Chapter Get. It's chapter seven

This should have been posted yesterday but I got distracted by both the Olympics but more importantly, the new Kingdom Hearts game. And so far, it is awesome.

To those who actually read the lemon, thanks for the input. Also, I have no idea where the "It's standing proud, kinda like Natsu" line came from. Just some freestyling in my head. I am glad that many of you agree with me about Natsu. Some authors see him as a complete innocent and if you showed him a pair of breasts he'd be like "I am 12 and what is this." I don't see that.

And to PhoenixedDragon and Tina, I actually had Erza, after hearing Lucy's tale of her first time, saying to Lucy that she was going to meet Jellal. Then Lucy would accuse Erza of using her to get herself "primed" if you will. But I felt that it would have been more silly that way.

Catwho, your flat-chested grandma line cracked me up.

Anywho, this chapter is PG. So nothing explicit. Enjoy.

Finally, three points to Phoenixed, Lovelyanimelover, Tina, animeluvv, and Mayhem for guessing the word.

And now, our feature presentation.

G is for Guild

What I want isn't money or pretty dresses, but a place that recognizes me as who I am. Fairy Tail is my other family, and it is a far more loving family than here. ~ Lucy Heartfilia. Chapter 68, Farewell

The battle was over. Fairy Tail had won. They had triumphed over Phantom Lord.

And yet, Lucy was feeling depressed. She knew why though.

It was because of her that all of this happened. It was Lucy's fault that Levy and Team Shadow Gear were attacked. It was her fault that Master Makarov had lost his magic. It was her fault that her guildmates were nearly killed by the mad master Jose.

Lucy felt like she should have known. Her father, Jude Heartfilia, would not let her travel the world forever. He would eventually send someone to capture her and return her to the estate. And yet, the blonde, in all of the fun that she had adventuring with Natsu and company, completely let that fact slip her mind. The destruction that followed was the result of that.

But Fairy Tail conquered Phantom Lord in the end. It did not come without consequences. And Lucy was forced by Jose to see everything.

Erza was hit with the Jupiter Cannon. Even though she was able to endure the brunt of the attack with her strongest defensive armor, the famed Titania was bereft of magic. And yet, despite her injuries, she still fought and defeated Phantom's wind mage. On top of that, she endured massive injuries when she fought Phantom's Jose Porla. She endured this all for Lucy's sake.

Gray, who was already suffering from the injury that was inflicted on him during the S-class mission they took without permission (and getting him involved in the process), fought Phantom's water woman. Their fight caused his wound to open again. He also received first and second degree burns due to the scalding water she employed. And yet, he said to her that he was willing to die first before handing her over.

Elfman had endured psychological trauma from the Phantom's earth mage. He had to relive the horrible events of his younger sister's death. Because of it, he turned into the beast that had taken her life. Still, he endured it for the sake of everyone in the guild.

And Natsu, he had fought the Iron Dragon Slayer. He fought as hard as Lucy had ever seen him fight. For her sake. For her sake, Natsu endured pain, suffering, and injuries to protect her.

But when it was all over, not a single person blamed her. Lucy was shocked. Every one was happy that Lucy was safe and still with them. She felt some relief but no happiness. Rather than feel happy, Lucy felt incredibly guilty. Even with the injuries they endured, even with the pain radiating from their bodies, they told her that they were happy she was in their guild.

Why? Why did no one blame her? If she didn't come to Fairy Tail, no one would have gotten hurt. If she didn't come to Fairy Tail, everyone would have been safe.

These were the thoughts that went through her mind as she lied awake in her bed the night after Fairy Tail's victory. Everyone was at the wreckage of the guild having a victory party. But the blond didn't feel like celebrating. And so she tried going to sleep even though the sun had just set not ten minutes ago. But that wasn't happening either.

She was in so much pain and truly exhausted. Her stomach was wrapped in bandages and her and her left arm was in a sling and bandaged courtesy, in large part, to the Iron Dragon Slayer. The Stellar Spirit mage was extremely tired. And yet Lucy could not go to sleep. She kept thinking about the events of today, how everyone suffered because of her.

