Return
"ROAD TRIP!" Eric screamed, running through the house half naked. Cobra was chasing after him waring only a pair of boxers.
"Get back here, Junior! It's your turn!"
"But I don't want a bath!" The little clone leapt onto the couch and held a pillow up like a shield.
Cobra stood in front of him, ready to strike and snatch him up. "Then I guess your not going on the trip..."
"What?! No way!" Eric looked crestfallen at his father, who then lunged forward and picked him up. Cobra flipped him upside down and held him tight. "Papa!"
"Surrender." Cobra said looking down at him. Eric puffed his cheeks out in a pout and relaxed. "Good boy."
He then carried the child back to the bathroom. Lucy and the others watched him go.
"He's different from before." Erza said taking a bite of cake. Her eyes lit up and she held it up like it was some kind of god send. "This cake is amazing! I've never tasted anything better!"
"Cobra made it. He's trying out a new recipe for our desert menu." Natsu said putting a plate in front of Aaron. The little pink haired boy looked at his breakfast and then to Erza's cake.
"Momma why does she get cake for breakfast?" He asked pointing at her.
"Because she's Erza..." Natsu said simply then walked away.
"Can I be Erza?" Aaron asked smiling.
Lucy laughed at him. "I think you should just be you."
Aaron frowned. "Okay..."
"Eat up!" Natsu said pointing at him. He nodded and dug into his food.
Happy sat on the table watching Natsu. "Ne~ Natsu. I'm really glad we're all going to be together again!"
The pinkette glanced over her shoulder at the blue cat and smiled lightly. "I missed you all. Believe it or not..."
"We missed you to." Gray said smirking. "I don't have anyone to fight with now sense you vanished."
"No one sneaks into my bed anymore..." Lucy sighed.
"You actually missed that?" Natsu chuckled as she sat down next to her son.
"After I thought you died? I actually did..." Lucy smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.
Natsu chuckled along with everyone else at the table. She then turned her attention to Erza. "So, what have I missed?"
The Titania put her fork down on her empty plate. "A lot actually."
She went into a long story of all the adventures Natsu missed out on. Adventures like Edolas, and the S class exams. Lucy, Gray and Happy would throw their own input into the story every now and again. Natsu also missed her own funeral. It had been a touching ceremony apparently. By the time they finished talking and wrapped their story up Cobra was walking out fully clothed with Eric, wrapped like a cocoon, in a towel.
"That's a funny sight..." Lucy said grinning.
Cobra sat down at the table and put Eric in his lap. The kid looked very content with his life as he just nestled into his wrappings and leaned against the mans chest. "I don't know what's up with him... But he just loves it when I do this."
Gray leaned forward. "Oh, we ran into your old guild, Orecion Seis."
The Maroon haired male looked very surprised. "What? They should still be in jail?"
"They were." Erza put in. "They escaped. And caused a whole lot of trouble..."
"I got kidnapped..." Lucy pouted at the memory.
"I'll be da- er... Well then." He caught himself before cursing right in front of his kids. Natsu smiled in approval.
"They asked about you." Erza said weaving her fingers together and resting her chin on them. "They were also looking for you while they had been out and about. They thought we did something with you."
Cobra smiled a little to himself. "Haha... That's surprising... Didn't think they would actually try looking for me."
"Who wouldn't look for their friend?" Gray asked raising an eyebrow.
"Dark guilds aren't the same as normal guilds..." Cobra muttered then pat Eric's head. "Ready to go get dressed Junior?"
"Yes!" The kid squirmed in his towel trying to get out but Cobra kept him wrapped up.
"Not here... There's girls present."
Eric stuck his tongue out and let his dad carry him away again.
Once gone Happy padded over to Natsu. "Why does he call him junior?"
"Probably because he looks so much like himself." Lucy said. "Give him the same hair style and Cobra's got a mini me."
Natsu laughed and pet Happy's head. "He calls him Junior because he is. His name is Eric Junior. Because Cobra is Eric Senior."
"Cobra's real name is Eric then?" Erza asked. Natsu nodded.
"He wasn't using the name much anymore so I wanted to name one of our sons Eric."
"What about me? Where'd my name come from?" Aaron asked, eggs were all over his cheeks.
