Levy was usually one to keep a calm head in tough situations. She had faced so many different people and all of their instances that she thought she had a good grasp on how to figure out any problem.

Never had she been confronted with a friend who had run away from home though.

She had absolutely no idea anything was going on until she received a random message on her phone one day with Natsu's number listed as the contact line. She knew they all had each other's numbers, but she didn't know why he would be calling her out of the blue. It confused her even more when Lucy's voice was on her answering machine. The message was very cryptic and pretty much just said to not call her house for now and that Lucy would get back to her when she was better.

The call was two days ago. Levy was abruptly confronted by Gray the afternoon after that call about Lucy as well. He looked frantic and upset when he found her in the lunchroom. It was strange that Gray would go looking for her and Levy was extremely worried when he informed her that the business office had an officer in recently to talk to them all about Lucy Heartfilia who had gone missing. She told Gray about the phone call she had missed from Lucy and surmised Lucy was hiding out at Natsu's right now.

That's all it took for the pair to track down Natsu one day after his class and demand that he bring them to her. Natsu only denied it a few times before giving up and admitting he didn't know if Lucy wanted them to know where she was yet. He looked really confused when Levy told him about the call that was made, obviously when he was gone. With no other reason to say no, Natsu gave in.

Gray wasn't going to take no for an answer anyway and the two almost stalked him back to his place. He warned to not get too upset with Lucy because she had been having a rough few days with her feet all chewed up. When she and Gray demanded more details, Natsu evaded them by saying that Lucy would have to tell them herself because it wasn't his place to speak for her.

She didn't know what to expect when Natsu opened his front door. He didn't bother to announce any of their presences; he just walked in like normal. She quickly spotted Lucy huddled up on Natsu's couch, idly staring out the windows...wearing some of Natsu's clothes. Her brows went up at that and tons of questions roamed her brain, but she ignored that for the bandages that were all over Lucy's feet and her concern flared.

Gray surprised them all by barging in past the entryway and roughly grabbing Lucy by the arms, giving her a little shake. He quite vividly detailed the police officer visit and how the man asked everyone there about their relationship with Lucy and when the last time they had seen her. He lashed out with his worry and irritation about finding out from anyone but her about what was going on and why she hadn't bothered to let them know she had run away from home!

Lucy tried to placate him, which only happened because she winced at his treatment and the fact that Gray had tried to get her to stand and she stumbled into him after stepping on her feet. She tried to calm everyone down and had them all take a seat.

It was an oddly tense situation for the three. Levy noted how Natsu was unaffected by this and wondered just how long she had been at his place. She turned to her friend, eyes hardening a little. "Lucy...I think we deserve a little back story about why you're suddenly living in Natsu's apartment..."

It took a little time for Lucy to speak, or even look them in the eyes. She quietly apologized to Gray for him having to find out at school and was sorry she hadn't warned him sooner, although she knew that her father would have sent someone there to inform all her professors. Lucy explained that she had been at Natsu's place for four days now and then went fully into the fight which had driven her from home and how her feet got so chewed up. Lucy finished with how she thought they would have been better by now so she could go see them in person instead of hanging around like this.

The news hit the newcomers like a shock wave. Levy stared at the carpet, mind whirling for what felt like forever. She couldn't believe something like that had happened to her good friend! She thought back to the week Lucy had stayed at her place, initially supposed to be only three days, and how she managed to get more time. Her lips tightened as she recalled the words she spoke to Lucy. Hands covered her face with a sigh as she realized she had no idea how her father was really like. Lucy was right and she was a fool to think that just because she met the man once, he would be better than she thought.

Gray finally broke eye contact with Lucy to stare at the ground solemnly. He thought back to the dinner they had at Natsu's work and the words Natsu had spoken. Gray remembered how he admonished Natsu for them, only to find out they were all true. 'Keep us away from her, huh?' Such a proposition had caused Lucy to discard such a grand place that he witnessed not that long ago with good people who lived there. Gray wondered about her maid and Capricorn and her cook and driver. They must be worried, but what about her father? Why did he cause the police to show up at the main office if he didn't care about Lucy? That part didn't make a whole lot of sense, but Gray knew Lucy wasn't about to go demanding answers from the man now.

