Chapter 4

Authors note:

Wow, I can't believe I am already on chapter four of this story. But I'm so thrilled to those of you are enjoying it, enjoying it. That's my dream, that my work will be loved and appreciated by those who read it. I hope my original work finds a way to touch those who read it. Anyway, thank you so very much for taking the time to read this fiction. To take the time out of your day to check out my work. I know it's not my best, but it's hard to make someone else's original work as good as if it were yours, but it's not. Fairy Tail belongs to, I believe someone named Hiro Mashima (pardon my butchering of the spelling of her name. I've only seen her name on others credits to her.). Anyway, after you read this chapter please review (criticism, as long as it's in a friendly manner, is welcomed) or favorite or follow. Thank you so very much! And enjoy chapter four of Fairy Tail Hits The Books!

Forever After,

The Author, Madalyn

-((・⊥・))-

Natsu had taken Lucy on a shopping trip to pick up some stuff for her room, while she protested greatly against it, her attempts were futile. The young man insisted upon helping his new friend to make the room all her own. They were currently on their way to Bins, a local furniture store in south Magnolia.

"Natsu, you really don't have to do all of this for me." Lucy said to Natsu as they walked across the street while the crosswalk sign allowed them to. Natsu had politely suggested taking a taxi, but Lucy refused, saying that if it wasn't to far of a walk then why waste the money. (Really she just didn't want the poor guy to have to deal with his motion sickness for such a short trip.)

Natsu chuckled slightly. "Of course I do Luce! You're my friend! And I always want to help out my friends. Where would I be without them?"

Lucy smiled at his statement. He's so sweet and at the same time, so damn naive. She finally let out a snicker. "Hope you have good judgement."

His face contorted into one of confusion. "Not sure. It's never been questioned." He had a finger on his chin, tapping it in thought. Then her turned to Lucy. "Why do you say that anyway?"

"Stabbing others in the back seems to be a common hobby of the human race. Wouldn't you agree?" She wore a weak and pained smile, causing Natsu to feel kind of bad for the girl in front of him. He had already been made aware of her trust issues, but until now, he hadn't realized how deep that went. Such pain could be seen in her chocolate eyes.

What trauma did she suffer to be put into this state? Natsu thought, and he really wanted to just ask her, but he knew that was not an option. It was her choice to open up to him, and he should wait until she came to him on her own divine.

"You know Luce, one bad apple doesn't ruin the bunch." Natsu was now staring at the clouds, heaving a sigh as he said his words. Lucy stared at him, her pain being rewritten with amusement.

She chuckled slightly. "Since when are you all philosophical?" She asked, causing a confused look from Natsu. She waved off her question, guessing Natsu didn't know what philosophical meant. "Anyway, one bad apple, at least in my opinion, can ruin the whole orchard." Her lips were turned down as she said that.

"Just to be clear, we are talking about people right?" Natsu asked, earning a facepalm from Lucy.

"Yes idiot!" She screeched.

"Yaaah! Damn! Watch your volume will you?" He laughed. "Mind telling me who the bad apple you're talking about is? Or is it to personal?"

"Not to be rude, but it took a lot to trust you to safely deliver me to the academy." She said with a laugh.

Natsu grinned and nodded his head in understanding. "I get it. Well…" He scratched the back of his neck, "really I don't. But I can accept if you aren't ready to talk to me about it. Just a FYI, I am here for you." Natsu had his hands in his pockets, and was releasing a very cool aura.

Lucy couldn't help but smile as she nodded her head. She really wanted to trust this guy. Lucy had lacked an individual she could rely on since her mother passed away. Her father had become so cruel afterwards, therefore there was no turning to him when she needed someone to confide in. She truly hoped that soon, she would be able to trust Natsu.

"We're here!" Natsu stated happily. Lucy took her eyes off the ground to see a decently sized building with a sign on top with the word Bins written on it.

Taking a glance through the the window, she saw the wonderful product the store had stocked. She heaved a sigh. "I don't think I can afford this. It was a nice gesture for you to take me here, but I'm pretty much broke." Her eyes had reclaimed their position on the ground.

"I'll pay for you this time. And then when we get back we will go on a mission, and you can pay me back. Deal?" Lucy looked at him, bewilderment in her eyes. A small grin took hold on her face.

"I couldn't ask you to do that for me." Lucy said sadly.

"What if I said that I was offering?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I would say you're very kind, almost to a fault. But nonetheless, I still can't let you do that. Do you realize how much money that would be?!" She inquired in a rhetorical manner. "I can't accept such an offering from you, as nice as it is. You just met me, and I don't plan to mooch off of the guy I just met."