Natsu grabbed a napkin and wiped his face. "Aaron was the name of aunt Eliptons dad. He passed away shortly before your birth."
"Oh..." Aaron winced as he was cleaned up. "Momma when do we leave?"
Natsu strained a smile as she glanced to her friends.
"Whenever your ready." Erza said smiling softly.
Natsu nodded then picked Aaron up and walked away to find Cobra. He was in the boys rooms packing up a few of their clothes into a small suit case. He looked up when Natsu entered.
"You okay Hun? You look worried."
Natsu put Aaron down and he scurried to his brother. "I'm still a little nervous about this trip..."
Cobra closed the suit case. "I told you... We're not staying so you don't have to worry."
"I know but I'm going to be seeing my whole guild again." She played with the edge of her shirt. "They thought I've been dead this whole time..."
"I'll be right there with you, Natsu. If you're uncomfortable just tell me and I'll do something about it." He caressed her arm and she nodded.
"Are you okay Momma?" Eric asked looking at her.
"Yes, baby, I'm just fine." She leaned down and smiled at him. "Ready for our little vacation?"
"Yeah!" The twins cheered. Cobra laughed then noticed something about Natsu.
"Uh babe.. You got a mark there on your neck." He pointed at it.
"Yes I know, it's your fault." She said somewhat sternly. She grabbed some of her hair and organized it so it covered up the hicky better. "Now lets go. The faster we do this the faster it's over and we come home."
"Road trip!" Aaron and Eric shouted together then ran out of the room.
Cobra shook his head smirking. "They are to much like you."
"I know... Trust me I know..."
Natsu changed into her old clothes, adjusting them obviously so her shirt closed now. Her scarf was nestled around her neck and she moved about in her old black and orange uniform. "Hand made." She muttered to herself proudly
Cobra was slipping on a white jacket that was trimmed in fur. He looked almost the same as before when he was part of Orecion series, all he did was look more mature and had only one eye.
"I forgot what it felt like to dress for a guild hall." Cobra said slipping on a pair of black gloves and stretching his hand.
Natsu giggled. "If it means anything, you look very sexy."
Cobra smirked; it was that old one, the cocky one Natsu had only seen while fighting him. "Thanks, shall we go now?"
The trip was miserable for both Cobra and Natsu. Trains have never been their forte at all. They remained curled up in on themselves as the train trekked on and their kids remained like little balls of energy.
"Guys..." Natsu said, a hand shot to her mouth holding in the desire to vomit. She swallowed it down and groaned. "Cobra and I.. We're going to try and get some rest... Will you please watch Eric and Aaron..?"
"Of course!" Lucy said smiling.
"Aye!" Happy cheered.
"You can trust us." Erza said and Gray just nodded his head.
"Thanks..." Natsu then left back to her own seat where her and Cobra would remain completely incapacitated for the rest of the ride.
"I'm glad Natsu still trust us." Lucy said happily.
"Why wouldn't she, she is the same person." Gray added. "Well... More or less."
"Guys." Happy said holding a paw up.
"What is it?" Erza asked curiously.
"How do we babysit kids who aren't here?"
No one moved and just stared at the blue feline. He sat in Lucy's lap peacefully. The blondes head whipped around franticly as she too noticed that the twins were not here. "Oh no..."
Gray got up and rushed to Natsu and Cobra's seats. The two looked unconscious and green as Gray checked for the kids. They weren't here either.
He cast Erza a fearful glance and she got the hint. "Natsu is going to kill us."
"How do we manage to loose kids after she just told us to watch them?!" Lucy hissed urgently. Happy was gripped in her arms and she looked like she was suffocating him.
"Ssshhhh!" Gray hissed coming back. "Natsu and Cobra are passed out. We can't wake them until we find the kids!"
"How much longer till we reach magnolia?!" Lucy asked sweating bullets. They all looked to the clock in the train car.
One hour.
"We're dead!" Lucy almost screamed but Erza slapped an armor clad hand over her mouth.
"No we're not! They couldn't have gotten far their six years old! They are either in this train car or one of the ones next to us! They have to be!"
"Lets split up!" Gray suggested.
Lucy nodded her head quickly. "Happy and I will check this car and the one ahead of us."
"Aye sir!"
"Then Gray and I will check the one behind us."
