Lucy shifted on the couch, rolling onto her back while she used Natsu's arm as a pillow. "That's basically the gist of what've I've been through, and what Natsu has put me through, since I met him."
"Now I kind of want to see my darling daughter in action." Layla giggled behind her hand and sat up before swinging her legs forward and rocking to her feet. "Why don't you put something a little bit more appropriate on, instead of walking around in a thin dress and nothing else, and we go and play with my guards?"
"Wait, you knew?!" The younger blonde pushed her hand down between her thighs, pulling her sundress between them to cover herself up.
"Lucy…" Her mother laughed heartily before giving her a cheeky smile. "I used to do the same thing to Jude before you were born and while you were just a little girl. Women like us can be very tempting, isn't that right, Natsu?"
The man in question chose to remain silent, watching the back and forth of the two near-identical women. But he did like the idea of seeing how well Lucy could do against the Heartfilia personnel and see just how she would react to fighting people she knew from a young age. So, instead of answering the older woman, he patted the thigh of the younger one. "Come, put on something you can move about in and let's head outside."
"Okay, okay." Lucy muttered and her body became obscured by a dull, fuzzy light which caused her dress to vanish and be replaced by a pair of small black Lycra sports shorts with a matching sports bra, showing off her slim and smooth, toned body. Her sandals were traded for something more suitable, a pair of black and white running shoes.
"Oh my, you do look very athletic now." Layla tittered, leaning in with a bright smile that radiated just as much as both of the blondes' lustrous hair. "Maybe I should hire your boyfriend to be my personal trainer."
"As long as you don't plan on having him stretch you out while helping you stretch out…" The young woman muttered once more before rising from the couch, despite not wanting to leave the warmth of Natsu's embrace. "Maybe I'll be able to beat Leo for once. Though, I've never seen him move like Natsu does and since I'm used to his movements, I may finally stand a chance."
"Hm… I'm also curious to see how Natsu moves." The Heartfilia matriarch rubbed her chin softly as she hugged her left arm under her impressive bust. "And I don't mean that in the sexual way, either. I'm genuinely curious to see if he lives up to his reputation as the infamous Agent Salamander, a man whose face is rarely seen but when he fights, his presence is felt across the combat area."
"I did have a long stint where I didn't show my actual face due to what happened some years back, and was also forcibly restricted to physical skills only. Now I hide my face on a case-by-case system, like if I make it known that someone has fucked up, they'll see me. And anyway, if anyone is stupid enough to attack me or people close to me based on my actual face, then they only know the surface level of information. No one would dare try and poke a sleeping demon."
"Except me; it's fun." Lucy put up her hand and lightly swatted at the man's chest with the other. "And a few others close to you, too."
"Well, let's go have some fun then. But let's walk there," Layla crossed to the door and held it open. "Just so I can get the most out of our limited time together."
As they headed down the hall, Natsu hung back slightly, matching his pace to Layla who was jogging up to them and holding out an arm to stop her from moving past him. "It's nice to finally see you again, Lady Heartfilia." He murmured when he was certain that he was outside Lucy's hearing range. "Gajeel sends his regards."
"Hmm?" The older woman giggled softly and looked up at the man with a satisfied smile. "And here I was beginning to wonder if you took too many hits to the head and forgot about dear old me. Out of all of you children, only Wendy keeps in contact with me… And with Anna too."
"We don't mean anything by it, we're just really busy with our jobs and training. She's just the only one who went into a normal civilian role. Last I heard, she's looking to become a doctor and is looking for a good hospital to learn from."
"I believe she's in the process of going through potential options, yes. Would you like for me to suggest a certain hospital in Magnolia that is well-known for having such advanced procedures and machines?"
"I believe that it would be the best place for her to learn, and she'll have fantastic instructors too. Doctor Porlyusica works closely with my company, and is very knowledgeable with advanced forms of medical magics, machines, and practices. Wendy would be in good hands."
"I'll make the suggestion, and also mention that if she sees my daughter, then to say hi. Speaking of old friendships gone astray." The blonde gave the man a sly smile and leaned up to his ear. "Would it be considered fate that such cute little children found each other in a big city and fell in love? It's so romantic. You two were also just so cute together when you stayed with us after I opened the gate."
"I wouldn't consider almost becoming a sex slave overly romantic… Nor the resulting firefight which put her life in danger."
"Well, no. Not if you put it that way, but what if it was as if you were her knight in shining armour, sweeping in and whisking her off her feet and ferrying her away to safety."
"That's a heavily romanticised version of what happened… So, if it was put in those words, yes. But it's still not that romantic when bullets are cracking around you, and one slams into your back. Thankfully, she had my armoured jacket on, so the bullet didn't penetrate and just left a nasty bruise."
"Aww, what happened to that cute little hyperactive boy…" Layla stepped around the man and walked backwards, her hands clasped behind her back as she pouted up at the man. "You've become so serious."
Natsu sighed softly and dropped his gaze to the woman. "This happened, and many other things." His eyes changed to a demonic red and he pushed back his jacket's sleeve to reveal the glowing marking underneath. He held up an arm for the woman to get a better look at, but he noticed the curious look he received from the younger blonde ahead of them who instantly vanished and reappeared by his side.
"Showing Mother this side of you?"
"I figured she should know exactly what I am." He replied and released the demonic power before any other eyes could see it. "Anyway, we should hurry before their training wraps up."
"Alright." Lucy flashed the man a quick playful grin before grabbing both of their hands and taking them outside. She had positioned them so they were now walking right towards the group of guards. "Leo! Come fight me!"
Layla did her best to stifle a giggle behind a fist as she watched her daughter race through a pack of brawling men with her eyes set on the Lion Spirit. "Seems like you weren't the only one who changed, Natsu. I can't imagine what you did to her to make her like that."
