Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.
Lucy sat there in the Guild Masters office. She was glowering at three of her teammates. Who were currently immobilized and looking upset and confused. But then again, she didn't care as her mind drifted to this morning. Waking up in Bickslow's small two-bedroom home had been enough of a shock. Finding out that he was a gentleman with good taste in music was pleasant as the reality of the night before came rushing back. He had been exceptionally understanding. Then again, he was a drinking buddy of Cana, so he was probably used to dealing with the morning after with an Alcoholic.
Yes, she mentally admitted it to herself that she had a problem. It didn't mean that what caused her to drink was fixed. No, if anything, it made her want to drink even more. Not that any fucking person gave a flying fucking rats ass about it. Nope, and she was okay with that now. Sighing as she shifted in her seat, dragging her eyes from her teammates to look at the Guild Master, Laxus Dreyar. Who was looking at her just as warily as the last member of her team was?
This whole situation was due to the two that were tied up like they were in cocoons made out of rope, magical rope at that, thanks to Virgo. Bickslow had walked her back to her apartment. She was going to invite him into her space since he had helped her. But it stopped when she saw her window open and heard the sounds of scuffling coming from inside. Her already precarious mood soured quickly. She was sighing as she looked at Bickslow, who had looked worried as he met her gaze. A small nod of his head said he understood as he turned and left.
Lucy had promptly summoned Virgo and asked her to corral her teammates. The Spirit had been more than happy to do that. And by the time she had climbed the stairs to her apartment, Virgo had tied both Natsu, Happy and Gray up in the rope and was sitting on them, smiling darkly. While Lucy took stock of her apartment, there was ice on the walls, melting and scorch marks all over the place again. On top of her home being trashed again. And she didn't even have to look in her kitchen to know her freshly stocked fridge was open and either half-empty to empty. Nope, she knew this routine, and it was the final tipping point.
The look on her face had kept her teammates silent as she gave Virgo orders to take the trio to the Guild and the Guild Master's office. There was horror, betrayal, fear on their visages, not that she cared. After they were gone, Lucy had spent a bit cleaning up. Noticing the little box that she kept her letters to her parents in was cracked on one side, charred the other had sent her into a panic. The letters inside were a bit singed, and she had cried again. Which was a bad thing to do with a hangover? Most definitely. Not bothering to shower or change, she had gathered up a few things and turned, leaving her apartment. Trying to do math in her head to figure out just how much she would need to make, and-or barrow to fix her home. Because she refused to let her Spirits do it for her.
"Lucy?"
At the sound of Erza's voice, she blinked and let her eyes shift to the red-haired woman. Who shied away from her dark look. It had her frowning a bit more, but it was deserved. Even only partially able to recall all the nasty shit she had said to her friend last night.
Taking a breath, Lucy sat up straight in her chair and began to speak, "I am sorry if I am inconveniencing you, Master."
The slow shake of Laxus' head was all she needed. Then with another breath, Lucy struggled with her nerves and chaotic mental state. This was a long time in the coming. It needed to be done. Not just for her, either.
"I had Virgo bring the three stooges here for a reason. On top of having Erza here as well," She stated slowly, choosing her words carefully. "First, Erza, I would like to apologize for what I said to you last night. It was uncalled for and being drunk is never an excuse. But, frankly, I wanted to be left alone. I am an adult of twenty-seven years and am more than able to do what I want. Deal with my own shit in my own way. And don't see why all of a sudden any of you four started giving a damn about my issues. Not once did I get drunk on a mission and hinder it. Only drinking between missions and at the guild."
There was silence at her words. She let her brown gaze shift from person to person, before landing back on Laxus, their newest Guild Master, behind the desk his grandfather had occupied for over three decades.
"Luce... that is not true," Natsu said.
Lucy knew she was visibly twitching as she saw Laxus' eyes go wide and heard the soft sound of fabric shifting against metal from Erza. Then with deliberate slowness, Lucy turned to look at Natsu. Not bothering to put on a smile, she let all her anger and disgust show.
"Really? Fucking, really, Natsu Dragneel?" she screeched as she stood up.
The way his olive eyes went wide as he shrank back didn't make her feel good. No, it hurt. But dammit, she had been hurting for two years — swimming in a poisonous, fetid swamp of pain and abandonment.
"Blon-... Lucy, please try to calm down and explain," Laxus said, his voice a soft, deep rumble she found soothing.