"What if we don't fine them?" Happy asked.
Lucy knocked him on the head. "We will find them! I hope..."
"Lets go!" Gray said and everyone scattered.
Lucy let Happy go to check under the seats sense he was smaller and could fit. The blonde weaved between the isle and checked each seat twice, making sure to subtly pass by the two sick dragon slayers. Neither her or Happy found them in the current car.
"Natsu is going to kill us." Lucy said, a gloom cloud hovering over her.
"I'm worried about Cobra." Happy said. "I remember my fight with him..."
"I'm to young and pretty to die!" Lucy said yanking on her hair.
"Sure..." Happy muttered. "We still have the other car to check. They could be there!"
"Yeah your right!" Lucy cheered. "Lets go Happy!"
The Celestial wizard hurried to the end of the train and slowly opened the door. She stared at the little space there was to cross over into the next car. She sweat dropped not wanting to go.
"What's taking so long?" Happy piped up from behind.
"N-nothing..." Lucy nervously smile back at Happy then looked to the car ahead then "I'm gonna kill these kids for making us look for them..."
She slowly stepped onto the platform. It jumped and she yelped clutching onto the chain railing.
"You okay Lucy?" The blue cat asked flying by her.
She watches him go. "You stupid fur ball! Take me with you!"
"But your already across." Happy dead panned then opened the door an flew inside. Lucy clenched her fist.
"I'm going to kill you too... Making me do this-I could die..." She hurried across, even though it wasn't that much space, and closed the door behind her. It was a dining car and not many people were in it. Just a few adults drinking alcohol. Happy was standing on one of the bar stools, waiting patiently.
"What took you so long?" He asked, a fish in his mouth that he probably snagged from the fridge behind the bar counter.
"Shut it fur ball before I toss you out the window." Lucy jerked her thumb to an open one then checked underneath the seats. She didn't find any children and she didn't see them in any of the seats. "Oh man... I really hope we find them or were dead..."
Erza had her arms crossed and was tapping the ground. They currently resided inside a storage car, everyones luggage and boxes of trading goods were stacked and and piked around them. Gray was currently checking behind a few of the boxes, when he came back out empty handed and alone the Titania thought she going to scream and punch a wall out.
"They aren't back there." Gray said wiping his boxers off. He went in with clothes on...
"Where could they have gone? This is the last car and unless Lucy found them or we missed them, then their not on the train." Erza sounded frustrated. She didn't want to let her friend down, especially after just reuniting with her after so many years apart!
"I didn't find them but I found something else." Gray suddenly held up a sheathed knife. Erza raised an eyebrow at it. "It was next to one of the boxes, there were a couple of them back there that were broken into."
"You think there are robbers on the train?"
"It's possible."
"Damn it." Erza cursed and threw her arms down, frustrated. This is just what she needed. She looked back to Gray seriously. "We need to find the robbers, if their here."
Gray raised an eyebrow. "What about the kids?"
"They aren't on our end, maybe Lucy will find them. Besides, if they are on the train and so are those thieves then the kids are in danger."
Gray nodded his head in agreement. "Alright. I don't know what they stole, the boxes are completely empty."
"How many?"
"Four."
Erza glanced to the side in thought. "We can only assume someone was bringing a special something along... And it's going to have to be expensive."
"Where do we start looking?" Gray asked. He kept the knife in his hand, maybe it could be useful.
"Lets retrace our steps. There aren't any windows or exits in this car they could use." She turned and opened the door looking pissed off. "That means we passed them on the way up here."
Lucy felt embarrassed. She was siting here, flirting up the bartender like a slut, while happy went through behind the bar.
"Really? Tweny years? That's impressive." She cooed twirling the drink she ordered from him.
The man smirked and looked proud of himself. "I know, it's not easy to stay a bartender for that long."
"I bet." She pretended to take a long drink so she wouldn't have to talk as much to him. He was scruffy and Middle Aged so she really didn't want to be doing this with him. She smiled at him and kicked the bar, a signal to happy to hurry the fuck up.
"What was that?" The man asked looking over the edge.
"I don't know." Lucy said innocently giving him puppy dog eyes and using her other arm to extenuate her breasts. He fell hook line and sinker for her charade.
