Hi!

I was really happy for those reviews about Lucy's feelings towards being fired. I learned that you guys are really reading my story. Like, reading between the lines because I was sure I didn't put that Lucy liked her stressful job but you guys were able to get it and I was glad you know my version of Lucy well.

I made a mistake in the last chapter because I was too caught up in the wholeness of the last chapters that I wasn't able to check if I was able to explain their feelings quite well. And I honestly thought that I was able to include it somewhere in that chapter because my imagination was already on the next chapters.

Thank you very much for supporting and the new readers I'm glad you tried this story! I finished the SECOND TO THE LAST CHAPTER. =) Let's see how you'll react this time. Enjoy!

Chapter 53

"Lucy.. I don't think that's how you make coffee.."

Lucy looked up from what she was working with. She was holding a spoon, there were coffee spilled around the mug she was working with as she had a rug with her other hand.

Levy walked towards her. "You just need to add water in it."

She took the mug from Lucy's hand and demonstrated for the nth time. "Flavor then water."

"Sorry Lev. You assigned me to the basics and I can't even make a single one." She looked up as Levy patted her shoulder.

"Well.. I've never met anyone that needs practice putting water on mug."

"I didn't need practice. That machine is not doing its –" She stopped when Levy handed her the mug she was working with.

Levy smiled. "I think kitchen work doesn't suit you. Maybe you can just attend to the customers' needs."

"Fine." Lucy grunted and changed her apron into a clean one before stepping out.

It's been 4 days since Lucy started working at Levy's café. And since then she had been in every position Levy could put her in. First day she was an assistant to the baker, she made the oven explode. Luckily for Lucy, she had the money to replace the things that were destroyed. Second day she's at the cashier, she almost hit 3 people if Levy didn't interfere. Well in Lucy's defense, they were bossing her around. Third day Levy made her the bookkeeper. Levy thought it was the best position she could give her. But the thing is, Lucy was too caught in reading a book she wasn't able to do her job. And that's when Lucy asked Levy to teach her how to make coffees.

"Table 9.." Lucy mumbled as she tapped her chin and looked around for the owner of the coffees on her tray. When she saw the number she happily walked towards them and prepared her biggest smile. "Good afternoon si –"

Before she could comprehend what's happening, her hand was shaking and the tray was slowly slipping from her hand. The three guys on the table stood up in hopes to get away from the mess. Well they got away but not the one who received the tray on his lap.

"GAAAAH ̴" Shouted the one across Lucy.

"Good thing I endured turning my neck as I watch clumsy Lucy." Gray smirked. Lucy's eyes widened and she turned her gaze from Gray to Gajeel to Jellal and to Natsu who was now covered in hot coffee.

"HEY! How dare you watch my woman!" Natsu shouted as he glared at Gray from across the table.

Upon realization Lucy jumped from where she was standing to where Natsu was. She removed her apron and used it to clean him up. "Oh my gosh Natsu! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

"I think he deserves it. He's been perving on you the whole time." Jellal shrug.

Lucy froze and blushed. She hit Natsu when she heard that. "Since when are you here? I thought you're going straight to Oak Town." She glared at him and started wiping the unwipeable mess on his clean dress shirt.

"I wanted to –"

"Oh geez. I'm sorry she's new he −" Levy stopped as she took in 4 familiar faces. "Why are you here? You said you had work to do?!" She shouted more to Gajeel.

"Salamander said he's treating drinks.. I didn't know it's your coffee." Gajeel said lazily. "You should fire bunny girl. She's messing –"

"Lucy just needs more practi – GAAAH. I think I need ice on my chest."

Soon, the guys were directed to the back of the shop at Levy's main office. Natsu was sitting on the couch with Lucy on his side. "I'm sorry I messed your shirt." Lucy grumbled under her breath. "I'll wash it for you."

"Did you just say you'll wash it? Not buy me another?" Natsu asked slowly as a smirk slowly rose up from his lips.

Lucy pressed the ice pack harder on his chest which made his wince a little. "Well I have nothing else to do. I don't have a job and it looks like Levy's going to fire me soon. I can't do anything right in this place."

"I think you can be a good customer in this place." Gray said.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Gee. Thanks a lot."

"Bunny girl's right. She should be fired soon." Gajeel added while he sat on the boss' chair. "You can't do anything right.. from what I've heard."