"You're weird."

"Am not!" Lucy retorted.

"Are too! I'm offering, and it's not like you won't be paying me back." He said causing Lucy to think over his gesture, considering he made a valid point. "Luce, this is what friends are for."

He did it again. She thought with a goofy smile on her face. He called the girl he just met his friend. And I really liked hearing it. Are we, are we… Friends? No! No way! I just met the guy! He could be terrible! I don't want to take that risk!

"I don't think we have achieved the level of friends yet." Lucy said, still staring at the stores window. "But, I'll take you up on your offer."

"Great!" Natsu said, retrieving Lucy's hand and dragging her inside. As soon as they walked through the doors, Natsu turned to Lucy to make a small comment. "Oh! And before I forget. Whether you like it or not. We are friends now. Might as well accept it!"

Lucy stood there stunned as Natsu attempted to pull her further into the store. She was at loss for words, and her face was beginning to heat up. She took a deep breath before a small smile crept it's way onto her face. "Okay." She breathed the words out and then let Natsu pull her away into the store.

They returned back to Lucy's room, a truck scheduled to arrive at six o'clock. By the time they got back it was already five, so they only had an hour before their arrival.

She turned to Natsu. "You can chill in here if you'd like. I'm gonna take a shower before they get here." She reached into her yet to be unpacked suitcase, grabbing an outfit, hiding her lingerie in her shirt and skirt that she would be wearing so Natsu wouldn't see it, and waltzed into the bathroom. She slipped out of her clothes, taking a minute to stare at herself in the mirror. She eyed her body cautiously.

"If we are to get you a proper husband that will benefit the families fortune, you need to lose a few pounds Lucy! I will not have such a cow for a daughter!"

She cringed at the memory of her father's harsh words. She realized that a tear was falling down her cheek as she couldn't help but see only a pretty girl in the mirror. With how many times her father insisted she wasn't as beautiful as her mother, Lucy began to believe it. She still felt pretty, and did all she could to exude confidence. But on the inside, she felt as if she wasn't good enough. Lucy would never reduce to saying she was worthless, but she felt as if her father was right. She wasn't beautiful, she was simply pretty. In her eyes, she was a rag doll, trying to live up to her mother who was made from porcelain.

Finally, she tore her eyes from the mirror and placed a hand on the nozzle in the shower. She watched as the hot water flowed, and a thick steam clouded the room.

Finishing up her shower she looked around the bathroom in search of a towel. But a towel was nowhere to be found. Shoot! She thought. Lucy slowly crept out of the shower, and slightly creaked the bathroom door open.

"Uh Natsu?" She asked not looking out into the room.

She waited patiently for a response, and soon a groggy voice spoke. "Yeah?"

"You see, I forgot, you know, a towel…" She was beat red in the bathroom hiding her face behind the door.

Natsu chuckled. "They are on your dresser. Would you like me to grab you one?"

"Mm-hmm…" She mumbled.

"On one condition." He said in a devious voice. Lucy's eyes widened. "I want you to say that we are friends!" His grin turned cheeky, and Lucy couldn't stifle her laugh.

"Fine! We're friends Natsu. Now hand me the towel!" She said, reaching her hand around the door, so Natsu could hand her the fabric without seeing her naked form.

"Okay!" He giddily cheered, then walked over to the plain and boring dresser, grabbed a towel and handed it to her. "Here you go!"

She quickly pulled her arm back into the bathroom, closing the door in the process. Natsu was laughing slightly at how weird she was.

Within minutes she came back out of the bathroom, her hair soaking wet, draping down her back. She wore a simple black skirt and a blue tank top.

She eyed the dresser at the side of the room. "Tell me, why did we get me a new dresser if there was already one here?"

Natsu's eyes danced in a circle as if to say 'seriously!?'. "Simple Luce, that dresser was not your style. But the one you picked out, is!"

"And you know my style?" Lucy questioned with a laugh.

"Not yet! But if that dresser is anyone's style, then I feel pity. They must live one boring life." He said eyeing the plain brown dresser. Lucy's face began to sag. It looked like her father's work desk. And there was no way of saying his life was filled with excitement. His routine consisted of business trips and sitting in his office. He was never around the house, laughing or playing with his daughter. That all ended with the death of her mother.

Natsu noticed the sad look on Lucy's face as her eyes stayed glued to the dresser ahead of her. "You okay?"

