~One month later - December

The early skylight was dazzling and the air smelt of honey perfume a smell that flung simple people into heartwarming and sentimental thoughts.

Lucy placed homemade honey buns into a brown box and placed them into Gray's hands because you almost couldn't trust Natsu with food, she didn't know it but he liked what she made over everything else.

Natsu pouted at her slightly hurt but he agreed with her choice you could not trust him with a lot of things, but you could trust him with a lot more things.

''I've gotta go now.'' she said grabbing a white coat and rushing out the door she had to be there for a court hearing Lucy Heartfilia v. Magnolia hosp.

''Ciao Luce!'' Natsu yelled as quietly as he could trying not to wake Jude the grumpy old man who was back once again to spectate and grind the nerves of his daughter.

When she was out the door he scrunched his nose at Gray simply because Lucy patted his head before she left, Natsu always craved every ounce of her attention but now his little brother was taking that away from him.

Gray understood and replied with a nose scrunch that meant. ''Not my fault for being precious.'' ''Brat,'' Natsu growled at the smug boy. ''You always get to go shopping with Lucy and other places.'' ''Your fault for sleeping in bro, don't be jealous.'' Gray fought himself out of a choke hold and stuck his tongue out at Natsu.

Natsu decided he was going to be more like a husband and less like a best friend from now on.

he told Lucy already to be ready at random times but he couldn't bring himself to do anything without her permission.

Natsu hugged Happy close to his chest watching Gray bounce out of the door without him. ''Hold up you goblin!'' he let Happy down checked the animal's food and water then ran out the door slamming it forgetting about Jude, who was already awake from the stupid argument the two loud boys had.

Gray walked slowly..far too slowly for Natsu's fast pace. ''Come on slowpoke we going to get to hospital today or not?'' ''I don't want to break the sweets, Juvia didn't get to taste them yet!'' he hissed sweetness in his words, worry in his eyes. Natsu laughed and ruffled Gray's already messy hair, ''It won't break, you are so sweet for Juvia aren't you.'' Gray blushed balancing the container in one hand and shoving Natsu with the other. ''No! you're sweet for Lucy,'' he growled at Natsu who was growing sentimental. ''You're right.'' his eyes softened at the thought of someone who never left his mind.

''You're gross.'' Gray flung him from his thoughts. ''Not as gross as you.''

he sneered back. ''Let me hold it, I can swear I won't eat them. '' Gray eyed Natsu with a squint. ''Oh really?'' ''Yes really.'' Gray handed the container to Natsu pleading with all his heart for Natsu not to break the buns, with the box in Natsu's hands the duo sped up.

''Juvia we're here.'' Gray shyly greeted her from the door, he was instantly bombarded by the children of the ward. because in this hospital you would be placed in the children's ward until you were 21, Gray could never escape the teasing. ''Gray and Juvia sitting in a tree-'' they began but were silenced when Natsu stepped inside changing their focus to him, lucky for the blushing raven haired boy. ''Luce made these for you and Gray tried his best to deliver them.'' placing the box in her hands he turned heel and went to the changing room to greet another day a work with his always happy face.

''hum.'' Gray sighed sitting by Juvia's bedside and tuning the children's voices out. ''I'm sorry,'' he confessed laying his head down on her thigh and placing his gentle hand on her abdomen the sweet and sensitive boy had begun to sniffle again. ''It's okay,'' she affirmed holding the hand on her stomach.

''Natsu said I will be alright no future complications shall arise, I'll just be left with a tiny scar.'' truth be told in her heart she felt like crying. ''At some point in life you'll become self-conscious, I don't want that to happen.'' ''That won't happen if you tell me I'm beautiful,'' Juvia said in her forever sly way, usually he would be blushing and trying to hide his face. Today he was feeling a bit tender inside. ''You're beautiful, you always will be to me,'' he said thrice giving her hand a loving squeeze, he wouldn't look up from her leg, though he didn't want to slip up and kiss her without her consent.

Juvia didn't know what to say. ''I feel I'll recover quickly now, thank you,'' she said messing up his hair, he was three days younger than her but she turned that into ten years.

He was just that sweet and cute to her sometimes she couldn't resist playing with him, but he was always going to be dangerous for her heart she could feel it in her temperature.