"HEY! SHE JUST NEEDS PRACTI –OW!" Natsu glared when Lucy pressed the ice pack harder again. "What you do that for?"

"Why don't you stay at your office bunny girl? You have your own. You're good at that just stay at your field." Gajeel said nonchalantly as he lean back on his chair. "Besides you're making more money that way."

This time Natsu stiffened in his seat. He carefully removed the ice pack from Lucy's hand and iced his chest himself. "I was in the process of taking back my own job. BUT, someone won't just come back and talk to me about it!" Lucy burst and turned to Natsu with a glare.

"I-I already talked to you about it.." Natsu stuttered as he scratch his temple. "I'm giving you a break."

Lucy huffed in annoyance as her voice was laced with anger. "I don't want a break! I want my job back!"

Natsu frustratedly ran his hand through his hair. "Do I need to tell you everything again?" His voice firmer this time, obviously trying to keep his cool. "I already told you my reasons."

"Whatever." Lucy glared back. "I want my job back. I want my company back! I don't understand why you got me fired."

"Your company? I thought.."

"OUR company, Natsu. OURS. That's why I want my share too."

"I don't want to repeat myself again." Natsu glared and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then give it back! Or you'll have to answer to me every –"

"I already told you it's mine and the Board's decision!" Natsu said standing up from the couch. "And I told you I won't talk to you about this outside of work." He angrily went out of the office and slammed the door shut.

She looked at him in disbelief. "What the hell is his problem?! I should be the one who should be mad!" Lucy huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms across her chest.

"You're fired from the company?" Gray asked not knowing what to react. Well he said that he's on Lucy's side before when it comes to the story of the Lost Dragneel but now that it was a lover's quarrel between his friends.. he really doesn't know which side he should be.

Lucy nodded.

"I.. well.. maybe he's right you just needed rest?"

"I don't need rest. I've been doing this since I'm 18. And I do like−love what I do!"

Gray stopped and thought for a moment. "Maybe he just want to have some time with you.."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "He's the one busy now. Natsu barely even had time for me."

"Or... he wants to experience what you've been doing before.. You can't really blame Natsu, Lucy." Jellal butted in. "He has his fair share of the company too. And it's also his only memento of the parents he still can't remember."

Lucy bit her lip. She knew Jellal was right in every way. She looked down on her hands and mumbled in a soft voice. "I need to say sorry to him.."

"You don't really have to." Natsu said as he opened the door and get in, dressed in new white dress shirt. His coat was hanging on his shoulder as he grinned softly at Lucy. He walked over to her and sat beside her. "Just.. do what I say for now. Okay?"

She kissed his cheek as Gajeel and Gray made a gagging sound and Natsu glared at them. "But I won't stop asking you to give me, my job back. The more I persuade you, the earlier I can have my job back, right?"

"Let me see you try." Natsu smirked.

"How could they fight one moment and be all mushy the next.. and in an instant?" Gray muttered under his breath.

Natsu placed his arm behind Lucy's head and she leaned on in with a loud sigh. "What should I do now?.. I don't want to give Levy more headaches. But I don't want to do nothing.. Hmm. Why don't you give me my job back?" She asked turning her head to Natsu with a small smile on her face.

"Here we go again." Gray muttered under his breath.

"Well Lucy, I can give you a job." Jellal offered. Lucy and Natsu looked at him with curiosity. "I don't care if you mess up there because people who go there are just as messed up.. But it's a nighttime job. Wanna do it?"

Natsu shook his head before Lucy could even answer. "Like hell Lucy would have a job in your club! I will never let Lucy have a job like that! Besides no one can touch Lucy! She's mine!" He finished wrapping his arms around her.

"It's not like that Natsu." Jellal countered. "I'm not offering Lucy a job that needs dancing in front of everyone. Or that includes touching or whatever.. What do you think of my club anyway? It's not a strip club! I can even put body guards around her."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "And like hell I'll agree to that."

"Okay. Chill! But that's not what I mean. I need a bartender. You good with that?"

In an instant, Lucy's eyes were sparkling. "Well, I've been watching your bartender in Acalypha for a while now. And I really want to do what he's doing."

"Lucy, let me get this straight. You're watching another man?"

Lucy smiled at Natsu. "Well, he's good at tossing and mixing."

It's the morning of Lucy's first day at Immortals. With nothing to do she plopped herself on the bed face first.

"I really need to do something until 7pm." She grumbled under her breath.

