It would be est not to expect post this close. the story just got away from me, but hey! Enjoy. and I just want to say now thank you for everyone's great reviews they really mean a lot to me.

-Cave outside Magnolia-

Two years ago:

"Natsu…." Happy whispers.

Natsu growls at his best friend and son, "Happy, I'm fine really. I promise tomorrow we'll go fishing for the whole day."

Happy nods and pats a cold cloth back on his father's forehead, "What about going to Hargeon instead? Wasn't there a Salamander sighting there?"

Natsu smiling at Happy, "Sure happy, we'll go where ever you want."

Natsu lays still letting Happy to change the cloth the rest of the night, so he lets his mind wonder back to a young girl he once meet.

'I miss those big brown eyes in the morning and the way her blonde hair moved at night in my arms. Why can't I remember her name or anything?' Natsu yelling at himself as another growl escapes his lips causing Happy to jump up, then just sits still not wanting to make this night harder on his best friend.

The next morning Master Makarov calling as he enters the cave, "Natsu!"

"Master!" Happy yelling back flying to the short old man.

"Happy, how's Natsu doing now?" master Makarov asks, looking at the sleeping pink haired teen's form.

"The night was hard on him again, but he finally fell asleep an hour ago," the blue cat says settling back by the form's head.

"When he wakes tell him he can go searching for Igneel." Makarov said patting the boy's spiky hair.

Not even twenty minutes later Natsu jumps up wide awake yelling, "TODAYS THE DAY HAPPY! We'll be a complete family from now on!"

Happy nodding to him, "AYE SIR! Wait…. Complete family, Natsu?"

"Yeah, you're getting a mom today!" Natsu said stretching and smiling as he grabs his things before taking off to run to the train station, "I know today is the day I'll see her again."

Happy just smiles and follows Natsu trying to sit on his head, "Aye!"

Last week's memory:

"Wendy and Romeo sure have been in there a while," Lucy sighed to her best friend Levy while thinking, 'Sure Wendy even has a boyfriend and I can't even tell if Natsu ever even looks my way! I should either just tell him or give up'

Little did the busty blonde know, Natsu was watching her very closely in fact. Even though he was fighting that stupid stripper again.

"You wanna go droopy eyes?" Natsu playfully growls across the guild.

Gray smiling, "Have a death wish squinty eyes?"

Natsu crossing the guild in a blink of an eye and hits Gray squar in the jaw, "You can't beat me ever, you exhibitionist!"

Gray and Natsu continue to fight till Gray throws Natsu into Erza who drops her cake.

"My cake…." Erza pouts and whimpers looking at the cake on the floor, "Gray! Natsu!"

"Erza!" Lucy yells running to the aid of her partner who is in the hands of the red haired reequip mage, "I need your advice on a cake recipe! I need you to come try it at my house right now!"

Natsu looks at Lucy with a silent plea of thanks, Erza nods yes throwing Natsu into Gray, knocking them both out right away.

Natsu smiling at his thought, 'Yep she's the one.'

Present:

He let the scenes play out like a movie in his head, since sleep wasn't going to be coming to him any time soon. Since his mind found it was the only way to keep him sane since all the other slayers had made moves on their mates except him. Natsu tries to follow Wendy's and Gajeel's lead and will himself to sleep but another memory pops up to take its turn, this one of the time he thought Lucy was leaving him for good.

Nine Months ago:

-Heartfilia Mansion-

"Luce-Lu, please its late, stay the night with me and travel in the morning. I have enough room for your friends as well," Kip called out to Lucy and her friends.

"Kip-sensei! We would love to!" Lucy yelled back running to hug the still frail man who has aged greatly.

"Thank you, sir. I promise we will try not to impose on your family for the night." Erza said pulling her cart towards the small house.

Kip smiled at her with a sad look, "Luce-Lu here is my only family now, actually. My wife and daughter died a long time ago. After their death I moved out here to help an old friend with his business that was Luce-Lu's father. Then I just stayed once she was born to help out the family. Having had a daughter myself I knew a little more than her parents. Luce-Lu became my shining star, well and her mother's too. Did you go see her Luce-Lu?"

Lucy nodded softly, "Yeah. Since I won't be coming home ever again. I am really going to miss you Kip-sensei!"

Lucy hugged kip again who smiled at her while hugging her close.

"Yo fire brain. What the hell are you looking at? Gray yelled trying to get Natsu to fight.

Natsu lost in the deep recedes of his memories muttered, "I've been here before. I know that garden."

