Welcome to Chapter 9! I'm updating earlier than usual due to the fact I'm extremely busy the rest of the week! Enjoy!

It wasn't till midday the next day that Kiarely and Zachary got back from their job in Livix. Luca spotted them from the top of Fairy Tail's Guild hall, he and Natsu were watching the view when they saw them. Natsu got him down safely, he got Lucy out while Luca waited outside. The twins looked exhausted, dirty, and even more tanned than usual. Kiarely, even though looked like she was going to collapse, she hugged her son tightly and carried him back inside.

Tea was prepared by Mirajane, who made sure that is had something to help them start healing their sore wounds. Makarov waited for them to finish it before he asked questions. "How did it go?"

Kiarely was the first to speak, "We protected who we were supposed to protect, did what we were told and fought who were forced to fight. We were given medals, we were given food. People praised us, people hated us. We were heroes and villains, that my dear master is what happened." She looked down to the floor, "Death shall forever be on my hands due to this mission."

Zachary nodded, "We had to invade a supposed enemy base, it turned out to be an innocent village around three miles from our camp. We had to kill who we were told to kill, and unfortunately..." he looked to Luca for a second, unable to finish his sentence. Though he didn't need to in the end, it was obvious. They had to kill children.

"Their faces...their poor little faces. I will never forgive myself." Kiarely whispered.

Zachary patted her shoulder, "Neither shall I, sister."

Lucy hugged her friends, they hugged her tightly back. Zachary smiled to her kindly, thanking her softly for looking after Luca. Kiarely heard him, and piped in. "How can we repay you? And you, Mira."

Mira smiled sadly, "No need too, he was an angel."

Lucy nodded, "He was indeed a good boy, it was a pleasure to look after him." Her voice was softer than she thought it to be, she realised that she was in shock, just like everyone else. No one had expected their first mission to be that intense.

Kiarely sighed, "If it is okay with you, Makarov. I want a few days to stay with my son alone, if I shall need anything, I will come here." She stood up, holding her son in her arms tightly. "I shall never let go of you, Luca. Mama loves you."

As they walked away, Lucy swore everyone's heart broke when they heard Luca say back, "And I will never let go of you mama. I love you too."


The Guild was silent for most of the day, it wasn't until someone mentioned that the picnic wasn't too far away that it lightened up a little. Mirajane started to express her passion for picnics, Lisanna was excited since this was the first event since she got back from Edolas she was able to attend. Everyone started to speak, the home like hum of the Fairy Tail guild hall was back and Lucy could finally breathe a little bit.

It went on like it for days, people getting extremely excited for the picnic. Mirajane announced that she had made her speciality, pecan pie with raspberry cream, but she was entering it as a prize for the raffle ticket draw. Suddenly everyone went crazy, buying raffle tickets. Soon enough, Lucy even gave in and brought one.

It was day three after Kiarely and Zachary had returned, and that was when Zachary had turned up back at the guild. Droy brought him a lemon pop drink, since Zachary didn't drink alcohol. Zachary said his thanks, and spotted Lucy in the corner reading her book and jotting things down. He took a moment to adjust himself. He had made sure his shirt was clean, that his underwear had been washed, and his hair was freshly brushed. He was going to ask her...no he couldn't she was his childhood friends, not some girlfriend...well she could be his...no...yes...

"Zacky!" Lucy called him over, spotting him.

Crap. Zacky gulped, walking over to her and trying to put on a brave face. She hugged him tightly, "Its good see you out, how is everything?"

Zacky nodded, "Fine," he said quickly, blushing. "Kia is getting better, she just needs a few more days alone. I got bored, so I came to see you."

"Zacky, are you ok?" Lucy asked, "I know that job must've been, well, I can't imagine it so I can't know how bad it was..."

"Honestly, I'll be fine. A job is a job, unfortunately we were given the wrong intel on the situation but still had to obey orders that were given." Zacky interrupted, not wanting this to be a thing of depression over what happened. He sat down and sipped his drink.

Lucy sat back down too, she continued to read her book. He read the title and smiled, "Is it true what they say about her? That she almost did slay that dragon?"

Lucy shrugged, "It's a biography, not really anything other than the things she'd put in here. So I don't know, which sucks."

Zacky smirked, "You've always liked your reading," he remembered. "Nose always in a book, at least, when it wasn't smelling flowers in your garden."

Lucy blushed, "I still haven't forgiven you for that god awful nickname."

"Heartfilia flower, the owner is a flower girl, I don't see the negativity," Zacky shrugged.

Lucy rolled her eyes, but then chuckled in remembrance. "Didn't we pretend to marry each other at one point?"

