Chapter 8

Previously

"If it's a safe house you all are looking for I can help out with that. The only problem is that I need proof she's in danger still. And I need to investigate some and see if what you say about Lisanna is true."

"You won't find anything." Lucy murmured.

"How do you know?" a new police officer asked. "I've been listening in and it seems to me that if she's careless enough for you to have figured out that it's her who did this then it's likely she slipped up somewhere else too, and if she did we'll find it."

"She's saying you won't find anything because it's not something Lisanna would have just at her apartment or something. Lisanna was my best friend, I know her better than anyone. I know how she thinks to a certain extent, and I know she wouldn't be as careless as you make her out to be. Us finding out had nothing to do with her slipping up. She's been very careful actually, and if I hadn'ta' been tipped off we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Then what do you suppose we do?" said the new officer.

"We need to talk about this in a more secure location, away from prying eyes and ears. Not everyone is as understanding and willing to accept what you're saying as we are." The first officer said.

They all looked around then and saw several people listening in to their conversation. Natsu and Lucy looked at each other, silently agreeing that the main officer was right, and then looked to the officers in front of them.

"Okay." They said in unison.

"Okay so based off of what you have told me, you young lady for sure need a safe house." The officer said pointing at Lucy. " There's only one problem with that though."

"Why can't she get into a safe house? We've told you all the facts. You know what's going on, and how far Lisanna is willing to go. All you have to do is look at how obsessed with me she is and you'll see how unstable she is. What's the problem?"

"Look Mr. Dragneel, we understand that you want your girlfriend to be safe, but we simply can't put her in a safe house without more proof that Lisanna will strike again. That is if Lisanna sent that hit-man after you at all."

"But she did! We know she did!"

"Mr. Dragneel please calm down. I understand the severity of this situation, but it's the law. It's unfortunate in situations like this, when someone is in danger and there's nothing we can do until more proof shows up. I really am sorry."

"You can't do that! Luce needs-"

"Natsu."

"She needs-"

"Natsu, look at me." With a sigh Natsu turned to look at Lucy. "Calm down. It's okay, if-"

"No Luce, it's not okay. You need someplace safe. Someplace where Lisanna can't reach you, at least temporarily until we can come up with a way to get her caught."

"Natsu." Lucy said calmly.

"What?" he said sounding sad and irritated.

Still calm, Lucy began to explain, "It may not be okay right now, but everything will work out. Trust me on this, I have a feeling that when everything is over and done with that it will be in our favor. There may be some hardships on the road there, but I know it'll all be okay."

"But Luce…what if it's not?" he whispered taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "What if things don't go well for us? What if they go well for Lisanna, and you end up…..dead."

"I'm not going to die Natsu. I have faith that everything will be well."

"Luce…I'm so scared that you'll die because of her, because of me. This is all my fault. If I hadn't confronted you at the bar none of this would have happened."

"Natsu, none of this is your fault. We met by chance because you saved me. I think you can save me again."

"But that was nothing compared to this. This is so much bigger Luce. God I'm so worried about you."

"What about yourself?"

"What about me?"

"Aren't you worried about yourself? Who knows what Lisanna might do? What if she decides that if she can't have you then no one can? I can see her making that decision, and it scares me."

"Heh, Luce" he said putting his hands on her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "You should know that I can handle myself. If a few days ago was any indication, I think I'll be okay. It's you that I'm worried about."

Lucy sighed deeply, accepting Natsu's words. "Okay. So I need more protection than you, but that doesn't mean I won't be worried about you."

"And that's perfectly fine." He smiled and kissed her head while bringing her into his chest.

Turning to the officer he said, "Can we go?" He felt Lucy stiffen under him at his words, but he gave no indication that she had done so.

"Uh…yeah, I guess. There's no need for you to be here any longer. I have everything I can get from you for right now. The guard at the door will walk you out."

"Thanks."

"Thank you for listening to us Mr. Laytis. We greatly appreciate you giving us a piece of your time." Lucy said.

"It's no problem, it's what I do." The officer, Mr. Laytis, said giving a small smile.

"You remembered his name?" Natsu asked.

"Well yeah, it wasn't that hard. Plus I figured we'd be dealing with him more often. It would be awkward if neither of us knew his name."

