I have no idea what happened here. I know I wrote it, but I must have been half asleep, because when I was editing it, I was surprised by things that happened. I even think it's pretty good, so I might have to let half-asleep me take over more often. This is my favorite part yet.

As always, thanks for the love and happy reading!


"Wait, you're leaving tomorrow?" Levy paused, the plate in her hand only halfway on the table.

Lucy nodded as she set down another glass. "Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't want to make a fuss."

"Why are you leaving so soon?"

Lucy shrugged. "Natsu said he found cheap tickets. I actually prefer it this way. His original plan was going to bring us back home the day before our Christmas party. This way, I'll get time to settle back in at home and shake off the jetlag, if I have any."

Her friend sighed as she set out the last plate. "If you say so. I was kind of hoping I could convince you to come to my family's celebration next week. My mom's in another one of her 'you need to get married soon and have babies' kicks."

Lucy grinned. "Were you going to bring me as a fellow single friend, to take the heat off, or as a girlfriend, to turn the heat up?"

Levy stuck her tongue out at her friend and they both laughed. Natsu joined them, a stack of napkins in his hand. "Luce, I don't know if I did this right. They only mostly look like the one you did."

Lucy sighed as she took the pile of poorly folded napkins. "Come on, I'll do them with you. Your first one was passable, I'll just walk you through it again." As they got started, there was a knock as her front door was opened.

"Hey guys!" Loke shut the door behind him before setting two cases of beer on the kitchen floor.

"I'll help you with those," Levy said as she grabbed the wine bottles from his hands. "I'll stick these in the fridge. Lucy, do you have enough fridge space for the beer, or are we putting that on the porch?"

"Porch," Lucy answered. "Natsu, you folded the wrong corner."

Loke followed Levy with the beer as she moved through the living room to open the door for him. "Ooo, someone's getting fancy this year."

"Shut it, Loke," Lucy said as fixed Natsu's napkin. "There's nothing wrong with wanting everything to look nice."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Trying to impress someone, are you? You know you always impress me, you don't have to try this hard." Laughing, he dodged the napkin that was thrown at him as he set the cases in his hands outside. Levy picked up the napkin from the floor and hit Loke with it, making Lucy smile and thank her.

Natsu shouted in triumph as he finished his first napkin. "Ha! How's this one, Luce? Perfect, right?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him as she added his to the pile. "It's better than your other ones, that's for sure."

"Mind if I try?" Loke asked.

"Sure." Lucy handed one of the napkins to her friend and showed him how to fold it. Natsu's second one was passable again, but Loke's was very well done. "That looks great! It's almost better than mine."

"No way! I'm not gonna let some orange haired weirdo outdo me!" Natsu focused hard on the napkin in front of him as he bent over it and started to fold. His tongue stuck out slightly from between his teeth as he carefully executed the folds he'd been shown.

Lucy smiled as she watched Loke get equally serious about his folding. "Wow guys, they're just napkins, no need to get so-"

Natsu cut her off. "This is a competition, Luce, and I'm gonna win."

Loke snorted. "In your dreams. Mine was amazing and yours looked like it was done by a three year old." When Natsu's only response was a growl, Lucy put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it to calm him down.

The front door suddenly flew open. A rush of cold air was followed by Cana's greetings as she entered and placed her dish on the kitchen table. "Here you go, kids. Hopefully it doesn't kill ya."

Levy sighed as she walked towards the door. "You could have closed this behind you."

"Needed two hands, dollface." Cana pulled out a flash from her jacket and took a quick swig before joining the party in the living room. "Ooo, what's going on in here? Getting fancy this year, huh Lucy? Oooo, are those new napkins?"

Lucy half glared at her friend. "Quiet you. Since it's a bigger group this year, I thought it'd be nice to try a little harder to make everything look good. These two are just helping me-"

"Done!" Natsu held his napkin up in triumph. "Beat that, Loke!"

The other man smirked as he fixed his glasses and held his up. "I think that I did."

"Luce?" Natsu held his napkin out to her. "Mine's better, right?"

"You'll have to let me see them to figure it out." She took both napkins and pulled them towards herself. After she studied them for a little bit, she looked up at Loke with a small smile. "Sorry, but Natsu's is better."

"What?!" Loke shouted as Natsu whooped. "How?"

Lucy showed him the back of his napkin. "You folded it inside out so the tag is exposed."

"Yeah, I won! Suck it, Loke!"

Loke scoffed. "Whatever. It's only napkin folding."

Natsu's eyes narrowed. "What, do you wanna take me on doing something else? I'll beat you any time, any place."

"Alright kids," Cana said as she set down two wine glasses on the table. "Take a drink and calm down. You don't wanna mess up Lucy's pretty table before the others get here."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at her friend, but thanked her for the help. "No problem, lady." Cana winked at her. "I don't know who you're trying to impress, but I got your back."

The blonde groaned, "I'm not trying to impress anyone! What is wrong with you people?" A knock at the door caused Lucy to leave them as they threw out their answers.

"I'm not drunk enough," Cana said.

