AN: HELLO EVERYONE! So, I know it has been a long time since I updated, and the answer as to why is because I had a surprise vacation in Cali and then once I got back I only had a week left with my sister before she went back home so I devoted all of my time to her! But now that she is gone, I AM BACK! So, expect regular updates once again! I'm sorry for the super long wait, but I hope you enjoy this chapter :D PS: Important AN at the end!

Chapter 12

Natsu walked into the guild hall the next morning with fierce determination glinting in his eyes. Thrusting the door open, the boy skipped his normally loud greeting and began to scan the room. Many mages were scattered about, drinking, eating, or simply lounging around. Ignoring the calls of his two partners, the dragon slayer quickly entered and went to work trying to figure out who the mysterious guy Lucy was in love with is.

"Natsu, wait up!" Lucy called out as she jogged towards the guild, Happy following close behind. "Sheesh, what is wrong with him?"

"He's just trying to find out who you loooove," the blue exceed answered with a playful smirk. "Poor Natsu. He'll figure it out eventually."

"T-That reminds me, you know who it is, don't you?" Lucy asked, hoping the cat would say no. Much to her dismay, Happy simply chuckled and nodded. Sighing, the celestial mage continued, "Can I trust you not to tell him, Happy? I'm being serious!"

"Aye! Natsu is smart, though! He'll figure it out soon!"

"If you say so."

With that, the two were entering the building and found Natsu standing in the corner, seeming to be surveying everyone in the room. Lucy's sweat rolled down her forehead as she began to regret telling him the first letter of his name. After all, the only other person in the guild that's name starts with an "N" is…

"Nab!" Natsu suddenly cried out as he saw he chubbier, tanned man standing by the job board, though he hadn't gone on any jobs in years.

"Natsu? Did you need something?" he asked as the pink-haired mage approached him with something that looked like anger in his eyes.

"Yeah! What's your favorite color!?"

"My favorite color? Why do you want to know-"

"JUST ANSWER!"

Nab raised his arms in front of him in surrender as he answered, "I guess it would be red."

Natsu's eyes shot wide open and his breath hitched in his throat. It had to be Nab. His name started with "N", his favorite color was red, and he was in this guild. There could be no other option. But… how the hell could somebody like Lucy like somebody like Nab? Almost desperately, as if praying for a certain answer, the pinkette asked one last question.

"W-What's your favorite food?" Natsu finally let out.

"Hmm… I guess I don't really have a favorite food. I like everything-"

Natsu immediately hunched over, feeling his life-force being drained away. This was it. Nab checked off on everything. Lucy was in love with Nab. And for some reason, that made Natsu's heart painfully ring in his chest in disappointment. What was there to be disappointed about? He should be happy his best friend found love for someone! Unless…

"Maybe I just want her to be in love with me," the boy thought with wide eyes as he was currently laying on the floor, ignoring whatever Nab was saying at the moment. "That's crazy! She's my partner, there's no way I would want her to be in love with me! Why would I want her in love with me anyways? Not like I love her or anything!"

"Natsu, are you alright?" the said boy heard next to him.

The dragon slayer quickly stood up and faced the all too familiar blonde, his cheeks scorching from his previous thoughts and the sudden sound of her voice. Their faces were close once again, something that he didn't think he would ever get used to, along with the insanely fast pace of his heart. Golden locks of hair perfectly framed the girl's face as her long, black eyelashes fluttered cutely. Her brown eyes were like pools of rich chocolate. His own eyes were drawn towards her lips. Her pink, plump lips that were sparkling-

"Natsu?" Lucy called out again as she waved a hand in front of his face, pulling him out of his thoughts. "What's wrong with you? Your face is all red and you seem so out of it!"

"Damn it, I think I'm in love with Lucy."

"I-It's nothing!" Natsu fibbed, his face still matching the color of his hair. "Hey, Lucy, why don't you find a job for us to do?"

With that, the boy ran off towards the bar and slouched in the seat, releasing a heavy sigh. Letting his head rest on the counter, he began to think again.

"Alright, so I might be in love with Lucy. That's just fucking great. My partner of all people. And she's in love with Nab, who apparently doesn't love her back. If only Igneel was here to help me with this."

"Natsu, are you alright?" the dragon slayer heard from in front of him.

"I'm fine, Mira," he answered, looking up to face her.

