Summary: Set in my Wild West 'Verse. The first one that actually happens within the original story (re-read chapter 55 if you need reminding). Lucy's new costume for the show causes some problems.

Pairings: Natsu/Lucy, Mira/Natsu friendship, Gajeel/Natsu friendship, Gray/Natsu friendship, and Laxus/Natsu friendship if you squint hard enough.

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for giving me over FIFTY SIX HUNDRED reviews! This particular chapter is dedicated to everyone who occasionally piped up with 'when is the next Western chapter coming out?' I hope this satisfies you.

Natsu loved the freedom of the Great Plains.

It was always an adventure, just him and Happy, riding across the great lengths of grass, almost being killed by Indians or angry men with guns that they may or may not have upset, finding things, seeing new things…..

He had the best jobs as well.

Unable to keep to one, boring, job, all day, like Gajeel in the blacksmiths, or Freed with his boring paperwork, or Elfman basically being Mira's slave, Natsu took up temporary jobs.

He played messenger hundreds of times, once took up with some cowboys and gave it up when it turned out to only be herding cows from one place to another and eating nothing but baked beans, and did some trade for others.

He has been to places that most people haven't been. All the big cities in the East, and even San Francesco in California which virtually no one has been to in Magnolia.

He has found all sorts of cool treasures, some strange artefacts from the Indians (which was why they tried to kill him that one time), interesting souvenirs from the places he had been too, and the weird and awesomely shaped rocks that he found on his journeys.

But his best treasure, the thing he prized most, had been Lucy.

He had found her during one of his stints as a messenger, she had apparently ran away from an arranged marriage in Boston, thought she could navigate tha plains on her own to California, and instead got herself kidnapped.

Three times.

He is not joking.

("No," Lucy scowled each time he told someone this, "You're exaggerating. I had been coned out of my money by some men who then abandoned me, then the Native Americans had offered me shelter, and then some morons thought they were rescuing me and were trying to get me to show them 'some gratitude' when you finally came along. That is not three kidnappings. If anything it's one! Two if you count the fact you gave me no choice but to come with you!"

"You're right," Natsu agreed, he then turned back to Mirajane, "she was kidnapped four times by the time I found her. I was the fourth."

"URGH!")

Anyway, after rescuing her weirdo arse, Natsu took her back to Magnolia, introduced her to his friends including the Fairy Tail girls, and before he knew it she stayed, got hired by Mirajane, and had become the one thing he wanted to go back to every time he went out on a job.

She was sneaky like that.

This particular job had taken some weeks as he had to go all the way back to New York for fabric supplies of all things, Mrs Obaba had promised a fortune that he couldn't quite resist, and as he now neared home again, he urged Happy to go faster, and happily left dust flying behind him.

It was dark by the time he got back, and after making sure his stock was in a secure, safe, place (because the locals might not rob him – apart from Gray or Gajeel when they think they're been funny, the idiots – but the people that were always passing through, the miners, the rail workers, the cowboys, might.), he all but ran to the one place where he knew everyone would be (apart from Sheriff Laxus because he was a bore).

Fairy Tail.

Instantly he was greeted by light, warmth, and a lot of noise. Everyone was talking, everyone was singing, everyone was cheering as they drank deeply into their cups. Natsu could almost make out Levy's piano playing underneath it all as he made his way to the bar.

"Natsu!" Mirajane cried out delightedly. "You're home!"

"Hi!" he grinned back. "Is Lucy around?"

Mirajane shot him a knowing look that always made him uncomfortable and then smiled warmly at him. "She's about to go on stage," she said, "pull up a stool and have a drink, you're in for a treat, she's about to perform a new number in a new costume."

Curious, Natsu obeyed Mirajane. Lucy, who had been all weird about sharing a blanket with Natsu when he first met her, had surprised him when she decided to join Mirajane's scandalous salon, where the costumes were sometimes indecent, and the dancing was rather suggestive, but Lucy had explained that it was the complete opposite of her life in Boston, and it was her choice…..yeah, he didn't get it either. But it made her happy and she had good friends in the girls.

