BlackLynx17: Second chapter is up! Kind of short, but I had to end it here because there's a time skip next chapter. Hope you also enjoy this one.

Also, I do not have a beta so there are mistakes in my writing.


Title: Love At First Sight

Secret Title: Pirate Love

Summary: Wendy is a princess forced to be married at the age of 18. It wouldn't be a problem for her if she had fallen in love with her fiance, but alas fate is not too kind. Determined to runaway to chose her own love, she runs into a nice man who rescues her from her guards. Thinking this man is her one true love, she decides to escape with him. She had no idea that her true love was a no good pirate.


Chapter Thirty-Six

Vermillion


Mest admires Wendy's body. He sees the bruises around her hips that he just made last night, more bruises on her shoulders when he held her tightly other nights. He sees the love bites he's been making scattered all across her body, mainly below her stomach because he loves to bite her there before tasting her. He loves the marks on her body. If one didn't know she was his just by looking at her, they would certainly know by his claim marks.

"Come back to bed," he asks her patting the empty space next to him.

"But I just got out of bed," she teases him.

"I know, but I want you back in it with me. Come," he offers his hand.

Wendy smiles and takes it, allowing him to pull her back on. She falls back into his arms and he turns them around, lying down on her chest, head on her breasts, and closes his eyes. Wendy giggles lightly and runs his fingers through his hair. He starts humming and wraps his arms around her.

"Can I have you forever?" He mumbles against her skin.

"I thought you already had me forever? That's why you married me."

"I married you so no one else could have you. You can easily leave though, so I'm asking if I can keep you locked under my care for the rest of time."

"Hahaha, Mest, I could never, ever leave you. You're a part of my heart. To do such a thing, to even think of such a thing, it would kill me."

Mest leans up and looks at Wendy in her eyes.

"I would die without you Wendy." He tells her honestly.

"You are my heart Mest. I can't imagine living without you. You must do something completely insane to have me change the way that I feel about you, like... I don't know... get rid of Happy and Charlie," she teases.

Mest laughs and rolls his eyes, "I've already agreed to keep them, you don't have to keep bringing it up. I don't think I could handle a sulking wife for the rest of my life."

Wendy smiles brightly and nods her head, "good. It's nice to have a reminder though."

"I'm hurt that our relationship depends on a pair of cats."

"It shouldn't since they're our cats."

Mest chuckles and kisses her forehead, "you're so silly sometimes."

"I know. So, how long do you plan on keeping me captive here? Because I am getting a little hungry and unless you have snacks, I might need to sneak away for a quick minute."

"I would never deprive my wife of food, but with that in mind, maybe just a couple of more minutes." Mest mumbles lying his head back down on her chest.

"Now who is the silly one?"

Mest mumbles something into her chest, but she can't make it out. She's about to ask him to repeat himself, but the knock on their door makes her forget. The two of them look up, hoping it was just a fluke or not real, but then the knock turns to pounding the second time around.

"God, I can't have one relaxing moment with my wife. Cover up," Mest groans rolling out of bed.

He throws the covers over Wendy and pulls on his boxers as he walks towards the door. He unlocks it and glares through the small crack.

"What?"

Laxus doesn't say a thing about his lack of clothing, "we got a bit of a problem with our... everything. The crew, the ship, the treasure."

Mest narrows his eyes, "what type of problem?"

"One we need a captain to dispute. So if you wouldn't mind doing your captain duties, Erza and I would really appreciate it," Laxus snorts.

"Fine. I'll be down there in twenty."

"Make it five."

"Twenty!" Mest yells, slamming the door closed behind him.

Wendy pulls her knees to her chest and looks at him, "do you think it's something bad?"

"It didn't sound like it, but I swear to god if it's something stupid there's going to be hell to pay," Mest growls picking up his clothes.

He quickly gets dressed and kisses Wendy on the lips, "I'll come find you later and we can go on a walk or something."

"Okay, sounds good." Wendy smiles at him.

Mest smiles sweetly back before heading for the door, stomping down the stairs and kicking the front door open. He stalks over to the Vermillion, hearing his crewmates' yells way before he hits port. When he starts climbing aboard there is a clear divide between the crew; at least, between those who are there. Laxus is shaking his head while Erza sighs in relief when she spots him.

"Good, you're here. Well Natsu, go ahead and tell him what you told me." Erza says nodding her head.

"Captain... we need a new ship." Natsu tells him plainly.

Mest heart lurches and he takes a step back, "what?"

"Old Vermillion... she's not in good shape."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said; that was just a quick examination though. Once we landed here the guys and I completely looked over her and what we found wasn't good. To be honest I can't even see how we're still sailing right now." Natsu explains.

"We can't abandon our ship! Your examination is bullshit Natsu!" Gray yells out.