Natsu shivered his brother was going to give him diabetes, and at the same time make his face freeze from smiling.

He kind of wished he could be as romantic as his younger brother was.

he scratched his nape in his flustered way smiling sheepishly, thinking about it was too much for him to handle.

His younger brother could be fierce and aggressive like a wild tiger one second and then soft and sweet like a marshmallow the next.

it confused him when he thought about and confused him, even more, when Lucy said he was like that also, he didn't see himself as soft or sweet.

he picked up his stride down the hallway bored and lonely again.

~Ring~

''Hello, Natsu what is it?'' Lucy answered immediately as if she was waiting for the call.

''You picked up fast.''

Lucy scowled he always had to tease her didn't he? ''What is it Natsu?

''Luigi, I just wanted to say your purse is a bottomless pit, you should clean it when you get home.''

before she could answer he hung up, he just wanted to hear her voice and make her slightly mad at him,

just like in their high school days when he would place an item she wanted super high on a shelf in her house when they argued so she would be forced to ask for his help.

He found it funny how long she would resist before asking him for help and how she jumped unable to reach it, it wasn't playing dirty in his book because she used to do the same to him when he was shorter than her and when he was the exact height as her she would get on a chair and then hide the chair.

She was a tease but he learned only from the best.

~Ring~

''Yeah hello this Natsu.''

''Why are you so loud?!''

''The court session is about to start, why did you call?''

she asked urgently.

''No reason at all darling.''

Lucy didn't respond this time she hung up without another word.

Natsu was going to haunt her thoughts the rest of the day, he called her darling what is that?!

Natsu smiled happy with himself, going around completing his rounds and carefully giving prescriptions with simple readable handwriting.

''Hey Natsu, Levy told me, to tell you to tell Lucy.'' whew Mira sighed ''That the ice cream is well appreciated.'' ''I will, but don't you think that sentence could have been shorter?'' ''I don't know anything!'' she skipped off to go find Jellal or Laxus to discuss patient affairs.

The rain started to come down as noon approached, it wasn't rough or a bother rather it came down gracing the still sunny day.

''Hey Natsu!''

Natsu turned to see Ivan Dreyar the hospital CEO calling his name. ''Yeah?'' he replied zero respect in his voice as he was still holding a slight grudge against him for treating Lucy so badly. ''I want to congratulate you on being chosen as a world savior.''

Ivan smiled sweetly awarding Natsu for something he didn't sign up for. ''What?!'' ''You heard me, it's you as the 50th doctor or the whole program has to go.'' ''But you can't do that!'' Natsu arched his brows angrily at the forced decision. ''Oh but I can, besides no one else was going to sign their name on the form..you don't have anything to do here in magnolia anyway.'' ''It would be a disappointment to Makarov to find out one of the people he regarded as his children would let his program go down the drain, now wouldn't it?'' Ivan said with a mock pout on his face.

Natsu knew this was some sort of revenge against Natsu for always sticking by Lucy through thick and thin.

she would fold Ivan thought if Natsu couldn't be with her. ''You leave in thirty days.'' Natsu signed his name on the form a glare in his eyes but determination growing in his heart. he had to make this decision for Makarov.

It was raining outside the court Lucy paid attention while the lawyers and judge went in circles with what she was trying to say.

Why couldn't she get Ivan and Phantom Lord removed from the hospital immediately?

The judge annoyed her shushing her so many times, but she knew she annoyed the judge so they were even.

''But Aquarius~'' she whined to her old friend turned judge. ''How many times Ms. Heartfilia,'' Lucy smirked learning to enjoy bothering her other friends from her best friend.

''Ms. Heartfilia we must remain patient or Aquarius will punish us.'' Virgo her lawyer and a new friend who reminded her of Natsu only because of her short pink hair.

Lucy was glad the court session was over now she could rest in her car being as tired as she was.

she ran through the rain drizzle in her blue satin pantsuit which was deemed 'Not appropriate for court' by her meanie judge.

Lucy jumped into her car and rested her tight ponytail against the soft seat, she was really tired.

she adjusted the frilly white inner top and leaned the chair backward to think for a bit.

Natsu had annoyed look on his face walking behind Lucy were about ten guys catcalling, and being overall jerks ignoring that they were considered sexual harassers by anyone who was concerned.