She was closing her eyes, taking a deep breath. Lucy leaned back in the chair and counted backward from ten. A coping and had been for a long while now.
"Yes, Guild Master," she finally was able to bite out.
When she opened her eyes, she put a thin smile on her face. A smile that one could find on Erza's when her cake was messed with, or Mirajanes when someone had done something to piss her off. And the reactions from everyone in the room had her feeling amused and sick at the same time. She always presented a happy smile and face to everyone in the guild. Pushed her damn problems to the side to help others. Not. No. More!
"It is true, Natsu, Happy, Gray... even you Erza," She said, speaking softly. "None of you, or any in the guild except Levy and Gajeel, showed any concern after we took down Tartaros and the guild was disbanded. But because of something a certain person had done, I was technically unable to discuss it. And had to stay here after they both offered to have me come with them to join the Rune Knights."
This had confusion appearing on everyone's face. And it had Lucy smiling darkly. Because it was the truth. Her team had just abandoned her.
"What do you mean, Lucy?" Erza asked, her voice soft, and showed she was scared.
"I'll tell you in a second. First, I need Natsu to answer some questions," She said, giving her best friend her full attention. "Natsu, you were there when I made the contract with Canis Minor, Nikola, Plue. Can you tell me what the basis of my magic is?"
She watched as his eyes narrowed as he thought about it before shooting wide. She was not breaking eye contact with him as she waited.
"Answer her question, Natsu," Laxus and Erza said in tandem when he took too long.
"It is about contracts and bonds. Written, Verbal, physical, and emotional," He finally replied as he tilted his head to the side as if he didn't get it.
"Now, Natsu, what happens if I do something that breaks one of those contracts or bonds?" Lucy asked as she looked at the others quickly to gauge their reactions.
"Lushy, you would lose your keys and your magic," Happy spoke up, his voice squeaky as he looked wide-eyed at her.
She knew the little furry blue troll was smarter than he let on. And so was Natsu. The way horror reflected in their eyes was genuine and something she needed to see. But hearing the shocked gasp from the others had a coldness settling in her body.
"Correct," she whispered. "Now, how that ties in is that after Tartaros, which is its situation that I will be addressing before we all leave this damn room, Natsu left that note in my apartment. And as you all heard he has a very clear understanding of how my magic works, he worded it just so that I was bound in a contract to do as he asked. When I would have rather gone with him."
Her words came out heavy as she struggled not to cry. She couldn't, not now. Carefully she watched everyone's reactions. There was a small flicker of guilt in Natsu's eyes as he looked down and to the right. Happy outright, avoiding meeting her gaze. Gray and Erza were in shock as they stared at her. Laxus, well, his face was practically an unreadable mask, though his stormy blue eyes had darkened considerably.
"But, Luce, I wouldn't trust anyone else to look after the guild but you. I didn't know that Gramps was going to disband Fairy Tail," Natsu said, pleading to her.
She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. She was feeling the pain there in her chest. Letting the contempt, she was feeling at his words show on her face as she sneered at him.
"Well, that isn't my fault, now is it? No. Because I wanted to help rebuild our guild, our home! Not you, you were only concerned about yourself. I get it... you and the other Slayers all found out a part of the truth. That your dragons souls were in your body. Trying to help and then passed on. You were hurting and wallowing in your self-pity," she snapped. Watching as hurt and anger warred on his face.
When he opened his mouth to say something, Lucy sprung from her seat and slammed her hand down on Laxus' desk. Making Natsu snap his mouth shut with an audible click. Eyes were watching her with a wariness she craved to see.
"You didn't think that anyone else had suffered. You didn't think about those in the guild. Nope, you wrote me a letter, wording it so that you knew I would be bound here until you came back from training. Then the guild was disbanded and everyone left. Leaving me behind," Lucy said. Each word louder than the less as her anger finally crested. "Not a single person on my Team fucking gave a second thought to me as you all left. Thinking that weak, pathetic, always needing to be protected Lucy was fine. As she was hardly hurt during the attack from Tartaros."
The way everyone flinched, including Laxus, made her laugh aloud like she was losing it. And maybe, just maybe, she was.
"That battle was for all of Fiore, if not Earthland, to lose their magic. Being slaves to the Demons that Zeref created. We all were at risk. Do any of you have an idea of what I was doing while you fought your own battles?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the desk.
