I do not own Fairy Tail.

AN: Sorry for the wait guys but I had to go over to my parents house for a few days and make christmas cookies and christmas candy. Forgive me?

A new Lucy

Chapter Four – New Friends

"So, who wants to come with me and Lucy to the baths?" Ever asked the others after we had finished eating and were just sitting around.

"I will accompany you." Freed answered in his usual, formal style of talking while Bickslow and Laxus only made grunting noises that could mean anything but Ever seemed to translate it to that they too were coming with us.

Ever gathered us a few necessary items in a bag before grasping my arm and more or less dragging me down to the baths. We entered the women's changing room and she gave me a light purple bikini to change into while she changed into one that was blue. We then locked our stuff inside a small cabinet, grabbed our towels and walked out to the large pool of heated water that were calling us.

I was not surprised to see that the guys were already in the water, I was however surprised that we were the only ones visiting the baths tonight. But I didn´t think much about it and instead put my towel down before slowly lowering myself into the hot water with a contended sigh. The hot water felt heavenly against my tired and slightly aching body.

"Feel good yeah?" A distinctively male voice asked me and I opened my eyes to see who it was while responding.

"Yeah… it really helps loosen up the muscles. I was tenser than I realized." Bickslow stood in front of me, the water reaching up to about an inch or so below his belly button. I could tell that he wore dark red swimsuits and that he had more muscles than I had first believed, he hid some impressive strength underneath his clothes. And after a quick look at the green haired male in our company I could tell that so did Freed. Apparently Laxus were the only one who didn´t care that he showed off his own bulging muscles.

Ever sank into the water next to me and gave me a playful wink before saying.

"You should help her out Bicks; give her one of your famous backrubs." A faint blush dusted my cheeks at her suggestion but Bickslow only grinned at me at raised a single eyebrow as he waited for me to give my response.

"That would be great, but only if you don´t mind?" I said and looked up at him, feeling a little shy. I didn´t want him to do it because he felt he had to.

"Of course I don´t mind, move over cosplayer and I´ll give you a good rub." I blushed harder and both he and Ever let out a chuckle as I moved and turned to the side so that he would fit behind me.

Then his hands landed on my shoulders and I found myself in total and complete bliss. He skillfully kneaded my sore muscles and the longer he kept it up, the more relaxed I became. But when his talented fingers brushed the slightly raised scars that now covered a good part of my back, I drew in a quick breath and tensed up again, expecting him to pull away from me. But he only froze in his movements, his hands still on my back and he asked me worriedly.

"Did I hurt you?" I turned so that I could look at him from the corner of my eye and told him.

"No… But are you really okay with touching the scars? I expected you to flinch away…" I kept my head tilted down and therefore didn´t see the looks that the Raijinshuu exchanged over my head.

"Why would I do that? All of us have scars cosplayer." Bickslow told me and gently turned me back into my former position, his hands once again started moving across the expanse of my back, slowly loosening up my muscles again.

While he was massaging my back I thought about what he had said, that all of them had scars and I realized that my scars really was no different than the ones they carried. Mine were only larger and more eye catching but there really was no reason for anyone to freak out at the sight of them. Another piece of the burden I carried broke off and I felt even lighter than before.

I slowly leaned back, trusting Bickslow to support me and told him 'thank you' in a low voice. I felt his chest rumble as he gave a mumbled response and I couldn´t help but giggle. Apparently Bickslow got embarrassed with the lack of space between us but I didn´t let that bother me; I was really relaxed and comfortable.

I must have fallen asleep for a little while because the next time I opened my eyes almost an hour had passed and we were about to head back to our room. I reluctantly left the water and followed after Evergreen to have a quick shower and change into our PJ: s before going back up to the room and settling in for the night.

I entered the room yawning and didn´t see where I was going so I tripped and would have hit the floor hard unless a muscled arm had sneaked its way around my middle, keeping me on my feet. I looked up to see Laxus towering figure right next to me and I gave him a grateful smile and said quietly.

"Thank you Laxus."