"Would you believe me if I told you that I asked myself the same thing, and when I asked her what happened to the cute innocent woman I took under my wing, I just got a lewd remark as an answer."
"Do you…!" Loke tried to complain, loudly, but he quickly moved out of the line of Lucy's punch by passing through his gate and appearing half a dozen metres away. "Do you mind…!" He tried again, but Lucy had closed the distance in an instant, appearing behind the man with her Traverse. "Seriously! I'm trying to conduct our training!" He quickly sidestepped the next punch and locked Lucy's arm under his right arm before pushing up on her hips with his left and tossing her across the grass. But yet again, she vanished and a pair of legs wrapped around his neck and the momentum pulled him down to the ground.
"I win!"
"Lucy…" Natsu shook his head and walked up to his protégé. He hooked his hands under her arms and effortlessly lifted her into the air which caused her to let the spirit go. "If you're going to fight someone for fun, don't pull cheap tricks like surprise attacks."
"While the idea of being wrapped up in your legs is very alluring, Princess, having them around my neck isn't where I'd prefer them." Loke rose to his feet and gently rubbed his neck. "That ability of yours is more of a pain in the ass than I realised." His eyes flicked up from the blonde to the man who held her aloft. "Your doing?"
"I was one of the two people who taught her hand-to-hand combat, and honed that ability once it manifested itself." Natsu turned and dumped the woman on her feet at his side. After quickly dusting off his hands, he folded his arms. "Lady Heartfilia wanted to see her daughter's training in action. And wanted to see what I could do too."
"Hm, okay. Then we'll do it this way;" Loke murmured to himself. He turned to the Estate's security force and ran his eyes along the various groups. "I want all of group A and B to come here, the rest of you can continue with your training." As twenty-four men and women gathered around the spirit, he turned back to the two agents with a grin. "Would this be enough? Including myself, of course."
"I guess we'll find out. We won't use magic or the likes, just what we've developed through the procedures. You guys can make the first move." After he said his piece, they were quickly encircled by the security forces and Natsu put his back to his slightly younger partner. He slipped his jacket down his arms and flicked it over the guards' heads and to Layla. "Hold onto that, would ya."
"Should I use Travese, Natsu?"
"Use it sparingly, I doubt I'll need Reflex unless I'm dealing with the spirit in front of you. He's the wildcard among this group."
"Oh, I should probably inform you two; I'm running on the Lady's power. So, expect me at full strength."
"Leo's right… Mother is a powerful Celestial Mage…" Lucy sighed softly but flashed a carefree smile. "At least she isn't taking part personally, she knows plenty of tricks that normal Celestial Mages wouldn't even think of or probably couldn't even do. If she used Leo's own power, it would be a bit difficult to deal with. Plus, I don't want to hurt my own mother."
"Speaking of which, dial it back a little. Just bruises, no permanent damage." Natsu advised. He rolled his shoulders and brought his hands up, readying himself for the fight. "Except the Spirit, go ham on him, he can't die."
"What is this; target selection training?" The blonde giggled and dashed forward in time with the celestial spirit. She sailed under a golden fist, sliding along the grass as she reached out and hooked the man's leg, dragging it out from underneath him before she flipped over and pinned the Lion Spirit to the ground with a hand on the square of his back. "That's one to me."
"That was cheap…" Loke complained but he once again leapt through his gate to shift his position. He reappeared within a group of four security guards who were charging the blonde, beginning to work alongside them to try and overwhelm the agent. But the woman turned and contorted her body in ways he had never seen her do before, she had become far more flexible since undergoing her training.
"I was taught not to fight cleanly, you have Natsu to thank for that." Lucy shot back while she was midway through cartwheeling backwards to avoid a punch. Her back came to rest against her fellow agent, standing back-to-back once more as they moved in sync and parried attacks. "In truth, both of us are capable of tracking this number of combatants with ease. It's harder to hold ourselves back, more so for him since he is much stronger than me."
"The fact that we have time to…" Natsu paused for a second to drive his knee into the stomach of a guard, bringing him up off the ground before he spun and kicked him over into two of his mates. "Talk, really goes to show that we aren't taking this seriously."
"I mean, the first time I saw you in proper action, Natsu. We were in those tunnels under the ruins and had to clear our all those cultists." Lucy giggled as she caught a fist and sent the owner flying over the top of the pinkette. "You moved much faster than this, and then there was when we had to take out the Phantoms."
No matter how much the estate security guards tried, even with the assistance of one of the most powerful celestial spirits by their side, they weren't able to get the advantage over the two agents, much to the amusement of the owner of the estate. Even with cycling through the groups, and even an all-in round, the two agents weaved through them like salmon darting between rocks while heading upstream. Half an hour – and a bunch of worn-out guards – later, Layla finally decided to call an end to the show. She boldly strolled into the fray while clapping her hands. "That's enough, fight's over!" Now that it was safe, one of the maids came over and whispered into the woman's ear and she gave an apologetic smile to her daughter. "Lucy, I've got to take a call in my office. Could you show Natsu around, it'll be a good opportunity for you to see what has changed since you've been gone."
"Oh! Let me take you there, it'll be quicker than walking all the way back." Lucy grabbed Natsu's hand and hurried over to her mother. Without giving the older blonde a chance to think about it, she placed her hand on her mother's shoulder and the world flashed around them. "I think I'll go take a look at my room."
"It's been cleaned but everything should be as you left it." Layla handed the man's jacket back with a bright smile. "You have a nice scent, is it cologne?"
"That woodfire smile is natural to him, Mother. It's very comforting, isn't it?" Lucy giggled from behind the near identical woman. "It reminds me of the few times we were able to go camping as a family."