Mirajane passed him a whiskey as Elfman stepped on the stage. "Ladies and…..Men! I give you, Lucy Heartfilla!"

Everyone cheered and the odd man jeered for Elfman to get off the stage, which he did, in time for Lucy to step on.

Everyone cheered even louder…apart from Natsu. His eyes widened, his grip on his glass tightened, and his cheeks burned.

Levy started playing a cheerful tune which Lucy sang and danced to as suggestively as ever, only it was a million times more suggestive than ever before.

"Well," Mira eyed him suspiciously, "What do you think of Lucy's new costume?"

"Is that even legal?!" he squeaked.

"Sheriff Laxus tried to confiscate yesterday," Mira smirked, "and we invited him to do so if he wishes but he had to take it off Lucy first. I've never seen a man run faster before. Do you like it?"

"No," Natsu scowled.

"Why not?!"

"It shows too much," Natsu growled, "they're going to slobber all over her."

For some reason his answer pleased Mira and she hummed happily this only further soured his mood even more. How can she not understand? Fairy Tail was constantly repairing damages that were caused by slobbery perverts.

He shuddered at the thought of Lucy's pale, silky, skin, made even paler and prettier by the black corset and bustle she was wearing (and the pale pink lace petticoat underneath, what was worse, was apart from her stockings, that was all what she was wearing), covered in other men's drool. She had plenty on show it would be awful.

Lucy bent down to sing a line to a blushing Freed when a passing miner suddenly reached out and groped her.

Natsu stood up so quickly that his stool fell to the ground. He half contemplated throwing his glass at the pervert's head and had even gotten as far holding it up in the air when Mira's hand suddenly snatched hold of his wrist and pulled it down.

"Don't you dare!" she hissed.

"Why not?!" Natsu whined. "Erza has done worse!"

Numerous men have broken through the windows, the furniture destroyed, and Sheriff Laxus banging on the door to arrest her.

"Yes but that before he came to town," Mira said in disgust, "he and his cronies."

"He?"

Mira sighed heavily. "A lot has happened in the last few weeks," she explained, "Magnolia has a governor and he is determined to straighten this town and make it proper and…oh Natsu you would get into an awful lot of trouble if you throw that glass."

"I doubt it," Natsu snorted, "I can take on any crony."

Mira shook her head. "Just don't, it'll make things worse," she whispered, "it's been miserable these last few weeks. It was why I dressed Lucy….thought it would cheer everyone up."

At this point Lucy's number had been well and truly over, and Erza had taken the stage. "Can I go to the dressing room?"

Mira's sadness evaporate and she grinned. "Sure thing," she said cheerfully, "just don't destroy anything."

Natsu wondered why Mira, and everyone else, thought he destroyed things all the time. He wasn't that bad….usually.

Like Mira's sadness, Natsu's bad mood disappeared quickly at the sight of Lucy who was quickly covering her costume up with a proper dress. She had her back to him but he could see her face clearly in the one mirror they had in that dressing room. "Hey," he said quietly.

Lucy's face lit up in a way no one else's ever did around him. "Natsu!" she whispered ecstatically. "You're home!"

"Do you need any help?" he nodded to her dress.

"Please." He stepped closer to her and breathed in deeply her sweet, musky, scent before he very slowly began to lace her dress up. She smiled at him radiantly through the mirror. "Did you see my new number?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes," he stalled for a moment to brush her hair out of the way, he was sure no one else had as soft hair as her, "you were good. You always are."

"And my costume?"

"….You could have worn more clothes, are you trying to beat Gray in a stripping competition?"

"It was something fun."

"It's something trouble."

Lucy laughed. "Don't be silly," she chided him, "it's only a dress," and then she turned round and kissed his cheek, "let's go and make sure Erza hasn't murdered anyone yet."

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

He was right, the very next day trouble ensued.

He hadn't been there at first. He had been passed out in his hammock after drinking far too much when he was woken up by rapid knocking. He staggered across the room and yanked the door open. "Yeah?" he snapped. "What's…..Lucy?!"

