I'm just going to let you guys get to it. When you're done, there's a note and snip-it of my next story at the end.

For one last time (for a while), thanks for all the love guys, and happy reading.


As Leo entered the angel king's castle, a booming voice called out to him. "You finally made it!"

"I apologize, sir. It took longer than I anticipated to extract myself from my work." Leo moved forward into the room, passed the columns and the colorful lights, until he made it to his king's chair, where the king sat waiting. "I'll do my best to be more punctual next time."

"Your cover is more important than being here on time, Leo, so do not worry." He stood and gestured at the angel to join him as he began to walk. Leo didn't even try to keep up with the king's long stride. He popped open his wings and followed the king through the air. "How is the Heartfilia heir?"

"She's doing okay. She's still upset, of course, but she's working through it."

"That's good to hear. I've never met a Heartfilia yet who wasn't strong enough to survive hardship. I am glad to hear that the newest one is just as strong as the others."

"I sometimes think she's even stronger than them all, even the first."

The king laughed as he opened a door and led Leo into a room he'd never been in before. "If that is true, then there is not a problem in all the realms that is too big for her to survive."

Leo merely nodded as he studied the space around him. It reminded him a little of the lab under Zeref's castle, but without the cold, impersonal environment. There were several angels running around, taking care of animals in cages, brewing in large cauldrons, and doing a variety of other tasks. "Why are we in here, sir?"

The king paused a moment to study the room before responding. "Tell me, Leo, when is the human holiday about love due again?"

"Uh, Valentine's day? In this realm, a few hours. It's tomorrow for the human realm."

"Perfect." He flagged down one of the angels and spoke quietly to them. When he was done, the angel's eyes were wide and they flew off quickly, calling to the others to join them.

"Sir?"

"I have a gift for Lucy," he said as he led the way towards the far end of the room. A large curtain hung across part of the wall, hiding it from view. "I've been working with a few of the Zodiac, as well as the other angels in here, to make sure it would be ready in time. A few hours will be cutting it close, but I have been assured that we can make that deadline."

"What do you mean the Zodiac have been helping? I wasn't told about anything."

"Lucy Heartfilia was your priority- this project was theirs. It is a gift, from me and from the Zodiac, as a way to apologize for our blunders and to hopefully make up for the pain that has been caused in the last few months."

"What have you been working on that you think will make up for that?" Leo asked.

The king stopped next to the curtain, reached out for a long rope at the end, and pulled. When Leo's mouth fell open, the king laughed at his shock. "Do you think she will like it?"

"Sir… I don't understand. How-"

"Worry not, Leo the Lion. With the work we've been doing, this will not only make Miss Hearfilia happy, it will ensure that she is even safer than she is now."

Leo stared at the glass for a long time before he looked up at his king.

It was dangerous. It was surprising.

It was impossible.

"How?" he asked, and his king finally explained.


"So we're still doing dinner tonight, right?" Levy asked as she cleaned up her lunch.

"I have no other plans," Cana said.

"Me either," Juvia was quick to add.

When they all looked at Lucy, she raised an eyebrow at them. "Of course I'm available. Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"We weren't sure if you were secretly dating anyone again," Levy said with a shrug. "Just wanted to make sure."

"Well I know at least two of you are, so why don't you guys have plans?"

"Gajeel is working tonight."

"Gray is busy."

Both Juvia and Levy spoke quickly, their pinkening cheeks giving them away.

Lucy sighed. "Guys, seriously, you don't need to tiptoe around me. It's Valentine's Day, you should be doing something with your boyfriends."

"Gajeel really is working tonight," Levy argued. When Lucy just continued to stare at her, she finally caved. "Fine. He's off at five, but I told him we had plans together."

"Well, you don't anymore," Lucy said as she picked up her lunchbox and began to leave. "I'm staying in and I'm going to have some alcohol, chocolate, and a good movie."

They all quickly grabbed their things and followed Lucy out of the break room. Juvia was the first to catch up. "Lucy, honestly, Gray and I-"

"Have plans this weekend, I know," Lucy finished for her. She held the door as the other two piled into the elevator and then pushed the button for their floor. "So if he's actually busy, spend the night planning something special. If he's not, start your weekend early."

Cana groaned. "Lucy, don't make me spend this stupid holiday alone."

"You won't be," Lucy said as she watched the numbers over the door change. "I called Bacchus last night and he's free."