"Like Lucy said, that's just what I smell like. I've been called as comfy as a campfire because of my radiant warmth and the scent."
"Ah, speaking of being out in the woods…" Layla glanced out the large window behind her desk and to the preserve beyond. "We've been having issues with feral pigs that have taken up residence in the preserve. Naturally, these animals are pests that are disrupting the delicate ecosystem we've created… So, I was wondering if you two could help with it?"
"Yeah, sure." Natsu slipped his hands into his pants pockets and followed the woman's gaze to the woodlands beyond the fence. "When do you want to do it?"
"Tonight. I'll come get you both." The woman glanced at her daughter who gave her an eager nod. "It'll be best to do it after midnight, so get a little bit of rest before then, try not to keep each other up for too long now~."
Lucy sighed and dragged the man from the office. "We'll see you later, Mother!" She called out before closing the door behind them and switching back into her yellow sundress. "My bedroom isn't far. Follow me." The blonde flashed her teeth in a radiant smile as she gazed up at the man then took off at a jog. "You can't catch me~."
"Oh no~." Natsu chuckled and hurried after her, but her stayed just a few centimetres out of reach of her. "You're slightly faster than me, whatever will I do…?"
The giggling woman's dress fluttered dangerously around her upper thighs but she was enjoying the rather carefree moment. It wasn't long until she reached her old room but she didn't come to a stop, quickly opening the door and dashing inside. Once she reached the bed, she spun on the balls of her feet and held out her arms, willing the man to tackle her down onto the large bed. They tumbled across the soft mattress and came to rest in the centre with Lucy ending up on top and pinning the man's hands to the bed as the door swung closed. "Welcome to my room, don't mind the girliness, it's been a while since I've been here."
"And you're saying your place is any better than this?"
"Of course, it is!" Lucy giggled while settling herself down on Natsu's lap. "I don't have a bunch of posters and toys everywhere!" She ran her eyes down the man's body and decided to lie down on him, slowly spreading herself out atop his delightfully warm body. "Mm, I think we should just stay here for a little bit before we go and explore the Estate."
"Can I have my hands back?" Natsu let out an amused chuckle as he flexed his fingers, he was still pinned to the bed with his hands above his head. "I'm sure you'd prefer it if I explored your body with them instead of keeping them pinned up there."
"You mean grope me?" A sly smile flittered across Lucy's lips as she let the man go and wrapped her arms around his neck. She brought her head down and lightly kissed the man, letting out a delighted purr as the pair of warm hands landed on her back and slowly slid down to her ass. "I thought so~."
Something tripped Natsu's unconscious senses, causing him to instantly wake. His eyes darted about the pitch-black room until they landed on a busty figure tiptoeing over to the bed. Lucy was in his arms, and since the scent was so similar to hers, it must have been Layla coming in to wake them. The bed shifted slowly as Layla eased herself down beside her daughter and slowly ran a hand through her hair.
"I've missed you, Lucy…" She murmured sadly. "You live such a dangerous life now, and I fear that one day I'll get news of something going wrong, that you've been heavily injured and are in a critical condition… or that you had been killed while out on a job. It's a child's duty to outlive their parents, so please, Lucy, don't go before I do… I don't think I would be able to bear losing my daughter, not after losing my husband. Please, do everything you can to stay alive." She closed her eyes and placed her hands in her lap, but she almost jumped off the bed when a warm hand wrapped around them. "Natsu, you were awake?!" She whisper-shouted as her eyes travelled up the tanned arm and to the pinkette. She reached over and flicked on the light sitting atop the bedside table. "Did I wake you?"
"Yes, but it was because I sensed someone enter the room. I realised it was you so I didn't do anything about it." Natsu kept his voice down so he wouldn't disturb Lucy as he talked to her mother. He raised his hand and gently cupped the woman's cheek, his thumb sliding just under her eye and wiping the woman's tears away. "A sad face doesn't suit you, Layla. Smile, you're much more beautiful when you do. It emphasises your youthful looks."
"Oh my, I think I like this sleepy version of you." Layla giggled and wiped the tears from her other eye before beaming at him. "You even called me Layla instead of Ma'am or Lady Heartfilia. First you charm me, what's next, will you try seducing me? And right next to my daughter, how lewd~."
"Oh god, yeah, she definitely takes after you." Natsu grumbled softly and rolled onto his back. He heard Lucy murmur at the sudden lack of warmth and she turned over and cuddled back up to his side.
"Aw, don't be like that~." The mature woman purred as she carefully crawled over them and laid down against Natsu's right side. "Don't you think—"
"Enough, Layla."
"Oh fine~." She hid her playful smirk behind her hand and shifted back a little before reaching out and lightly shaking Lucy's shoulder. "Lucy, wake up please."
"Mm…?" The blonde slowly stirred from her slumber and opened her eyes, staring at the woman across from her with an unfocused gaze. "Mother?"
"Did you have a little too much fun with Natsu and forgot that I wanted to go pig hunting around midnight?"
"Yes, he wore me out." Lucy yawned as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She didn't even bother to hid her nudity as she slipped out of the bed and crossed to her ensuite. "Just let me have a quick shower to wake up, I'll be out soon."
"Well, at least you didn't leave her with a limp." Layla giggled softly and sat up, curling her legs off to her right. She slipped off the open long-sleeved olive shirt she had on and laid it down by the foot of the bed, leaving her in a fitted singlet and a pair of small shorts that matched her shirt, both hugged her body in a way that left little to the imagination yet suited the woman's youthful physique. She glanced down at the man and smirked as she pointed her index finger at the tent he was pitching with the thin pink sheets. "Are you going to get dressed, or are you planning on letting it hang out while walking around the bedroom like she did? I wouldn't be opposed to it if you did~."
