Bedrest was overrated. Lucy was sick and tired of laying uselessly in bed, having Mira bring her food and Levy visit to teach her about the demi-fae. Well, she didn't mind Levy's company, but she was a little tired of sneezing all the time while reading her dusty and ancient texts. The worst part about being stuck in one of the guild's guestrooms until Porlyusica deemed her healthy enough to go back to her own apartment, was Natsu's constant presence by her side. Sure, for the first day, she was happy to have his company, considering the dullness of having no functioning technology after Gramps and the higher mages replaced the wards around the guild.
When she'd first woken up, she wasn't completely aware of how the guild was magically rebuilt in the span of a few days, but Levy explained, saying the Magic Council had sent some mages over that specialized in rebuilding structures and Lucy figured she should've known there was a magic related answer.
It was on the second day after she emerged from her mini-coma that she met Juvia. To say she was surprised to see the woman that broke into her home and kidnapped her welcomed into the guild was an understatement, but once the water woman expressed her sincerest apologies and explained how abusive and manipulative Jose was, Lucy started to forgive her. At least it wasn't Gajeel begging for her forgiveness. She wasn't ready to face that demon just yet. His face haunted her nightmares and her body was still broken and bruised from that day. Thankfully, the only part of her not healed was the leg. Wendy would visit periodically and heal her more minor injuries bit by bit. The air drakon was wary to mess with her leg since Porlyusica had practiced some high-level spells to set the bone and muscle.
"Natsu, like I said, I'm fine. You can go! I'll survive a few hours without you," Lucy urged, waving her hands to dismiss the drakon from her bedside. It was the third day of bedrest, and the day that Porlyusica was supposed to return and finish up with her leg, and Lucy was impatiently waiting the healer's imminent arrival. She had the worst case of cabin fever, and Natsu wasn't helping with his constant hovering.
Natsu, who'd propped his feet up on the edge of her bed, shrugged and crossed his arms behind his head. Ever since her slight coma, he'd been extra overprotective and was practically glued to her bedside twenty-four hours a day, only leaving to return to his own home at night. To say she was anxious to return home and finally have time to herself was an understatement.
"Don't you dare fall asleep again! Go out with Happy, I know he's been wanting to go fishing," She implored, batting her eyelashes. Natsu just peeked over at her and rolled his eyes. "Happy always wants to go fishing."
"Isn't he your best friend? He misses you, I'll be fine," She said, running a hand through her golden hair while biting back a frustrated groan. She was perfectly capable of surviving without Natsu at her side for a few hours, despite what he thought.
"Hmm, maybe," He muttered.
"What about the party? I'm sure they'd love to see you down there, celebrating," She said, hoping the temptation of Mira's special fiery hot drumsticks would motivate the drakon to abandon his post and let her have some peace and quiet.
He just shrugged, choosing instead to pick at one of the many books at her bedside, courtesy of Levy. Lucy narrowed her eyes and declared, "That's it! I'm tired of this!"
Startled, Natsu jerked back in his chair, his balance wobbling for a few seconds before his chair regained balance. His feet jerked off her bed, shaking the mattress. He blinked cluelessly at her, concern in his gaze.
"Listen, you're a very good friend of mine and I'm forever grateful for how you saved my life, but I need some time alone! I can only handle so much Natsu! So, go out and fish with Happy, and when you get back, you can help me get back to my apartment." She said loudly. A flicker of hurt passed through his eyes, making her feel a sliver of guilt for being so harsh.
"If that's what you want," he said after a pause. She nodded and gave him a bright smile.
"I know you were worried before, but I'm okay. Go out and have fun," She said, reaching over to pat his arm. Natsu pouted, placed his hand over hers, then stood and hesitantly walked to the door. He paused, his hand on the handle, and lowered his head. She saw his shoulders tense, then he said, "I know I've been a little territorial, but I thought you were dead when I found you-" he paused, "you gave me your keys, Lucy. You didn't trust us enough to save you."
She paled, her mouth dropping open in shock. She had no idea Natsu felt that way. Speechless, she watched him leave her room, leaving her truly alone for the first time in days, save for when she slept. His words haunted her thoughts as she tried to focus on writing in her journal, that Levy had graciously brought to the guild along with clothes and anything else she needed from her apartment.
