!"

Lucy sweat dropped as people whispered to one another and stared down at the pink haired boy laying face down on the concrete.

"Come on, Natsu! We have to meet with our client." Lucy tugged Natsu to his feet as he smiled his trademark smile.

"Lucy, you never told us what the job was," Natsu looked down at her. "I did too. You just happened to be holding down bile when I explained everything," Lucy giggled as she lead the way to their client. "But since I'm such a nice person, I'll tell you again." She ran the details of the request by Natsu.

"So you want me to sniff out this person? How am I supposed to know which scent is his?" Natsu asked as he looked around at his surroundings. Only ten minutes in town had passed and already he had an uneasy feeling like someone was watching them.

"That's why we have to see the client first. We have to see if there is anything that we can get his scent off of." Lucy rambled on about the mission, but Natsu couldn't focus on her. Something wasn't quite right. He couldn't put his finger on it. He sniffed the air. He smelled something that was unusual but, once again, he couldn't pin down what it was.

Back in a dark alley, a cloaked man had followed the couple that got off the train. He chuckled and slipped into the shadows and disappeared.

It still seems a bit short to me and a little slow moving. I'll try to make it pick up the pace a little bit next chapter, promise :)