Cana blinked, surprised. "How did you-"

"I know your phone password, and I stole his number last week at Fairy Tail while you were in the bathroom." The door opened and Lucy marched out, the other three following behind her in a chorus of excuses and whining.

Lucy finally stopped them when she reached her cubicle. "Enough!"

"Lu-"

"Don't Lu me," Lucy snapped. "Guys, I am fine. Or at least I will be with a little more time, alright? Tonight will be difficult, but I will get through it. I need you guys to stop walking on eggshells around me so I can work on getting better. Things can't go back to normal if you guys keep avoiding talking about guys. I know you're dating people, so stop trying to hide it. I won't break just because you mentioned having a date or great sex or something. Got it?" Lucy set down her lunch box and put her hands on her hips. "I just want things to go back to normal. Please."

They all nodded, obviously ashamed of themselves. "If that's what you want," Juvia said.

"It is," Lucy insisted. "Now I have to get back to-"

"Lucy Heartfilia?" A man in polo and khakis appeared next to the others with a small vase of flowers in his hands. "I was told this was her cubicle."

"That's me," Lucy said. The man held out a small device and asked her to sign it before handing her the vase of yellow roses and leaving.

"Who are they from?" Cana asked, trying to swipe the card, but Lucy grabbed it first.

"Don't get any ideas," Lucy said. "Yellow roses are for friendship." After she set down the vase, she opened the card, certain she already knew who had sent them. "It's from Loke, of course."

"What the hell, he didn't send me any," Cana said.

"Or me," Levy added with a frown.

Juvia only smiled and rolled her eyes. "What does it say?"

"He wishes me a good Valentine's Day, and says he's going to swing by tonight with dinner for me." Lucy smiled a little at how he'd signed it 'Love, Leo.' In an effort to maintain his secret, he'd asked that she continue to only call him Loke, but it seemed that he held himself to no such standards. "He's just trying to be nice because of what happened."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Cana said with a wave of her hand. "He's always had a thing for you, don't even try to deny it."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at her friend, but didn't comment further. "Can you guys go away now? You have work to do, too."

When they had all headed for their desks, where she knew they had their own flowers waiting for them, she turned back towards the roses. They were beautiful, all of them perfectly bloomed, and their scent was already permeating her cube. She wondered if he'd used magic on them to make them so perfect, but decided not to ask. She appreciated the gesture, regardless.

Lucy sat in her chair and flipped the card open again to reread it.

Happy Valentine's Day, Princess.

I hope these find you in good spirits, and if not, I hope they make your day better.

I have to work tonight, unfortunately, but I will be stopping by before the rush starts to drop you off some dinner (your favorite of course) and a gift. Don't even think about rejecting it- it's been specially ordered for you and I can't return it.

I'll see you later.

Love, Leo

Lucy frowned a little as she tried to figure out what he could have possibly gotten her. He'd been hanging out with her a lot, even more than when Natsu had first left, as he tried to make amends for what happened.

She had been assured, multiple times, that she was as safe as she could ever be, after a few special visits. He had taken her away from her home for a day shortly after they'd returned from the demon realm where she'd been held while her home was reinforced with magic. Apparently the remaining six demon kings, who had had no part in Zeref's plan, and the angel king had all visited and added their own protections to her home. Loke claimed that nothing in all the realms was as safe as her home was, and there was no risk on her life anymore.

Lucy had asked why they hadn't done that in the beginning, if it would have made her safer. Loke claimed that the large flux of magic was a risk, at least until it settled, and with none of her other relatives having had any trouble in the past, they'd thought it would be better to use the less is more approach again. She hadn't thought that was such a great idea, for obvious reasons, but hadn't argued that point.

What she had done, however, was demand to speak to Loke's king. He'd fought her, of course, but she'd been adamant and eventually convinced him. They'd arrived shortly before the angel king was finished with her home and she had asked, with a little less finesse than she probably should have, to have Loke remain her guardian. With the way things had turned out, it was in her best interests to know the risks, and she didn't want Loke punished for his role in telling her about what was happening.

Turns out, he had already decided to let Loke stay. He'd thought about punishing the angel later for disobeying, but all things considered, Loke had done his job the best he could to protect her. Now, with the additional protections, she was even safer, and it would be a waste of effort and magic to try and switch guardians.