Groaning, she tossed the journal to the side and placed her head in her hands, her fingers curling through her hair. How could Natsu think she didn't trust Fairy Tail? Natsu was the person she trusted most and she gave him her keys to protect because she didn't trust herself. Hot tears dribbled down her cheeks and she bit her lip in frustration. In a normal situation, when she was this upset, she would simply sleep her troubles away, but unfortunately for her, sleep had proven to be an elusive creature as of late.
Memories haunted her subconscious at night. Nightmares terrorized her every night, each one leaving her waking with a scream in her throat and cold sweat coating her skin. She couldn't remember the last time she had a proper night's rest, but it was probably during her coma, which she didn't think really counted.
Instead of trying to rest, as she should, Lucy pulled out Leo's key and summoned the spirit for the first time since her abduction. She'd purposely been putting off summoning her friend, knowing he would lecture her about her reckless behavior. The moment he appeared, he threw his body over hers and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Lucy squeaked and winced in pain when his elbow bumped into her bruised ribs.
"Lucy! We were so worried!" Leo wailed, nosing into the crook of her neck. Lucy patted his hair and let him snuggle for a moment before she threw him off the bed and glared down at him.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm fine," She said, pursing her lips to keep from smiling at Leo's cute, bewildered expression. The spirit stood, straightening his suit jacket, then fixed her with a stern glare.
"Don't ever do that again," He growled. Lucy felt a shiver crawl down her spine, and she clutched her keychain tighter in her fist. She nodded, glancing away from him. Leo's gaze softened and he perched on the edge of her bed, reaching out to stroke her hair.
"We all love you, more than you know," He murmured, leaning over to kiss her forehead. Lucy leaned into his touch, grateful for the fact that he didn't continue with a big lecture. Lucy had been starved of human contact ever since her mother died, and with Natsu and now Leo giving her constant attention she felt a piece of her heart begin to heal with each and every touch. Now that she had friends who cared for her, Lucy never wanted to feel alone ever again.
"Unfortunately, this isn't a social call. I have some questions to ask you," Lucy said. Leo nodded as if he expected as much from her summons. He warily looked her up and down, eyes narrowing at the bags under her eyes and the redness of her cheeks. She looked utterly exhausted.
"Anything, princess," He said with a flirty smile, grabbing her hand and pulling it to his lips for a tender kiss. Lucy just rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore his flirtatious attitude for now.
"Do you remember where my mother's keys are?" She asked, getting straight to the point. Leo nodded and said, "I think you already know where they are."
Lucy groaned and rubbed her temple. She peered at him through her fingers and nodded. "I had an idea, but I just don't know where exactly in the manor she would have left them."
"She left only three keys at the manor, and sent the others off across the country to protect them and you. I have an idea of where some of the golden keys are, but other than that I'm afraid I have no clue where your mother sent her spirits." Leo pushed his sunglasses up and shrugged. Lucy sighed. She dropped her head into her hands and let out a frustrated groan. Leo rubbed her hand with his thumb sympathetically and asked, "So what's the plan, princess?"
"Well, once I'm healed enough to travel, I'll go back to that cursed place and find my mother's keys. Plus, I have to set my father-" She spat the word like it was a curse, "-straight and make sure he doesn't send anyone else after Fairy Tail," she concluded.
"With Natsu accompanying you I don't see how this plan can go south," Leo mused. Lucy bit her lip and pulled her hand from his grasp.
"Um, about that, I plan on going alone," she corrected nervously. Leo raised his brow in surprise.
"I don't think that's a good idea," He protested, but before he could say more Lucy pressed her finger against his lips and shushed him.
"I have to do this alone," She said. Leo locked eyes with her, seemingly staring directly into her soul. To Lucy, he was like family. The only real family she had left from her past. They may have been parted for years because of her father's abusive meddling with her memories, but ever since that day she first touched his key, all her old feelings and memories returned, making the time they were parted seem like a hazy dream.
"I trust you. I'm not happy about it, but I trust you. And I'll be there if you need help," he finally said. Smiling, she thanked Leo and pulled him in for a hug. Wincing, Lucy pulled away and rubbed her aching temple. Leo gave her a knowing look, and she pouted.
