Happy December Holiday of your choosing! I'm off to bake a ham and wrap gifts for my children. Enjoy the chapter, and you all are awesome for reviewing! It makes my heart feel warm, especially IzzyLovesRoLu, but remember that I said I'm not liable for damaged devices. XD

Same disclaimer goes for this week and every week after! Be prepared to blush and scream ... maybe even cry a little. Read responsibly, I recommend a pillow to muffle that squeals and/or screams.

The next chapter will be up on New Years Eve, so maybe I'll throw in something nice for you all.


My head was swimming with so much adrenaline and embarrassment that I moved without any protests as Yukino dragged me across the crowded dance floor. The thought that I had been about to kiss Rogue was just bouncing back and forth scrambling the precious few brain cell that hadn't turned to mush. I felt myself split between wishing I had been able to taste his lips, and kicking myself because we barely knew each other. There was also the alcohol to consider, I was perfectly fine, but how much had he had to drink?

The night air that hit me once we passed through the exit, made my sweat soaked skin bristle in protest; I shivered, my teeth chattering angrily as we walked into the wind. My hair was flying all over the place, my warm breath making white puffs of mist form in the chilled atmosphere. I half expected it to start snowing, but the clear skies made that impossible. Instinctively I huddled closer to Yukino, wishing I had chosen to wear my large fluffy coat instead of the cool leather one that stopped at the base of my rib cage.

As we made our way back to the mountain path the shock began to settle, allowing my mind to fully process what had transpired over the last few hours. I had willingly put myself in a very compromising situation with a person who made me lose all sense and reason. I swallowed hard, my face burning as I thought about how much of my bare skin his hands had explored, and out in public at that. I didn't even want to process the fact that my body was aching to turn right around and latch back onto the man who was making me lose my mind. I held a solid leash on those impulses, happy that my mind was functioning somewhat properly again. I needed to remedy that handicap quickly or I might lose what little sanity I still had.

"You had a lot of fun tonight." I jumped as Yukino whispered in my ear, my whole face burning brighter at her comment. "Maybe a little to much."

I said nothing, not trusting my voice, or the distance between the two of us and our companions who were trailing slightly behind. I knew for a fact that they would both be able to hear with no trouble. Stupid Dragon slayer hearing. I made sure to focus on my feet, making it look like I hadn't heard a word she said due to concentration, and of course the howling wind.

"Lucy." I looked at her, startled by the way she said my name. "The talk we had in Hosenka, do you remember it?" She kept her voice nice and low, her tone as serious as Erza when her beautiful cake gets smashed into oblivion. I numbly nodded my head, letting her know that I had committed it to my memory. "I meant every word of it."

"The same goes for me." I smiled, knowing what she was implying.

"Things fall apart so better things can come together." Yukino's eyes sparkled with mischief again.

"Without even realizing it, right?" She laughed lightly and nodded her agreement.

I let my head fall back, looking up at the full moon and the sparkling stars for a long minute. Letting all the thoughts from the past couple of days swirl around me in a maelstrom of confusion and clarity. This is where my problems really came to life, as I started to allow my mind to compare my feelings. For years I assumed that what I felt for my fiery best friend had been love, it only made sense. With Natsu anything was possible, we feed off each other in ways that made me feel like we were a perfect fit for one another. He made me feel safe and warm; I took comfort in those feelings.

When I dove down deeper than I had ever allowed myself, it came to a single moment when my subconscious made the distinction for me. I'd given Natsu my first kiss, and I'd felt absolutely nothing. The way it happened made it easy to deny that the lack of a spark was because we weren't attracted to each other. I told myself that if Natsu had returned the kiss I would have felt something more. Natsu's letter was more than enough to drill home the point that we couldn't be more than friends though. I had still hung onto my denial, until Cana read the letter and there was no way to hide myself away anymore. I was forced to face the truth that night, and the conversation with my three friends had brought a whole new side of the situation to light.

I had burned the letter in secrecy after everything that had happened, but it wasn't like I needed a physical copy anymore. The words had been inscribed in my memory after so many night spent trying to find some other meaning that wouldn't lead to the inevitable.

Lucy,

I don't know what to say to you. I think you need to take some time and get your head on straight, your weirdness is at an all time high. I'm sorry if what I've been doing has added to it, but I've only ever tried to keep you safe. You get into trouble when I'm not looking, and I know I'd go insane if I left you to do what ever you wanted. I don't think I can do it anymore though. You just keep doing things that make it harder for me. I'm sorry Lucy.