Happy in the mean time was going through the cabinet area under the bar itself. He moved around glasses and bottles of empty and foul smelling liquid. He came out the other side having found no kid. As e opened the door there was THUNK sound and a yelp of pain.
The bartender turned to see what it was but Lucy shot her hand out to graze his stubbly chin with her fingers. She shuttered at the feeling. He stopped and looked back at her, smirking suggestively. She held back the desire to gag and throw up.
Happy moved the cabinet to see one of twins sitting in the ground holding their chin. He looked like he was going to cry.
"Ah! Which one are you?" Happy asked padding over on his little paws.
"A-Aaron..." The pinkette hiccuped.
Happy held out his paws. "Don't cry! Big boys don't cry right?" He flailed them a little as if this would calm down the child.
Aaron stopped crying and held his arms out. At first Happy wasn't sure what he wanted, but then the kid snatched him up and cuddled him like his favorite toy. The cat mad a strangled noise as Aaron stood up and walked out from behind the bar, obviously okay now that he had a toy to hug.
Lucy instantly saw him and jumped away from the bar. "Well it was great talking to you but I need to go bye!" She said all this very fast and dived for Aaron. The pink haired boy was surprised when she picked him up and took off with him. The bartender was looking very confused and disappointed.
"No no! Aunt Lucy stop!" Aaron started squirming in her arms.
"Where have you been?!" Lucy scolded holding the kid at arms length.
"Exploring..." He looked guilty and sadly at the floor.
"I noticed. Where's your brother?"
"With the other men."
Lucy paled looking very scared. "..What men...?"
"The ones in the very front of the train."
Lucy put the kid down and brought out her keys. "Open, gate of the virgin! Virgo!"
In a puff of smoke the pink haired made was their. Aaron dropped happy and started clapping excitedly. "Cool! Do it again do it again!"
"Something wrong princess?" The spirit asked in her monotone voice.
"I want you to watch Aaron! This kid!" She pointed at him. "Protect him! Make sure he doesn't go anywhere and stays safe!"
"Yes princess." Virgo bowed her head.
"Happy lets go!" Lucy spun around to run back through the food car and all the way up to the front of the train.
"Aye!" Happy shouted and followed after her.
Lucy ran through each car as quickly as she could, when she reached the last one she kicked the door in and grabbed her whip. "Eric?!"
The kid was sitting on a spinning chair holding a brown Bag. "Hi Aunt Lucy!"
Two men who were arguing over steering slowly turned around to look at her. Both were dressed in black, one was small and skinny the other big and burly. Both had brown hair and blue eyes.
"Who's that?" The small one asked.
"I don't know..." The big man stood up strait showing off his size to intimidate Lucy, it worked. "What are ya doing here girl?"
Lucy glanced to Eric and the bag he had. Based on its shape it was full of random stuff. She looked back at the man. He smirked.
"I know this kid ain't yours, he called you Aunty after all."
"Look at her hand!" The small man pointed to her guild mark. "She's a Mage! She's here to stop us!"
The man growled and started at her. "To bad girly. You were pretty cute."
Lucy meeped in fear and backed up a little. The man reached out to grab her wen suddenly a knife came swooping past her head, barely taking her ear off, and stabbed him in the same hand.
He wailed and stumbled back. "What the?!"
He looked up just in time to see an armor clad boot coming at him and nail him right in the face. He fell back unconscious. Erza stood over his body, she looked at Lucy with fury in her eyes.
"Are you okay?!"
Lucy was shaking in her boots. "I am now.. Where's Gray?"
"Right here." The raven haired ice Mage came right up behind her and she sighed in relief.
"Where's the boys?" Erza demanded.
"Ah, Virgo has Aaron. Erik is-" She was cut of by the sound of yelling.
"Put me down you stupid man!"
Everyone one whipped their heads towards Eric, who was clutched in the other mans arms. He was pundit on the arm that was shoved under his armpits and holding him up, the feeble attempts to be freed were stopped however as the skinny man shoved a knife up under his chin. He whimpered in fear an liked like he was going to cry.
Erza looked enraged. "How dare you take a child hostage!"
"I won't hurt the kid as long as you leave! I'm taking this sack of cash and jumping!"
"What's going on?" Lucy asked fearfully.