"You should close my gate, Lucy. You still haven't fully recovered," he said sternly.
"I know, but I missed you," she whined. Leo smiled and ruffled her hair. She swatted his hands away with an indigent shout, to which he only laughed. Lucy knew she had to let him return to the Celestial Realm soon, since he was sapping away what little energy she had. Sighing, she reached out and grabbed his key, giving him one last smile before she closed his gate, the spirit giving her a low bow and a wink before disappearing.
Lucy's smile melted away and she was once again alone. Her room was silent and empty, and Lucy suddenly wished she hadn't sent Natsu away, despite his annoying possessive behavior. Frowning, she resigned herself to try and rest as the magical drain of summoning Leo for so long took its toll. Sleep pulled at her eyes, dragging them closed and lulled her mind into a deep slumber.
-oooo-
Lucy had been dreaming of escape for as long as she could remember. Running out under the dark of night with only the light of the stars to guide her, leading her anywhere but the abusive hands of her father. She dreamed of walking side by side with her mother in a field of lilies, her hands brushing against the soft petals and the sweet, floral scent tickling her nose, the sun shining down and casting a warm glow upon the meadow. She could almost see the golden gleam of her mother's hair in the sunlight, almost hear her laugh, almost feel her arms wrapping around her. But, almost wasn't enough.
At sixteen, she ditched the daydreams and began to craft a meticulous plan of escape. She knew she'd only have one chance to flee her father's all-consuming reach, and planned her mad dash to land on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, when he couldn't come after her. Unfortunately, fate had never been kind to her, so why should it start now.
Christmas Eve of that year forever scarred the holiday for Lucy Heartfilia. Ever since her mother passed, the Heartfilia home hadn't hosted a single party, not even for her birthday's. Although, that never stopped Lucy from hiding in the kitchens with the staff and feasting on left overs and laughing over silly stories of times long since passed. But that night, an unwelcome presence crashed their joyous celebrations.
She didn't remember much, only the sound of the door slamming shut and the silence that followed until her father banished the staff from the house in the middle of the night. She couldn't remember the last time her father looked so furious. In truth, rebellious teenage fantasies had taken root in her young mind, and she made the mistake of talking back when Jude scolded her for enjoying the company of such "lower creatures." Until this night, Lucy only had to fear Jude's words. Until this night, the worst that would happen was being locked in a dark closet for a day without food or water.
"They're the only friends I have, no thanks to you," She snapped, interrupting him and pouring salt in the metaphorical wound to his ego. Instead of red hot fury, Jude's features relaxed until he bore a serene expression. It was then that she smelled the whiskey on his breath, noticed the empty bottle in his hand. Jude marched towards her and Lucy was frozen in fear like a deer in the headlights. A part of her thought he would never lay a hand against her, his own daughter. She soon learned she was wrong.
Jude whipped the whiskey bottle against her head, shattering the glass against her skull and sending her toppling to the ground, a shower of glass shards ripping through her skin. She screamed and clutched at her head, her hands quickly becoming soaked with her blood. Black spots dotted her vision, and when looking back at this night she would wish his initial strike would have knocked her unconscious.
"Ungrateful bitch! You know nothing about what I have done for this family!" He screamed, kicking at her prone body repeatedly. Lucy curled into a ball, her hands covering the slice in her scalp. She felt something in her chest crack and her breath fled from her lungs with a choked gasp. Coughing, she remained curled up on the kitchen floors, shaking. Jude huffed, tossing the remains of the bottle on her shivering form, then stumbled out of the room.
She couldn't bring her body to move. She cried, great sobs that shook her body, and stayed on the kitchen floor until she was lulled into unconsciousness by the pounding in her head.
When she woke, the sun had risen but the cooks or the maids hadn't arrived. She pried her hands out of the puddle of dried blood, feeling her mind go numb as she stared at her reflection in the glass doors. She winced and clutched her chest as it pulsed with pain when she moved. Wheezing, she managed to pull herself up to her room and peel the blood-soaked clothes from her body. For the next few hours, she plucked every shard of glass from her skin with her tweezers, and after the first dozen she became used to the sting as the glass cut her flesh. The next few days passed in a blur. Her father never came to see her, and nobody else was in the house. She took care of her injuries as best she could, fed herself from the scraps in the kitchen, and waited until she was healed enough to climb down her trellis.