"You were safe in the guild, Lucy," Gray spoke up, his voice very uncertain.
Again she laughed, this time it was dark, menacing. When she finally stopped, Lucy bared her teeth and hissed at them all.
"Wrong! I was in the giant flying CubeCube. We were trying to find a way to bring it down. And we don't want to admit it, but that was a battle we were losing," she growled loudly to them. "But then, all of a sudden, the tide turned, and we were able to kick some serious Demon Ass. It wasn't because we are awesome, powerful mages of Fairy Tail. We are fallible. Human. Selfish creatures to think it was because we are family."
Her words cut; she knew it, by the way, everyone, but Natsu was looking away. She had just stabbed them in their pride. And that was a dangerous thing to do with Natsu. But he was quite incapable of breaking the rope or accessing his magic. Lucy knew that Virgo told them the rope had Magic Canceling abilities when in reality, it severely suppressed magical ability.
"You... know what happened to turn the fight in our favor?" Erza asked it was clear she was struggling to figure out how and why.
"Yes, Erza, I do," Lucy spat, curling her hand into a fist, lifting it and slamming it down a few times as the pain of the memories came crashing through her like a wrecking ball. "While I was trying to find the place that made Tartaros fly in the sky to disable it, I ran into Mard Geer Tartaros himself. And he immediately tried to kill me. Not because I was an annoying little fairy, or even human. But because he instantly recognized my magic. I fought him. And almost died before I summoned Aquarius and she knocked him down with her water attack. Giving me a chance to run."
In her words, she felt her eyes begin to burn. So, she blinked, forcing the tears gathering there to fall like hot, scalding lava to her cheeks.
"Mard Geer was a very arrogant bastard. He bragged about how all of Tartaros was under his command. That the flying CubeCube was in sync with him. Meaning he goes down, the damn thing would be crippled," she said, her voice high pitched from her pain. "Aquarius told me that to take him down; I'd need to do something big, drastic. Of course, I had been most willing to do whatever she said if it saved all my friends and family. Even if it meant my life."
In her words, she noted how everyone paled, even Natsu, while again flinching. She knew that everyone in the guild was aware she was a forgiving person. That she wouldn't hold a grudge. Well, people change based on their environment and how they are treated. Meaning she was not immune, and after all these years, that day, things had changed.
"Now that I think about it, you haven't used Aquarius for a while now," Gray stated, his voice cracking.
She was smiling darkly as she looked at him. Her other hand had been on her belt pouch this whole time. Slipping it in, Lucy grasped the two broken pieces of her former spirits key. Pulling her now fisted hand out, she turned just enough to set it on the desk surface. A part of her screamed that they were not worthy of this knowledge. That she shouldn't be showing them the main cause of her pain. Carefully she forced her fingers to uncurl, hearing the soft thunk as the two dull gold metal hit the desk before lifting her hand, revealing it.
The resounding gasp from her teammates and low grunt from Laxus and Lucy huffing. She was sure that they were upset, but frankly, she didn't think they had a damn right to be. Not with everything that had transpired since she made her choice. Sacrificed what she had.
"I balked before she browbeat me in that mean, bitchy manner of hers. It was the second time in my life I had summoned the Celestial King to our realm. The first, when I saved Loke because he was dying," she said, her voice quivering as she cried more tears. And I found out that Sei-roo, or 'Stache Face and Mard Geer knew each other. That they were longtime enemies. The fight ended with 'Stache Face stoning Mard Geer. But the fact that during our war with Alvarez, Zeref had the book of E.N.D. meant that he hadn't died when stoned. "
Lucy dropped her head, refusing to look at every one. She let the weight of what she said sink in — waiting for them to start speaking.
"Lucy, you didn't say anything. Why?" Erza asked.
"Damn, Lucy, if I had known I'd have stayed with you," Gray muttered.
"Lushy... I am sorry," Happy wailed.
"I didn't know, Luce," Natsu said.
Laxus said nothing. She was grateful as she gave a dry laugh and lifted her head and looked at them. Knowing her scorn was visible on her face.
"Really? Because you know you all say you fucking care about me... Since we became a team you all invade my home, eat my food so I have nothing, sleep in my bed uninvited, trash my stuff. Or go through my personal effects," Lucy snapped, her voice raised again. "Not once over the years we have been a team have any of you asked how I am? What is going on in my personal life? No, you haven't. And this morning was the last fucking straw. I either never have enough, or just barely enough, to pay my rent, put food into my home, and fix the damage that is done when you all invade and fight in that tiny little apartment."