"Don´t worry about it Blondie, just be careful will you? I promised gramps that I would look after you." He told me in his usual gruff voice but I knew he cared more than he let on and that the gruff voice only was a way to keep others at a distance.

I managed to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth and then get myself into bed without any further incidents. The others had agreed on that Ever and I would share one bed and that Laxus and Bickslow shared the other while Freed took the couch. Both Laxus and Bickslow had offered to sleep on the couch but Freed had simply told them that they were both taller than he was and therefore would not fit on the couch. I felt bad about it but there really was nothing I could do so I lied down on the bed and within minutes I was asleep.

x-X-x

The next morning I woke up really early, though it wasn´t very surprising since I had spent a lot of the day before sleeping. At first I thought that no one else was awake but after dressing myself in the same outfit as yesterday in the bathroom, I reentered the other room only to notice that Freed wasn´t on the couch as he was supposed to be.

"Freed?" I called out in a voice that was no more than a whisper since I didn´t want to wake the others. He didn´t answer and I couldn´t find him anywhere in the room so I left the others a note and went out to search for the currently missing member of the Raijinshuu.

I went back down to the baths that we visited last night, the restaurant and the bar in the lobby but I couldn´t find Freed anywhere. When I ran out of places to search in on the ground floor I went to the roof to see if he was there. It was a chance on my part since I couldn´t come up with a reason for him to be on the roof but I decided to go and look there anyway just to be sure.

But when I opened the door to the roof, the first thing I laid my eyes on was Freed. He was sitting and leaning against the wall with a thick book in his hands and another pile of books next to him. He hadn´t heard me enter the roof and I smiled at seeing how peaceful he looked sitting like that.

"There you are." I said quietly as to not startle him before walking over and sitting down next to him. "I´ve looked all over for you, you know." He looked up from his book and seemed surprised to see me.

"Forgive me Lucy, had I known that you too were an early riser I would have left you a note. Usually I am the only one awake at this hour… Did you need me for something?"

"No I just got worried when I couldn´t find you… What are you reading?" I asked him, curious about the amount of books he had surrounded himself with.

"I am trying to learn more about the lykans disease; I want to gather as much knowledge as possible in case we run into it again. I am also trying to read up on celestial magic, if you are going to stay with us for a while I want to know more about the magic that you use." He explained while continuing to read, apparently he knew how to multitask…

"Oh, that´s good I guess. If there´s anything you want to know about my magic you just have to ask though." I told him and gave him a small smile that gave him a faint blush decorating his cheeks.

"I might take you up on that at a later time, for now let us go back down to the room. The other´s should be waking up soon and we have to decide where to go to next." He said after getting his blush under control. He then stood up and gathered up his books, holding them with one hand while offering the other one to me to help me up. I accepted his help and the two of us quickly made our way back down to the room.

The others had just woken up and were just about to order us breakfast when Freed and I returned.

"Hey cosplayer what do you want for breakfast?" Bickslow asked, apparently he was charged with getting us breakfast from the restaurant downstairs.

"Chocolate chip pancakes? Unless it´s too much trouble…"

"No trouble." Bickslow promised me before going down to place our order. Laxus were sitting on one bed, pulling on his boots while Ever gathered her things for a shower. Freed sat down in one of the couches with his books, glancing longingly at them but knowing there was no point in opening them until after we had talked. Bickslow wasn´t gone long and when he returned Laxus knocked on the door to bathroom to let Ever know that the breakfast was here before he too sat down to eat and talk. We ate in silence, Evergreen joining us about ten minutes later, but when the food was mostly gone Laxus leaned back and locked his intense gaze on me.

"What do you want to do Blondie?" I blinked once and after a nervous look at the others asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to go home to Magnolia? Do you want to go somewhere else? Do you want to do nothing or do you want to come with us for a few missions?" He inquired and I shot the others another nervous look before asking.

"What do you guys want to do?"

