There was the silence that surrounded the group while they walked back to the hotel room to collect their stuff and head home. Lucy explained them the whole thing and how actually the four months went so that it would be easier for all of them on missions. None of them spoke, nor they asked any questions just lost in their own thoughts. It was not like they were sad, oh no. Rather all of them were happy about the whole situation. During the years, Erza saw that potential in Lucy but she felt like there was something wrong. She saw how Lucy fought before she went to train and she knew that she lacked in many departments when it came to physical combat, but the Lucy who came back was completely different. Her physical appearance was different. Muscles were more toned and she looked strong.
But Erza was not a fool. She knew that something has changed. Had it not been for her cheerful nature Lucy would have been quite intimidating with the new aura she carried around her these days. It all became clear now. What made Erza smirk was the fact that the day Lucy shows her powers publically is going to so interesting.
Grey and Natsu felt the same way Erza did. They knew they could never be mad at Luce. And Natsu was more than happy because now their team was actually the strongest out there in Fairytail. Natsu turned to look at his best friend and saw her frowning a little as she walked. He knew her, her insecurities so immediately slowed his pace and gently nudged her shoulder smiling. Lucy smiled back and for a few minutes stayed quiet before she bumped into him playfully and giggled when he crashed into Grey.
"Hey!" Grey glared at them and bumped Natsu towards her making her crash into Erza. Lucy laughed when Erza bumped into her and a smile played on each of their faces throughout the whole way. Once they were in their room the group quickly took a bath and got rid of the dirt and sweat before packing their bags which Lucy stored in the spirit word and leaving the hotel to collect the Job money. Lucy stopped midway and smiled a tense smile their way.
"I will meet you at the station in half an hour. I..uh.. want to see them before we head home." She tried to smile but it turned into a grimace. Her friends said nothing but smiled at her and motioned her to take her time. Lucy turned around and quickly found her way to the cemetery and sat in front of their graves. Her heart clenched and she swallowed the Lump in her throat before taking out a small box and putting it on her Father's grave. "Happy birthday papa. I... I know we never had the best of relationships and... and i refused to help you back then when you were in need. I... back to Tenrou island i was so scared. I thought i would never get to see you again, never get to say a proper goodbye, and when i got the news... i was hoping it was a horrible nightmare. I am so sorry papa. I miss you and mama and i hope you are happy together where ever you are." She stood up and brushed the dirt off her mid-thigh skirt and smiled at them.
" I will come again soon." She wiped the few tears off her cheek and turned around to leave when she saw a letter attached to a nearby tree. Lucy cautiously approached it and frown settled on her forehead when she read her name on it. She took it and put it in her purse before rushing towards the guild. The letter weighing in her mind. What could it be? A threat? A warning?
She slipped a small smile on her face when she saw her friends and didn't show the emotions which overwhelmed her mind. All she knew that she had to be careful.
The journey back home was similar to the one on the way here. Lucy leaned her head against the window and saw the sun setting. It would take them an hour more before they reach back to Magnolia so Lucy gently brushed her hand at Horologium's key before closing her eyes and drifting into slumber. She was hardly aware that Nastu being awake as his gaze fixed on her now sleeping figure. He took a deep breath trying to calm the turmoil in his stomach but rather caught his scent on Lucy rather strong and shivered with fear just thinking about how pissed Laxus was going to be.
He knew the lightning dragon's interest in Lucy was not a fling thing and he knew what Lucy meant to him. He saw the way he looked at her, and if he himself didn't have his own mate in sight he would have made fun of him. Just thinking about her caused his inside Dragon to growl and whimper at being away from her. Natsu sighed and closed his eyes once again trying to sleep in this horrible vehicle.
Lucy woke them up fifteen minutes before they reached the station but let the flying Neko be as he continued to purr in Erza's lap. Once they stopped Lucy giggled as Natsu rushed out and kissed the floor and helped him stand. She gave him a water bottle which he drowned in an instance and offered him a sandwich she bought on the train knowing he would be hungry.
"Thanks, Lucy!" Nastu hugged her and she smiled at him. The made their way to the guild and Lucy's smile grew when she saw the building. She knew that Master sent them on a three-day mission but it had been relatively easy. Natsu and now awake happy raced to the door and kicked it open making Erza tsk at his behaviour. Grey jogged to follow and was surprised to see the guild quiet and the Sabertooth members sitting at the table in the middle of the guild. He saw Natsu stop and stand in front of the door and Grey placed himself in front of Lucy who stood there confused.
