Chapter Thirty-Nine

Master's eyebrow quirked upward for a second, "You think you can trust this person with your family's secrets? And with what's happening now?"

"Of course," I say without hesitation. "Hibiki saved me before when he barely knew me, and he looked for all of us for those seven years when all of Fiore was convinced we were dead, never giving up. I have no reason not to trust him."

Master hummed in thought, seemingly reluctant to bring in anyone outside Fairy Tail.

"Outside of our guild, Hibiki is easily the best at gathering information. It's what his magic is." I felt a small sting of annoyance and jealousy as I continued to convice Master that we could trust Hibiki. "If we can get his help, he should be able to tell us so much more than what we have, fill in the blanks. Possibly even information on this Share magic, or even my Duplice ability."

Moments later, another deep sigh erupted from the small elder.

"I can't think of a single reason to refute your idea, Lucy." A large smile broke across my face. "I have a few conditions, though." And, smile gone. "First is that, Lucy, you have to be the one to go speak to Hibiki. If you can convince me, you can convince anyone." Master looked to the side for a second before mumbling, "Except maybe Kagura of Mermaid Heel, she seems like a tough one."

"The second condition is that you must take a job that is along the way to the guild. It would seem less suspicious than Fairy Tail just randomly visiting other guilds. Also, the job taken must be completed, we don't want Fairy Tail's reputation to sink because of unfinished jobs." I noticed Master's eyes flicker towards the request board where I knew Nab was standing for split second before returning to me.

"Third, the group going must be small enough to not arouse attention, and Laxus and Wendy must be among them. Take whoever else you might need."

And that is how I ended up trying to beg Laxus to take one job in particular for me.

"Please, please, please, please, Laxus. Can't we take this job?" I whined at him for the umpteenth time.

"No." He sternly, and a little harshly, said back for the umpteenth time.

"But, whyy?" I could practically feel the amused stares of all of our guildmates eyes as they watched us.

"You know damned well why. Plus, it's an hour past Blue Pegasus by train ride."

"That's exactly why it's the perfect job! We wouldn't be going past our job destination or going out of our way to go the guild, which would cause suspicion. Instead we'd be stopping in on our way to a job to visit friends." I could feel his resolve sink a little as he realized I was right, but it raised right back up when he looked at the request again.

"No, I don't care how convenient it is."

"Laaaxuss," I whined, and I felt his resolve waver again, and apparently the guild could see the waver as I heard a sharp, quiet, collective intake of breath, "it's not just convenient, I'll get another celestial key, which I am in desperate need of." I felt a jolt of guilt come from him, his resolve sinking again, but it didn't diminish.

I sighed and decided to do something I never thought I would do with my constant rent troubles, willingly give up part of a reward.

"You can even have my part of the reward, you don't even have to do the job, Wendy and I can do it."

"Ya, as if I'm gonna let you and Wendy go traipsing around in Amourose alone." Laxus raised his voice right back. What does he have against Amourose? It was just a tourist trap for couples. Granted it was a little over the top in it's decorations, but it was small and easy to get a job for a bit. I thought he would only be against the job?

"Doranbolt isn't allowed to leave our side, y'know." I could feel my annoyance rising and leaking into my voice.

"That s'posed to make me feel better about the job?"

"It's to give you reason to let us take the job since no other reason is working!"

"How would that be a reason?"

"I don't know! It made sense in my head." I finally gave up and slumped to the ground right in front of the request board, staring at the request in my hand, letting my sorrowful aura come off of me in waves, to the point that if I was Juvia I probably would have flooded the guild in under a minute.

I really wanted a new key. I might have been able to send a message to all my other spirits if I got it. And this job was perfect. It was convenient, it was easy, it was a two day long job so we could have been back in three days, if even.

Suddenly the request flyer was no longer in my hands and I heard Laxus' shoes banging against the wood floors of the guild as he stomped over to the bar where Mira waited patiently in front of the request sign out book, pen already in hand. The woman had her eyes closed and was smiling, and she seemed to be sparkling as she waited for Laxus. I immediately knew that she was having her matchmaking fantasies. I suddenly felt a little sorry for Laxus to be the one to go over there and sign out the sheet.

As Laxus' hand slapped the paper onto the counter Mira opened her sparkling eyes, full of ideas and fantasies. They immediately narrowed when she realised her target was right in front of her. I could have sworn I felt a small prickle of fear in the pit of my stomach come from Laxus, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Mira's mouth opened and I knew Laxus was trapped, there was no stopping her. There was no way I could go over there, as I was the other half of her prey.

I felt Laxus' embarrassment spike and lightning started to dance along his hands as I felt his anger rise, darkening the wood and paper where ever his hands touched. After thirty seconds more, Laxus reached his breaking point and was gone from the guild in a brilliant flash of lightning.

I stood up and sighed. "Come on, Wendy, you and Charle best go home and get ready. You, too, Doranbolt, he's going to want to leave soon."

I grabbed Bixlow's good arm as I walked past him, "You're coming, too. You need Wendy to heal your arm before it gets any worse." I said when he opened his mouth to protest.

It was a long walk back to Laxus' house. Bixlow filled the silence with random stories about the missions he had been on with the rest of the Raijinshuu, his one arm making exaggerated movements and his babies repeated parts that Bixlow seemed especially passionate about.

When we arrived, I went to my room and grabbed my small bag and packed some clean clothes and packed my toiletries, all the while I heard Laxus stomping angrily about his room. I finished and could still hear Laxus in his room so I moved to the living room with a book to wait for him, Bixlow coming in a few minutes later, dropping his bag the second he saw Laxus wasn't in the room yet. When Laxus came out we walked to the train station, his heavy footsteps and angered expression clearing paths for us in the crowded streets of Magnolia.

We walked in the train station to see Doranbolt and Wendy had already arrived. I got our tickets as Laxus glared at nothing.

As soon as the train came to a stop in the station, Laxus sped to the window seat while Bixlow and I pushed and raced for the other, which unfortunately he got so I settled beside him. I think he took advantage of the fact that he was injured and I didn't want to bother the injury more than it already was. Wendy went to sit next to Laxus but Charle tugged her to my side, which left Doranbolt to sit beside a still irate Laxus.

Roughly ten more minutes went by in a tense silence before I broke.

"Okay, seriously, what the hell did she say that would make you this angry?" Doranbolt looked at me as if begging me not to make the person he's stuck beside any angrier. Needless to say, I ignored him, "I mean you don't even look like you're feeling any motion sickness with how mad you are."

"I just don't like it when she does her matchmaking," Laxus spat the word as if it was venomous to him, "especially when it involves me." He growled.

"So, you have a problem with romance." I state.

"No."

"So, it's being matched to me that's the problem." I immediately felt his anger fizzle out, allowing other feelings to take over and he leaned against the window, completely nauseous. I saw a quick shake of his head before he passed out.

Damn right it's not. I thought indignantly, opening my book again.

I really don't like the last bit of this, but I figured that all of you had waiting long enough for a new chapter. I tried to change it, but couldn't think of anything. Anyway, send me lots of inspiration and whatnot, and bye for now.