Bad Timing

My heels clicked as I entered the bar to meet with my friend, Cana. I saw the brown wavy haired woman slouched over the counter, shouting out to the bartender for another round.

"Cana!" I greeted as she turned around with a smile. "Hey, Lucy!"

After a brief hug, I sat next to her commenting, "You really need to cut back on the drinking, Cana."

"Don't worry! I only had 15 shots!" Cana laughed as she shouted for another round once more, "So, what do you need?"

"I need you to analyze this, secretly." I took out the pill and handed it to her. I could see a faint hint of doubt run through her face, which was understandable, since all analysis had to go through our superiors first. Cana nodded after a few moments of silence, "Okay."

I let out a sigh of relief. "For a moment, I thought you would say no."

"How could I say no to my best friend?"

"You got a point there." I had my doubts about Mirajane and Erza after the video. It concluded my thoughts about the sleeper agent, but what I doubted wasn't her identity, more of how she knew Mirajane. I mean, how many Mirajane's were there in the world? How did Erza end up in Jellal's hands? I'd have to dig up more on both of them before I could make my report to Mirajane.

Cana pocketed the pill, her lips formed in a thin line, "How's it going with you and Natsu?"

I hesitated, "We're fine."

She frowned, and then leaned towards me while poking me on the shoulder, "Come on, Lucy! Tell this poor drunken soul your problems."

"You shouldn't really call yourself that, Cana, hold on." I commented before asking for some whiskey. The bartender nodded and served me a glass of whiskey.

"So what happened? Do you want me to drug his gym bottles with a few chemicals to make him sick?" she suggested as I coughed up my whiskey.

"N-No! It's just, I think the mission is getting to us, emotionally that is. It's hard to explain, Cana. I can't look at him anymore."

"Why?"

"Every time I do, it just constantly reminds me of stuff that we did in past."

"What kind of stuff?"

"That is none of your business," I pointed out, not wanting Cana of all people, to find out what Natsu and I do during missions and what we do after the missions, like the cuddling.

"When can you get this done? A week? I know you have work to do." I asked, trying to divert the conversation back on the real topic at hand.

"Are you kidding? I can do this in one night!" The brunette didn't look like it, but she was a genius in the medical field, like her mother she would always tell me.

"Are you going to pull an all nighter? You don't have to, I can wait."

"Maybe, but I have nothing really important to do, so why not?"

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

"I thought you were going to stay a little longer, Lucy!" whined Cana as I waved her off, "I have to get back to my so called 'husband'. Bye, Cana!"

Without another word, I left the bar with a lighter heart and gracious smile.

"Are you okay, dear? Do you want me to get your medication?" asked Jellal as his wife faintly smiled while bringing herself up from her latest dizzy spell. "No, I already ran out of the medication, so I'm going to go by Dr. Milkovich's office later today."

"I'll come with you." Jellal nodded, noting that he would have to call 'Dr. Milkovich' later.

"You don't have to, Jellal. Don't you have work to do?" Erza frowned as her husband chuckled, "I can't get anything past you, can I? Alright, when are you going to her?"

"In one hour." She said as Jellal grimaced, there was no way he would finish his work in one hour. Erza noticed him grimace, and wanted to say that he could come with her, but knew that if he didn't finish his assignments, his boss would be furious. Instead, she leaned towards him and landed a kiss on his cheek, with a smile she said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Jellal paused for a brief moment, before nodding, "Okay, do you plan to go somewhere else before that?"

"Yes, I plan on going to the supermarket to buy some groceries. Do you want anything?"

"A way out of this paperwork," he grumbled as she chuckled while she left the house.

"I see, okay. For now you two are on standby until further notice. I'll see you two tomorrow, get some sleep. Yeah, bye." Mirajane sighed as she pushed the red end call button. The white haired woman honestly didn't know what went through her co-workers' minds. She knew in her guts that Juvia and Gray were lying, and now she was currently trying to figure out what. Just what the hell happened on their mission?!

"Oi, Mira." She turned around to face the handsome blonde haired man. "Yeah?"

"There's rumors going around that there's a doctor with a certain patient that deals with illegal drug trafficking." She knew Laxus was a man of few words, and knew the hidden message behind the statement. Mirajane gathered her completed files and placed them in a cabinet before locking it.

