Holy Cow! I forgot all about this site and you all still waited for me to update… *tears* I feel so loved… and I ruined it by not updating… *Whaaa!* There isn't much in this chapter, sadly… :(

WARNING: Sorry if the formatting is a bit strange... I copy-and-pasted this from Google Docs. Also, can I get a Beta? Like, seriously... I need someone who can catch my mistakes...

Chapter 3

The air was tense as Cobra stared down Team Natsu with venom in his eyes. He could still easily remember the humiliating defeat he had under their hands; hard not to when you've got an entire jail cell to yourself and a sleeping Midnight as company. Still, he refused to raise a hand. He had to, no matter how much he wanted to punch each and every one of them. The magic counsel only had jurisdiction in lands that hadn't outlawed Magic… since Fiore allowed magic use, if he went against their rather direct order, he'd be back in a cell.

"Does Lucy know you are visiting?" Cobra asked with a twitch of the eyebrow. He already knew the answer- they were very loud with their thoughts after all- but he thought it was more polite to ask. Sadly, his politeness didn't get noticed by the Fire-Dragon Slayer who decided it was much more polite to start throwing fireballs around inside a house that doesn't belong to him. Cobra made use of his already exceptional hearing and just moved around in the onslaught of fireballs to avoid them, never raising his fist. This seemed to strike something in the youngest dragon slayer as he heard her thoughts of 'wait… he's not…?' and Cobra mentally prayed that the blue haired girl would speak up. Sadly, her meek voice didn't get heard over the sound of Natsu's roars and… Cobra did a double take at the walls of the house. Why were they not being burnt alive…?!

That's when Cobra noticed very faint writings on the walls and Cobra made a mental note to ask Lucy about any script or rune mages she knew. To resist a fire-dragon slayers magic… the mage must have been insanely strong… it was food for thought at a much later time. Right now, Cobra had a pissed dragon-slayer trying to torch him and he wasn't about to let that happen. He was just thankful that no one else had joined in the fight.

"Oi, Flame-Brain!" A man who had managed to strip down into his boxers in less than three second was glaring at the fire dragon-slayer with a burning in his eyes that seemed almost ironic when given the fact that the man was an ice-make mage. "No attacking Lucy's guests!"

"You even remember what these guys did?!" Natsu hissed out, "He and Midnight both! I'm not forgiving them!"

"Just because you won't doesn't mean that Lucy hasn't. You seem to forget some days that she truly has the world's biggest heart." A woman that Cobra recognized easily as the scarlet-haired equip mage, Erza, frowned and held onto Natsu's arm. "If she's willing to forgive and forget, then let her."

"I agree, Natsu!" The air dragon-slayer's weak voice piped up, "but you're going about it in the wrong way! Just hold them there until Lucy comes back!"

"Why don't you listen to your peace keeper, flamie." Cobra grinned. He was liking this immensely. If everyone could avoid killing him until his 'care-taker' (Cobra blanched at that thought) arrived back at her house, then it would be Cobra one and Team Natsu Zero. That was a nice thought; getting a one-up on a group of people he really didn't like…

Thankfully, Natsu refused to listen and Cobra decided that he had enough to justify 'self-defense' if he got into trouble, which he most likely would since Lucy would take her friend's side and then he'd have to go in front of the Magic Counsel and then try to defend himself only to fail when Cobra realised that the Magic Counsel didn't like him and that they were, sadly. bias when making their decisions. Why they even let him and Midnight go off, Cobra kind of wanted to know.

Cobra sighed at his train-of-thought and realized that he was actually being more depressing than he normally should have been.

"Fight back, you stupid poison man!" Natsu hissed from his place in Erza's iron hold. Sadly, that iron hold did nothing to deter the fireballs that were coming at him from a dragon slayer that Cobra was half willing to bet was foaming at the mouth. It was fun, actually. Being able to have a fight (even if he couldn't fight back without getting put back into a jail cell in the Magic Counsel) without having to be supervised by the Magic Counsel and being told that he must be hit oh-so many times because 'this is training practice and you're the live dummy. You're supposed to be hit because it's how the student learns.' Here, he didn't have to be hit repeatedly without the support of his magic in order to make Natsu grow and learn.

Cobra smirked at something he heard Natsu think. Natsu's subconscious mind really was intelligent, but sadly the thoughts didn't often translate to common sense. Perhaps he could see if there was a way to make Natsu realize what his subconscious was telling him; it'd be a much better fight if Natsu's subconscious thoughts were actually what he did. Using false thoughts and layered thoughts would provide Cobra with a good challenge and Natsu with a much better fight. Heck, using dragon roars as a distraction could even be decent in a fight if performed properly.

"Natsu!" Erza's voice dropped a few octaves and Cobra felt a chill of fear run down his spine. "Stop fighting!"

"Y-y-yes ma'am!" Natsu squeaked- purely and truly squeaked, much to Cobra's amusement- and went semi-limp in Erza's hold.