Lucy stared at the ceiling, counting the grooves and dots there. She did that because every time she closed her eyes, she could see her nakama suffer. The blond saw Erza getting blasted by the Jupiter cannon. She saw Mira being captured by the mechanical giant. She saw her guildmates suffer at the hands of Jose's shades. She saw Elfman beaten by the earth mage. She saw Gray drowning in the water mage's spell. She saw the Master struggling to breathe due to the lost of his magic. And she saw Natsu being pummeled by the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Lucy started to cry. The hot tears streamed down her face. It's all her fault. Everything that happened was her fault. Why did everyone have to suffer because of her?

Lucy heard a knock at her door. The blond stopped her tears to listen. Did she really hear the door?

Lucy wiped her face of tears and got up. It wouldn't do to answer the door looking like she was just crying.

"Just a minute." She called out.

Lucy went to her sink to wash her face. When she finished, she looked in the mirror. Her brown eyes looked less puffy. The blond took a deep breath and went to the door to open it.

Opening the door revealed her pink haired friend and her blue flying friend.

"Natsu? Happy?" Lucy gasped. She was not expecting them to come today.

"Yo, Lucy." Natsu grinned.

"Aye." Happy chimed.

Lucy gave the duo a wan smile. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"You weren't at the guild." Natsu answered. "Everyone is there."

"Yeah, we are celebrating our victory." Happy cheered. "We beat Phantom Lord."

Lucy looked away. "Yeah, I'm kinda not in the mood for celebrating."

Natsu and Happy looked confused but the pink haired man shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay then." Natsu nodded his head. "Then can we hang out here?"

"Yeah, we want to celebrate with Lucy." Happy pleaded.

Lucy would have said no because she wanted to sleep. However, she took a look at Natsu. I mean, truly looked at him. Natsu was wrapped in bandages from his forehead, to his chest and arms and finally to his legs. Looking at Natsu made the blond feel so incredibly guilty that she acquiesced.

Natsu and Happy, unaware of Lucy's internal struggles, cheered as they entered Lucy's apartment.

The duo made themselves comfortable on Lucy's couch, jumping on the cushions. At any other time, she would have yelled at them for treating her stuff with such disrespect. But the blond didn't say anything.

"Would you like something to eat?" Lucy asked.

Natsu and Happy's eyes sparkled.

"Lucy's offering us food, Happy." Natsu looked at his furry companion in total joy.

"Lucy's a saint." Happy broke into fake sobs.

Lucy blanched at that. She was just trying to be polite. Leave it to them to make a big deal out of it.

With that in mind, the blond went over to her fridge and opened it. All she saw was some leftover chicken pasta in some Tupperware. She would heat it up in the microwave but it has been on the fritz. She took the Tupperware out of the fridge with her good hand.

"I've got some chicken pasta if you two want but I can't heat it up." Lucy yelled at them.

She handed the container to Natsu.

"Nah, don't worry." Natsu grinned childishly. "I can heat it up."

Using his magic, he warmed the Tupperware with his hands until it was the perfect temperature to eat.

"Awesome. Thanks Lucy." Natsu grinned.

Lucy nodded and offered Natsu a reserved smile.

Natsu gobbled the food with gusto, not even bothering with utensils. He just popped the food in his mouth with his hands. And the pink haired mage would have continued eating if he hadn't doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach..

Lucy's eyes widened in shock and she ran to Natsu's side. "Are you okay?" She asked, her voice coming jittery because she was worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He groaned. "I just pulled something. Nothing to worry about." Natsu tried to convince Lucy of that by smiling.

"Are you sure?" She asked hurriedly. "I can get you a pillow or something."

"No, no. I'm fine." Natsu told her.

"Lie down, Natsu." Lucy commanded as she pulled at Natsu's feet with her one good hand to get him to lie down.

"Lucy, Lucy, stop." He yelled as his feet were pulled.