~Natsu

PS. Please let the others know that Happy and I will be back, there is a forest to the North West of Fiore that I haven't been to, and I'm going there now to look for Igneel. I don't know how long I'll be gone for, but hopefully when I come back you'll have come to your senses.

Oh how I did come to my senses. Even if his choice of words was poor, it was clear that Natsu and I needed to take a step back and prioritizes what was important to us. Natsu chose his path, taking himself as far from me as possible. What he didn't understand was that his absence was the thing that would hurt me the most. Rejection of my feelings was one thing, but rejection of my whole person was another. In those few sentences he made it clear that looking after me was more than he could handle, and that he was no longer willing to do so.

In return, I was no longer willing to make myself his burden, no matter how harsh that reality was. Whether I loved him or not, I would push him away to save him from whatever it was that we had become. It wasn't something anyone around us was going to understand completely, but Natsu and I both knew that we couldn't continue the way we had before.

This is where the voices deep inside me started to scream all at once, some pleading Natsu's defense, and others wishing for his absolute destruction for making me doubt myself. Two very prominent voices rose to the surface of my thoughts and took root next to both of my ears whispering to me as my other thoughts continued in their swirling maelstrom.

The one on my left whispered that I had fallen out of Love with Natsu at some point. Maybe it was before I even asked to be more than friends, I really couldn't tell. The lines between genuine feeling and denial were blurring a lot of my emotional boundaries. The other voice pointed out my reaction to Rogue, insisting that he appealed to a more carnal nature that I wasn't aware existed inside of me. I couldn't fight that, I had already admitted to myself that I was attracted to him, so it was logical.

Somewhere over the week he had also become a close friend to me, a part of me had forced that issue no matter how terrified I had once been. The simple act of calming my night terrors made me trust him implicitly. I knew without a doubt that he would never, ever hurt me. I wanted to stay near him, to watch what he would do next. I wanted to study his expressions, no matter how guarded they were. Oh my stars did I want to have the inferno reignited from the smoldering coals that were still burning in the lower regions of my soul. I wanted to feel it from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair.

"What are you doing?" I hadn't realized that I had slowed down or that I was shaking until Yukino spoke. I coughed awkwardly, trying to reign in my growing blush.

"I'm focusing, you know, so that I don't fall." I shifted, stumbling on purpose to prove my point; she didn't need to know that I was fantasizing about a certain someone who could absolutely hear us from this distance. "I'm not coordinated enough for this." She burst out laughing. "Seriously, how the hell are you not falling flat on your face? It's taking every ounce of concentration I have just to walk in a straight line!"

Yukino was practically doubled over in a fit of giggles, and Sting was laughing openly as well. I steeled my nerve to take a look over my shoulder, and was pleased to find Rogue directing a soft smile at me. My heart fluttered at the amusement lighting up his eyes again. I realized at that point that I could see clearer than I should have been able, and I found myself searching for the reason.

When I found the source my mind went blank before I started laughing with the others; Sting was lit up like a Christmas tree, casting a glow that Yukino and I were at the edge of. I covered my mouth, muffling the sound of my uncontrollable laughter, even if I could have passed it off as laughing at my own struggles. I bite back any form of insult that was coming to my mind, willing my mouth to stay shut. It was getting harder by the second to keep from shout out 'Thanks for the light, glow worm.'

"I wish I could have given you a pair of my training shoes, but we aren't the same size." Yukino finally had her laughter under control, and the two of us went back to our original pace. She was gliding along like she hadn't drank her fill just a few hours prior and I found myself wanting to strangle her for looking so poised while i looked like a troll wear scuba gear.

"Shame on you for having small feet." I wagged a finger at her playfully.

"I'm only a half size smaller than you!" She faked indignation, pulling her arm away from mine, before storming on ahead. She threw a careful glance that was directed at Sting before she vanished into the darkness beyond the circle of light. A moment later Sting was rushing past, calling for the light haired woman to wait up.

I took a sharp breath, realizing what she had just done, and cursed under my breath as a shiver ran through me, another gust of wind whipping my hair around my face. The little devil voice whispered that I was finally alone with Rogue, while the other told me to catch up, as quickly as I could.

