Hey Guys,

Here is the next installment a little early. Also, next week I am going on vacation so I will make sure to have chapter 17 done and posted before I leave but you might have to wait longer than a week for the next installment. We'll see, it all depends on a few different factors. As always, enjoy!

- Singed

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.

Lucy

Lucy watched as Natsu set up his fishing rod. Instead of worms as bait, he always used raw pieces of steak or chicken. This seemed an odd choice to Lucy until she realized that he would roast the rest of the meat and eat it while he waited for the fish to bite. Honestly, he'd already eaten all his cookies and now he was gorging on meat. He was a bottomless pit to be sure, a constant nagging fear in the back of Lucy's mind. How much was her grocery bill going to be once Natsu and she were married? How much was it going to be once they added kids into the mix?

Shuttering, Lucy settled down, resting against a large oak and took out her writing. Natsu fully concentrated on the fishing, wouldn't ask her what she was writing just yet. That was the nice thing about fishing with Natsu. They could just be quiet and content with each other for a change. Eventually, they would talk and these talks were always on the deeper level for them. It was here that she found out that he wanted a large family and once that happened, he wanted to move to a larger house just outside of Magnolia but still not quite in the city limits. Somehow, it was here, that she learned to really see Natsu as a person and not just some force to be reckoned with.

Natsu looked back at her for a moment and smiled before turning back to his fishing. Not knowing how long her solitude would last, Lucy got to writing.

Piece 16 - Because of your love for her.

Okay,

So, this is a strange one, but you're just going to have to go with it. We won in Edolas and were magically transported back home because of the natural magic in our blood. I would later find out that this was due to Mystogan, or should I say Edolas's Jellal, reversing the anima and sending all of the remaining magic to Earthland.

Sometimes I wonder how they are all doing. I wonder if they ever got used to no magic and if they are thriving or simply surviving, for now. I know that eventually, they'll all learn to live in a world without magic. I also wonder if Lucy and Natsu over there ever became a thing? As I've previously stated, I thought there might be something between them, but you never know.

Anyway, we made it back to Earthland and were trying to catch our bearings when Lisanna showed up. I was floored, just like everyone else. I knew who she was, she looked too much like her siblings not to be their long thought dead sister, Lisanna. It was a miracle but shocking all the same. I watched as she threw herself into your arms, hugging you and talking a mile a minute. I stayed back as the rest of the group took charge, getting to the bottom of how Lisanna was here. As I watched her and the rest of the group, I was overcome with such strange feelings. Even now they are difficult to explain, but I'll try.

I had never known Lisanna so it really wasn't my place to get involved as the others questioned her, but it was more than that. I was terrified, truly terrified that I had lost you as my best friend and partner. She had been your best friend and I'm sure had she not been sucked into Edolas on that fateful job you guys would have eventually been partners. It would only be natural for you to want to rekindle that relationship.

As I watched you and her, I felt a wave of grief overtake me. I could easily explain it, but I was also confused a bit. You don't feel your heart shattering over a possibility, but there I was almost in tears. I forced myself to smile through them so you guys thought I was crying for the pure joy of it. It sort of became that when she reunited with Mira and Elfman. Who wouldn't cry at that?

Then the devastation set in again at the guildhall when I watched you and her sit and eat a meal, catching up. I tried to ignore it, I tried to pretend it didn't bother me, but it did. I did an awful lot. I was about to leave, probably to cry myself to sleep and drown my problems in chocolate, when Mira said something.

"Aww, just like when they were younger," she sighed over watching you two.

"Yeah, I imagine they must be thrilled to have their best friend back in their lives."

"Oh, I'm sure they both are. They were childhood sweethearts you know. I always assumed that they'd marry one day and have a lot of little ones." Mira sighed over the thought and I tried not to cringe. It just felt like she'd stabbed me through the heart. (Honestly, writing this I wonder how in the world I was so clueless. I know I keep saying it, but I'm just embarrassed now. Anyway, back to the story.)

"That's a nice dream, Mira."

"Yeah, but it won't happen now."

"What, why not?" I felt a small flicker of hope rising.

"Because, Natsu may have loved her at one time, and a piece of him probably always will, but I can see it in his eyes. Something has changed, and it's not what you think. They've both matured and changed because of the last two years, but it's not about her changes, it's about his own. He knows that he doesn't feel the same anymore and cares about her enough not to lead her on. I think Natsu will still be her friend, but he won't take it past that."

"You really think so?"

"Yes, you watch and see."