"You need to get laid…" Natsu grumbled quietly as his body was enveloped in a dull light.
"Are you offering?" The mature woman purred teasingly and leaned in closely, her breasts hanging right over the man's head. "I won't say no if you were~."
"I'm surrounded by lewd women…" He sighed and slipped out from under her ample bosom. He was dressed in a pair of dark green pants with a disruptive camouflage pattern and a form-fitting long-sleeved t-shirt. "Between you and Lucy, I'm not going to have enough blood flowing to my head…"
"Why is that? Would all be going to your other head?"
"It doesn't help that you two look like sisters, and I know a pair of particularly foxy sisters."
Layla crawled to the edge of the bed and gave the man a seductive smile. "Oh~? Sounds like someone has been having some naughty fantasies about Lucy and I~."
"Layla…" Natsu growled, baring his fangs at the woman as he looked down at her. Though, it didn't have the intended affect as the woman shivered with delight and her face became flushed. He should have known this would have happened as Lucy reacts the same way. He let out an annoyed groan and ran his hand down his face. "Oh great…"
"Mother, are you teasing Natsu?" Lucy called out from within the bathroom, emerging moments later; freshly showered and with nothing but the towel she was using to dry her hair to cover her. She glanced at the older blonde and rolled her eyes at the prominent blush. "Or are you being teased by him?"
"I get the feeling she's one of those who like being dominated." The man sighed and grabbed Layla by the back of her belt, lifting her off the bed and plopping her down onto her feet. "Like you, except you enjoy the back and forth."
"Maybe you should try and dominate me and find out~."
"Mother, go back to your room and take care of your needs…" Lucy muttered tiredly as she stuck a hand into her travel bag and fished out a pair of underwear. She could have just used her requip magic, but she was on a little vacation and wanted it to feel like it so she hung the towel up and slowly dressed herself, slipping on a pair of dark green pants and singlet over the set of white lace garments.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop." Layla giggled and grabbed her shirt, slipping it back on as she walked over to the door. "I want to stop by the armoury first so I can grab a weapon. Do either of you have weapons you'd like to use?"
"I've got my two ten-mil Glocks stored away. I've swapped out all my ammo with heavier subsonic bullets so there shouldn't be any issue with disturbing the wildlife. And if need be, I can just use my bowie knives."
"And my order of SB193 5.7mm ammo came in the other day, so my Ruger 57 is just as quiet. And I also have my Gerber knife. Plus, I can use Traverse to slip foreign objects into the brain stem of the pigs to kill them from a distance without firing a shot."
"That's… a little scary." Layla murmured as she gave her daughter a wobbly smile. "I didn't realise you could use that ability that way."
"Neither did I until I severed an underground cable with a small piece of paper during the assault on Phantom Lord's HQ. I took the same premise and used it on an enemy's body, it left no visible traces of damage."
"Yeah, she's turned into a dangerous woman." Natsu chuckled at the slightly aghast expression on the older blonde. "I think you won't have to worry all that much about her."
Layla quickly got over the shock of hearing her daughter's capabilities and her face softened into a small smile. She took a small step forward then quickly crossed back to the bed and wrapped the younger woman up in her arms, hugging her tightly. Lucy gasped softly but quickly slipped her arms around her mother's waist and pulled her firmly against her.
"It's ok, Mum. I know I must worry you, doing what I do. But I've been trained by one of the best, and he is the one I work alongside. If things get too much for me to handle then Natsu will protect me and ensure that no great harm comes to me, even if it means resorting to his demonic powers to obliterate anything that threatens me." The younger woman turned her gaze to the pinkette and smiled brightly at him, but it quickly turned into a slightly cuter version of the teasing seductive smile that her mother had moments before. "Natsu, stop thinking lewd things about our bodies being squashed together. I know we're both very sexy women, but try not to let that get to both of your heads."
"Great… as if one beautiful blonde constantly giving me wood wasn't bad enough… Now there is two of them." Natsu muttered loudly and rolled his eyes as he turned away from the women and made to leave the room, leaving it with the pair of giggling women hot on his heels. His weapons appeared in their usual holster on the small of his back, and the faint magic pulse from behind alerted him to Lucy bringing out her own weapons.
Once they reached the armoury, Layla walked over to a gun safe and opened it up. She pulled out a custom-made modern lever-action rifle with a suppressor on the end of it and slung it across her back. After it was closed back up, she hurried across to a cabinet and took out a belt with a pouch and a few loops for cartridges to be slotted into before she dashed across to another cabinet and took out a box of ammunition. "I ended up buying some subsonic 45-70 for this particular reason, and they don't scare the horses as much which is an added bonus." Once she had filled up the rifle and the belt loops, she dumped the rest of the ammo into the pouch and hurried back to the two agents, grabbing a sheathed machete off a wall along the way. "My staff already know that we are going hunting, so they won't interfere unless I send out a request for help."
"How are you getting to the forest? Lucy and I can easily run that distance without running out of breath but you, not so much."
"I was planning on waking my horse and taking her, but she might get hurt by one of those feral pigs…"
"I don't know, a horse can kick pretty fucking hard…"
"Are you speaking from experience, Natsu?" Lucy giggled softly behind a hand as they left the armoury.
"Yes, actually."
"Oh, now that's a story I want to hear." The blonde grinned and pulled his right arm into the valley of her breasts. She let out a faint murmur of satisfaction as the warmth soaked into her body.
"It's not much of a story. And it didn't happen to me. Was being chased while on a mission where I wasn't allowed to use lethal force. I ended up dashing around a corner and past a horse and spooked it; it slammed a hoof into the face of some poor bastard right on my heels. Cleaned him right up. Thankfully, I didn't get in trouble for that one."
