Chapter 4
Lucy stopped writing in her novel when she felt something wet hit her wrist. She set her pen down, and closed her book, as more tears started to fall. She shakily sighed and put her head down in her arms, as it seemed that the floodgates weren't planning on closing. She pressed her face further into her arms to silence the sounds of her crying. She didn't want to wake her daughter. They had been home for a few hours, but her daughter needed rest. The shock about her daughter was fullly setting in. She never blamed the father for the amount of magic that was threatening Lily's life. But now that she knew it was her own magic that caused this, she felt horrible. She never really ever felt good enough, but right then, for the first time, she didn't feel good enough to even be a mother. It was her own fault that her daughter could possibly die, and she would never forgive herself, no matter the outcome.
"Mama?" A small voice travelled to her ears, and Lucy sniffled, quickly wiping away her tears, before trying to smile down at the concerned face of her daughter.
"Are you feeling better, sweetie?"
Lily nodded and held both of her arms up, indicating that she wanted to be picked up. Lucy did just that, and set her on her lap, wrapping her arms around her as Lily immediately hugged her neck. "Mama, why are you crying?"
"Nothing to worry about, sweetie. Mama was just thinking too much again." Lucy sighed as she rubbed her daughter's back.
Lily frowned. "Was the big, scary man mean to you?"
A watery laugh escaped her lips, and she shook her head. "No. He's not really that scary, is he?"
"A little." Lily mumbled. "I think he's mostly grumpy."
Lucy sighed. "Yeah, that he definitely is."
Lily pulled back to sit on her mother's lap. "I'm sorry I worried you, mama."
Lucy cupped her face in her bandaged hands. "Don't apologize, sweetie. It's my job to worry about you. Don't think for a second, that any of this is your fault, because it's not. Understand?" She smiled when Lily nodded. "All I want you to do, is try your best when Laxus is teaching you. You have the potential to be one of the best mages this world has ever seen. And I know you'll get there, it's just going to be a bumpy road for a little while."
"You really think so?" Lily asked with wide, excited eyes.
Lucy grinned. "I know so. And I'll be with you every step of the way."
Lily grinned. "Thanks, mama."
Lucy chuckled, "Always." She placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, making her daughter giggle. "Are you hungry?"
"Mmhmm!" She nodded vigorously.
"Good! Cause I'm starving! How about we go find a nice place to eat in this city?" She placed an excited Lily on the ground, before she stood up and stretched.
"Ooh! Yay! Yay! I wanna see the pretty city!" Lily clapped her hands together, and dashed into her room to get her shoes.
Lucy chuckled and shook her head, before she sighed. She looked at where her daughter had disappeared to, and she whispered to herself. "I just want to do right by you, baby." She took a deep breath to settle her emotions, before she too grabbed her shoes.
"Look, mama! It's a flying cat!" Lily grinned open-mouthed.
Lucy followed her daughter's gaze, and her her jaw dropped slightly. Sure enough, a blue cat, with wings, was flying down to land on a man with pink hair's shoulder. They both seemed to be interested in one of the vendor stalls. As she was staring at them, she noticed blonde movement out of the corner of her eye, and she blinked in time to see Lily running up to them. "Lily!" She shouted as she ran to catch up to her daughter.
"Mister, mister!" Lily tugged on the pink haired man's pant leg. When the man blinked and looked at her, she pointed her finger at the cat on his shoulder, and grinned. "Your cat has wings!"
He laughed. "He sure does, kid! This is Happy!"
"Aye!" The cat cheered as he flew down to land on the little girl's head.
"Your cat can talk?" Lucy awed as she stopped right behind her daughter.
"Of course he can!" The man grinned at her.
"Aye! Don't be mean!" The cat said, holding on for dear life as Lily started laughing and spinning in circles.
Lucy giggled at her daughter's excitement, before she looked at the man. "I'm sorry for interrupting you guys. My daughter can get really excited."
He laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'm Natsu!"
"Lucy." She smiled and accepted the handshake he presented her with, then pointed to her twirling daughter. "Her name is Lily. We were supposed to be finding a place to eat."
"You guys new here?" Natsu tilted his head.
"Mmhmm!" Lucy nodded. "Just moved in the other day."
