A/N: Hello to you all. I am so proud of myself because I have been able to write chapters like a mad dog. Seriously. I have written chapters 3 & 4 before chapter 3 was released. I am so happy anyway enough of my random chitchat and on with the story!

Grey didn't expect it to be Lucy who got injured, seeing as she was untouchable but what could he do. Lucy walked alongside him with him slightly supporting her injured leg as he headed to his guild. He had to admit it was nice seeing her again. And later he was gonna have to snoop a little to find out who her two travelling buddies were and why she wasn't with salamander. She even got new clothes which bewildered him. The only good thing she had on the last time he saw her was the ribbon she had to tie up her long hair. The clothes she wore now, was a major step up. Then he remembered that she had longer hair the last time he saw her. Now it was cut to the middle of her back and he wondered why she would cut off that much beautiful hair. But a flying object interrupted his thoughts. Grey almost landed face first into the cobblestone road; he looked to his side seeing Lucy and a whole bunch of bystanders look at him with concern. "O my Mavis, are you ok Grey?"

Grey nodded and asked her, "are you ok?" she nodded and helped him up. He snaked his hands around her waist to support her leg. "Thanks for doing this I really appreciate it."

"It's no big deal, Chelia does it all the time."

"How's your brother?"

"Lyon's good. His ego has grown drastically though but he's learned to be a bit more humble about it."

"O really? What about Sherry?"

"She met some guy from a different guild and married him, leaving Chelia in the care of Lamia Scale."

"That's awful, I feel bad for her."

"Don't be, Chelia wanted to move out so it works but she gets lonely sometimes. And she doesn't have many friends her age."

"Oh yeah how old is Chelia again like 15 right?"

"Yeah why?" Lucy smiled and said, "Well Wendy's actually 13 so I thought they could meet each other and become friends."

"That's an interesting thought maybe that could happen. Now I'm kind of wishing you brought her along."

"Well it's too late now, because we're at Lamia Scale." Grey hadn't realized he was at the front door with Chelia and Lyon standing at the front doors. "Hey it's Lucy!" Chelia exclaimed excitedly as she sprinted toward the Heartfilia at full force. Lucy welcomed her with open arms and embraced her. "Oh my Mavis it's been too long." She said as she ruffled the younger girls shocking pink hair. "Hey where's salamander and Karin?"

"Oh I'm with different travelling buddies this time." Chelia frowned and said, "Were you sold again?"

"No just some stragglers I met on a job." Chelia nodded in understanding and turned to face Lyon who stuck out a hand for her to shake. She took it and immediately they started arm wrestling. Lucy smiled and squeezed Lyon's hand hard and took the time to test his strength. Lyon looked like he was struggling to keep up with Lucy. Lucy finally decided to give him mercy and defeated him with one swift movement. "Not bad Lucy. You've gotten stronger. Maybe you should go up against Jura next time."

"Jura?! No way he would demolish me."

Lyon smiled and said, "So what brings you here?"

"Oh Grey brought me here to see Chelia. Because I was passing through the abandoned town and broke my ankle." Lyon nodded and Chelia latched on to Lucy once more and guided her into the Guild hall with Grey in tow. Chelia motioned for Lucy to sit down on one of the chairs and she started her work. She took out a stick which had vines wrapped around it and had a symbol of Lamia Scale engraved into it. The pink haired girl chanted, "Helbrede" over and over and the stick began to glow. Lucy's ankle started to feel a lot better and she felt relaxed. While Chelia was busy healing her, Lucy took to chance to look around to guild hall to see what had changing since she was later here. And it wasn't much to her surprise. "So Lucy, where are you going? Now that you're freed of your shackles." Chelia said. Lucy looked at her with shock and her eyes darkened Grey looked at Chelia then back to Lucy, "when did you notice?"

"When I hugged you, I remember when I would accidentally step on the chains because they were so cold. And I didn't feel them this time." Lucy looked down and sighed, "What happened to salamander?" Lucy paused to think of what to say and finally spoke. "He was being greedy and boastful. So one of the people I'm travelling with put him in his place."

"Let me guess he was trying to defeat a tower and died trying." Chelia said. "Karin's died too. She helped me escape." Lucy said with a hint of bitterness. Chelia stopped and said, "Well what's done is done and he deserved what was coming to him considering what he did to you." She said light heartedly. Grey looked at Lucy and rubbed her back to try and comfort her, his fingertips lightly brushing up against the ends of her hair. "Thanks guys really appreciate it." Lucy said.

Chelia and Grey both nodded then a crash was heard from outside the guild hall. Grey, Lucy and Lyon went to check it out. To Grey and Lucy's dismay they saw a boy with pink hair followed by a tween with blue hair. Lucy's facial expressions darkened and she marched outside. The only thing heard from inside was Lucy's muffled yelling and chastising.