"I guess that's true. Hey Luce?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you tense up when I asked him if we could leave?"

"I uh, I forgot he was there."

"You forgot he was there?"

"Yeah."

"How do you forget someone is in the same room as you? It wasn't a large room, but it wasn't exactly small. He was sitting across the table from us, how could you not see him?"

"I don't know. I got caught up in telling you how I felt, so I forgot he was there."

"So that's why you tensed up. There you were pouring your heart out to me and you had no idea he was listening in."

"I wasn't "pouring my heart out to you." I was telling you how I felt about this whole situation."

"How do you feel Luce? You told me you were worried about me, and I get that, but you never said how you feel."

"I'll tell you when we get back to my place."

"We're not going there."

"Where are we going?"

"To check in with Gramps. We haven't exactly told him or Erza what's been going on, or told them we'd be out of work for a while."

"Mkay."

"So what you're telling me is that you need short term leave because Lisanna is after Lucy? And that the reason you weren't here is because Lucy was attacked, also because of Lisanna. Am I right?"

"Yup."

Makarov sighed. "Lucy my dear, are you okay?"

"My larynx isn't completely healed yet, but I'll be okay."

"Hmm. Here's what we'll do. Go somewhere for about half an hour and then come back. Erza and I will discuss everything you have told us and we will come up with what to do."

"Thanks Gramps! You're the best."

"Yes, yes. Go on now."

They left Makarov's office, slowly walking down the hall, hand in hand. They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Before they knew it they were standing in front of the door to their recording room.

"We might as well see Bixlow." Lucy said.

"Hm." Natsu hummed in agreement.

Natsu opened the door to the room, and there sprawled out on the couch was Bixlow. Tongue hanging out and knees bent, hanging off the armrest.

"Oh, heehee. I'll write him a note and leave it on his headphones."

While Lucy wrote a note to Bixlow, Natsu went into the soundproof singing room.

"Ready to go Natsu?"

"Huh? Oh, no. Close the door."

"Ookay…did you want to talk or something?"

"Yeah."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Are you going to say something, or am I going to have to read your mind?"

"Haha, no. That won't be necessary. I just-I don't know how to begin."

"Let's start by getting comfortable. Sit with me."

"I still can't believe it. I mean, this is Lisanna we're talking about. How is she capable of all those things Natsu said she did? And to get back at Bixlow no less."

"I've always had a peculiar feeling around the girl, and now I know why. Burning people's cars just to send a message? Following people around just to get intel on them? It's something I could see her doing. I don't see her any differently, I just see her more clearly."

"What are we going to do about Lucy? With those two as a couple, Lisanna is bound to be even more vengeful than she was with Bixlow. Everyone knows how much she cares for the boy," he said. "Excluding himself until recently" he mumbled.

"All the more reason we should make haste with this. She's not the kind to work at a mediocre speed."

"How do you know she works quickly?" Makarov asked.

"Not even a few days after Lisanna found out about Natsu being with someone else she sent someone after Lucy to kill her. It's been a few days since then so she may strike again, sooner rather than later."

"You're right. I have some connections in Crocus, we could send them there for a while. They could even still work for Fairy Tail. I need to call up some old friends and see if they'd be willing to do me some favors. Do you know anyone that could help us in Crocus, Erza?"

"Aye. I know a person or two. They're not easy to get a hold of, so it may take a while."

"That's alright. We just need to get those two out of Magnolia for the time being, then see about getting them settled down."

"Hm." She hummed in agreement. "I'll go send for my contact now. I should hear from them in a few days at the least if I send a message now."

"Why not just call them my dear?"

"They don't exactly carry a personal phone. Any conversation we have over the phone or via email wouldn't stay confidential."

"Ah, carry on then."

"I'll be back in a moment Master."

Erza left, leaving Makarov alone in his office. "What am I going to do? One of my children are in danger, and all I have the power to do is help them run. Maybe I could call on him to do some investigating for me." Makarov shook his head at the thought. No, he said not to call unless it was an emergency. But this is an emergency, a voice in his head said. No it's not, another voice said. Nothing is proven yet, it could be someone else for all we know. Lisanna may not be in the right state of mind when it comes to Natsu, but that doesn't mean that she sent the assassin after Lucy. But what if she did, the voice said again. But what if she didn't? It would look bad on Fairy Tail, and even worse on himself.