They got into one of the 'company' Lamborghini. "Can't we go in one of the other cars, oh I don't know, maybe one that fits in?"

"No way, it's rare enough that we go out into the field and I want to go out in style." Mirajane simply shook her head. "Who's the doctor?"

"Ultear Milkovich."

They entered the clinic hand in hand, taking a good look at their surroundings. Mirajane viewed the clinic as nothing more than a regular clinic. What secrets could it be hiding? She thought to herself as she went over to the office desk, where a young woman in most likely her mid-twenties was scribbling down something with a phone nestled between her head and shoulder. The receptionist glanced at Mirajane for a split second before politely ending the call.

"Can I help you?" asked the red haired receptionist abjectly (who Mira didn't even bothered to look at her name plate) over the desk as the 'Demon' said, "I have an appointment with Ms. Milkovich."

"Please sign in." said the receptionist with a smile plastered on her face while gesturing to the clipboard in front of Mirajane, who wrote one of the new client's name, Minnie Drake. She noticed the receptionist glance at her husband, and Mirajane swore she saw hearts in the poor fool's eyes. Unfortunately, the receptionist started asking questions that, much to Laxus's credit, ignored. The married couple took a pair of seats near the door that led to the examination room, it didn't take long before 'Minnie's' name was called.

They got up, Mirajane stay a few steps behind Laxus, only to stop next to the receptionist who was currently pouting. Once Laxus was out of earshot, Mira said to the receptionist with a megawatt smile and said in an audible voice, "He's my husband."

Immediately the receptionist turned red before meekly nodding, understanding the obvious message. Mirajane walked past the poor woman with a satisfied look that was noticed by her husband, who raised a brow curiously only to be met with a kiss on his cheek.

There was nothing out of the ordinary as they sat with Dr. Milkovich, who greeted them with a smile. "What seems to be the problem in your relationship with each other? Would you like to start, Mrs. Drake?"

The married couple looked at each other, they knew their cover, and Ultear Milkovich's profession. Time to follow up. Mirajane said, "It's hard to talk to Leroy sometimes."

Leroy? What the hell?! Laxus thought as the long haired therapist took note of his expression before gesturing 'Minne' to continue, knowing there was more to the story. "Sometimes, I feel that there's a great brick wall between us, like there's somethings that he will share with me, and some that he won't. I mean, it's the point of marriage to share the burden between one another?"

Laxus noticed that Dr. Milkovich glanced up from her notepad directly towards him, as if telling him. Your turn. He coughed. This better be worth it.

After a torturous hour with the black haired therapist, they were finally let go. Mirajane frowned as she was about to exit the clinic. It's feels like I should stay longer.The white haired agent turned her head to the door, not before seeing a trail of red hair. Her head quickly snapped to the sight of the door that she had just passed through, now closed, without a strand of red hair in sight. "Erza?"

"Mira!" called out Laxus as she sighed. Maybe it's just my imagination. Mirajane spun on her heel and left, unknown of the close encounter that was just the beginning.

When I got back to the house, I noticed that Natsu wasn't here yet. Thankfully that gave me some alone time to think; I settled on taking a nice hot bath. Turning the hot water knob of the bathtub, I picked out a book from my collection and calmly stepped into the bath naked. After getting accustomed to the shallow water, I flipped through the pages of the novel, immersing myself with its content. Suddenly the doorbell rang, as I thought to myself. Who could that be? I slipped out of the lukewarm water and into a white robe. Natsu, maybe? Don't tell me he forgot his keys again! I thought quickly, steeping down to get the front door.

Unfortunately it wasn't Natsu, but the blue haired neighbor from next door. I could have ignored him and call Natsu to get back here, if it wasn't for the interior of the house, mainly the door with a beautiful crafted window that made me visible to the outside as much as I saw him. Slowly I walked to the door, tightening the sash of my robe before opening the door. I did what every neighbor would in type of situation.

"Hello, Jellal. " I said clearly, with a nervous tone. I was impressed that he managed to keep a straight face as he coughed, "Was I interrupting something?"

"Yes, yes you did. What can I do for you?" I asked, folding my arms.

"I wanted to thank you for helping out Erza the other day." Lie. I nodded, "It was nothing, after all, she is my friend."

