A/N: My Mum recently was discharged from the hospital after surgery…and now people are bringing us tons of awesome food! *nom nom nom* and more food is to come, I guess, since it's almost Thanksgiving. I hope you all enjoy your holiday, and wish me luck in basketball! (Gobstoppers of the asparagus bumblebees! I've already sprained my ankle and this is only our fourth game…) Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: THIS IS CHAPTER TEN AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL, BECAUSE WHEN I ATTEMPT TO MAKE AWESOME MANGA MATERIAL, I FAIL!

Chapter 10: Development

"We still haven't caught the band of rouge mages," Levy stated, flopping down on the plushy couch in their hotel room. There was a beat of silence before Lucy spoke.

"Natsu, Gajeel, didn't you see them when you two used your senses to track?" Two grunts to affirm Lucy's question were heard. "There are about 15 of them. Some are human, some are mages. The leader is that Koukai guy. Brown hair, wimpy build," Gajeel described, absently chewing on a bolt. Where had he gotten that?

"You mean the leader is the one that attacked Natsu?" Levy asked, peering intently at the dragon slayers. This could actually leave them somewhere! And then they could all go home. 'And then Gajeel will go back to hiding out in dark corners with Pantherlily…' The dark part of Levy's mind spoke then, and she visibly shrunk deeper into the couch she was lying on.

"Yup," Natsu said. "He's the same creeper that jumped me in that alley." His obsidian eyes were locked on Lucy, as they had been the entire time. He was extremely distracted. 'When is she going to explain that word to me? Love…Lucy…' For some reason, Natsu's brain kept categorizing those two words together, again and again. They, in his brain, were connected.

"So with all this information…" Lucy trailed off, unsure of what she should say next. What was their next phase of action going to be? In this one, Fairy Tail was outnumbered. But maybe, if some of the people weren't mages after all, they had a better chance of victory.

"We could set an ambush," Levy mumbled, straightening up. "I'm hungry. Can we plan and get something to eat at the same time?" It was true, none of the four gathered in the hotel room had eaten since breakfast that morning, and now it was nearly three o' clock. Last night after the smack down with Shadow Claw, everyone had been exhausted, and they'd all gone to bed early.

"Food sounds awesome!" The fire dragon-slayer was on his feet, finally out of his Lucy-stupor, or at least he was at the moment. "I hope they're serving something hot!"

No less than fifteen minutes later, the four Fairy Tail mages were found sitting around a table in a small restaurant.

"More restaurants should have iron on the menu," Gajeel complained, his hands tightening around the flimsy paper menu. Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. Honestly, when they ate so much food, how did the two dragon-slayers at the table think that they always had to eat their elements at times like these? Battle was when it was best to eat iron and fire, respectively. But now they were in a public place where good food was served. Lucy said her thoughts to the group, glaring venomously at the boys.

"Gajeel…Lily says that you don't mind noodles, why don't you order some of those?" Levy suggested shyly, her own brown eyes glued to the paper in front of her. 'Even if it's a place like this…She can still find something to read.' Lucy thought, smiling. Then she turned to her partner.

"I want to have some hot n' spicy food, Lucy! Where's it at?" Natsu ran his finger down the menu, looking for something he knew. He could read and write, but he only knew most of the basics, and some of the longer words describing the plates of food were giving him trouble.

A waitress arrived and asked them for drink orders, and then left again. Lucy and Levy had already given her their orders for food when she'd asked, but Natsu and Gajeel were still trying to figure something out.

A few minutes passed, and she returned. "What would you gentlemen like?" Polite, and pretty. The only thing Lucy disliked about the girl was how her eyes alighted on Natsu and stayed there, and how she 'accidentally' clasped her arms just so. Her bust flounced as she shifted her weight to her other hip more times than necessary. 'Sure, I flirt! But at least I'm a little more subtle about it!' Angry thoughts stampeded through the stellar spirit mage's head, all of them revolving around an eager waitress and a certain hothead.

"Lu-chan, choose for him. There's no way he's got something picked out. Can we please have another order of what I'm having over here?" Levy piped up. She'd seen Lucy's demeanor turn stormy, and had made a guess that it had to do something with the flamboyantwaitress that was serving them.

"Alright!" The waitress squealed. "And for you…sir?" Her eyes went all big and wide again. Lucy felt like she was going to hurl. Who was this ditz who was just so flirtatious to the point where it was starting to gross her out? Honestly, the Celestial Spirit mage could hardly make out the chick's nametag; it was nestled between her…assets. 'Suzie? Sarah? Silvia?'

She was jolted out of her musings when Levy-chan gently nudged her leg with a sandal-clad foot. "He'll have curry. The hottest you've got." Lucy bit out. She internally cheered when the waitress left to give the kitchen their order, but her victory was short lived.

