BlackLynx17: I'm back!

Title: Love At First Sight

Secret Title: Pirate Love

Summary: Wendy is a princess forced to be married at the age of 18. It wouldn't be a problem for her if she had fallen in love with her fiance, but alas fate is not too kind. Determined to runaway to chose her own love, she runs into a nice man who rescues her from her guards. Thinking this man is her one true love, she decides to escape with him. She had no idea that her true love was a no good pirate.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Ultimate Sacrifice

"Word is out. They're being hung tomorrow at noon.

"All of them!? Then that means we have to break them out now!"

"And how do you expect us to do that Natsu!? The guards are already on the look-out, they came by and checked our ship yesterday! Thank goodness for our fake papers or they might have discovered us!"

"We can't let our friends die though! We have to try and do something!"

"It might be better if we wait until the execution starts. They'll be a crowd, so we could use that to our advantage."

"Innocent bystanders might get hurt though. Do we really want their blood on our hands?!"

Mest. Erza. Laxus. Jellal. Gajeel. Azlack. More than half of the group that were sent in are going to get killed tomorrow. Freed, Bickslow, Bisca, and Evergreen were the only ones who came back. The only ones who were able to escape in time...

Mest, her Mest.

"We have to think about this longer! If we don't, if we make one mistake, we'll all die with them!"

"We don't have the time to think up of a great plan though! Only time to think up a shitty one! They're going to die tomorrow!"

The arguing wasn't helping. Nothing was being solved. Her friends were going to die either way. If they did nothing she was going to lose Mest. If they tried to do something they might fail because of the sheer force of the kingdom's army. They may rescue her husband, but she would lose her other friends and she doesn't want that. She doesn't want that.

"We need to strike tonight!"

Today was supposed to be so happy.

"No, tomorrow morning!"

She was going to tell everyone the news. They were going to be happy and cheering and probably even throw a party. Mest was either going to cry, faint, or scoop her up in his arms and exclaim his happiness. Now none of that was going to happen. Now her husband was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Wendy, shhh, calm down," Lucy whispers, rubbing her arms.

She didn't even know she was whimpering out loud until she said something.

"Can't we, I don't know, bargain for their lives or something? Pay them off?!"

"Ha! What king would make a deal with pirates?! The world hates us, they aren't going to make any deals with us!"

"Come on Wendy, you need to be resting right now," Lucy says, helping her up.

"But I want to be here-"

"I'll tell you everything, don't worry. Please rest though, if not for yourself then for..." Lucy doesn't finish her sentence.

Wendy nods her head and lets her lead her away. She goes to the one place she doesn't want to go now though. Lucy tucks her into her own bed and rubs her hair before disappearing. Wendy stares at the bed, way too big for one person. It smells too much like him. Just the other day they were kissing here, loving each other here. Just the other day, just a moment ago... and now everything's different.

She's scared. What's going to happen? She can't raise a child alone, especially without Mest. If he dies... how is she supposed to go on? There had to be a better away, an easier way. Bargaining seemed right, for their lives, how much were pirates' lives worth? But a king wouldn't bargain with a pirate, no one of royalty would. If they tried and pretended they weren't pirates, yeah, maybe a princess from another country who wanted to pass judgment on these criminals in their own land... how would they get away with that though? It was thinking that this kingdom was stupid and powerless that led them to get captured. No, they were much more clever and powerful than they thought. Even if Wendy revealed herself as a princess and demanded that the kingdom of Fiore needed these pirates to hang in her homeland, they would probably send an army to escort her and them back to Fiore. If the Dreyar intercepted... it would still be a bloodbath, and she would be put right in the middle of it.

"Is there nothing I can do?!" Wendy screams, hitting her fist against the pillows.

She's powerless to help her friends, to help her husband, to help her unborn child. She feels just like she always did back at home inside of her castle. A princess in name and nothing more; no power at all. The wife of the captain and she can't even come up with one single good idea that can save her loved ones! She can't do a single thing!

…

…

Wendy slowly opens her eyes up wide. She leans up from her bed, letting the idea form in her head. Before it can disappear, she gets up and starts running back to the chart room. She bursts through the doors, but no one seems to notice as their yelling match continues.

"Hey!" She screams out.

The yelling continues.

"Hey! Hey! HEY! HEY! HEY! EVERYONE! LISTEN TO ME THIS INSTANT!" She screams, kicking over chairs and tables.

The room turns quiet as what remains of the Fairy Tail pirates all stare at her. Wendy is breathing heavily and runs her hands through her hair as she looks at everyone.

"You have me." She says.

Freed narrows his eyes and tilts his head, "what?!"

"Me, you guys have me. You all have me. This will solve everything!" Wendy exclaims.

"Wendy... I don't think so. I don't know if you can help. We're still trying to figure out a way," Mirajane begins to explain.

Wendy is shaking her head; they just don't get it. "No, no, you guys aren't understanding at all. Who am I?"