"This is not about what we want; this is about what you want Lucy. We are fine with whatever you wish to do." Freed told me seriously and both Evergreen and Bickslow nodded in agreement. I thought for a moment before hesitantly speaking again.

"Then I would like to visit my parent´s grave… after that we can do a couple of missions if you want, I just want to stay away from the guild until I have come to terms with everything. It would be nice if I could find a new key or two as well…"

"Then we´ll work something out, we can stay in Gramps house at the border of Magnolia down at the sea. We can take a mission that will take us close to your parent´s grave so you can visit them and then you can come with us on missions for a while. It will probably be good for you to get an opportunity to use your new skills in battle." Laxus proposed and since the others of the Raijinshuu didn´t have any disagreements, it was decided.

A few hours later we boarded the train that would take us as close to the Master´s vacation home as possible. Laxus had used the communications lacrima to tell him about our plans and he had indeed given us permission to use his house. He was going to get back to us with a mission when something good showed up on the board so for now at least we were free to do whatever.

We had gotten a private compartment since Laxus like all the other dragon slayers suffered from motion sickness. He wasn´t as bad as Natsu thankfully but he preferred to be able to sleep the trip away thus paying for a private compartment. Freed was sitting next to Laxus, a book in hand and Bickslow and Ever were sitting on either side of me on the seat across from them.

Laxus was leaning against the window, his sound pods on and the volume turned up so that we wouldn´t wake him by mistake. Bickslow was checking his babies for damage that would need to be fixed before the next mission and Ever reading a fashion magazine to try and entertain herself. I was lost in thoughts and was fiddling with my keys. Ever shot a look at me from above her magazine and asked curiously.

"How many keys do you have?" I stopped fiddling and looked up to meet her eyes as I answered her.

"Sixteen for now, ten golden zodiac keys and six silver keys. I hope to find more of them though, when I was in the spirit world the king told me about five keys called 'animal kingdom keys'. Apparently they can hide their keys from those they deem unworthy of them but the king thinks that I might be able to contract with them. I learned how to use my own magic to search for keys hidden in our world so hopefully I will find at least some of them…" I mused. The next one to speak up was Freed and he apparently remembered my earlier promise that if he wanted to know something about my magic he only had to ask.

"I know that it takes much more magic than most realize when summoning your spirits but how much is it really?" I had to think for a little bit before answering his question, having to think about something that I could compare it to.

"Well it´s a little difficult to know exactly but I think that opening a golden gate would be somewhat equal to half a dragon´s roar. It doesn´t take much magic to keep the gates open though but the more magic strength I have the stronger is my spirits. When they use their attacks it is actually mostly my magic that is being used and only about one quarter of their own. I meditate every morning to keep expanding my magic reserves so that my spirits can be stronger." I hoped that my answer would satisfy Freed´s curiosity for a while because the steady movements of the train had just about lulled me to sleep and I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes, falling asleep within minutes.

The house that rested on the cliffs overlooking the ocean was not what I had expected. The side facing the oceans was completely made of glass, giving an amazing view of the restless waters below. The floors were made of wood that was so pale in color that it almost looked like the pale, fine sand on the beach outside. The walls were a creamy white and the one color that could be found except for the natural pale wood and white was a pale blue that connected everything nicely. Giving life to the otherwise rather sterile environment.

On the ground floor was a large kitchen with professional appliances and an even larger living room that had everything we could wish for. There was also a bathroom. On the upper floor were enough bedrooms to fit all of us as well as two more bathrooms. Ever quickly disappeared inside one of the bathrooms, telling us that she was going to take a bath and that she was not to be disturbed. Freed also went for a shower while Bickslow went to take a nap before dinner that Laxus was left to make.

I wasn´t sure what I wanted to do so I followed Laxus inside the kitchen, hoping that I might be able to help him. After all, I was used to feed my entire team all the time while the Raijinshuu took turns.

Laxus agreed to let me help and while we worked on the food, we talked. Mostly about unimportant things but also a bit about what I had experienced during my time in captivity. And I found that talking to Laxus really helped.