"Ouch…" Layla murmured and scrunched up her face as she imagined what it would have looked like. "I don't think they would've lived through that."
"They didn't; caved in the skull. Died pretty quickly from the transfer of kinetic energy, and having bone fragments shoot through the brain like a blast from a shotgun. But like I said, I didn't kill him so it wasn't my problem. It was all just a freak accident that the horse got spooked and he took a hoof to the face."
"Well, I guess I will take Mary after all." Layla led the way out of the mansion and across the dark ground to the stable. She had them stay out the front while she went in and got her horse ready, coming out a little later on horseback. "Can you two keep up?"
"Easily." Lucy stepped away from Natsu and stretched her arms out above her head. She groaned softly as she twisted and turned her lithe body, warming it up and readying it for action. "Let's go."
Layla clicked her tongue and spurred the horse on, taking off and accelerating to a gallop on her way to the front gate. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw both Natsu and Lucy quickly gaining on her until they were level with the horse. "I organised for the gate to be open before I came to collect you two. I figured if I didn't come and do it personally then you'd be climbing all over each other and I wouldn't see you for a few hours. Once we're through, head left along the fence-line and we'll loop around to the part of the preserve that they were last seen."
"I'm not that bad, Mother!"
"Don't lie, Lucy. You struggle to keep your hands off me."
"You're no better, always sneaking a hand somewhere to grope me during our sparring sessions. It's very distracting."
"Only because you learnt from Mira to use your body to distract me while training. You're always grinding against me and stuffing my head between your tits and thighs and excuse it as some form of grapple."
"Oh my…" Layla giggled behind her hand as her eyes flicked from left to right, excitedly following the verbal rally. "It's a wonder how you two get any work done with this much sexual tension. Then again, is it really all that tense when you both screw like rabbits."
"Mother!"
"You two are lucky the bedrooms are soundproofed, Natsu. If Lucy is anything like me, it's hard for her to be quiet, more so if it's really good."
"MOTHER!"
"Yeah, usually I have to have her face in a pillow or against the mattress, sometimes even have her bite the sheets just so she muffles her moans. Especially since I don't think my bedrooms hold the sound in that well, and my adoptive son, Happy, complains that Lucy is too loud when she stays over."
"NATSU!"
Both Natsu and Layla snickered at the young woman's bright red face as she muttered and groaned, embarrassed at their joined antics. They decided to drop the teasing for now so she could focus on the hunt. As they reached the beginning of the preserve, Layla slowed down and had her horse, Mary, trot along a dirt path.
"We last saw them on some of the trail cameras in this area, this was last night. They should still be in this area."
"Hmm…" Lucy turned her head slightly, shifting her focus left and right as she used her extrasensory ability to see everything around her. "Plenty of animals around; sleeping and not. Hard to pick out a group of pigs among them."
"Pigs are pretty clean animals too, in reality. But they make a very specific noise." Natsu tacked on, tuning his ears to the sounds of the forest. "Lucy, one klick at two-o'clock. Got some noise that way."
"Let's see… There are a group of stout objects in a line, traveling eleven-o'clock to five-o'clock. It's a bit blurry using the omni-directional sight so let me focus a little… about eight of them, all large ones."
Layla glanced between the two younger adults, mildly surprised that they could hold a comfortable conversation while scanning the area and also maintaining a running pace to match with her trotting horse. "So, we can expect them to be heading to or from their den?"
"Well, now that I know the general area, I can search about for that den." Lucy replied as she scanned up and back along the trail the pigs were following, using the sense provided by her Traverse mutation to see into a white world where nothing is hidden by darkness. "Do you want to eliminate all of them, or just deal with enough of them that they decide to up and leave?"
"Considering that they are labelled as a pest, it is best that we eliminate as many as we can." Layla turned from Lucy on her right, to Natsu on her left. "They'll need to be incinerated so they don't spread any diseases they carry. I don't want cases of brucellosis or anything else to crop up among the animals in the preserve or the people living in and around my estate."
"Are you asking if I can thoroughly cremate them on-the-spot without burning down the forest?"
"Why yes, I am." The mature woman smirked playfully as she gazed down at the man from horseback. "I want to know just how well my daughter's boyfriend can perform."
"Depends on how quickly you want it done. I can turn them to ashes in moments but it requires a lot of thermal energy, that kind of power could harm the immediate area through the immense heat load but it guarantees that nothing can be passed onto other animals, including humans."
"As long as you can keep it contained, it doesn't bother me if you accidentally ignite a few square metres of land. It'll grow back, and the animals would flee anyway."
"Mm, okay. We'll do it this way." Natsu fell back slightly and came around to the other side of the horse, running along at Lucy's right. "Luce, go ahead and hunt the pigs. I'll set up a pit to burn the bodies that you send to me."
"Alright. Engaging." The blonde launched forward, accelerating for two long steps before she vanished into thin air.
"I know you probably wanted this to be a nice hunting trip with your daughter, but as you said, these feral pigs are pests and need to be exterminated."
"Well, I didn't expect it to go exactly like this per se. But I was expecting to have to get my hands dirty, seems like I get to sit back and watch you kids do all the work."
"All I'll be doing is setting fire to shit, Lucy's doing all the hard work."
"Hehe, well I guess you can stand around, looking good."
"Let's go find a clearing. Toss me that machete." Natsu slowed to a brisk walk and glanced up at the busty woman. He caught the weapon and drew it from the sheath before turning down a nearby trail. "I'll make a path large enough for you and the horse but you should probably follow on-foot."
"Alright." Layla gently pulled the horse to a stop and climbed down. She flicked the reigns over Mary's head and began to lead the mare down the path Natsu was clearing. "I'm surprised you can see very well in this darkness."