"Natsu!"

Natsu almost fell back onto the floor, Lucy had collided into him so hard that he had staggered back a few steps as his arms automatically wrapped themselves around her. She crushed his sides with her owns arms as she hide her face into his chest, and suddenly burst into tears.

"W-w-what happened?! He asked.

"You were right!" she sniffled. "That damn dress. It did nothing but cause trouble."

He took a couple steps back and pushed her away as gently as possible. His hands firm but careful on her arms as he held her literally at arm's length to look at her properly.

It felt like he had suddenly been kicked in the gut….with the worst Lucy Kick, and probably something nasty from Erza for good measure.

Lucy's hair looked ruffled and tangled, it was half done up, half loose, but it looked like someone had pulled it loose. Viciously so. Her bonnet was completely missing. Her face was tear-stained and covered in snot but that did nothing to hide the fact that her skin looked suspiciously tender as if she had been hit. Then there was the front of her dress…..

Whenever Lucy was off-duty from Fairy Tail, which was every day and the occasional night, she wore a proper, high-necked, dress that kept her proper. She had been wearing her favourite pink one, the one she wore usually for Sundays and nice occasions, and he wondered what she had been planning to do today, but the front of it had been ripped down, revealing the pale globes of her cleavage pushed up by her corset.

Someone had tried to ruin her.

"Who?" he demanded. "Who dared touch you?"

Aside from the occasional grope while on duty, no one actually dared touch a Fairy Tail girl. They were beloved by all but the Sheriff, and even he protected them when push came to shove, any stranger quickly learnt that harming a Fairy Tail girl in any way meant a brutal and violent end.

"I-I-I don't know his name," Lucy stammered, "Snake or something. He's one of the Governor's men. H-h-he came at him from nowhere," she choked slightly and Natsu suddenly realised she was trembling all over, without a second thought Natsu pulled her back into his embrace and held her tightly as she wept. "I was going to get something for a picnic!" she wailed. "I thought you and I could….but he grabbed me and pulled me behind the Grocers and said that I was such a tease last night with my costume and my dancing and that I should put him out of his misery."

Natsu grip tightened as he accidentally dug his nails into her skin. She gasped and he mumbled an apology as he tried to loosen his hold on her. "What happened?" he croaked. "What happened next?"

"He tried to make me put it in my mouth!" Lucy spat out. "I refused. We fought, he then punched me, and….and….I just panicked and kicked him and ran away and now I've probably got Fairy Tail in a lot of trouble. Governor Ivan is just looking for an excuse to punish Fairy Tail. He thinks we're immoral."

"He won't get you or anyone else intro trouble," Natsu promised fiercely, "because I am going to kill him and this snake guy and anyone else that wants to lay a hand on you."

"Natsu!" Lucy cried out alarmed. "Natsu!" she repeated even more panicked. "For the love of God, don't! It'll make things worse. He'll hurt you."

"Don't worry Lucy," Natsu grinned, "I don't hurt that easily. This Governor and his cronies won't know what hit them. I'm all fired up."

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

Much to his shame he had blacked out.

He hadn't gone after those men immediately, Lucy had still been too distressed and he had to make sure she was safe first, and somewhat back to her normal, weirdo, self. It had taken days, most of which were spent with him sleeping on the floor as she took the hammock, and even when she had collected herself, her dress carefully, awkwardly, stitched back together, and the bruise round her right eye had made it's appearance, and she finally stopped shaking enough to hold a cup without dropping it, she was still…..damaged. this was going to be something that will haunt her for the rest of her life and he will never forgive the guy that did it to her.

so once he had her safe and sound in the girls' arms (Levy had been the first to hug her but Erza and Cana kept a stern guard round her at all times while Wendy tried to cheer her up), he went after the guy.

Gray and Gajeel pointed him out across the town square and Natsu just lunged for him. He might have won and beaten the guy to near death if it hadn't been for his 'friends' (and Natsu used that term loosely, he doubted sickos like this had real friends) who grabbed hold of Natsu, restrained him, and kept him on the ground until the governor decided what punishment he would receive.