"Cobra and Midnight are Lucy's guests!" Wendy's weak voice seemed to carry in the air and it was then that Cobra noticed that Midnight was in the kitchen doorway and staring at everyone with eyes wide open and with his mouth just ever so slightly agape; and Cobra had to stop himself from thinking that Midnight was way too adorable for his own good. Keeping with that train of thought could be dangerous, Cobra tried to convince himself, but he just couldn't help but stare. Thankfully, there wasn't any fighting going on and Cobra could indulge in the sweet sight of- Cobra mentally slapped himself and told himself that the next time he thought of Midnight in such a manner as 'cute or adorable' he would physically slap himself.

"...I don't want to ask." Midnight yawned from his place in the kitchen doorway, "Do you know where Lucy went off to? I'm curious as to where the bathroom wandered off to…"

"It's down the hall and to the right." Cobra sighed, very much used to Midnight's terrible sense of direction. It was hard to believe that someone which such a horrid sense of direction could even find his way back to the kitchen without getting lost for eight hours straight. Then again, Lucy's house wasn't really… a maze. One could stand in the living room and see everything there was to see in the house, which was actually a little concerning if Cobra was going to be honest.

Midnight nodded at the directions and walked down the hall… and to the left and right into the closet and had an ironing board fall right on top of his head. It was mean, but Cobra couldn't help but laugh alongside Wendy and Grey. "I said right, not left!"

"I knew that!" Midnight huffed, even if the huff was soft enough that no one but the dragon-slayers would have ever been able to hear it, and turned around, only to walk right into Lucy's room and complain about not being able to find the shower. Cobra politely excused himself from the living room and walked over to Midnight and dragged him into the bathroom.

"You said right!" Midnight complained, "that was behind me!"

"You have the worst sense of direction then anyone I have ever met before!" Cobra frowned, "now, go take your shower. I'll make sure that Blondie's friends don't destroy her house." Cobra grinned at this and turned back to the fire dragon-slayer; an evil plan set in stone in his mind.

- Lookie, new skip! -

Walking into her own house, Lucy wasn't surprised to see Midnight curled up into the side of surprised her was that Cobra, Natsu, Erza, Grey, and Wendy were all drinking tea and sitting on the couch with a lovely purplish-brownish bruise welting up on Natsu's cheek and a very satisfied grin on Cobra's face. Wendy was playing around with Midnight's hair, braiding it and putting it into ponytails. Grey was without his shirt, which wasn't too bad compared to other times he was lacking articles of clothing, and was telling Cobra about some mission that the group had gone on that hadn't ended into total destruction. Erza was sitting on the couch looking all regal and stiff, but it was clear to tell that Erza was relaxed by the slight, somewhat fond, smile on her face. Mid

"I'm not complaining…" Lucy started, but trailed off when Cubellios decided that she had enough of being a necklace and flew over to Cobra, wrapping herself around his wrist.

"Ah, lucy!" Erza had one of her 'I-might-be-causing-pain-soon' smiles on her face and pointed at Cobra and Midnight, "Did you invite them over?" At Lucy's nod, Erza prompted why.

"They are under my care for who knows how long since the Magic Counsel dumped them on me." Lucy prayed that Natsu or Erza hadn't entered her bedroom in an attempt to snoop around. She didn't want to explain the part of 'traveling without you all' to them. Especially Natsu. The last time she had tried to take a solo-mission, Natsu had broken down into a depressed heap that just about molded to the guild tables. The only way to get Natsu back to his usual old self was to promise him that she wouldn't take a mission again without telling him first and extending the offer to join.

"That was a terrible description of Natsu, Blondie." Cobra had a disgusted look on his face and Lucy just about slapped herself on the face for having forgotten that Cobra could hear thoughts due to his sound magic. Speaking of which, wasn't being a dragon-slayer and having sound magic kind of over kill? Lucy stopped herself from thinking of why he chose to learn a second magic- she could understand a little too well. She was a celestial mage, after all. She never liked having to just rely on her celestial friends.

Cobra just shook his head and Lucy sent him a half-hearted glare; one that Erza and Grey easily understood and they nodded in sync.

"Just make sure to Lucy safe, got it?" Grey had directed the question to Cobra but Midnight spoke up and told everyone to quiet down and that his worries were for naught as they would have to protect her or else they'd be back in the Magic Counsel's jail cells. Lucy frowned at this and shook her head, adamant about not needing to be protected.

"I'll be fine! I'm not a porcelain doll!" Lucy resisted using her self-dubbed Lucy-Kick on everyone and was about to suggest that everyone leaves when Natsu sparked back to life and started trying to pick a fight with Cobra and Midnight.

"Raaagh! Fight me you two!" Natsu hissed with a thin trickle of fire spewing out from his mouth, "Luce, you said you'd tell me first when you get a solo job! 'sides, why'd you leave the guild? I thought we were family!"

