I'm sorry it took so long! But, I finished chapter 12. ALSO, today I turned 13! Wish me happy birthday! Anyway, yay! Huffah! This chapter is kinda weird. Sorry. It'll get actually good next chapter (for reals this time), so for now just be patient. If you guys want, I'll add in Natsu's adventures on his way to Cyprus (comedy potential! hehe inside jokes), so let me know in a comment. Review! Favorite! Follow! You should know the drill by now, guys!

Dedicated to WhiteWinterStar (haha not 12 anymore also thanks love you;). Special thanks to gwb620, narutofan96sasuke, FrozenFireLight (btw your name is just like super cool), nico2883, and OtakuLover43! I love you guys so much. Sorry for the delay. Without further ado, I give you Just Friends Chapter 12!

"Hey," someone said from behind me. I spun around, brushing a hand across my eyes. The purple-haired guy I'd run into earlier stood there, smiling at me. "You're Lucy, from Fairy Tail, right?"

I shrugged. It came back to me suddenly that I was still muddy, disheveled, and exhausted. "Yeah. If you have something in particular to talk about, can we do it tomorrow? I'm kinda, you know–" I gestured expansively at my general appearance with a grimace – "Gross, so I wanna go..." I trailed off lamely. I couldn't do it, I realized. I couldn't bring myself to call that hollow, identical apartment 'home'. "Back," I said at last. "I'm heading back to shower and sleep." Purple Head smiled sympathetically.

"I totally get it. It's just that you grabbed a job I had my eye on earlier, so I was wondering if–" I was already drawing out the sheaf of request papers and unfolding them.

"Which one?"

"Oh. The one for hunting down the pack of mutated wolves out in the woods behind the guild." He tapped a finger on one sheet, which was undecorated and had basically just the bare essentials. I handed it to him and folded up the other two. He stared down at it with amazement as I shoved the other two into my waistband and turned to go. "Are you really okay just giving this to me?" he called after me. I shrugged again.

"I have two others, and that was the cheapest of the bunch. I don't need it." I smiled at him over my shoulder, a real warm smile. I needed it, right then. It lifted a tiny corner of the burden weighing on my heart. "Go ahead and take it." I was almost at the guild doors when he called out again.

"Let's take this job together!" I swung around to face him, puzzled.

"What?"

NATSU

"Natsu, you're never going to make it, you know," Gray told me pessimistically. I ignored him and kept packing. "I mean, Cyprus is weeks away even if you take a fast train directly there! Come on, face it. You'll have to meet her some other way." I balled up the last piece of clothing and shoved it down deep into the bag. Piling the food Mira had made for me and Happy on top, I turned my deepening frown on Gray.

"You want Lucy to come back, don't you?" He crossed his arms, and I copied him. We stood there, toe to toe, fire and ice.

"Of course I do! But she's given you an impossible task, Natsu. You can't reach Cyprus in less than seven days. Riding a train for that long might kill you, anyway." I glared at him.

"Obviously you're underestimating my awesome skills! Besides, I'm not going by train. Happy's gonna fly me." Happy, sitting on Natsu's hammock talking to Lily, paused in his conversation long enough to salute.

"Aye, sir!" Natsu grinned triumphantly and puffed out his chest.

"So whaddya say to that, huh, Ice Boy?" Gray got up in his face and stared him down, an ominous aura surrounding his body.

"You lookin' for a fight, Flamebrain?" Natsu's self-satisfied smirk morphed instantly into a matching sneer, and he shoved his face back into Gray's.

"You ready to lose, Stripper Freak?" Both stubborn heads were hit resoundingly by Erza's metal-encased fists.

"That's enough, you two!" She placed her hands on her hips and frowned from one to the other. "Natsu, are you ready to leave?"

"Aye," Natsu mumbled weakly. Erza nodded briskly, smiling a little.

"Good. And Happy?" The small blue cat leapt nimbly from the hammock and summoned his wings, gliding with ease.

"Aye!" Erza slapped Natsu on the back.

"Good! Then go, you two, and bring Lucy back safely!" Natsu grinned determinedly and walked outside, fist held high. Happy flew just overhead, smiling from ear to ear.

