Chapter 9:

A/N: Somewhere along the way I ran out of things to name my chapters, so just call it whatever you feel like.

I really love it when you guys leave me messages as to how to improve, however not all of them will be fulfilled. So try and make reasonable requests :) much appreciated.

Also I know that I've been laying off on the creepy side of my Lucy, so I'll be fixing that too. If you'd prefer that I make the story NaLu than Cronus and Lucy (CroLu?) then feel free to request :)

B

Here we go...

The harsh light of morning pierced through Lucy's eye lids as she slowly came to consciousness. It was warm in her bed, and she automatically thought of Natsu, but he hadn't been in her bed for a long time. A depression filled her till she felt the warmth shift at her side and an arm snake around her waist. Her head snapped to take in the blonde hair of Cronus and his sleeping face. Awww! He looks so CUTE! She smiled

"It's rude to stare," he grumbled as he buried his face in her pillow.

"Sorry, you're just so adorable when you sleep."

"As opposed to when I'm awake." He replied, she didn't even flinch just smiled wider her warm smile that would light up the darkest room.

"Exactly! When you're awake you're gorgeous rather than adorable." His eye peeked out from it's burrow in her pillow.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." He grinned as he pounced on her, rolling her onto her back and pinning her under his body. Giggling she wound her arms around his neck and looked up at him seductively.

Back at Fairy Tail Laxus and Gajeel were still updating the guild on what had happened with Lucy, it was clear they were still a bit scarred. Natsu sat in a corner being uncharacteristically silent and musing.

"Hey Natsu!" Happy floated over "Let's go fishing!"

"Not today, Happy. I'm not in the mood." Happy stopped mid-flight, Natsu? Not in the mood? Since when does Natsu have a mood other than fight and happy? Although fight and happy are pretty much one and the same to Natsu.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Erza walked over.

"I'm just thinking about Lucy... Was it us that made her like that?"

"No. It was the parasite." Erza stated, though she understood why he would think that. Lucy hadn't been the same since they'd told her to go solo.

Across the guild Laxus and Gajeel had stopped talking and were listening intently on what was being said and were slightly outraged at the audacity of Erza and how she could so easily pass off the blame onto a parasite. Turning to each other, they shared a look and stood, and exiting the guild headed towards Lucy's apartment.

Lucy stood in the shower letting the warm water rush over her body and letting the relaxation of Cronus being just outside and standing there, letting her muscles relax as she washed herself.

Cronus had much the same feeling as he stood in front of the stove and watched the omelette cook. He'd thought that after they'd had sex that the attraction would be gone, but to find her there when he woke, smiling down at him and the sun making her hair shine like she was some kind of angel was the greatest way to wake up. It felt great just to be with her, in her home.

A loud crash came from the bathroom, panic swelled in his heart as he dropped the egg-slide and raced to assist. Slamming open the bathroom door he quickly scanned the room, taking in the shower curtain that lay on the floor and the naked Lucy standing just to the left of it.

"Luce? Are you ok?" He asked, dipping his head to look under the bangs that covered her eyes. "Luce?"

"Lucy? We are not Lucy, not now." She muttered in a voice that seemed like there was more than one person talking at once.

"We?"

Lucy's head snapped up and she stared at Cronus. A smile came over her face that was somewhere between a grin, a sneer and a snarl.

"Gone again. Just us left. We must thank you though, you made us very happy." She strode past him into the bedroom and began putting her clothes on while simultaneously tossing some into a bag she had laid out on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Cronus asked, inching bit by bit closer to the doorway.

"We must not be here. You cannot tear us apart." It said, that voice sent shivers down Cronus' spine. Lucy had the deep tenor voice of a man, but simultaneously the soft soprano of a woman. It was beautiful but scary at the same time and confused Cronus beyond belief. Lucy's voice was in there, for sure. But it was mixed with others that didn't belong to her.

"Who is us?" He asked, this is my chance! I can get information from it now and help the master remove it.

"We are they who protect Lucy. You would be dead by now if you did not love her as much as we do. We do not believe you could harm her."

"How many of you are there?"

"There are many of us." Lucy's voice pitched and focused on the feminine octave, then sunk to the lower, male voice when saying "We are forever."

So there are two of you... interesting. So can they multiply? If so, how long would it take for them to take full control of her body?

"What do you want with Lucy?"

"We only wish to protect her. She has suffered much. We can feel her pain, it hurts us."

"Her pain?"

"And her rage, for there is much."

"She still hates Natsu?"

"Of course. Once love is lost it will never return."

"I don't believe that."

"You believe what you want, we do not care. You are but a meat sack to us."

"Gee, thanks."

"We must leave." Lucy's body took a step to the door, then another. Cronus stepped in front and did the only thing he could think of.

He hugged her.

"Please. Please don't take Lucy from me." Lucy's body went from rigid to lax right before she pushed him away.

"We apologise, Cronus. But this must be done. They must pay for their betrayal." And with that she was gone, closing the door almost silently behind her.