Levy piped up, "I wish I was reading instead of cooking."

"I'm between girlfriends," was Loke's answer.

Natsu grinned as he pat his stomach. "I'm starving!"

"Talk to Loke about it," Lucy called from the entryway. "He was in charge of snacks." She heard Loke speak and then some rustling from somewhere as she opened the door.

Gray smiled as he waved at her. "Hey Lucy. Thanks for the invite!" As he entered he gestured over his shoulder. "This is my brother, Lyon. I know you guys have seen him, but haven't officially met yet. Lyon, this is Lucy."

The white haired man smiled and held out his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Lucy. I appreciate you extending an invitation for the holidays to Gray and me. I was not looking forward to another of his attempts at a Thanksgiving meal."

"Oh shut up," Gray said as he took off his shoes. "I'm not that bad."

Lyon continued to look at Lucy as he spoke. "No matter what he does, every year the food turns out cold. The turkey is always raw, and the potatoes are like icicles. It's like he's trying to kill me."

"My life might be easier if I did," Gray grumbled.

"Don't mind him, he's just grumpy because he's hungry," Lyon said.

Gray growled. "I am not a child, quit acting like you're better than me."

Lucy only smiled, used to their type of banter. "We'll be eating soon. We're only waiting for a couple more people to show up. How about I introduce you to the others?"

Lyon smiled. "That would be wonderful." Gray scowled as he followed the pair through the kitchen. He stayed behind to talk to Levy as Lucy led Lyon to the living room and quickly introduced him to everyone.

Lucy was surprised to find nuts, pickles and buns being set out on the table. "Where were you hiding those, Loke? I didn't see you bring in a bag with you."

He grinned as he held out his hands. "I'm magic!"

"Uh huh, sure." She bit into a pickle as she turned to Lyon. "So, tell us about yourself! We've gotten to know Gray a little bit, but it seems like you're usually too busy to come have a drink with us." Lyon smiled and took a seat as he spoke, ignoring the glares coming from the kitchen.

"You okay?" Levy asked Gray. She stuck a fork into the potatoes in the pot on the stove.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a little fight with Lyon before we left. If I hadn't already invited him, I would have left him behind."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Nah, it's nothing important. I'll be fine." Gray smiled, but his eyes remained flat.

"Well, if you want a drink, there's wine in the fridge and beer on the porch."

Gray glanced towards the sliding door, where Cana was leaning out, opening one of the cases. "I think I'll take you up on that. Thanks."

When he made it the porch, Cana had the door open and a few beers in her hands. "You need one of these?" she asked.

"If you're offering, sure."

Cana gestured at his torso. "I'll grab you a can once you put your shirt back on."

Gray looked down and cursed as he started fixing the buttons on his shirt. "Sorry."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "That happen a lot?"

"Not as much as it used to. It's just a thing I do when I'm stressed or worked up."

Cana gave him a sultry smile. "Worked up, you say?"

"Hands to yourself, Cana! Don't make me cut you off already!" Lucy came to stand by Gray, gesturing at the four cans in her hands. "Do you really need so many? You haven't even eaten anything yet."

"They're not all for me." She leaned forward to put one in Gray's hand. "This one is for him," she purred.

"Cana, seriously, chill out, or I'll get Natsu to dunk you in the pond."

"Who do I get to dunk in the pond?" Natsu asked excitedly.

Cana sighed. "You're no fun at holiday gatherings."

Lucy smiled as she threw her arm around her friend. "Come on, you can come hit on me while Lyon tells us more about growing up with our dear friend Gray."

"Oh no he won't," Gray said, skirting passed them to get to the table.

Cana squinted at Lucy. "What was that about?"

Lucy squeezed her shoulder. "Juvia seems like she really likes him. Give her a chance before you try to make Gray a notch in your bedpost, okay?"

"Ugh, I hate when you're all reasonable. Fine, but no more of this 'cutting me off' nonsense today."

"Deal." As the pair moved to join the table, another person entered Lucy's apartment without knocking. Glancing around, Lucy did a quick search. "I think that's Juvia. I don't think Gajeel would just waltz in."

"Happy Thanksgiving everyone!" Juvia brought her food towards the oven. "Do you mind if I put this in to warm it up a little bit?"

"Sure," Levy said. She opened the door and moved the turkey over, allowing enough space for the other pan to be added. "It smells amazing Juvia!"

Juvia fiddled with her dress as she blushed. "Juvia hopes so. She tried very hard on it."

Lucy gave Cana a quick look as she moved into the kitchen. "Are the potatoes done, Levy?"

"I think so, they just need to be-" She was cut off by a loud knock at the door.

Lucy took a step, "That should be-"

"I'll get it!" Levy yelled, darting passed Lucy to get the door.