He looked ahead at Lucy speeding up obviously intimidated by them but refusing to give up and ask Natsu for help you see they were in a fight about something trivial neither of the childish adults would give in first.

Natsu sped up his stride walking past most of the animal like men who were either way too young or just the opposite.

Lucy was wearing a tight black skirt and tucked shirt that showed off her captivating body shape, her red heels clicked along the pavement downtown and her loose curled hair flew in the wind giving Natsu a whiff of her light perfumes and pear and apple hair spray.

she wore the jewelry she was given by him, her smoky eye and red lips helped to drive the crazy crowd even wilder.

Natsu walked up to Lucy and wrapped his arm around her waist, she looked up into his eyes regretting not asking for his protection earlier as the animals started to leave realizing she was claimed by someone so beautiful in his own way, they couldn't even say she deserved better as she got exactly what she deserved with him by her side always.

Natsu grabbed her wrist tightly ushering her harshly toward an alleyway angry with her, for letting that go on and not saying anything she truly was something else in his eyes.

Lucy didn't know how she got pinned between two shops her back against a pub wall, she looked into Natsu's upset eyes and then at his hands that contained both of her wrists above her head. ''Luce, why do you treat me so?'' he said huskily following her face with his eyes, she didn't know what to say she just avoided his piercing gaze and struggled to get her hands free he was acting strange all day and now tonight he was scaring her.

Natsu didn't care if she replied or not he got his way making her flustered like that.

he grinned at her pink peach cheeks and said.

''You always have my heart on edge you know that don't you?'' Lucy turned her face to reply to Natsu..her mistake.

Natsu kissed her smack on the mouth his warm full lips taking her breath away or maybe it was the pent up passion in his heart that silenced her.

her knees felt as if they would give in and her arms no longer hurt what was this magic in his lips that sent her heart for a run?

Lucy woke up cold sweat running down her face, she checked her attire it was still the 'inappropriate' pantsuit she sighed afraid with what her brain was bringing up, she never wore clothes that were high or as tight as that skirt and shirt, she couldn't walk properly in heels.

Natsu wasn't a sleazeball that would do something like that to her.

What was she doing downtown late at night? she always argued with Natsu but wasn't afraid to ask for his help.

In that dream she didn't mean to have, she saw from Natsu's perspective in her dream.

Why was her heart racing so hard, she felt like she was would need to go to the ER soon.

she held her heart kind of shy thinking about meeting Natsu again when she went home, clenching her heart she was about to start her car.

''Luce!'' she heard her nickname that wasn't meant to make her body stiffen up except for her wild heart.

she swung her head to look out the drivers window, he wasn't there.

looking to her right he was there and she felt like all her lucky stars in her heart fell into her stomach.

before she could compose herself he was already in the car letting the refreshing cold air inside, ''How did you get in?! I didn't unlock the door.''

''You left it unlocked, I was here earlier because you were taking to long in the court..then I saw you sleeping.''

''And left to go buy this.'' he lifted a paper bag and two bottles of aloe juice. ''I thought you would be hungry after that nap.''

Lucy smiled he was always thoughtful, ''It's cream filled bread like in our childhood.'' He smiled handing her a bun. ''Levy said she appreciated the Ice cream.''

''Oh I should make her and Erza more snacks later on.'' ''That's nice but don't overwork yourself.'' ''I wont.'' ''Natsu I thought that over the phone you were just loud.''

''I had you on speaker phone.'' the duo cracked up wildly the jury was so confused.

The sun danced in the sky making its bed heartily in the air, the wind through thin wispy clouds swirled little droplets of rain underneath a rainbow, it tickled her cold nose making her sneeze twice, the sky formed a band of sunset colors above her head easing the worries of all who looked at it.

''By the way Luce are you alright? you look more pale than usual and you're sweating.'' Lucy hid her face quickly whipping Natsu in the face with her ponytail.

she was still heavily embarrassed by that dream and she felt like he could see it playing in her clear eyes.

