Make sure to check out my "The Blonde Boy From The Past" so this story makes a little more sense. Enjoy!

Lucy sighed as her and Cana made their way out of the cave that they battled Freed and Bickslow in. They were so close to winning, with only Freed able to fight. Cana had used her Bikini Babes cards against Freed but he had escaped and used his runes to turn into a beast and defeated them. She glanced at her brunette partner who had a sour look on her face. "I'm sorry Cana, if only you chose a different partner then-"

"It's not your fault, Lu." Cana gives her a weak smile. "I should have expected it, there's no way I could defeat someone like Freed."

Lucy stopped walking, making Cana do the same. Lucy gave her a stern look and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Just because we lost doesn't mean you should quit the guild! It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Lucy," Cana whispered.

"Even though you didn't make S-Class, I think you should still tell Gildarts the truth, he deserves to know. Wouldn't you agree?" Lucy gives her a small smile.

Cana stares for a moment before letting out a small laugh and returning the smile. "Yeah, you're right."

Lucy's smile widened and she clapped her hands together. "Perfect! I'm going to head back to Magnolia while the boat is still here. You stay and talk to Gildarts, got it?"

"Yeah of course, but why are you leaving so soon?"

Lucy chuckles and crosses her arms. "I'm worried about Sting."

"That kid you took in?"

"Yup!" She smiles brightly while thinking about her blonde friend. "He's a sweetheart."

"Didn't you say he used magic? Why doesn't he join the guild?"

Lucy laughed and shrugged. "He looks up to Natsu like crazy, so he said he wants to get stronger before he musters up the courage to actually talk to that pink headed idiot."

Cana laughs along with her. "I'm surprised someone actually looks up to Natsu. And why hasn't Sting talked to Natsu yet? Doesn't Natsu break into your apartment, like, everyday?"

"Yeah but whenever Natsu comes over Sting hides. I don't know why, but he does. I don't even think Natsu knows about him. He's always asking why my apartment smells like someone else, but Sting told me not to mention him to Natsu so I always told him that it was the mailman. He bought it of course." Lucy laughs again at the thought.

"He's so dense." Cana sighs.

The horn on the boat rang out signaling its departure. "Well, I better get going. See you soon!" Lucy waved and ran off towards the boat. She was excited to see Sting again, she missed him.

Lucy hopped off of the boat, waving at the captain before making her way through Hargeon. She made her way to the train station and bought herself a ticket to Magnolia. She hadn't seen Sting in a week so she missed him. She just hoped nothing happened to him. She made sure her fridge and cupboards were full before leaving. He wasn't as bad as Natsu, but Sting could still eat a lot. She climbed on to the train and found an empty seat. It wouldn't take too long to get back to Magnolia, it was only a twenty minute train ride.

She stared out of the window when it started moving and let out a sigh. She felt bad for leaving Sting alone but she wasn't aloud to take him with her. Sure, he was twelve and could take care of himself but she still hated leaving him alone. After Weisslogia had disappeared, Sting was always be himself. She hated the thought of a child living in a forest with no parents. It was the same for Natsu, but he joined Fairy tail not long after Igneel disappeared. Sting had gotten lucky by meeting Lucy, if he didn't then where would he be now? If she hadn't stopped those mages from attacking him...

She shook her head from those thoughts and saw that she had already arrived at Magnolia. She smiled brightly and quickly got off of the train before jogging her way through the town. She couldn't wait to see Sting, she was sure he missed her just as much. He had been so upset when he found out that she was leaving for so long, he had even said he didn't want her to go in case something bad happened to her. She assured him that she would be fine, and she was.

Stopping in front of her apartment, she smiled up at her window when she noticed the lights were on. She went inside and quickly made her way up the stairs and to her room. She bit her lip and turned the doorknob, pushing the door open and taking a step inside before closing the door behind her. "I'm home!"

Sting stopped adjusting the blankets around the large egg he found and his ears perked up. He ran out of her room and stopped at the doorway. A wide grin split across his face and he ran to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "I missed you so much Lucy!"

