Chapter 12: Training!

"Laxus can we spar?" Lucy asked to the shock of everyone around them. They hadn't been treating her as coldly as they had done after Sorano had been here now that they knew she was a fairy and why she was so aloof, but they still seemed to think of her as Lena's powerless mother.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea Angie," he told her gently. It reminded her that when she was Lucy no one would actually fight her for fear of hurting her, other then knowing she could use a whip and was good at kicking, no one in Fairy Tail had seen her fight with something other then her spirits. If she wanted to be able to protect Lena she had to get back into peak physical condition, and train with her elemental magic something she hadn't used since her mother taught her Celestial Spirit Magic.

"Look Laxus I might be a touch rusty, but I need to be able to protect Lena. I trust you, so I won't be fighting you as desperately as I would someone I held no trust for, please."

"Fine, but the moment you start to feel it's too much you tell me, got it?"

"Yeah of course Laxus."

She would tell him when it got too much for her, but the thing he didn't realize since he didn't know her as anyone other then Angelica Monroe, was that until she passed out nothing was too much for her. It was why her teammates had always been so protective of her. They knew she didn't listen to her limits and was constantly pushing herself past them to get stronger.

Of course she would hold back a little, and give in before it got that bad because she didn't want them to see any more of Lucy Heartfilia in her. She knew what they would do if they found out who she was, they would watch her constantly trying to prevent what might one day happen to her. They would work themselves to the bone trying to save her. Angelica Monroe however wasn't someone they knew that well despite how long she had been in the guild, and she was certain they wouldn't fight as hard for her as long as they didn't know who she used to be. No matter what she wasn't going to put the people she loved in anymore danger then she already was by being here. It hurt to hide things from them, but she would do it again and again as long as she could protect them.

"Mommy and Laus train like Lena?"

"Not quite sweetheart, we won't be using magic in this spar. Why don't you go make some pretty pictures with Uncle Freed?"

"Otay, Laus no huwting mommy!"

"I won't squirt don't worry."

Watching how happy Lena was she wondered if she was doing the right thing, not in hiding herself she knew she had no other option, but if staying near her daughter was the right thing. She knew her magic couldn't harm blood family, and yet if she did lose control Lena would forever be living in her shadow and being blamed for whatever Lucy did. Perhaps it would be better for her daughter if she left. If Angelica Monroe disappeared leaving her loving daughter behind in the care of the guild she loved. Lucy could always get her father to help her in the same way Mavis had been helped by the fairies she had loved.
It would be so easy to leave everything behind to protect those she loved, but Lucy had never been known for taking the easy path, and she wouldn't take it now! No despite the future consequences she would stay by her daughter's side as long as she was able. She would make sure Lena would always have memories of her loving mother in case things went south. After Laxus had told her about his childhood and how Ivan was Lucy had always wanted to make sure her daughter would ever doubt how much her mother loved her.

"Ready Angie?"

"Of course Laxus bring it on!"

As they circled each other trying to figure out weaknesses to exploit Lucy felt invigorated. She had always wanted to fight Laxus and now she would finally get her chance, although when she had imagined fighting him she had always thought they would use magic in the fight at least a little.
Watching how his muscles bunched under him Lucy leapt into the air just as Laxus went to charge, hovering above him for a brief moment before she used his back as a springboard using his higher body mass against him and shoving him into the ground as she spun and landed on her feet. The crash sent a shock wave underneath her and she could hear gasps from the door, probably because they didn't think Laxus would be the first to hit the ground. With a growl Laxus picked himself up his eyes playful as he looked at her conveying that she wouldn't surprise him so easily again. With a smirk she launched herself at him throwing punches and kicking with everything she got. Laxus blocking every one of her hits, but not retaliating probably thinking she would tire herself out after not having fought for ages. Instead considering the Earth underneath their feet she was getting an energy boost not to mention that as a fairy she had more stamina then he would imagine. She still wasn't quite sure if she had more or less stamina then a dragon slayer however, but it would be fun to find out.