"Oh I just don't know." He sighed.

"What don't you know Master?"

"I've just forgotten the numbers of one of my friends in Crocus is all."

Erza narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say anything. "It's about time for them to be coming back, is it not?"

"They have a few more minutes. If they don't show up you may go and find them. I fear they may run away on their own accord without telling anyone where they went."

"Of course."

"Thank you Erza."

Somewhere else in a recording room, Natsu and Lucy were talking about how it may be safer for everyone if they just left. They wouldn't be found so easily because no one would know where they had gone. Lisanna wouldn't be able to ask anyone anything or track them down as easily either.

"Natsu, if we up and disappear without a trace, people would worry. People who know about Lisanna might suspect her for our disappearance. What if they arrest her on wrongful charges?"

"Luce, that doesn't matter. If Lisanna is arrested, well then good. She needs to be locked away. It doesn't matter what for, as long as it's long enough to let us live in peace. As for everyone else…" he sighed. "I hate to say it, but we'd have to leave them behind for a while. We can't show any signs of our existence until this all blows over."

"Natsu, that's wrong."

"But it's what we need to do."

"No Natsu, there's always another way."

"Like what? I can't see another way in which you don't get hurt Luce."

Lucy bit her bottom lip. He was right, she didn't see another way either, but there had to be something better than what he was suggesting. How could she just leave? Especially now that she had friends and a life worth living.

"Natsu, I can't." she whispered looking at the floor.

Natsu looked at Lucy, wondering why she was taking this so hard. If anything he should be taking it harder than her, right? He had more to lose than she did. She just moved here, she barely had her roots in. He's lived here most of his life, he was more deeply embedded than she was. Magnolia was his home, for her it was just a stepping stone, wasn't it? He didn't understand, he was willing to give up everything he's ever known and loved for her to be safe. Couldn't she see that? Couldn't she see that he loved her?

Natsu's eyes widened at the realization. He loved her. Even though he's only known her for about a week. Was that even possible? To love someone after only knowing them for a week? There was no way she felt the same, not after only a week. What if he said he loved her too soon and scared her off? Then all his efforts to keep her safe would have been for nothing.

No. His efforts wouldn't have been for nothing. She would still be safe because then she would go back to where she thought it was safe, which was back in Crocus with her family. If she leaves, he would not regret what he did.

"Natsu?"

Startled out of his thoughts back into the real world, he looked at her.

"Natsu?" she said more aggressively. He only blinked at her. "Natsu can you hear me?" she said, starting to raise her voice. When he didn't reply she yelled, "Natsu! Answer me."

After a moment's hesitation, he finally spoke. "Luce…how do you not realize that by running away with you I'm giving up everything?"

"Huh? Natsu, I-"

"Luce. I'm willing to give up everything I love to keep you safe and you can't do it?"

"Natsu you're being unbelievably selfish right now. You don't even know why I can't do it. Or that I'm willing to do it under certain conditions. You didn't even ask me why, you just assumed I was being stubborn."

"I-"

"I'm going to go hear what Master and Erza have to say. Feel free to join me at any time."

"Luce, I-I'm sorry. I didn't think you might be willing to come up with a different plan. I just don't see another way."

"Yeah, well maybe Master and Erza have come up with something. It's time to get going. Will you join me?"

Natsu sighed in remorse. "Yeah, I'm coming."

Lucy huffed out of the room ahead of Natsu. She noticed Bixlow was no longer on the couch.

That's odd, she thought. Where'd he go?

Next thing she knew the door behind her slammed shut and the deadbolt was heard sliding into place. She whirled and found Bixlow with his hand on the lock.

"Sorry," he said. "I need to talk to you privately for a second without him butting in."

"Just don't give me a heart attack next time."

"Haha, yeah I'll try."

"Should I sit?"

"No this should be quick, you have someplace to be."

Furrowing her eyebrows Lucy asked, "How do you know I have somewhere to be?"