Lucy blinked, snapping out of her trance. She brought her face to monotone nature and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure don't sound fine." He didn't want to push the subject but watching Lucy fee such pain, hurt him. He hated it and he wanted to at least know the cause of it.

"I'm a window, aren't I?" She said with a laugh, earning a look of confusion from Natsu. "You can see right through me, and yet, I'll never talk." (I felt like that was a real cool metaphor and I just wanted to point out that it's an original!)

"Huh? A window? What happens when you break then?" Natsu asked, still confused by the metaphor presented.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

He smiled. "Windows are made of glass, and glass breaks at some point. So what happens then? Is that when the 'window' finally responds."

She laughed. " I don't know." She declared. "I'll let you know what happens, if and when the window breaks."

"You know if the window would just talk, there would be no worry about breakage." Natsu said pointing a finger at Lucy.

"If the window were talk, then it wouldn't be a very good window, now would it?" She said, hands on her hips. She walked over to her own window, looking through it. "Then again, windows don't really have feelings either. That's where me and the window don't get along too well." She sighed heavily. "I feel too much pain to be a window..." Lucy's words were faded, and all to quiet. Natsu struggled to hear them even with his heightened hearing.

"What caused your pain Lucy? I see it in your eyes you know. Pain and fear. Sure you have happiness there too, but it can't mask your other feelings." Natsu was surprised with himself. It wasn't like him to sound so wise, but with Lucy, the words just seemed to flow. It was a foreign feeling to him.

"You really want to know huh?" Lucy asked and when Natsu nodded she sighed. "Alright, but you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

"Promise you won't give me a look of pity." Lucy eyes were pleading.

"I promise." Natsu said, crossing his heart like some school girl, bringing a small smile to Lucy's face.

After a final sigh she began her long explanation. "There was a time when everything in my household was happy. My father had tea parties with me, and my mother would read me fairy tales. But when I was only eight years old, mother was struck ill. My mother was strong and put up one hell of fight against her disease, but in the end, she lost." A small tear trailed down Lucy's face. "She had only lasted six months after finding out she was sick. My mother had past away, knowing full well she was going, in my arms. I was sobbing into her, begging her to fight harder. I told her that she couldn't leave me! I couldn't bear living without my mother. But, she left, and when she left I just cried my eyes out. The doctors told us that she was so brave. She fought so hard. My father and I knew they were attempting to make us feel better, and maybe it helped him. But for me, it just made it harder." Lucy was staring at her hands in her lap, tears streaming down. She held out from sobbing but she was so close to that point. "The funeral was a few days later. Until that day, I had completely fasted. I wouldn't leave my room and I kept my door locked and said I wanted no company. I felt bad for treating my servants, who were family to me, so awful. But I was so broken, I knew they would understand. When we went to the funeral, my father insisted that I look very nice. 'Wear your best dress' he said. He wasn't even. On earned with the fact that it was my mother's funeral. His wife! All he wanted was to present a happy front, as if we were unaffected. Maybe we could have moved on. Maybe I could have moved on. But my father, for him, moving on was out of the question. He changed that day. The day she died." She said clarifying. "He became cruel and power hungry. He didn't care about his daughter, whom was suffering in those walls. My father did his best to make the daughter of Layla Heartfilia's life a living hell. He never beat me, but thinking back. I wish he did. It would have been so much better than all the emotional torment he caused me. He said such nasty things, and I believed them. I believe them. That's why I ran away! I couldn't bear one more day with that man!" She screamed, a sob breaking lose and it was no longer under her control. Her words were gone, and breath was quickening. Lucy continued to keep her eyes directed towards her hands, but a pink haired someone brought her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry Luce. No one should have to go through that." Natsu said, and Lucy quieted her sobs for a mere second to take a glance at his face. She saw the tears on his face, staining his cheeks. She had expected pity, but was surprised to see pain.

She leaned her head into the crook of his neck and just kept crying. After fifteen minutes, they heard the sound of a horn honking.

"Your stuffs here." Natsu stated plainly. Lucy gave a small nod, and moved from her position on Natsu's shoulder. She was walking towards her door when Natsu finally found the courage to speak again. "Thanks again, by the way. You know, for opening up to me."

"Thanks for listening." She said with a smirk and the through in. "Remember your promise."

"Even if I managed to forget, I wouldn't feel pity for you. You're obviously too strong for pity." Natsu said, earning a full out smile and slight blush from Lucy.

"Thanks! Now let's get this room decorated!"

