So busy with work... Can we just skip school and go straight to having a good job and happy family?

Kay, dream on! New chapter here! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail! It belongs to Mashima Hiro!


Chapter 21

Still Lucy's POV

Lia's staring at her guild mark using the mirror. I come up behind her and she says, "I can't believe this is real."

I laugh and stand next to her in front of the mirror. "Believe it. You're one of us now." I know exactly how she feels. I remembered I was so excited and showed Natsu my guild mark but he wasn't interested and calling me Luigi instead – that annoyed me.

"Yup you better get used to us too." A male voice says from behind us. We turn to look - it was Natsu and Happy sitting on the couch.

"This is my apartment!" I scream and give a Lucy-kick to Happy and Natsu. "Why do you always come in uninvited?" At the same time, Erza, Gray, Wendy and Charle walk into the apartment.

I slump down on the chair, holding my head with my hands and sigh, "There is no privacy in my own apartment." I apologize to Lia, she would have to deal with this every day. She shrugs; she doesn't seem to be bothered. 'Wait for a few weeks, I bet it will get to your nerves, Lia.'

She starts fidgeting, and when she does that, it means there's something she wants to ask. Finally she says, "Umm, Lucy-san. HowshoulIpayderen?"

I look at her, "Huh?" 'What did she say?'

"The rent?" She says in a small voice.

I look at her and chew the inside of my cheek. That's what she's concerned about? Then I say, "Oh it will be cheaper if-" but she cuts me off from nervousness, "We can split the rent in half between the two of us so it will be cheaper? It's no problem I will find a job and pay half of the rent?" The way she ends her sentences like a question shows she's uncertain and nervous. That's quite cute.

I smile at her and chew the inside of my cheek, thinking. Then I nod, "Yes that would be best. The rent in total is 80,000 jewels so we would be paying 40,000 jewels each." I see her sigh in relief. I look up remembering, "The rent used to be 70,000 jewels but the landlady increased it." Tears roll down my face. 'Landlady is greedy.'

"So shall we go on a job?" Gray asks. "I'm getting bored."

"Yeah I found one, I came to tell Lucy but she kicked us" Natsu says, shoving a piece of parchment in Erza's face.

"Oi, easy there..." Gray and I say eyeing Erza, the parchment still shoved in her face.

I see Erza's eye twitch once, and in one solid movement knocks Natsu on the head and pulls the parchment off of her face and begin reading. 'Oh my lord, I will pretend I didn't see that.' So I look somewhere else, pretend to be absorb in something. Natsu is on the floor with Happy pinching his cheeks calling his name. I sweatdrop.

"Hmm this could be a good one." Erza says, nodding to herself and sits down at the table. We went over to read it, while Lia transforms into a cat and jump on the table to read the parchment. "Help a village overtaken by the Vulcans." Although, remembering the last time I encounter a Vulcan was tiresome and creepy - they were perverts and probably still are. I shiver at the memory. "I think this would be good for your first job Lia." Erza says and Lia shrugs. She likes to shrug a lot, I noticed.

"That's what I was gonna say!" Natsu says.

"Alright, when are we going?" Gray rubs his hands together.

"We?" She asks, surprised.

"Uh yea, we're going to help you?" He replies.

"You...?"

"And Erza, Lucy and pink-hair and Happy."

"Err, Wendy-chan?"

Wendy smiles and nod, "Ohh I would like to help too." And Lia replies with a nod.

"Alright, let's go tomorrow. Meet at the station in the morning." Erza says.

….

After everyone left, I ask where she would like to sleep. "Ohh don't worry, I don't need a bed."

"You want to sleep on the floor? No I won't let you sleep on the floor." I object. 'She's too humble, I mean she's been sleeping on a hard floor for most of her life; can't you give yourself a break and take advantage of sleeping on a bed for once? Seriously, it breaks my heart to hear that, she was homeless and that...'

She shakes her head, "No umm, how do I put this? I, ahh automatically transform into a cat when I fall asleep. It just happens, so I don't need a large space."

"So you wake up as a cat?" I ask, raising my eyebrows. She nods. I frown, trying to make sense of the information. 'Ok, so she sleeps and wakes up as a cat?'

"Umm I can just sleep on a-" She trails off when a light appears at the side. Virgo appears.

"Virgo!" I say in surprise. She and Loke always appear without me asking them to.

"Princess, I fixed your Fleuve d'étoile." She hands me my Fleuve d'etoile. Ah, that's great!

"Ahh thank you Virgo. Here, meet a new friend, Lia."

Virgo looks at Lia and bows, "Nice to meet you Lia-san. Here, a mattress for you to sleep on, as a gift from the Celestial Spirit World. I apologize; I was eavesdropping on your conversation." Lia stammers Thank You's to Virgo.

"Although, I don't need a large space..." She mumbles.

"Don't worry, Lia-san. It is a magical mattress; it will shrink in size depending on the person sleeping on it." Ah, Virgo is kind. "Princess, is it time for punishment?" 'Wait, what?'

"No!" I scream and Virgo disappears. I then strap the Fleuve d'étoile onto my belt. "Ahh good my Fleuve d'étoile is fixed, I can fight properly now."

Lia put the mattress next to my bed, and then I invite her to shower with me. She stammers, "I- I- can?"