"It isn't bullshit, it's the truth! It would be suicide if we kept sailing on her!"

"But she's been with us for so long! You said you didn't understand how she was sailing now? Meaning that she can still float and will still float! You just need to fix-"

"What I need to fix isn't fixable! I would have to take her apart piece by piece and then rebuild her back from the ground up! She would still be a new ship!"

"QUIET! Natsu, please, explain it to me carefully." Mest yells out.

"The backbone of our ship, the keel, it's broken. It can't be fixed. If we tried to sail to another island right now, right at this moment, even if everything seems to be fine now, we would sink. The Vermillion is defying explanation right now. I don't want to lose her, she means a lot to me just like she does for everyone else here! But... it's impossible to fix."

Mest frowns deeply, "but if we try?"

"You mean if I take everything apart, replace the keel, and then put everything back together again? Vermillion wouldn't be the same ship. No two trees are the same Mest; Vermillion is honestly about 60% already not from the original wood that she was first built with. I'm not saying I can't do it, I'm just telling you all that it wouldn't be the same ship. We can't fix Vermillion, but we can rebuild her."

"Mest, fixing or making a new ship would cost a lot of money. It would be our all the treasure we stole from the island and... some of our crew aren't happy with that."

"We don't need a new ship, just make the repairs and we'll be fine-"

"Are you not listening to me!? We will drown at sea! We will not make it off of this island!"

The arguing starts all over and Erza is telling him to make a stand. Mest isn't hearing any of this though. He is in disbelief. Vermillion has been through a lot, sure, five generations of pirates she's carried, yeah, and she's went through a lot of close calls, but she's always come out of them. She's never been so hurt that she couldn't be fixed, but now?... Mest places a hand on her railings... she doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve an ending like this... she doesn't deserve to be forced to sail and be fixed when it should be her final resting days. He doesn't want to let go, but to keep sailing with her would be sentencing his crew to death. They know that, but they don't care because they're all attached to her as he is. She's been their home for years, the better parts of forever, and... it's hard to say goodbye. But if they don't move on, they won't be able to continue being pirates...

"Natsu... there's no other way?" Mest asks.

"Believe me, I've tried to think of everything. There's nothing left we can do though."

Mest inhales sharply, "then there isn't anything we need to discuss. The Fairy Tail pirates needs a ship. Do what it takes to give us a new one."

"But Captain!"

"That's not fair!"

"She can still float! She can still sail!"

Mest is met with outbursts, but he growls out loudly and tells everyone to quiet down.

"SHUT UP! You think I like this?! You think I want this?! You think any of us want this?! Do you think Natsu's telling you all this bullshit to get a rise out of you?!" He yells out.

A silence is met.

"We can't sail like this any longer! If any of you have a problem, then fine! The Vermillion can be yours to sail yourself to death! But I can't risk any of your lives just because of my attachment to a ship! I care about my friends, I won't be the reason you all die! So I have to do this, I have to make this decision as captain! We have to get a new ship! And of course, in order to pay for it, we have to use all our treasures because guess what? If we buy a shit ship, we'll sink in a shit ship! While you all have the time of your life for a quick week, we'll be dying the minute we set sail on our new adventure before we can even find more treasure! What we take is what we split, but we all must live! We all must survive! Together! So I'm sorry, but this is going to happen! Vermillion doesn't deserve this! She deserves a good rest! Not to be forced back into sea, crushed under the waves, and sink to the bottom of the black abyss. Natsu... do what must be done, using whatever we have to make it happen."

Natsu takes a step forward and nods his head, "we can still have the Vermillion with us. We can use some of her pieces, we can still take her with us. Always. Our new ship is going to be bigger and better, but it's still going to hold our heart."

Gray gulps as he takes a step forward, "I would be... okay with that. You're right Mest, she doesn't deserve this."

Mest lets out a shaky breath as everyone comes to an agreement. Laxus walks over to his side and pats his shoulder, shaking his head.

"I really hate that we can't stay, I wouldn't have been able to make the same call. I- I grew up on this ship, a lot of us did, and I just... I know you're right. I'm sorry you have to bear this burden."

Mest nods his head, "it must be done."

"We should gather everyone else and tell them the news. If we're making a new ship, we're going to need blueprints. Whatever everyone's been complaining about the Vermillion lacking, we can add them to our new Vermillion. We'll make her better and faster than ever."

"Gather everybody then, I just... I need a moment."

Mest walks out of his hold and down into the deck. He walks towards his quarters and locks the door behind him, sitting down on his bed. Laxus was right, he grew up here. Nearly all of them did. He remembers when the ship first made port at his town. He remembers meeting his old captain. He remembers joining them, all the adventures, the fights, the struggles, the fun, the parties, the treasures, the skies, the music...

"Vermillion," he chokes out.

He covers his face, letting small tears stream down his face.