"I listened to some of your conversation with-" Natsu banged on the one way glass that separated him from them. You could faintly hear him yelling obscenities. "Hold on one second." Bixlow said as he went to his control center. With the push of a button they could suddenly hear all the yelling Natsu was doing. A few more buttons and Natsu could see them laughing at his distress.

"Hey!" he yelled. "What's the deal? Why'd you lock me in here?"

Bixlow held a button down and spoke into the mic attached to his headphones. "Sorry bro, but I need to talk to Lucy. It'll only take a sec and then she's all yours."

"Like hell-" was all that was heard before Bixlow cut him off.

"Haha. He's so easy to get riled up. Anyway, as I was saying. I listened in to your conversation with the pink haired idiot, and before you say how it's none of my business, hear me out."

"Okay...go on."

"Thanks. Lisanna may not catch on to you for a week or two, but once she does she'll start looking for you. Then with all of you gone people may suspect her to have something to do with the disappearance of you two. Aside from that, Natsu was being a jerk. He was being selfish in there, he just doesn't fully realize it yet. He'll come around, but it would help if you tell him why you can't just disappear. I'm sure you have a good reason, but please give the idiot a chance. He's just worried for you, and, believe it or not, he's scared. There's actually not a lot Natsu can do in this situation with the little influence he has, and that worries him. He's going to want to play the role of protector, but because he can't he's going to be frantic on the inside which will make him act irrationally."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Just give him a chance. That's all I ask."

"I'll give him a chance." She gave him a smile.

"Thank you, now get going before Erza kills you."

"Right, and thank you."

"All in a days work of explaining the idiot to people who don't understand his motives."

Lucy unlocked the door that held Natsu in and opened it. Natsu fell forward onto the floor, catching himself on his hands. He looked up sheepishly, caught trying to listen in.

"H-hey Luce."

""Hi Natsu. Lets go before Erza starts looking for us."

"But I need to pummel Bix in first."

"Natsu." Lucy said glaring at him. "We're leaving. Now. Lets go."

"But Luuucee."

"Now Natsu."

"Uuuuugh….." He dragged himself off the floor to follow after her. "I'll be back seeking revenge later."

"HAHA! I'm sure you will ya rock head. Say hi to Erza for me."

Natsu shivered at the thought of Erza. She's going to be mad when they finally get there.

"You two are late." Erza said as Natsu and Lucy approached Makarov's office.

"My fault Erza. Bixlow and I ended up talking and lost track of time."

"The man can talk forever, just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes ma'am." Lucy said.

"Master is waiting, it's best to not leave him waiting."

As they walked in they found Makarov laying on the couch in his office, the of whiskey in the air, although there was none to be found.

"Gramps?"

"Ah, Natsu my boy. Lucy. Sit. You too Erza." They all sat and waited for him to continue. "Erza and I have come up with a plan for you two. A plan to keep you both out of harms way, and to possibly bring justice to the crimes Lisanna has committed."

"What is it Gramps?" Natsu said eagerly.

"All in due time. First things first. Lucy." He looked at said girl.

"Yes?"

"We need you to tell us those secrets you've been hiding for so long. And not just the ones you've been keeping from us, the ones you've been keeping from everyone."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Lucy my dear, I know it's hard to say things that hurt, but I have to know in order to solidify my plans. Why did you leave Crocus?"

"You know why. I left to come work for Fairy Tail."

"Besides that. Fairy Tail was just the excuse you needed to get out of Crocus. You were going to leave anyway weren't you?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking a-about."

Her voice cracked and she knew she'd been caught. Damn Makarov and his observant ways.

She could feel Natsu and Erza staring at her and then Makarov, and then back at her. It was nerve-wracking. It made her want to run away and cry the way she did when Lisanna told the world her secret in the center of town.

Except this time there would be no chest to run into, there would be nothing but the emptiness she had ignored for so long.

"Lucy, I know you don't want to, but we need to know. The people in this room need to know why you ran away."

"Give me a moment." she said caving in.

"Take your time."

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply for a few seconds. With her eyes still closed, she began to speak.

