Another one shot. I don't own the characters. Just the story idea. Popped up after watching a bunch of old Nick Night re-runs...it's crack and a excuse to practice my action scenes. Might continue it...not sure yet. R&R-if you'd like more or have questions.

05/27-edited, fixed stupid mistakes, and clarified some things that where vauge and fixed some continuity issues I put in by mistake.

Bewitched

"I really had a great time."

"Yeah. Your going to meet us at the amusement park this weekend right?"

Lucy laughs. "Yes, of course. I'll just have to wear something casual."

"You'll look fine whatever you choose. I'll be here at 9am sharp!" Coral colored locks bob as the owner waves at her before hurrying down the steps and away. Sighing in happiness she turns around and walks inside her small two bedroom apartment.

"Have you told him yet?" Flat blue eyes stare accusingly at her from the couch, while petting their cat Pantherlily. Even the cat seemed to be accusing her, yellow eyes glaring.

"No. I haven't."

"It's dangerous to go this long without telling him. What if Lucy-san's adoptive father where to show up?"

"Juvia. We're just dating."

"A year. Juvia thinks Natsu-san is getting serious. Lucy-san is lying to him."

"I have not! I just haven't volunteered the information..." Putting her purse on the table by the door and hanging up her coat. "Lie of omission then. Gray-sama agrees with me."

"I really wish you didn't say it like that. What if he doesn't want to be with me then? What if he can't handle it?"

"Then Natsu-san is less of a man than Juvia thought and I'll turn him into a frog." she says easily as she pets Lily gently. The black cat leans happily into her hand purring deeply. His scar a stark contrast to his dark fur. Lucy goes to walk farther in when Juvia clears her throat. "No mortal clothes in the apartment.." Sighing Lucy waves her hand upwards fingers pointing first to herself then arcing gracefully up. Her party dress is exchanged for fine bell sleeved blue medieval styled dress, edged in white with a long gold belt that hangs low on her hips. Her hair falls from it's original high style to fall around her shoulders and curl inwards towards her face and take on a faint silver sheen. "Better?" She glares at her roomate who was wearing a gauzy ocean themed version of her garmets denoting her position from that area of the Jade dimension.

"Much."

"I don't see how it matters."

"When Lucy-san spends so much time with Natsu-san and friends, you seem to forget who you are. Juvia just wants to make sure Lucy-san doesn't forget."

"Fine whatever. Cocoa?"

"Juvia would like that."

"Whipped topping or marshmallows?"

"Whipped topping"

Lucy sighs as she sits and points at the coffee table between them. Two mugs of cocoa appear steaming merrily, one with whipped topping the other marshmallows. Juvia leans over, picking up her mug she takes a sip. "Hmm Lucy-san always knows how to make the best cups."

"It's all about the quality of ingredients. I spend good money on my chocolate."

"Equivelant exchange then. Alchemist had it right in some ways." she murmurs eyeing her friend. "Tell him. Lucy-san willl never be happy living like this you know. Natsu-san is only seeing Lucy-san in her mortal form, Natsu-san doesn't even know what Lucy-san really looks like."

"I thought this converstation was over."

"It will never be until Lucy-san, fixes the problem. The council is looking for reasons to pull us back." Lucy froze faintly worried. It was true. The Jade realm was leery of two of their more powerful witches where living in the realm all things magic had escaped from thousands of years ago. Especially with them being only 500 years old they where still young. "Witches" wasn't a really accurate term for what they where. They where more of a mage. "Witch" was a dervivitave for them of Wizard. Even if they are not the same as a 'real' witch. Real "witches" where either halfings who needed mediums to manifest their innate magical abilities (such as herbs, rituals, staffs, or even, rarely, familiars) or magic-less humans that have learned a few tricks by pulling from the magic left in nature. Lucy and Juvia, however, where innately magical needed no such crutches, could pull in magic and use it at will, and where similar to witches about as much as a kitten was to a Lion. Techically, from the same family, but in terms of power and capability the diffrence is striking and to the uninformed dangerous. "Real" Witches are rarely found on Jade and the term has evolved into a more useful one to simply mean a female Wizard of great power and skill. A title or station, if you will. Both she and Juvia had been awarded such titles after their involvment in the rebellion quelling of two years ago. Both had lost their parents in the war. Neither one choose to fight.

Both learned to grow up very quickly.

You learned to survive. That meant Fighting and hiding.

"All the more reason I shouldn't tell."

