SLAM!
Accidently, Lucy smashed the giant metal door rather roughly against the stone wall of the guild, eyes narrowed in a way that said she knew what was going to be going on when she walked through that door and she was going to stop it.
Her instincts had proven correct once again as chairs, people, and people in chairs with drinks flew all over the room. Vases and wine glasses and bottles of Champaign raced back and forth, casting dark shadows over the walls in the light of the many candles in the room, reflecting off the rock walls and over the heads of the partying, angered or irritated members. Back and forth, back and forth- until their queen bee raised her voice and started to scream profanity at the members, reminding them that there was a box of shame for a reason, gesturing to a stone cell that was somehow hanging by some line of incredibly strong rope. In it was a man with a beard and moustache, who looked down, hands on the bars and waved hello to Lucy.
"Hello, Virgil." Lucy dispassionately answered.
Natsu, Erza, Gray and Juvia looked on in disbelief at Lucy's handle on things. Odette and Jett, on the other hand, had heard their mother speak before in this manner and it was nothing new to them to hear a few slurs of curse words find their way off of their mother's lips. It was normal for her when the rebellious wizards were spewing idiocy and physically displaying it. Buzzle, knowing that it was time to leave Lucy to do her thing, ran off to go get attention from a few of the animal lovers that were located by the bar. Snacks! Free snacks! Muwahahahaha!
Erza noted that she was impressed by Lucy's handy work as Lucy threw a bottle right back at one of the newer guild members who was dumb enough to toss it at her. Natsu twitched at the sight, confused. A few seconds ago she was his regular old Lucy. After they had walked in, though, her anger had risen to the equivalent of him continuously sneaking into her house all night long. It baffled him and scared him to put it bluntly.
It was like Lucy was a less extreme Erza when angered. Even WITH all of the bottles she hurled and the stick ends of beer bottles she'd stuffed up noses it still wasn't enough to match a seriously peeved Titania.
Finally getting things to settle down, Lucy stepped up the staircase gracefully, much like the rich girl she had been brought up to be, lastly nesting her feet in front of the stone fence separating her and the ledge of the peak.
"Those wizards you see back there- the ones without our mark on their hands? Yes, them. Those are Fairy Tail wizards- friends of mine. And if I hear that ANY of you caused a ruckus or started a fight with one of them while I was gone, so help me I'll skin you alive and force your friends or pets to eat it for lunch!"
She hated speaking like that, but with the people she was "leading" it was kind of difficult to assert dominance any other way than threats they knew you could achieve. And if she threatened them with something she couldn't do, they knew damn well Korvich would do it for her if asked or seduced enough (if she even had to do anything to convince him at all, that is).
Listening to her rant and heading her warning, a few greeted them while others either watched them curiously or glared at them, envious of their relationship with Lucy or angered by another guild's presence.
After she saw that her friends were safe from everybody who didn't have a death-wish, Lucy proceeded to question where the "father" of her children was.
"Do you all know where he is?"
She was getting tired of asking, knowing that she couldn't keep her friends there much longer for fear that somebody would get ballsy enough to try something and end up getting killed in retaliation.
"I'm right here, Lucy."
The sudden hot breath on her neck made her shiver and gasp, quickly turning around to look up at the male before her. "K-Korvich!"
His hands were now on either side of her waist, grasping the fence behind her, a mischievous smirk along his lips. "I see you brought home some friends?"
She nodded, slowly reaching up and laying both hands on his chest. She could say nothing. Her lips went dry and her body started to shake from the close proximity of the wizard, who seemed to be enjoying every minute of her blatant weakness for him.
There were few knowing snickers coming from below, only to be silenced by the glowing spectacle of fire beside them- one that hadn't resonated from the candle that lit up the room. Their jaws dropped and they all brought their hands up automatically- defensively, and slowly nudged away from it.
Natsu stood there, his fire not quite yet out of control, but literally making him glow and light up the atmosphere all the more. His anger was not to Lucy, he concluded. No. It was this man who had seemingly trapped his Lucy in a provocative way, his hands running over her arms slowly, much like the way he had wanted to for so long.
Lucy flushed at the contact. Did it suddenly just get a little warmer in here? She pressed Korvich away, lightly whispering a "we need to talk" in his ear.
Confused by Lucy's sudden actions, he only nodded and raised an eyebrow, knowing fully well there had only been a few times before that she had shoved away his advances. There were few reasons why but all of which traced back to one thing.