"All I could think about while chained to that wall was how could Natsu just leave me? I can´t wrap my mind around it. I get that he´s happy that Lisanna is back and that he is protective of her and doesn´t want to lose her but how could he abandon me so easily?"

"I don´t have an answer for that Blondie, all I know that it isn´t like Natsu at all. I have a feeling that something is off about all this, maybe everything isn´t what it seems with Natsu and Lisanna? I don´t know what it could be though but it could be worth looking into when we get back…"

"I don´t know what it could be either… But I´d rather find something off about them than having to accept that Lisanna was jealous enough of mine and Natsu´s friendship to want me dead and Natsu not caring enough to save me…" I replied, tears gathering in my eyes and stinging when I refused to let them fall.

I looked dejectedly down at the floor, wishing that this whole nightmare was over and done with already. I felt hurt and betrayed by Natsu and Lisanna and I was afraid of everyone´s reactions when we returned back to the guild. How would they take the news that I was still alive and what would they say about my changes? Would Erza and Gray want me back on team Natsu? Could I ever go back to being on a team at all after being betrayed like that? Would I want to?

Suddenly large arms wrapped around my smaller frame and Laxus hugged me tightly against him briefly for a moment before letting go and returning to the stove. He shot me a look from the corner of his eye and told me softly.

"Don´t worry so much, I´m sure that everything will work out eventually." And despite his rough attitude I felt comforted by his words.

x-X-x

A few hours later the house was dark and quiet and I was supposed to be sleeping but I found myself unable to do so. I had too many thoughts running through my head to be able to go to sleep. I sat on the bed in my pajamas which were a pair of black silk boxers and a t-shirt that was way too big for me. Virgo had brought me these clothes and I liked them, they were very comfortable but I wondered where she had gotten them from since they held no traces of celestial magic. I was sitting there, pondering everything that kept spinning in my head when a rich golden light lit up the room and within the blink of an eye, my spirit Loke showed up.

"Princess! Are you alright? We felt your distress through our keys…" He said and kneeled in front of me so that he could see my face. I looked up at him with weary eyes and said.

"I´m fine Loke… I just have a lot on my mind…"

"Please tell me then princess, perhaps I can be of help." He said to me and even took off his blue tinted glasses so that I could see the worry in his eyes. He was as usual dressed in a black suit and in his wild orange-red hair was his cat-like ears almost hidden. I let one hand stroke hi hair for a moment before I spoke again.

"It´s just… I´m scared of what´s going to happen when I have to go back. I really enjoy hanging out with the Raijinshuu like this but I know it can´t last. Will Erza and Gray want me back on team Natsu? Do I even want to be on a team again after this? And what will everyone say? Will they believe my story or will they take Natsu and Lisanna´s side? What will they say about my changes? I just… I just don´t know if I can do that…" I said, for the first time admitting that I might not want to go back.

"Whatever happens you will always have us by your side. It is up to you to decide what you want to do but I think you should go back to the guild at least for a little while and then you can leave if they react badly but at least then you will know for sure." I nodded and pulled him in for a quick hug before releasing him and saying.

"I can do that, I think…" I promised and he gave me a smile that was quickly wiped away as he spoke again.

"About Natsu and Lisanna… I think there´s something going on there. There was a faint trace of unknown magic surrounding them during the last mission. Crux and I are trying to find out more but I want you to keep in mind that there might be a reason for what they did to you and it might not be the obvious one that Lisanna wanted you out of the way because of jealousy and Natsu choosing her over you. There might be something else…" As I listened to Loke´s words the more the idea that something was wrong with them seemed correct. That would explain how Natsu could abandon me so easily, something he would never do.

"You might be right… But until I know for certain I will not forgive him. I… I´m not sure I can forgive him for this…" I admitted and hid my face in my hands. Loke´s hands landed on my shoulders and he gently pushed me down until I was lying down on the bed, he then pulled the covers over me and lay down behind me, pulling me towards him until my back met with his front. Then he said.