"All the more reason you should. If Natsu-san doesn't like it...Lucy-san can take his memory and call it quits. If Natsu-san is alright with it we can get a special sanction from Council member Dreyar. But none of this can happen if Lucy-san, doesn't do anything."

"Alright, alright...I...tell him." she huffs. A girl couldn't enjoy her cocoa in peace. "I have to meet him again this weekend. Maybe I can find a chance then."

"Juvia would suggest that you make one."

"You are pushy."

"Cana-called."

"Dammit. OH. Fine."

"Good."

"Mao~!"

"Great, now the cat's in on it."

Juvia just giggles.

Saturday,

Lucy stares down at her feet as she leans against the chains outside the amusement park. In her nervousness she had arrived nearly 20 minutes early. Wearing a denim skort and pink tank top, which matched the equally pink toes that peeked out of her sandals. She had pulled her hair back into two pig tails and eyed the pavement before her deep in thought, eyes distant behind her sunglasses.

"Of course I agree to tell and here, the day of, I feel sick with nerves. He's a nice guy. I'm sure he'd understand...maybe." she smiles absently as he mind wanders back in time to their first meeting.

It had been not long after she started her job at the new university as a secretary that she had met the delivery man. He came everyday at 10am sharp with a new envelope of some sort of import. He had been surprised at the new woman. Oh he had known that Mrs. Trace had retired, she wasn't that nice anyway...and smelled, rather rankly, of mothballs. But to be greeted by such a beautiful young woman who smelled faintly of oranges and vanilla sitting in the old bat's chair and apparently, as he tells it, making it very hard for him to do his job of handing over the envelope by smiling. It was a wonderful change of pace. Lucy giggles as she recalls while he was very friendly and they where quickly friends, but it took him more than a month to simply ask her out for coffee. What she remembers most was the feeling of pulling, of a warm blanket being pulled towards her and wrapping her in it's embrace when he smiled at her. The butterflies in her lower stomach only added her nerves to the situation.

That was over a year ago. When she had first escaped from Jade. It still happened when they where in private. She felt as if nothing could hurt them, that she would always be safe and accepted. That feeling is the only thing that she could hold on to to give her courage. Surely, he would know after all this time that it doesn't change who she is...just how she looks slightly...

And how old she is.

And that she had magical powers.

And that she's pretty much lied about almost everything about her past...

Damn this was looking less and less good.

"Lu-chan!"

She screeches softly in surprise she starts and nearly levetates off the ground, only to catch herself before going too far up.

"LEVY! God! You scared me!" Lucy clutches at her heart, more so to stop the instinctive offensive spell she nearly fired off than it is due to be startled. Not good. Her nerves was causing her magic to hover dangerously close to the surface today. She would have to be careful.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. But you seemed so deep in thought and didn't respond to me the first few times."

"Sorry...I've just had a lot on my mind."

"Natsu related no doubt." the librarian grins causing Lucy to frowns faintly in guilt. Was she that easy to read? Her days of being a Earthling have truly made her soft. "Yeah...I'm just worried..."

"He'll never get bored with you. I know it, so don't worry about it."

Lucy just laughs nervously. Yeah...she was just such a intresting character...one that could tell you where she was and what she was doing when his great grandparents where born.

Just then the entire group arrives. Much bigger than the double date she was lead to believe and two such sudden additions did not bode well for her.

"Juvia...Gray...it's such a surprise!" Juvia smiles at Lucy. "Juvia is here for moral support and because my beloved Gray-sama wished to visit a amusement park as well."

"Lucy, long time no see."

"But how...?"

Levy blushes. "Gajeel works with Gray and kind of invited them...that's ok right?" She goes up to hug the arm of the ridiciously tall and overly pierced man who was her husband.

"AH yes...of course!" never mind I have my roomate (who's a witch), and her boyfriend (who's an ice wizard), and both know what I am, are now here giving me the eye...great.

Cannot get any worst...

"Hey! Luce!? I want you to meet my little sister Wendy!" As she turned to look at Natsu, who looked all too yummy in his tank top and jeans, she noticed a very cute girl probably about 17 years old standing next to him wearing a white sundress. Her long indigo hair up in two pig tails on either side of her head. She felt calm and refreshing like a summer breeze. "It's so good to finally meet you Ms. Lucy! I've been very excited since I found out my brother was actually in a relationship that wasn't founded on food or fighting!"

"Hey, I don't have those kinds of relationships only."

