Chapter 5: Bad Memories

As Lucy watched the captain run out the guild she could feel the memories beginning to surface, failing to be suppressed after being mentioned. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the pain that was unlike what any other being or group had been able to inflict upon her.

Natsu pulled Lucy into his arms as her shoulders started shaking while Erza and Gray went to see if Wendy had returned. Conversation started back up but everyone kept an eye on their favorite Celestial mage as she cried in Natsu's arms.

Bickslow stood, ignoring the concerned but questioning looks on his family's faces as he went to comfort his soulmate. Natsu, hearing him approach, rubbed Lucy's arms before passing her to him, knowing his partner and sister well enough to know she needed Bickslow right then.

"It's alright Love. It's okay. Everything will be okay. I'm right here. It's okay. You're safe. I won't let them ever come near you again."

Bickslow picked Lucy up and took her to their shared S-class office to calm down.

Arman, being the concerned father he was, turned to the Raijinshuu.

"...What happened to Lucy?"

Natsu heard this and walked over to the table full of Boscans.

"Your Bickslow's family right?"

Seeing their nods he continued.

"I'll tell you about her then. I know her better than anyone and there are some things you need to know about her. To answer your question simply though, about a year and a half ago Luce was kidnapped and tortured. It was just after her and Bix had mated and while she was there she both found out she was pregnant and lost the baby. We don't bring it up to her though. She's suppressed a lot of what happened. And at her request both Bix and that weird mask guy from Saber make sure her memories stay that way."

Natsu paused to make sure they were all following along but before he could speak up Kaleb did.

"That's not healthy though. Suppressing memories only makes it worse in the long run."

"Maybe for most people, but not Luce, and definitely not this time. This time it's better for her to forget the details of what happened. Luce has been captured and tortured more times than I can count. I've been her partner since I brought her to Fairy Tail and I've been there to rescue her every time. Not once did she let it break her. A lot of her past tormentors are now her friends and some even her family. That time though, what they did to her almost did break her. We almost lost her and it was probably only the fact that she would have taken Bickslow with her that she managed to pull through at all.

You don't know Luce, but she is one of the kindest, most forgiving people you will ever meet. She is the Light of Fairy Tail, our heart and soul. Without her many of us would still be lost or in very dark places. I knew the day we met that she was special. It's ultimately why I brought her to Fairy Tail. I just didn't realize how special she was until her father hired Phantom Lord to force her back by any means necessary and Fairy Tail went to war to get her back."

Natsu stopped talking, allowing that to sink in as Erza and Gray approached the table as well. Before anyone else could speak though Bix and Lucy came back down the stairs.

"Hey Luigi! You ready to go kick some demon ass?!"

Lucy laughed.

"Natsu I swear! Is fighting the only thing you think about?"

Lucy shook her head before turning to her other two teammates.

"Did you find out if Wendy was here?"

Gray grimaced and Erza shook her head.

"She's still out on her mission. We tried to get a hold of her but we couldn't reach her. Bisca, Alzack and Romeo are going to go out and make sure she's alright and try to make sure she is back here when we get back."

Lucy sighed but nodded.

Then it was like a light bulb went off in Xally's head. She would forever blame how long it took for her to realize it on being shocked at getting to see her older brother again and learning she was going to be an aunt in the same day.

"Oh my God!"

Everyone turned to her with curious looks.

"You're Team Natsu! You're like the strongest team in the entire world, and you're all like wizard saint level strong! Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander. Gray Fullbuster, the Stripper. Erza Scarlet, the Titania. And Lucy Heartphilia, the… Oh My Gods! Bixy! You're married to THE STARBRINGER!"

The Fairy Tail mages just stood there in shock for a moment before chuckling. The rest of the Pradesh family looked slightly confused and more than a little amused at their youngest sibling as they realised just how powerful the mages in front of them were. Just how powerful they had heard the blonde that was Bickslow's soulmate was.

"Babe it looks like your fame even reached my family all the way in Bosco. Also we're not married Xal but thanks."

This time the family just looked at the blonde and blue haired mages dumbfounded. They had already resigned themselves to the fact that their brother/son had gotten married and they hadn't known. But now they were being told otherwise.

"...what?"

"Bix and I aren't married. We just changed my last name after we mated. It's not even my legal last name, just known that it's what I go by. If we ever got married we wanted as much of our family there as possible. So until you could and would come we weren't having a ceremony. And if it never happened then that was fine too. Besides we wanted a traditional Boscan wedding since Bix is clan born. We definitely couldn't have done that without all of you."

As the stunned Boscans did their best to process that information, Lucy turned back to her team.

"I suppose we should head out. Demons are still demons and if they really are some of Zeref's the faster we take them out the better."

Her team nodded and there was a flash as Virgo appeared, bringing the family's attention back on the blonde.

"Punishment Princess?"

"Not right now Virgo. What's up?"

"Corvus said to summon him and Bella and use his Stardress to fight the demons. Since Lord Draco is with Queen Nurem for the full moon, his leathers make the best armor."

Lucy nodded. "Okay. And you came to tell me this in person instead of through your bond because…"

"Shall I receive punishment for coming out for no reason Princess?"

Lucy smacked her head.

"Stars! Virgo! I will think about it later. After I get back from this mission. Could you get us our things and store them in the spirit world so we can head straight there?"

"Yes Princess."

With a poof Virgo was gone leaving Lucy looking at a few stunned and a couple amused Pradesh faces. Before she could say anything though two of the Pradeshs stood up.

"Lucy I'm a healer. I may not be Fairy Tail and I may not know you very well, but I'd like it if you let me come with you and your team. I just met you but my dragon is already roaring to claim you as kin, and you're Bickslow's soulmate as well as pregnant with my niece or nephew. I'd really like to be there just in case since your own healer is not here to go with you."

"I'm going as well Stella. I'm not a healer but I'm also not going to sit by while you fight demons while pregnant. You're my sister now, and family takes care of each other. You've already taken care of me and now it's my turn to take care of you. Only I don't care if you want me to go or not. I'll just follow you anyway. I won't let Bix lose his soulmate, and I want a chance to get to know you and actually form a sibling bond as well as meet my soon to be niece or nephew so I can spoil them rotten like any good uncle would."

Lucy gawked at the two mages before her and from the corner of her eye she could see Bix's small, grateful smile. Smiling, she nodded at the two, accepting their help, and turned back towards her team.

"Virgo is getting everyone's things, yours too Vander, Cristoff. We can do one of two things. We can either take the next train…"

Lucy ignored Natsu's groans at the mention of the train.

"Or I can summon Auriga and he can teleport us there. I could also gate hop us there but I don't think that'd go over very well for some of you."

Lucy chuckled at the queasy looks from both Natsu and Gray this time.

"I can teleport us there, Lucy."

Lucy considered it a moment before asking a rather important question.

"Are there going to be any negative side effects? Using a new form of teleportation right before battle isn't always the best idea."

"There shouldn't be any side effects because I'm a healer primarily. I may be a dragon slayer and have slayer abilities, but I find a lot of my magic is more based on the healing element of the moon."

Lucy nodded her consent and cuffed Natsu over the back of his head before he could start whining.

"How much space do you need?"

"Not much, everyone has to be touching though."

Lucy nodded and kissed Bickslow telling him she'd call if they were going to be more than a day before moving to force her idiotic partner and his exceed to the middle of the guild where Erza and Gray were already waiting.

Looking back at her soulmate one last time she took Cristoff's hand and the world went white.