Lucy giggled when he buried his face in her chest. "I missed you too Sting." She wrapped her arms around him as well. She kissed the top of his head before pulling away from the hug. "By the way, wanna tell me what you were doing in my room? Your bed is the couch." She rose an eyebrow at the younger blonde.

Usually Sting would be afraid of her when he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, but this time was different. He grabbed her hand and gave her a bright smile. "I found something, come."

He dragged her to his room and her eyes went wide when they landed on a massive white egg with red markings on her bed. "What the hell is that?"

"It looks like a dragon egg!" His eyes lit up as he stared at it. He turned his hopeful gaze to the older woman. "Can we keep it?"

"Sting, I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Please!" Sting begged and held her hand in both of his. "I'll take good care of it, I promise!"

"But if it really is a dragon, it can't stay here. It'll be way too big." Lucy sighed. Her eye twitched when he started giving her his rare puppy-dog eyes. Damn, she could never resist those eyes. He would always agree to the things she said, so when he pulled out those eyes to the very few times he wanted something, she was putty in his hands. "Fine," She groaned.

"Yes! You're amazing!" He beamed and hugged her again.

"Yeah yeah. Now, go get washed up, I'm taking you out for dinner tonight." She rolled her eyes with a smile. He nodded at her and made his way to the bathroom. She stared at the egg for a moment before walking over to it and placing her hand on it. It was kind of cool to the touch so she went to her small desk and dug through it before pulling out a heating lacrima. She put a burst of her magic in it and wrapped a blanket around the small orb. She placed the now warm blanket on top of the egg with a smile. The least she could do was help hatch it. Maybe if she was lucky, it wouldn't be a dragon.

"All done!" Sting chided when he entered her room again. A soft smile graced his lips when he saw her gently stroking the egg. "Lucy? Are you ready?"

Lucy jumped in surprise and turned to stare at the smug looking boy. She blushed lightly in embarrassment at being caught. "Y-Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go." She walked past him quickly to put on her boots.

Sting chuckled and crossed his arms before following her. 'I'm glad she accepts it. I hope whatever comes out of the egg will be friends with me and Lucy.'

Sting frowned when he heard Lucy sniffling from her room. He sat up on the couch and glanced out of a window. It was late at night, Lucy had yet to fall asleep. It had been two weeks since Lucy got back and a week ago they found out about Fairy Tail disappearing. Sting was upset, but Lucy was a mess. He tried his hardest to comfort her but he didn't know what to do. She had never cried like this around him before so he was confused as to what to do. She has been crying every night since they heard the news, and all Sting did was lay on the couch and listen to her whimpers. The smell of salt would be so strong and his heart would ache to hold her. But he gave her space.

However, tonight he decided to do something. He never heard her cry like this and he hated it. It pained him so much to hear her so broken. He stood from the couch and made his way to her room. The egg was at the foot of her bed and she was curled up against the wall on the opposite side of the egg. Her arms were wrapped around her legs that were pulled up to her chest, her head on her knees.

Sting sucked in a breath and clenched his teeth as she let out a sob. He walked over to her bed and crawled on. He felt her tense when he wrapped his arms around her. "Please don't cry." He whispers and buries his nose in her hair.

Lucy sniffled and returned his hug. "I'm sorry, Sting."

"Don't apologize."

She sighed and pulled him into her lap so she could hug him tighter. "Then, I'll thank you."

Sting smiled slightly and pulled back to stare into her tear filled eyes. "I want to help you as much as I can Lucy. You're my best friend."

She smiled softly at him and brushed his bangs away from his face. "Thank you. I'm glad we met."

"Me too."

Lucy laid down with him and pulled him close to her. "Stay with me tonight?"

"Of course." He blushed when she kissed his forehead. "Goodnight Lucy."

"Goodnight Sting."