"ALRIGHT!" Natsu roared, excited. The air around him began to shimmer with heat, like the space above pavement on a hot day. "Let's go get Lucy!" Happy grabbed his collar, and together the two best friends soared off into the sky. The Fairy Tail guild stood and watched and cheered with all their might, raising their index fingers and thumbs as high as they could reach.

"Fairy Tail!"

LUCY

"What? Why do it together?" He smiled, holding out the job. I crossed my arms uncomfortably and glanced between it and his face. "It's not a particularly big job or anything. You should really just take it."

"I know, but I wanna do it together. It'll be fun, and it's been ages since I've gone on a job with someone. I admit, I'm also curious to see your magic and the level of skill you have. Since you're from Fairy Tail, I assume you're good." I bit my lip, embarrassed and oddly irritated.

"Don't put me on the same level as the others at Fairy Tail," I said, unable to meet his eyes. My fingers clenched in my shirt. "I'm nothing compared to Natsu or Erza." Purple Head only laughed.

"Isn't everybody? Those two are incredible! I'm not saying you have to measure up to those two monsters. I just think you have more potential than you give yourself credit for. I saw you at the Grand Magic Games. You were fantastic. That crazy spell you did at the end of your individual battle – what was it called? Something impressive. Anyway," he continued, his face animated. I hadn't known one person could have so many expressions. "I'd really like to see you in action on a job. Please, will you tag along and help me out?" I sighed, flattered despite myself.

"Well..." I muttered reluctantly. "It can't hurt." He smiled widely, exposing all his teeth. It was a wolf-like action, and it sent chills down my arms. "I'm going now," I said, suddenly eager to put some distance between us. "I'll meet you in six days in front of the guild, okay? I'll just have to do these other jobs first." I patted the crumpled papers in my waistband. He smiled normally this time, and I told myself the feeling before had been nothing.

"Sure thing! Good luck." I nodded and left, walking out into the cool night air. It was dark, but the lamps dotting the street were lit, so I could see enough to get back to the apartment. As I went, I planned my week. I can do these two jobs in five days, and then we'll finish up the last job on the sixth day. On the seventh day, I can't leave until late afternoon, so I guess I can go sightseeing or hang out at Sabertooth. I should say goodbye to Holland, too. I told him I'd be staying a while...

I couldn't help relaxing a little at the thought of Holland's smiling face. He'd grow up to be pretty handsome. Soon, he'd have girls from all over crawling over him – he'd have to beat them off with a stick. I giggled, the sound ringing out clearly in the silence.

"What do we have here?" a silky voice murmured from the shadows of a nearby alley. I flinched automatically and spun to face the three men who emerged. They wore black beat-up jackets and torn jeans that sagged below their waists. One in particular looked more menacing than the others, his appearance more exaggerated. He grinned, making me feel slimy, and leered at me. Or, rather, at my chest. I flushed and covered my cleavage as best as I could. I should really stop letting Virgo pick out my outfits. "Hey, girlie," the leader said. "Want to have some fun with us?" I took a slow step backwards.

"No thanks. Could you leave me alone?" My eyes darted nervously from one to the next. "I'm kind of in a hurry. My boyfriend is waiting for me." A lie, obviously. But these kinds of thugs usually left girls alone if they said there was someone waiting for them, right?

"Aw, don't be like that," an underling said, reaching for me. "We just want to play a little, that's all." The third one nodded, licking his lips.

"Stay away from me!" I swung my leg up and kicked their leader as hard as I could in the groin, sending him crumpling to the ground. The other two backed up a little, wary. I noted with satisfaction that they kept their hands near their crotches in case I tried to attack one of them next. I allowed myself a small grin of triumph. But I forgot to pay attention to the man still on the ground.

"Stupid bitch," he snarled, staggering to his feet. In his hand glinted a knife. It was clearly recently sharpened, with a wicked edge and long blade. "You'll pay for that!" He lunged forward. I dodged, but not fast enough. It nicked my cheek, slicing the soft skin. I didn't have to touch the wound to know I was bleeding.

