Thank you all so much for the outpouring of support! Both Kytrin and I are so grateful to have reviewers like you all. It was only supposed to be a reminder for people to give us some flexibility in regards to our update schedule. That being said, I'm going to be posting some art for later on in the story that's part of a collab with sorcerer_weekly. Her talented butt needs some luv.

Also we had a question about the titles for the last two chapters. Siren - because Natsu spoke. Hippogriff- well it was supposed to be thunderbird for the shit storm that happened but shenanigans happened between kytrin and I and for some reason hippogriff was put in the doc, so here we go. Can you guess why this one is Brownie?

I apologize for the delay in the chapter, I meant to have it out earlier but it was my brothers birthday and then kytrin and I stayed up writing pretty late. As for our undocumented fics, we may revisit one or two as oneshots.

Without further delay

THIS FIC UPDATES ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS: Post, Break, Break, Post!


CHAPTER 9

Brownie

Brownies are said to inhabit houses and aid in tasks around the hou


se. However, they do not like to be seen and will only work at night, traditionally in exchange for small gifts of food.

Lucy was quiet as she watched Natsu breathe evenly. She largely hadn't left his side in the two days since they'd arrived. It was easier than dealing with the guild she wasn't sure if she should hate or not. On the one hand she was furious and hurt to find out that her friends had lied to her for so long, and were loyal members of one of the guilds she'd devoted herself to destroying.

On the other, that same guild that had saved them from the Knights that had wanted to kill her and take Natsu back. Their healer, Porlyusica, had saved Natsu's life. The new scar on his abdomen was proof that she had barely gotten to him in time.

She sighed and shook her head a little, wishing she knew what she was going to do. There was a part of her that didn't want to stay, that wanted to broil in her righteous anger, but she couldn't quite shake the image of Erza saving her from the Knights she'd once considered comrades.

Of course, as long as Natsu was asleep that was a moot point.

"I hope you wake up soon." She murmured to the sleeping figure, "Maybe we can work on your speech and figure out what we're going to do now."

She reached out to gently brush a strand of hair away from his eyes when suddenly he shifted and his eyes fluttered open.

"Natsu?" She exclaimed, quietly, hope coloring her voice, and his eyelids fluttered in response. She half rose from her chair in excitement as he shifted a little and slowly his eyes fluttered open.

"Natsu!" She gasped, genuinely happy to see him awake again, and gripped his hand tightly, "You're awake!"

The demon blinked a little in confusion for a moment, but his expression cleared as soon as his eyes landed on her, and he reached up to brush her hair gently, "Lucy..." He purred happily, "Lucy safe?"

Her heart melted at his words and she sniffled a bit as she nodded, "Yeah. I'm safe Natsu."

His face relaxed into a smile, and Lucy felt her heart give an odd jump at the sight of it. If he smiled before, she hadn't seen it. But she had to say he had a very infectious one...

He cocked his head as he noticed wetness in her eyes, he huffed searching for the source of her distress. She imagined it was difficult for him, not having a full understanding of a human range of emotion.

He sat up, growling a little at the stretch and pull of his muscles. Natsu blinked and shook his head to clear it of remaining fuzziness.

Lucy almost pulled back when his hand lifted to press at her cheek, his non verbal words communicating by that gentle touch.

She had a feeling he was trying to ask if she was alright. Natsu, as it turned out, seemed to be developing into a very physical person.

Which made sense. He couldn't speak, so what other way could he learn to communicate with her?

"I'm fine," Lucy assured him, setting her hand over his and squeezing his fingers. She met his gaze and smiled at him, "I'm glad you're okay now. I was worried."

He frowned at that, his head tilting at her and his mouth opened. A frustrated noise escaped him before he closed it again. Slowly he leaned forward and pressed his nose against her shoulder.

Lucy smiled fondly despite his frustration, and rubbed her hand through his hair, "It's okay Natsu." She promised, "I'll teach you how to speak properly."

She scratched his head gently, giggling a little when he seemed to melt into purrs of pure bliss at the action. So much for the big scary demon act! She'd incapacitated him with head scratches!

Once she was sure he was no longer upset about his inability to communicate she sat back a little, smirking when that brought a soft whine of protest, "Okay Natsu, stay in bed. I'm going to get you something to eat and drink. Then we can work on your speaking alright?"

She laughed when he pouted at her, and ruffled his hair, but he made no move to stop her as she got up. Probably because she'd just promised food.

She slipped out of the infirmary, and made her way warily towards the bar. She trusted no one here except maybe Gray. And even he wasn't on the best footing with her at the moment. However, for the moment she needed Fairy Tail so she would tolerate it and keep her guard up.