The silver-haired mage smiled gently at the distressed boy and placed some appetizing food in front of him. She giggled as he instantly perked up and inhaled the chicken and released a breath of fire afterwards. Mira then watched as Natsu's gaze went back towards the blonde near the job board. Lucy was currently talking to Nab about requests, which clearly upset the pink-haired mage. Natsu let out a low growl.

"Oh, I get it now!" Mira thought with a bright smile. "Finally I can have some fun!"

"Hey, Natsu," Mira began, gathering the dragon slayer's attention once again, "how are you and Lucy?"

Natsu's face was quickly set ablaze as he sputtered, "W-What are you talking about? S-She's just my partner!"

"I mean, do you like her?"

"M-Mira! Stop asking that! I always tell you that we are just best friends!"

"Oh, that's OK then!" Mira then smiled devilishly, though Natsu didn't seem to notice. "You know, I think she looks better with Nab anyways."

Mira's blue eyes widened significantly as she felt an intense heat engulfing her. She turned to Natsu, who was emitting the heat and was staring at her with slit eyes, as if he was using Dragon Force. Clearly, she struck a nerve.

"She does not belong with somebody like him," Natsu finally stated, his voice low and menacing.

"Well then, who does she belong with?"

Natsu sat silently in his seat, the heat dying down and his eyes returning to normal- much to Mira's relief. Keeping his gaze locked on the blonde in the corner, the boy wondered about the question himself. It was only about five minutes ago that he discovered his feelings for her and there was no way in hell he was going to act on them.

"Hey Mira…" he then started, a frown tugging at his lips. "What would you do if you liked- or I guess loved- your best friend and knew that they liked somebody else?"

The blue-eyed mage eyed him curiously and asked, "What makes you think Lucy doesn't like you?"

"I didn't say anything about Lucy! Just answer the question!"

Mira smiled gently and answered, "Well, if I was truly in love with my best friend, I would be patient and wait. I would know that we are meant to be and that they'll eventually come around."

Natsu glanced at the silver-haired girl and gave a bright smile. "Thanks, Mira!"

With that, he walked towards his partner and greeted her with an equally bright smile. There was no reason to be worried, they were best friends! He definitely wouldn't let his feelings ruin anything. Glancing at all of the jobs, Natsu picked one that was not too difficult nor too easy and had an amazing reward. Tugging on Lucy's hand, he gave a glare to Nab- who was definitely confused by it- and went back to Mira with the paper.

"Mira, we are going on a job!" he announced.

"A job?" Gray asked as he walked up to the group, Erza trailing behind him.

"Ugh, not you, Stripper. I just wanted to go with Lucy."

Lucy's face immediately went pink, which did not go unnoticed, except by Natsu of course.

"Do not be ridiculous," Erza said, snatching the paper and walking out the guild. "We are a team, we shall all go."

Natsu groaned and towed along, Happy landing on his shoulder for a ride. Lucy giggled and ran up beside the two. Looking at the girl beside him, Natsu took in the joyful features on her face and was taken aback by her sheer beauty. Her golden hair was tamed perfectly while her outfit showed off all of her curves. He had always known she was attractive, but damn was it hitting him hard now that he knew he loved her.

"I'm surprised I didn't realize it until now. Man, I must be as dumb as Nab for not realizing it!"

Natsu jumped out of the train and happily fell onto the ground. Solid, unmoving ground. He really needed to get ahold of his motion sickness because rides were becoming more and more unbearable each time. Grabbing Lucy's hand- who had just walked up beside him- he sprinted off towards the direction of their client's house. Luckily, it was only a ten minute walk- or jog, I should say- until they reached a huge house that was in good condition.

The paint was a pastel yellow color and there were no signs of it chipping. The hedges were perfectly cut and the flowers swayed gently in the breeze. The lawn was mowed and there were children toys scattered around, making Natsu imagine what his kid would look like if Lucy and him-

"Whoa, don't think about that! Just go talk to the client!"

Knocking on the door, they were greeted by a maid that quickly ushered them inside upon learning they were Fairy Tail mages. Leaving them in the living room, the maid excused herself and brought back a couple- who were clearly the ones that owned the house.

"Hello," the lady greeted with a sad smile. She looked to be in her early-thirties with dark brown hair and brown eyes. "My name is Amber and this is my husband, Johnathon."