Kip froze sure this kid was wrong, sneaking a side look at him and cursing himself for not seeing it was the same pink hair as the child that was here with that red dragon all those years ago. Trying to act normal and cook still, "That's impossible, we never had a child here since Lucy was born."

Lucy knew he was lying, he only called her Lucy when he was so she called him out on it, "But there was a boy when I was small that stayed here for a short time. Mom made him and I matching toys. I am sure I left mine here somewhere Kip-sensei."

Kip had grabbed Natsu's hand and began pulling him outside, so Lucy got Erza and Gray to help her finish cooking knowing Natsu would be hungry once they got back from where ever they were going.

"How much do you remember kid?" kip hissed pulling Natsu to a headstone.

"I don't really remember anything, it's a feeling I have." Natsu growled as they got to the grave.

"Layla," Kip whispered to the headstone pulling a picture of a woman with a small girl in her arms, both looking much like the other, "That's the woman's name. Lucy's mother, Natsu."

Natsu shocked as his eyes gaze upon the woman who looks so much like Lucy now and a four year old version of Lucy, hitting his knees and taking out the toy he always has with him while crying out "It's her… Lucy…. Layla I will keep my promise to you!"

"You've kept that toy all this time…" Kip whispers to the sobbing teen as he pulls him into a hug.

Natsu nods yes since he was sure his voice wouldn't work with the emotions holding him down while close to the old man's chest.

"You keep that promise Natsu; our little Luce-Lu needs you too." Kip says pulling Natsu up with him to walk back to his house.

Natsu numbly answers, "I know. But now that I know it's really her, I can do it when the time is right and have no regrets. I will not let you guys down."

Present:

Natsu again smiled at the memory and took out the semi burned toy holding it to his heart. Wendy moved in her sleep causing Natsu to hide the toy and freeze. No one knew Natsu had the toy other than Kip and himself. Not even Happy knew about it, not that Natsu knew how to tell him that this toy means so much more than words can explain to Natsu, the toy that Layla had made him that was the pair to Lucy's toy.

As morning light reached the young sky dragon slayer, Wendy woke up and started stretching, the master had made all the dragon slayers "take a mission" so they would be gone during the worst part of the mating season. She looked back at her pink haired friend, who had finally fell asleep though his dreams were causing him to sleep in fits of movements, then gazing to the black haired iron dragon slayer who was just starting to wake up.

"Gajeel should we wake Natsu before leaving?" whispered the sky maiden pointing back to Natsu's sleeping form.

Gajeel lazily looked back at the teen whispering back, "Nah. Master said to leave him another week. Let's go sky maiden, we get to see our mates today. Best not to keep them waiting, yeah?"

Wendy remembers she is seeing Romeo for the first time since claiming him as her mate and begins running back to the guild. Gajeel smiles at the blue haired girl running to see her mate and follows her back to the guild looking forward to seeing his blue haired bookworm of a mate.

"Wendy, Gajeel welcome home!" Mira called from the bar as the doors open up and Wendy runs in looking for her mate.

"Thanks Mira-san! Where's Romeo-kun?" the young girl asks hyper.

"Wendy-chan!" Romeo yells pulling the girl into a hug and kissing her in front of the entire guild.

Macao, Romeo's father, gaps, "I never thought I'd live to see the day my boy falls in love! I am happy for them though."

Cana smiles behind her barrel at the young love, "Levy didn't you see that big metal lug is back as well."

Levy looks up blushing brightly, "Lu-chan I am sorry but I'll see you later!"

Lucy watches her best friend get up and rush over to Gajeel's corner to talk to the iron mage. Lucy decides to go to the bar since she didn't have anyone to talk to anymore.

"Mira…..Why didn't Natsu come home with everyone else!" Lucy pouts and whines to the former S-class mage, missing her pink haired idiot partner.

"That idiot burned down half the town. So he is making it up to them by building it for the next week." Gajeel grunts taking his drink to his corner, "Don't worry, He'll be home bugging us soon enough Bunny girl."

Wendy nodded and hugged Lucy, "Don't worry Lucy-san. Natsu will be home soon enough."

Lucy hugged the blue haired mage back but her mind wouldn't let the comforting words in, instead dark images of Natsu hurt or dying played in her mind, each one worst then the one before.

"Mira, I am going home." Lucy said walking slowly towards the door and then to her apartment.

"Luce!" a flying blue cat yells barring its head in Lucy's chest, "Can I stay with you this week, please?"

"Sure, Happy." Lucy says continues walking towards home and petting the cat's head, "Carla mad at you again?"

Happy purrs, "Aye. She didn't like the fish I caught for her!"