"Grey, could you, by any chance move?" she frowned and tried to peek inside when she saw the reason the whole guild was so tense. A part of her, very very small part of her flinched when she saw 'her' but the bigger part, thanks to Ali-chan training accepted what happened and it didn't matter to her anymore. She brushed past her team and greeted everyone with the biggest smile on her face.
"Hey guys!" She waved and was surprised when the whole guild's face turned into a shit eating grin and everyone cheered making her laugh. She skipped to the bar where Mira was smiling at her and passed the mission request to her, signed by the mayor indicating it was complete. "It's nice to finally have some noise in the Guild. Everyone was too serious." Mira chuckled as she placed a glass of Strawberry smoothie in front of her. Lucy smiled back at her and took a sip of the drink and moaned in appreciation. She loved this milkshake. She waved at Mira and skipped to join her friends who sat at the back of the guild, but before she could reach there someone blocked her way and she looked up frowning. The guild was silent once again.
Minerva scowled, looking at the blonde who was looking at her in confusion. " I would have thought that you would leave after being humiliated in front of the whole country." Minerva sneered at her hoping to see the scared face of the blonde but Lucy looked at her completely uninterested and walked around her and smiled when she saw Levy.
"Levy-chan! You won't believe the book i found there on the mission! It's an ancient language and i thought we could solve it together. We should ask Freed-san to help us!" Lucy summoned the book in her hand and gave it to her blue-haired friend who was trying not to burst into a fit of giggle looking at the face or the territory mage seething in the background. But Cana has never been the one to hold back and started laughing and said. " Damn Lucy, that was awesome." She continued laughing making the others join her.
Lucy smirked and looked at them and tipped her chin up and said, " I do not engage with people who are begging for attention they will never get." She said in a mocking high-status tone making her friends laugh even harder. A deep throaty chuckle was heard and Lucy saw Laxus looking at her smirking and she winked at him. She plopped down next to Levy and Lisanna and filled them in with the details of the mission. Lucy felt someone glaring at her and turned around to see it was Minerva and raised her eyebrow at her making the Sabertooth mage gape at her changed behaviour. What shocked them more was how the behaviour of the whole guild changed when the said team arrived and Minerva growled under her breath frustrated that the blonde brushed her aside like she was dirt.
She watched the blonde mock her and her anger grew when a certain male laughed with them. No, she did not like him, but she was attracted to him. He was powerful and handsome and he belonged in Sabertooth. Minerva once again looked, or more like glared at Lucy trying to think what was so special about her anyway. She was weak and pathetic.
Laxus walked into his office when he heard her leaving and used his magic to teleport after her. For a week this is how they spent time together without creating suspicion. He kept an eye on the other guild when around his mate and he still smirked thinking about what Lucy said. His grandfather, however reluctant was obliged to follow the orders of the magic council who wanted the two guilds to collaborate on a mission together. He already had a team ready for the guild who will be participating in the inter-guild mission and it didn't settle well with Laxus, until now.
Part of the team was Lucy, Himself, Gajeel, Juvia and Wendy. It was a high-level mission and it needed the top mages, but Jiji had studied the requirements and it was better to have a Celestial mage on the team.
He saw Lucy walking ahead until she looked over her shoulder and smiled at him making his heart go crazy. " Took your time big guy." She smirked at him and he scoffed but a small smile played on his lips. Laxus had made it a point to never look like a jerk when it came to Lucy. He made sure to be gentle towards her and her only.
"Well.. if you wanted a certain demon to be on our tail then i am sorry i took so much time Blondie." He smirked at her and registered the memory of her laughing.
"You did well today Lucy. Standing up against that b... Girl." His fingers brushed her hand and he smiled down at her.
Lucy felt the warmth bloom in her chest at his praise and she smiled at him. He was so sweet when it came to her that Lucy could only pray to Mavis he hasn't started considering her as his sister. That would be... soul-crushing, heartbreaking, life-sucking thing for her.
"Thank you Laxus." she didn't even register her own actions but she raised on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before looking away, her own face was red. Laxus, on the other hand, was shocked by her bold move and happy. So happy that he let a heart warming smile settle on his face and he touched the spot where she kissed, Thank ful that she was looking the other way.
Damn. It was becoming so hard to control himself.