Lucy POV

Several months have passed since then. We had settled in Clover, opening our Magic Shop just a few weeks after we bought a house. Our shop, Starry Dragons, was doing surprisingly well, considering hardly any mages come through on a daily basis. Sting is still wild, Rogue is still quiet, Laxus, however, took a turn for the better. He stopped going to bars when he needed to think. I joined his Raijinshu, which made him very, very happy.

But today was going to be hard. Today all those going to Tenroujima were leaving.

We were all gathered by the port. The S-Class standing on the ship, except Laxus. Gray was talking to Loke, who I allowed to be his partner for this. Natsu and Happy were partners as usual. Juvia and Lisanna partnered up. Freed and Bixlow, too. Surprisingly, Evergreen and Elfman were partners. Wendy and Carla along with Cana and Levy became partners as well. Gajeel took Lily with him as well.

Laxus was leaning against the railing lining the docks. Sting was an emotional train wreck, but Rogue was, as always, the exact opposite.

"Sting, sweetie, he's not going to die. Relax."

"Yeah, come on kid. You have to be strong for your mom. You can't be sniveling all over the place." Laxus scolded.

Sting admired Laxus far more than he admired Natsu. "Yes, sir!"

Laxus smirked and turned towards me. "You keep them in check, ya hear?"

"Of course, Laxus." I rolled my eyes. "It's just a few days, right?"

He nodded. "A week at the most. It'll be fine. I promise."

"Come on Laxus! Let's get a move on! Just kiss her goodbye and get on this ship!" Natsu yelled.

Laxus' eye twitched and he sent a bolt his way. "Lucy, if I don't come back-"

"Don't talk like that, Otōsan!" Rogue yelled and stomped his foot childishly. He only really shows his emotions around Laxus, Gajeel, and I.

The guild mates present were shocked, except you know myself, Sting, Laxus and Gajeel.

"Ryos!" I snapped, more for me than him. I didn't want to think about Laxus not coming back, either. Then a thought popped into my head. I took his sound pod off his ears. "Think about it this way. You'll have to come back to me if you want your sound pod back, now don't you?" I smiled.

He smirked. "Of course, Luce." He turned to Sting and Rogue. "Listen up, you two. This isn't the first time I'm leaving long term, since Gramps insists on sending me on emergency missions... But S-Class Promotions can take a while. Mine specifically took three months, but your mother's took… what was it again?"

"Five minutes, Laxus." I answered with a smile and a shake of my head.

"With this group I think it'll be no more than a week." He smirked at the shouts of protest and anger from the people participating.

"Well my money's on Freed. Natsu is too unfocused. Gray is the same, but better."

"Anyway, my point is, be with your mother through it all okay? We're family so we stick together."

Rogue nodded and latched his hand onto my arm. He was shaking slightly. "Are you really going to come back? You're not just telling us that?"

I felt my heart break as his voice cracked with sadness and worry. Skiadrum, his dragon, abandoned him, too. No wonder he has trust issues.

"Ryos." Laxus stated. "You're my son, part of my family. I have to protect them. All of them. So stop sniveling like your brother and give me a hug goodbye."

Rogue wailed as he buried his face into Laxus' waiting side. Patting his back lightly, Sting wove his way into Laxus' other side. I smiled at the scene. My family is one of a kind, huh, mom? After a few minutes Sting and Rogue took their place next to me as I walked up to Laxus.

"Don't beat 'em up too bad, okay?" I smiled as tears welled in my eyes. "Make sure they know what they could be dealing with." I sniffled. "Be careful." I threw my arms around his neck. I stood on my tip-toes and hugged Laxus tightly.

"I love you, Lucy. I love you so much." He whispered as he hugged my waist just as tightly.

"I love you, too, La-Chan."

He smiled and kissed me fiercely. "I'll be back, okay?"

"Good Luck." I shouted and waved as he boarded the ship. We waved until the ship was no longer in sight. Sting was clutching to my left hand and Rogue was tightly holding my right. "Come on. Let's go to Magnolia. I have a job to do there."

Time Skip

I was worried. It's been seven years, a week, and three days since the magic council came and told us they were pursuing Grimoire Heart. And what they found was an all-out battle between Fairies and Demons. They said Zeref summoned Acnologia and the island was gone. Gone. Disappeared. Not a trace left.