"Lucy!" Gray exclaimed, his expression lighting up as soon as he spotted her, and got up to greet her, "How's Natsu?"

Lucy pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, "He just woke up." She told him grudgingly, "He's going to need some food and some fire."

"We can easily take care of that for you Lucy!" Mirajane chirped cheerfully from where she was tending the bar and kitchen, "Gray's told us how much Natsu likes to eat, so I'll make sure there's extra."

Lucy shifted awkwardly, caught between her disdain for the guild member and the manners her etiquette teacher had drummed into her head. After a moment she settled on an awkward little bob, "Ah, thank you?"

Mirajane just smiled brightly at her, as if she hadn't noticed the conflicting emotions in Lucy, and headed to the back.

Gray smiled, pleased by the exchange. It was still frosty by Lucy's standards, and he could tell she was still pissed, but it was miles better than he'd had any right to expect all things considered.

"You're welcome to join me while you wait?" He offered hopefully.

Lucy opened her mouth to say something, even though she didn't know what, to Gray, when there was a loud thumping noise over by the infirmary.

Somewhat thankful for the distraction, Lucy rushed off to investigate what it could be.

Only to see a frustrated looking Natsu, sitting in bed and attempting to scoot the whole thing through the doorframe.

She supposed he was technically still in bed even if his curiosity seemed to be getting the better of him. At the sight of Lucy though, his whole countenance brightened, but immediately fell at the severe look on her face.

"Natsu you're supposed to be resting!" She set her hands on her hips. Of course she knew he would be wanting to investigate all the new smells in their surroundings... and how he would be reluctant to part from Lucy.

They were the only ones they really knew, and at the very least Lucy knew she could rely on Natsu.

The demon.

How strange had her life become where the one person she felt like she could truly trust at the moment was a demon.

"Lucy!" Natsu whined at her, his fists balling up on the sheets. He pointed imperiously at the door and squirmed in the bed.

"Did he seriously just drag the whole bed over here?" Gray asked, peering around Lucy's shoulder. Natsu stiffened at the sight of him and scowled deeply. He crawled to the foot of the bed fire erupting around his fingers as he took a clawed shot at the mage.

Of course, bed ridden and rather limited to his orders as he was, Natsu's reach wasn't quite far enough, and all Gray had to do to avoid the weakened demon's attack, was step a little to the left.

"Seems he remembers my status as a Knight," Gray muttered.

"He'll learn the Knights aren't the problem here," Lucy said flatly and stepped forward to lightly rest her hands on Natsu's arm, "Natsu, rest. No more magic while you're still so depleted."

Gray frowned at her, "Lucy, it was the Knights that tried to kill you!" He exclaimed in exasperation, "And those doctors, half of whom are Knights, tortured him and would've killed you on the council's orders!"

"I don't believe that!" Lucy snapped back, suddenly angry, "The council wouldn't do something like that! Maybe there was some kind of conspiracy there, but I can't believe that the people I've worked with for so long would betray the ideals we swore an oath to uphold!"

She turned back around, trying to get control of her raging emotions, and brushed her fingers through Natsu's hair soothingly when he whined softly in worried confusion.

"It's alright Natsu." She soothed, and he sighed as he let her assurance wash over him. He'd obviously missed out on some things while he was sleeping. The popsicle might not be an enemy, but Lucy was distressed about something, and Gray was the only source he could see.

He growled a little at the dark haired Knight on principle, and curled his arms protectively around Lucy. She was his mistress, and tired or not he would protect her.

He blinked a little and then grinned brightly when Lucy giggled at his action. That was better. His mistress was happy, and that was all he cared about.

"My ferocious demon Knight." Lucy smiled, amused at his antics, hardly noticing as Gray left, muttering under his breath, and Mirajane re-appeared with a tray of food that immediately caught Natsu's attention.

He whined softly at Lucy and pointed at the fire pleadingly. He was really hungry and that fire looked delicious!

"Of course Natsu." Lucy told him, shifting so he could pounce on the food greedily.

Trying to convince Lucy of his very real need for fire as a source of food had been an absolute nightmare. Setting parts of her apartment a blaze had only seemed to make her angry, and for a while he had suspected she would change his name once more to "Natsu, no!"

His memory was still fuzzy from that time. He couldn't quite remember what he was doing at first. It was like he was sleepwalking, but slowly waking up the longer he was connected to Lucy.

It was strange, he didn't remember anything like this happening with his previous master. Still, he didn't remember much about him.

His hand skated down across his bare chest. Fingers skated over the injury on his side and over the black tattoos decorating his skin. These were new...

