BlackLynx17: Thank you everyone so much for my reviews. For this chapter I didn't know if it was twenty-oneth or twenty-first because I usually do the first love, second love kind of thing. It was weird with twenty, I don't know why. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I was suppose to upload it yesterday but didn't and I've been doing things all day today and I'm actually suppose to be doing something right now but instead I'm posting this so I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I truly do so I know I didn't waste time on something others would call silly.
Thank you. Enjoy. Sorry about the emotional rollercoaster I put you all through, I hope you can forgive me. This chapter was a personal favorite of mine.
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~ Say I Love You ~
~ Twenty-First Love ~
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Yes, Mistress Lucy Heartfilia was speaking again, but that hollow feeling inside her still remained. It was there, it just wasn't as big as before. Natsu's love had filled it up, but not all the way to the top. They couldn't stay together for long, well they could but Lucy didn't want to. There was something that she had to do, something she had to say.
She was tired of not being listened to, that she wasn't being taken seriously. She was tired of being a push-over and being stepped all on, letting people use her as a stepping stood over the muck. Lucy Heartfilia, for once is her life, was about to stand up for herself in front of her Father and speak her mind.
And the consequences? She thought nothing of it, she figured she was leaving soon so what of them? When Lucy first informed Natsu to tell the servants she was coming to dinner, he was immediately against it. Natsu didn't want Dan anywhere near Lucy and thought it was pure luck that he hadn't come to see her at all these past days.
Lucy wouldn't hear it though, she stood up with her chin high and ordered Natsu too. If not she'd do it herself.
So here was the setting now, Gray and Juvia were watching over baby Natsume while their Masters were all having dinner. When Lucy first entered the room, wearing a simple plain white gown, Dan's heart stopped for a second. He looked up at her then looked away, continuing to eat his meal. When Jude had seen his daughter, he scowled.
"What on heaven do you think you're wearing?" He asked.
Lucy sat down and looked around the table for a drink, there beside her Father laid a bottle of wine. She stood up and walked over to her Father's side, taking the wine, then walked back to her seat and poured herself a drink.
"Jude." She sighed gulping the whole thing down.
"Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude." She added.
Lucy poured herself another glass and drank that one too. Dan kept his business to himself, continuing to eat his meal quietly. Jude stared at his daughter with a bewildered expression while Erza and Mirajane stood at their assigned spots.
"Before we get further into this topic, Erza, Mira. You're free to leave." Lucy smiled at them.
Erza and Mirajane froze up before looking at each other. Do they listen? Lucy was as much as their Master just as was Jude, they should have listened... so they did. Mirajane made the first step towards the kitchen and Erza quickly followed. Once the door closed behind them though though their eyes widened as they listen to the conversation that was about to unravel.
All workers in the kitchen seemed to come to a halt once they saw what the two parlor maids were doing. Eavesdropping was strictly forbidden in the household, everyone knew that and yet the two best maids in the household were doing it. Everyone came to the conclusion that it must have been something important if they were going to get risked being fired so they stopped what they were doing, turned off everything, and tried to be as quiet as they could.
Natsu looked around and walked over to Mirajane and Erza, he simply knew something bad was going to happen.
"What's wrong?" Natsu asked.
"Our Mistress has asked us to leave the room." Erza said.
His eyes widened, the servants never left the room when their Master's were eating. Only when they left first or if they were dismissed but that has never happened before.
"She also took a bottle of wine and is drinking it all away." Mirajane whispered.
"Shit." Natsu sighed in frustration then started spying with the other servants.
Lucy Heartfilia was about half way done with her wine bottle. She held up the glass and started spinning the drink in her hands.
"You were never a kind Father to me. Never touched me, never played with me, never showed me one ounce of compassion. Mother said you just weren't used to me yet but I knew the truth. You never wanted me did you?" Lucy asked.
Jude pulled the napkin from his neck and tossed it on the table.
"No, that isn't true. You wanted a boy, is that right? You wanted a Luffy not a Lucy. Once Mother died though you wouldn't be able to have that boy now would you?" She asked not really expecting an answer.
She took another sip from her wine before continuing.
"Now why didn't you just remarry? I mean, that would have made my life a whole bunch more simpler, a step-mother. I mean, sure the mother would have been mean to me since I wasn't her child, but I would have been okay with that. Better to be abused by her then married to Dan." Lucy laughed.
She pulled her chair back and lifted her feet onto the table, dirtying the table cloth underneath them. She had her wine bottle in one hand and her glass in another.
"Dan hits me you know, and that precious little granddaughter of yours? You know, the one you haven't seen once and probably plan on never seeing heer until she was old enough to walk to you? Dan raped me to get her." Lucy confessed finished her drink.
"ENOUGH!" Jude yelled slamming his hands on the table.
Lucy only laughed though and stood up, she walked wobbly away from the table and poured most of the wine from the bottle on the floor as she tried to refill her glass.