The blonde blinked. "I guess I'll let you get that." As she moved towards the stove, she heard a low voice at the front door, confirming that Gajeel had joined them. She drained the potatoes then moved them back to the stove so she could gather her other ingredients. When she opened her spice cupboard, she glared as she saw the garlic was too high for her to reach. She grumbled a little, trying to decide if she should call for Natsu or just hop up on the counter. The dress she was wearing wasn't designed for hopping, so she decided to call for Natsu. As she turned, she bumped her nose into a warm chest. She bounced backwards into the counter and brought her hands up to catch herself before she bounce off the person in front of her again. She quickly removed her hands from his chest as she looked up at Natsu.

She hoped the heat from the kitchen was enough of an explanation for how warm her cheeks felt. He was so close, and ever since the day at the grocery store, she'd had trouble being so close to him without having… thoughts.

"Need help?" he asked, oblivious to her discomfort.

She nodded and kept her eyes from meeting his as she stepped away. "Yeah. You put the garlic up too high."

"Whoops, sorry about that." He reached passed her to pull it down. "Anything else?"

Lucy looked up and pulled a few more bottles down. "No, just that one. Thank you."

"No problem." Natsu leaned forward to whisper in her ear. He was so close that his lips brushed against her ear a couple times as he whispered to her. "Hey, I have to step outside for a bit. Erza needs to talk to me, and I don't want her to show up and freak your friends out. I shouldn't be gone long."

His words only increased the pace of her heart. "Okay. Let me know if anything is wrong."

He grinned as he pulled back. "Will do." He nodded a hello to Gajeel as he went passed them and out the front door.

Levy frowned as she watched Natsu leave. "Where is he going?"

Lucy went to grab the milk from the fridge. "He's just stepping out. He said it's getting a little stuffy in here."

Gajeel grunted. "I can understand that." He craned his head a little bit as he looked into the living room. "Hey Bunny Girl, the drunk here yet?"

"Bunny Girl?" she asked.

"Deal with it," he said, no remorse on his face as he turned to Levy. "She here, Shrimp?"

Levy sighed as she responded. "Yes, but try to wait until after dinner to start anything, okay?"

"No promises," he said as he walked forward. "Hey Lyon! I thought you weren't comin'?"

Lucy and Levy shared a look. "It'll be okay," Lucy said as she turned back to the potatoes. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Levy knocked on the kitchen table before leaving her friend to mix up her potatoes. "Two years ago."

Lucy gulped as she remembered that particular Thanksgiving. After a few seconds, she shuddered and moved to knock on the table herself before getting back to her potatoes. She really didn't want a repeat of that day.


Natsu glanced around again as he entered the alley a block from Lucy's place. Once he was far enough in, he held his hands out to create a barrier that would hide him and Erza from sight. When he was sure it was set, he called out to her. Almost instantly, there was a blast of heat and the red haired demon stood before him.

"Hello Erza, what's-"

"Enough small talk, Natsu," Erza said, cutting him off. "We need to talk."

Natsu flinched. Although he was certain he'd been behaving during his time in the human world, Erza was obviously mad at him about something. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Happy reached out to me."

Natsu blinked at her. "Happy? Why?"

Erza crossed her arms. "He told me what you've been doing with your scarf."

He scowled. "What does it matter?"

She frowned. "He told me you've been more irritable and twitchy since it started. Why are you so insistent on letting the human wear your scarf when you know what could happen if you go without it too long?"

"She only has it for, like, seven hours a night. Nothing bad is-"

"Natsu." Her tone left no room for argument, causing him to bite his tongue in an effort to remain silent. "You remember what happened a few decades ago? When your scarf was taken and we weren't able to find it right away?"

She watched his skin pale as he turned away, regret written all over his features. When he said nothing, she continued. "You know we can't let that happen again. We most certainly can't let it happen while you're here in the human world."

"I'm just trying to keep my summoner happy. Happy summoner-"

"Happy demon," she finished. "I know, but this is different. If you get out of control again, you could hurt her, and many other humans. It would be even more difficult to contain you here than it was at home. Even after we did, you'd no doubt be punished, and I don't want to see that happen. Do you understand Natsu?"

He grimaced by he nodded. "Yeah, I understand."

"If you wanna help her with her nightmares, use your magic, but you keep your scarf on. Got it?"

He clenched his jaw as he nodded. "I understand, Erza."

"Good. Now go celebrate with your friends. Happy told me you were having company. I don't want to keep you." She raised a hand, but before she could leave, she looked at Natsu again. "Also, talk to Happy. He has some concerns about what's happening that I think should be addressed, but I'm not the one you need to talk to about it."

Natsu nodded and then watched as she disappeared from sight. After looking around again, he dropped the barrier he'd erected and started walking back towards Lucy's. As he walked, he fiddled with his scarf and considered Erza's words. He wasn't sure he could properly cast the spells required to help Lucy, and if he wasn't allowed to use the scarf, he wasn't sure he'd be able to help her anymore. As he made it to the door, he pushed all his thoughts to the back of his mind and put on a smile.

Lucy had gone through a lot of trouble to plan the get together with her friends, and he wasn't going to ruin that for her. As he opened the door, he allowed himself one more thought before focusing on the celebration.

What concerns did Happy have that he'd mention to Erza of all people?


What is that flying blue troublemaker up to I wonder?