Wow, it´s a while since I posted a new chapter. Sorry and I hope some of you still is with me ;)
"Forgive me, I´m not good at this kind of thing." Lucy said as she sat down on the couch. Erza followed her with a confused face.
"Lucy what actually happened?"
"What did you hear?" She asked tired, the sun where bright on the sky but she couldn´t appreciate it when her body still ached after her journey.
Erza never sat down; she started to walk back and forth with more annoyed eyes.
"Natsu and Grey came back, they told me about the crystal. About Trick and even about you guys, or should I say you Lucy told the guys to go home, and went ahead in that cage even with the crystal already safe and sound." Erza stopped and glared at her. "What I don´t understand is why and what you were thinking?"
"First the guys couldn´t come, it was only girls allowed." Lucy defended herself. "Second I can´t trust everybody else to take care of my mess. Yes it was my mess." She repeated when Erza raised an eyebrow. "I tried to go alone, but Natsu said that he wouldn´t let me. That's why Wendy, Carla and Levy came too."
"I don´t understand…"
Lucy smiled. "I understand now that what I did was wrong and it seems that I will have to pay for it."
Erza sighed and closed her eyes; she seemed almost like mother, worried about her child. "Please Lucy, just tell me the reason why you are beat up like this."
She knew that the time of no secrets would come, but why was it so hard to tell them? Everything was just so wrong, how had it come to this?
"I´m sorry, I just can't."
Erza couldn´t react to what happened, suddenly Lucy got up and rushed out from her apartment. The red haired knight took a leap but Lucy where already gone, she slipped right through her fingers and sure she could have followed her but Lucy weren´t ready to speak and she knew that she couldn´t force her.
"Good luck Lucy, Natsu will smell you miles from here."
"Lucy what the hell are you doing?" Gray shouted trying to force his way through the barrier.
"Didn´t you listen? I have to go, he knows my mother." She screamed back. Taking another step against the black door.
"Lucy!" this time it was Natsu, she meet those fierce eyes and felt like crying. What power he had over her, the barrier stopped him from reaching her so why did she feel like he was pulling her back.
"I´m sorry, but I have to. Please Natsu…" It surprised her when he nodded.
"I understand, it´s about your mom. But don´t go alone, just don´t."
Lucy smiled, only Natsu knew her that well and she would never forget this feeling.
"We´re going with her so don't you worry, Natsu!" Levy said and entered the barrier with Wendy and Carla. Then they disappeared through the door, leaving Natsu, Gray and Happy behind.
"We should go back then, it might take days and we still have to return this crystal." Gray said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah." Natsu answered, still standing against the barrier.
Now
Lucy walked down the street to her home. Her body still protesting after the latest beat up. Hearing the same "Lucy-chan that's dangerous" from the guys in the boat and knowing she´s near. Forcing her legs to work just a little longer up the stairs and finally being able to shut the door behind here as she walked right into another human. She wasn´t surprised over seeing Natsu in her home, but she didn't expect him to be that close.
"I´m a little surprised." The fire mage said and scratched his head. "I figured you to been gone longer than this."
"It was a quick visit." Lucy said, not able to meet his eyes when she walked past him. "I´m really tired though, you can stay or go but I am going to sleep so suit yourself."
She started to undress herself, trying not to care that Natsu where in the same room watching her movements. It was harder than she thought, she tried four times to remove the shirt before Natsu sighed and helped her. His hands placing around her waist as he watched her bruises in their different colors.
"You look terrible." He said after a while.
"Thanks…" Lucy answered crawling into her soft bed, Natsu had seen her in underwear before and specially in bikini so why did his glance bother her now. But soon she was under her blanket and the world didn't matter, with a last effort she catches his hand just to feel the warmth before she fell asleep.
She never imagined waking up with a full house, her bedroom door was closed but she could hear the voices from outside. Especially Natsu and Gray as they was arguing about something. A glance through the window told her it was night, so why would they be here this late hour? A big shirt and some shorts where all she could find in the dark near her bed, she didn't have the energy to search and went out to see what their problems were.
She was wrong, Gray and Natsu were fighting with each other, but there also was Wendy and Carla, Happy, Erza and even Levy.
"Guys?" Lucy said in chock, the room went silent in an instant.
"Lucy-chan. Are you feeling better?" Wendy asked with worried eyes.