"B-before I tell you why I ran away, you need to know who I really am. My name is Lucy…Lucy Hearfilia. Daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia. I was never put in the spotlight because my parents knew how harsh my life could be if I was put out there. They kept me very sheltered for so long that I never even made friends. I've never been allowed off the lands of our home or allowed to roam around without a guard. His name was Loke, and he was my only friend until I moved here. He was there for everything that went on in my life. My schooling, traveling with my parents when my dad allowed it. He was there for my courting, when I met the princess of Fiore. He was there when I was b-beat by my f-father. He helped me escape."

Natsu reached for her hand and Erza gathered her into a hug.

"Loke was there every time. Every day. Every second. Unable to stop my father. Loke broke though w-when my mother d-died. He knew that things would get worse for me with her gone. He knew my f-father might take things…to another level. He worked to get me out. He found me a place elsewhere in Crocus. On his one day off that month, he left to sign the papers, but w-when he came back his worse fears came true." Lucy paused, unable to go on for fear she might cry.

"What fears Lucy?" Erza said gently, rubbing the hair that went down Lucy's back.

"He f-f-feared that my f-father would take advantage of me in his grieving rage….and he did," she whispered.

She didn't try to stop the tears that came. They flowed freely down her face as she brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, cushioning her head on her knees. Natsu gently pried Erza's arms from around Lucy, and enveloped her in his own.

She sat on his lap, buried her face in his chest, and sobbed.

No one said anything, for there was nothing to say. They all knew now and what happened. What happened between then and when she came to Magnolia didn't matter.

"Oh, Natsu."

"Hmm?" he said looking down at her.

"I didn't use my name to get a job here. No one knew who I really was. Well, except Lisanna. How she found out though I have no idea."

"Haha, that doesn't matter Luce. What I want to know is why Gramps needed to know what you went through."

"Yes Master, why did you need to know?" Erza asked.

"If I am to send them to Crocus I need to know if it is safe or not. Obviously it is not, and so I need to locate them in a part of the city away from Mr. Heartfilia. On that topic, I need to know a few more things about your father, Lucy."

Lucy sniffled and looked up at Makarov from Natsu's chest. "Yes?" she asked in a voice raspy from crying.

"I need to know where he works and where he lives. I'm going to assume you also know where he spends his free time at?"

"Mm." She turned around in Natsu's arms, her back to his chest. "He works in the castle and lives in the smallest mansion by it. He writes songs for the princess, and sings them for her if she asks. Not many people know what he does, and I wouldn't either if it weren't for Loke. I can't tell you the address because I don't know. I wasn't allowed out of the house and I didn't bother to look back and find out once I left."

"Understandable. Do you know where he spends his free time or what he does in his free time?"

"I wouldn't know that, sorry. But I know someone who can find out."

"Would it be too much of a bother to ask you to contact this person?"

"No, it would be easier if I were in Crocus though. He still works for my father, I'm sure."

"That brings me to the next part of my plan. Erza would you care to explain?"

"Gladly master."

Elsewhere in Magnolia...

Lisanna had been waiting for half an hour now, and she was starting to get impatient. Where was he? He's usually only a few minutes late. She was already mad with him because his guy didn't show results. She was going to give him a piece of her mind when he finally showed up, if he ever showed up. She would wait fifteen more minutes, and then she was leaving. Maybe she would go visit Mira at the bar. She had to work late tonight and probably wouldn't mind some company.

ten minutes passed when a bell ringed, signaling the front door opening. Lisanna knew better than to look though, it would only draw unwanted attention. She could get caught if someone knew she was meeting up on the down low with a shady guy.

He sat across the booth from her, saying nothing to acknowledge her. He picked up the menu and signaled for a waiter. He told her what he wanted and thanked her when she left.

Lisanna knew better than to speak first, so she waited until he was ready.

"Hello Lisanna. I bet you're wondering why I took so long today, why I didn't deliver, and why I'm able to read your mind. Am I right?"

"Hello Azuma. You are right. Care to answer those questions?"

"Not particularly."

"Care to do it anyway?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to know."

"You should at least answer why you didn't deliver."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"The less you know the better."

Lisanna sighed in annoyance. "You arrive half an hour late after already disappointing me, and then you have the audacity to tell me no? You're in the wrong here."

"No Lisanna. You are wrong here. Don't meddle where you're not wanted. If you do you'll get hurt."

"Is that a threat?" she said sharply, meeting his eyes.