"Anyway," Lucy broke in suddenly, "now you know... I've been wearing Natsu's clothes because I left with nothing else and that's in the wash right now. Levy...do you mind if I borrow a few outfits for a bit until I can get my own clothes?"

She looked to Lucy's body and her brows furrowed thoughtfully. They were definitely not the same body type at all! Lucy was certainly curvier in the chest, but her hips weren't as wide. Finding proper clothes that would fit would be a problem indeed. Levy blinked as some of the words sunk in and registered on a different level. "Wait...what do you mean until you can 'get your own clothes'?"

"Yea...what's that all about?" Natsu finally piped up.

Lucy's eyes hardened as she looked from Levy to Natsu. "I've been sitting around here doing absolutely nothing but eating up all of your food and taking up space! I refuse to not be able to pull my own weight anymore! That's all I did at the mansion and I won't do so here too!"

Natsu looked at Lucy incredulously before shaking his head with a hand covering his eyes. "Like I said before, you're welcome here and it's not troubling me at all. Plus, I don't know if you realize this, but you can't walk! I've been carrying you everywhere for the last four days."

Her brows shot up at that and she noted the huge flush on Lucy's face. She started smiling despite the gravity of the situation and couldn't get herself to stop. A hand covered her mouth when Lucy found her and glared at her, still beet red. "Anyway...I can see if I have something that may fit you. I'll bring a bunch of things over later and we can try them on to see if they fit, okay?" She leaned forward on the floor, this new life change peaking her curiosity. "So...you're planning on getting a job? Where?"

Lucy shrugged. "I have no idea yet... I'm kind of new to this whole thing so I was hoping maybe you guys could help me now that you're here."

Gray sighed and shook his head. "I think you may have a little bit of trouble on that one." He honestly admitted. A hand ran through his hair as he considered her life from what he knew of her. "Think about it; you have no college degree, no real life training, no work experience, and no uniform money. You probably don't want to go aiming for a really high end job right off the bat or you may be disappointed. I don't think you want to step foot anywhere on the university either with the police and campus security on alert for if you ever show up." His hands clasped together and Gray rested his chin on them in thought. "Probably not a good idea to try working where Natsu works at your dad's store. I'm pretty sure he has some kind of access to your information if he wants it."

Lucy looked away and nodded quietly. "I usually don't get to go shopping around Magnolia, so I have no idea about what shops are around here. I wouldn't even know where to begin to start looking aside from the next street over..."

"I can ask Fang and Huiqing if they can find a place for you." Natsu piped up. He stared at her feet, lips pursing "You've never done waitress work or cooking so it may be hard at first..."

Lucy's eyes hardened at the challenge he unconsciously threw her way. "It's better than nothing! I don't have any experience because I've never been allowed to have my own job before! I just need to force myself to get used to it!"

The trio looked at each other with wary, knowing eyes. No one said anything, although the same thoughts and questions were being tossed back and forth through their eyes. At length, Natsu sighed a little and smiled at Lucy's determination. He was happy to see some of his old friend come back and he nodded. "Okay. I'll ask them about it when I go in tomorrow morning."

01010

A week, seven days, isn't that long of a span in the general realm of time...unless you're attempting to learn everything in a job that you've never been trained for until the first day of work and have absolutely no idea what it all entails until you set foot inside the business. Sure, she had eaten at The Best Chinese Restaurant before, but she had never paid attention to anything going on inside it. She had never done anything with waitressing in any class at Magnolia U. To make matters worse; her new employers gave her one good day of training, an early afternoon of slow business to 'practice', and then started her when they actually needed her.