"No Natsu. You need to relax." Lucy ordered as she continued to force Natsu to relax. "You are still injured."

Happy watched the struggle and was trying very hard not to laugh. It was almost like a comedy sketch.

"Lucy." Natsu roared. Then he pulled something in his struggling. "Oww. Dammit." He growled.

Lucy cringed in horror. "I'm so sorry. Let me get you something for that." She tried to pacify the Dragon Slayer.

Lucy decided to get a blanket for Natsu out of her linen closet. In her haste to get her friend that blanket immediately, she tripped on it, her head landing directly into Natsu's bandaged stomach. He bellowed in agony.

"I'm sorry." Lucy cried. "Let me get you some ice."

"No, Lucy stop." Natsu shouted.

"Please, it's no problem." The blond pleaded.

"LUCY." Natsu roared.

Lucy stopped in her tracks. Her chocolate brown eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Please stop." The pink haired mage told his friend. "I am fine. You don't need to get me anything."

Lucy was shocked for a second. Then the dam burst. She started to cry.

Natsu and Happy were flabbergasted. One moment Lucy was helpful and now she was a crying mess.

"Natsu made Lucy cry." Happy shouted.

Natsu got up, with great effort due to his injuries, to try and placate his friend. "I didn't mean to." He mumbled, upset at himself for making his friend cry

"You shouted at her." Happy told him.

"It was an accident." Natsu said. He turned to Lucy. "Lucy, what's wrong?" He asked in concern.

"I'm sorry." Lucy whispered.

"Nah, It's okay." Natsu told her.

"It's not okay." Lucy countered. "It's all my fault."

"Don't worry about it." Natsu comforted her. "It was an accident. It wasn't like you planned to land on my stomach."

"It's my fault you're like this." Lucy told him.

"What do you mean?" Natsu was confused. Why was Lucy acting like this?

"It's my fault you are hurt." She cried.

"No it isn't. You aren't the one who hurt me." He told her.

"Yes it is." Lucy looked away. "It's because I hid who I was that you are hurt, that Fairy Tail was targeted."

Lucy started crying harder.

Natsu had no idea what to do. He had never seen a girl cry like this and so he had no idea what to do. The pink haired mage reached out to touch her but recoiled like she was hot, which was ironic because he could eat fire.

"Lucy please stop crying." Happy pleaded.

"Yeah Lucy." Natsu agreed. "It's not like you to cry."

"But this is all my fault." Lucy choked out another sob. "It's my fault that Levy and Team Shadow Gear was attacked. It's my fault that the master lost his magic. It's my fault that Erza, Elfman, Reedus, Gray, and you got hurt. If I hadn't come to Fairy Tail, none of this would have happened. I hid my true identity before I joined Fairy Tail and all of you suffered because of it. I knew that being a Heartfilia would cause trouble but I shouldn't have involved you in my problems. For that, I am sorry."

Natsu looked Lucy deep in her eyes. Then he scoffed and looked away. "I don't care about who you were before Fairy Tail."

It was an odd statement but it resonated powerfully with Lucy. She was speechless.

"Who you were before you joined Fairy Tail doesn't matter to me or anyone else in the guild." Natsu told her in all seriousness. "We fought for you not because you are some sort of heiress but because you are a member of our guild. I'm sure that I speak for everyone that to us you are Just Lucy, Lucy of Fairy Tail."

Lucy's tears stopped flowing.

Just Lucy.

It's an odd concept. When she was growing up, she was Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Jude Heartfilia and heiress to the Heartfilia Kouzen. She was raised as a veritable princess with studies and etiquette lessons. Every material want was met a thousand times over. She wore the most fashionable clothes, had the most expensive jewerly, ate the most exquisite food and studied under the best teachers. Lucy had everything she could have ever wanted in life just handed to her like a birthright.