Natsu.
Korvich turned to get a good look at the extra light in the room that he had ignored in his attempts to seduce the mother of "his" children. His arms were crossed over his chest and that glare…
Korvich shivered.
Now he understood why Salamander was so famous. But of course, what was he going to expect? There was a reason why he had wanted the unborn Jett and Odette- and that was because their genes were those of two of some of the most powerful wizards in Magnolia.
Natsu was not somebody he wanted to pick a fight with.
"Daddy!"
Natsu's rage was suddenly swung into full-blown confusion as Odette ran up to Korvich, swinging her arms around his legs and smiling sweetly up at him. Korvich smirked, making sure to watch Natsu from the corner of his eyes and he bended down to wrap his arms around Odette.
She may have been related by blood to Natsu, but HE was the one she grew up with. He had more of a right to be called "daddy" than the man truly responsible for the existence of the child. She laughed like the small young child she was and opened her arms wide up, hands opening and closing, signaling she wanted to be picked up. Not one to ignore his baby girl, he picked her up and spun her around. "Whoa, my little swan! How are you doing today?"
"I'm great, Daddy! I found out that I have two Papas! And that's better than one because it means Jett and I get twice the hugs and twice the love and twice the birthday presents and twice the adventure! Plus when I get a boyfriend he'll be twice as in trouble when he breaks up with me!" She proclaimed proudly, reaching up and giggling softly and she played with the cape that rested on his shoulders.
Ah, I see. So that's what Lucy wants to talk about.
"Natsu…"
The pink haired man stopped shaking as the stern hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around to see Erza standing there. "Something has occurred and Juvia is not feeling too well. Gray is bringing her back to the infirmary to check up on her. I'm going to go with and guard the door so no perverts try to enter, alright?"
Natsu found himself slowly nodding, which earned a worried look from Erza. "Natsu, please don't take anything that happens between Korvich and the children to heart. You must understand that this is the man that they have been raised to believe is their father all of their life. It must be difficult for Lucy, as well."
The two turned to look up at Lucy, who was leaning against the doorway of a hall, watching with this un-Lucy-like look upon her face, showing the world that there was something wrong.
"She never thought that she was going to see us again. She was convinced that this man was the only man these children would ever know as their father. And not that she's seen you again-"
"I get it." Natsu shrugged her hand off. "I'm going to go talk to her. You go get to guarding."
The red-head presented him one last concerned gaze before she turned on her heel and left to the infirmary.
"Lucy…"
The blonde turned to him.
"Natsu… I-"
"Lucy, I know. This guy was their Dad for the longest time, but…"
"But nothing… you don't have to do anything to raise them, Natsu. I'd like it if you were to visit them occasionally but besides that you're free to do whatever it is you want."
Natsu's eyes widened. Where did THAT come from? Did she NOT just see or experience the giant family hug we had an hour or so ago?
His eyes slanted. Ohhhhh no. Not THIS time, Lucy.
"Lucy I wanted this. I promised you before I left that night that I would take care of them and raise them with you."
"But that didn't mean you didn't have feelings for Lisanna anymore."
Natsu was now taken aback, gaping openly at what she just said before retorting back with a "Wh… What da huh?"
She glared up at him, pain coursing through her veins, free-loading a ride on her blood vessels. Natsu could see it. As always, Lucy's emotions were always clear so long as you were looking her in the eyes. "Natsu, don't play dumb. I'm the only reason you two broke apart and you know it! Haven't you been dating her since I've been gone?" She questioned, pretty confident that she was right. What the hell? You weirdo! The second I saw you I KISSED you! You KNOW I don't go around doing things like that!
"Oh yeah? Well what about you and Mr. Mysterious, huh?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.
"Natsu, that is different. He's been holding me captive! I've been here because I was FORCED to be for the sake of my children! And what am I going to do? Just raise kids with a man I have no ties to? Do you realize how dysfunctional Jett and Odette could have ended up had they not seen Mommy and Daddy kissing just a little bit?" He didn't need to know what the two of them had done behind closed doors, purely as an outlet At least, not yet. "I was fully convinced that by the time I saw you again- if I EVER did- that you and Lisanna would be married and have a child of your own, anyways!"