-^/\^-

"I have no idea what to do with you guys." Lucy said with her fingers massaging her temples. Natsu looked down at the floor and Wendy looked like she was about to cry. "Ok so what were you guys doing outside of the guild hall?" Natsu and Wendy looked at each other and then looked down at the ground. Then Wendy finally said, "Natsu was only worried about you Lucy. So he followed you to make sure you were ok."

"I was not worried about her; I just wanted to go out to eat. And the place we happened to be going was past Lamia Scale." Natsu said bluntly. Lucy stared at him and he turned red under her gaze. Chelia noticed this and said, "O are you too going out together?" Lucy, Natsu and Wendy stared at her then to break the awkward silence Natsu and Lucy started laughing. "Hahaha th-that's priceless!" Natsu exclaimed.

"He's right why would I want to go out with him?" Lucy said clutching her stomach as she laughed. "So are these the travelers that freed you?" Lyon asked. Lucy nodded and Natsu's head perked up with interest. "Wait you told them about us Luce?"

"Yeah of course I did." And at that Natsu's face was aflame. Wendy giggled at the two's antics. Then Grey nudged Lucy and whispered to her, "I think you broke him." Lucy nodded and walked up to Natsu and Wendy dragging Grey and Lyon with her. "Natsu, Wendy I'd like you to meet Grey and Lyon. Gray, Lyon my travelling companions Natsu and Wendy."

"Nice to meet ya Natsu." Grey said holding out a hand from him to shack. Natsu took it with caution and shook, Wendy bowed her head letting her long blue hair trail off her back to her shoulders. Lucy smiled at the scene and Chelia walked over and said, "So what are you going to do know?"

"Probably travel with these two and see where we end up." Lucy said. Wendy walked over on the other side of Lucy to watch as the three boys started a fight with each other. "Hey Lucy maybe we could conquer another tower and get you a magic tool."

"What's a magic tool?" Lucy asked. Wendy held up the staff that was strapped to her back. "This is a magic tool and you know the sword that Natsu was using that's a magic tool too." Lucy nodded and said, "Does that staff hold any sentimental value?" Wendy's eyes widened and she shook her head furiously.

"Yes actually, this staff was a gift from an old friend of mine." Wendy said holding the staff in her hands tracing the pattern that the previous owner had made into its side. "He kept me alive when my mother died." Lucy nodded and looked at Chelia, she looked like she was about to fill a lake. "Oh my Mavis! That's true love right there!" Chelia exclaimed bursting into tears. Lucy stared in shock while Wendy was frozen in embarrassment. Her face reddened and she put away her staff, "it wasn't love he was doing it out of kindness." The younger girl protested. Lucy ruffled Wendy's hair and said in a sing songy voice, "It does sound like he cared about you a lot!" Wendy turned her head and exclaimed, "Not you too Lucy!" Chelia and Lucy both laughed and Wendy kept protesting. Natsu, Grey and Lyon looked in their direction and shrugged and went back to fighting.

-^/\^-

Later that night Grey walked with the small party back to their hotel. Lucy next to him and Natsu looking at them suspiciously. When they finally got back to the hotel Grey informed them of a festival happening in a few days and told them they should stay for a while. Natsu and Lucy looked ecstatic at the idea. Wendy answered with a sure and explained to Grey that she wanted to see if Chelia wanted to do something tomorrow with her and Lucy. Grey nodded and said, "I'll pass on the word." He saluted at the trio and left.

"So what do we do know?" Natsu said as he plopped down on the couch. "I mean we have enough money to stay here for a while so we don't really have to do a job." Wendy said sitting on a stool near the kitchen. "Maybe we should go on a small job. One that's short so time will fly by till the festival." Lucy said sitting down next the Natsu. Wendy nodded and said, "Yeah and maybe Grey and Chelia would want to join us!"

"Then it's settled, we're going on a job tomorrow!" Natsu said pumping his fist in the air. Lucy stood and grabbed his shoulders to make him sit on the couch. "But where are we gonna find a job like that." Wendy asked. The trio thought for a second. Then it was like their thoughts were in sync. "We find a job at Lamia Scale!" they all exclaimed at once.

At the guild Grey and Chelia were both at the job request board at the back of the guild, Lucy raced over to them. She got within mere inches of Gray and Chelia latched on first taking Lucy down. Gray looked behind him and said, "Thanks Chelia." Said girl gave a thumps up and Lucy pouted. "Aww you guys aren't any fun." Pushing Chelia off and turning towards Gray. "So are you looking for a job?" Grey nodded and said, "Yeah looking for a small one to do just be for the festival." Lucy started at him flabbergasted. Gray looked at her and jumped a little. "Lucy?"

