Hahahaha... I said I would be on time and that every chapter begins on Thursday... Hahahahaaaa... Week later...haha... ha... I have too much story ideas and it exploded on me... Enough about me, let's get on with this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hiro Mashima or his series

Chapter 14: Old comrades

Start!

Lucy immediately ran out of Natsu's room and shut the door behind her, blushing madly. She let her back lean on the door as her legs gave away and she knelt to the ground. Was she being dramatic? Yes. It was the first time someone called her as a 'girlfriend'. Even romantically claim her like that. (Sting has not romantically claimed her. Just Politically claimed). An idea popped up if whether Natsu started drinking again but that was pushed aside. Lisanna seemed to give off a friendly vibe, Lucy couldn't describe but it seemed safe, welcoming even.

The blonde heard footsteps grow louder and jumped to her feet as her heart quickened in fear, ready to bolt if the door behind her opened.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?" The stellar mage sighed in relief. It was just Erza. "Erza... You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?" Lucy questioned as she let her heart return back to it's normal tempo.

"Didn't you remember? Meeting Jellal?" This made Lucy's heart beat run a million miles per hour. It was one heart attack after another. Meeting a criminal was not helping it at all. "You were... serious?" Lucy added softly. Apparently Erza didn't hear what Lucy said as she began to tug Lucy, who was resisting to no avail, towards the exit.

They reached the front of the exit and Erza stopped to put on some iron cuffs on Lucy. "Rules are rules" She responded sorrowfully as Erza dragged Lucy out.

…

…

They were currently driving in a Mercede's Benz towards a location where Lucy had to be blind folded so she couldn't see where. Lucy began to think about her life. Were all underpayed guards this rich? She was underpayed but was never payed that way. Must be the curse of being rich before and leaving it behind. The curse of Jude Heartphilia Lucy mentally joked.

"We're here" Erza whispered as Lucy heard the engine die down and her blind fold being untied. The blonde sighed and slowly opened her eyes. Forest... This was the second time this week she's been going there. The first wasn't good. She was betting that this visit will be good too.

The door opened from Erza's side and she stepped out. Curiously, Lucy opened her car side door and got out to see Erza and Jellal, the blue haired devil himself, hugging. If Lucy had never seen or heard of Jellal's crimes, Lucy would probably say they would make the sexiest couple ever. Even have a purple haired child.

Lucy shook her thoughts. Not to be the time to start playing matchmaker, much less baby maker.

"Lucy meet Jellal. Jellal, this is my good friend Lucy" The redhead introduced as Jellal extended his hand to shake Lucy's hand. Hesitantly, she took it. The handshake was awkward since her hands were still cuffed tightly together but they eventually shook hands. It was cold but soft and gentle. It wasn't as hot or firm like Natsu's. Wait. Why was she thinking about Natsu?!

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jellal. I hope you aren't afraid because of my past reputation" Jellal said in a cool and calm manner. Yup, definitely someone most girls would fall for. Well, except Lucy of course.

"Lucy, likewise" Lucy firmly replied. She hoped her voice didn't falter. Erza was watching nervously. Probably hoping the blonde doesn't run away and judge her.

"I thought it would be nice to chat a bit" Erza stated as she pulled some stuff out like a picnic blanket and some plates. Were they really having a picnic here. In the middle of a forest?! "I always wanted to do a picnic with friends before..." Lucy heard Erza mumble as Jellal came to help her. He gave her a smile and a shrug. It seems he liked her eccentric behavior.

Erza lied the picnic blanket down and Jellal got the utensil out while Lucy got the basket. They both sat down cross-styled and Erza opened the basket. Sandwiches and Strawberry cake. Predictable Erza. As soon as the food got passed around, an awkward silence spread around.

"So Erza, when did you meet Jellal" Lucy asked to stop this silence.

"Us?" They both said in unison as they pointed to themselves. A bit of worry to add.

"Mm" Lucy nodded.

"Well, we were childhood friends back when we were – er..." Erza looked at Jellal to which he nodded. Great, Lucy pressed the wrong button in the conversation.