However, though she wanted for nothing, she had a very great need. Lucy needed a person who looked past the veneer of the heiress guise and saw the person underneath. She wanted to be seen not as Lucy Heartfilia the heiress but Just Lucy, the person. Now, she got her dearest wish. She had a whole guild full of people see her and accept her as Just Lucy. And not only that, they were willing to fight to protect her, Just Lucy, whom they only knew for not even two months.

Lucy felt incredibly happy to be Just Lucy of Fairy Tail.

Natsu regarded Lucy curiously. Her face looked frozen.

"Lucy." His voice was low but powerful.

Lucy was pulled out of her thoughts. "Huh?" She answered.

"Give me your hand, the one with our guild mark." He commanded.

Lucy gave Natsu her right hand. Natsu took it with his left and turned around so that she could see the guild mark on his right arm just below his shoulder.

"Happy, come here and turn around." He told his furry flying friend.

Happy had no idea what Natsu was about to do but he complied and turned around. Natsu lifted Happy's satchel to reveal his guild mark.

"Lucy?" Natsu began. "Do you know what this mark means?"

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows. It was such an easy question. "Yeah, it means I'm a member of Fairy Tail." She whispered.

"It means more than that, Lucy." Natsu corrected her. "The old man told me this when I joined the guild almost 10 years ago. It means that as soon as you wear this mark, you are connected with every member of Fairy Tail."

Lucy gasped. She wasn't expecting Natsu to wax philosophical. Will wonders never cease.

Natsu continued, unaware of Lucy's thoughts. "It means that Lucy's joy is Fairy Tail's joy and we will celebrate with you. Lucy's sorrow is Fairy Tail's sorrow and we will work together to help you. A friend of Lucy is a friend of Fairy Tail and we will open our doors to them. An enemy of Lucy is an enemy of Fairy Tail and we will crush them into nothing. And Lucy is in trouble, Fairy Tail will lay everything on the line to save her. Because in Fairy Tail, it doesn't matter who you were before, as long as you have the Fairy Tail spirit, as long as you care about your nakama the way that your nakama cares about you, you will always be a member of Fairy Tail."

Happy smiled at his friend. This was probably the longest speech he had ever given and it was so well delivered that he had to keep himself from tearing up in joy.

Lucy had no such qualms as she started crying anew.

Natsu and Happy were in shock again.

"Natsu made Lucy cry again." Happy gasped.

Natsu turned white. Here he was, trying to cheer Lucy up and he made her cry again. It's a good thing that Erza wasn't here. She'd beat him into a pulp. "Lucy. I'm sorry. Please don't cry."

Lucy chuckled lightly. "These are happy tears." She told him. "No one has ever said such nice things about me before."

"Never?" Natsu asked. Sure, it wasn't the most tactful of questions but the pink haired mage couldn't believe that someone as nice as Lucy has never had anyone say nice things about her.

"Never." Lucy answered. "I've always been surrounded by many people: teachers, maids, servants. But they couldn't be my friend. Father would say that I couldn't make friends with the help. I was a Heartfilia, he'd say, and I live in a different world than most people."

Lucy dried her tears with her hands. "All this time, I just wanted to have someone who sees me as Just Lucy."

"And now you have a whole guild who sees you like that." Natsu smiled.

Lucy smiled back. It wasn't as powerful as Natsu's but it was pure and true.

"You're right. Thank you for that." Lucy told him.

"Anytime." He replied.

Lucy then looked away. There was something she wanted to ask him now that he was here.

"Can I ask a favor of you?" Lucy asked.

"Sure. What is it?" Natsu wondered.

Lucy still did not meet Natsu's eyes. This question was so embarrassing. "Can you and Happy stay here the night? I don't think I am ready to sleep by myself tonight."

Natsu understood completely. With everything that happened, Lucy was still shook up about it. He grinned boyishly. "Of course."

Lucy smiled at him. Then she let loose a yawn. "Thank you." She mumbled sleepily. "I'm going to head to bed."

"Okay, good night Lucy." Natsu told her.

"Yeah good night Lucy." Happy mimicked.

Lucy gave them a tired wave and went to her room. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.

