Authors Note: I LIVE! Back with another installment to Hawkeye. Action scenes suck. But I don't think this one is too bad. Bewitched takes me a while because I keep wracking my brain and researching concepts of Magic and Astronomy as well as making sure I know the mythos behind each constellation I want to use. This one takes a while because I was a freakin' over achiver and made an incredibly detailed plot. I'm trying to deliver the information without just info loading and keeping it interesting and amusing. Also I'm preparing to go back to school in the summer and taking Chinese classes on top of my home studies of Japanese.

*stares off forlornly into space.* To be able to just never work, be independently wealthy...and write...*sigh*

Anyway.

Here is the new chapter. I tell you a lot but I don't spell it out. Smart people might already be getting it. Lets just say that not everything can be chalked up to the effects of the drugs. Also I announced this in Bewitched and I'm going to throw it out there here. If anyone is interested in being a Beta let me know. I need another pair of eyes to come after me and point out things. I know what *I* meant to say...but sometimes It doesn't come out right. Just private message me. I don't pop these out fast, sadly, but it would help quite a bit!

Edit Addition: I just looked at the number of followers and Faves! OMG. Thank you guys so much! I didn't even realize or really pay any attention...I mean I should have but for some reason it didn't process...I mean...not that I don't appreciate it it's just I didn't expect so many... That is I mean to say...

THANK YOU! THANK YOU all SO MUCH! You are awesome!

-CupcakeK

Hawkeye Chapter 21: Babying the Bunny and Trouncing the Twins

Levy stares at the logins for the last few months. "No that can't be..." Gajeel is staring over her shoulder.

"I suspected something but...this, shit. We had our suspicions but to think that we where compromised on such a level..."

"I need to tell master right away."

It had taken some liberally poured wine and a good night's sleep to have Lucy feeling like she's on much more stable footing. Cana had come back and almost laid into her about her mental state. Natsu had routed her out with a firm but kind hand stating that she can be fussed at after she's feeling better. Happy kept her company the next day as she had taken a day off so that she can be fully 'rested.'

Mainly at Natsu and Cana's insistence.

She found out that her feline companion had a particular love of all things fishy when he swatted the tuna fish salad sandwich out of her hand with a particular brand of viciousness before attacking the spilled contents with just as much fervor.

"Ah...sorry about that. Though on second thought perhaps tuna fish sandwiches wasn't such a good idea with wine after all..."

"It is a nice white wine. That pairs well with fish."

"I doubt they mean the kind that comes from a can."

"It's ok, It's the thought that counts." Natsu opens his mouth to respond and is cut off as Lucy's phone rings. He lifts a brow at her.

"It's alright, it's just Levy." He seems mollified and walks out as she answers.

"Hey, Levy what's up?"

"Master's going to want to speak with you."

"Master?"

"Head of Fairy Tail."

"Grandfather, you mean?"

"You...know?"

"I figured it out with everything else told to me. I am not happy with him...so I'm looking forward to this meeting."

"It has to do with the files Natsu asked me about and log ins."

"Are you going to share or just tell me about the inevitable and leave me hanging."

"No one appreciates the art of tension anymore."

"I'm sure Gajeel could help you with all that appreciation."

"That sounds like too much tension on your part."

"You didn't call to talk about my sex life."

"You started the innuendos. Fine. It looks like the login was a retro act."

"You mean someone with a old login had help making the computer system see it as a present one by digging not only past the firewalls but into the archives to make the servers think the login is still active?"

"I knew you'd understand. Think you can explain it to Natsu? You do realize that word around the family is that he's yours now right?"

"You say that like he's some sort of lost puppy I took in."

"More like a dragon you unknowingly have tamed. Natsu's pretty vicious when riled you know."

"Well I've never seen him really angry. Usually he gives his guys a look and they mostly don't push it."

"There is a reason for that. I don't envy the men who gave you those files. He might seem alright now but he's going to hurt them."

"But..."

"There is no buts Lucy. He's livid, he's just learned to hide it really well. Let me guess. He's babying you making you rest and feeding you food and alcohol. He's probably planning to grill today to make sure you get good food into you. You haven't been allowed out of your room since you got back and even if you did leave he was with you."

"That's...scary. How did you...?"

"I've been there. Don't actually get sick you'll never get out of bed. Be forewarned too, their crazy strong."

"I noticed...he broke my spare pair of handcuffs."

"...Wow. I...I'm not sure what to say about that...he must have really enjoyed himself."

"It's not like that! I had some questions to..."

"I don't need to know about your role playing scenario, so long as you have a safe word and..."

"That is not what happened! I.."

"Hey more power to you girl. Did you pull out your whip?"