A week after her father beat her and left her lying on the ground alone in the cold, she packed up whatever she could carry, broke into his office to steal a few thousand jewels in cash, then climbed down from her window and walked down the long driveway leading to the manor.
When she reached the great wrought iron gates that imprisoned her for so long, she was overcome by a wave of emotion. She glanced back at her childhood home, choosing what little memories she had of her mother and discarding the rest. The gate had been left unlocked by the staff after they left that horrid night, and Lucy simply walked out of the gates with her head held high, determined never to see them or the man that used to be her father ever again.
-oooo-
Lucy woke drenched in a cold sweat, her limbs shaking and her body aching. She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and groaned when she saw she'd only been asleep for a little over an hour. Nightmares and memories plagued her once again. She knew she should consult with Mira about any sleep aids, but that meant she would have to talk about why she couldn't sleep and Lucy didn't think she was ready for that just quite yet.
After hobbling over to the adjacent bathroom and splashing some cold water on her face, Lucy returned to her bed to wait for Porlyusica's arrival. The healer was already late, and she didn't know when to expect her grouchy presence. Thankfully, a few moments after the thought passed her mind, the door slammed open and the scowling woman strolled through the doorway followed by Wendy. Lucy smiled, eagerly welcoming the duo into her room.
Porlyusica wasted no time and immediately pressed against Lucy's forehead until she lay flat against the mattress. She then summoned a wave of healing energy and passed her hand over Lucy's body, her scowl deepening. She placed her hands on her leg and Lucy felt a warm tingling sensation from underneath the cast. She resisted the urge to squirm, knowing Porlyusica would yell if she did. Wendy watched from behind the old woman, an entranced shine in her young eyes. Porlyusica continued to imbue her leg with healing energy for a few more minutes, then she nodded and straightened.
"You're fine now. Wendy will remove the cast and follow up with general care over the next few weeks until you are completely healed. Somehow you healed a lot faster than you should've, being a demi-fae," Porlyusica grumbled, casting a curious glance at Lucy before storming from the room, mumbling something about useless creatures and returning to her cottage in the woods. Lucy called out her thanks, hoping Porlyusica managed to hear her words before she disappeared.
"Sorry about that, Porlyusica can be a little grumpy when she has to come out to the guild," Wendy said with a nervous smile. Lucy waved away the girl's concern, instead asking, "So you're gonna take this massive thing off my leg and then I can go back to my apartment?"
Wendy giggled and nodded. Lucy sat up, eager to stand on her own without the damned plaster wrapped around her entire leg. Wendy simply tapped a few points along the length of the cast and blew a breath of air. A long line cracked through the length of the cast, and after a moment it simply popped open and crumbled away into dust.
"I'll never get over how magic can do this kind of thing," Lucy mumbled. She reached down and scratched her bare skin for the first time in days, a pleased groan rumbling in her throat. She massaged the wrinkled skin and brushed away any dust.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to just give you a quick check before you leave and make sure your ribs and shoulder are still okay," Wendy said softly, her hands wringing together nervously.
"If it'll get me out of this room, feel free," Lucy laughed. Wendy swiftly conducted her check-up and gave her the all clear. Grinning, Lucy decided to eat her dinner down in the tavern with the rest of the guild.
By the time she made it down the stairs- which proved to be harder than she thought, given that her leg was still sore and stiff as a board- the guild members of Fairy Tail were already in full party mode. Ever since she woke up after they defeated Phantom Lord and after the guild's supply stores were replenished, there had been a never-ending celebration. She wished she could've been a part of it earlier, but she was happy just to be on her own two feet for the moment.
Cana was having a drinking contest with most of the guild, or rather a brutal demonstration of her drinking skills. It seemed like half of the guild was passed out drunk at her feet already. Currently, she was going shot for shot with Elfman, a cocky smirk on her lips. The enormous man was already swaying in his seat and it was clear he wouldn't last much longer. Happy was flying above the reverie, following Charle with a large fish in his hands. Jet and Droy sat at the bar with Levy, the trio laughing gleefully as they listened to Wakaba and Macao bicker.