I was about to start walking faster following the good advice when I felt a warm arm wrap around my waist. I was torn between screaming and melting into a puddle as his scent wrapped around me again. The switch in my brain promptly flipped to the auto pilot mode, allowing silence to make the air thick with tension.

We walked like that for a long time, with nothing but the howl of the wind and my own frantic heart beat to listen to. A little bit of my rational mind was waking from it's slumber, the longer the silence prevailed, giving me back some form of coherence. I hated how awkward it felt now, even if my body was telling me I was right where I needed to be.

What am I supposed to say to him? I've never been so lost for words before.

My eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, and I found myself watching out of the corner of my eye. He wasn't just calm, he was practically serene. There was a soft smile that anyone who wasn't practiced at studying his features might have missed. That thought struck me as odd, when had I become such an expert at gauging his expressions?

"I'm sorry." The hell am I apologizing for? Damn it, Lucy, get it together!

"What for?" He stopped moving, his eyes focused on me, causing a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold raced through me. I just stared at the ground, shoulders tense as I tried to come up with an answer, any answer at all.

"I." I couldn't look at him, I had no idea what I was even trying to say. "I just seem to cause nothing but trouble for you."

"Is that all?" His laugh startled me, causing me to look at him.

"Y-yes." The smile that came to his face at my response made my knees buckle. My heart was hammering in my chest even faster as he leaned down closer to me. My mind was no longer able to process what was going on, and I was holding my breath just watching as he inched closer. The voice on my left promptly fainted, when the one on my right howled with excited laughter.

"Are you sure that's the only thing you want to apologize for?" The tone of his voice was deep and husky, the way Levy's romance novels always described the handsome male lead during the more heated scenes. Realization dawned, and my eyes grew wider. My surprise didn't stop him; his hand come up to brush the line of my chin, pushing my face up so he could see my reactions more clearly.

"Princess, big brother lost Aries, and is on his way." I instinctively jumped away from Rogue, nearly falling when Virgo popped out of no where. "I've brought you a pair of sneakers so that you can out run him. And a coat, because you look cold." She handed them over, her gaze lingering on Rogue for a little longer than it should have, then she wished me luck before vanishing again.

"LLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" I counted to five on my fingers and there he was, panting heavily as if he ran the whole way. He skidded to a stop a foot from me, pulling himself to his full height while adjusting his glasses and straightening his tie. "Why did you leave my key behind?" His mouth pulled into a thin line as his eyes took in the details of the situation before him.

"I'm a total space case! Why didn't I think to ask Virgo for normal boots earlier?" Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to ignore the over protective spirit who was standing in front of me, but I knew that vocalizing anything would get me into more trouble. I pulled on the heavy jacket, and made quick work of swapping my shoes, instantly feeling better about the situation. When I looked back up, Loki was baring down on me with the most serious expression I could imagine.

"How many times do we need to go over this?" He growled at me.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." I darted around him, finally able to move properly over the rugged terrain. "That's much better."

"Lucy, pay attention dammit!" Loki was short on patience to start with; if I pushed much harder, he would most definitely explode into a shower of sparkles, it was a tad bit sadistic, but I kind of wanted to see it happen. "If you leave my key behind I can't get to you if you're in trouble!"

"I'm not in trouble, so you have nothing to worry about it!" I sang as I darted forward again, laughing at how much easier it was.

"Lucy take this seriously!" He was jogging to catch up to me now. "I don't want you getting hurt over something as silly as not having my key with you!"

"I'm going to have fun and you can't stop me!" I stuck my tongue out over my shoulder. "I'm not in any sort of danger, so go home." I heard Rogue laughing as he followed us at a much slower pace.

My mind started racing again, analyzing what was about to happen with Rogue before Virgo popped up. I felt my face flush and I lost my balance for a moment. It was all Loki needed to catch up to me, and I knew I was in for a lecture again. It didn't come, instead Loki took over as my lantern, sighing as he beckoned me forward. I gave him a shy smile and walked to his side.

"Even if it's just a date, you should still take my key with you." He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Shock ran through me, and I stuttered, trying to form words to deny that I was on a date. They wouldn't come, no matter how hard I tried to make them. I ended up just smacking my friend upside the head, and marching forward.

It only took five more minutes to get to the courtyard, and I let out a sigh of relief that I was almost back to Yukino's apartment. The thought of collapsing on her couch made me insanely happy. So I started walking faster up the path that led to her street, letting my imagination play the scene of falling into the couch and wrapping myself in a warm blanket. I faintly realized that Loki was no longer with me; he had slowed down to talk to Rogue and for some reason that made me uneasy.