"We were looking for a small job too!" Lucy blurted out. "We as in Wendy and flame-brain?" Grey said. Lucy nodded and said, "Yeah and we were wondering whether or not you and Chelia would want to join us?"

Grey looked at her and nodded, "Sure but I'm picking the job."

"Alright, Mister high and mighty." Lucy taunted as she strode back to Natsu. His messy head of hair was covered by his black turban once again and then she noticed something. Two small red earrings in his cartilage and one gold earring in his right ear. It was a peculiar arrangement. She sat down next to him and started placing with the ends of her hair occasionally brushing over the shell of her ear. Natsu noticed this action and said, "Hey you want to ditch? We could go window shopping." Lucy was caught off guard and accidentally tangled her blond hair in her fingers. She yelped and Natsu scooted closer to inspect. "How the hell did you manage to do that?" he asked with slight amusement. Lucy simply shrugged and motioned toward his sword, "mind cutting it for me?" Natsu's eyes widened and replied, "But why? I mean it might take some time to untangle it but no need to cut it."

"Yeah but I'm not one for being patient and I won't bother me, it's just hair."

Natsu put his hand on his sword and thought through it. Then he slumped his shoulders and sighed in defeat. "Fine I'll cut your hair." Lucy nodded and sat perfectly still waiting for the blade to meet the ends of her hair.

Natsu slowly drew his sword and placed to tip under the locks of hair and with a flick of his wrist the strands of hair fell to the floor. Lucy stood up and ruffled his hair. "Thanks really appreciate it." Lucy said as she wandered off the job request board where Grey was. But when she got there Grey looked at her with a weird look. "What did you have him do to your hair?" he said lifting up the shorter piece of hair. Lucy only shrugged and said, "I had him cut it that's all."

"Yeah but no It's uneven and it looked weird." Lucy shot him a look that said 'what-the-hell-did-you-just-say?' kind of face. "Fine then, fix it for me!" grey rubbed to back of his head and said, "OK" grabbing her hand and leading her upstairs to and empty storage room.

The storage room had a few worn down chairs tables and a mirror. "just sit down on one of the chairs, but be careful." Lucy nodded and carefully sat in a chair next to the mirror. Grey ran to the infirmary and grabbed a pair of scissors. He ran back to the storage room and back behind Lucy as he lifted the first strand of hair and lifted the scissor blades the cut it off. "Are you sure about this?"

Lucy nodded at him and said, "Of course I trust you enough, cause were friends!" He blushed and cut of the sheets of gold.

-^/\^-

Wendy currently has been sitting in the corner of the guild talking with Chelia. She thought Chelia was a nice girl over all but she was really peppy when it came to talking about love. Any kind of love like family or relationship love and every kind of love under the sun. The first time she saw her, the shocking pink hair kind of threw her off and Chelia said it was a family thing. The two chatted on and on about the adventures they had been on with their respective companions and also about the towers they had been through. Then she said, "Since Lucy's with us now we want to get to another tower to get her a Magic item." Chelia nodded and said, "Let me guess Grey convinced you to stay for the festival and that's the only reason you're here." Wendy nodded. She looked over at Natsu and Lucy who were having a conversation while eating strawberries. "What tower is the closest?" Wendy asked. Chelia paused to think for a moment and finally came up with an answer. "Um...there's one not too far from here. In the town of Rosemary I think. They say the tower is covered in beautiful red carnations and roses. It would be the perfect place for a date if you ask me."

"Sure but going on a date in a dangerous tower? I don't think I would want that." Wendy said waving her hand in front of her face. Chelia giggled and looked toward Natsu and Lucy. "I know it's a little hard to tell now but I have a feeling that those two are going to be inseparable. And maybe those two would want a date in that tower." Wendy looked at them two and smiled. "Maybe your right."

-^/\^-

Later that night the trio went back to their hotel room with a piece of paper in Lucy's hands. Grey had given them the paper for them to look over and they would meet up at the guild to go on the job. The job was simply to find a kitten that had been lost in the woods that was causing troubles in the outskirts of town. But the troubling part of it was that no body except the owner knew what the cat looked like. So Lucy and Grey were going to go meet the owner to get a description.

When Natsu opened the door Lucy immediately ran into the living room and face planted into the couch and didn't move. Wendy went straight to her room and presumably fell asleep. Natsu sat next to Lucy and watched her. "Hey I heard Wendy talking." The Heartfilia said as she tucked her head under Natsu's arm. "About what?" The pinkette asked with a raised brow.

"You guys taking me to a tower to get me a magic item." Natsu paused for a moment and said, "Do you have anything special that you care with you?" Lucy nodded and slowly stood up and ran to their room and came back with a pouch and in that pouch was a key chain with 12 golden keys attached to it. "These were my moms and there extremely rare. She told me that they hold a special power that needs to be unlocked." Natsu looked at Lucy. Even though they had only now each other for a few weeks it seemed to him like he's now here for his whole life. Seen every look on her face and every reaction she has to certain situations. Natsu leaned a bit more closer. Her dark brown eyes shined with a light he had never seen before, the way she talked about her mother came with a totally new reaction and look. To put it simply it was fascinating.