"The moon is out, that's providing me more than enough light. My natural eyesight is pretty sharp as it is, and the chemicals I get pumped into me do modify eyesight and image processing to improve it, but I don't have anything crazy like Infrared Night Vision as it was deemed unnecessary for our line of work. We've simulated Lucy's mutation using software and a neural dive system, for the purpose of learning the best way to help her grow her ability, and let me tell you, it's fucking insane."
"What is it like?"
"From what I've experienced with the simulation and what she has told me; using the sight provided by Traverse, she can see everything around her but the further out it is, the blurrier it becomes until becoming a void. Light and dark means nothing to her with that extrasensory sight, and neither do walls as she is peering into a different dimension. It's all shown in shades of white and she sees people and animals like those poseable store manikins. She can teleport around by moving through the dimension, it happens instantaneously as it's out of our natural perception. I'm certain that it's a place that time doesn't exist, only matter which mirrors our world in that very instant. So, by moving through it, she can instantly appear anywhere within a certain range."
"How does that power even exist?"
"We don't know. It's the first time it has developed, and it's very like that it won't appear in another person. The leading theory is that it is somehow tied to her bloodline magic, that being from a lineage of powerful celestial mages influenced the mutation."
"Hmm, that's very plausible. My family line has always produced significantly powerful celestial mages, myself and Anna are no exception to it as we both are capable of using all twelve golden keys at once, and even know plenty of secret arts that aren't known outside our lineage. We both taught Lucy many things regarding our magic, so that could have influenced her mutation."
Natsu cut through to a small clearing and glanced around. He sniffed the air then slid the machete into the sheath and rested it against a nearby tree. "This will do nicely. There are no animals currently nearby, and I can't smell any scent trails passing through here or lingering around so there shouldn't be any need to worry about the wildlife."
"Are you going to make a firepit?"
"Yeah, I can either make an actual pit in the ground but that could disrupt the surrounding vegetation, or I can create them out of my Cursed Vines. They should be capable of withstanding my flames as long as I'm the one casting that curse."
"As long as you don't attack me with them like some kind of tentacle monster from those strange videos that I caught Lucy watching a few times."
Natsu spared the woman a glance and a raised eyebrow before turning back to the clearing. He got down onto a knee and placed his hand to the ground, pushing some power out through his palm and weaving vines that rose from the grass into a vast five-metre-wide dish. "Do you want something to sit on?"
"As long as it won't be uncomfortable, or try and wiggle into my shorts and magically find their way inside me."
"You seriously need to get laid, Layla…"
"Okay, okay." Layla giggled and tied her horse's reigns to a nearby fallen tree before sitting on the bench that Natsu made for her. "I'll stop talking about sexual stuff. At least for now." She let out a small yawn and glanced at the man. "Could you make me a hammock to lay down in?"
"Oh, sure." Natsu's eyes skimmed the treeline before settling on a spot not far from him. He nodded his head to it as thin vines crept up the two trees like dozens of small snakes and bridged the gap, weaving into a secure hammock with high sides and a noticeable pod-like dip in the middle, running the length of the hammock. "Should be comfy enough."
"Natsu, I want to ask you something personal and I want you to answer it honestly." Layla murmured as she poked and prodded the hammock. She felt a gaze land on her back and she glanced over at the pinkette before climbing into the hammock. "Do you find me attractive, as a woman?"
"Yes. You're very beautiful, even for a woman your age. Yes, I know that you're only in your late forties, yet you can easily pass as Lucy's older sister." Natsu created a high pointed dome above the dish to keep the heat trapped inside and to funnel the smoke up and out. Once he was done, he threw a ball of fire into the middle and walked over to the older woman, leaning against the tree by her head. "So naturally, yes, I find you attractive and due to your similarities to Lucy, that goes for sexually too. However, you are Lucy's mother, and I'm trying to have a proper relationship with her, or at least as best as I can with what my lifestyle and job is like. I can't just go and fuck her mother, no matter how hot I think she is."
"How bold of you." The woman giggled playfully and rolled onto her side, watching the man with her big brown eyes. "I understand. I think you're hot too, and I know you've got quite the package hidden away in those pants, but I can't just go and sleep with Lucy's boyfriend. Tease the living daylights out of him whenever I get the chance, yes, but as you said, I just can't go and fuck you because I'm horny and want a cock in me and because I think you're a hot stud of a man who most definitely knows how to give a girl the night of her life."
"You make it sound like you'd climb all over me if you had the chance…"
"Because I would, but you are dating and actively sleeping with my daughter. If I was her sister, I'd probably join in, but not as her mother."
"You sound like Mira and Lisanna… Mira loves to tease her younger sister, to rile her up to the point that she comes to me for release. But, well, she doesn't do it for sexual gratification, Lisanna suffered at the hands of many men a few years back. I slaughtered them all, but the damage was already done."
"So, Mira works her up to get her to come to you for sexual therapy?"
"Pretty much." Natsu shook his head lightly and gazed up at the stars with a small grin. "How does that song go again? When I get that feelin', I need that sexual healin'?"
"It goes 'When I get that feeling, I want sexual healing.'" Layla sang, her voice soft and smooth but it had a small seductively playful breathiness, like she was very much in need of the sexual healing. She giggled once more and stretched out as something crackled and sizzled in the enclosed fire. "That sounds like the first feral pig."
"Hmm, I think I'll crank up the heat." Natsu glanced at the fire as the corner of his mouth tugged back.
"Hm, another personal question; about what you said about your lifestyle and job?"
"You want to know if I'll sleep with women other than Lucy?"
"Yeah."