Lucy stuck the card back in its holder and turned back towards her computer to go back to work, part of her still wondering what on earth he could be bringing her later.


"Are you sure, Lucy?" Juvia asked.

"Completely positive?" Levy added.

"Yes, now would you guys go away? I can see both Gajeel and Gray waiting for you," Lucy said as she gestured out the window of the front lobby. "Just go, I can walk home alone."

"Never alone," Cana said as she finally joined them. "I can give you a ride."

"No, I want to walk." Lucy groaned in frustration. "You're all too stubborn by half."

"You're welcome," Cana said with a grin.

"Just go. I want to walk. I'll be gorging on chocolate and delicious cuisine from Loke's place later. I could use the exercise now to even it out a bit." It took a little more convincing, but eventually they all went their separate ways, allowing Lucy to head out on her own.

As Lucy headed home, she couldn't help but think about the last time she'd walked home before meeting Natsu. It was a little cooler out than it had been that day, but everything else was close to the same. She dodged a lot of the same foot traffic and followed the same path all the way home.

As usual, when she passed the fish shop and turned down their alley, the owner hollered at her to be careful.

She walked on the right side of the alley to avoid the smelly dumpster behind the fish shop.

She avoided the puddle under the broken air conditioner that always ran too high.

She hopped over the crack that was approximately knee height, which she knew from experience.

She avoided looking down the left alley as she passed the dirty movie rental place.

She held her breath at the end as she passed over the sewer grate and returned to the sidewalk.

If she was honest, she'd enjoyed her friends being so attentive the last few weeks, but if she really wanted to go back to normal, she needed to get back to basics, which included her former walk home down the sketchy back alley. She hadn't gone that way since Natsu had been around, and it felt good to walk down it again, even if she was alone again.

With a grin, Lucy stopped at the bakery on the corner near her house and got a slice of cheesecake. Loke's restaurant had great desserts, but the bakery's cheesecake couldn't be beat. When she finally made it home, Plue greeted her the same as always and she got him a treat, deciding to spoil him a little bit. "Consider this an appetizer, buddy. I think we both earned a little indulgence tonight, don't you?" Plue meowed loudly before scarfing down the little fish flavored snacks.

As she left the kitchen, Lucy glanced around the living room, glad that Loke and Erza had agreed to return Natsu's things. She felt better having the red blanket back in its spot on the couch, and the dragon painting hanging once more over her desk. She glanced over her shoulder, at Plue's feather toy and the ceiling mounted cat bed, which he was already climbing back into to look out the window. Some of Natsu's favorite hot sauces were on a shelf in her living room and when she passed by them, she took a deep breath, taking in the faint aroma.

She was still smiling when she entered her bedroom. When she turned on her lamp, she turned towards her vanity, wondering once more if she'd chosen the right place for Igneel's statue. That had taken some arguing, but eventually, Erza had agreed to retrieve it for her from Natsu's nest.

She'd purchased a new shelf and hung it on the center of her wall, just to the right of her desk. It had been too big for any of the other shelves in her apartment, and having it in her room felt right since she'd always seen him in her dreams. As she studied it, she wondered if perhaps she should have put it over her bed, like a dream catcher, so it could help keep chasing those bad dreams away. She was still thinking about it an hour later when she was finishing getting dressed after her bath, until her doorbell rang.

"That's Loke, Plue," Lucy said, but the feline was already across the room and heading out the door toward the kitchen.

When she finally made it to the front room, where Plue was meowing and pacing near the door, she realized something. "Is it because you're Leo the Lion that Plue likes you so much?" she asked without preamble.

Loke laughed as he bent down to pet Plue between his ears. "I think so. I've found that most cats are unusually fond of me, but there's no way for me to be sure."

"I think it is." Lucy leaned towards the side as she looked passed Loke out onto the sidewalk. "What on earth is that?"

Loke scooted Plue back with his foot before he stepped outside to grab the box he'd left on her step. "This is your gift."

"Leo, whatever it is, it's way too big-"

"Did you not get my note? It's a special order and I can't return it. Consider it an apology from the Zodiac."

Lucy blinked several times as he set the box in the middle of her kitchen and set a bag on the counter that he'd had hanging off his elbow. The box was waist high and covered in colorful wrapping paper, tied with a ribbon and topped with a huge bow, nothing like what she had expected. "I knew you were giving me something, but this is-"

"For you," Loke insisted.