"Mirajane told you where most of the guards come from in Fairy Tail. Wars, abandonment, slaves..." Erza stressed the last part out. Lucy had indeed remembered that Mirajane had told her about that. Mira even mentioned Erza was a slave as a child. How could she forget!?

"We were slaves and we eventually brought our own freedom by force... I had been -stir crazy- at the time and... Well for the most part, we had all escaped that place and we met each other by chance after we went our separate ways from a terrible incident," Jellal continued.

"Oh yea, when we met at that clothing store, I saw you in a mask with baggy clothes and thought you were suspicious. You ran away from me which made me chase you and tackle you down until I took off the mask and saw your face." Erza chuckled at the memory.

"And then you pointed a sword to my face" Jellal added, laughing as well. Lucy sweat-dropped. This couple looked endearing but they are STRANGE. "What about you?" Jellal asked nicely. "Oh, me and Natsu are fine" Lucy replied without thinking. "Your... Together?" Erza hesitantly asked. Lucy had to mentally slap herself. Not the time to be thinking or saying anything about Natsu.

"Ah... I... guess?" Lucy said with an undefined answer.

"You didn't tell me?" The scarlet pressed.

"It happened so suddenly when you found me in front of Natsu's room" Lucy gushed. She really had to think before she said things.

Jellal looked at his girlfriend and the blonde fellow as they chatted. He smiled. "Hey Jellal, whats so funny?" Erza questioned, knowing that she was under the gaze of her boyfriend. "Oh, just how you guys get along well. I guess I don't have to worry about you." He answered honestly.

"What gives you that idea," The red head firmly said but her face betrayed her since she was blushing a deep red that matched her hair.

Lucy stifled a laugh. They were just so fun to laugh. Before the whole Lisanna break-up thing, Natsu and Lucy would act more or less like this. She began to wonder if they looked like a couple. Her train of thoughts screeched to a stop when she saw a bright gleaming light come from the bushes. That light was familiar. In fact, the light was shaped into a symbol.

That was weird, Lucy thought. The symbol looked like Mermaid Heel...

Wait... It IS Mermaid Heel's symbol.

"I think I forgot to bring some extra snacks from the car, I'll go get them," Erza started saying as she began to stood up only to sit back down since Lucy sprung to her legs.

"I'll do it, you did take me out so I should help," Lucy quickly said and ran towards the direction of the vehicle, exactly where the light was shown in.

The blonde kept on walking until she reached the bush which was conveniently on the other side of the vehicle so Erza and Jellal couldn't see them.

A cat-like figure peeped out of the bush. "Feelin' Spiffy?" She quietly whispered. Milliana

"We came to get you out" A strong voice spoke out quietly but surely. Kagura

"Girls!" Lucy squealed as she jumped on them and hugged them both tightly. They were the 2nd and 3rd closest friends at Mermaid Heel Lucy had ever had when she was in the army.

Kagura struggled and managed to get out of Lucy's grasps before sitting down cross-styled infront of a tree trunk while Milliana returned the hug.

"What are you doing here?"

"We said it before. We wanted to get you out!" Milliana spoke with a cat-like grin. Lucy was so happy she could almost cry. Her friends had actually came back for her. She could just go- An image popped up in her mind.

"Erm..."

Milliana cocked her head as if indicating why the blonde was hesitating.

"Are you going to betray us?" Kagura finally spoke. She was still too serious for her own good.

"NO! It's just that... Levy-chan is still stuck in the prison and I don't want to leave without her..." Lucy muttered loudly enough for them to hear. They both looked at her with eyes of understanding and sorrow filled their eyes. Never leave a comrade behind was their policy. Lucy had, in a way, made herself a diversion so some guild members could get away since they were pinned. Just because they left without her wasn't a bad thing. She wanted it.

"LEVY!" Lucy yelled. "What are you doing here? Couldn't you have left with the others while I stalled?"

"No way!, I would never leave a team mate behind." Levy said back.

"Tch...What an awful guild." A voice said. Lucy and Levy turned her head to the bars in front of them. A tall pink-haired, well-built, guard came into view.