Natsu reached over cream bread still in his mouth and took hold of the back of her neck sending shivers down her spine. ''Hey your temperature is high, it's a fever.'' he diagnosed correctly. ''I told you to go out with warmer clothes then this, and you slept in this cold car.'' ''Hey Natsu..I wanna check something.'' her cheeks turned crimson. ''Sure anything.'' she held her arms in his direction like she was going to jail. ''I want to see if my arms are small, can you hold them in your hands?'' Natsu quirked an eyebrow but complied and sure enough to the racing of her heart and tinting of her face it was a perfect fit.

''Natsu your messing with me.'' ''How I didn't do anything.'' ''Just take me home.'' Natsu carried her on his back the first time since she injured her legs in middle school.

Lucy wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, she was a koala in her past life and she refused to let that go well according to Natsu.

''Hey now don't strangle me!'' she loosened her arms and snarled into his hair. ''Fine, you can strangle me.'' he giggle and gave in to her embrace.

''I took Gray home earlier, I don't know how he is going to fare with Jude.'' Natsu began but Lucy was knocked out again.

''Dummy you should sleep more often..'' he trailed looking at the colored sky.

EARLIER With Jude

Jude walked out of his room prepared to meet Plue, sure enough he was there waiting to attack his legs.

''Not this time!'' he said scooping the puppy up and placing him near his food making him forget about his giant chew toy.

''Hi Happy.'' he greeted the rag doll cat who looked oddly blue yet no one pointed that fact out.

Happy responded with a perky meow. ''I swear you're are talking.'' the cat sounded like it said 'Aye' to Jude every time.

he ruffled his short blonde hair and grabbed a seat on the couch to look at Lucy's fake marriage certificate and photos.

he chuckled at how awkward they looked in the photos and how fake the certificate looked, only an amateur couldn't see the fraudulence.

he looked at the old quote Layla placed there it was in a picture frame that didn't have a speck of dust on it, a quote by Roman Payne

it read: "You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination."

Jude opened the turkey sandwiches his daughter made for him saying that she could care less about him.

thinking about the relationship with him and his daughter he couldn't help but reminisce over the matter seven years ago after his wife Layla passed away.

he had been selfish and left Lucy alone at home to clear his thoughts when he received a text that said she would be staying with the Dragneel family for good, her and her father were close but not as close as her and Layla were.

Jude returned to Magnolia using a fake reason Hibiki Lates was already happily married and he didn't know him that well.

Jude returned to get answers he thought Igneel and Grandine would be able to care for her better than he ever could.

but a few months ago he learned Igneel had never texted him about Lucy wanting to stay with his family and that they moved away because their family could no longer stay in such a small place like Fairy Hills.

so Jude was here to find out who sent that text and wasted 7 years of his time when he could of been with his daughter all along.

he bit into his sandwich that tasted like it was made with care, despite all that Lucille said she was a gentle and caring girl.

the door of the house slammed open loudly and the Dragneel brothers came marching in. ''Is Lucy back?'' Natsu basically yelled he was always so loud.

''No.'' Jude took another bite of his sandwich lifting his legs onto a stool to shy away from Plue's attacks his sights were on Jude's legs again.

''What did you do to make Plue like this?'' Gray inquired after Natsu was gone, ''Nothing at all.'' ''Oh.'' Gray thought while looking into Jude's eyes.

''What?'' ''Oh I'm just waiting for you to finish eating.'' ''Why?'' ''So we can watch a movie duh.

Natsu carried Lucy inside and placed her on their shared bed stripping away her jacket and shoes, letting down her hair and wiping the makeup of her face with facial wipes.

''Oh my Lucy.'' he said after the fifth wipe. he stood and went to go see what Jude and Gray were doing..they both knocked out on the couch with animals in their laps resting as well.

The house was a mess from the two's makeshift dinner, he wouldn't wake them and would just clean up.

Natsu placed a ice pack on Lucy's forehead and swaddled her in his arms thinking about his thirty day time limit, Lucy would have to go to therapy to get over her fear of people leaving her before he left. He hugged her tighter not wanting to let her go and lulled himself to sleep with the rhythm of her breath in his mind.

~End of chapter~

I hope you like the names of each chapter.

This chapter name was meant for you, I hope that made you smile..or that..I could go on someone stop me.

X.X

I myself am sick again with a sickness that plagues me every year so I will have to take a break. (I'm sorry.)

and if you thought that kiss was real I'm sorry for teasing you, but that's what I am good at.

~Peace