Zacky laughed, "Oh yeah, you basically begged me."

Lucy's eyes widened, "No, I didn't. A Lady doesn't beg."

"No, she demands." Zacky grinned boyishly.

Lucy scoffed, "In your dreams."

"Certainly, they were in yours for sure," Zacky teased.

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Not anymore, I'm grown up and I don't want to get married for a long while yet."

"I can see that you've grown, but not much in height." He laughed.

"Shut up, purple boy." Lucy grumbled.

They both looked at each other before bursting into laughter, they laughed for a good two minutes before they sighed and stopped. Zacky drank more drink before he sighed again, he watched her, scribbling in that notepad. He rested his chin on his hand, watching her in fascination. He realised that he'd forgotten what he'd come over for, adjusting himself again and then trying to pipe up.

"So, I was thinking since the picnic was in two days, that maybe you could come with me. Kiarely is just going to come for the food and leave, but I wanted to stick around for the fun. So maybe you could stay with me?" Zacky asked, he was glad his voice was strong whilst asking her.

Lucy thought about it, "Not like a date, right?"

Zacky cleared his throat, "Of course not." He wanted to say that it was, but obviously she didn't want to see it that way. He wasn't going to force his closest friend to dating him.

She grinned, "Okay!"

"Really?"

She scoffed, "Well duh, you're my friend and I haven't got many plans that day other than the picnic. It will be nice to relax outside for once."

Zacky nodding, wanting to mentally kick himself. No date, but a possible hang out buddy...wait, did she just friend-zone me? He thought, horrified. Who am I kidding, I've been like that since she ran away from home.

Lucy decided to go home soon after that, she wanted to do some writing at home alone, so she hugged Zachary goodbye and left. Before she got home though, she decided to get some of the stuff she'd wanted for her apartment ordered. She knew the stuff she wanted, so she was willing to get it done now rather than later. She went to a bed store, asking for the oak double bed frame. She then ordered a new mattress, which was surprisingly on sale, and felt even more air like than her mattress she already had. She ordered them, gave them her details and quickly got some groceries before she went home.

Her home was cold when she got home, she made sure her heating was on before she closed the door. She locked her door, confused. Weird, I always keep my heating on. She thought for a moment, coming up with a good answer for it. Her landlady must be trying to save money, so she probably turns it off through the day. Understandable, it was pretty expensive, but Lucy found her heater to be a burden. More like a spawn of satan, really.

After her heating spitting, hissing, and growling at her it finally gave up and turned on. She reminded herself to ask her landlady to fix it, but she was a little apprehensive, her landlady was a snappy woman. She hoped she was having an accepting day tomorrow. She almost prayed for it.

Cooking herself an omelette, she ate at her table reading her book. Lately she'd been missing her house being filled with friends, and her godson. It was too empty now, she'd been finding it hard to sleep since Luca went back with Kiarely. She sighed deeply, suddenly feeling pretty depressed about it. She touched her stomach, "One day, maybe I will be a mom too...it will eventually happen. I'm sure I'll be good at it, I may have a short temper at times, but with my own child it'll be different."

When it got dark, Lucy got up from her table and crept over to her window. For the past few days, she'd been watching him guard her. A cup of tea in hand, and just watched him. An hour, or two would pass before she realised that he wouldn't look up until her light was off.

Tonight, she decided to play a trick on him. She switched off her light about midnight, she sat on her windowsill, and waited. He kept patrolling, and didn't look up.

Loke was being stubborn, and it was working, at least till now. Lucy wasn't going to let him keep on at this guilt act, it was starting to get annoying. She sat there, not caring about sleep because she wasn't tired.

It wasn't until it hit around two in the morning, that Loke, her lion spirit, finally looked up. He caught her eye, blushing deeply and looking away.

Gotcha... Lucy whispered to herself mentally. She opened her window and called down to him, "You may as well come up, I've known you've been there for a few days, Loke."

Loke blushed even deeper, and nodded. "Okay, no more not talking."


He walked up to her front door, she let him in and turned on the light. She made tea, sitting him down and sitting opposite him. His eyes were not looking at her, his glasses on, suit slightly damp from the cold air. She watched him, of course not wanting him to feel as though he would be pressured into talking to her. Of course, she wanted to speak with him, yell at him, let him yell about his emotions as well. To do that though, she had to wait till he was ready to start speaking. And she would wait all night if she had too.