"Uh, I think maybe you should come with me for a little while longer." I twisted to see Rogue laughing, and Loki snickering as well. We were only three doors away now, and I just wanted to collapse.

"But, I'm tired and hungry." I knew it came out as a whine, but I didn't care; the couch was calling my name and I wanted to give it the biggest hug ever.

"Trust me on this one, you'll thank me later." I raised an eyebrow; I was at the door already and all I wanted to do was sleep. I was reaching for the door knob when I heard the reason he had suggested going, and I ran right back to him. "It's good to see that they've finally worked it out."

"Right, I can handle another hour." I felt the heat radiating off of my face as I walked past the two men who looked extremely amused. "Go home already, stupid playboy!" I was tempted to throw one of my boots at the spirit who was now openly laughing at me.

"Make me! Wait a minute, you can't, because I have this!" Loki held up his key flashing me a smile that was playful and dangerous at the same time. I rushed at him, intent on getting the key out of his hand, and he dodged me easily. "Oh, now you want it, huh?"

"Get back here you jerk!" He was laughing and darting around the courtyard, and I was hot on his coat tails. Three trips around the open space, and I finally caught up and jumped to tackle him.

"I'll leave her to you then." I realized what he was doing a moment too late as his key landed in Rogue's hands. I couldn't stop at that point, and I braced myself for impact as I went through the cloud of sparkling stars where Loki had been a moment before. I barreled full force into Rogue, knocking him right off his feet. I closed my eyes as we fell to the ground, groaning when the air was knocked out of my lungs. I heard a hiss of pain a little too close to my ear, and my eyes snapped open.

Panic was setting in, my whole face burning the brightest shade of red I could imagine. My legs were spread, with one knee on the ground on opposite sides of Rogue's torso. My hands on the ground on either sides of his shoulders. I could feel his shaking breaths fanning out across my forehead, stirring my bangs around my face. The little devil was daring me to move, to finish what I had started at the club, while the smaller voice told me to hold perfectly still.

I'd been in this particular position thousands of times over the years (with my apparent love of being thrown at my teammates from buildings and all) and I'd never felt so bashful about it. I was frozen in place, just watching Rogue's chest rise and fall, actively fighting against myself. The last thing I wanted was to make the mistake I'd made with Natsu all over again. My heart was racing as the storm inside me started to overrule my logic again, I was starting to lose the fight.

"You're still hungry right?" I refused to shift my focus from the buttons on his shirt, so I gave a small nod. "Good, let's head over to the guild, I want to get Frosh before Orga decides he's not going to give him back again."

I shifted carefully, getting myself into a standing position before offering a hand to help Rogue to his feet, trying my best to look calm all the while. I watched from the corner of my eye as he dusted himself off then he grabbed my wrist and dragged me along (my boots laying forgotten in the street) towards the guild.

My nerves were on high alert now, because I really didn't want to make a mistake that would mess this up; I was in new territory, and I didn't want to rush things.

It's best to move nice and slow, let the whole idea of it sink in. I need to learn to control myself or I'm going to end up doing something stupid. Get to know him better at a safe distance, then you can think about those other things, Lucy.

It didn't take long to arrive in the main hall again, and I was amused to see that Rufus and Orga were in practically the same positions we had left them in. The only difference was that Rufus had his nose in a book, and Orga was playing a guessing game with the two Exceeds. I only realized that Rogue was still holding my wrist when he let it go, crossing the room to gather his little green friend in a hug.

Frosh was truly the cutest thing I had ever seen as he jumped excitedly into Rogue's waiting arms chattering about the fun he and Lector had been having while we were out. I smiled at the way the dark haired man patted Frosh on the head and started talking to him in hushed tones.

"Ah, Miss. Lucy come here please." I turned my attention to Rufus and walked across the room. I made it half way before a blue blur knocked me to the ground. I hissed in pain as my back side hit the stone floor.

"LLLLLLLUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCYYYYYYYYYY." The wail nearly broke my heart as the blue ball of fur burrowed into my chest. I looked up at Rufus for an explanation, and he smiled softly.

"He arrived about half an hour after you left." I let my focus drift back to the cat who was soaking the front of my shirt with his tears.

"Why are you here, Happy?" I patted his head softly and slowly, hoping to calm his sobs a bit.