Lucy was no longer plagued by her guilt. She now understood the spirit of Fairy Tail. Sure they are a rough and tumble bunch. They overdo things and leave a ton of destruction in their wake. But they are also loyal and selfless. They are willing to put their lives on the line for one of their own, regardless of who they were before joining. And if she really thought about it, she would also do the same thing for her nakama. That's just the way of Fairy Tail.

But now that the fighting was settled, there was one last thing that had to be resolved. Lucy had to confront the one person who set everything in motion, the one who hired Phantom Lord to capture her. She must now face her father, Jude Heartfilia.

So, as soon as the Magic Council had finished their investigation and her bruises had healed, Lucy was on the first train to the Heartfilia Estate.

There, Lucy had told her father, in no uncertain terms, that she was officially leaving the Heartfilia house. The blonde told him that Fairy Tail was her family now and that if he ever laid a finger on them again, he would be considered an enemy. She said that Fairy Tail doesn't see her as a Heartfilia, an heiress, but as an equal and a friend. With that, Lucy Heartfilia, no, Just Lucy of Fairy Tail left the Heartfilia manor for good. As she walked, she was confident she made the right decision.

Lucy stopped by the grave of her mother, deep in thought. She remembered all of the good times she had with her when all of a suddent, Natsu, Happy, Gray and Erza came out of nowhere, shouting her name. Needless to say, she was very surprised to see them here. Then again, she shouldn't be. Fairy Tail was family and family looked after their own.

The four of them were ready to convince her to come back to Fairy Tail. Lucy was confused by that statement until Erza handed her the note that she wrote to herself. She explained that she was just here to settle things with her father and visit her mother. She had no intention of leaving. Even so, Lucy couldn't help but smile. They came all this way for her sake. It really made her happy.

The five returned to Magnolia in high spirits, well almost high spirits. Natsu was still looking green after the train ride. Gray and Erza went their separate ways, leaving Lucy, Natsu and Happy walking towards her apartment.

"I'm never going on a train again." Natsu gurgled, feeling the need to hurl.

"Natsu's gonna throw up." Happy said cheerfully.

Lucy chuckled. Even with everything that happened, Natsu was still Natsu.

"Hey Natsu." Lucy called out to him. The threesome had just reached her apartment.

"Yeah." Natsu answered sickly.

"Thanks." She responded.

Natsu's confusion snapped him out of his sickness. "For what?" He asked.

"For your words a week ago." She told him. "It was your words that gave me the courage to confront my father."

Natsu cocked his head. Then he smiled. "You're welcome."

Lucy moved to where he was and gave him and Happy a big hug. The two of them returned the hug back, happy to see the old Lucy back.

"Thank you. Really." Lucy whispered in their ear.

She let them go and headed to the door.

Natsu and Happy waved to her. "See you tomorrow at the guild." Natsu called out to his partner with a smile.

"Yeah, it'll be fun." Happy chimed.

"I'm sure it will be. Good night." With that, she opened her door and entered her house.

Lucy would remember this event for the rest of her life as the main reason she loved Fairy Tail, that loyalty to nakama. And, years later, she would also look at this event as the moment her feelings for Natsu became just a little deeper.

Word Count: 3603

Another chapter in the books.

When I came up with the Fairy Tail project, I wanted one chapter per couple to be on what the guild means to them. I had already accomplished that, in part, on Gajeel and Levy's fic with A is for Attachment and I will get to the one for Gray and Juvia in a later chapter.

In any case, this chapter's done and I have nothing else to say.

So. Like it? Hate it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. Remember boys and girls: Favorites and follows are nice but the best thing you can give to an author is a review. And a detailed review is the best gift of all. Believe you me.

Anyways, here's the prompt for the next chapter.

Natsu loved rescuing Lucy. It gave him a huge ego boost knowing that he was her personal Superman. That feeling still hasn't gone away even after they started dating.

Any guesses for the H word here? Should be very easy.

Well, until next time,

A. Angel.