The deep, angry growl erupted from Laxus, stopping anything that her teammates could say — quieting them into silence.
"Is that true?" Laxus asked.
When her teammates didn't speak up and found other things to look at, she knew Laxus had his answer — making him growl again.
"Before you fly off the handle, let me finish please, Laxus," Lucy asked in a softer voice.
When he nodded his head, Lucy took a deep breath and met the gazes of her friends, her teammates — seeing varying looks and emotions on their faces.
"I only had to ask Erza once before she respected my wishes, apologizing. Gray took a few times. Though in his defense, he mostly shows up when he realizes that Natsu has slipped in through my window. Often that results in a fight and damages I have to repair. Amazingly, my Landlady hasn't kicked me out yet," She explained, all while watching Laxus' face soften a bit more as he cooled. "The only two who don't seem to get it are Natsu and Happy. And I am sick of it. Having my home broken into, my food eaten, my stuff ruined, and being called fat and any other insult that Happy can think up."
"That's not true, Luce. You know Happy is only teasing when he says that stuff. And you haven't said anything about me being in your home for a long time," Natsu yelled at her. "Besides, your home is nicer, cleaner than mine. And you always have food.
Lifting an eyebrow as she stared down at her best friend, before letting a small smile curl her lips.
"Oh, no Natsu, I quit saying anything because I got tired of repeating my damn self. You never listen, nor did Happy. His words hurt. You often forget I am a person and treat me like I am a part of your treasure hoard," She screamed at him. "I have been to your house. It is filled with things you value, which I can respect. Hell, I have even cleaned it for you with no thanks. But the fact that there is dirt, dust, and an infestation of insects everywhere, plus mold because you don't wanna fucking be an adult and clean up your mess, doesn't mean you can just break into my home constantly and ruin my stuff."
Shock flashed across Natsu's face as she laid it out for him. She was yelling with intent — something she had never done before. Happy whimpered from his spot before Natsu.
"She is right, that isn't nice. If you say she is your friend Natsu, Gray, then you should have respected her wishes the first time she stated them," Laxus said admonishing them. "Lucy continues with what you have to say. Because I can tell, there is more than just what happened with Tartaros."
He was blinking owlishly at Laxus in surprise. Just to see that there was some wisdom in his eyes. Then again, she knew he was always watching the guild. Had been since he'd been accepted back into it for that matter.
"Yes, Master Laxus," she said softly. "I sunk further into misery after encountering Acnologia during the War with Alvarez."
She sighed as she picked up Aquarius' key and looked at it, then returned it to her pouch. Lucy was doing her best not to become a blubbering mess. The memory of that day was something she still had nightmares about. More so, since she had forced her spirits to spill a lot of stuff.
"He called me Anna. Anna is the name of the first Heartfilia Celestial Mage in my family line, from four hundred years ago. I was shocked when he called me by her name. Then saw the rage in his face, mixed with hate. Leaving me very confused before the shit hit the fan," Lucy explained as she let her eyes glaze over. "We all learned a lot and lost even more during that war on top of Ilene rearranging all of Earthland. So much knowledge was gained. The knowledge that I am pretty sure we'd be better off without."
As she trailed off, Lucy just stared blankly at the wall. Recalling the long conversations she had with all of her spirits. A small part of her was glad that the others hadn't spoken up.
"After the battle with Zeref and Mavis now dead, E.N.D took care of and everyone now rebuilding I did some personal research. I forced my spirits... against their wills to give me answers," Lucy muttered as she fought back a sob. "And what I learned was not pretty."
The soft intake of breath from those in the room spoke volumes without words. Lucy preached about her spirits, not being tools, but her friends and family. That she took great pains to never force things on them. And just admitted she did.
"Yeah, I broke my cardinal rule. Hell, even 'Stache Face was shocked as he had Loke bring me to the Celestial Realm. He, himself, gave me my answers," Lucy explained, feeling her legs get weak, so she sat back in the chair. "I learned that four hundred years ago, Anna Heartfilia was one of the few Celestial Mages. The first to ever own all the Zodiac Keys. Which technically all belong to my family..."