"Mira said you went on a job by yourself." Happy did his best to put on a brave face. "I don't care what Natsu says, you are still my partner and I won't let you go alone!" I felt my heart shatter at his words, but he wasn't done. "I never wanted to leave you behind in the first place, I told Natsu he was being stupid, but he wouldn't listen. I'm so sorry Lucy!"

"I know Happy, it's ok now. It wasn't your fault." I dragged myself off the floor before walking the rest of the way to the table and set him down next to a stack of books. "You don't need to say anything else."

"It's not ok, Natsu and I are supposed to protect you! We promised we'd never let anything bad happen to our Lucy ever again!" Fat tears matted the fur on his cheeks as he stared up at me. "How are we supposed to protect you when we aren't there?"

I felt tears of my own pooling behind my eyes; I gathered him up in my arms again, and sank into a chair. My shoulders were shaking from the effort of holding back the flood of emotions, but I knew if I started to cry now I might not be able to stop.

"Thank you, Happy." I kept my voice low and calm, squeezing him tightly. "You don't need to worry anymore, everything is going to be ok." Happy pulled away at this point and grabbed the wrist that had been injured by the pyromaniac we both called our best friend. His expression turned to one of absolute anger as he inspected the mark.

"Lily said that Natsu hurt you, but I didn't believe him." He looked up at me, his eyes filled with pain. "I should have been there instead of at Carla's."

"You spent a month away from her, something little like this isn't nearly as bad as that must have felt." That got a small laugh out of the little blue exceed. "You should go back in the morning, I'm sure Natsu will be wondering where you went."

"No, he won't. He was too busy running off to burn some fancy pants rich guy to a crisp." My eyes went wide as I put him back on the table; I hoped that it wasn't who I thought it was.

"Why the hell would he do that?"

"Freed was explaining to Cana about the enchantment that you broke, and how there was no way that a summoning spell was laced in anywhere in the recreation you made for him. He told Cana that the beast was already in the cave when you broke the barrier. Cana was screaming about how the low life had meant for the two of you to be hurt, that he probably never intended for either of you two to make it back alive. Natsu and Gajeel were out the door as soon as she said that."

"I understand Natsu going, but why Gajeel?" I crossed my arms over my chest, rage boiling under the surface.

"He said something like 'No one tries to kill my blonde bunny girl and gets away with it.' Levy told him to punch the guy in the face for her as well." The cat mirrored my position, arms folded over his chest as a wicked grin spread across his furry face. "I think he doesn't like it when people try to hurt his pet."

"I'm not a pet you damn cat." I hissed.

"It's ok Lucy, we all know that Gajeel has a soft spot for his favorite torture victim." He jumped just as I was about to grabs his cheeks. "After all he doesn't make anyone else dance around in a bunny suit."

"Can it, you stupid cat!" I jumped up and just missed him. "Come back here so I can punish you properly for saying weird things!"

To my amusement he let out a series of laughs that were deep and heartfelt before rushing back into my arms.

"I've missed you, Lucy."

"I missed you too, Happy."

We settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying the warmth of one another until a cough made me look up to see Rufus with an other soft smile playing on his lips. He casually pointed in Rogue's direction, and my eyes shifted to see what he wanted to show me. I bit my lip to keep myself from saying anything as he visibly fought against the swirl of shadows that was circling his feet. I took a deep breath and directed my comment at Happy instead.

"Gajeel will absolutely give that guy the beating of a life time."

"If there is anything left when Natsu gets finished with him. That poor bastard signed his death certificate to moment Natsu saw how beat up you were." Happy puffed his chest out with pride. "We both knew it would be bad..." Happy trailed off.

"It's ok Happy, you can tell me." I leaned back in the chair, letting him settle into a more comfortable position.

"We were two towns over when Natsu said he smelled you, more specifically your blood. At first he didn't want to follow it; he said he wasn't sure he could handle seeing you like that. I refused to take no for an answer though. It was already night by the time we caught up to you, and he said you were with Cana and Yukino. He wouldn't go inside; he just stood there next to the open window." His voice was quiet as he continued. "He was listening to your conversation for a while, then he just started walking towards home; he wouldn't talk to me at all after that."

"He must have left when you and the brat went outside." Rogue had his gaze fixed on me, the anger burning behind his eyes the same as the night I had first told him about the situation with Natsu. "I smelled him but I didn't want to say anything that would upset you worse than you already were."