She's right, no one is understanding as they all stare at her. She's gone mad, crazy now that her husband might be sentenced to death. She's losing her mind. Lucy starts walking towards her, planning on bringing her back to bed, but Wendy continues as no one gives her an answer.

"Princess Wendy Marvel of Fiore!" She shouts.

Everyone freezes as they stare and remember... they have a princess aboard their ship.

"That... no, it still won't work. Even if we send you in there to bargain for their lives, it wouldn't make sense why a princess would want to save a pirate's life?"

"Who said anything about bargaining?! Of course that won't work! And neither will sending me in to say they must pay for their crimes in Fiore. They would most likely send a battle ship to escort us back and you guys will never be able to rescue us without getting casualties. That's not what I'm trying to tell you guys at all though."

"Then what are you saying Wendy?" Mirajane asks.

"Princess Wendy Marvel has been missing from Fiore for over two years now. That means something. If the kingdom of Lvneel were to return the lost princess to Fiore they surely would get rewarded greatly, and if it were to be discovered that the lost princess was hiding out in their kingdom all these years and had suddenly died it would create a war." Wendy smiles at them.

Freed's eyes widen, "you can't mean-"

"I do mean," Wendy says, tears appearing in her eyes, but the smile stays because this was the only way. The only option they had in this short amount of time. The only option that would keep everyone alive and safe, "and I'm okay with it."

"Wendy! You're crazy! You can't, not in your-!" Levy bites her lips.

"I won't be hurt. We all know this. They'll just return me home, I can save everyone. I can save them all and then you all can come and save me when I'm back home. Guys... it's our best chance. Please listen to me." Wendy begs.

"It could work," Freed mumbles.

"Freed!"

"What?! I'm just saying Mira! What other options do we have?! Because this is the best I've heard so far! She's a princess! They'll listen to her!"

"Mest will never forgive us! He would rather die than turn her in!"

"It's not like we can't save her!"

Lucy runs over, grabbing Levy's hand and Elfman's shoulder on the way straight towards Wendy. She pulls her as well and they leave the room, hardly unnoticed, and go out to the deck.

"Wendy, you can't be considering this." Lucy hisses harshly.

"Guys, it's the only way." Wendy whispers.

"But you're pregnant, you can't-" Eflman gets interrupted.

"What can they do to me? I'm a lost princess, they have to treat me with respect. The worst thing I'll deal with is my parents and I know I'm strong enough to handle that."

"You shouldn't be doing this though!" Levy screams, tears falling out of her eyes, "Mest will never forgive us! I will never forgive myself if I let you go in there and do this!"

"Then Gajeel dies," Wendy says staring her right in the eye.

Levy flinches.

"And so does Erza, and Laxus, and Jellal, and Azlack... and Mest. If I thought there was another way I would never be putting myself through this, but there isn't. I can't live in a world without Mest. I can't raise my child in a world where they'll never see their father, or their aunts and uncles. Guys... I'm going to be fine. I know what's going to happen. We'll just be apart for a while, but it won't be forever. You guys will save me, rescue me. It may take months, but once word of the lost princess returning home has died down... it'll be your chance. I'll be ready, we both will be." Wendy says, pressing her hands against her stomach.

"Wendy, I'm going to tell them. They won't go through with this if they know." Lucy threatens.

"Don't! Please, this has to remain a secret. You all promised, I have to be the one who tells Mest, and then we'll tell everyone. I just... I need to do this. All the things you've done for me, everything Mest has done for me, I want to return the favor. I need to return the favor. I need to save them, I love them too much. If you all were me you'd be doing the same thing! So please, please, listen to my plan and help me!"

Wendy lifts out her hand and holds it in front of her, tears in her eyes as she stares at them all.

"You can't tell anyone. Even after I leave, even if Mest is out of control. You have to keep him contained until the time is right. You have to keep this a secret. He's going to need you guys. I have faith though that everything's going to be alright."

Levy has tears in her eyes as she raises her hand and places it over Wendy's, nodding her head, "I'm sorry Wendy, I promise. I wish, I wish," she cries out.

"I'll be a man of my word... I'll protect Mest Wendy. I won't let him throw everything you've done away. I promise we'll take you back as well, when the time is right. We'll be there." Eflman nods, placing his hand with theirs.

Wendy stares at Lucy. Her face is bright red and she's shaking her head over and over.

"We can't, Wendy you can't, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, you would suffer, to send you back-"

"Lucy, trust in me. I know what I'm doing... please." Wendy whispers.

Lucy's face crumbles and she lowers her head down, placing her hand with the others. Wendy nods her head and looks up at the sky, tears falling down her face.

"I wanted to raise our child here... and I will. I will return. I swear it. I won't let anything happen to the ones I love. I will save everyone, we all will."

She thought the hardest thing she would ever have to do is escape her fate and find the one she was fated to be with and fall in love. Ha, that is nothing compared to this. This would be the ultimate test of her strength. She would survive this. They all would.