"Gajeel-san fights you, Grey-san fights you, Mira-san at the resturant feeds you, you want to beat Erza-san, Laxus-san, and Elfman..."

"Alright! Alright I get it..." He huffs and looks away pouting. Lucy can't fight the laugh that bubbles up. Even as her stomach knots even tighter at the next thing that happens. Wendy jumps forward. "You just have to come for dinner tomorrow evening! Mother and Father have been inviting you for months and Natsu just...forgets to give out the invitation. So I'm giving it. You'll come won't you?"

"Hey, I don't forget! I just don't want to put her in a odd situation...you know how our parents are."

"Natsu, it's been a year. They just want to meet her. You can't keep hoarding her, you know." Lucy seriously thinks about politely declining. But the puppy eyes from Wendy and the casual but curious look from Natsu prevented it.

Sigh.

"Of course I'll come."

Provided your brother doesn't run screaming away from me after today.

"Great! Now Dad, can shut up..." Natsu cheers. Wendy glares at him.

"If you had just invited her before his nagging would'nt have happened." Natsu, however, had tuned her out and had grabbed Lucy's hand and was walking with definitive steps, towards the ticket counter.

The day from that point on was a series of fun moments inter-spaced with moments of unbearable tenseness. Juvia and Gray kept attempting to make private time for Lucy so she could talk but the group always broke free only to return the instant she had finally worked up the nerve. The limitations of not using their powers so freely in public with so many eyes watching was really very tiring to Juvia and she would actually get a bit irritated at other guests. Especially if one stared hard at her "Beloved Gray-sama" too hard and she couldn't turn them into a anphibian of some type.

It was well after 6pm when Lucy flopped onto a park bench and refused to move for at least 15mins, until her feet regained their feeling. The main group decided to try and find food, and Natsu elected to stay. They where really left alone, with the promise of catching up later. It was a few minutes before she broke the silence. "You could've gone." she murmurs. "I know your not tired and you *never* turn down food."

"No. But I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend leaving my extremely hot Girlfriend to sit in a darkened corner of a amusement park all by herself, now would I? Besides, I like being alone with you." He smiles that smile to Lucy, causing those wonderful feelings again. That magnetisim that sucked her in to his life and made this so much more difficult. "I love being with you Natsu."

"Besides...I think there's something you have been try'n to tell me all day. I thought now would be a good chance as they would want to finish up the park quickly so we can go grab dinner. Real food. I told the guys to take the girls and leave us when you went of the carousel with Wendy, Juvia, and Levy. They took the hint." Lucy blushes faintly before looking away.

"You, might not be glad you did that."

"Every chance I've taken with you I've always been glad about."

"This one isn't like the other chances. I have something to tell you that will probably change the way you see me. You may not even want me after I tell you this."

"Do you, or have you ever had a dick?"

"Natsu!? No!"

"Where you ever at anytime in your past a dude?"

"NO!"

"Thinking about becoming one?"

"HELL NO."

"Serial killer?"

"NO, no nothing like that!"

"Are you cheating on me with that Dan-dude in the office?" There was a very dark look at the mention of that name and eyes that seemed to faintly burn with a flame stare, unseeingly at her. At several office parties, she's had to stop possible fights. Dan had a bad case of diarreah of the mouth especially when it came to talking about women's body parts. He'd said things about Lucy's attributes one too many times in Natsu's hearing and earned a bloody nose.

"Where are you getting these!? No, I do not like that man! He gives me the creeps." Natsu relaxes suddenly, a tension she hadn't even noticed before, easing as he leans back against the seat, taking her hand. "Then I don't think what you could tell me would change how I see you and especially how I feel about you."

She looks down at their hands then back up to him. "Natsu, I'm not exactly...human..."

"What? That's funny Luce. If your not human what are you? An Alien?"

"Well, no, not exactly. You see...I'm-"

She only had a few seconds of warning to throw up a shield before the bright light of a blast spell went off around them. Who the hell would do such a thing!? It was forbidden to use such magic around mundanes!

"Oh look what I found. A lost little kitten. I wonder what I would get if I brought her head, home? And what's this? She has a human friend. Cute." The tall woman in white robes strolls forward out of the shadows tossing her silver locks back over her shoulder.