"Lucy I never gave up searching for you! I didn't even try to get what I had with Lisanna back! The only thing that was on my mind was you and the kid!" He stopped, pouting really quick "which actually turned out to be two…" He turned back to the already astonished Lucy, determination and fire in his eyes, just like the old Natsu she knew and loved (oh so dearly). "I want you back, Lucy! We all do! I WON'T leave this place without you and the kids, you hear me? And if that jerk in the black over there has a problem with it he can take it up with ME!" Lucy stood there, jaw dropped, eyes wide at the sudden (quiet) outburst from her former lover. His hands were in fists as he dropped every single emotion he had into each individual word, voice full of passion.
"Natsu…"
"Lucy?"
The two turned their attention to Korvich, who was approaching cautiously. "You asked to have a word with me?" The blonde hesitantly nodded, looking at Natsu, who stared back at her before glaring at the male leader, walking away in a huff.
"Korvich, I have a question that I need answered."
In the background, Natsu was mauled by an excited Odette and an enthusiastic Jett, both pulling him the play the same game.
"Yes?"
"You remember why it is that Jett and Odette are" she stopped timidly "alive, right?"
"Of course. I spared you from being separated from your children or killed under the deal that you would live here and that they would grow here."
"Well…" Lucy thought for a moment before laughing nervously. "You never exactly said that they needed to be fully grown adults… and you also never said how LONG I would live here."
Korvich sighed, closing his eyes. "You want to leave, don't you?"
Lucy gulped. Was she that easy of a person to read?
"Korvich I know what I agreed to but-"
"Go right ahead."
"Eh?"
Lucy's jaw dropped and her eyes went blank as she stared off into his face, or more specifically, space. "Wh-what?"
"You can leave."
"What? Why?"
He smirked. "Lucy, you're a master, now. You can go wherever you want to go. And so long as Odette and Jett remain loyal to this guild whenever we need them, that's all we wanted."
"Wait!" She screeched, confused by his logic. "Then- then why have we LIVED here all this time?"
"Simple. They wouldn't put their hearts into helping people they hadn't known or loved. We are now recognizable as family to them. They would assist us in a heartbeat because they wanted to. All we were after was the loyalty of a very powerful wizard- and we ended up with two who even address us as 'aunt' and 'uncle' or 'papa'." Lucy twitched.
"So… as long as they are available to fight alongside you when they come of age… then you have no problem letting us walk out that door?"
"As long as I get letters from the children who are basically MINE, yes!" He pouted, crossing his arms and hanging his head just enough so she could still clearly see his narrowed eyes and puckered lips.
And there was the childish side to him again that she had grown accustomed to.
"Oh thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!" She jumped up and down. "I'll go let the kids know right away! We'll start packing!" She turned to leave, only to feel something wrap around her wrist firmly.
"Wait a minute, Lucy."
"Huh?"
Natsu moaned out loud. "Dang it! I lost AGAIN!"
How the HELL were these kids so good at blackjack? BLACKJACK!
The two of them snickered. "Twice in a row you lost, Daddy."
"You've gotta' get us some of Mommy's famous caramel strawberry fudge cookies!"
It had been difficult to ignore the fact that Lucy and that bastard who had kidnapped her were talking so quietly to one another. He could be doing ANYTHING! But then he rested on the thought that Lucy was a strong woman and if she needed anything he could hear her clear as day even if she was muffled and gagged.
Natsu groaned. "Well, where are they?"
Both of them looked at each other, shrugging. "I don't know!"
"Just ask Mommy, she hides them from us! She'd know!"
Natsu smirked at his kids, getting up, not even bothering to dust himself off from sitting on the unclean floor (did being recalcitrant mean they couldn't clean?). It was still a shock to him that his children were so close to the way he had imagined them, both a perfect mix of Lucy's vanity, his stubbornness, Lucy's loving nature and his naturally upbeat mood. He had only known them for an hour and he already loved them. No, scratch that. He always had loved them, right from the moment he had peeked in Lucy's window at the right moment to see her staring blankly at a positive pregnancy test.
They were his kids.
They were the kids that were created between himself and Lucy, they had united together in the way he had always wanted to and created the family he had always wanted. But he wasn't just glad it was any old girl he created a loving family with. No, it was Lucy. Lucky Lucy Heartfilia (he was really the lucky one, here!). They were his family, the people he loved more than anything. And he was going to keep them by his side at all costs- even if it meant bashing some haughty dude's nose in a couple hundred times before he got the point.
Jett was his little dragon.