Even after many reminders from Jellal that Lucy needs to sleep in the morning so she could be wide awake when work comes, she just couldn't do it. She's a morning person after all. She worked in the morning she sleeps at night. That's how it used to be.

Lucy then reached for her tab that was sitting on her bedside table and scrolled for news. She then come across the one where she was accused of the girl Natsu was cheating with. Right. Natsu hasn't cleared that up yet. Lucy immediately sat up knowing what to do that very morning.

Lucy was walking through the halls of the company building. Her heels were clicking with the marbled floor as she neared the now Executive CEO's office. She stopped in front of the black double doors and took a deep breath. It's not that Lucy was nervous to see him but she's scared to see Natsu too busy to give time to her.

She placed her hand on the door ready to push it.

"Lucy, you're not allowed to see the boss. Your scheduled meeting with him is a week from now. Why don't you wait for that?" Lucy turned to see Cana sitting on the secretary's desk. Ever since Lucy had been jobless, Cana apparently is too. Good thing Erza took a break giving them more time to think where to place Cana when Erza comes back.

"Well, I'm here for personal matters."

Cana stood from her chair. She pulled her short yellow dress down and walked to Lucy. "He's meeting you at 6pm. He's picking you up and staying with you at Immortals for your work." Cana gently pushed Lucy on a chair in front of her table and sat in front of her. "Isn't it sweet that he accompanies you to your first day in work?"

"Uhh.. Yeah. But can I talk to Nat –"

"It's almost my lunch break, why don't we catch up?" Cana asked. Lucy saw her slid a bottle of vodka in her bag as she walked back to where Lucy was. "I missed you Lucy. I'm glad Dan left, he can be really annoying sometimes but it's a good thing he realized his place in your relationship with Boss."

"Yeah. Do you have any news about him? I haven't heard of hi –"

"HOW COULD YOU ASK ME FOR MARRIAGE WHEN YOU STILL HAD THAT ISSUE?" A woman's voice shouted from the inside of Natsu's office.

Both Lucy and Cana froze.

"W−Who's that?" She asked Cana.

"CLEAR THAT UP WITH YOUR WOMAN BEFORE I AGREE TO THIS MARRIAGE!"

"It's just a simple misunderstanding Jenny!" The sound of chairs moving and some things falling echoed in the air. "It's just a simple misunderstanding! Lucy will understand. Can you please please please accept? This is important to me. You're really important so please accept it."

"You can't be with two women Natsu. You need to let the other go." Jenny said. "It's not nice to have another woman."

"Geez. I don't even need to clear this up. It's fine with Lucy. She's not bothered by it. And about this, she doesn't even suspect a thing!"

"So this is a secret?"

"YES! To her especially!"

"Hmmmm.. Okay then. Let's do this marriage thing. Ohhh, our businesses will surely boom after this."

"Great! Now I'll talk to Lucy and clear things up." Lucy could just imagine Natsu pumping his hand up in the air with the sudden happiness surging through him.

Lucy bit her lip. She hugged her bag close to her. "What.. the hell is Natsu doing?"

"I−I don't know."

Lucy stood up from the chair. She wanted to walk inside that office and hit Natsu in the head really hard he'll forget he ever met her. Lucy wanted to slap that Jenny in the face for making her look stupid. Instead, she clenched her fists as her nails dug the skin of her palms.

"That's so low Natsu.." She said as she tried to hold her sobs back. "How could you.."

It was 9 in the evening and Lucy was just going to Immortals. She's been at another bar across town since she runaway from Cana. Her eyes swollen as evidence of her cries the whole day. She closed her eyes and held her breath. She needs to pull herself together.

Did Natsu get the company all to himself for that?

She couldn't erase the thought that all those 5 years, had he been blinded by money? No. Natsu had his resources even before being a Dragneel. It has to be something. There has to be a reason why he did that. Why he played with her heart..

Lucy cannot find it in her heart to be mad at him. But at the same time, she is. Maybe she wanted to understand his side of the story and then get mad. She just couldn't believe how low he could get for just a revenge for what she did to him in the past five years. She was mad. Furious. Lucy wanted to punch both of them for making her look so stupid. And she wanted to give Natsu another punch and maybe a kick for making her believe that he actually loved her back.

"I hate you.." She muttered under her breath as she hold yet another sob.

Lucy reached the place Jellal told her to go to. She went to the back door and looked for him. She knew she couldn't hide her swollen, red eyes from him and so she didn't try to hide them.