"What's wrong Daddy? You knew this would happen, you already knew the truth. Is it different hearing it though?" Lucy wondered then sighed.
"I didn't everything you ever wanted me to do, maybe not without complaint, but everything. And what did I get in return huh?!" She yelled.
Jude's hands clenched on his lap while Dan continued to ignore the scene in front of him.
"You know I always wanted to be a magician when I was younger, but no. You wanted me to be a whore to this guy over there." Lucy laughed pointing at Dan.
She shook her head, her bun coming undone, and sighed.
"Now what was that one trick, oh right." Lucy smiled dropping the wine bottle.
It fell on the floor and started spilling everyone but Lucy didn't mind it. She took another sip from her glass before placing it on the table.
"Now this right here was a neat trick, you ready?" Lucy asked grabbing the table cloth with both hands.
She clutched it tight then ripped it off as hard and fast as she could. Plates and utensils splattered everywhere on the floor, breaking upon impact and spilling the food that laid on them. Lucy started laughing at the mess she made and shook her head.
"Now that wasn't suppose to happen."
Jude had had enough. He stood up from his seat, with dinner ruined, and proceeded to exit the room.
"Come on Father, aren't you going to punish me? Dan already hits me so what's the difference if another man does as well?" Lucy called out as he left.
Lucy bent down to pick up the wine bottle and walked over to the fireplace, staring at the family portrait of the Heartfilia's. Dan sighed in his seat and stood up, wiping his mouth off with his napkin before placing it on the table.
"I'm going back to work, leaving on another trip. I won't be back for a while." He spoke before making his swift exit.
Lucy sighed and continued to stare at the poster, looking at how happy she looked in it. She lifted the wine bottle to her lips and took a drink.
"Some family we turned out to be."
Natsu, Erza and Mirajane all entered the room then, right when Lucy let the bottle slip from her fingers. She turned her head and stared at them, a smile creeping to her lips as she came up with an idea.
"Natsu, have you eaten yet?" She asked.
Natsu didn't know how to respond to the question. He thought there was a deeper meaning to it, but just couldn't comprehend what it was. It wasn't though, Lucy took his silence as a yes and laughed.
"Let me make you something then." She smiled walking passed him and into the kitchen.
Everyone immediately started getting back to work upon seeing their Mistress and Lucy just laughed.
"Chefs! I want to make something!" Lucy announced.
She was still tipsy, but still knew what she was doing. The head chef walked over to Lucy and asked-
"What would you like?"
Lucy shook her head, "no, no, no. I would like to make the something, what is it here that I can make?" She asked walking over to the stoves.
"But Mistress Lucy! It's our job to do the cooking for yo-"
"Shut it! I don't care, I really don't. I hate my Father, why should I listen to him? I'm making something right now and ALL OF YOU are going to get out of my way if you aren't going to help me." Lucy smiled.
Head Chef paled then sighed, "what would you like to make?"
Natsu, Erza, and Mirajane reentered the kitchen and stared at their Mistress in pure shock. Lucy looked over at Natsu and thought, what did he like?
"Something with meat, lots of meat and booze! Yeah!" Lucy cheered running over to the stove.
She picked up a... she didn't know it was called a spatula and started waving it around in the air.
"I need meat to cook! Someone bring me meat!" She ordered.
"Mistress Lucy! Enough, you aren't suppose-"
Erza bit her tongue once she was the sadistic look on her Mistress's face.
"What was that? Last time I checked you were working for me?" Lucy asked.
Two chefs headed over to Lucy and gave her a pound of sirloin steak, placing it on the marble counters near her. Lucy walked over to it and poked it with her spatula.
"What now?" She asked.
Natsu started walking over to Lucy to help her back to bed, but Lucy turned around and pointed her stick, she liked to think, at him.
"Sit down Mr. Dragneel, over on the table right over there and wait for dinner to be served." Lucy said.
The servants and workers in the kitchen all pondered at what Lucy meant by that. Natsu gulped and opened his mouth.
"Move it or else." Lucy glared.
Mirajaned walked over to Natsu and placed her hand on his shoulder, whispering to him to go sit down and that she would take care of it.
"You heard our Mistress Head Chef, somebody give her an apron and mallet. The first thing you must do Mistress is tenderize and season the meat." Mirajane said walking over.
Erza paused and stared at the scene in front of her, wondering why the hell did Mirajane always just go along with things? She shook the thought from her head though and looked around the kitchen, it was filled with too many people.
"Alright! Everybody out! You see our Mistress is going through a phase right now, I'm sure you all heard it. If you don't want to be next I suggest those who aren't going to help her leave." Erza announced.
Sure enough some of the servants left, never wanting to be there at the first place, but most of they wavered a little and stayed behind.
"We don't need all these chefs, too many cooks ruins the meal! And enough with the dishwashers, just leave them." Erza said.
"I'll do the dishes!" Lucy cheered holding her mallet in the air.
"Mistress, that's too much!... Pepper." Mirajane sighed.