Natsu paused for a moment and sighed. He turned his gaze back to the older blonde and stared at her eyes for a couple of seconds before giving his answer. "I want you to know that Lucy is fine with this happening, firstly. So, as my job requires me to get close to people to get information, part of it includes seduction and even sex if you choose to go that far. Some of us don't and some of us do. Lucy is my first real go at a proper relationship, but I can't drop what has been standard practice for me overnight. So, we both decided that if I decide that sex is needed to loosen someone's tongue, then it is fine for me to fuck them senseless as long as I always go back to Lucy and give her more loving than what I gave the target."
Layla sat up abruptly, causing the hammock to rock. "Does Lucy use her body for information?" She asked quickly, scanning Natsu's face for any hint of a lie.
"No. While Mira and I said that she could if she wanted to, we also said that once you go down that path, it's not easy to stop. It kinda becomes expected of you, you've given yourself over to the job, body and all. So, from what my nose told me, I'm the only person she's slept with since I rescued her on that ship and even that took many months to happen, what she did with her body before then isn't a concern to me."
"I bet all that longing was tough for her to deal with."
"Yeah." Natsu lightly shook his head at the giggling woman. "She masturbated a lot, still does. She originally tried to hide it, but got embarrassed too often when she realised that I could smell that she did it and sometimes even heard her do it. So, she stopped hiding it and sometimes sneakily did it in our office. In fact, she's very horny when it's just us two, even if we are at work."
"Heh, I thought something was off about the last time she called me, she had a lusty look in her eyes. I bet she was mounting you."
"Not quite, she was sitting and lying on top of me on the couch, but nothing sexual was going on. She was definitely horny though. She's freely admitted to always being horny around me."
"Well, I suppose I feel better now that I know she isn't sleeping around, just sleeping with you. And if she's fine with you sleeping with other women then I don't really see any issue with it. Obviously, I'd prefer if you two kept it to each other, but what is necessary is necessary, and two things easily loosen tongues, sex and drugs." Layla moaned softly as she stretched her body out in the hammock and rolled onto her stomach. "I think that's enough talk about sex. I've made myself horny thanks to it, and while I can easily take care of it right here and now, it's not really appropriate doing it in front of you."
"I'm afraid you'll just have to stew in your own juices for a bit until we're done here. You can either get yourself off on the ride back or fuck yourself in your bedroom."
"Mm, maybe I'll use that new toy I bought the other night. It's one of the new hyper-realistic ones; it's big and thick… and just thinking about it makes me ache~."
"And now I'm stuck with wood… What is with you and Lucy and enjoying giving a man a hard time…?"
"Because it's fun! And I'm a little envious of my gorgeous daughter with her hunky boyfriend, it reminds me of myself when I was younger." Layla let out a gentle sigh but turned her head side-on and gave the man a warm smile. "I'm happy she's found someone like you, Natsu. I hope you treat her well. And give me some grandchildren too, I want granddaughters. Hm, and maybe one grandson, but mainly granddaughters, two or three."
"It's a bit early for that, Layla… at least let Lucy and I be together for a bit before telling us to get to breeding…"
"I mean, it already sounds like you two fuck like rabbits, and I'm sure that your company requires use of some form of contraceptive. Wouldn't take much to give me grandchildren, I reckon."
"Yes, we do, and yes it does. We have one that is for male use and another for females. That's why you don't see little pink-haired brats roaming Fiore and the surrounding countries."
"Hehe, you could shoot your load into any woman you want without a care in the world. Especially with all your medical tech and mages, you wouldn't need to worry about anything being transmitted to you, I bet?"
"Yeah, that's true. But we also had something worked into the serum about six months before Lucy came into the picture that basically destroyed anything that was sexually transmitted, though it did have an interesting and kind of funny side-effect."
"What was it?"
"Our sexual fluids – males and females – ended up taking on those properties, and so it killed any potentially transmitted shit in the bodies of whoever we were sleeping with. Some of the guys started calling it 'The Miracle Shot' as every time they had to cream some woman who wasn't that great down there, the woman ended up getting better overnight."
"I hope you weren't one of those guys!" Layla sat up and held her sides to try and contain her laughing fit, her gentle giggles bouncing around the moonlit clearing. "Anyway, seriously, that's enough sex talk. I'm pretty sure I've already soaked through my panties… and I can see that you aren't doing much better yourself. I'm sure you're raring to get back to bed with Lucy and work out all that stress. And Natsu, please treat her the best you can, give her as much love as you can."
"I will, Layla, you don't have to worry about that." Natsu smiled softly and gazed through the forest to where he could sense Lucy darting about. "She's really going at it."
"She's always loved it out here, so it doesn't surprise me that she'd do a lot to keep this ecosystem healthy." Layla followed his gaze even though she knew she'd find nothing. A warm smile graced her beautiful face as she laid back down and curled into a loose ball. "I did want to do a little shooting though, maybe we can do that tomorrow."
"Well, nothing for us to do but get comfy and settle in until she comes back." He groaned while easing himself onto the ground at the base of the trunk and closing his eyes. "She'll be worn out by the time she gets back, and we're meant to be taking a small break to recover from extensive use of our mutations…"
"Ah well, you'll just have to carry her back to bed then. I'll be sure that no one tries to wake her until she is ready to surface."
"You know, I have a question of my own; why are you so openly lewd to me?"
Layla sighed softly and hung over the edge of the hammock so she could look down at him. "Because I very rarely get the chance to just let my hair down and have fun. I can't just say whatever I please to my employees and clientele, or business partners. And I don't have much time for private time with friends that aren't all up themselves and snooty. But with you and Lucy, I can just say whatever I like, tease you two as much as I want to. Lucy gets a little embarrassed sometimes, and other times she shoots right back. And with you being all grown up and back in my life as Lucy's boyfriend, I have another person who can join in the fun and help me relax."