Sting's eyes slowly opened as he roused from his sleep. The first thing he saw was a sleeping Lucy very close to his face. His eyes widened and he scrambled away from her, falling out of the bed in the process. He grunted when his back hit the floor. He stared at the ceiling before sitting up. A bright flush stained his cheeks when his eyes landed on the sleeping woman. 'Pull yourself together Sting, it's just a little crush. Besides, it's not like you can do anything about it anyways, she's five years older! Well, I guess if I was older it wouldn't be as weird. I bet when I'm seventeen she'll give me a chance! She'd only be twenty-two. Who am I kidding, she probably sees me as a little brother.' He frowned at the thought.

He gave a sigh before standing up and making his way to the bathroom. After he emptied his bladder, he washed his hands and went to the kitchen. He open the fridge and pursed his lips. That's right, he ate all of the food she bought a week ago. She hadn't left her apartment after she found out about Fairy Tail disappearing. Looks like he'll have to ask her to go grocery shopping. He closed the fridge and made his way back to her room. A mischievous grin split his face when an idea popped into his head. He'll probably get a Lucy Kick for it but it would be worth it.

He ran over and hopped on to the bed, jumping around while making sure not to land on her or the egg. "Blondie! Wake up, I'm hungry!"

Lucy's eyes snapped open and she glared at Sting with a groan. "Get the hell out, and don't call me Blondie." She mumbled before pulling the blanket over her head.

Sting jumped off of the bed and pouted. He grabbed the egg and carefully put it on the ground before grabbing the edges of her blanket and yanking as hard as he could. "Out of bed, Lazy Bum! Let's go to the store!"

Lucy whined loudly and shivered as the cold air hit her skin. She sat up and glared at the younger blonde. "Fine!" She stands up and makes her way over to the now frightened boy. "I'm out of bed, are you happy?" She pulled her leg back before landing a hard kick to his stomach.

When he landed against the wall, he let out a pained grunt. "That hurt.." He rubbed his back and slowly stood up. "You haven't been out of the apartment in a week. We're out of food and I think you're due for a visit to Fairy Tail."

Lucy sighed and crossed her arms. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I am, I'm the great Sting Eucliffe!"

She rolls her eyes with a chuckle. "More like the great pain in my ass."

Sting pouts and sticks his tongue out at her. "You're mean."

She returns the action before walking over to him. "I know I am. Now let's go, maybe visiting Fairy Tail will make me feel better."

"Yeah. Besides, I have a feeling they'll be back real soon!" He gives her a reassuring smile.

"I hope so, Sting." She pats his head with a small smile.

After they had bought groceries and stocked up her fridge and shelves, they made their way to the guild. "Aw man, I'm almost broke. I need to take a job so I can pay my rent that's due next week." Lucy whines.

Sting then brightens up. "Can I come? You've never taken me on a job before."

"I don't know, I don't want you getting hurt."

"Please?" He begs, "I promise I won't get in your way! Oh, and I've been training whenever you went on jobs so I promise I'm stronger now!"

She lets out a loud sigh and crosses her arms. "I suppose,"

"Yes!" He thrusts his fist in the air. "You won't regret this!"

"But Sting?"

"Hm?" He hums with a bright smile.

"Who's going to take care of the egg?" She raises an eyebrow.

His smile falls. "Crap, I didn't think of that." He then frowns and looks down sadly. "Guess I can't go after all."

Lucy stops and crouches down to his eye level, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving him a soft smile. She grabs his chin and lifts his head so their eyes meet. "How about I ask someone at the guild to take care of it? I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

His eyes lit up. "You'd do that?" He then looks worried, causing Lucy to laugh quietly at how he showed so many emotions in such a short amount of time. "What if they break it?"

"I'll chose someone gentle and responsible, okay?" At his nod, she grabbed his hand and continued their way to the guild. After walking for a few more minutes, they make it and she opens the doors. "I'm back!" She blinks at how there seemed to be less people than normal in the guild. She walks over to Macao and Wakaba. "Where is everyone?"

"People started leaving the guild once they found out what happened to the island." Macao sighs. His eyes then wander to Sting who was nervously hiding behind Lucy. "Who's the kid?"