She really tried hard and she had to admit, she learned a lot. There wasn't a whole lot to learn, but there was a lot of service things to keep in mind and not forgetting which dish went to which table! Thankfully, since the restaurant was kind of an order-and-share type of setup, she didn't have to think too hard about who ordered what. If she forgot, she cheerfully questioned her customers and set the dish in front of whoever raised their hand.

The restaurant didn't have space for more than a dozen tables, probably housing less than sixty people on a busy day. Usually Fang and Huiqing took care of the front with their son making most of the dishes. His wife often times came in to help as well when it got really busy. Having her there allowed either elder to head back and do some cooking or just take a well-deserved break.

They couldn't use her help all the time, but they offered to employ her four days out of the week during the busier times when people wanted to go out to eat more. To start, that was more than enough! This new world was so overwhelming, but exciting at the same time. It thrilled her greatly to be able to do something for herself through her own sweat and exertion. The customers were friendly and it didn't take her long to get the gist of things.

Except for standing on her feet for hours on end without being able to sit down...

Then there was the task of getting back to the apartment after work was over. Natsu cheerfully came to pick her up when they closed at eleven, although he often times had to be back by six to unload the truck. She followed him out, but he had to give her a piggyback ride the first few days because her feet were so sore she couldn't even make half distance.

He had expected that and was ready for the trek with her on his back. It didn't bother him really; Natsu was kind of proud to help her like this. He mentally commended Lucy for doing this and keeping up with it despite her record of inactivity. He showed up like clockwork every night after work to safely get her home. Even if Fang hadn't mentioned it the first night that Lucy stayed so late, he would have still done it.

It was hard work to get her upstairs and into his apartment without dropping her, but after a week of practice, he had it pretty much down pat so he didn't have to put her down and wake her up. How Lucy managed to hold on for the walk and not fall off was beyond him.

He gently sat her down on her side of the bed and she mechanically let go. She all but flopped onto the bed, practically asleep already on the pillow he had moved from the living room. He softly smiled at her and moved to take her shoes off. He pulled the covers over her and let her sleep in her clothes, knowing she would just take care of them whenever she woke up tomorrow.

He yawned and took up space on his own spot. He stared at the ceiling, knowing he was going to be extremely tired for his delivery tomorrow, along with the classes afterward, but he didn't want Lucy walking home by herself in the dark and the cold. He also knew that her body would take a lot longer to get used to such physical activity and until she said something, he intended on helping her where he could and as much as he could.

01010

Getting a paycheck was a beautiful thing. It was a glorious feeling to have a sudden burst of money. Lucy stared at the closed envelope with her name on it and held it gently. She couldn't ever remember a time when she had earned her own money by her own merit. She waited to open it till Natsu was walking her home. She made a conscious effort to remain awake as much as possible, which wasn't hard after Fang handed over her wages from the last four days worth of work. The realization of what he just handed over gave her a second wind.

She babbled on and on about the weight of the envelope and how happy she was to finally accomplish something on her own. Natsu didn't say anything to her; he just smiled quietly and listened. They stayed that way all the way home. She got into bed that night by herself and tried to fall asleep.

One hundred and fifty dollars; she didn't know if that was a high amount, but it was a lot of money at that second. She didn't know how much money to give to Natsu and how much to keep. She wanted to buy some clothes with it and some essentials. She had left virtually everything at the mansion; toothbrush included!

As it turned out, a hundred and fifty doesn't go a long way. She tried to give at least half of the money she had earned to Natsu for food from what she had used and for future purchases. In two days tops, she was pretty much broke.

"I need another job Levy." She announced over the thrift store rack.

Levy's head popped out above a row of shirts she was in front of. A brow rose. "A second one? But aren't you already working at that restaurant?"

"Yes. But I can only do a few days a week and the hours aren't enough. That or I'm not getting that much an hour to get ahead." She muttered, flipping through a stack of shirts. Her eyes hardened as she looked around the store. She required a lot more in the beginning to get set up and what she was doing wouldn't suffice. She was still borrowing Levy's clothes and she wasn't happy about that at all.