"Angel." she Lucy fairly hisses. She did look her name sake with her white gown, silver hair and lovely looks. Too bad she was a opportunistic bitch with a surperiority complex. And that was only skimming the surface of her laundry list of mental issues. Casting her senses about, the blonde, cusses as she missed the phase shield they had been contained in. No wonder there where no other humans around. She was getting rusty if she didn't sense that being cast...that took time and power and she had detected none. Either Angel was now that good or Lucy was that distracted.

She hoped it was the distraction.

"You only used a defensive spell. And you haven't fought back immediately, like I want. Do drop that ugly human guise. It's tedious and limiting. The idea that you would lower yourself down to this level...disgusting. But at least you have decently good taste in men."

"Lucy, what the hell it going on?" Natsu pulls gently at her hand attempting to pull her away. "We need to run." Before she could fully process what's happeing she's drug down one of the pathways away from the darker area. "If we can get out of the park."

"It won't matter, we can't out run her like this!"

"Why...? Oh." he slides to a halt as she is sitting on a wall in front of them. "Because it won't. Really. You are something else, Heartphilia, he doesn't even know what he's been going out with."

"What does she mean Lucy?" he whispers back towards her, eyes never leaving the woman warily, however his curiosity was peaked. Lucy looks up at him and drops his hand sadly "It's what I was going to tell you...I'm not human, Natsu." she turns to glare at the offending woman and walks towards her. With every step her human guise fell away leaving the otherworldly form that was what she was born with. "I am what my people call a "Witch" though perhaps "Mage" is probably a better term. And right now I'm rather pissed that this sorry excuse for one just attacked us."

"Bold talk from a woman that's been hiding in Earth realm since her parents official state funeral."

"Seeing as you where apart of the rebellion attempting to take control of the realm that caused their deaths five years ago I don't see how you have a right to speak. Traitor." Lucy steps back as she slashes out with her hand causing a stream of power to lash at Angel. She dodges in time but the spot she was standing in now has nasty scorch mark and fractured concrete. She could feel his eyes on her but she couldn't afford to look away. Angel was a half wit, but she was cunning and willing to put herself in mortal danger to win.

An easy opponent she was not.

She only hoped that Juvia and Gray would sense the power signatures and send the enforcers...but she couldn't depend on that.

She had to make sure that Angel was no longer a threat before...

She's smacked roughly through the men's bathroom outer wall. For once she was quite thankful that she wasn't human...that would've snapped her spine at minimum.

"One fire at a time, Lucy." She chastises herself as she pushes herself up from the tiled floor between two urinals.

"Exactly where human sympathizing filth like you deserve to be. Ah-hahaha- augh!" Lucy blasts her back in instictual irritation smacking her into several trashcans down a path. "Skank." Sensing movement to her right and crumbling debris, she looks up into a set of concerned eyes.

"N-Natsu..." Lucy whispers softly.

"Are you ok?" he reaches out a hand to help her up. "I don't really get what the hell is going on but I do know she's attacking you, and I don't like that."

"Natsu, you need to get out of here, I will handle her. Find everyone else and stay..."

"LIKE HELL!"

"Natsu, don't be foolish!"

"NO YOUR the one being stupid. You think I'm going to just run away and leave my girlfriend here alone to fight some uppity bitch? She attacked US. We where having a great time today, and here she comes... I'm going to do whatever the hell I can to help you stop her."

"It's too dangerous, Natsu."

"I don't give a damn, Lucy. I am not leaving you." The firmness and the sincerity of the words coming from his mouth cause the young woman to pause.

This.

This was but one of the reasons why she loved the man in front of her, so much. He was ill-equipped to be in such a situation, but without hesitation of questions about his own safety, he was here with her and even concerned about her well being. Words like "Helpless" and "Hopeless" never seemed to enter his vocabulary.

Some would call him foolishly naive.

Ignorant even.

But none of that was true. He's been through hell as well, had his fair share of hurts and pains, of situations not playing in his favor. But he choose to always focus on the positive, not because he was stupidly optimistic, but because it made his, and those around him, quality of life better. And even if only for a little while he could put a smile on you face with such observations, at least the pain that came wasn't without a counter balance.

The hope of better tomorrow. That the pain of today, won't last forever.

Smiling and fighting tears she takes his hand and she can't help but shiver as that familiar spark ignites between their hands and seems to travel up her arm making her feel abnormally warm. She had always chalked it up to chemistry and hormones between them. People always said they seemed 'hot' together. But...

