Chapter 4

Have Some Faith

Neither Freed nor Lucy had been to the guild for three days following their little spectacle. Everyone was dying to know what they were up to. After checking at Freed's place it was determined that the two of them must be at Lucy's. Problem was, no one in the guild seemed to know where her new place was. It appeared that she had even refused to tell her team where she now lived. Laxus was getting very irritable at this point and he couldn't stop his mind from imagining all kinds of inappropriate scenarios between the two. Bickslow and Evergreen had given up trying to talk to the man. It was clear to all by the sparks emitting from him that he was in a foul mood.

Finally, around noon on the fourth day, the guild doors opened and in walked Freed and Lucy. Their arms were laden with books and they were whispering to each other. Not many paid them much attention as they walked to an empty table near the stairs, but the second Laxus caught their scents he ripped off his sound pods and was listening to their every word from his normal perch on the second floor.

"…you made a promise, Freed," Lucy whispered sternly.

"I know, but-"

"No!" she said flatly. "You promised me you would keep this private. You can't tell anyone!"

"But, Lucy," Freed whispered desperately as they set their books down on the table. "I honestly think they could help us. I know you wanted to keep this quiet but it's just not ideal! We could cover so much more ground if we had help from others. There isn't much time to find-"

"You think I don't realize that, Freed?" Lucy sighed. "I'm the one this whole this effects. Trust me, I know the risks of not telling anyone. Besides, we've still got a year and a half left."

"That's if it doesn't start failing before then! Haven't you already had to have Loke make an adjustment to it?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "I already told you, that was a special circumstance. Going from the Spirit World to ours put some strain on its magic, but it's fine now. There haven't been any problems since."

Freed seemed frustrated now. "Lucy! Just because it hasn't happened yet again, doesn't mean it won't! We need outside help!"

"I told you, we have outside help. Yukino, Crux, and Master have already agreed to help us. I even have Princess Hisui looking."

"What if that's not enough?"

Lucy sighed again as she slumped her shoulders. "It is plenty. But, if it will make you feel better… how about this; if we can't find anything in the next nine months, you can bring them in, too."

"Nine months!" Freed exclaimed. "But, Lucy, that's-"

"It's exactly half of the time we have left," she interrupted. "If we can't figure it out by next spring, then I'll agree to let others in." Lucy gestured to all the books on the table before them. "Look at all the progress we've already made, Freed. We've gotten so much farther than I would have on my own! We make a good team, Freed. I'm confident that we can find answers before spring even gets here."

Freed was silent for a moment before he seemed to cave. "Fine," he sighed. "Next spring. But if anything happens before that, if it acts up again, I'm telling them."

"I guess I can live with that," Lucy agreed.

What the hell? None of this was making sense to Laxus. What on Earthland were they talking about? Finally, Laxus had had enough. It was time to get some answers. He stood abruptly and gestured for Bickslow and Evergreen to do the same. Swiftly, the trio made their way down the stairs. Their approach went unnoticed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Laxus demanded when he finally stood behind the two mages.

Freed flinched but Lucy seemed to be prepared for such an interrogation. Patiently, Lucy turned to face the fierce looking dragon slayer and the two who flanked him. "I'm not sure what you mean, Laxus," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Don't try to pull that shit with me, Blondie," he seethed. "What's going on? What's failing? What has Loke had to make adjustments on? Why do you need Freed?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "Eavesdropping again, I see. Didn't you learn your lesson the last time, Sparky? Or do I have to remind you to mind your own business again?"

Laxus growled. What was it about this woman that could make him want to throttle her and kiss her all at once? It was maddening. "Just tell me what you need Freed for."

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "No," she said.

"Blondie!" he hissed warningly.

"No, Laxus. My purpose for needing Freed is none of your concern."

"He's a member of my team!"

"Freed is his own person and he can make his own decisions. I came to him with a little problem-"

Freed snorted. "Psh…little…"

Lucy glared at the Rune mage before she continued. "-and he agreed to help me. This is a private matter that I have no desire to discuss with you, Laxus."

"It sounded like something important," he retorted, crossing his arms as well.

Lucy nodded. "It is important, but that doesn't mean it's any of your business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Mira. Apparently she has a special request mission she wants me to take a look at." Lucy quickly sidestepped the group and left to find the white-haired take-over mage at the bar. Laxus, Bickslow, and Evergreen all turned to Freed who was rubbing his temples in apparent anxiety.

"What the hell is going on, Freed?" Bickslow asked.

"Spill," demanded Evergreen.

"I can't," he said as he looked at each of them.

"Bull shit," Laxus practically growled again.

Freed sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't wish to keep secrets from any of you but, I've already promised Lucy to keep it quiet for now."

"This is ridiculous," Evergreen said irritably as she put her hands on her hips. "What could possibly be so bad that Lucy wouldn't even let you tell us? We're your team!"

"I'm dying," Lucy deadpanned from behind them. They all turned to face her with a mixture of expressions, namely confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean, Cosplayer?"

Lucy kept her expression as one of mild boredom with a hint of irritation. "It means exactly that. You caught me. I'm dying of an illness and I need Freed to help me find the cure." Lucy looked at each of them in total seriousness before she rolled her eyes. "Seriously, guys? If I won't tell your human lightning rod of a leader, what makes you think I'll tell the rest of you?"