Maybe.

He grabbed a mug of something on fire and spicy, his tongue rolling out to lap at it. Eagerly, he hummed in the depth of his chest and dug in.

He kept his eyes following Lucy, feeling far more awake and focused than he had since she stirred his tomb. Natsu turned his gaze towards the bottom of his mug.

He supposed torture was good for waking someone up.

"So," Lucy spoke up, attracting Natsu's attention once more as he reached for a leg of some kind of meat.

Natsu cocked his head at her to show he was listening. He blinked when Lucy's hand lifted, poking at his forehead.

"Just how long have you been all here for? And just how long have you been faking?" Lucy asked sharply

Oh crap. Natsu shifted nervously in the bed.

Having held onto the dim hope Lucy wouldn't pick up on that, he wiggled back against the headboard.

He supposed it was only a matter of time before she asked, but Natsu still tried to stare blankly off into space to distract her.

"Oh no you don't!"

Lucy flicked his nose, prompting him to whine in protest, and his vision was suddenly filled with his mistress' stern expression.

"I'm serious Natsu. I want to know."

He sighed and shrugged, unable to really disobey the order to tell her, but not able to tell her what she wanted to know. He didn't really know either.

He caught sight of her disbelieving look and waved his arms a little frantically. It was the truth! He really didn't know exactly. He frowned as he glanced around for a way to convey that and patted his pillows.

"S-sleeping." He stuttered, attempting the strange word for the first time, "Then..." He frowned a little, trying to remember the correct word, "Not sleeping?"

Lucy's frowned shifted into the one he recognized as the one she wore when trying to solve a puzzle, "You were sleeping before, and then you started to wake up?"

He nodded, "W-wake up! Yes. Long time wake up."

She blinked in surprise at his words. He didn't blame her either. He'd never tried to speak so much before. Though the more he did it the more he kind of liked it. Talking was much harder than growling and whining, but it made communicating things a lot easier.

Especially when it made that little frown on Lucy's face clear away to understanding and she let him resume eating.

"That explains a few things I think." She told him, "Though it sounds like we still need to work on your speech. Have you never tried speaking before?"

He shook his head as he tore a chunk out of a juicy side of meat and swallowed it down in one gulp, "Understand Lucy... speak?" He cocked his head slightly and frowned a little, "Don't know... words?"

He gestured vaguely at the last, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say.

He supposed that wasn't necessarily true. He knew everything that his mistress could possibly want from him. So the knowledge was probably there buried in his skull somewhere. He understood words, but had no practice speaking them.

He didn't even know if his previous master had ever spoken to him. Even if he had, it would be a different language to be certain.

"I see" Lucy slid onto the bed with Natsu, her legs bunching up under her body, "So that probably means you can speak with enough exposure. You're already picking up words really fast."

Natsu couldn't help but feel his chest puff out in pride over her words. He didn't want to admit it to her, but he had spent several nights in a row just mouthing out simple words and her name while she slept.

He was happy he was able to say something to her. Even if his words sounded more like growls than anything else.

"Alright then!" Lucy grinned at him in a way that had him a little nervous, "If the problem is you need a wider vocabulary then I'll just have to teach you!" She declared, "We can start now!"

Natsu whined a little at her, but already knew what orders would be coming if he resisted,

"Lucy!" He pleaded, gesturing to the remainder of his meal and she waved at it absently.

"Yeah, yeah... eat up first." She grinned, pleased to have something to distract herself with, "We'll start afterwards."

He sighed gustily and resumed eating, but he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips anyway. Lucy cared enough about him to teach him how to speak. The thoughtfulness warmed his heart. She was the nicest mistress ever, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.

Not now. Not ever.

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"But Natsu guilds can't be trusted. No matter how nice Fairy Tail seems to be on the surface they will turn on us. Believe me. I know."

Natsu frowned a little, her words and Fairy Tail's actions not meshing, "How do you know?" He asked softly and cocked his head slightly, "Is it because of that Phantom thing the popsicle mentioned?"

Lucy froze completely at his words, and Natsu winced. Okay, whatever that was it was bad. He didn't need their connection to tell that he'd just hit the most tender spot he could. He felt panic rising in his chest when she dropped her eyes and sat down heavily. He'd really upset her!

He opened his mouth to start apologizing when a soft sigh escaped her lips.

"I suppose you would need to know if you're really going to understand." She murmured, and curled around herself in a way that made him want to rush over and nuzzle her with soft whines that it was alright and she didn't need to tell him anything. Really!

However, before he could move she began to speak.

"I was fifteen when it happened."