More servants left this time, and soon there were only ten in the room, not including the Mistress. Six being Natsu, Erza, Mirajane, Levy, Wendy, and Natsu, two being the sweeping crew, one being the dishwasher and one the Head Chef who refused to abandon his kitchen when such a Mistress was dirtying it up.
"Lucy! That's way to much salt!" Mirajane scolded.
"It slipped." Lucy only laughed then pounded the meat with her mallet again.
Natsu gulped, fearing what the Mistress his in store for him.
"Ta-ta-ta dah! Ta dah!" Lucy cheered placing her dish in front of Natsu.
Natsu looked down at his piece of meat... it looked eatable and not at all burnt. Lucy smiled and sat down on the seat across from him while Erza and Mirajane watched from the background. Head Chef, Wendy and the three other maids all stood beside the two parlor maids, wondering.
"Why did Mistress Lucy make dinner for Natsu?" Head Chef asked.
Erza gulped while Mirajane bent down to answer.
"Remember that huge fight she had with Dan a while ago? Natsu was the only one who tried to save her so she's repaying him for it by cooking him dinner." Mirajane whispered to him.
Head Chef, along with the rest of the servants, ah-ed and started nodding their heads. Now they understood.
"If you are done with your work you all may leave now, Erza, Natsu and I will finish up the dishes and clean the kitchen." Mirajane told them.
"Right away, good night Mira." Head Chef said taking off his hat.
The servants started scurrying for the doors but paused when they heard the sound of someone dying. They all turned around to see Natsu gripping his throat and coughing his lungs out. He coughed and coughed before trying to reach for his glass of water. He knocked it over though, and without water, Natsu tumbled over in his seat in pain. The four servants all looked at each other and laughed, blessing their lucky star that they weren't the one eating their Mistress's food before exiting.
"Is it that good Natsu?" Lucy asked her eyes sparkling.
Erza had rushed towards Natsu with a glass of water and was feeding it to him now. Natsu gulped the whole thing down and sighed, moving back to his seat.
"How can something that looks so normal, be so deadly?" Natsu asked wiping his mouth off with a napkin.
Lucy slightly frowned, looking at Natsu.
"So it's nasty?" She asked.
Natsu shook his head and put on a smile, "no! It's... different and alright, don't worry though. It's your first time, you'll get the hang of it." He told her before taking another bite.
Oh how Natsu prayed she would get the hang of it, especially if she's going to be his housewife and cook all his meals. Lucy smiled at the encouraging words and launched herself onto Natsu.
"Aw, I love you." She said kissing his cheek before standing back up.
"Alright, now while you eat I'll start on the dishes!" Lucy cheered running over to the sink.
"Wait Mistress Lucy, let me help you!" Erza said running after her.
Natsu called Mirajane over to talk with her.
"What is going on?" He asked her.
"I don't know, I think she's finally snapped." Mirajane responded.
"I mean, Lucy's always has been curious about what we servants did and always loved cleaning my room when she came over, but this? Is she trying to make a statement? Is she trying to get back at her Father?" Natsu wondering looking over at her.
Lucy was smiling and laughing as she splashed the water over to Erza who was trying to dry off all the plates.
"Look at her though, she's happy." Mirajane said.
"Yeah, I've never seen someone so happy to wash dishes before or cook... what the hell did she put in this by the way?" Natsu asked motioning to his meal.
"She seasoned it too much, when I told her that she said 'nonsense the more the better' than started cooking it and drowned it in wine." Mirajane answered.
Natsu chuckled then looked back at Lucy before looking back at Mirajane.
"Can you take care of this, I don't think I'll survive eating the whole thing." He said.
Mirajane giggled taking his plate, "why don't you go help her? I'm sure this is just a phase and tomorrow she'll be better and more sober."
Natsu laughed before getting up and walking over to his lover and friend.
"I call drying, Erza you can start putting the dishes away."
"I already called that part!" Lucy pouted throwing a plate in the sink.
Water and bubbles splashed everywhere, wetting Erza all up. Her patience were grow thin with her Mistress so she threw her towel at Natsu.
"Go, you help her. Someone still has to clean up the mess in the dining room." Erza said walking away.
"Sorry about that! I was guessing how they did it since magicians never reveal their secrets." Lucy laughed over her shoulder.
She turned back to her task at hand and gripped the squishy foam feeling square, a sponge, and poured more soap onto it.
"That's enough soap Lucy, why don't I wash the res-"
"No! I called washing, putting away, and sweeping!" Lucy whined scrubbing a dish clean.
She smiled as she handed it to Natsu, leaning up to kiss his nose.
"Now be a good little servant and obey your Master." She said before washing the next dish.
Natsu only sighed and started wiping the dishes dry. He blamed the way she was acting on the wine bottle she had and told himself she would return to normal by tomorrow morning. Until then though-
"Soap! I need more soap! How is a Mistress suppose to wash dishes without any soap?!"