I was going to kill them.
Four hours into a one hour car ride, and I was beginning to contemplate cold-blooded murder. I could ask for Detective Fullbuster to pull over, get out, find a large branch…No, too messy. Also too quick. I could unbuckle Detective Dragneel's seatbelt, reach between the passenger seat and door, and pull that little door handle…No, Detective Fullbuster would arrest me for that before I had the chance to kill him, too. I could…
"If you throw up in this car, Natsu, I swear to god I'll kill you myself!" My train of thought was interrupted by Detective Fullbuster, leaning as far as he could into the driver's side door. "We can't afford to get it detailed again."
"Well, excuse me, Princess," Detective Dragneel shot back and I had to hide my smile behind my hand. Dragneel was sarcastic and sassy, which never seemed to fail to entertain me. Wait, no, I was mad. Damn it. "I'm sorry that your dumb ass got lost."
"You were supposed to be navigating!" Fullbuster retaliated, gesturing to the open map on Dragneel's lap. Dragneel peeked at it before slapping his hand over his mouth and placing his fist on his stomach.
"It's your fault for throwing away my motion sickness pills," Dragneel argued weakly, sending Fullbuster a less than threatening glare.
"I thought it was trash because it was yours!"
At this point, I tuned them out again. My mind went back to my last conversation with Gajeel, before the three of us left on this car ride from Hell.
"All right, Blondie, listen up." Gajeel had pulled me aside when we returned to the precinct. "Salamander and Ice Block may be idiots, but they are pretty decent guys. That being said, if either one of them tries anything, I want you to hit them right where it hurts. Show 'em who's boss."
I was about to retort that I knew exactly what to do, but the look in his eyes stopped me. Gajeel had attempted to look nonchalant, but there was an anger hidden in those crimson depths. He seemed almost…desperate. Helpless. Lost. In that moment, I realized just how much this must be affecting him. Dan had been his partner, the person closest to Gajeel, and he had had no idea what was going on. I softened slightly, offering him a small smile.
"Okay, Gajeel."
"And if they start to fight, just smack 'em upside the head. That should stop 'em. Works for Titania, anyway."
"Okay." I had no idea who Titania was, but I really didn't have time to ask.
"Don't forget to keep the doors locked—"
"Time to go!" the pink-haired detective, Dragneel, exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. Fullbuster came to stand next to him, jingling a set of keys. The sight of them caused Dragneel to lose some of the color in his face, his smile dropping into a grimace.
Gajeel's face was marred with one as well. I felt my stomach drop into my toes, anxiety building up. I knew next to nothing about these men, and I would have to live with them for the time being. Gajeel rested a reassuring hand on my shoulder before gathering me into a hug.
"It's gonna be okay, Blondie. I know it may not seem like it now, but it will." He turned to Fullbuster and Dragneel. "Y'all better keep her safe. I mean it. One hair on her head gets hurt, you'll have me to answer to."
"Jeez, man, calm down," Fullbuster said, putting his hands up in surrender. "We're not gonna let anything happen to her."
"Yeah," Dragneel agreed, smiling again. "She's safe in our hands."
Now I was wondering just how true that statement had been.
"We're here," Fullbuster informed us, slowing the car to a stop in front of a blue, two-story farmhouse. Dragneel immediately bailed out of the passenger side, kneeling on the ground with his arms in the air in triumph.
"I live!" he shouted, cackling maniacally. Fullbuster rolled his eyes before sliding out of the driver's side. He raised an eyebrow at me when I hesitated.
Taking a deep breath, I opened my door and stepped out, pulling my purse along with me. Fullbuster opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Dragneel.
"C'mon, Looney!" he cheered, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the house. My suitcase was gripped in his other hand. "I'll show you where your room is!"
"My name is Lucy!" I shouted back, feeling irritation rise in me. Sure, he'd only heard it once, but I figured he would've mistaken it for an actual name. He laughed, tightening his hold on my hand.
"I'm only messing with ya." I stopped short, yanking my hand from his grip. He stopped and turned, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "What's the matter?"
"C'mon, Lulu! It was just a joke!" I slammed my eyes shut, trying to ignore the panic that began to stir in my chest. Dan liked to make jokes, too. I pulled my sleeves over my hands.
"I'll find my way to my room on my own." I took my suitcase from him and walked passed, staring straight ahead. "I don't need a tour, thank you," I said over my shoulder as I walked through the door he had just opened.