Lucy made her way to her usual barstool, and waved to Mira, who was balancing a large tray of drinks on one hand effortlessly. The barmaid swiftly handed out the drinks then make her way over to Lucy, reaching over the bar to grab her hand and say, "I'm so glad you're out of bed! I would have visited, but we've been pretty busy the past few days."
"No worries! I had plenty of company," Lucy drawled, reflecting on Natsu's territorial behavior around her the past few days. Mira gave her a knowing smile, and pulled a plate of mini-sandwiches out from under the bar and passed a couple over to the blonde, who gratefully began to munch on the snack.
"Natsu gets like that sometimes. It's a part of his dragon heritage, something about having a horde. I'm sure the scare you gave him after disappearing twice in the same two days is what's making him so possessive," Mira explained, pulling out a bottle of lemonade to pass to Lucy. "He's lost a lot of people in his life before, so I'm sure this war brought up some terrible memories for him. I know that you're the only person he's bonded with so strongly, besides Happy."
Lucy hummed thoughtfully and sipped at the sweet drink. She cringed when she realized that Natsu and the others had gone through hell too, all because of her. Guilt crawled up her throat and she swallowed thickly past the lump in her throat.
"I'm so sorry Mira, for bringing this on all of you," She whispered. The barmaid burst into laughter and exclaimed, "You are a part of the family now! This is what we do for each other, we never give up and we always protect one another."
Lucy blinked back tears and smiled brightly. She vehemently agreed, knowing in her soul that she would sacrifice her very life for her newfound family.
"Thank you so much, you have no idea how much that means to me," Lucy said, wiping her eyes. Mira just reached over and placed a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder before she was whisked away to provide more alcoholic beverages to the patrons of Fairy Tail. After she left, Lucy found her eyes wandering the crowd, searching for a tuft of pink hair amongst the partygoers. For the moment, she was content to sit on the sidelines and watch as Cana drank everyone under the table and listen in on some of the stories being shared.
She was drawn out of her daydreams when Gray hopped onto the stool next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her in for a half-hug. Lucy jerked in surprise, but then melted into his embrace.
"I'm glad you're okay, we were worried," He muttered. Lucy apologized for making them all worry, and pinched his bare torso, "Gray, where are your clothes?"
The shirtless man just shrugged. His skin was refreshingly cool against her skin and Lucy wasn't surprised that the ice user was cold to the touch. She briefly thought about asking Gray what his magical heritage was out of curiosity, but ultimately decided against it for politeness sake.
"Happy to see you aren't a cripple anymore," Gray said with a breathy laugh before removing his arm and instead propping his chin against his palm.
"No worries, Fullbuster, even as a cripple I'm sure I could take you down," Lucy teased, drawing a guffaw from the man beside her. Smiling, he reached over and grabbed her lemonade from her hand and took a long swig of the beverage.
Lucy feigned offense, her mouth dropping open with a melodramatic gasp, her hand clutched to her chest.
"Why I don't believe that drink belonged to you, sir," She said with a mournful shake of her head. Smirking, Gray just took another long drink and handed the bottle back. Smiling, Lucy reached out and drunk from the bottle again, not caring that her friend had just done the same.
It was then that she felt a cold shiver travel down her spine and heard a demonic whisper echo in her ear, "Love rival…"
Stiffening, Lucy turned and saw a dark aura surrounding a familiar woman standing in the darkest corner of the room. Gray blanched and quickly used his hand to point Lucy's face away from the growling woman.
"Gray, why is Juvia glaring at us?" She asked, her voice low. Sweat beaded at his brow and he stuttered for an answer.
"W-well, Juvia's seemed to have taken a liking to me, ever since we fought together against Phantom Lord and she won't leave me alone," He stuttered.
Lucy laughed so hard she almost spewed lemonade from her nose. Gray had a stalker, and that was hilarious.
"I mean, if you like her so much I guess I can forgive her," Lucy said after she calmed down. Gray raised a brow and whistled.
"If it were me in your situation, I don't think I could forgive her," He said with a shake of his head.