She was pretty much blowing her first paycheck here, but it was a necessity. Thankfully, Levy knew of this place and some really cute items had ended up in her wardrobe which she loved. She smiled a little at the irony. Gone were the days of high-end retail stores in other countries, but she didn't mind it too much. She recognized some of the name brands at the thrift store which she had worn before at the mansion and that meant people threw away some really expensive clothing to places like this! Not to mention, it was more of a treasure hunt because there was such a hodge-podge of items so you never knew what you would find. She found she liked the hunt a lot.

The pair walked out and her wallet was a few bills lighter, but her arms were a lot heavier with basic stuff. She stopped and breathed in the fall air happily. "Now I can stop borrowing Natsu's clothes!" She gleefully announced.

Levy smiled and shook her head. They walked in silence for a bit until Levy broke it. "So...just where are you thinking of applying to next?"

01010

Connections were a beautiful thing. Not only had she managed to find a new place to live and a place of employment with one friend, she had found a second job through another.

Too bad this was ten times more complicated than The Best Chinese Restaurant.

Her head was spinning from all the information and also how tired she was. The last two days of learning how to make coffee was fairly informative, but overwhelming. That and Gajeel wasn't giving her a second to breathe and ask questions.

She tried to keep up, but she had to admit, Gajeel was no teacher. She'd take any of Professor Clive's lectures over four hours with Gajeel any day! This place was a lot more like her college experience though and she used that to her advantage. Things like supply and demand, product placement, pricing, and customer service made understanding his words easier. The hardest part was remembering every order of coffee and getting it just right.

The most necessary times for her to be there were in the morning and so she was there when they opened at seven. The owner, Makarov, had decided to start her as part time, twenty hours for now. He finally acquiesced to Gajeel's past suggestions of getting anther morning worker for the rush. Thus, she worked during the weekdays for the work start time. She was only there till eleven, which was more than she needed in the beginning! Gajeel only gave her a few days of training and thankfully Lisanna and Kinana helped out a lot to get her familiar with things Gajeel skimmed or skipped.

The paycheck after that week's worth of work made up for the whole new level of exhaustion she was experiencing. Her brain was trying to think and organize so much information every day and college was nothing compared to this! Classes were easy and she was an idiot to think they were hard! She knew that once she was here for a few weeks that she'd do much better and things would run smoother though.

This would work; she would make it work! She worked from Thursday till Sunday at the restaurant from six p.m. till almost eleven, then seven a.m. till eleven during the week at the cafe. There was still a lot of free time she had for catching up on sleep and seeing the others if need be, but she found that their class time conflicted a lot with her free time or they would be free when she needed to head to work. She supposed it was the way of the world. Being a full-time student was easy and she had a new respect for her friends who held down jobs and went to class.

She didn't intend on telling anyone this, but she held even more respect than before, if that was even possible, for Natsu. Natsu went to a few classes and held down two jobs, but still had time to do the things he wanted. She kind of looked up to him at being able to accomplish so much and she mentally resolved when things smoothed out to take on more hours if available or finally do something she wanted to do. She wanted to hold her own against him as much as she could. She knew these jobs wouldn't help her pay his whole rent, but she wanted to chip in where possible since she was living there! She didn't know how she was going to get away with giving him money when she knew he'd refuse to take it, but she was persistent when it counted!

Things would get better the more time passed. She just knew it. This would be a change for the better and she would gain real life experience through this recent disaster. She believed it and it helped her get through the hours of frustration when she didn't know how to do something or messed something up. Everyone was there for her and had helped her out and she was finally able to do something for herself. She refused to shed tears over any failure that came her way because she knew these things were imperative for her to improve. Every caterpillar wrapped itself into a cocoon and struggled to get out and dry its wings in order to become a beautiful butterfly after all...