"Their bandits." Gray hissed through grit teeth. "We found empty bags and crates in the back of the train their stealing everyone's stuff."
"That's right." The man said. He pointed the knife at the group of fairy tail mages. "Now, I'm going to kick this emergency break, the trains going to stop and I'm going to- GUUAAAHHH!"
He flung the knife away and ripped the little maroon haired boy off his arm. Swollen purple bite marks were left where Eric had but him. "That burns, you brat!" He through the kid to the side violently. Happy Dived for the kid an snatched him up before he hit the hot boiler and wounded himself badly.
The man cradle his arm to his chest and looked up at the mages. Erza was standing in front of him. Her eyes shadowed as she cracked her knuckles.
"It's cowardly to use children as a hostage."
The man looked like he wet himself. He threw a hand out. "W-w-wait! The train drivers have bailed! I'm the only one who knows how to drive the train so you can't-"
He was cut off as Erza punched him hard in the jaw. He fell over next to his friend, knocked out.
"Erza!" Lucy wailed. "How do we stop the train!"
"We'll figure it out eventually." Erza said calmly as she shook her hand.
Gray pointed out the front of the train. "Uh, guys." Urgency and fear laced his voice. "Isn't that the train station for Magnolia?"
Everyone looked out the front to see the building coming at them very fast.
"Why yes..." Erza stated. "Yes it is."
"Hit the emergency break!" Lucy screamed. She latched onto Gray, Happy and Eric as Erza dove for a red lever on the floor and yanked it so hard it broke. The train started screeching as the brakes were applied and it went lurching forward. Everyone in the front of the train screamed as fear of injuring someone or a crash came upon them. Luckily the train slowed down to a stop just in time so no one was suspicious and nothing bad happened.
Happy went limp from exhaustion and dropped Eric, who plopped innocently on the ground.
Erza sighed in relief before bending down and looking at the skinny bandits bite mark. It was swollen and purple, yellow and red puss festering out of it. She glanced over to Eric with a smirk.
"You have potential little man."
Eric smiled bashfully at Erza's compliment. "Thanks..."
"Can we go now?! With the train stopped Natsu and Cobra are going to wake up soon!"
"Good idea." Gray snatched up the bag to give to the authorities and Lucy grabbed Eric and Happy. "Lets get out of here."
Natsu came of the train holding her still queazy stomach. "I remember how much I hate trains now..."
Cobra nodded his head in agreement. His own face was still green and his movements sluggish. Once on solid ground he looked around the station. "Where's your friends and the boys?"
"I don't know." Natsu glanced around nervously, also noticing the absence of her children and their babysitters.
"Momma! Papa!" The twins came running up from the side and leapt onto their mother.
"Their you guys are!" Natsu hugged her children tightly and kissed both their heads. "You weren't trouble to my friends were you?"
"No not at all!" Aaron said happily.
"And they watched you the whole time?" Cobra asked picking Eric up.
"Yep! We played together and had fun!" He hugged his father around his neck and smiled gleefully. The three mages sighed in relief that the children didn't rat them out.
Behind them the police were pulling off the bodies of the hijackers. Natsu looked over.
"Oh my... We're they on the train?"
Lucy glanced behind herself nervously to look at them. "I guess so..."
"Who would have thought." She murmured and hugged Aaron closer to herself. "I'm glad you boys didn't get involved in that."
"Yeah... " Happy chuckled. Erza grabbed his tail and yanked him behind her.
"Everything is fine now though." She said smiling. "The children are fine and we all made it home safe and sound."
"Lets head off to the guild." Gray said smirking. "I bet everyone is going to be excited for the gift we brought back."
Natsu nodded nervously and followed them back into the Magnolia town with Cobra right beside her. Eric moved to the top of his dads shoulders and lay comfortably on his fluffy maroon hair.
"Papa."
"What is it, junior?"
"What kind of magic do you use?"
"I'm the poison dragon slayer."
"Okay."
(yo kittens! I got something important to say so READ THIS! lots of you guy have been going back and forth on what should happen at the end. Should they stay or should they go? -aren't those songLyrics...?- anyway. I have a poll going on right now where you guys get to vote on what Cobra and Natsu will choose to do at the end of the story. So go ahead I over to my profile if you want to take a vote! Please and thank you!)