What if it was more than that? Starting out of her thoughts she yanks Natsu out of the way of a laser of white light before responding with her own. "Keep her busy, Luce. I'll get close." Natsu murmurs as he allows the momentum of Lucy's pull to kick off a run.

Lucy frowns but nods absently as she focuses on Angle fully for the first time since she arrived. Cocoa orbs hardening in anger, she got serious. Being Celestrially based, Lucy's attacks could take a while to summon, however she was favoring her fast spells that did serious damage. Things that she'd shied away from historically due to the damage they tended to do. The rain of lasers coupled with the use of water from the fountain was odd, but effective, and potentially deadly if she didn't stay alert. She'd either drown or be burned, horribly, with little chance of healing as the celestial power would burn her and immediately cautuerize the wound, sealing it off instantly. With nothing to work with really, health would be difficult to restore to the effected limb without scarring. Angel was very proud of her pristine complexion and unblemished skin.

Angel, not really expecting much was caught off guard by the viciousness of Lucy's attacks, is at a momentary loss trying to come up with a equally formitable counter attack. Before leaving Jade, Lucy could not multi cast like that, and she was sure she couldn't have been practicing here...

*crack *

Her train of thought is forcibly derailed by something very hard hitting her jaw, not only snapping her head to the right but also tossing her. Angel's body rag-dolls through a nearby tree.

Which was over 20yrds away.

Lucy blinks. She knew Natsu was a fighter and very strong but...

Sitting up Angel stares at Natsu in shock and more than a little anger.

"You...dare mess up my face!? You WORTHLESS PIECE OF GARBAGE!?" Lucy tosses another force shockwave up side her head knocking her back a few paces, long enough for Natsu to move in again to lay in with a stunning combination of jabs, roundhouses and a uppercut.

Distantly she could feel someone working on the shield keeping them inside. Someone was coming...finally. She turned her eyes toward the direction for only a moment.

All it took was a moment. Next thing she sees is Natsu being tossed across the open park area crashing head first into the fountain, shattering several of the character statues in the process.

"Natsu!?" Lucy teleports over to stand on the edge, eyes frantically searching the shallow depths.

He goes under and a pool of red rises to the surface, clouding the water.

"NATSU!?" the cry is pulled from her throat before she relalizes it was rising from her, she searches frantically for his familiar and comforting spark. Tears gather as she finds none.

She turns around to glare at the cackling behind her.

"Petty human, the fact that he dared, touch...me. He deserves it. He should've just ran like you said. This is why getting attached to humans are a bad idea, Lucy. I'm only doing this for you. Well, and the bounty on both you and Lockstier's heads among the dark guilds..." Lucy walks forward glaring power crackling with anger. "I will kill you."

"You could try, but like before, you've never succeeded."

"I wasn't trying before." a soft hissing fills Lucy's ears as the heat of her anger washes over her.

"Now, are you going to moan some more or can we continue?"

"OH yes, lets continue." the third voice is dark and angry in it's tone. Lucy feels Natsu's spark, blink back into existence and suddenly flare up like a nuclear explosion at the same time all the water from the fountain spontaniously boils and explodes outwards in a fantastical show of steam. A pair of glowing red eyes stare menacingly from amid the cloud. "I have much to pay you back for, bitch." Gone was the warm and comforting voice that Lucy had come to associate with Natsu. In it's place was one that was blistering in it's scorn, the heat of his anger radiated out from him in waves. This power, this overwhelming feeling of pressure...

In Jade only one creature did such a thing and you avoided crossing them at all costs. They where the top of the food chain in magic, age, and culture. To anger one was usually a death sentence. They held positions on all major Jade councils from top to bottom. But they rarely left Jade as they would be forced to remain in human form, and that form was generally felt by their kind to be stifling.

"You interrupted my relaxing day out with friends, insulted, attacked, and attempted to bully my girlfriend, and now you actually managed to make her cry."

Angel pales and begins to tremble as she starts thinking along the same lines as Lucy. He laughs softly. "And to think I was just going to rough you up a bit...now I might actually have to kill you. And I really wanted to avoid that..." around him a fiery aura of a massive fire dragon appears waving his pink locks. "Explaining deaths to the Enforcement Council is a hassle...but seeing as you had a large hand in the coup five years ago, killed, and caused many deaths, attacked, with the intention of killing my Chosen woman, and is still at large...I don't think they'll mind too much."

Lucy stares in awe. He was breath-taking.

Well, it seemed like she wasn't the only one with secrets.

They where going to have to have a very long talk when this was over.