Lucy took off the key with two wave lines on the bow and there weren't any cuts or grooves in the key. He noticed that all the keys were similar to that and each had a unique symbol on them. One symbol looked like an arrow and another looked like a ram and a bull. "Say Lucy. What do those symbols stand for?"

"Oh those are zodiac signs. The key with the grooves that look like a goat's horns is the key to Capricorns gate. And the one with the two swirly lines is Aquarius'." Lucy said as she took off each key and set them on the table. Natsu watched with interest as she explained which key was which in extreme detail. "I had no idea there was so much history to the zodiac." Natsu said as Lucy started stringing on the keys to the key chain. "I know but there are others keys too."

"What kind?"

"The silver keys and unlike the Gold keys silver keys can be multiplied." Lucy said tugging on the Aquarius key. "Oh I'm sorry for wasting your time I know it isn't all that interesting to some people." Lucy interjected. Natsu held up his hands like a kid who had been caught trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar. "NO you didn't waste my time it was quite interesting from my perspective." Lucy's eyes widened and then filled with a warm he bet no one could ever muster. "Well thanks for listening to my longwinded expose on zodiac keys."

"Your welcome, anytime m'lady." Natsu said with a smug grin on his face. Lucy giggled and sauntered off to her room. And Natsu stayed behind and sat back down on the couch and mumbled to himself, "Did I just call her m'lady. What was I thinking?" He said cringing at the thought of the past few minutes, eventually falling asleep on the couch.

-^/\^-

"So did we lose them or what?" Wendy said the Chelia and Lucy. The two girls shrugged and tried to catch their breath. Currently the group of five were on a job and the original job was to find a lost cat, but apparently it was a lot harder then it sounded. And now the girls were being chased by the guys because the boys were so convinced that the girls could lure out any cat because Lucy tamed a street cat. So now the girls are running for their lives trying to stay away from the boys. "Wait! Why are you guys running? I'm the one who tamed the cat!" Lucy exclaimed. Wendy and Chelia both lunged at Lucy and both whispered, "Keep it down they might hear you!" And she was right Gray and Natsu were right on their tails! Then Lucy yelled, "Every man for himself!" Wendy and Chelia blanched and Lucy stormed on ahead leaving the two girls in the dust. Natsu and Gray smirked and stormed past the two girls also. "Did they just ditch us?"

"Yeah I think they did." Wendy said after she caught her breath. They stood there for a few seconds then Chelia turned toward Wendy and said, "Wanna get some fruit smoothies?" Wendy nodded and they both wandered off back to the guild for some smoothies.

Meanwhile Lucy was getting chased down by two teenaged boys. "You guys are insane she said as she ducked into a corner running to a pile of crates. She sidestepped it and pushed the boxes over hoping that it would slow them down a bit. "Lucy come on it'll be easier and we'll get the job done faster!" she heard Natsu call. Lucy simply rolled her eyes and ahead of her she spotted a cat. And it was blue! She stopped and picked it up. "Hey you're the guy we're looking for aren't you?" she said holding her hand out for the cat to sniff. The blue feline reluctantly sniffed the blond's hand and put his head under her hand so she could pet him. His fur was soft considering that he was living on the streets for the past few days. "Aww you're such a cute kitten." Lucy cooed.

She eventually picked him up and bumped into Grey how was rubbing the back part of his head. Lucy looked at him with concern and asked, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. It's just Natsu 'accidentally' pushed me into that pile of crates you pushed over and now I don't know where he went."

"That's discouraging." Lucy said cradled the cat closer to her chest. Grey looked at the blue feline and started petting it the cat continuously batting at Grey's hands. They walked down the street to find the others to collect the reward but to no avail. Lucy and Grey had walked around the entire town looking for the three missing people. By the time they had gotten back to the guild the cat was asleep in Lucy's arms and Grey was still petting him. "So what should we do with the cat?" Lucy paused for a second and said, "I have no clue bring him back to his owner?"

Grey rubbed the kitten's chin one more time before saying, "maybe you should keep him, he seems to like you."

"Maybe I will keep him." Lucy said tickling the kitten's tummy. Grey found it amazing that one of the strongest girls he knew was so gentle with an animal like a cat.

Alright I think that's enough. I know I know, I went off on a tangent but I wanted some Gralu in this. Don't get me wrong my OTP is still Nalu but I think Graylu needs a little bit of love. 3 The next Chapter won't be up until April 24. Please leave a like and a review and till next time my lovelies bye! 3

~Casey