Sure enough, while you would hang with Lisanna from time to time, you never allowed it to be on our time. In fact, it seemed like you actually spent more time with me after that. Still, in the days that followed, I realized that I couldn't help but admire how gracious you were towards her. How even though it wasn't there now, the echoes of the love you two shared at one time could still be heard, but both of you understood that that was all they were, echoes and memories. I realized then, though subconsciously of course, that if something similar happened between us you'd treat me just as well. It was very sweet and oddly comforting.

Love,

Lucy

She quickly sealed up her next letter and glanced over at Natsu. He was still fishing, but no fish had come yet. That was fine with both of them. He could stay like that for hours as long as he hadn't caught anything. Lucy almost wondered if it were a form of meditation for him. As if on cue, he started humming and Lucy knew that they were in for the long hall.

Smiling, she put letter sixteen away and reached in for the parchment of the seventeenth.

Natsu

Natsu wondered if he should just go to bed. It wasn't that he was tired, but he was done with the day. He had had such a good time with Lucy earlier at the bakery and then the fishing in the woods. It had been one of the best days he'd had in a long time and then he had to ruin it. Well, he had ruined it with the best intentions, but that would hardly get him points now. He debated again as to whether he should go see Lucy. She had been pretty mad, but he'd always found that giving her space was the best course of action.

So, if he wasn't going to go see her, and he wasn't really tired, then he supposed that he should do another video. He groaned and counted. This would be number sixteen. That would leave at least four more for the day but he wasn't sure he could pull another four out of himself that night. So he decided to compromise. He'd do number sixteen and then two more. If he felt like continuing after that then he'd do so, but chances were, probably not.

For a moment, he thought back to Lucy as she had been that afternoon. Sitting under their tree writing away. She had been so breathtaking that when she was fully concentrating on what she was writing, he would stop looking out over the water and simply gaze at her. This memory took him to many others, one of which he knew needed to be his next piece. However, he hesitated for just a moment before continuing. He was probably going to get into some trouble with this one.

Piece 16 - My unbelief

"Hi Luce, so this next one is a little less about love and a lot more about lust. I know that there were rumors that went around for a while that I wasn't 'a normal guy'" he said using his fingers to make air quotes. "Of course when they said this, it meant that they assumed that I wasn't attracted to women like they were. I think it really came down to that they didn't see me attracted to anything. Of course, they'd only have to take to Grey, Erza, or yourself to know that wasn't true. Maybe it had been too subtle for you or Erza to pick up on, but Grey certainly knew. He'd caught me sneaking a peek at you and some of the other ladies more than once."

Suddenly Natsu grew pale and quickly tried to backtrack. "But let's get one thing clear, I only looked at the others early on in our friendship, but once we became best friends I really only wanted to sneak a peek with you. Although, I kept it to like special occasions." He smiled, but it didn't save him from a Lucy kick later.

"Anyway, in Edolas we were hiding from one of those annoying Edolas jerks and we stumbled upon a box that magically changed your clothes. It was so cool and I remember us changing into many many outfits. At first, it was all just fun and games for me, but then as the outfits became smaller and tighter on you, I soon found myself almost obsessing over wanting to see you in less and less. I'll admit, that was the first time I ever found myself having a pervy daydream. I had peeked on girls before, but just to slack my curiosity. With you at that moment, I was driven by something else. Something very alien to me at the time. I would later realize it was a true lust."

Natsu suddenly sighed and he shook his head. "In truth, I kind of hated myself after I realized that. I couldn't believe that I would treat you, see you, and dream about you in that way. You were my best friend, which meant that you deserved my utmost respect. I should be seeing you as the wonderful person you are not some woman I wanted to ... well, let's not go into details."

He cleared his throat and continued. "I got over it, of course, once I realized that I could be both your best friend and be attracted to you, just as long as I didn't cross certain boundaries. This of course was why I thought doing a seduction plan would work. I should have known from past experience that it wouldn't, but I was so caught up in my own desires that I honestly assumed that he'd fall into the same trap. When he didn't and still came after us, I will admit that I was completely confused. I just couldn't understand how he was so blind to your womanly wiles. I was actually a little offended for you. Of course, if he had tried to touch you, I would have probably killed him."

Natsu sighed again and slumped over. "So now you know. If this gets you a little angry, you should know that these lustful thoughts were far and few between at the time. I don't think I actually had the next one until the games, but then again we had an awful lot going on and that is another story completely. See you, Luce." With that, Natsu signed off and he sighed. Yeah, he knew he was going to get a beating for this one.