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you," Erza replied with a warm smile.

"As it is with you," the older gentleman said with a bow. "Though I wish I didn't have to resort to this."

"May I ask what you need help with? The flyer did not specify."

"It's our son," the woman answered, tears forming in her brown eyes, "he was kidnapped last night and we are too frail to get him back. We need your help. Please, help us get our son back!"

Natsu smiled brightly at the couple, who were now crying in each other's arms, and replied, "Of course! We are Fairy Tail mages, don't worry about it! I'm a dragon slayer, so I have a great sense of smell. We need to know where you were when the kidnapping happened so I can track them down! I could also use something of your son's so that it's easier to track down his scent specifically."

The older woman sniffled and replied, "We'll take you to the spot! But I should warn you, they are also mages, strong ones at that!"

"Wait," Gray interjected, "we should hear the story first before we go so we can learn about their powers. We can't just rush in."

"Alright," Johnathon said, nodding his head. "We were going on a walk when it happened. Four mages jumped out of the bushes and surrounded us. I didn't have guards follow us that day because I figured we would be fine. How foolish I was… Anyways, I'm afraid I don't remember as much as I would like, for I was knocked unconscious."

He then continued, "One man is very fast, faster than light. He is the one that grabbed my son and knocked me out. Another is a woman. I am not sure of her magic, she didn't do anything. There is another man, who slows time, making it even easier for the faster mage to attack- though it's not like we have any magical abilities to fight back anyways. Lastly is their leader. He uses a weird, portal type of magic. He got them all out of there before the authorities could arrive."

"Why exactly are they after your son?" Lucy hesitantly asked, not wanting to pain the older couple more than they already were.

"It is more than likely to keep him as hostage so we give them money. I should have assigned guards..."

Lucy tensed as painful memories flashed through her mind. There were multiple times when she was held hostage for her father's money. Hell, that's why she was kidnapped by Phantom Lord not too long ago. Just imagining a young child going through what she did made the girl's blood boil.

"It's not your fault, sir," Lucy stated as she got up. "Let's hurry and bring back your son!"

With that, the seven of them were off to start the mission. After about a fifteen minute jog on a nearby trail, they all stopped when Amber told them that they had arrived at the approximate area of the kidnapping. Natsu inhaled a large whiff of their son's scent and glumly shook his head.

"I can't find his scent beyond this point," he sadly announced, feeling utterly useless. Just what good of a dragon slayer was he if he couldn't catch a scent?

"It is probably because the leader used portal magic," Erza replied, taking in their surroundings. Just then, something scurried in a bush and she immediately requipped into her armor. Four people jumped out from the bushes, three with menacing smiles on their faces.

"I knew they would come back," the female mage announced. "Who knew they would bring some Fairy Tail meat with them?" She was wearing a magenta leotard and had long, orange hair that flowed beyond her shoulders. Her eyes were a stunning shade of emerald, though they held malicious intent in them.

"Silence, Michiko," a man ordered. He was dressed in all black with a black cape similar to Gildart's covering him. His face was masked, though his eyes were left uncovered, showing off their red color. "If you want your son back, return here with all of your money. And no mages this time."

"To hell with that!" Natsu exclaimed as he lunged towards the leader with flames around his fists. He was then kicked hard in the gut by one of the male mages and was sent rolling back into a tree. The culprit was definitely the one the clients described as fast. He was even faster than Racer.

"Natsu!" Lucy worriedly cried out.

Pulling out her keys, she summoned Loke while Erza and Gray began attacking as well. The lion spirit went to work trying to fight the enemies when Lucy felt a sharp pain in her right arm. Looking down, she was surprised to see a gash on it, blood slowly oozing down her arm. Wincing at the pain, the blonde looked around to find Michiko grinning at her while licking her nail, which was dripping with Lucy's blood.

"How did she-"

Jumping to the side, Lucy was just barely able to dodge another assault from Michiko. The girl was surprised to see that her nails, which were painted a bright shade of pink, extend out towards her.

"That's how she got me!"

Placing Virgo's key above her chest, she used Star Dress to begin her counterattack. Digging under the ground, the girl came behind Michiko and kicked her in the back of the knee, then tackled her onto the ground. The two female mages wrestled, Lucy winning easily as she was using Virgo's strength. Too bad she forgot about the nails. Michiko laughed maniacally as she extended her sharp nails, piercing Lucy's side. The blonde yelped with pain.