"I guess he heard a few things that he didn't like then." I wasn't sure why, but I actually felt a sense of satisfaction at the thought that Natsu most likely heard Cana proclaim that Natsu had intended on bedding me before he ended the facade. It meant that he couldn't deny what everyone else saw, that we all thought that it was heading in that direction. "I'm sure Cana's words left a bitter taste in his mouth."

Rogue seemed to have won his little battle over his rising temper, and slipped into the seat next to me.

"What were you talking about? I still don't understand any of this! One day everything was fine and then all of the sudden he refused to go near you. What happened Lucy?" I couldn't deny my friend the explanation he needed.

"I made a miscalculation, Happy." I patted his head, keeping my voice calm and even. "I acted on an impulse that I shouldn't have. Natsu got mad at me, because we can't be friends like we were anymore. None of that has anything to do with you though." I watched his eyes grow twice their normal size before he turned them on me.

"H-h-he turned you down didn't he?" Happy was perceptive for a cat. I nodded my head sadly, but gave him a smile to let him know I was alright now.

"Not in as many words but yes, and I'm not going to bother him anymore." I wasn't expecting him to grab my face between his paws, or the seriousness of his stare.

"That isn't right. Natsu loves you, he would never..." His voice cracked as I lost the battle against my own tears, and one leaked down my cheek.

"Of course he does, and he loves you and Lisanna and Erza and Gramps."

"You're different, you've always been different." Happy's voice was just above a whisper and he let his paws fall away from my face.

"That might be true, but it doesn't matter anymore." I gave him a rough hug, quieting the last of my sobs. "He lost his faith in me, and I can't trust someone who doesn't believe in me." I felt a hand pat my head, and I began to relax at the familiar hum of my body as it responded to the innocent touch. I gave Rogue a smile to let him know I was ok, and to thank him for the comfort.

"I guess that explains why everyone has been so angry with Natsu for the past couple of days." Happy pulled away and sat himself back on the table, sniffling as his tears settled as well. "I was asked to give this to you." He pulled his green bag off his shoulders and pulled out a fish then a letter and a lycrima to hand over to me.

I broke the seal and read it quickly, and couldn't help but laugh.

Lucy,

It has come to the guilds attention that you and Cana were lured into a trap. Natsu and Gajeel went to handle the villain who hurt the two of you, with Master and my blessing. I myself would have gone, but we have preparations for the Guild Masters ceremony that takes place tomorrow evening. Since you aren't in the Guild at present I will tell you the good news before the final announcement has been made. Master Makarov is retiring at long last, and tomorrow at the celebration Laxus will be taking on the mantle of our new Master. Remember that you are still ordered to have fun, and relax on your vacation, and I am truly sorry for interrupting it to begin with. We'll talk more when you come home.

Sincerely,

Erza Scarlet

"Way to go, old man." I laughed to myself, noticing that Rogue was reading over my shoulder.

"I guess Rufus will need to go along to keep Sting in line." He was laughing as well. "Our fearless leader gets handsy when he's drunk."

"No can do, I have a job in Hargeon that I will be leaving for in the morning and won't be back for a least a day." Rufus winked at Rogue in a suggestive way.

"Orga can go then." He turned to the green haired man who shook his head.

"I've got newbie duty."

"Dammit, that means I have to go." Rogue grumbled.

"Miss. Lucy would you mind going in my stead? You and Yukino could handle our Master without a problem, I'm sure." I watched as his eyes shifted from Rogue to me and then back again, he was playing a game now, and I was feeling the urge to play along.

"I've been ordered to enjoy myself, and this sounds like fun. I'll go." I gave Rufus one of my brightest smiles.

"So, you're just here to hang out and be lazy?" Happy tilted his head, a smile of his own working it's way onto his mouth. I could feel the vein pulse in my temple as I kept myself from strangling him.

"I'm relaxing and enjoying my little vacation." I corrected.

"You should be careful." I knew something was coming when he started to snicker. "Being lazy leads to getting fat." I decided I was going to let that one go for now.

"Haha, you're so funny." He pouted when he didn't get the reaction he had been expecting, but it was replaced with an evil grin soon after.

"Mira says you have a BIG photo shoot next week... maybe you should lay off of the fatty meat for a while, you don't want Jenny to make fun of you again." I ground my teeth, willing myself to stay quiet. "Come on Lucy, your supposed to get mad at me!"