"I´m not asking you to forgive him, but I know you and I can almost guarantee that you will forgive him, eventually. For now though, try to get some sleep. You need it princess." And with Loke´s comforting presence at my back I allowed sleep to take me over and for a short time, take me away from all of my troubles.

The next few days were calm and the stillness and tranquility that surrounded me worked as a balm for my soul. The last of my wounds healed up and only the scars remained. Every morning I went outside to sit on the beach while meditating and every afternoon I would call out Loke and Capricorn to help me train. I felt like while strengthening my body, I was also strengthening my soul.

The more time I spent with the Raijinshuu, the more I enjoyed it. Sure they bickered like anyone else but there was also this bond that kept them as close as family, even more so than the guild at large despite it being something we were famous for. And I found myself envious of that bond, while I considered Gray and Natsu as brothers and Erza, Levy and Wendy as sisters we didn´t have the same bond that the Raijinshuu had.

Laxus, while rough on the outside really had a soft core and a caring personality. He cared for his team and made sure that they all had what they needed. I learned that when Evergreen had broken up with a cheating boyfriend he had spent an entire night watching over her, lending her a shoulder to cry on and eating ice cream with her.

I learned that the reason Freed looked up to Laxus so much was because he had saved his life once and that while the guild thought that Laxus had learned to live with Freed´s behavior, he really saw Freed as a younger brother.

And when he met Bickslow for the first time when they were younger, he stood up for him against a couple of adult males that were about to beat him up simply because he was different and they felt threatened by his babies and dark red eyes that glowed a bright green when he involuntary used his figure eyes. Laxus then helped him train so that he could control his powers before bringing him with him to Fairy Tail. But the damage had already been done and he refused to be among other people without his metal visor protecting his eyes from being seen.

All of them were there for each other unconditionally and that was something I longed to experience myself. But I doubted that I would be able to trust another person again to that degree and that thought made me sad…

The Raijinshuu always included me in whatever they decided to do to pass the time but most of the times I declined and instead watched them from a distance. I felt the need to keep everyone at arm's length so that I wouldn´t be hurt again. I could tell that they were worried about me but I knew that if I opened up to them, it would only hurt more later when I had to leave them.

I didn´t actually want to leave them, but I knew I would have to. They had their own team and I had too much baggage…

I was distracted from my depressing thoughts when Laxus communications lacrima lit up and Master´s voice came through.

"Laxus my boy how are you? Everything alright I hope? I found a mission for you that meets your requirements, it´s a small mining village that are having trouble with some kind of monster in their mines. The mission is S-class but shouldn´t be more than you can handle, I have faith in you all."

"Thanks Gramps, we´ll head out tomorrow then." Laxus responded before turning the communications lacrima off. We were all sitting in the kitchen, eating dinner and after the food was gone Laxus ordered us all to head to bed early so that we could take the first train out in the morning. But when we stood up to leave he asked me to stay behind for a moment. First when we were alone in the kitchen did he open his mouth to speak.

"How do you feel about this mission? Do you want to join us or will you wait for us in the mining village as we take care of the monster?" I thought about his question seriously before answering, would I be able to join them on the mission without putting them in danger? If I froze up in fear because a bad memory resurfaced that would be really bad.

But I had worked with my spirits daily so that I would be able to do missions again and just as Loke had predicted, I was healing from the events that went down in the basement faster than I would have expected. Natsu abandoning me was still bothering me of course but I had a feeling that it would do so until I could get some answers to my question why. I had adapted to my new, improved senses so there shouldn´t be anything holding me back from joining them on the mission.

"I´d like to join you… If you don´t think I will cause trouble that is." I told him timidly and fidgeted with my keys.

"No I don´t think you will cause any trouble, I just don´t want you to feel pressured to joining us if you´re not ready." He told me while preparing to do the dishes.

"Oh… well then I´d like to join you." I said while grabbing a towel to help him dry the dishes. We worked in silence until the dishes were done and then we bid each other good night and returned to our bedrooms.

Tomorrow I would get to visit my parent's grave.

Let me know what you guys think! Love C