Lucy smiled down at the cat in her arms, thinking to herself 'at least I am not the only one with troubles in relationships.' At her apartment, Lucy almost wants to see Natsu sleeping on her pink bed to eating all her food, since it meant seeing him. But it wasn't going to happen, the goofball was going to be gone another week, another week without his laugh or that toothy grin, it was hell to Lucy.

"Luce… you don't look good. Are you thinking about Natsu?" Happy purred rubbing his head against Lucy's arm.

"Aye, Happy. I miss him very much." Lucy admits lying on her bed holding Happy at her side.

Happy looking at Lucy shocked but smiling, "You llllllliiiiiiiike him!" nuzzling her again while rolling his tongue.

"No Happy, I don't." Lucy sighing causing Happy to pout, "I love that stupid fire-eating boy. I love everything about Natsu."

Happy smiled greatly jumping up and down now, "Tell him!"

Lucy mumbling letting Happy go as well, "I can't he likes Lisanna. I wont stand between them."

Happy crawling on to the pillow next to Lucy's that she leave out for Natsu who will not stay out of her bed, "She cornered him once Lucy, about a month ago and tried grabbing his pants…"

"HAPPY! I don't want to know their love life! It's bad enough I keep hearing her talk about the wedding…" Lucy turns away from happy as tears start streaming her face.

"Luce… Natsu is still a virgin. And he doesn't like Lisanna. He always pushes her away when she gets to close. I….I was wondering Lucy… Can I call you mom? Like I call Natsu dad, can I call you mom? Can you be my mom Lucy?" Happy asked pawing away the tears and giggling at Lucy's face.

"Sure Happy, I mean son." Lucy sleepily mumbles pulling Happy close again while thinking to herself, 'Natsu pushes Lisanna away, huh?'

Happy waits till Lucy is fast asleep, he knows she is since she lets him go and grabs the pillow Natsu always uses. Happy smiles at that as he sneaks out flying towards the guild to tell Mira the good news.

-Fairy Tail Hall-

"Mira! I know how Lucy feels about Natsu now….. Can I have that fish now?" Happy asks landing next to the white haired former S-class barmaid.

"Tell me first, and then fish Happy." Mira asks putting the now clean glass down.

"She loves him. And I can call her mom now! And she loves everything about him too. So fish?" Happy drools.

Mira give the fish to the drooling cat and tries to think of a way to push them together.

(Time skip one year, Natsu's hanging in the cave for the week his dragon self wants to claim Lucy, its two days before the beginning of the story now, which is Cana's party!)

"Mira! I'm bored! Why isn't Natsu back yet?" Lucy whines playing with the ribbons in front of her, "It's been a week!"

"Four days Lucy!" the master calls out, "Why are you looking for him so much?"

"I don't know, I just miss him…. And it's too quite around here!" Lucy shouts back.

Mira now has her chance, remembering the request that asks for two strong mages to catch two thieves she has, that lists its additional information read:

Lucy and Natsu wanted for this, but any two mages will do. I knew Lucy since she was born and would like one last chance to see my shining star before I die.

Mira knew this mission was perfect for them, so she had hung on to it till Natsu was back and give it to him for him and Lucy.

"I say let him be out there. I can drink in peace now!" Cana calls out drunkenly to Lucy.

Lucy sighs and goes back to planning the party with Erza and Mira for the drunk brunette that was for her birthday. The master had taken Lucy's distractedness to sneak out to the cave.

-Cave-

"Gramps!" Natsu yells after being startled and now having to hide the toy he had against his heart.

"Natsu, feeling better? Not wanting to rip the town apart for Lucy still?" Makarov asked looking at the teen with blush on his face, "Feel like joining us for the next two days and Cana's party?"

Natsu nodded yes, "But I still need time to think about how to handle Lucy dating that nerd…." Natsu growled with venom in his eyes.

"Natsu for the last time, LUCY IS NOT DATEING THAT GUY!" Makarov hitting Natsu in the head while yelling at him.

"But…he was hanging all over here…." Natsu whining, but smiling in his mind that he had read things wrong and Lucy wasn't with that jerk.

"No Natsu she is down at the hall, whining about you not being home yet. That girl worried worst then any of my children, but only about you my boy." Makarov says helping Natsu up.

"Does she do it a lot? I mean whine about me being gone?" Natsu asked looking like a kid on Christmas.

"Yes Natsu, but no one has told her yet about this time. We felt it should be you that does that, but this year you tell her or I will. I cannot take another year of her pouting around the guild hall for two weeks asking about you always," Makarov rolls his eyes playful as Natsu starts to run to the hall.

Natsu stops and turns to look the master in the eyes, "This is the year Gramps. No more running from my mate!"