"How is it awful!" Lucy demanded the guard.

"Because only one of you never left your friends side. Shows how much compassion your guild has alright!" The guard snapped back. The guards voice grew familiar. She immediately said without knowing "Natsu?"

Lucy shook it out. That was when she and Natsu first met. He was rude back then. Well, she would be too since they were practically enemies now.

She had to prove it to him. She will! Lucy will escape, she internally declared. It was just a small thing in the back of her head that wasn't following her declaration.

"LUCY? DO YOU NEED HELP?" Erza voice rang out loud. Lucy shuddered. This wasn't good. "I'M COMING, IT'S JUST TAKING A WHILE!" Lucy yelled back as she faced back to her guildmates. Kagura looked skeptical while Milliana was still smiling.

"I'm going to go stay with Levy..." Lucy stated out of nowhere.

Milliana and Kagura looked at each other before Kagura sighed in annoyance and brought out a tiny lacarima ball. It was tiny, like golf ball tiny. Usually, normal lacarima balls were just basketball or soccerball sized so this was especially tiny and only used for spy missions.

"Keep this. It's a signal so we will know your location and we can communicate with you that way." Kagura said quickly.

"Keep safe" She mumbled lowly as she turned around and began to leave in the opposite direction. "Til next time" Milliana bye'd as she followed Kagura and ran towards the forest with sprinting figures that were just barely visible.

Lucy waited until they were out of sight and returning to the picnic blanket, only to find that Jellal had vanished, and the picnic blanket was wrapped up and looked ready to go back into Erza's car. Immediately, Lucy felt nervous. What if Erza had tried checking up on Lucy and had saw Milliana and Kagura talking to her. This would be bad.

"Where's Jellal?" Lucy asked Erza nervously.

"He had to go. He can't stay in one place for too long" Erza replied in a matter-of-fact way showing no indication if she had seen Lucy's guildmates or not. The stellar mage decided to think of it as not.

"We leaving?"

"It's getting late so yes."
…

…

The whole car way there, Lucy felt sick to her stomach. Not because she was actually sick, but because of the guilt. She had lied to Erza, someone who wanted to just have a female friend to talk with, and her comrades with her real decision on why to stay. The guilt just made it worse as Lucy sulked with her blindfold still on.

It was kind of funny. If Lucy could see, she would probably look like Natsu with his motion sickness now. Stop thinking about him! Lucy told herself. It wasn't getting any better. She had began thinking of Plue, her doll that always went Punn pun that Natsu had won for her... Her thoughts still weren't getting better and she had kept having a fight inside her until they had reached back.

Lucy's blind fold was untied and her iron cuffs around her arm came off as Erza unlocked them. Lucy briefly rubbed her wrists as she realized she was inside the cafeteria of the prison where it was fully loaded with prisoners and guards chatting amongst each other. It wasn't until a pinkette walked up to her awfully close and literally stuck his face 1 inch apart from hers.

"Luce! You back! Did you miss me" Natsu gleamed at her with his lopsided, toothy grin. Jellal may of made a bunch of girls hearts melt with his pleasant and 'cool' attitude, but Natsu's was enough for her.

Lucy began to blush red. This wasn't good. Think of something to say...

"I WASN'T THINKING OF YOU AT ALL" Lucy practically yelled and lied. The conversations around the cafeteria practically stopped and all eyes focused on her.

Natsu pouted and said "Really?" Lucy quickly nodded and began to make her way towards the ladies room. On her way, Lucy heard Cana murmur:

"Poor Natsu, I always thought Lucy was better then being a tsundere~"

Lucy inwardly groaned. She was not a tsundere.

Little did she know, her lacarima ball in her pocket was recording everything.

Boom! Finally got it done!

Late... for over a week... I know, just pierce with me knives because that's what I wanna do to myself for not updating on time (Not really but I don't like it when I miss an upload schedule). Anyways, I think in about a few more chapters before we actually get to a contest which decides the faith of this story so stay tuned.

Like it, Hate it?

Question of the chapter: Who's your favorite Fairy Tail Character? (Mine is Jellal/Mystogan cause they are boss!)