"LUCY!"

At the sound of her name, she turned to the voice and saw the one person she's been dreading to see. She could see the worry and relief in his eyes. Like all of it is real. She held her hands up to stop him from coming any closer.

"Where the hell are you?! I've been –"

"Natsu, please don't be like this." Natsu was startled by her words. He stopped just right in front of her, where her hands were on his chest. "Just tell me you don't love me. Stop putting my hopes up. Stop making me believe you actually love me."

"Wha –"

"I heard it. I'm the other woman. I get it. You need to get back to what I've done to you." Lucy grabbed the front of his shirt and leaned forward. "I love you. I really do. Please just tell me you don't feel the same. That hurts enough. You don't have to hold yourself back from marrying her.. I'll live my life knowing you're the one that got away. And that already kills me inside."

She sobbed on his chest.

"No need to make me look stupid.."

"I'm going to get the company back." Lucy whispered determinedly. She was now in Erza's place. The only place Lucy knew Natsu can't set foot to. Especially now that he's the most wanted person Erza wanted to kill.

"I'll support you Lucy. I know Natsu's weak points." Erza said in a murderous voice as she cradled Zael in her arms. "I'll break him limb by li –"

She was cut off with Zael's crying. And Erza went back to the twin's room leaving Lucy to ponder with her problem. Lucy had no idea how this story went from a happy ending to another drama or possibly a sad ending. But one thing's for sure. She needs to get her job at the company back.

She needs the Heartfilia Company back.

"They're asleep so don't you dare make a noise." Erza threatened as she went back and sat on the sofa next to Lucy. "Were you able to do your job at Immortals last night? I heard Jellal gave you a job."

"Uhm. No. I left once I told Natsu what I wanted to say and ran here." Lucy leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

"And he didn't even run after you?"

"He did. But.. I elbowed him on the nose." Lucy muttered softly. "I didn't know what came to me. I just did what I think is –"

She was pulled into a hug by Erza. "I'm so proud of you Lucy. You've improved so much. You don't just depend on your money powers you can now fight for yourself. I'm really proud."

"I studied self−defense during the past 5 years. And I think I just caught Natsu off guard."

"Still.." Erza pulled back and rested on her side of the couch. There was silence between them and Erza spoke. "Are you really okay with this?"

It took Lucy a few moments before she answered. She bit her lip trying to hold the sob she's been keeping now that she needs to talk about that stuff again. "No. It's not okay."

"I know." Erza answered. Lucy lifted her head up to look at her in a confused look. "Who would be okay with your situation? You know you can just cry."

"I can do that after I get my position back."

Erza smiled knowingly. "You've gotten stronger Lucy. You know what, I still have 2 hits on Natsu."

"Wha – Ohh that. You had 5 if I remember.."

"Yeah. Revenge on what he did to you."

"You guys know it isn't necessa –"

Erza glared at her. "It's not for you to decide. Anyway, I'm giving you the other one. The finishing blow, you can give your all to it."

"It's not necessary. But I'll keep that hit you gave me. It may come in handy some other time." Lucy put her head back on the couch's back rest and stare back at the white ceiling. "I'm such an idiot for letting Natsu fire me. It's so pathetic. I'm so pathetic. I've been looking at all the positive things I could get if I don't work.. I trusted my parent's memento to him. And this is what I get."

"I still doubt that Natsu can do that. Take over the company, marry another woman for money and dump you?"

"I don't believe it too. But, I heard everything Erza. Straight from his mouth, he's offering her marriage. And I'm the she wolf."

"Don't call yourself that. You know you're not."

"Yeah." Lucy breathed. "I wasn't. He made me."

"And I'll crash his balls for that."

Lucy giggled. "It's kind of brutal but –"

Erza turned to look at Lucy. "What's the problem?"

Lucy's eyes were shut. Her face was scrunched as she took breathes heavily. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. I drank too much last night.. and with all the things that's happening. I just feel restless. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Why don't you sleep now, and we can plot Natsu's downfall later?"

"I don't think I can take another minute not doing anything to get that company back."

Erza only smirked. "That's the Lucy I know."

Exam week is coming.. So I'm quite busy. But I'll finish editing the next chapter as soon as I can. I hope within this week I can find time. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter even with the downside. Everything will make sense next time I updated. :) Well obviously it's the last chapter. Haha How do you find it so far? Annoying? I do hope, not so much.