Odette was his little princess.
Lucy was his-
….
No.
No. There was absolutely no way that he was seeing this- not after he just got her back.
Lucy gasped, pulling away from Korvich slowly and daintily, at a loss for words as he chuckled down at her. "Of course, I expect you to write to me too, Lucy. You've been my partner in this guild for so long, and don't think just because you're away you're relived of your duties as the queen bee." He gently caressed her cheek, thumb tracing her bottom lip softly. It was still a little slippery. "Because no matter what, I'll always be there for you, and I'll always be willing to take you in if something goes wrong."
She nodded, a warm smile coming over her still shaking lips. "The same goes for you, Korvich. You always have a home with the children and me, wherever we go." He nodded, turning and walking away with a smile as earnest as hers on his lips.
Lucy watched his retreating form, coughing to herself to clear her thoughts before she turned around to face Natsu and her children, who were all sitting quietly playing some kind of card game. The children seemed to look slightly cross at their father, and she took this as him probably winning without mercy.
Oh Natsu… so immature, even for a fully grown man.
"Odette? Jett?"
She made her way over cheerily to the threesome, seeing their heads perk up.
Natsu didn't move an inch or look at her.
Lucy took note of that.
"I just spoke to Daddy-"
At the bemused looks her children gave off as they looked at Natsu, she sweat-dropped.
"Umm… Daddy Korvich."
"OOOOOOHHHHHH."
"And he said that we were free to go! Grab Buzzle and let's get packing!"
"Huh?" Odette raised her head to look up. "Free to go where, Mommy?"
"Fairy Tail."
Natsu finally perked up at this, turning around. "He… he did?"
"Yep."
"I don't have to punch his teeth out?"
"Nope."
Any sign of Natsu's strange behavior was gone as he jumped up, locking his arms securely around Lucy, squeezing just enough as to provide a channel for his feelings but not tight enough as to choke her. "That's great!"
In the background, Gray and Juvia and come out and were both just standing by, watching as Erza participated in the throwing of chairs.
Fairy Tail's Strongest…
"Honey! I'm home!"
Gajeel promptly spit out his drink.
Mira-Jane broke a glass.
Cana choked on her beer, coughing roughly, holding throat.
Lisanna tripped and nearly fell, catching herself and the dishes as fast as she could, balancing on one foot, plates in both hands and on her foot that wasn't planted to the ground.
Aina peeked up from her book to see what was happening, curious at the commotion that was stirring up the entire guild.
"LUUUUCCCYYYYY!"
A sobbing Levy pushed and shoved her way through the crowd with no issue, jumping up and glomping the blonde that was before them, clad in a white tank-top with a half-red half-orange half-sweater over it, a tight pair of jeans covering her legs. Her bags were over her shoulders and beside her stood a proud-looking Natsu, a softly smiling Erza, and a happy Gray and Juvia. The two girls swung around for a good five seconds before Levy's feet one again came in contact with the ground. By this time the entire guild had come to crowd around the strongest team in Fairy Tail, cheering and screaming Lucy's name in pure bliss that she was back.
Fairy Tail's Strongest…
Okay, so I actually had a rough draft of this and this is pretty much the "movie" adaption of that draft. There were a lot of things included in the rough draft that weren't in this chapter that weren't put in either for the sake of keeping it T (ex. For humor purposes only Lucy walks in on Juvia and Gray… in the infirmary… if you catch my drift.) And there are even some concepts about Odette's and Jett's personalities that were taken out for the sake of moving the story along at a smoother pace (ex. Odette was refusing to believe that the pink idiot was her real Daddy and Natsu even BEING their dad was revealed to them at a much later time. Jett had been suspecting it because his similar hair color and Odette was PISSED at Korvich for kidnapping Lucy because when she finally accepted Natsu as being her father she was upset that he hadn't been there all her life… because Korvich kidnapped the pregnant Lucy xD) It's written like a script so I can't post it here. LOL
Well I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
I had a sudden kick to write it and just… went all out! XD I really am SO thankful for every review I've received from all of you! Thank you so much!
And I'd also like to thank my dear friend VocalAurora who is actually a close friend of mine in real life for looking over my work and checking it for errors and to see if it's any good! ^^
You should check out her story "Faithful Tears". It's really good! :D
Yes it's another NatsuxLucy! ^.^
Thank you guys for reading! Let me know how I'm doing!