"So are we gonna pound those mages heads in as soon as we eat?" Natsu asked her. His excited black eyes made her remember his question from only two days prior. 'Lucy…What is Love?' "Sparkly Natsu…" She mumbled, her stare going blank. Indeed, her visions of couple time with her and Natsu were dancing under her half-closed eyelids. How different it would be if they were more than Nakama…

"I say we look for them!" Levy encouraged, her small hand forming a fist. "After all, they know we're here. They won't come to us." The daydreams slipped away, and Lucy would've fallen from her chair had Natsu not grabbed her wrist to steady her.

"Whoa…you okay, Luce?" He asked her. When did he start using nicknames? Was his hand always that warm? 'Of course, you dolt!' Lucy's brain screamed at her. 'He's the fire dragon-slayer, no duh his hand is gonna be hot!' Natsu let her wrist slip from his grasp as footsteps clacked on the tile.

"You're meals are ready!" How did she return with their lunch so fast? Lucy stared at Levy across from her, who seemed to be wondering the very same thing. Lexi, or whatever her name was, slid a plate of roasted chicken each in front of Levy and Gajeel. Lucy got the sandwich she'd ordered, and then the bowl of hot curry was placed in front of Natsu. Darn that waitress, she leaned over so very provocatively, her chest nearly right in front of her partner's face.

"Uh…Can you move so I can eat?" Natsu asked, oblivious. Lucy wanted to cheer for him right then and there. The server girl's face turned bright red at his ignorance and left their table quickly. Levy was stifling a giggle behind her hands, and when Natsu looked over at her curiously, she began to change her laugh into a cough. Lucy felt almost giddy, which she thought was strange. Hey, at least he had enough sense to brush off someone like that girl!

'Lucy…Think about you here. You're a lot like her.' Her sensible side said flatly. 'I do not flaunt myself that much!' She yelled back at her inner self. She probably would have gotten into a mental verbal fight with herself, which would have been interesting, had Gajeel not swayed the conversation back to beating the rouge mages up.

"We need a game plan," he huffed. "Who knows what they can do…though there's no way any of those weaklings can take me." Levy rolled her eyes from beside him. 'Men and their egos.'

"Our best bet is to find them, like I said earlier. We know from Natsu and Gajeel's encounter that their hideout is somewhere in the woods, north of town, was it?" After a nod from the iron dragon-slayer, she continued. "Alright then. Since splitting up didn't work out so well last time, what do you say we all go together and ambush the camp? We know they have numbers, but we've got two dragon-slayers and two mages. From what you said, Gajeel, they don't have many mages among the group members."

No one said anything, and there was no noise except the clinking of silverware from other tables and Natsu slurping his curry down like a starved man. "Mims…If…GWOOD!" The rest decided that could probably be broken down into that 'he really, really liked his curry.'

"Did you even hear a word Levy-chan said?" Lucy asked him, eyeing the multitude of food disappearing down his gullet with dull amusement. How did he cram so much food into his mouth and swallow it so fast? How was he not choking?

"Of course I did," Natsu mumbled, preparing to eat some more. There were consecutive sighs all around the table. "You should all finish your food, by the way. Or else I might eat it." He added, eyeing their plates. There was no more talking after that. Only the hurried consumption of their meals.

*After Lunch…*

"I'm pleasantly surprised Levy-chan!" Lucy told her best friend on the way back to the inn. The blunette simply nodded her head, asking her to continue. "That waitress," the spirit mage continued, "she was just so, showy, you know?" Here Levy nodded again.

"And then, Natsu just…he just brushed her off!" Lucy could hardly hold her excitement in. Another nod from the blunette, and then another. "Uh…Levy-chan, are you alright?"

A startled squeak came from the bookworm, and Lucy laughed, "Thinking about Gajeel?" A furious headshake met this statement.

"You're one to talk, Lu-chan! You've had your eyes on a certain fire dragon-slayer the entire mission," Devious blue eyebrows made rather suggestive gestures at the blonde, "honestly, Lu, I wish one of you would make a move already. But, it is really cute."

Lucy sputtered, "I told you about what happened before, right? With the dictionary? It's eating at me…what am I supposed to tell him when he remembers and decides to bring it up?" Her friend sighed and thought for a minute. Their steps were bringing them closer to the inn, and there would be hardly enough time to finish this conversation if they didn't hurry.

"Why don't you just tell him…the truth?" Levy suggested, "Honestly, it isn't that bad. If you play your cards right, you might be able to confess to him! And then he'll confess and, BOOM! All the problems are solved." Her arms spread out in front of her, as if the solution she'd just described were floating in front of them.

"Y-You think I should confess?" The spirit mage asked, incredulous. "How can I deal with this love – problem, and finish the mission?"