I nod and say, "You're like a sister to me now." It's great to share the apartment with someone else; I don't have to worry to earn so much because the rent is split. Of course, having a female company like Lia is good too; it feels like I have a younger sister.

While showering, I am thinking, she is very beautiful. She has long wavy black hair, with cute cat ears and dark brown eyes, almost black. "It's strange to see a human with cat ears and tail up close like this. No offence intended. I know a girl that is similar to you. Her name is Milliana and she is Erza's friend in Mermaids Heel. I think she used binding magic, which is troublesome if you get caught because it stops you from using magic, and you won't be able to free yourself." I look at Lia and see that she has this far-away distant look. 'Oh she's not listening to me I think.' I wonder what she's thinking. Ok, I'm worried now, she stops moving. "Err, Lia? Lia-chan?"

She didn't hear me call her name until I wave my hands in her face. She blinks and shakes her head.

"Lia-chan, are you ok?" I asks, worried.

She nods, "Yeah I'm ok, and sorry what were you saying earlier?"

"I was saying, I like your hair, I think it's beautiful. You are pretty in general anyway. I was also telling you about Milliana." I smile at her.

She blushes, "Umm, really? Um thank you. I think you are very pretty." I smile at her, she's so sweet.

We get out and get ready for bed. I change into my pajamas and get into bed, then says goodnight to Lia and switch off the lights. She says good night to me and I turn sideways so that I'm facing her. I decide to say, "Lia-chan, please don't be shy from now on, with me and everyone else. I understand that you need time to adjust, but I'm sure you will get used to Fairy Tail soon and we welcome you with open arms." I feel the need to say this because I get the feeling that she is still somehow uncomfortable with me, or maybe with the whole thing.

She makes noise, and then thanks me. It makes me giggle and bid her goodnight again. I can tell that she is still nervous.

Morning came, I get up and stretch. Ah, that was a good sleep. Not to mention, I found myself a new sister. I should tell to shower first while I prepare breakfast. "Lia. Lia-chan?" 'This is weird. Don't tell me that was a dream? Where is she? No, it can't be a dream. The mattress Virgo gave her last night is here, next to my bed but smaller in size.' I call her name again, "Lia-chan?" I really hope she didn't leave in the middle of the night... I get out of bed and step onto something like a stick.

"Reeooooorrewww!" This loud cry makes me scream. 'What the hell?' I jump away, damn that scared me. 'What was that? It sounded like a cat.'

"Ow Ow my poor tail." I see a cat caressing its tail. I gasp.

"What is a cat doing in my apartment?" I ask myself. "And where is Lia-chan?" I scratch my head. Seriously, where did this cat come from and I'm getting worried.

The cat waves its paws at me, "Err, hello? I am Lia, here and you stepped on my tail."

I stare at the cat. 'Lia? But why are you in the form of a cat? I don't understand... Ohhhhh...' I snap my finger remembering what she told me last night, "Ohh I remember now. Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She tries to give a genuine smile but I can tell it hurts her like hell. 'Cat's tails are really sensitive right? Oh my gosh!' I kneel down and start bowing and apologize to her. 'I am so sorry, I am so so sorry. Please forgive me, I know how sensitive cats tail are, oh my god I feel really bad right now.'

"Err, Lucy-san. I am ok now, please stop apologizing?" She says, with her head tilted. Aww she looks so cute right there.

I stop bowing and look at her, "Are you sure? It's your tail, I'm really sorry."

"Its fine now, don't worry." She smiles at me.

I picked her up and hug her. Then I lift her up to my face, so that we are at eye level and say that she is really cute. She blushes and thanks me. I shower first, leaving her to recover from the pain. When I get out of the shower, I find Lia eating; it turns out she prepared breakfast for me too. Oh that's really nice. When she gets out of the shower, I wrap some bandages around her tail, despite her protest. I feel bad and that's the least I can do now.

"Come on, it's time to go meet the rest at the station. How are you feeling about it?" I ask her, as we get out of the apartment.

"Err, about what?"

"Your first job?"

"Ahh, umm excited. Nervous, a little scared." I laugh and tell her not to worry, and that she will do fine. I'm sure she will.

…..

We arrive at the station and everyone greet us. "Alright, let's go." Erza says.

Natsu, who is sitting next to Erza, punches his fist and say, "I'm going to beat up those Vulcans. I'm getting fired up."

"Idiot, this is Lia's job, not yours." Gray says who is sitting next to Wendy, and opposite Natsu.

"You want to start a fight? I'll beat you up, droopy eyes!" Natsu replies.

"You gonna lose hot-head!" Gray retorts. 'Oh no, here we go again.'

"I'll make sure I'll win~~" Natsu trails off, covering his mouth. He looks like he's going to throw up. Gray rolls his eyes.

"Enough you two." Erza says, in a stern voice. She then punches Natsu in the stomach, knocking him out. 'Why does this feel like a deja-vu? Oh wait, I remember, the same exact thing happened when the four of us (me, Erza, Natsu and Gray) went on the train to fight against Einsenwald guild.'

"Err, that's a bit extreme." Lia comments. All of us pretend to look out the window.

"No, Erza just punched Natsu to put him out of his misery." Happy says cheerfully.

"Ahh right, the motion sickness." She says. 'Oh, poor Natsu...'


Hope you guys enjoy reading the story so far :)

What mission are they going to do? Find out in the next chapter! ~ Okay that sounded like so commercial... :P