Loke's mind was swarming, he didn't know how to suddenly speak. He found the slight irony that after all these years, seducing, medaling, laughing with women and his friends that now he was in front of his wizard, the woman he loved, he couldn't find his voice. He tried to write in his head a letter to her, each sentence pin pointing his worries, his emotions. He begged internally to know what to do, he wished that he had a mother, a father, someone to ask 'what do I do?' Unfortunately, as a spirit, he didn't have that homage. He was alone, like usual, having to think for himself for the task ahead.

Lucy looked beautiful, he only allowed himself to peer up at her through his glasses. She was watching him, and he watched her. She had recently trimmed her fringe, and layered her hair. Her eyes were sparkling, though he didn't know out of pure anger or passion. Her body looked as delectable and frustrating as ever, frustrating in the sense, he could never touch it in the way he wanted too. She wore her cotton pajamas, the ones that were white and that meant he could see the outlines to her breasts. He wanted to know what they felt like, but of course, he knew if he touched Lucy like that, a Lucy kick would be sent his way.

She didn't move, not once in the hour he didn't speak. She made no attempt to draw out a conversation, she didn't need to speak as long as he didn't. The pressure to find those right words, phrases, witty or not, was hard. He held back from starting with a pick up line, knowing that would just make her furious at him. That was of course if she wasn't already, which he wagered that she was.

The spirit thought for a moment about how he would show his apology through his body. If it were one of his 'girlfriends' he would've hugged them and bite their ear playfully. They would giggle, slapping his arm and saying he was a bad boy and then it would lead to a night of him making up for his actions. He knew though, he couldn't seduce his wizard as much as he knew he would cravingly adore too. Biting his lip, he tried to see how he could say sorry another way. Coming up with nothing, he realised he needed to just say it. It was just finding his voice which was the problem.

Lucy moved startling him, Loke watched her every move and she watched him. She walked around her table to him, kneeling in front of him, she grabbed his hands. Kissing them very lightly, holding them tight to her chest.

His heart started to thump, his eyes in a frozen wide eyed stare in shock. She smiled up at him, those eyes twinkling of happiness. "You're an idiot, Leo the Lion."

He blushed, she never called him Leo. It sounded wonderful, her vibrations purred the word. The name he hated, was something suddenly loved. He held her hands as tight as she was to his. He nodded, opening his mouth to speak. She suddenly put a finger to it, "Loke, listen to me." She spoke softly, she cupped his face in her hands. He just watched her face, her mouth, her eyes. He realised just how beautiful she was, how much he felt for her. How he would just love to make see that she must see the same thing as him, deep down he knew she felt the same. He wished he could scream it, scream it from the heavens.

"Loke," She whispered, he paid attention to her fully. "Tell me, what was our contract?"

Loke gulped, "I would serve you as your celestial spirit, you would summon for a task you can not complete with our my services. I would then protect your life as if it was my own. I would protect you as though you were the fabric of my being." He whispered, "Till the day you die, or otherwise end the contract with me." He choked on his throat, it was wishing to scream in tears. He felt them within him, he could cry to her if he wanted. He didn't want to see weak to her, so he swallowed and held them back.

She smiled, that smile that could break hearts but save lives. She said very softly, as if teaching him a lesson. "That day, what did you do?"

Loke widened his eyes, was she going to punish him? She was angry, he knew it. "I failed you, you were hurt. I failed to protect you."

Her smile vanished, she suddenly launched her hand to his cheek. The slap was loud, it stung against his cheek. He touched it, it was hot and tender to touch. "Lucy..." He whispered, shocked. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

"No, you idiot." She shook her head, "That isn't why I slapped you, I slapped you because you needed some goddamn sense put into you!" She rolled her eyes, cupping his face again, also cupping the hand that nursed his cheek. "You need to realise something, people die on missions all the time. In this line of work, you either work, or die. Also if you work, you have a chance of dying even then." She sighed, "There is as much chance as me either being injured on a mission, killed on a mission or better yet, live." She smiled again, "Your contract, is to protect me. You did that, Loke." She sighed again, "You stopped that axe, you stopped me from being killed. I will be forever grateful for that, I will never not be. You did extra that day, you summoned yourself there. You heard my cries, you saved me Loke! There is nothing to feel guilty about."

Loke couldn't help but cry, Lucy held him close. He nuzzled into her neck and cried, "I should've been there sooner, you wouldn't be scarred for life if I had! I didn't protect you to the fullest, I didn't do what my contract stated! Lucy, I'm so sorry!" He sobbed, she held him closer.

Lucy pursed her lips, she knew they would disagree on something. Somethings are opinions, people differ with them. She would forever disagree, but she accepted that small fact, she hugged him harder.