That question was a serious stumper, but its answer would have to come later, because the glass doors of the place they were residing in were obstinately sticking out through the crowd of people, not to mention the blinking sign that read: 'Cozy Clover Inn.'

*At the Cozy Clover Inn…*

Meanwhile, two of Fairy Tail's dragon-slayers were getting into a rather heated argument in room '305' which was next to the girls room, '306.'

"They're stalling," Natsu bit out, his fists clenched as he glared out the window. "I know we said they could walk around, but it's been almost an hour since we broke after lunch."

Gajeel only smirked, 'Looks like someone's worried 'bout bunny girl.'

"What are they doing?!" The fire dragon-slayers hands had fisted in his spikey hair now, and he began do pace. "Shadow Claw and the rouge mages are still out there. What if –"

His tirade was cut off by a sharp knock at the door.

"COMING!" The pink-haired boy hollered. Upon reaching the door, he peered through the peephole. 'If it's room service or shit, I'll turn em' away. I've got more important things to worry about, Like Lucy.'

Speaking of his partner, there she was, impatient and slightly nervous brown eyes glaring holes at him through the door. Next to her stood Levy, who he could barely see due to her short stature. Natsu yanked the door open.

"Lucy! Where were you guys? I could barely see you through the peephole Levy, but I saw the hair." The words left his mouth in a rush as both girls blinked at his outburst. Two emotional girls were then on his case at once.

"I'm not that short!" Levy protested angrily, "I'm five feet and an inch! That isn't short!"

Through his other ear, Natsu heard a stuttering Lucy: "N-Natsu…we need to talk. Privately." Her face was flushed and she refused to make eye contact.

'Is Lucy going to tell me about…that one word?' He wondered, his mind tuning out Levy who was still distraught about being called short by her Nakama. "Sure Luce, let's go."

He snatched her hand and they were out the door before the blue-haired bookworm could finish chewing Natsu out.

A/N: Well, I certainly hope that this chapter sweetened your Monday. Mine wasn't terrible; I just had five hours of sleep…argh, stupid morning basketball practice. Meh, at least after tomorrow I have a break from school! *GOBBLE GOBBLE*

Well, in other things, I sincerely hope this wasn't a fail of a chapter, and I want to thank you all again for the continuous support. Also, if you are a helpless shipper of GaLe, *that would be me* I've started a collection of one-shots for the duo. Check it out if you want to… :P

REVIEW REPLIES:

ClumsyMustache: XD the undeniable hilariousness of your username…It's too much! You did? I like that name. I remember choosing it for its meaning…Though I can't remember what it meant now? Oops. Oh, and thank you!

LuckyLifeSmile: Oh my god Lucky-chan XD that was good. I love when you do this! :P *waggles eyebrows* you and Eve, huh? *cracks fingers* we'll see what I can do for that…(XD LOL HIBIKI LOVES THE SOFTNESS OF YOUR HANDS!) I feel so bad for you! NATSU, STOP HARASSING LUCKY-CHAN! SHE NEEDS TO REST BEFORE HER DEBUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! On a random note, which trimen is your favorite? :3 mine would be Eve.

GoldenRoseTanya: *glomps* O_o I updated again. The world must be close to exploding if I've actually gotten off of my lazy butt. XD

Yuni-sama: Hm…that is for me to know….and for you to eventually find out :P They were well enough to escape, but there is no telling when they'll be back, or even if they will bring reinforcements.

AznMelody5678: Homework sucks…Luckily, a break is coming! And thanks for still reading. It means a lot. A-Alive? Well, you can ask Mirajane, because honestly, with the hectic turns up ahead, there's no telling if they'll survive. (They probably will, because I can't bring myself to kill off characters when I just watched stupid episode 13 of Aquarion EVOL. It sucked…My character, GONE!)

xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx: XD Lol, I made you freak. Everything turned out alright, ne? And Gajeel even had his little 'Save the Girl' scene.

xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx: A second review *bows* HOW AWESOME OF YOU! You could have PM'd me. I'm happy someone picked up my stupid hints…hee hee. Stay Strong! I've been having troubles in updates to. Crap…I have an Inuyasha fic that probably won't be finished anytime soon…I can't wait to write this conclusion coming up…MWAHAHA!

Nadeshiko Redfox: For a good reason…Mira-chan is a scary woman. Lol, she is planning VERY scary things. Behold, the ultimate matchmaking nightmare! XD Torture is my favorite…gosh, I feel like such a sadist. :3

MsSlicingClaws: *dies* SHIPPING BUDDIES! *glomps* You like this story? That made me so happy…I stay up late reading fanficton and then wake up early. I'm a walking zombie sometimes! XD

Captain Ea Rayos: Mira forever :P Here is your continuation!

Review, or you'll suddenly have a stalker!

Ichiya: MEN!

You'd better review, and then run. *runs away from Ichiya like a crazy lady*