Once more, she trailed off, letting her mind shift and sort through the haze of her emotions. Feeling more tears well up and spill from her eyes as she just stared at the wall. It didn't hold any answers for her, but she knew it wouldn't try to empathize with her either.
"Anna Heartfilia was a friend of Acnologia... and Zeref. And had watched as Acnologia slaughtered the dragons before turning into one himself after his village and the woman he loved was brutally killed. Zeref, at that time, had become cursed with Ankshram's Curse, trying to revive his deceased little brother. Which he did, setting our path into motion. To make sure the future would be secure, she used all twelve Zodiac Keys, the only keys to open the Eclipse Gate safely, to send five small children chosen and trained by dragons four hundred years into the future as a safety net."
The sharp intake of breath from everyone, as the sound of uncomfortable shifting filtered into her ears, Lucy smiled again. It didn't matter. They needed to hear this. She... by proxy of her family... had given so much and didn't even know it.
"She had her life span shortened for it. But now...one of many futures would be safe," Lucy muttered. "And I know you all know my mother died when I was seven. Well, I found out that was due to her opening the Eclipse Gate to let all five Dragon slayers into this timeline. But, unlike Anna, she was missing one of the Zodiac Keys. Meaning... my own mother selflessly used her own life force to open the gate. Thus signing her own death warrant. Heartfilia is the name taken by any man that marries a woman bearing that name. Every damn female born looks like Anna. Magically we are cloned, though we are born the natural way. And every woman born is a Celestial Mage, there are no males born from a Heartfilia until our lineage filled our job to open the Eclipse Gate to allow the young Slayers to come through."
Tearing her eyes away from the wall, she graced everyone in the room with a detached, unfeeling look. Noting the shock on their faces.
"Luce, are you saying that..." Natsu started to say but trailed off as she looked at him.
"I am saying just that. My family is bound to your family. Was tasked with a job that made it so we could only bare one child and a female at that," she hissed as her voice raised once more into a shrill screech. "And yes, I am saying that my mother died for you and the other slayers. But, before anyone asks me, NO... NO, I do not hold it against them. Because without the Slayers, Fiore and possibly Earthland, would have been destroyed over and over again. Besides, when cosmic deities decide the fate of a person and their family line, all one can do is just go with it."
Again silence filled the room. Heads were hung — remorse showing on their faces. Honestly, Lucy knew she should feel something but didn't.
"Lucy, is that why... you were able to do what you did with the book of E.N.D.?" Gray asked.
Blinking as she slowly nodded her head. Recalling the pain and loss of her life force to rewrite it.
"Yeah. My family's connection to Natsu's. Though, you saw the pain, what you didn't see was that the book was eating my soul, my life force," she whimpered as she hugged herself. "I didn't care then and don't care now. I would do it again to keep Natsu alive."
A heavy, solemn silence filled the office. All eyes were trained on Lucy. It was apparent they were thinking about everything she had just unloaded as she just tried to comfort herself and wanting to sink into her mind and wallow. Something she couldn't do yet, no, there was still more. Standing up, Lucy grabbed her satchel bag she had brought, Lucy opened it and pulled out two manilla envelopes and one small plain, regular envelope.
"Master Laxus, based on what I have seen in reactions from my teammates. I have decided the course of my next actions," Lucy stated as she shuffled the two Manilla envelopes before placing one on the desk.
"Lucy?" Laxus asked, looking at her, then the envelope and back again.
"I put a lot of thought into this decision. Ever since we got the guild back together," she stated in a loud and clear voice. "And I feel that this is the best course of action. In that packet is my letter of resignation to leave Team Natsu, temporarily. All the paperwork is filed correctly, all it needs is your signature and seal as Guild Master of Fairy Tail. For it holds the royal seal from Hisui on it already."
She paused and waited. It hadn't taken long before her teammates began to clamor in protest. But the loud thump from Laxus slapping his hands on the desk, forcing them to be quiet though the air was now very tense.
"Please, explain your reasoning as to why you are choosing to 'temporarily' leave your team," Laxus asked her.
Giving a small nod of her head, Lucy shifted to face her teammates, taking a deep breath to steady herself, "With all, I just shared with you, I am not surprised that you are trying to convince me not to do this. Proving you aren't caring about what I want. What I know I need to do for myself."