"We are!" Lucy quickly spoke up, already foreseeing how this was going to go and mentally prayed that Erza would knock out Natsu if he started rampaging around. "I just need a bit of a break from that family! I still love you all and we're all still friends, but I kind of want to go and do things on my own for a bit!"

"Then why are Midnight and Cobra coming with you?" Natsu glared and Erza tensed, readying herself incase Natsu decided that 'violent' was an appropriate course of action against the two offenders.

"Because I agreed to take care of them!" Lucy yelled. She didn't want to keep running in circles with this line of thought.

"Why?! They tried to kill you! They tried to kill us!" Natsu pointed at Midnight and Cobra, "Why would just let people who have tried to kill you stay with you?! What makes you think they won't try to kill you again?!" Natsu had valid points, Lucy had to admit, but she had set her heart on this.

"Because they haven't yet and I trust them." Lucy huffed, "I didn't know you and I trusted you not to kill me."

"That's different! I didn't try killing you!" Natsu frowned, "you're not making any sense Luce, have they done something to you?"

"Other than wake me up at some odd hour of the early morning? No." Lucy frowned, "Can you all leave now?" She had been wanting to ask this question since the moment she saw them all sitting on the couch and drinking tea. It wasn't that she was upset about her tea supply (Loke would thank them if he knew they had drank the catnip tea), she was actually glad they were all trying to not kill each other; although the bruise on the side of Natsu's cheek was telling a different story. She just wanted to have one last day of peace before the multi-country trip begun. Was that really too hard for the gods to get right?

"Heck no!" Natsu growled, "I'm not leaving you too-" Erza had enough of Natsu's complaints (that were again, still rather valid) and hit Natsu straight in the center of his head.

"Lucy says she'll be fine! She'd a strong mage! Trust her!"

"I do trust her," Natsu grumbled under his breath, "I don't trust them!"

"We're not going to attack Blondie. After all, she's the reason we're not staring at a cell wall all day and going insane. Tell me, why would either of us want to attack her?" Cobra frowned in irritation, "I think you're being illogical and having issues regarding her friendship. Didn't she just say that you all were still friends?"

"Yeah, but-" "Blondie is taking a Communication Lacrima with her, so why don't you use that to talk with her every now and then? Doesn't that work for checking up on her?" Cobra sighed and sent an exasperated look at both Natsu and Lucy. He was beginning to understand why Lucy didn't want to have to face Natsu. He was kind of possessive about his friends- thankfully Cobra had the added bonus of being able to hear his thoughts and knew that Natsu wasn't trying to be controlling. It was just abandonment issues and Cobra could relate to that. "If you can talk face-to-face with someone like that, it doesn't feel quite like a long distance between people."

Cobra also seemed to have a bit more patience with Natsu then Lucy. While she was ready to Lucy-Kick the fire dragon-slayer out of her home, the poison dragon-slayer was actually trying to keep the place peaceful- or as peaceful as it could be when Natsu was wanting to destroy both him and Midnight.

"I guess…" Natsu seemed to just deflate right there, "Can I not talk you out of this, Luce?" At Lucy's disapproving look, Natsu sighed and mumbled his apologies for attacking Cobra and Midnight.

Cobra ruined the mood by telling Natsu that if Erza hadn't stepped in when she did, Natsu would have gotten his rear handed to him. Angered by this, Natsu said he took back his apologies and moved to attack Cobra, but was stopped by a well-placed fist to the head, courtesy of one upset Erza Scarlet.

"I said no more fighting!"

"Yes ma'am!" Both Natsu and Grey responded simultaneously from years of the abuse. Taking this as consent, Erza grabbed Natsu by the back of his shirt and stood up, motioned for Grey and Wendy to do the same.

"I think we have over stayed our welcome. Lucy, if you want to leave without too much troubles, I'd suggest you leave sometime between now and early tomorrow morning." Erza left the rest of the sentence off since it was pretty obvious why they had only so long to get to the next town as Natsu was still glaring at Cobra and Midnight. "I can only hold him for so long and Guild Masters word won't stop him from leaving to search for you."

With that said and done, Erza dragged a semi-limp Natsu out the front door and down the street. It was silent for all of three seconds before Cobra burst out laughing alongside a slight chuckling Grey.

"I'll try and help Erza keep sulfur-breath in check. Try to be quick; Master most likely has the Rune Knights no speed-dial for Natsu-Watch." Grey rubbed the back of his head, and at Wendy's yelp of 'clothes' did he notice he had managed to strip himself down to his boxers again. Quickly gathering his clothing, Grey followed Erza out the door after putting everything on and grabbing Wendy.

It was silent again for a few seconds before Cobra couched to grab Lucy's attention and pointed to a tea cup that was still mostly full.

"In the mood for tea?"

Midnight had no troubles laughing openly when Cobra ended up face down on the floor next to the couch and sporting a footprint that matched Lucy's shoe.

- END -

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