"So, it's not just pent-up lust and horniness." Natsu opened an eye and gazed up at the woman out of its corner.
"Nope. Lucy and I have the same kind of humour, I'm sure you've noticed. It's times like these that I can wind down and not be the owner and CEO of the Heartfilia Konzern. I know I've done well to raise Lucy and grow my portfolio even further than what Jude was able to but I've had to make sacrifices in other departments, which well… I don't really date anymore; I don't have time for it. And aside from the infrequent flings, I usually bottle everything up until I can just take care of my needs myself. I'm sorry if I was being too forward with you… I just need this time for R-and-R just as much as you two…"
"Layla. Give me your phone." Natsu turned his head to the woman and looked into her worried chocolate brown eyes with the warmth he usually reserved for Lucy. "I know it's in your back pocket."
"Been staring at my tush, have you?" Layla giggled playfully and reached behind her. She unlocked her phone and handed it down to the man. "Don't worry about answering, I already know it's a yes."
He hummed quietly and tapped away on the display for a minute before handing the device back to the woman. "I just saved my contact details; mobile phone, home phone, and my address. If you ever need someone to talk to and get stuff off your chest who isn't Lucy, you can call me. And I won't turn you away if you appear at my house without notice, Lucy does that to me all the time, rocks up unannounced that is."
"I'll definitely take you up on that, Natsu." The mature blonde slipped the phone back into her shorts and smiled warmly down at the man. She reached out to him, her fingers just grazing his chest before he relented and moved into her range, allowing her to pull him in and kiss him gently on the cheek. "You've grown into a wonderful man, Natsu. I couldn't have found a better man for Lucy even if I searched the world from top to bottom. I had a feeling that you two would get together, don't break her heart."
"You had a feeling?" The pinkette cocked an eyebrow and rose to his feet as Lucy appeared a few metres away.
"Call it a Mother's Intuition." Layla tittered and turned her bright smile onto her daughter. "You've found yourself a great man, Lucy. Better hold onto him, he's a keeper."
"Was my mother trying to seduce you, Natsu?"
"Yes and no. Seems like she is very much like you; openly lewd around those you are comfortable with." Natsu chuckled and pulled the young blonde into his arms. "You don't smell of blood, and I don't mean that time of the month… You've been attacking them at range?"
"I've been practicing throwing my knife at moving targets and also that paper trick, though I've had to use leaves for that." Lucy turned within the man's arms, resting her back against his body and lightly pushing him back against the tree. "I think I've already dealt with twenty or so. Once I noticed you have finished making the fire, I dumped a pile into it."
"Ah, so that's why it didn't incinerate them quickly; you overstuffed my fire."
"Well, I figured it's my turn to overstuff something, usually I'm the one getting overstuffed by you." The young woman giggled. She turned her head and tilted it, capturing his lips in a short and gentle kiss. "Mother, I hope you don't plan on going overboard with teasing my boyfriend. If you work him into a frenzy, I'll be limping for the rest of the week."
"Hehe, I better dial it back a little bit then. We were just having a fairly sexually charged conversation. I tried to stop talking about sexual stuff twice but it didn't stop but we finally got there in the end."
"Anyway. It sounded like you cleared up a few groups' worth of them. Do you think it would be enough?"
"For now, Natsu. But I don't doubt that I'll be taking some trips out here more often to tend to the preserve. Even if it means borrowing one of the Ospreys for the trip."
"At least give Mira or myself a heads-up before appropriating an aircraft, so we can cover your arse before you get reamed for it."
"Do you want to make the comment about reaming or should I, Lucy?" Layla giggled uncontrollably as she watched the two lovers from her hammock.
"I think you just did, but in case it wasn't clear~." Lucy turned and pressed herself firmly against the man's broad chest, a playfully smug grin plastered on her face. "Only you can ream me, Natsu. Verbally and physically, I love both."
"Oh, fucking hell…" Natsu grumbled as he glanced at the two grinning blondes. "Did you fucking clone yourself or something, you're like two peas in a pod. And what happened to being embarrassed?"
"All that hard work has made me horny, plus, we're teasing you, not me." Lucy chuckled lightly and lowered her head, resting it under the man's chin and closing her eyes as she relished in his warm embrace. "Let's stay here for a little bit, then we can head back and go back to sleep."
"Sounds about right… Anyway, that's fine with me, take your time, I don't plan on going anywhere."
That's going to be where I end this. It went on longer than I was planning on, was only going to be around 8k, but I got into a flow with the dialogue and it just kept coming. I actually had two different tries at writing this before I settled on the chapter you've just read. I couldn't work out where I wanted it to begin, my original draft had it starting at night but I wasn't liking how it went, so I scrapped it and restarted. I'm a little disappointed in the fight part, that I ended up glossing over for the most part, but it's something inconsequential in the end and was never going to be as grand as the simulation fight. It was just some friendly play-fighting between old friends.
So, something about Layla, she does find Natsu attractive but isn't going to sleep with him due to him dating Lucy. She may joke about it a lot, and even admit to thinking about it, but she wants Lucy to have a happy life with Natsu.
In regards to their history, after Layla opened the gate to allow the dragon slayers and Anna through, she allowed them to stay at the Heartfilia Estate. So, all the dragon slayers spent a year or two with Lucy and her family before they headed out into the world and followed their own paths.
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, if you have and haven't followed or favourited the story, then don't forget to check the boxes to keep up-to-date with future chapters. And if you would like to, leave a review with what you think or any questions you may have, I'll answer them in a reply if possible and if I think the question requires a public answer, I'll tack it on the top of the next chapter, or put it below here after the upload if I believe it to be something of dire need of clearing up.
Thanks for reading the chapter, hope you've enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next one.