Lucy shut the door and then came into the room to walk around it. "What is it?"

"You'll have to open it and see," Loke said. "Like I said, I have to work tonight, but I wanted to drop this off first."

Lucy frowned as she studied the box. Loke had a mischievous smile on his face and it worried her. "You said it's from the Zodiac?"

"Mostly the king, but yes, it's from all of us." His smile faded as he stared down at the box. "We all feel terrible about what happened. About you nearly dying, and all the kidnappings, and Natsu having to sacrifice himself to save all our asses. My king just informed me what he was up to yesterday so that I could arrange to bring it over her today."

"Because it's Valentine's Day?"

Leo nodded. "It felt very… prophetic that it should be ready for you today."

Lucy crossed her arms. "Alright, what aren't you telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look like the lion that ate the canary."

"I believe the saying is cat, Lucy."

"Well you're no cat." Lucy leaned forward to start ripping the gift open.

"Hold on," Loke said and then moved toward the door. "I think it will be better if I'm not here for this."

"What? Why?" Lucy immediately released the ribbon on the gift.

"Don't worry, it won't bite." He ducked back around the wall to give her a little smile and a wink. "At least, not much." And then he was gone.

Lucy, thoroughly confused, but more than a little curious, only lasted a few seconds before she grabbed the ribbon again and finished untying it.

Before she could remove anymore, the box began to move and exploded in a shower of packing peanuts and wrapping paper as the sides split and something busted out.

"Did he not even consider that I have to breathe now?! Where are my air holes?!" Natsu whipped around from side to side. "Where is he? I owe him a punch in the face!"

Lucy looked out her window in time to see Loke give her a wave and smile before disappearing. Tears filled her eyes as she turned back and drank in the sight of Natsu, standing in her kitchen once more.

He was wearing jeans and a familiar long sleeved red shirt with his scarf wrapped firmly around his neck, as usual. He continued to grumble as he dug his way out of the box, making a mess of her kitchen. "Sealing the damn thing with magic, how dare he? And I still don't understand the reason for the styrofoam bits. It's not like it made the trip any easier. And I'm pretty sure he dropped me on purpose on the way here. He laughed when he did it!"

Natsu. Lucy mouthed his name, but nothing came out. No sound, no air, nothing. As Natsu thrashed about trying to get out of the paper, packing peanuts, and the box itself, Lucy's knees gave out and she sank to the floor. She gasped as she was finally able to take in air. Once. Twice. Three times before Natsu finally seemed to notice. He stopped, one leg still stuck in the box, and turned her way.

When Lucy was finally able to make a sound, it was only a whisper. "Natsu…" Her tears were falling so hard and fast she could barely see him as he dove across the room to take her into his arms.

Natsu was there, in her kitchen.

Natsu was there, holding her.

Natsu was somehow there, and even if he was some trick, made of some sort of magic, she would care in the morning.

Because for a while at least, Natsu was with her again, and nothing could spoil that for her.


Natsu forgot about his annoyance with Leo. He forgot about his annoyance with his new body. He forgot about having to give up his family. He forgot about dying. All he cared about was that he was back and Lucy was once more in his arms.

As she sobbed, she clung to him hard enough he had trouble breathing, a feat he'd never thought possible for himself, but he didn't care. "Oh Luce, I am so sorry, love. I am so, so sorry."

He didn't know how long he'd been gone. The angels hadn't spoken to him much about what was going on with Lucy as they'd basically rebuilt him. He wasn't entirely sure which ones he'd worked with, only that Leo hadn't been involved until he was needed for the delivery.

When he'd first woken up, he'd been in a glass aquarium filled to the brink with some strange pink liquid, a breathing mask on his face and nothing else. He'd panicked, of course, until Virgo had appeared and calmed him down. Somehow, in the moment that his life had ended as he cast the time reversal spell, the angel king had appeared and saved his essence or soul or whatever before it had disappeared.

They'd used it to build him a new body, Virgo had explained. A human body that wasn't as strong and would grow old and someday die. He hadn't been happy about that, and he let them know it, but he hadn't seen the truth of what they'd done for him until she'd spelled it out for him.

"With your new body, you will be human, Natsu. A mostly ordinary human, who will be able to live out a life in the human realm. Do you not understand what that means?"

"That I'm going to be weak and I'm going to be magicless. What's the point if I can't even use my fire or my magic or transform into a dragon anymore? You should have just let me die."