Her words had them going very still as they stared at her. Erza slowly nodded her head and looked honestly repentant. Something she knew that she wouldn't have to question. Gray looked hurt, but his face relaxed enough that she could tell he was only grudgingly accepted it but didn't like it. Happy seemed crushed and on the verge of crying while Natsu looked like he was going to blow his top.
"Do you three want to know what is in the other two envelopes? I'll tell you. The other manilla envelope is the necessary paperwork, again all filed and stamped by Hisui, needing Laxus' signature and Guild Seal on it, to leave Fairy Tail altogether. And the little envelope is a 'permanent' Farewell Letter," she stated in a cold, blunt manner.
Horror appeared quick on everyone's face as understanding dawned on them. Lucy had laid out her options. Hoping they understood that she was giving them the nicer option.
"You... thought too..." Natsu whispered, his voice breaking with raw emotion.
"Yes, right after Tartaros and giving up Aquarius to save you all. Then being abandoned... I got so shit faced I wrote this and contemplated it before just tucking it away. At that point, it would not have mattered since no one was here, having abandoned me," she said seriously. "But instead, I kept on living, drinking to numb myself from all the memories, the nightmares, and being alone."
Another long silence filled the office before Laxus spoke up, "I will grant this Lucy. And I understand your reasoning and glad you didn't take your own life."
Smiling sadly, she nodded her head. "Thank you. I want a few days to myself to decompress. Come to my own terms. No people visiting or intruding at all. Then, before I come back from my mini exile, I will see the mage shrink in town and get cleared to be able to take a Mission."
Before Laxus could speak up, Natsu forced himself to stand and was hopping towards her. His face was red with rage.
"You cannot do this. You are breaking your promise to me, to Happy. To always be our partner," He growled at her.
She didn't hesitate as she slapped him. She was shocked by him as he fell over. Lucy glared down at him, hurt and angry as she started to cry.
"No, no, I am not. I never said I wasn't your friend; I never said we couldn't or wouldn't do missions together. I am just temporarily leaving the team to get my own shit in order. To do what you did, find myself. Or am I supposed to just be silent, allow you to push me around, drag me all over the damn place. Placing me in danger, being frozen, burnt, beaten and broken? Insulted and made to think I am fat when I am not? If so, then it is you who doesn't think of me as anything more than something you own and can do what you want," she unloaded on him, screaming again. "I am done. I am going home. I will have that Shrink report for you when I return in a few days. Now, I will go take my walk of shame."
Not waiting to be dismissed, she spun on the ball of her feet and marched stiff-backed from the office. Head high and gaze straight forward, not looking at anyone. But the fact that the whole guild was silent meant they had heard everything said when her voice had been raised.
Bickslow had gotten to the guild well before Lucy. And had been shocked when Virgo marched in with Gray, Natsu, and Happy hogtied and deposited them in Laxus' office. He was rather impressed and shocked as the Maid Spirit looked at him and gave him a small, grateful smile. He didn't have to ask why she smiled like that at him; he knew it was because he helped Lucy.
When the said person showed up almost thirty minutes later, she was still dressed in her clothes from the night before. It was a bit concerning, but he had done nothing to indicate he was aware. In fact, he had curled himself around his plate of food and ate it at least until raised voices from Laxus' office floated out and caused the guild to go silent.
Hearing Lucy unload what had driven her to drink and being standoffish. And it was not pretty. Hearing her say she had sacrificed her own Spirit, who was her mother to save them all, yeah, in his opinion, was more than justified to be bitchy. Bickslow knew that if presented with that option by his babies wouldn't be able to do it. So, he lifted his head and saw the awe and horror on Freed's and Ever's face. They knew. They understood to a degree.
When Lucy kept on talking about how they all just left her there. And how Natsu had put her unwillingly into a contract without her consent before everyone left her behind. Abandoning her, essentially, Bickslow flinched, feeling like shit. He'd seen her soul, knew she was in pain. But with all that had happened, like everyone else, he'd just worried about himself and his team. Unaware of her whole team just leaving her behind. She was then getting into the war with Alvarez.
Bickslow couldn't help it as his eyes went wide as he caught Freed's and Ever's gazes. Finding out about her family. The connections that they all had to the events that had played out. The reason why her mother had passed. It explained a lot. And it pissed him off to hear that she would repeat saving Natsu by rewriting the book of E.N.D. at the cost of her soul and life force. No person should have to do that to save someone even if they were dying. That bonded them together on an even more, more profound level, via the soul. It made him feel rather ill.