"Well...yes...but..."

"Wow. He should feel privileged."

"Why am I having this conversation with you?! Look thank you for warning me."

"What else would you expect from me? When Natsu called me and sent me a copy of the file numbers I didn't expect to find what I did. Speaking of which...I gotta go. Master wants to see the actual evidence I've found. So he'll be over soon. I'll talk to you later besides I don't want to irritate your guardian too much. He's probably at the door now."

"No he..." she looks over and blinks as she catches a glimpse of pink hair. How long had he?

"Never mind. I'll talk to you later Levy."

All she gets is laughter on the other end before: "Yeah, I'll leave you to your nurse maid. Byeeee..."

The blonde scowls faintly at the phone then up to the door. "You might as well come in." Natsu pokes his head in.

"You're ok right?"

"I'm fine but your master maybe visiting soon." He looks unsurprised.

"I see."

"You expected this."

"HE's been asking about you." Natsu leans against the door frame. Lucy really thought that he shouldn't wear that serious look while clad in only his boxers and undershirt. "You know who he is right?"

"Yes...I'm still not happy with him about keeping it from me."

"It was..."

"...for my own protection of some other bullshit, pet answer. Let's face it the real reason is that by keeping me separate from all of you and Fairy Tail as a whole is that there would be less problems. My powers where too unstable to be allowed freely around who knows how many other people who are powered up. I would've caused riots or similar."

Natsu sighs. "True. But I don't think we would've met this way. If I'd met you before I'd probably see you like I see Wendy or Erza. A sister."

"Sometimes those develop into more."

"True. But not as often as people would claim. It's hard to break a mindset learned at such a young age. Anyway. I'm here now and you can come in without any concerns about you hurting us. Right?"

Lucy looks at the temporary tattoo on her hand...it was starting to fade off.

"Yeah. I guess your right. Doesn't mean I'm letting him or Laxus off the hook. I could've visited when Laxus was around."

"Laxus was a surly, pissant of a kid. I'm not sure he would've been as much help as you think...but ok."

"Oo. I hear a little bitterness in that tone."

"No you didn't. It's the truth."

"And that's why your bitter."

Natsu snorts as he walks over and throws back her covers and lifts her (now protesting form) up.

"Anyway since I'm expecting a visit from Master your going to get a good meal in you and some sun. I don't want to hear his mouth."

"I can walk! Put me down!If You don't let me change you will anyway. I'm wearing your shirt and spare boxers." He looks down at her and smiles in that way that makes her stomach do funny flips.

"Oh...trust me. I haven't forgotten. I like the excuse to carry you. Humor me."

"Ugh. He's supposed to be at Levy's soon so I'd give him a hour or so before he arrives."

"Plenty of time to get you settled outside with a nice plate of food."

"You didn't mention me getting a chance to change..."

"OH? Must have slipped my mind...guess it's not as important..."

"Listen here you...!"

He just laughs as he walks out into the back yard.

Natsu glances over his shoulder to the interior where a very pissed looking girlfriend was attempting to fuss at his Master. The old man looked, unrepentant, which is what he pretty much expected. Turning his attention back down to the ribs he was working with he allowed his mask to fall a bit as his mind wanders and he goes over his mental check-list.

Approve all the new bike designs to be produced by Dreyar Motors... check.

Get Lucy to trust him...check

Get Lucy as his girlfriend...check

Get Lucy apart of Fairy Tail...in progress

Find a pair of 'twin dragons' and beat the shit out of them for messing with what's his...commencing at nightfall.

One he's gotten her set with Cana, some booze and Lucy's favorite "Chick flick: "Tomb Raider and the Cradle of Life," and he'd be golden. He's be out kick some ass and be back before she knew it...

That is... if the Master didn't rile her up too much. Which unfortunately, judging by the flailing hands and angry glances, might not be happening. Sighing he slaps his last slab onto the grill and pulls off one that was ready. Closing the top of the still borrowed grill he slides the door open and sighs as he hears Lucy squeal in anger.

"Now Lucy...calm down and please try to understand. I didn't want you to be subjected to too much after you went through such a ordeal. You know it took us months to get you to speak again...almost a year before you ever cracked a smile. What did you expect us to do?"

The girl shakes her head in irritation. "Be honest with me. I get that. But it really would've been nice to know that the biggest Mafia in all of Magnolia and one that almost all other families respect or fear, was run by my adoptive Father and brother! Is that too much to ask?"

"No...I mean I always meant to tell you but it never seemed the right time."

"None of our dinner nights where good?"