"I´m fine, so why are you all here in the middle of the night?" It was almost midnight, she had been sleeping since this morning and wondered how long they had been waiting.
"Good." Erza said cold. "Then you can tell me what´s going on, for real this time."
Lucy shrugged, it wasn´t that she avoid this moment, she just couldn't believe it herself yet.
"Okey." She therefore said and sat down in the couch between Wendy and Levy. "But I don´t have the right answers…"
Flashback
The hallway was painted red, like someone had painted it with real blood. The man smiled, showing up every one of his yellow teeth, making them uncomfortable just standing there watching.
"Lucy Heartfilia, how you look just like her, that sweet mother of yours." He laughed.
"You said you knew my mom, that you were childhood friends? Here I am, just like you wanted so tell me." Lucy said almost in a whisper.
"Leave your friends here and follow me, I will tell you everything." The man went into another room, waiting for her to follow.
"Lucy you can´t." Levy stopped her. "Not alone, he might hurt you and I promised Natsu…"
"Don't say anything, just wait for me here and we will go back together." Lucy calmed her and then went through the door after the man. Knowing that he will put a barrier between her and the rest, leaving her vulnerable.
"And then I woke up in that forest with no idea of what had happen. I managed to find Levy and the rest and we walked home. So that´s it…" Lucy didn´t meet Natsus eyes, it was like he wanted to say something but kept silent.
"You have no clue at all, except your wounded body?" Erza asked confused.
"All I said is the truth, he probably wanted something from me and took it."
"Your magic…" Natsu said which made the room silent. "That guy we worked for, giving him back his beloved crystal. He told us before that this man collects mages energy, that's what you use a crystal for, power."
Natsu seemed a little uncomfortable with all the staring. "What, I´m not totally brain dead." He defended himself.
"No, that's more like genius coming from you." Gray said impressed, dodging Natsus punch.
"But I´m fine, I don't feel out of magic." Lucy said scared, she had even used magic after the blackout, getting Virgo to help her find her friends.
"Lucy´s right, I´ve seen her use her keys and her spirit seem very refreshed." Levy said with Wendy nodding.
Lucy got her keys as they were still in her bedroom on her desk.
"Open the gate of lion, Loke." She demanded, and like before the clear light that told her he was coming appeared. Leaving him standing in the living room greeting his friends.
"You look awful, Virgo told me but I never expected it to be this bad." Loke said concerned.
"My magic is fine." Lucy said avoiding his words on purpose.
"Okey, her magic isn´t stolen." Erza confirmed.
"Wait what magic? Can someone tell me what´s going on?" Loke asked confused.
"Nothing." Lucy said tired and sat down. "Just a misunderstanding, everything is just fine."
But she could see how Gray told Loke the story, hear Natsus step as he couldn´t stand still and always feel the hands from Wendy as she healed her bruises. In some way she really liked it, having her friends there, knowing that they will always be there for her and she would do the same for them.
"Lucy- san… you feel different." Wendy said. "Like there´s something inside you stopping me from healing."
"How can that be… don´t tell me it´s a b..b..baby?" Erza stuttered on the word. Lucy could actually see all color disappear from the dragon slayer as Gray, Erza and Loke glared at him.
"No not a baby." Wendy said calm. "I would have known if she was pregnant, you can't hide that for long. This is something else and it´s placed in your heart."
"Do you know if it´s dangerous?" Levy asked.
"Maybe, but it´s not my place to tell. I think she should see Grandine…"
"You mean that heartless woman, who hate everybody?" Happy said with a shrug.
"Okey let´s go." Natsu said suddenly lifting Lucy up.
"Wait, Natsu." Lucy protested. "We can´t just storm in to her home this late hour."
"Lucy´s right, we have to wait until tomorrow." Gray agreed.
"But what if it´s dangerous, she might need help now." Natsu complained, still holding Lucy tight.
"I´m fine…" but nobody listened at her words anymore, Erza seemed to agree with Natsu and so did Wendy.
Lucy had no choice but to be dragged out from her home, when the dragon slayer had his mind set on something he was hopeless trying to talk sense to. Loke wished her good luck, knowing that he wouldn´t help by staying and use her energy, therefore he went back to the spirit world. Lucy put her left hand over her heart, she really felt just fine…