Virgo had stared at him for a long while, hoping, he assumed, that he'd figure it out on his own. When he just continued to stare with his arms crossed, she finally sighed. "Natsu, by giving you this body, our king not only gave you back your life, but he gave you a form that you can return to Lucy with. As a human, you can live out the rest of her life with her, and she can be with you again.

"As a human, you can't mate with her in a way that will cause her life span to change, so she can still fulfill her part of the prophecy and save the realms, as she is intended to. Do you understand now?"

Natsu had felt so stupid. He hadn't even thought about how his new form could be a good thing, he'd just immediately thought about the bad. As he held Lucy in his arms again, though, he wondered if there was some way for him to repay the angel king for what he'd done. He'd thanked him before he was sent with Leo, of course, but it didn't seem like enough anymore.

"Luce, love, I am so glad that you're safe. I didn't know if my spell would work, I just knew that it was the only chance you had."

"You… idiot…"

"I know." Natsu wiped the tears away that were falling from his own eyes, before pulling Lucy away and wiping at hers with his thumbs. "How long have I been gone? The angels wouldn't tell me anything while they were putting me back together."

"It's been… over a month." Lucy tried to catch her breath, but it was hard. A large part of her was so overwhelmed, all she wanted to do was cry herself dry, but the rest of her resisted. She still didn't know what was happening, and if she only had a limited time with this Natsu, she didn't want to spend more of it than she already had crying.

"Natsu… is it really you? Are you really here?"

"In the flesh," Natsu answered with a nod. "The less durable, more maintenance required, flesh."

Lucy frowned. "I don't understand."

"I'm human now."

"You're… but how?"

"Magic," Natsu said with a grin, his fangs flashing.

Lucy couldn't believe it. She poked at his arms, pulled on his hair a little, stuck her finger in his mouth to poke at his still sharp teeth. "You look just the same."

"As my human form, yeah, but that's all I have now. No more dragon, no more demon, just this. Just this," he said as he gestured at himself and then leaned forward to nuzzle her cheek and neck, "and you. Gods, Luce, I would have given up anything to be able to be with you again."

"So this is… real? You're really here? And you're staying?"

"Yep." Natsu sat down and crossed his legs before pulling her forward to sit in his lap. Once they were both comfortable, he told her about what had happened.

About the king saving his soul and building him a new body. About the Zodiac helping him learn about his new limits and how to fully fit into the human realm. About how they'd found a way for him to still have magic, even if it wasn't as abundant as he'd had in the past.

As Virgo worked with him to teach him about jobs and money, Natsu saw a familiar face among the angels in the lab. "Mao?"

The researcher looked up, his face instantly illuminating in a smile. "Natsu! I didn't know you were out already!"

"I've been out off and on for a few… uh, days I guess? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm here as a favor to Leo. Well, I owe him quite a bit, so really I'm just working on paying that off."

"But what are you doing?"

"I'm helping them perfect the chemical composition of the MPFN."

Natsu blinked. "I have no idea what that means."

Mao smiled. "It's what I call the potion they've been working on, the Magic Potion For Natsu."

Natsu frowned and got up, leaving Virgo behind as he moved to look at the bottle in Mao's hands. "What kind of potion?"

"A magic potion of course." Mao laughed at his joke, but cut himself off when Natsu glared. "I'm sorry, but that's what it is. It's designed to give a human body magic."

"What? How?"

Mao laughed again. "That would be much too complicated to explain, and I know you have a lot to work on with Virgo, so I don't want to keep you. What you need to know is that humans can't produce their own magic, but their bodies can hold a limited amount. Your old body would generate magic based on how much you had used, but this body won't do that. Instead, we'll keep you supplied with bottles of this potion so that you can still have access to magic.

"It won't be in the quantities you're used to, and if you try to use up too many at once, you're going to get very ill, but as long as you keep up the right dosage, you'll still have limited access to your old abilities."

"If I use-"

Mao cut him off with a small push in Virgo's direction. "I still have some things to work out with it, so I don't have any answers about usage right now. Go back to working with Virgo. Before you leave here, I'll talk to you about how to use it, and I'll still be living next door, so you can always come talk to me if you have questions later. For now, focus on what the angels are trying to teach you."

"Alright, alright, I'm going." Natsu took a step, but then turned back around. "One more question, though."

"Just one," Mao said with a small smile.