"I'm too tired to worry about your insults right now." I leaned across the table for added effect, but I hadn't intended for my stomach to growl. I flushed when I heard laughter around me. "I haven't eaten since this morning." I heard the defeat in my own voice, and heard shuffling. I refused to look away from the cool wood, knowing that I was a tomato, again.

Happy was patting my head, still laughing at me when the smell of something warm and edible was placed next to me.

Food!

I tried my best to eat with dignity, but I barely tasted what it was as it slide down my throat. I finished in a matter of minutes, and let out a heavy sigh, shrugging off my heavy jacket since I was starting to feel over heated. I leaned back in the chair using the bunched up fabric as a pillow.

"Speaking of our fearless leader?" I hear Rufus question.

"It seems like he and the brat are back on again. I wish those two would just make up their minds, it's annoying when they spit up."

Why didn't I put that together earlier?

"Agreed, it is rather bothersome, but at least now we know that a quick call to our favorite Fairy makes everything better." I could feel the smirk on Rufus's face.

"We're lucky Magnolia is so close by or we'd need to make a permanent room for her here." That was an interesting suggestion from Orga.

"We could always have that arranged you know." Rufus liked that idea a little too much.

"If she wants it then I say go ahead." Rogue wasn't opposed to the idea, that was encouraging.

"Lucy doesn't need it, she has a perfectly nice apartment that only costs her seventy thousand jewel a month." I had to fight the smirk as Happy interjected.

"They mean for when the Fairy visits so she doesn't have to go back in the dark, you dumb cat." That was absolutely Lector, he still seemed to have an attitude problem.

"I for one wouldn't mind having such an interesting woman around more often."

"Am I really that interesting, Rufus?" I decided it was as good a place as any to break into a conversation that involved my person.

"Exceptionally. It's rare to find a Celestial Mage these days, but one who is powerful enough to use magic the way you do is even more so." I leaned my elbows on the table.

"And what way do I use my magic?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You have ten of the Zodiac keys. The last collaborative mission we all handled together you summoned not just two of them at a time, but three different combinations of them back to back. Not to mention Hibiki Lates glows with pride every time he mentions that you managed to master the spell we saw at the last games. It is also rumored that you are one of the first to preform a unison raid, something that is not an easy feat to accomplish." He took a moment to study my face, and when satisfied he continued. "I have been curious for a while now, why is it that a Blue Pegasus mage is so proud of you?"

I took my time, because I honestly didn't know how much of my involvement in any of the events of my first five months in Fairy Tail were public knowledge.

"We had a really rough fight when the Legal Guild Alliance went up against the Oración Seis. When he found out that the woman named Angel was responsible for killing Karen Lilica, he started to let the darkness take him over. Natsu was out of commission, and I was taking another beating when he managed to use his archive to loan me the spell I needed to defeat her. It saved both our asses in the end. As for the unison raid, the events at the tower of heaven weren't something that other people were supposed to be aware of."

"They are not public knowledge, but I make it a point to know my allies just as thoroughly as my enemies; I have various means with which I gather my information. I find you fascinating, even if you were a new member to Fairy Tail at the time, you played a hand in some of the most note worthy events that led to the incident on Tenrojima."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or scared that you find me worthy of studying." I was feeling brave in the moment and decided I wanted to hear more. "What else do you know about me?"

"Everything." He gave me a playful smile, and I urged him to continue. "It would take me days to divulge every piece I've gathered."

"There are things that you couldn't possibly know, because only those involved were privy to the information. Things we've done that were off the council's radar." I was pressing, hoping he would jump at the chance.

"Such as?" He leaned in, curiosity dancing across his expression.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" It was satisfying to see the spark of a challenge light his eyes. I decided that I'd leave it there and moved to get up. "I need sleep, I'll be heading back now." I couldn't fight off a yawn as I got to my feet.

"I doubt you'll want to do that." Rufus was laughing.

"You wouldn't be able to sleep if you went back." Rogue added helpfully, and I felt myself blush from my toes to the tops of my ears.

"Lushy, what are they talking about?" Happy was looking up at me with innocent eyes, but I could see the evil grin that he was fighting. I went two shades darker as I ignored his question.

"I've lost a place to sleep, again. Why does this keep happening to me?" I sighed letting my head lean forward onto the table again.

"I guess you'll just have to come with us then." I watched with wide eyes as he offered a hand. "It's only fair since I stayed at your place last time."