Bickslow and Evergreen exchanged hurt looks. Lucy instantly felt bad for telling the truth but acting as if it was a lie. "Look, you guys," she added offering them a small smile. "I've already made a deal with Freed. He's helping me with a mission of sorts and we agreed that if he and I can't figure it out by next spring, we'll ask more people for their help."

"Lucy," Evergreen pleaded quietly. "Please tell us what's going on. I'm worried about you."

Bickslow nodded in agreement. "So am I, Cosplayer."

"We're all concerned, Blondie," Laxus said softly.

Lucy paused and looked at Laxus in awe and curiosity. She was not expecting him to be so soft spoken. She smiled warmly at him but he could see the sadness in her eyes and his heart clenched almost painfully.

"I know you all worry," she said carefully. "I promise, when it's time, I'll tell you guys everything. Have some faith in me, please? That's all I ask." Lucy adjusted her posture and reached for her books before they could protest. "I'm sorry, Freed, but I have to go. There was an emergency request for me in a small village near Clover Town."

Freed's eyes grew wide. "You're taking a mission? Now?"

Lucy chuckled. "Yes, I am."

"But, Lucy, what about-"

"Oh, it's fine, Freed. This mission shouldn't take more than a week. Actually," she said pulling out the request flyer. "I wouldn't expect to be gone more than a few days." Bickslow took the flyer from her hands, looking over it curiously.

"Lucy, it really isn't wise," Freed continued.

Lucy cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's fine, Freed, really. The train ride there is, like, four hours long. I'll have plenty of time to search through these books on my way there. If I find anything, I'll let you know. You still have that spare communications lacrima I gave you, right?"

Freed nodded. "Yes, but that wasn't my point. I'm more concerned about your safety."

Lucy snorted.

"Freed's right, Cosplayer," Bickslow said seriously as he handed the flyer back to her. "This mission looks dangerous. You shouldn't go alone."

Lucy just waved him off. "I'll be fine, Bickslow. It's just a small problem with a spirit. Nothing I can't handle."

"Small problem?" he said incredulously. "That spirit had been destroying the town and terrorizing its people for a month! With the size of that reward, I'm surprised it's not an S-Class mission!" They had been expecting Lucy to roll her eyes and argue but instead they were all surprised when she chuckled lightly. "I'm not seeing what's so funny," Bickslow glowered at her as he crossed his arms.

Lucy snorted at his child-like response. "It's sweet that you're worried, Bixy," he blanched at the somewhat girly nickname. "But trust me, I'll be fine. This spirit will be easy to deal with."

"How can you be sure?" Freed asked calmly, though Lucy could see his concern.

The Celestial mage smiled mischievously at the group. "Because I'm about ninety-eight percent certain I already know which spirit it is. And if I'm correct, he'll be easy to handle."

Evergreen tilted her head in curiosity. "Which spirit is it?"

"An old friend," she replied gently before frowning. "Hopefully, anyway. There is a small chance it could be someone else. That could be a bit of a problem… hmmm… ah, well, won't know until I get there!" Lucy smiled and shrugged before she turned to leave the guild again. She did her best to wave at them without dropping her books. "Be back in a few days, guys!"

Laxus

Before anyone could stop her, Lucy was gone and all of them were left with a sense of uneasiness and a little bit of foreboding.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Boss," Bickslow said.

Laxus nodded. "So do I."

"Then let's follow her."

Laxus was about to agree when a voice sounded from behind them. "I wouldn't do that if I were you guys," Mira warned them. They all looked at her quizzically. "Don't you guys remember why Lucy left in the first place?" Mira scolded them in her motherly way. She sighed. "Lucy has been off training for a year. She's a lot stronger and she's much more confident in her abilities now. If you guys follow her on her job, she'll be upset that you guys don't trust her enough to take care of herself." They all exchanged looks. Mira was right and they knew it, but they couldn't quite bring themselves to stop worrying. Mira saw their resolve and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine, follow her if you want," she said as she made to return to the bar. "But don't say I didn't warn you when she catches you and kicks you all into next week!"

All four of them flinched, knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of one of the Celestial mage's famous kicks. Laxus couldn't shake the bad feeling he had, though. It seemed that Bickslow couldn't either, so, they decided to follow her despite Mira's warning. Freed and Evergreen decided to stay, however. So, within the next hour, the two men found themselves buying train tickets and sneakily following Lucy onto the train. So far, she hadn't noticed them and the two were desperately trying to keep it that way. Neither of them had any particular desire to incur the wrath of the blonde woman.

Little did they know, a certain take-over mage had already informed Lucy that the two might try to follow her. Oh, if they did follow her they would be in for a world of pain when she got back to Magnolia…

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than normal and probably a little boring for you. But, I didn't want to make it too long and I feel like the next set of events deserve their own chapter. So, at the risk of you all hating me forever, I'm going to end this chapter here and move on to the next one.

Oh, and I'm loving all the reviews you kind people are leaving me. I really appreciate it. It's encouraging to see so many people genuinely enjoying the stories I have to tell. The next chapter should have much more action involved and I can only hope I do it justice. So, until next time!

XOXO ~Andromeda