"Bickslow, are you alright?" Ever asked him as she settled one of her tiny gloved hands on his shoulder.
Slowly he nodded his head as he continued to listen to everything. Lucy was not very quiet. And it had him pulling away as he heard her explain her decision to quit her team how she had come up with three options. Glancing out over the guild from where they sat on the second floor, Bickslow saw a few people crying, others looking guilty and remorseful and remiss. Hell, he knew he was feeling it as well. That she just admitted to wanting to commit suicide right after Tartaros because she was alone, abandoned by those she saw as her friends and family. All while being nice to her teammates still by just 'temporarily' leaving the team to find herself.
The moment she walked out, he couldn't help but watch her. She was holding her head up, looking forward proudly as she left the guild. His ears were catching Laxus ripping into her teammates and clearly stating what the punishment would be in they went anywhere near Lucy's home right now. Something told him that even with the punishment laid out that it wouldn't deter Natsu and Happy. And because of them, it also meant Gray and Erza who'd try to stop them.
"Do you think Lucy would accept an offer to... ward her home?" Freed asked, his blue eyes dark as he frowned.
Bickslow knew that Freed had come from the same world as Lucy. A part of the Gentry. The life he ran from, just like Lucy. Though he didn't have invasive team members who didn't appreciate him, he respected his need for privacy and other such things. Bickslow nodded his head once as he watched the rest of Team Natsu leave the office. The ropes were now gone from their person. Each held a dejected look as they hung their heads. Either way, he didn't care what they were feeling. Though the anger still on Natsu's face was telling.
Motioning to Freed as he stood, Bickslow entered the office, seeing Laxus signing what was more than likely the paperwork Lucy had done up to leave her team 'temporarily' officially. When the door shut behind him, he knew that Freed had followed him.
"What do you need?" Laxus asked after looking up and stamping the paperwork with the official Guild Seal.
"Freed had an idea. And I second it, Laxus," Bickslow spoke up.
When Laxus looked past him, he knew that he was interested.
"I think setting up some runes to keep anyone Lucy doesn't personally invite into her home out would help her get the privacy needed..." Freed said.
When both Freed and Ever stepped up on either side of him, Bickslow just looked at Laxus. His best friend, Former team leader, and now Guild Master. He was proud of how far the man had come. And glad to know him. Laxus had kept him out of some serious trouble, gave him a chance and a home. Even with his magic being outlawed and despised across earthland.
"I think it is a good idea. I mean, Laxus, she got loud enough the whole guild heard," Ever stated, her voice showing that she too felt some shame.
There was a brief silence before Laxus sighed and leaned back. Bickslow knew he was trying to think about whether or not it was a good idea. Or even if Cosplayer would be receptive to it.
"Fine, but only if she accepts the offer of help, Freed," He stated. "Do any of you know where she lives? Her address is not on file. Hell, her personnel file is probably one of the ones that were destroyed during the hell we have gone through the last two years."
At this, Bickslow smiled as he spoke, "Yeah, I do. Don't ask; it was a fluke."
The lifted blond eyebrow told Bickslow that Laxus didn't believe him but wasn't going to say a damn thing.
"Good. Then if you take Freed on your babies, can you get there before she is home? If so, leave now. Otherwise, I will call her on the Lacrima," Laxus grunted.
Giving a nod of his head, Bickslow clapped Freed on the back as the little totems formed a platform. Looking at Freed, who was less than pleased at the mode of travel, Bickslow stepped up and held out a hand.
"You know you like being close to me, Freed. Now, let's go see if Lucy wants your particular brand of help," he said, teasing his friends as he let his tongue hang out.
The deep laugh from Laxus, and soft titter from Evergreen, while Freed flushed darkly and climbed up, was all he needed to see and hear. Once he had Freed tucked tightly against his side, he had them zipping out the window and towards Strawberry street along the canal. He knew who Lucy's Landlady was. The woman was his grandma. Cantankerous but a compassionate and loving woman. Who'd let him still put the runes around the perimeter to protect her property even if Lucy didn't let Freed place them around her apartment? In fact, he knew his grams had complained about property damage a lot and had been meaning to get her together with Freed to discuss runes that would keep the damage to a minimum and forcibly expel the offender who did it.
TBC!