She giggles and pats Sting's head. "This is Sting. I saved him a while ago and now he lives with me since he has no where else."

"Oh yeah," Wakaba adds, "I think I heard about that. Cana was spoutin' nonsense a while back about how you had a kid. We all thought she was crazy 'cause we thought she meant you were pregnant but I guess this is what she meant."

Lucy laughs and felt Sting shift behind her more. "It's okay Sting, they won't bite." She heard him mumble something about how he didn't care and rolls her eyes. "So have you guys decided who the temporary master will be until Makarov gets back?"

"Me." Macao grins.

"We never agreed to that!" Wakaba argues.

"Well, whatever you decide, I'll be supportive." She smiles. "C'mon Sting, let's pick a job." When he nodded his head against her back, she led him over to the large request board. She scanned it for something that wouldn't be too difficult for them and saw Sting move to stand beside her. "What do you think?"

Sting's eyes roamed around the papers and a small smile graced his face. His eyes finally landed on one and he reached out to grab it. He showed it to Lucy with hope evident in his eyes. "How about this one?"

She hums in thought. 'Let's see; capture some bandits that have been attacking people on the outskirts of Onibus, that's not very far. Not specified if they're mages, that concerns me a little. Reward is a hundred thousand? That's a lot! They must be desperate.' She takes the paper from him with a smile. "Sure, let's do this one."

Sting smiles brightly. "Awesome!"

"Alright, I'll get this approved by Kinana and we can head out." She leads the boy over to the young girl who was working the bar. "Hey Kinana."

The purple haired girl turns and smiles. "Hello Lucy, what can I do for you?"

"Sting and I are taking this job." She hands the girl the request.

"Okay, I'll mark it down for you. But, um, is he aloud to go? He's not in the guild."

"It's fine, I don't think the requester will care." Lucy shrugs. "Oh, before I forget, could you watch an egg that Sting found? He doesn't want to leave it alone."

"Of course!"

"Thanks so much! Also, so it doesn't freak you out, it's a pretty big egg. All you have to do is keep it warm."

"Will do. Have fun!"

"Bye!" Lucy waves and leads Sting out of the guild. "Okay Sting, since this is your first job I'll leave things to you."

"Wha- How does that make sense?" Sting stares at her in disbelief.

She laughs and pats his head. "I'll obviously help, but I want you to get experience. It's an easy job so we probably don't need to pack for overnight stays. Maybe if you do good, I'll make you my new partner." She winks.

Sting felt his cheeks get warm and looked away from her. "U-Um, well first we'll leave tomorrow morning. Since it's not very far we can easily walk there, considering I can't handle trains."

"Okay, seems good. Anything else?"

"We'll meet with the client and figure out as much as we can about the bandits. If it's not enough info, we'll find their hideout with my nose and watch them closely to see if they are mages or not. If they aren't, we attack right away- but only after we find out how many there are. If they are mages, we find out their magic types, their weaknesses, which are the strongest, and which are the weakest." He explains, lifting a finger for each thing they need to do. "So gathering all of that information, you're wrong about it not being an overnight stay. We'll need to pack for at least three days and nights if we wanna do this job right. No injuries." He nods. "What do you think?"

Lucy blinks, not realizing that they made it to her apartment already. "Holy shit."

Sting stares at her in shock and slight embarrassment. "Was it that bad?"

"No, in fact it was the complete opposite. Who knew the cocky little boy was such a smart cookie. You really know how to plan things out, Sting. I'm impressed."

His eyes light up and a wide smile splits across his face. "You really mean it?" When she nods, he hugs her. "That means a lot to me coming from you. Thank you! I'm really excited for this mission."

"Me too. Actually, It'll probably be the first time I get the whole reward from a mission." She sighs with a small laugh.

"Unless I purposefully destroy things." He grins.

"You do that and I'll Lucy Kick you so hard you'll never walk again."

A shudder runs up his spine at the thought. "Dully noted."