It had been a long time since Lucy had felt so free and like herself. Sparring against Laxus was reminding her that she wasn't a helpless wall flower, and that she could take care of herself. She had forgotten what it felt like to be able to show that she was capable of protecting herself and her daughter. No matter what she would fight as long as she possibly could to make sure that Lena didn't have to lose her. Lucy wouldn't give in to that other side of herself the side created by a monster. Because being back in Fairy Tail had reminded her that she still had a lot to fight for, meaning that she had a lot to lose if she didn't start fighting back. Maybe she wouldn't go back completely to who she was before, but she was done running. She had only run before because Lena had needed a future, but if she kept running now she would be taking away the best possible future for her daughter, a future where she would stay a part of this guild! At her thoughts the mark she had lost sight of pulsed underneath the scar tissue reminding her that even if she couldn't see it didn't mean that it wasn't there. She was still a member of this guild no matter what she did, or who she became, nothing could ever change that because she would always have the heart of a Fairy Tail fairy.

Her thoughts distracted her enough that Laxus was able to pin her down to the ground. Instead of getting back up right away she could see hesitation in his eyes and for a brief moment he leaned in like he was about to kiss her. Fear welled up inside her because she knew if Laxus kissed her there was a very large possibility that he would recognize her. Eyes widening Laxus leapt off of her like he was burned, confusing Lucy for just a moment before she realized he had probably smelled the fear coming off of her and misunderstood what caused it.

"I'm sor..."

Lucy didn't let Laxus finish his words, she never wanted him to apologize for wanting to kiss her, so she launched herself back at him in a flurry. Trying to fight off the frustration that she felt in her heart at how close she had been to reconnecting with Laxus in a romantic way. Laxus looked shocked for just a moment before he started fighting back harder then he had before. She wondered what motivated him to fight like this not holding back against her any longer. Was it fear, frustration, or guilt? Any of the three were likely and they would remain any time she or Laxus got close, as long as he didn't know the truth. Her and Laxus had their chance and she ruined it, she couldn't risk hurting him again no matter how tempting giving in might be.

The two of them fought until Freed came in informing them that Lena thought their training session had gone on long enough. By that time they were still going strong, but Lucy knew that adrenaline and their personal fears were what had drove them to keep going, the second they stopped the both of them starting panting like crazy. Their eyes had connected, but before Laxus could read that she felt the same as him Lucy ran to the guild showers. Staying in there as long as she could without raising suspicion and crying her sorrows away, before she returned to the guild and her daughter.


After their first spar they started training daily, sometimes they fought, but more often then not Laxus and the Raijinshuu were creating obstacle courses for her to get through. They all understood wanting to protect the people they cared about and helped her as much as they were able. Maybe she was reading things that weren't there, but it was almost like Laxus was trying to make sure they weren't alone any more. It hurt, but she understood why. In Laxus's eyes she had without words rejected him when he smelt the fear coming off of her when he was about to kiss her, and so he was trying to respect what he thought her wishes were. She hated it, but to keep him from being torn to shred again she didn't correct his assumptions.


Laxus didn't really understand what was going on between him and Angie. She was always so sad around him ever since he had that urge to kiss her, an urge he still cursed because it seemed to ruin things between them. Before she had seemed so happy to be around him, but he could smell her unease now whenever he was around her, so to keep her happy he kept his team or other members of the guild around them. He didn't want to lose her more then he already had. Something about her just kept drawing him in further, and from what Sorano had told them he wanted to protect her to make sure that she could never hurt herself or the ones she loved.

He didn't even understand why he had wanted to kiss her. Until now his heart and soul had completely belonged to Lucy, no one had been able to even tempt him despite how long it had been since her death. He was finally excepting that Lucy had to be dead because otherwise there was no way he could be attracted to Angie. Not unless Angie was Lucy and he was already positive she wasn't, otherwise Cobra would have realized she was his sister, and Sorano would have warned them away from Lucy. Meaning Lucy had to be dead because a dragon is never fickle once they find the one they were loyal until either their mate's death or their own.

Now his dragon was calling out to Angie and in turn his dragon was demanding they protect Lena. So he would do everything in his power to keep the two of them safe.


AN: Short chapter, but a big one for explaining why Laxus and everyone else are so certain that Angie isn't Lucy. Hope you guys enjoy it please tell me what you think.