I had his sound pod on, playing a certain playlist he named, "Lucy." Currently, playing Camera Shy- School Boy Humor.

"Fourth Master?"

"Yes, Macao?" I asked, turning down the music.

"We can't keep going like this. We have to get back to work. The debt is starting to accumulate."

"I can't lose hope, Macao!" I cried. "I know he's alive. Their all alive. Master, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Mira, Wendy, Levy! They're all alive! Laxus is alive!"

"Okāsan… Calm down. He'll be back soon." I looked to my left to see my boys right next to me.

"You're right. I'm going one last time. Jet, Droy, Bisca, Azlack. Let's go. I already asked Blue Pegasus to get us there."

"Aye, Master!" They shouted and followed me out of the guild hall. My feet hammered against the pavement.

"Miss Lucy!"

"Hibiki! Hello! Are you ready to go?"

"Of course, Miss Lucy. Go ahead and climb aboard." He helped me onto the new and improved Christina. I stayed at the very front as was traveled quickly to where the site of Tenroujima once stood. I squinted at the bright light reflecting of the ocean's water. I noticed a person floating above the water.

"Guys look at this!"

"Follow her!" As we approached the girl, a giant glowing ball appeared before us. It was a bright orange that reminded me of him. I was actually calmed by the sight of his eye color and the Fairy Tail insignia that made up the sphere. I peered passed the sphere and saw the great tree of Tenroujima. As the sphere dispersed, I felt relief wash over me.

"Shooting Star!" I yelled and jumped onto the glowing star. It carried me faster than the Christina ever could. I could feel my magic draining. "Laxus…" I breathed. I jumped of the star and ran across the island looking for anyone. That's when I spotted a tuft of pink. "Natsu!"

I yanked him up with all my might and pulled him from the ground.

"Wake up Natsu! Where's everyone else?"

He groaned. "Five more minutes, Lucy…"

"Get the fuck up, Natsu." I growled.

He snapped awake and jumped away from me. "Whoa, Lucy! You look older!"

I blinked at him. Did he no know seven years had passed? "Natsu… What happened?"

"Fourth Master…" I turned around to see the girl that was floating above the water. "They know not what has happened. I used Fairy Sphere to save my children from succumbing death by Acnologia's breath." She stated seriously. "It took seven years for the spell to disperse."

"So you mean they're all… alive?" I choked out.

"You'd think I'd just go out and die on you, Lucy?"

That voice. I know that voice. Slowly I turned around and saw him. I stumbled and ran to him. He caught me just before I fell again. I knew tears were in my eyes. He looked just as he did before, a little banged up, but still twenty-three.

"How long has it been, Luce?"

"Seven years… La-chan. Seven very long and painful years."

"How are you?" He asked quietly as his grip on me tightened.

"I'm the Fourth Master of Fairy Tail. I've waited for you to come back though. I closed our shop in Clover and moved it to Magnolia. I've had to deal with Twilight Ogre a few times because we let them buy our debt. But now that your back, Ivan will stop trying to blame me for your death…"

"He what?!" Laxus snapped. "What did he do to you? Did he touch you? Did he destroy the guild hall?"

"It wasn't a serious wound, Laxus. Only a scar…" I mumbled. I subconsciously rubbed the scar over my right breast.

Laxus was pissed to say the least. "That bastard is going to pay a hundred fold."

"Laxus…" I whispered.

"What about our boys? Are they okay?"

I nodded faintly. "They joined Sabertooth a few years ago to help with our debt. They are at the guild right now. They wanted to come but… transportation's not exactly easy for them."

"I understand. I like your new look, though, babe." He ran his hand through my mid-back length hair. I had a streak of black on the side opposite of me little side ponytail.

"Never mind such a thing… let's just find the others and go home."

"I'm already home, Lucy." He buried my face into his chest and hugged me tightly. After a few moments, he picked me up and went into lightning form and brought us to the now docked Christina, where everyone was waiting.

Ohayo Minna! i hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was fun to write and I've had this on my mind for a whiled now.

R&R

Love.

-SFL