"How is Lucy?"

Mao's smile faltered and his eyes became sad. "She'll be happy to have you back," he answered eventually.

Lucy remained quiet when he finished his story, no doubt going over the details in her head to be sure she understood everything. Natsu didn't mind the quiet. He just sat there and soaked up the closeness, one of his hands rubbing circles on the back of the hand he held while the other remained firmly wrapped around her waist.

When she finally spoke again, her voice was quiet, but no longer filled with tears. "I thought I'd lost you forever."

Natsu kissed her temple. "I did, too."

Lucy pulled away. "You know I'm still upset with you for giving up your life for mine, right?"

He nodded. "I figured as much. Even so, I would do it the same over and over again if I had to." He released her hand and pulled her face close to his so he could press his forehead to hers. "There is no realm in the world I could find peace if I'd allowed you live when I had the ability to save you."

"Promise me you won't do it again."

Natsu shook his head a little. "I can't do that. I may be human, but the instincts are the same. You are my mate and there is nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you. You'll just have to accept it and keep yourself safe if you don't want me doing anything crazy. Deal?"

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Deal." She reached up and wiped away a tear. "You know, there's something I haven't said yet that I'm super late in telling you."

"What's that?" Natsu asked as he released her cheek and resumed his hold on her hand.

Lucy used her free hand to gently steer his face to hers so she could kiss him. The kiss was gentle, unhurried, and didn't last long, but that was how she intended it to be. When she pulled away, she didn't move far before she spoke again. "I love you, Natsu."

Natsu's grin was instant and blinding and he yanked her close so he could kiss her, hard. "I am so glad you finally said it."

"It's not like you told me with enough time for me to respond," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, life or death circumstance and all that." He kissed her again and then tightened his hold. "I love you, too, by the way. I already told you, but I want to tell you again."

"You can tell me as many times as you want," she said.

"How about I tell you on the way to your room? This floor is uncomfortable, and what I really want right now is to take you to a bed."

Lucy laughed. "Well you were right about one thing. The instincts are still the same."

"You have no idea," Natsu said. "It may be a new body, but it's the same me, appetites and all." He growled and then bit her neck, causing Lucy to squeal as he stood with her still in his arms.

After a quick stop at the doorway, which Natsu used to help brand Lucy's mouth with his own and fix his grip on her, he made his way towards her bedroom, words of love falling from his lips the entire way.

Later, when they were sweaty and exhausted, he told her again. And again and again and again. And he would continue to tell her, any time the fancy struck him, for the rest of their lives together, no matter how short or long that may be. Lucy deserved that much, because she had done the impossible.

Tamed a demon with love.


"I have a question."

"Just one?"

"Haha, very funny."

"I thought it was."

"Geez, can you just be serious for a second?"

Lucy laughed. "I'm sorry. What's your question?"

"When we were under Zeref's castle, and you saw me… You recognized me, right?"

"Yeah, although I don't remember seeing you in that form before, I knew it was you."

"Okay, so my question is how? How did you recognize me?" Natsu turned and propped himself up on his elbow so he could see her face better. "My demon form aside, how did you remember me? Leo said he erased me from your memory."

Lucy was careful to keep her face blank as Erza's face came to mind. If the demon wanted to keep her actions secret for some reason, it wasn't Lucy's place to reveal her.

"I have no idea," she said. As Natsu stared off into space, Lucy hastened to distract him. "I have a question, too."

"What's that?"

"I know we can't do it anymore, but how exactly does a dragon mark his mate?"

Natsu's eyes instantly cleared and focused on her, a grin slowly working its way across his face. "Interested are you?"

"I've always been interested."

He chuckled as he ran a hand down her side and over her hip under the covers. "It it involves some flying, some biting, and some, er… rather indecent activities."

"Oh really?" Lucy momentarily got distracted, thinking about the logistics of it. "That sounds rather dangerous."

"It's not, when it's two dragons and they can both fly." His hands stopped on her hip, rubbing in slow circles. "You know, I think I have enough magic I could show you… exactly," he leaned down to nuzzle her neck, "how it's done."

Lucy sighed a little as he kissed his way up her neck to play with her ear. After a few seconds, she pulled away with a wicked grin. "If you think you can manage it, I think I would like to see how it's done."