"Well, we were about to grab some food too. Why don't you guys join us!" He grinned, making her smile as well. They both looked over to see Happy laughing as he flew low to the ground, while Lily chased after him. "Besides." Natsu laughed. "I don't think we're gonna separate them anytime soon!"
Lucy giggled and shook her head with a smile. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"
"Alright!" Natsu grinned and fistpumped the air. "Food!"
Lucy grimaced as she held her hands in front of her face, trying to shield herself from the onslaught of food flying everywhere. "Just how much do you eat?" She cringed as some hot sauce plopped into her daughter's hair.
Natsu ignored her question as he stuffed more food into his mouth. A giggle to his left made him turn, and he blinked as Lily's bright eyes were practically studying him. He swallowed the remainder of food in his mouth, and leaned his face towards her's. "Watcha staring at?"
"You." She covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled again. "You're funny."
He tilted his head. "Why am I funny? I wasn't tryin ta make you laugh."
"You eat weird." She grinned.
Natsu puffed out his cheeks. "Well, your face is weird."
Lily pouted and crossed her arms. "It is not! Your hair is weird!" Lucy sweat dropped as she watched a man her age fight with her kid.
"My hair's not weird!" He pouted. "Your smell is…familiar." His eyebrows drew together as he sniffed her closely.
Lily squeaked and pushed his head away. "Stop smelling me! It's weird!"
"What do you mean, her smell?" Lucy asked, not in the least concerned about him smelling her daughter. He wasn't a threat of any kind, hell, he was more of a kid than her own daughter.
"Natsu's a Dragonslayer!" Happy chirped from behind the fish he was eating.
Lucy eyes snapped open wide. She hadn't failed to notice the Fairy Tail emblem on his shoulder, but if he was a Dragonslayer as well, then...Oh no..no, no, no! He knows Laxus! And she probably smells like him since he's her father! Oh, god! He's gonna kill me!
"That right!" Natsu grinned. "I'm the fire dragon slayer! Everybody has their own scent, I can smell them, but…" he then turned his attention back to Lily. "I can't really place it, but your's just smells familiar."
While Lucy was internally freaking out, Lily tilted her head. "So, you're a mage?"
Lucy was half a second away from biting her fingernails out of anxiety. She hadn't thought to tell her daughter not to mention Laxus to anyone. Fuck if she wasn't regretting it right now.
"I just said I was the fire Dragonslayer, didn't I?" Natsu grumbled.
Lily grinned excitedly. "We're mages too!"
Oh god. Lucy could practically feel her armpits getting damper. She would just have to change her shirt later...if she was alive later.
"Oh yeah?" Natsu grinned again. "What guild ya from?"
Lucy let out a breath while her eyes remained wide. She felt like she just escaped with her life. Like a bullet just missed her head by two inches...she just dodged a very fucking close bullet, and she could have sworn her life had flashed before her eyes.
"We aren't from a guild." Lily proudly exclaimed.
"Well…" Natsu then turned to Lucy. "Why not?" He didn't seem to notice her dazed expression.
"Huh?" Lucy shook her head and discretely swiped the sweat from her forehead. "Oh, well. We just haven't I guess."
"I have a great idea!" Happy shouted. "You guys should come to Fairy Tail!"
"That's a great idea, Happy!" Natsu shouted as well.
"Sorry, but we're not going to join a guild." Lucy hesitantly decline.
"Well, then at least come by and see it!" Natsu insisted.
Lucy shook her head. "No."
"Please, mama!" Lily pleaded with puppydog eyes, suddenly appearing right next to her. "I've always wanted to see a guild!"
Lucy's heart melted at the sight. "Sorry, baby. We shouldn't."
"But, why not?" Lily asked as tears started to appear in the corners of her eyes.
Lucy chewed on her bottom lip, her heart cracking at her daughter's unshed tears. The way her daughter looked right then was exactly how she felt when Laxus told her she couldn't see Fairy Tail. She had always wanted to see it, and here was an opportunity to just pop in. They could just peek in, take a look around, and walk back out right? Could he really get mad at that?
Oh god, how badly she just wanted to say yes, but as much as she denied it, Laxus kinda scared her. As much as she despised him, and as much as she yelled at him, cuz he infuriated her to no end, he could literally rip her in half. He was a massive man, his muscles had muscles, and as hot as it was, it was fucking terrifying cuz he hated her with his entire being. She couldn't deny it. He was a terrifying individual, he's probably ripped trees apart with his bare hands, so she really didn't want to do anything to further herself onto his bad side. But….she really wanted to see Fairy Tail. "I dunno…"
"Aww, c'mon! What harm could it do?" Natsu grinned at her.