"Lucy!" Natsu cried out, temporarily forgetting about his battle with the fast mage.

"I-I'm fine!" the girl managed to reply. She was now breathing heavily and her vision began to blur, though she didn't give up. "Loke! Use your own power so that I can summon two spirits and also use Star Dress!"

Erza and Gray paused their assaults on the enemy, though still made sure to defend themselves, as they took in the girl's appearance. Her tank top was quickly becoming drenched with blood and her golden hair was plastered to her face with sweat.

"Lucy, there's no way you can have three spirits out and use another spell!" Erza said, trying to block an attack from another man, who effectively slowed down her attacks.

"What is that anyways?" Gray asked. "You get their abilities? That has to take a lot of magical power!"

"Don't worry about me, you guys!" Lucy replied. Taking out two golden keys, she summoned both at the same time with mere waves of her hands. Cancer and Gemini appeared in flashes of light. "Cancer, you hold her off while Gemini and I do the spell!"

The crab spirit went to work at cutting the incoming nails, effectively defending Lucy and Gemini, though the nails would just keep coming and growing back with each cut. Little did Lucy know that the enemy's leader was eyeing her and watching her every move.

"Michiko, enough. Let's take that girl with us," he announced, surprising everyone around them.

"As if I'm going to let you take Lucy!" Natsu cried out, lunging towards the leader, only to be stopped by Michiko's nails piercing into his skin.

Lucy was startled when a harsh kick was delivered into her gut, causing her to hunch over. She was having difficulty breathing when the fast mage, whose name was still unknown, picked her up and immediately ran beside their leader. Erza and Gray shouted, trying to attack when the other mage slowed down their moves so that Michiko could attack the two of them, rendering them unconscious.

Amber and Johnathon watched the scene unfold, horrified at what just happened. The strong mages they hired were so quickly defeated, all of them unconscious now and one of them being taken away, just like their son.

The leader turned to face the two and said, "Bring the money here at midnight or else your son will die."

With that, he created a portal, blinding them with the light. Natsu's eyes barely managed to open as he was slouched against a tree. A piercing pain pulsed through him as he saw stab marks in his stomach. That isn't what hurt him, however. What hurt the boy was seeing the enemies leave, the woman he loved in their hands, disappearing into the portal. He had just lost Lucy and had no idea how to get her back.

AN: So, I got too impatient and decided to post my new AU nalu story before finishing this one! In case any of you are interested, here's a summary: "AU. After transferring to Fairy Tail High School, Lucy Heartfilia finds herself content with her newest and only friends: Erza and Levy. However, with their attempt to bring her out of her shell, she finds herself in a group chat with her two friends, a stripper, a crazy jealous girl, an alcoholic, and a pyro who just so happens to tear down her walls and make her heart race."

MarSofTheGalaxies: Oh sweet! Thank you so much for that! I didn't even know that was a thing haha! :D

MirrorFlame: Oh I was actually reading that! I need to catch back up on it! And in regards to the message you sent me: YES THEY ARE BY THE SAME AUTHOR. SHE IS SO AMAZING! Virtual Flames is great, but Texting Fire will always be my absolute fav nalu story. Everything is just perfection! :D

Mavis Chase: Thank you haha! Part of me was scared it was a little childish but I'm glad someone liked it! :D

12Rayne: LOL I WAS DYING WHEN I READ YOUR REVIEW BECAUSE THATS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WITH NAB. Sooo funny hahaha! I swear he'll stop being dense... eventually...

Alexa: Thank you so much as always! :D And yay I'm glad you are trying to write a story! I know for sure you will come up with ideas though, you are super creative and have been giving me a lot of ideas! I will definitely review when you finally make it :)

Vanitas' Queen21: I ask myself all the time when I watch the anime haha! Don't worry, he'll stop being dense, though it'll take a while to get there lol! Thanks for the review! :)

J.C: I'm glad you liked their conversation, as I did too! I absolutely love the friendship between Gray and Lucy (and yes I shipped them a little bit in the beginning too but just like you said their sibling relationship fits the best!) And thank you for the unending support! :D

Sama775: He really is dense haha! Both of them are! But at least he's finally realized his feelings for Lucy! :D That's a great start!