Natsu didn't have to be told twice. He threw Lucy over his shoulder and got up out of the bed, not even pausing as he headed out of their room so he could bring her outside. Lucy laughed as he carried her through the apartment, not at all worried about their state of dress or where they were going.

She wasn't sure there was anywhere she couldn't or wouldn't go anymore.

Not as long as she had her mate by her side.


Somehow, this one ended up only being my second longest chapter. One of the NSFW chapters ended up being a few hundred bigger than this. Oh well.

Reminder that I have another story that's about 75% written! It'll probably be a few months before I get around to finishing, editing, and sharing it, but if you're at all interested, make sure you guys follow me so you get the update once it's available- I don't want you to miss out! (It's not NEARLY as long as this one. Even once I'm done with it it won't be, but I still think it'll be a fun read.)

Guys, it's done! This marks the end of my longest (to date) story ever! I said it a while back, but I have to say it again- THANK YOU. You guys made this worth doing. Whether it was following, favoriting, reviewing, or even just reading, your interest and time made me want to keep going. I said from the beginning I was doing this because I couldn't find a finished demon summoning story for Fairy Tail, and while I would have finished it anyway, it would not have been nearly as fun (or probably as long) if it hadn't generated so much interest. Even though it's not quite what I was expecting, and I have my issues with it, of course, I'm glad that I completed it, and I am eternally grateful for you guys joining me on the ride.

You guys are the best. I hope you all find more great stories on here and inspire others to write something even better than this one. Thank you for everything guys- I love each and every one of you.

And as always, happy reading.


Excerpt from my upcoming story! (AU of course.) It's a bit long and completely unedited, but it's got most of the back story in it so you can decide if it's something you'd be interested in reading later:

When they finally exited the building, Lucy paused a moment to look around her property. When she'd bought it nearly five years ago, she never would have known it would become so successful.

When her father had passed away and she'd inherited his fortune, her first thought had been to use it to help people. While she'd been trying to figure out how to do that, an illness had spread through the spirit world. It had caused the deaths of many, including her friend Plue. Even worse, once the zodiac spirits had begun to get sick, constellations had begun to fall from the sky. Lucy had begun searching even more fervently for answers once that had happened, and within a week, she had found the answer. She'd been able to procure a remedy fairly quickly, and once everyone had begun to heal and the stars had returned, Lucy had decided that what she wanted to do was help magical creatures. There were many around the country, and she knew there was a lack of help for those that were sick or injured.

Once she'd made up her mind, she'd begun to search for a place to do just that, and found this property. It had been a zoo, once upon a time, so it had been easy to clean up and repurpose as a rehabilitation center. The enclosures had been thoroughly cleaned and set up as a variety of environments so she could house a larger range of creatures. Not only that, but it was only three hours from the coast and two hours from Mt. Hakobe, which was so cold you could find snow at the base of the mountain all year long, even in the middle of the summer. It was also only half an hour away from Magnolia, so she was close enough to the best healer she'd ever met, Porlyusica. And so, the home of Heartfilia Magical Creature Rehabilitation had been chosen.

Her guild had been sad when she'd decided to leave, but they'd understood. They'd even come to her for help on occasion with a job or even brought her injured critters they found while they were working. It had worked out well, especially since Levy had agreed to become a co-owner with her. Now that she and Gajeel had married, they'd been spending half their time with her and half their time at the guild. Gajeel had quickly decided he wanted to help with the large reptiles and drakes that came through, so he'd been studying as hard as Levy to understand how the different species worked, and as far as Lucy could tell, he was enjoying himself immensely.

Within the first year they'd even had a young dragon come through that he'd gotten to help train to fly. The little guy's parents had abandoned him while he was young and he'd never had the chance to learn, so Gajeel had worked tirelessly, once Lucy had gotten him healthy, and he'd left on his own two wings to head north. He'd even come back once to visit and Gajeel had been like an overgrown child in his eagerness to spend time with the beast, who had doubled in size between visits.

Levy was also an invaluable addition, since her ability to research had proven time again to be better than her own. Her speed had more than once saved the life of the creatures staying there, and for that Lucy was extremely grateful.

Not to mention Freed had offered his help as well, once he'd found out what she was up to. He visited multiple times a month to help create and sustain the rune barriers on the enclosures, securing more than one hostile beast while they recovered. Mira even come out on occasion to help her cook. Lucy had been taking lessons, so her skills had vastly improved, but nothing could beat Mira's cooking.