"How much did you give her?" He asked as I replied, "I gave her two."

"Did you see the medicine description, by any chance?" Ah this is what he wanted.

"No, all I did was take the pills out of the bottle and gave Erza a glass of water to drink it down." I said honestly.

"Thank you." He said as I blinked. For a split second, he looked like a man that was truly thankful. "You're welcome. If you don't mind me asking, why does she need those pills?"

Jellal narrowed his eyes. Crap. I rubbed the back of my neck. "You don't have to reply, I was just curious."

He opened his mouth to say something, but someone cleared their throat. My eyes darted to the side seeing Natsu, and he wasn't happy. Jellal speaks up, "I'll have to tell you another time, I believe your husband doesn't want me near you."

He spun his heel and left me to deal with an angered Natsu. My husband calmly took my hand led me back into the house, closed the door, dragged me up the stairs and into the bedroom. I sat on the bed with no idea why the hell Natsu was angry.

"How are you feeling, Erza-san?" asked Ultear as she twirled her pen with her fingers.

"Not so good, actually. I've been having nightmares lately." Click. Ultear readied her pen on her notebook reserved for Erza especially. "What kind of nightmares?"

Erza hesitated. Scary? No that would seem childish. Bad? No that's the tip of the iceberg. "Bloody. Bloody nightmares."

Ultear jolted that down. Patient has been having nightmares. "Can you describe one of those nightmares for me?"

The scarlet haired woman closed her eyes, and recalled the events of her latest nightmare. "There was blood on the floors, walls, and there's smoke. I couldn't see that much, but I know I was running, to find someone. Someone important. I'm searching for him."

"Him?" Jellal?

"Yeah, a father to me." Ultear scratched out Jellal and put 'Father?'

"Do you see him?"

"No, but I see a man."

"Can you describe him for me?"

"A muscular man with white spiky hair, kind of tanned, and wears sandals? I point in the direction I was coming from... It looks like I'm ordering him to go."

"Go where?"

"Go out." Orders a white haired man with sandals to leave the burning building.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, I stop at a computer room, seeing someone over a corpse." Goes to the central room, sees a someone over a corpse.

"Who?" Erza frowned, then shook her head. "I can't see him, but I do see who's under him."

"Who's under him?" Erza parted her lips, "A old man, and I feel angry and something else too..."

The scarlet haired woman opens her eyes. "After that everything goes dark."

Ultear stares at her patient then writes down 'The incident.' The therapist says in a calm voice, "That is very disturbing. Erza-san..." Ultear knows she shouldn't be doing this, but..."Do you want to stop those nightmares?"

Erza frowned for a moment. Did she want to stop those nightmares? "Yes, yes I do."

"The only thing I can give you now, is more medication." Ultear gets out of her chair and opens one of the top cabinets of her examination room. Taking out a bottle filled with the prescription medicine, she hands it to Erza with a faint smile, "Come back to me, when you run out."

"I will, thank you, Ultear-san."

"You're welcome." Ultear watched as her patient walked out of the room, wondering if she should tell Jellal about these nightmares. No, it would only cause Jellal to over react, and I certainly don't want that to happen.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" I asked carefully.

"That should be my line, Luce. Did he do anything to you?"

"No. All he did was thank me for helping out Erza, and asked me if I had seen what was on the medication bottle." His shoulders slightly relaxed at my response.

"Did you find out anything?"

"No, I only glanced at it. The only thing I got was the doctor's name, Ultear Milkovich. Luckily, I gave one of those pills to Cana to see if Erza's the sleeping agent."

"Did you write up your report yet?"

"No. Did you?"

"I'm waiting for Cana to give me the results."

"Okay." I frowned, "Are you sure you're okay, Natsu? You know nothing has changed between us." I was trying to figure out what happened to him.

"I know, I just need some time alone."

"Alright, I'll go prepare dinner; is steak okay?" He nodded as I walked back to the bathroom to get properly changed. Once I closed the door, I could faintly hear Natsu say something. Placing my ear against the thin wooden door, my eyes widened slightly before I shook my head and proceeded to change.

Lisanna.

I love making it so suspenseful for you guys, don't I? Hope you've enjoyed this chapter.