"Uh..." The old man rubbed the back of his head nervously and looks down. "That's not what I mean. I just... I just didn't want you too lose the trust we finally earned from you. You grew into such a happy child, well adjusted...and when you started hanging out with Laxus's friends...I dunno. I just assumed it had slipped sometime during that time. But when it didn't...and you where doing so well in all your classes...I dunno. I guess I got scared."

Lucy blinks watching the colors wash over her fathers face. "Scared of what?"

"You where happy...well adjusted...content and even making a place for you in the world, what more could I have asked for? I have a brilliant daughter to spoil who thrived even after the horror's she experienced. Fairy Tails version of the world isn't necessarily the safest...I didn't want everything you worked so hard for to be taken away. I didn't want to loose you. And...I guess after a while I felt that if I did tell you you'd leave." He sighs deeply looking down. "Laxus, nor I could bring ourselves to do such a thing. We love you Lucy, very much and if anything else happened to you because of us...indirectly or directly, I don't think either of us would take it very well. Why do you think Laxus immediately left? It effects all of us but, I guess it's because we saw you at your weakest right after that night. "I couldn't take it if it happened again." He kept saying before he left." Marklov carefully takes her right hand and traces one of the fainter scars located there. "I understood your desire to learn to protect yourself and to bounty hunt...your learning to control your powers so dramatically made me SO proud of you. 'I'm...sorry' isn't good enough. I know...but I would hope that you would forgive us. Love makes you do stupid things sometimes and not telling you was...pretty stupid. You'd think a old man like me would know better."

The girl looks down and smiles softly her ire cooling a bit. She read the worry, sadness and pride in his colors and smiles softly before hugging him tightly.

"It's O.K. Daddy. Just...don't try to keep me in the dark about such things, please? I'm a big girl now." Natsu sighs softly as he walks past smiling.

The Captain's smile fades however as he notices the suddenly vapid look on his Master's face and the faint blush to his cheeks as Lucy unknowingly smothered him in her bountiful pair of blessings. The old man also seemed to be mouthing the words: "Double D's~!"

Natsu wasn't sure how to feel about that. Markov loved the girl like his own daughter but his lechery seemed fairly strong to make him forget.

Lets just hope he remember to keep his hands...

"UGHHH! WOULD YOU STOP RUBBING YOUR FACE THERE!? That is so disgusting!"

*Smack*

Or he was just that much of a damn lecher.

At least he didn't use his hands...

Natsu climbs off Igneel and sighs as he cracks his neck. It was only a 20 minute drive to towards the mountains. Before the winding back roads out of the city was the family base of Sabertooth. A fairly nice bar that Cana always joked was the low budget version of their own club, Ever After. Sabertooth was a baby gang in the grand scheme of the Underworld. No one had even heard of them until about two years ago when they had exploded onto the scene with strong members, a iorn-fisted head by the name of Jiemma and several good businesses.

Walking up to the door man he glares up at him. "Evening Orga. Twins in?"

"Maybe. You here to start shit?"

The large man had enough hair to give Gajeel a run for his money buy his teal hair and black leather made him look like a strange steel studded cone of cotton candy. At least to Natsu.

"No. Now if your through being a piss poor bouncer, go ahead and get them out here so I don't mess up your fine establishment. Collateral damage is a real bitch to explain to the insurance company."

"That sounded like a threat, Pinky." He poked attempting to prompts Natsu to come at him instead. Captain Dragneel simply looks bored but a glimmer of the irritation he had simmering lit his eyes. He sighs and shifts forward and does a eerily good job of staring down his nose at the man who was almost a head and a half taller than him. Orga held his ground but bit back a gulp and sweat trickled down his back. Natsu's almost inpercivibly sniffs and pushes his advantage. Seems his reputation was getting around.

"I'm attempting to be a gentlemen here. And you remember the last time you attempted to stand in my way yes? Let's not have a repeat. Please ask Tweedle-De and Tweedle-Dum to come on out. Got it? Awesome."

A little less than ten minutes later he was leaning against the adjacent building's walls eyeing the two men who had finally come out. Sting and he had been good friends while growing up the younger man had admired Natsu quite a bit. And he always had to save his ass after he got himself into trouble. He was sure that watching Sting is part of the reason he swore to learn control. In fact it was only three years ago that he, Wendy, Sting and Rouge had all saved a litter of kittens by each taking one. Now he was becoming a dark and manipulative man who wore far too many belly shirts than Natsu thought was tasteful. Natsu figured his present crush, a Minerva, might have something to do with it.

The belly shirts surely.

"You know why I'm here."

"No...really we don't. We got some sort of group family meeting?"

"No. You know I came back to a really upset girlfriend."

"I know we where close but I really don't want to hear about your girl's lady-days..." He snickered and elbowed the ever stoic Rouge.

