Lucy woke to being carried into a house by Natsu. She shrieked, and wriggled out of his grasp, only to fall on her broken wing.
"Fuck!" She clutched her back, and curled up. This pain was worse than the shocks.
"You alright, Luce? Was it that kick? I'm sorry. I got carried away. Please don't tell my parents, they kill me or worse, they'll tell Erza!" Natsu shuddered, looking scared.
"I'm fine. Don't stress. Let's get Wendy home!" Lucy grinned.
"We'll get you home too, Luce." Natsu grinned childishly, "It'll be so cool. It'll be like some investigation." Natsu was practically bouncing. Lucy was about to tell him that she has no home, but they were at their house.
Natsu walked in and yelled into what seemed to be an empty house.
"MUM, COME HERE I HAVE A SURPRISE!"
"Natsu, you know it's not the right time for sur-" In the door frame was a woman who defiantly didn't look like she could be a mother. She had blue hair, much like Wendy's, she looked like an older version of Wendy. She had a wise and smart aura about her, someone warm that she could trust. She ran up and hugged Wendy.
"You're home. Wendy, we missed you. We thought you were dead." She lifted her head to reveal that the woman was crying. "IGNEEL, GET HERE RIGHT NOW!" Lucy heard the footsteps of the man named Igneel, and then he appeared. He looked like Natsu, Lucy was pretty sure inheritance didn't work that way... yet again, she was a spit of her mother. Igneel joined in on hugging his daughter.
"Natsu, join in. This is a family hug." Boomed the voice of Igneel.
"No, way, Dad. I don't hug." Natsu puffed out his chest trying to act like the dominant male.
"Natsu!" Igneel said more sharply and Natsu, unwillingly walked to the family hug. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the cute scene unfolding in front of her, if only things were different for her.
"You too, Blondie. If it weren't for you Wendy wouldn't be home. Come on, hug it out." Igneel opened his arm out, to see Natsu smirking at her shocked face.
"I-I shouldn't!" Lucy stuttered. This wasn't how strangers were meant to act right?
"Ahwwaaa, come on, Luce. If I have to hug, you do too." Natsu pulled her in for a hug, earning an eep. "If I'm going down you're coming down with me." He whispered into her ear. To say Lucy was uncomfortable hugging was an understatement. She never felt this much affection in her life, and honestly it was too much. It also didn't help that she could feel Natsu's abnormally hot breath on her neck. She was the first to pull away, breaking the family + Lucy hug.
"Now, I need a bird doctor, vet or whatever you call it." Lucy smiled, gaining confused looks from everyone apart from Wendy.
"Hey, Hey Natsu. This chicks weird." Igneel whispered gaining a laugh of Natsu and a whack around the head from Grandine.
"I'm a vet, honey; Me and Wendy will set up the home surgery. Natsu, give-" Grandine looked towards the girl, expecting Lucy to give her name, but after a minute of silence she knew she'd have to asked directly. "What's your name, Sweetie?" She asked.
"Lucy, Lucy Heartfillia." She grinned as Grandine smiled softly back.
"Natsu, give Lucy a tour of the house. She will stay the night as it's getting late. Bring her to the surgery in 10 minutes." Grandine walked away, pulling Wendy with her.
"I've got to get back to work, but thank you Lucy. Really. You've made our family whole again." Igneel gave her shoulder a squeeze and walked up the stairs.
"Let's go." Natsu grinned, pushing Lucy up the stairs. Natsu and Lucy walked side by side, Natsu pointing out rooms as he spoke.
"That's mum and dad's room, that mine, right next to the bathroom, Wendy's is here and this is where you'll be staying." He opened the door to reveal a light pink room, it was so nice, Lucy could cry.
"OMG! I get a real bed!" Lucy laughed running and jumping on the bed. Regretting it as she landed on her injured wing.
"Obviously, weirdo." Natsu laughed.
"Hey, I'm not weird!" Lucy pouted, puffing out her cheeks. To her, Natsu was the weird one. She looked away from his intense gaze.
"I'm sorry, Luce. Don't be mad." Natsu gave her the puppy dog eyes. Usually, he would have laughed at her pouty face, but there was some unknown force was demanding that she wouldn't be upset. They chatted as if they were reunited childhood friends, they got on so well, argued often but could chat for days.
"I'll have to show you Happy la-" Natsu was cut off.
"NATSU, THE SURGERY IS READY!" Grandine yelled at the top of her voice making Natsu 'tsk'.
"Let's go, or she'll never shut up." Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her towards the surgery. Her heart started to race. This kind of feeling felt so new, yet so familiar. It was warm, like the Dragneel home; warm like the family love they felt; warm like Natsu hot breath on her neck as they hugged. Lucy couldn't get enough of it, like a moth to the light; Lucy wanted to cling to the warmth.
"Here we are, the surgery." Natsu's voice broke her train of thought.
"Thanks. Bye" Lucy gave his hand a little squeeze and she then walked in, closing the door in his face. Natsu stayed facing the door for a minute, in silence.
"Natsu? Why the hell are you staring at the door?" Natsu swung his head round to see his father smirking at him.
"No reason." He mumbled in reply. It had nothing to do with Lucy squeezing his hand and how it sent a pulse around his body. Igneel tried to hold in a laugh, having witnessed the whole thing, but chose now only to express his presence.
"Natsu, follow me." Igneel waved at Natsu to follow, leading him up the stairs to his office. Each wall was covered by a bookshelf, it was as if walls weren't there. He led Natsu to the small two seated sofa. He picked up the paperwork from his desk to show to his son.
"Look, see something odd?" Igneel asked his son, he highly doubted that Natsu would get it straight away.
"What am I looking at?" Natsu asked, proving Igneel right. It didn't surprise him, yet he still rolled his eyes.
"I research Lucy Heartfillia in the archives; there aren't many Heartfillia's, only one Lucy. But, there is an issue." He pointed to a date, "That is the year XXXX, it says that Lucy Heartfillia died 17 years ago. Lucy isn't even alive. Natsu, question her for me." Igneel then smirked, "Because you seemed very close already." Igneel waggled his eyebrows causing Natsu to groan.
"Dad, it's not like that!" Natsu slowly stomped to the surgery, in a similar manner to a child. He knocked on the surgery door before entering. Inside was Wendy and Lucy surrounding Grandine, who was collapsed on the floor. The strange thing was that, instead of two backs facing him, it was a back and as set of wings. Lucy slowly turned around to an angry Natsu.
"This is not what it looks like?" Lucy spoke quietly.
A/N: It's been long huh? I'm sorry. The good news is that I got the grades needed to go to 6thform/collage. I'll have less time from the 2nd, but I'll try my hardest. Anyway, I'm good, how are you? I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and tell me what you think!
Until next time, friends!
-THEBEASTHUNTER