"At least it isn't Gajeel begging for my forgiveness and trying to join the guild, I don't think I could ever forgive him for what he did to Levy and Jet and Droy," Lucy said, munching on another miniature sandwich.
"What about what he did to you?" Gray blurted, cringing the moment the question left his mouth. Lucy paled, and her lips formed a tight line.
"He seemed, reluctant. He even apologized to me as he was beating me like a drum. And I think he stopped when he did despite Jose's orders because he couldn't bring himself to harm me anymore, not that there was much left of me anyway," She mused, thinking back to the guilt shining in his red eyes. He may haunt her nightmares, but Lucy knew somewhere inside, Gajeel truly did not want to hurt her. Nevertheless, she could feel the beginnings of a panic attack as her thoughts turned back to that horrible night. Her heart started to pound and her hands began to shake uncontrollably. She clenched her fists together and took a shaky breath.
Gray sighed, standing and opening his arms and pulling Lucy off the stool and into his cold embrace. "Don't get any ideas, I just know that contact helps with panic attacks."
Her lips twitched at his embarrassed tone, but he was right. When his arms tightened around her waist she felt her breath even out and her heartbeat start to return to a normal pace. She vaguely heard another growl echo from Juvia, but couldn't bring herself to care. She burrowed her face in Gray's chest, grateful for his thoughtfulness.
She pulled away after a moment, when she finally calmed down enough to return to her seat. Gray cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a pink flush tinting his cheeks. Lucy could still feel Juvia's intense stare, but she chose to ignore the strange woman.
She reached over for another snack sized sandwich, but before she could take a bite, Natsu intercepted the snack and took a bite right out of her hand, appearing seemingly out of midair. Lucy made a startled noise, nearly dropping the remaining half of the sandwich, and then glared at the pinkette.
"Thesh are goodsh," he said in between bites, a smile on his face. He took a seat on the other side of Lucy and reached over for her lemonade, emptying the contents down his gullet.
"Natsu, that was rude," She exclaimed, swatting his upper arm. He just shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She rolled her eyes, choosing to let his behavior slide for now. It was a good thing Erza was busy trying to get Cana to stop giving the rest of the guild alcohol poisoning.
"Since you're back on two legs again, does that mean the old hag gave you a clean bill of health?" Natsu asked, scooting closer and sniffing around her head.
"Yup! I'm all good to go back to my own apartment and Wendy will be giving me some check-ups every once in a while," she said with a bright smile.
"Oh, that reminds me, would you two mind helping me move my stuff back into my place?" She turned to Gray, who just nodded. She felt Natsu's chin drop onto her shoulder and looked down to see a pout on his face before he puffed a cloud of smoke in Gray's face, then screamed, "Fight me, you icy bastard!"
The next thing she knew the entire guild had turned into a brawling ground. First, Natsu tackled Gray, who bumped into Warren, who fell on the table where Cana was drinking, spilling her precious barrel of alcohol. Before anyone knew what was happening, the fighting broke out across the tavern floor, leaving Lucy watching from the side with a small smile.
"Damn, now I'll have to reorder more furniture," Mira sighed, watching mournfully as Elfman rose from his drunken state to lift two of the large tables in each hand and smack them down on Natsu and Gray, screaming about being a man.
"I missed this," Lucy said quietly, watching with love in her gaze. Any normal person would think she was insane, enjoying watching her friends beat each other up, but they didn't know how things worked in Fairy Tail. Here, we show love with our fists.
Her thoughts turned to what she knew she'd have to do the next day, and her smile melted away, the light in her eyes dimmed. She absentmindedly rubbed her thumb over Leo's warm key, taking comfort in the fact that she wouldn't be truly alone on her quest. She knew Natsu and Erza would hate her for leaving, and she didn't want to think about how Levy would feel, after what they went through with Gajeel.
Lucy chose to sit at the bar for the rest of the night and memorize each and every person's faces, the sound of their laughter, the way they smiled, so she would have something to hold on to during the trials ahead.
-oooo-
Finally! an update! I hope y'all enjoyed this filler chapter, and soon to come is Jude Heartfilia, the bastard. I only gave this a quick read through before posting, so please forgive any typos or mistakes.
As always, please review! Thanks so much! 3