The three men laughed loudly. Their boss flipped the knife a couple times, obviously pleased with himself.

He won't be so smug for much longer.

"Oh, now you've done it," I said quietly. The men were still laughing. I took my time sorting through my keys, deciding which one to use. Not this one. Not this one, either. No, no, no... "I was willing to let you off the hook as long as you didn't fight back. So stupid..." I sighed. Honestly, using a key wasn't nearly as satisfying as beating them to a pulp myself, but I really wanted to take a shower. My shirt was brittle, like if I moved too much, it would snap. I had bruises I wanted to soak, too. "I don't have time for you jokers." The biggest, stupidest-looking one of the bunch poked the leader.

"Hey, Taga, she's saying somethin', and she's foolin' around with her keys." No, not this one either. Nope, no, nuh-uh. Finally, my fingers brushed against a particularly familiar key.

There we go.

I looked up, and grinned like I'd seen Natsu do before, when he was royally pissed off and ready to kick some serious ass. Or, as he liked to put it, "all fired up." Judging from the terrified looks I got, I looked insane, which was just the image I was going for. "Too bad, guys. Looks like time's up." I swept the golden key into the air in front of me and turned it in an invisible lock. "Open! Gate of the Bull – Taurus!" An enormous minotaur creature appeared between me and the thugs, arms crossed and muscles bulging. His axe was slung across his broad back as usual. He really was quite cool from behind.

He ruined it when he turned around. "Lady Lucy!" he mooed. "You look fabulous as always today!" I smiled uncomfortably at him. And you're perverted as always, old man.

"Thanks, Taurus. Would you mind taking out these bozos for me? I'm exhausted." I stretched and yawned, wincing at my sore muscles.

"I would be MOOOORE than happy too, Lady Lucy!" he bellowed, charging the three thugs. By this time, they were hugging each other and wailing for their mothers. I guess giant axe-wielding bull men do have that effect on people.

Two minutes later, I was back at the apartment building, unlocking the door of my temporary sleeping quarters. That was absolutely all it would ever be, because without the other idiots from Fairy Tail filling the rooms, it couldn't be home. Without them, home had no meaning.

Stupidly, I held my breath as I flicked on the lights, half expecting to see Natsu and Happy snoring away on my bed. But the room was empty, just as I'd known it would be. I stood there in the doorway for several minutes, just staring blankly at the bedroom.

I hated it. I hated this lifeless space that looked so much like my home and wasn't, never would be.

The bathroom was first. I tore down the shower curtains, balled them up, and threw them into the tub. Then I opened all the drawers and dumped everything onto the floor. Makeup, skin cleansers, hairbrushes, toothpaste, my toothbrush, everything was on the floor. Erza never cried her eyes out in this bathroom. Fiercely grinding the heels of my hands into my eyes to hold back the tears, I ran back to the bedroom and flipped over the chairs, kicking them until my toes felt broken. Gray never sat naked on these chairs. Finally, I turned to the bed. Comforter, blankets, pillows, and sheets all went flying as I ripped everything from the mattress. It was strewn all over the floor and it still wasn't enough. I heaved the mattress off the frame and threw it into the desk with a thump. Natsu never slept on this bed. Never did. Never will. Never.

It's not enough.

Gasping, I crumpled to the floor in the middle of the wreckage. The tears wouldn't wait anymore. I was tired of pretending this was okay. I wanted to go back home. I wanted it to be how it had been before. I couldn't remember why I had left in the first place. Why had I screwed up the life I had loved so dearly?

Why had I given up being with Natsu?

Ahhh, depressing stuff. But it gets better, never fear. I'll do my best to update soon. Oh, for all you GaLe shippers out there, (and those of you who know what's up and just haven't admitted it yet – ThatGuyYouMetOnce) I found the most amazing song to write a GaLe songfic for! It's called Irrelevant, by Lauren Aquilina. It's like it was written for Levy. I'm trying to write something for it, so I have a challenge for you guys: listen to the song and try writing a GaLe fic for it, and let me know! (If you really can't stand GaLe the way Grayza makes me want to vomit, you could try writing one for a different pairing.) I'd love to see what you all come up with.