"I watched some very interesting surveillance footage that got me thinking. I'm just here to clear a few things up and to remind you of others."

Both men had frozen at the words: "Surveillance footage." It was still fresh in their minds the overwhelming feeling of the need to flee when the girl had finished glancing over the files and fully pulled out her gun and pointed at them with the coldest eyes they'd ever seen. She never wavered as she demanded they leave before she decided to pull the trigger. She assured them that more people would believe her and help her get rid of their bodies than would mourn their loss.

They had believed her.

But she hadn't been some weepy creature like they had predicted... They where sure that Lucy was the perfect girly-girl that looked good in leather with a skill or two that would amuse someone like the Dragonrider's Captain. Not the gun toting, oil smelling, world savvy woman they had encountered. While Sting was happy that they had successfully rattled her; Rouge wasn't fully convinced that it was a good idea. Especially with how hot it was suddenly around them this late in October.

Natsu grabs Sting by the front of his shirt and drags him down, closer to his face, fangs flashing as he snarls. "We have an agreement. You leave us alone. We leave you alone. Mutual respect, kind of thing. You broke that agreement."

"This was before that agreement...she caused the death and harm to our..." he was forced to stop talking or swallow his tongue as Natsu suddenly shook him violently causing his head to snap to and fro.

"I wasn't done speaking Sting. Remember what happened when we where little when you would interrupt? Good. I know what you SAY and I read the files. I also know that the shit all of us went through was complete and utter bullshit on both sides but I don't try and dig up shit to cause trouble just to get back at someone. And that's what you did... I don't like that. You. Broke. Our. Agreement."

"Let him go."

Natsu absently stops Rouge's punch before easily turning the force of it against him sending him into the wall with simply a flip of the wrist and a well timed trip.

"You helped him. I'm not done with you either. Sit still and wait your turn. Know what? No I want to get back. I'll take both of you on. Just get up and lets get this over with." He shoves sting back and pulls off his jacket carelessly tossing it off behind him.

Sting was the first to attack.

Typical.

With surprising calm he parries a fierce right hook with a nasty gut check while he kicks backwards keeping Rouge off his back. Both stumbled and cough sharing a glance. They where a great pair of tag team fighters that had their fair share of fights under their belt and a growing list of victims.

Too bad their list wasn't still any good compared to him. But they where getting cocky. And they where not going to hold back...so neither will he.

Taking a deep, meditative, breath as he exhales he unlocks the careful restraints he keeps on his power. Opening his eyes he grins.

Orga stares dumb-foundedly at the fight. Sparks of fire, light and shadow are seen as the three clash. He'd always known the Twins where gifted fighters, destined for great things. But as Sting's roundhouse was blocked simultaneously with Rouges' leg sweep with almost a absent air they looked like children playing a game.

Natsu is amused before he sends a punch and side kick that sends them flying backwards with scorch marks marring their clothes. Following Sting, he stomps his abdomen roughly before kicking him away to deal with the approaching threat of a attempted grab with a grounded chest strike to Rouge's sternum. He pulled it just enough so that he didn't stop the man's heart but he would be sporting a nasty bruise and it effectively took him out of the fight. Bruised cartilage near one's heart and lungs typically makes someone stop. Unless their juiced...which he's sure he isn't. Turning he glares at the blonde that stumbled to his feet.

"Rouge! You, dick..."

"...Is bigger than your, yes. Come on put up or shut up." Sting glares and goes to answer the challenge with a impressive combination of punches, leg sweeps, and open palm strikes that make him resemble a deadly tornado. He manages to land a punch on Natsu who simply steps back.

"There, now it won't seem too bad when I do this:" Responding with a punch of his own he grabs grabs a stunned Sting kneeing him in the gut, the chest, then head in rapid succession before grabbing his shoulders and lifting him from the ground where he *snaps* him in a very similar to how one would snap a sheet before making a bed. He then tosses him down to the ground kicks him over to re grab his baby blue belly shirt.

"You fucked with what is mine. I'm being nice. Don't. Do it. Again..." He goes to punch him one last time before he's stopped by a arms wrapping around his. Turning to look he looks up into scared brown eyes.

Lucy?

"Yukino! Get back!" Orga is hurrying up. Dropping both the limp male and his fist he looks at this girl. She smelled like Lucy...faintly but not in a related way. She *felt* the same and he could *feel* her fear and concern.

Just like Lucy.

Glaring down at a suddenly very worried Sting.

He sighs.

Natsu had wanted to kick ass get a dozen cupcakes and go back to a tipped girlfriend who wanted to snuggle.

"Looks like, we need to talk."

Dammit Sting.