A lot. It could do a lot of harm. Lucy slightly glared at him.
Lily could see the wavering in her mother's eyes, and she latched onto it immediately. Grabbing ahold of her mother's hands, she let her tears fall as she stuck out her bottom lip. "Please, mommy! Pretty please! I'll be really good! I just wanna see it!"
Lucy groaned as she looked at her daughter. She knew what she was doing, but she also knew that she would probably be shedding quite a few real tears as her training gets more underway. She's already had such a hard time, from the moment she was born. Lucy sighed. She hated that the road ahead was going to no doubt be hard on her daughter, so if she could give her this small happiness, she would. Even though she would most likely have to face the wrath of Thor, she just wanted to see her daughter happy. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing young lady." She smirked as Lily's tears immediately stopped and she pouted. "But," she flicked her daughter's nose. "Alright. We can go."
Lily's face broke out into happiness brighter than the fucking sun, while Natsu and Happy both cheered. "Really?!"
"Yeah." Lucy smiled. "But on two conditions."
"Anything, mama! Anything!" Lily bounced excitedly in her seat.
Lucy looked over just as the grinning man and his cat high fived. "Can you two give us some privacy for just a second?"
"Sure." They both chorused as they just stuck their fingers in their ears.
Lucy rolled her eyes. It was good enough, she supposed. She leaned down to be eye level with her beaming daughter. "This is very important okay?"
Lily's face turned as serious as she could muster, but she was still smiling, and her eyes twinkled.
Lucy glanced at the two on the other side of the table, before she held up a finger. "Number one: Never show anyone your magic unless I give you permission. Okay?"
Lily tilted her head and frowned, but nodded nonetheless.
"Number two." She held up a second finger. "Don't tell anyone about Laxus or about your training."
Lily nodded, but her eyebrows creased. "I won't, but why?"
Lucy smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, successfully making her giggle. "Because we need to keep it a secret. It's our own secret mission, and only those who are worthy can know about it." She watched as Lily's face broke out into excitement. "You promise?"
"I promise, mama!" Lily beamed.
Lucy pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Good girl. Now let's go see Fairy Tail!" She couldn't keep the excitement out of her own voice.
They both slid out out of the booth, and she tapped Natsu's shoulder, giving him a thumbs up. He immediately took out his fingers and grinned as he shot up from his seat. "Alright! Let's go!"
"Aye sir!"
Lucy grinned, excitement seeping through her pores as she took her daughter's hand and started following them out of the restaurant. Before she could get far, however, someone tapped her shoulder. She looked over to see and angry waitress, who thrust a receipt into her hand. She looked at the price, and her eyes bugged out of her head. She whipped her head around, only to see Natsu already outside the restaurant, walking away. She grit her teeth and mumbled under breath, "That dirty bastard." She silently cried as she handed the fuming waitress her entire wallet's contents.
Pfhaha well, that was fun to write. I just love how Lily is so cute, cheeky, and sneaky. No surprise that she wasn't scared of Natsu.
I wasn't gonna write a new chapter of this before I updated a different story, but you guys are just too awesome. I'm not sure if it was for this or not, but a guest reviewed and called me mi'lady. Someone else called me author-san. And let me tell you, I swooned. I literally giggled for a good five minutes, so thank you for that. My face is still red.
Oh yeah, I didn't even think about it until a mom reviewed, but this is the first time I've had a kid in a story. That's slightly terrifying. I'm not a mother, so I don't really know how it goes, but I'm old enough to get wasted legally, so I guess I should have a general idea. I don't really remember being a kid, I'm never around kids, and I can't remember how my own mom was with me, so apologies if she doesn't act like a kid should at times. But everyone generally knows how kids are, so I guess I shouldn't worry. Yeah, no, I got this, it's common sense. I have no reason to even be bringing this up anyways, ignore this, I'm just tired and too lazy to delete it now. Moving on.
Well, my cat practically begs me for licks now, so there's no surprise as to what I'm gonna do to her. Hehe. I love you guys! Muah! ;)