"That is something we will always disagree on, Loke." She mumbled, "You are strong, wonderful, caring, funny and my friend" She said, he cried into her shoulder. "I don't care for scars, they don't bother me. Like I explained to Erza, scars are a warriors wound. I won, I'm here, I am alive." She choked on her tears, "Please don't live in guilt again, I don't know what I would do if you did."

Loke sniffed, whimpering against his wizard. He looked into her eyes, resting his forehead against hers. "You mean a lot to me, I care for you. You love your spirits with such loyalty, I will forever give that back to you. I won't fail you ever again, I promise."

Lucy smiled, "I accept your pledge, Loke." She then looked up at him and grinned, "Imagine what people would say if they walked in on us like this."

Loke laughed lightly, "Probably would come up with a pick up line that makes mine look like they're written in gold."

Lucy giggled, that giggle made him fall in love with her a thousand times. He held her cheek, she looked to his hand and blushed. He closed his eyes, refraining from doing what his body begged him to. He instead lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing it lightly. "My love for you will power me to protect you, Lucy Heartfilia."

She rolled her eyes, "You're back, those pic up lines are definitely from the Loke I know." She giggled, standing up.

He looked up to her, his smile was slightly forced but she didn't seem to see it. His love proclamation didn't seem to faze her, he knew it would be that way. She was new to love, she'd only felt it once from her mother. Her entire life was full of entities that he forever wished to protect her from. She trusted him, but he needed her to know how much he trusted her, cared for her, loved her.

He stood up too, hugging her tightly against him. They didn't say anything, they just both needed a hug to ease the scarring they'd been feeling lately. He traced his finger on the outline of her scars, knowing now that they would be the fuel to keep his promise to her. She would be protected by him, he would make sure his promise was never again broken.

Lucy sighed against him, nuzzling herself against his chest. "For a man who's been outside for long time, you sure are warm."

He chuckled, it rumbled against her ear. "I'm a huge teddy bear, can't you tell?"

She shook her head, "Not a bear, a lion. Lions always look so warm to me, it makes sense now since I'm hugging one."

His heart thumped, he held her even closer. Her words made him want to kiss her, her words surely were sign that she liked him? It was flirting, right? She was making a cute gesture towards him, anyone knew that was a sign of affection...at least, he hoped it was. Her scent filled his senses, the lion he knew he was wanted her. It was as good of time as any to try and show his love. He hoped it would at least send her searching for emotions that he knew she had.

She looked up to him, he looked at her. Bending his head a little, she blushed instantly realising what he was attempting. "Loke..."

"Yes?" He asked, his hands were now claiming her waist.

She gulped, "I think this gesture is getting a bit inappropriate." She gestured to his stance, the stance of trying to kiss her. His hands wanted to stay where they were, or at least roam a bit more. He could feel the lion growl at him when he forced himself to let go.

He blushed a little, he never really had gotten used to be turned down by her. She did it every time he made a joke, sure. Every time he attempted to ask her out, or use a pick up line. But this time, it made him embarrassed, he was wrong. She still had a long way to go to figure his and her emotions out properly.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She smiled, "No worries, just thought I'd stop you. The whole wizard and spirit thing would..." She stopped, then sighed. "It would never work, Loke. Immortality and mortality never work well together."

Loke closed his eyes, "Yeah, I know."

She tried to make a joke, "You probably still have plenty of girlfriends anyway still out there, willing to be romanced. I'm not special, I'm your wizard."

Loke wanted to deny her that, she was much more than just his wizard. She was the flower he was never allowed to pick. He could smell her scent, admire it from afar, touch it a little. Though he could never pick it and take care of it. He could never show her what passion was, or what her first kiss could feel like. He would have to forever watch as someone else gave her kids, married her, kissed her. She wouldn't do it to hurt his feelings, she was blind to his love. He just wished he was human, that he could do everything she wanted.

Loke remembered a dream he'd once had, a dream where they were together. Children giggling around them, they all looked similar to Lucy. Had his powers, her will of strength. It wasn't until he woke up he realised how much he wished he could make that a reality.

The sun started to come up, Lucy yawned, Loke smiled to himself and sent her to bed. "Can't have you not storing your strength, can I?" He tried to sound happy, it worked because she followed his orders. She was asleep in moments, he stayed in her home till late morning. Realising she was safe, his patrol over, he left her world back to his once more.

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am mountains of chapters a head, so I will update 2 times a week for your viewing pleasure! Thank you for the reviews! Keep them coming, they're wonderful to read. Now I'm off to write a 1000 word essay on International Initiatives, fun times -.- (P.S THANK YOU FOR THE 1000 + Readers!)