Natsu cheered. Together they left the room, and knocked on the doors nearby. They ended up fetching help from Juvia, Gray (who was still in Juvia's room), and Wendy. Heading outside, they met the people who drove the struck, signed for the delivery and brought everything in, replacing the old boring furniture with the brand new stuff. They had grabbed some accessories also, and when they had finished the room couldn't have looked better. It was simple and yet beautiful. The bedspread was now pink, the desk was now a dark oak with multiple compartment for her writing equipment. They had gotten a really pretty lamp to sit on top of it. The new dresser matched the the desk and had a fancy handle on each drawer. While at the store, they picked up a nice new mirror with an oak trim. As well as they got a lovely light pink rug for the room. Lastly, they picked up some paintings for Lucy to hand on her wall.

"Thanks guys for helping us set it up!" Lucy squealed. She was staring at her room as if it were a treasure trove.

"Now for that mission Luce!" Natsu exclaimed, snapping Lucy out of her trance. "You still have to pay me back. You insisted!"

"Yeah yeah!" Lucy said waving her hand to shut him up.

"Mind if we come? Me and my beloved Gray are in need of some money. I want to buy my beloved something wonderful!" Juvia squealed, now obviously in lala land.

"Yeah, I could use some cash." Gray confirmed, ignoring the visible hearts in Juvia's eyes.

"What about me!?" Wendy cried. "School starts soon, and I have no money for lunch!"

Natsu laughed at his friends, while Lucy just looked a bit uneasy. She didn't like the idea of traveling with total strangers. "Guess it's settled then! The five of us will go on our last summer job before school starts!" Natsu cheered raising a hand.

Three of them joined his hand raising while Lucy just stared. She wanted to scream no way. That this wasn't their deal, but she knew her attempts would be fruitless.

"Come on Luce!" Natsu whined, but Lucy's turned down lips didn't budge.

"I'll still go. I made a promise I'd pay you back, but," she started, "I am not gonna be happy about traveling a with people I don't know."

"Everyone in Fairy Tail is family. So know them or not, you're family, therefore, you must get along with them." Natsu said as if he were Mr. Smart Guy.

"I must?" She quizzed.

Everyone in the group nodded.

"Flame Brain here may be an idiot, but he's right." Gray pointed out.

Lucy sighed. "I've given up on family, but thanks anyway." She mumbled, and Natsu's eyes instantly dropped to the ground. He remembered what she said before about her family life and felt a little guilty. "Anyhow, I said that I would go, so can we? I don't like being in debt."

Natsu heaved a sigh. "Yeah, we can go." He turned to everyone else coming along on the mission. "She'll come around."

"I sure hope so. I feel kind of bad." Wendy said, looking down at her feet. "What made her so sad?"

Natsu put a hand on the young bluenette's shoulder. "Don't worry Wen! Luce is fine. SHe just needs to get to know you guys!" Natsu then grabbed Lucy's hand, causing her to glance up with wide eyes and red cheeks. "So let's go!"

Just as the gang was about to leave, to cats walked into the room. The blue one, Happy, and a white one that Lucy was yet to meet.

"Wendy! If you're going on a mission, then I will be coming along too." The white cat spoke.

Wendy smiled. "I'd love that Carla! Happy would you like to come along too?" She asked the blue feline.

"Sure! Me and Natsu can use the money to buy some yummy fish!" Lucy watched as Happy's mouth watered at the thought of fish.

Lucy stared at everything going on around her. All the smiling faces, and all the happiness. She couldn't help but think they were so lucky to feel such excitement. She wished she could feel that way. She did feel happiness, don't get me wrong, but the happiness she felt was nothing compared to the people (and cats) in front of her. She was now given circumstances in which she could feel such happiness. Her dad was cruel, and her only friends were her spirits, which she treated remarkably well.

"Luce!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy snapped out of her daze. "Mm."

"You were spacing out on us. Come on we're leaving!" He said excitably.

"Right!"

And with that, they left. They had gone down to the main board on the front of the building and searched through the job posters. Eventually they decided on one with a reward of one million jewel. The job was guarding a precious diamond during a big aristocratic party.

Good luck to them!

Authors Note:

Boom! Finished with chapter four. So yeah, not to much relationship-y stuff, but it was more backstory. And that backstory is key to the story! Poor Lucy huh? FYI criticism is welcome (as long as it's in a friendly manner), as well as I would appreciate reviews, follows, and favorites!

Forever After,

The Author, Madalyn