Fifteen lashes seemed like nothing at the time but that was before he blacked out from the pain.

"Natsu!" he felt someone slapping his face. "Natsu!" another slap, much harder this time, and Natsu's eyes fluttered as he felt something cold touch him. "Damnit, you stupid Ash-Brain, wake up!"

At first, his eye-sight blurred from the pain and the sun shining directly above him but as soon as his sight cleared up, Gray, Gajeel, and the Sheriff's face all came into focus.

"Fuck," Laxus muttered, "what the hell did you do this time?"

"Me?" Natsu croaked. "He's the criminal."

"When did I die and make you Sheriff?" Laxus scowled. "Get him up!" he ordered Gray and Gajeel. "We'll take him to the Jail building, and one of you can kindly fetch Porlyusica to help his wounds."

Gray and Gajeel obeyed without hesitation and Natsu moaned as everything chose to burn with agony at that moment. "C'mon Salamander," Gajeel muttered, "You're made of stronger stuff than this."

Natsu groaned in agreement and said nothing as he forced his entire attention into putting one foot in front of the over. He was thankful when he could finally sink down into a chair moments later.

"What happened to him?!" Bisca cried out worriedly from her cell. "Is he okay?"

"Mind your own damn business!" Laxus barked. He yanked his chair out from his desk, and thumped into it, before he levelled Natsu with his best glare. "What the fuck were you thinking? Trying to kill a man, the Governor's man of all people, in public, are you insane?"

"He hurt Lucy."

"Yeah," Laxus snapped, "well she probably had it coming with that whore's dress of her's!" Natsu tried to lunge forward and strangle Laxus for that (even if it was partly true. That dress had done nothing but stir up trouble) when his injuries made him fall on top of the desk and he groaned in pain once again. Laxus suddenly grabbed him by the hair and hauled his head up enough so that could meet each other's eyes. "Moron!" he said disgustedly. "You're making it worse for yourself."

"How could you say that?" Natsu snarled. "How can you stand there and let the Governor and his people do this to us? We're your people! Are you going to just stand there and let us be punished for protecting our own?!"

"If you're going to attempt to murder someone then you need to be punished," Laxus spat out, "you think I like this?" he growled. "If it was me, you would be in a cell, sulking like the brat you are, but unharmed and having a chance to think why violence is wrong."

"Lucy-"

"Won't be protected," Laxus interrupted ferociously, "if you're hung for murder. You stupid, selfish, brat!"

"So that's it?" Natsu said bitterly. "You're just going to let that tyrant and his minions run this town and hurt everyone in it?"

"Not everything is black and white," Laxus mumbled.

Natsu glared as he felt many insults burn on the tip of his tongue. Coward, was definitely one of them, but before he could utter them, there was a gasp, and Laxus shot an irritated look at the entrance. "Why is she here?" he snapped. "I said get Porlyusica not Lucy."

"Porlyusica was busy," Gajeel shrugged, "we went to get Wendy instead. She's been training under that nasty hag in her free time after all, and ended up….well Bunny Girl can't take no for an answer!"

"None of them can," Gray muttered.

"Natsu!" Natsu hissed in reply as he felt one of Lucy's hands brush against one of the gashes on his back. It stung like hell. "I told you! I told you!" Lucy said miserably. "To not go after him. And now look what happened…."

Natsu twisted round enough in order to grab Lucy's hand, the one with her weird, pink, tattoo, and impulsively he pressed his lips against it, "This?" he grinned. "This is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

He could almost see her embarrassed and incredibly touched facial expression, the weirdo could never decide on one feeling at a time, and then he heard her sigh. "Thank you," she murmured eventually, he winced in reply as he felt a cold rag against his wounds, "and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you too."

"Really?" Natsu grinned, so many possibilities, so many pranks…instead, for now, he will settle for a more serious request. "Then burn that awful dress Mira made you."

…..it could have just been the pain and the blood loss but for a moment he could have sworn Laxus smiled at that.

Fucking weird.