"Not from me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just don't get involved where you don't belong and you won't have to find out. Now, on to business. What do you need and when?"

Lisanna huffed but said no more on the topic. "I need a new guy, or girl."

"A girl?"

"Yeah. Depending on who you've got determines which plan I use."

"Okay. Let's hear it then."

"Mind putting that sound obscuring device out? I don't want anyone to record what I'm telling you."

Azuma put a circular, metallic looking, shiny object between them on the table. "There. Now go on."

"Thank you, I can never be too careful these days. Anyway, I need a guy that can..."

"Are you sure you want to do this Luce? We can always come up with another option." Natsu said.

Knowing "another option" was the plan Natsu had come up with earlier she said, "Yes Natsu. I'm sure. Help me carry my bags down the stairs, we don't want to miss the train."

"Why can't we take a plane again? It's much easier on me if we take a plane."

"Because the train station burns all records of purchase after a week and the airlines don't. We can't take any chances and risk Lisanna finding us."

"Uuuuuuugggh."

"Come on. The cab is waiting."

"Why do I have to carry the heavier luggage?" Natsu whined.

Lucy gave Natsu a look that said "Really? You're kidding right?"

"Heh, just joking Luce! Here give me that one too."

"It's fine Natsu, I've got these ones. Lets get going already."

"There you two are. I already purchased the tickets for you, this way it's under my name and not yours. All you have to do is board."

"Thank you so much Erza. I don't know how I'll ever repay you." Lucy said.

"Don't worry about it. Knowing my nakama is going to be safe is enough for me."

"Your nakama?" Lucy asked in confusion.

Erza smiled, "My family. Now go before you miss your train. There's not another one until tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks Erza, this means so much to us."

Lucy hugged Erza, and Erza hugged Lucy back. Just as Lucy was about to pull away she heard Erza whisper "Be careful." Lucy gave her a sad smile.

"Goodbye, I hope we see each other again sooner rather than later."

"Me too Lucy, now go it's the last call."

On the train…

"Say Natsu, you don't look so good." Lucy teased.

"Mmmmm." Came the response.

"Hahah. You're so feeble in comparison to how you usually are that it's funny to watch."

"Get 'er..mmm….Happy…uuugh"

"Heehee. I don't think Happy is going to do anything to me. Are you Happy?" He purred in response. "See? He likes me, besides I think he enjoys seeing you like this too."

"Traitor…"

Lucy laughed. "Natsu, why didn't you say anything to Erza?"

"Mmmm, I don't-uuuuuggh-do goodbyes."

"Oh…"

A little while later Natsu opened his eyes and looked at her from across the little space.

"Luce?"

"Yeah?"

"C-can I lay on you?"

"U-um, sure?"

"You gotta come over here. I can't get up."

"Gods," she muttered.

She picked Happy up off of her lap and put him on the seat next to her. She went to sit where Natsu lay across the seats.

"Where do you want me to sit?"

"Here." He picked the upper half of his body up on his forearms, though with great struggle. "Sit."

She quickly sat, fearing he may collapse if she didn't do so quickly. He dropped his head onto her lap as soon as she was on the seat. He was warm, a little warmer than usual. She figured it was from his motion sickness.

Lucy started humming to herself. She was bored and only packed a few books. They were packed in the luggage overhead though, so she couldn't get to it without disturbing Natsu. She looked down at him, surprised at what she saw.

She was her hand running through his hair. It was soft, and if she looked closely, it was a darker shade of pink closer to the scalp. Natsu suddenly grumbled in his sleep. "Why'd ya stop? It helped."

"Huh?"

"Keep running your hand through my hair, it helped settle my stomach."

"O-okay." She commenced running her fingers through his soft locks of pink.

"Mmmm. Thanks Luce." He gave a deep sigh and was asleep again.

"Weirdo," she mumbled.

Thank you to those who have stuck around to get this far into the story. This is still part of the stepping stones to what I'm leading up to. I hope you guys like it.

I have fall break this week, so I hope to update a little more often. I have a hard time writing when school is in the way. I get unbelievable amounts of homework.

Aside from that though, please review and let me know what you think. I would really appreciate it, whether it's good or bad.