"Your room is the one in the middle," Fullbuster called from the car. "Second floor. Second door on the right."
"Thank you," I replied curtly. Behind me, I heard Dragneel ask Fullbuster what my problem was. The soft thud I heard must have been Fullbuster replying with a slap to the back of Dragneel's head. I was upstairs before I heard any more.
The staircase let out to a long hallway that ended with a door. On the right, there were three doors; on the left, there were two. Reaching the second door on the right, I was greeted with a pretty good-sized room. Nestled inside was a full-sized bed, a dresser, a door that probably led to a small closet, and a desk with a chair by the window. I set my suitcase and purse on the bed, drifting over to open the window. The warm August air breezed through, ruffling my hair. I took a deep breath, bracing myself on the window sill. The view was beautiful—all green trees and grass, blue skies, and rainbow flowers.
I felt my creative juices begin to flow; a story formulating in my mind. Digging into my purse, I dug out my notepad. Normally, I used it for notes while conducting interviews. Since my laptop had been confiscated as evidence, it would become my canvas. Pulling up the chair, I sat myself at the desk and painted a picture using words. All other sounds faded into the background—the birds calling, wind blowing through the trees, the two men bickering downstairs as they unloaded the car—and soon I was lost in a world of my own creation. In this world, magic was abundant and those who devoted their lives to the use of it were referred to as "wizards." A girl escaped from a life a riches to see the world, never once looking back. The girl was just entering a magic shop in a port town when a soft knock yanked me back into reality.
"Lucy?" Fullbuster's voice was muffled by the door. "Dinner's ready, if you're hungry." Dinner? But we'd arrived just after nine in the morning. I glanced out of the window, startled by the long shadows being thrown by the trees.
"I'll be down in a moment!" I called back, stretching my sore muscles. I must have been writing for hours. Closing the notepad and hiding it in a drawer, I continued to stretch as I made my way downstairs.
I hadn't gotten a good look at the first level of the farmhouse when I'd first entered, too preoccupied with escaping up to my room. There was a small foyer that led to the living room on the right and the dining room on the left. If you continued forward, you could go upstairs to the second floor, or continue to the back of the house where the kitchen and a bathroom waited. Through the kitchen, you could either go outside through the back door, or into the dining room.
I wandered quietly into the dining room, shuffling my feet slightly. Normally, I would be the one cooking the food, but it seemed like that had already been completed. Next, I would've set the table, but Fullbuster had that covered, gesturing to an empty chair.
"You can sit here. I can grab you a glass of water to drink, if you want." Wordlessly, I nodded, taking my seat. He disappeared into the kitchen where a few heated words were exchanged before he returned with a glass of ice water. I quietly thanked him before taking a sip.
"Hey Elsa, can you give me a hand real quick?" Dragneel's voice called from the kitchen, causing Fullbuster to sigh heavily.
"Coming, Flame Princess." The two men returned a moment later with a pan and a tray. Spaghetti seemed to be on the menu tonight, served with a side of garlic bread. My mouth watered when the smell hit my nose. It smelled delicious. Fullbuster filled his plate and grabbed a slice of bread before handing the spoon off to me. I stared at it for a moment, reaching out to take it from him tentatively. I served myself a small amount, grabbing a slice of bread as well. Dragneel loaded his plate to capacity, taking at least five slices of bread before beginning to shovel food into his mouth.
"Don't worry, it's edible," Fullbuster assured me, gesturing to my plate. "He may not be the best at housework, but he is one hell of a cook." He took a large bite of his spaghetti as if to emphasize his point. Dragneel grunted, but didn't retaliate.
I spun some pasta onto my fork, subtly sniffing it before placing it in my mouth. Fullbuster wasn't kidding, it was amazing. The pasta had been cooked to the perfect texture; the sauce smooth with a slight kick to it. I savored my first bite before I took another, then another. Before I knew it, my plate was empty. I blushed, setting my fork down and dabbed my mouth with my napkin. Dan had always said that a "classy lady such as myself" should eat slowly and quietly. I was sure I'd done neither of those things. I risked a glance at my companions, but neither man looked disgusted. In fact, Dragneel looked almost smug.
"If you thought that was good, you should try it with the bread. The buttery garlic flavor really compliments the sauce. Here," he scooped me another portion, "have as much as you want!"
"Thank you," I muttered, lifting my fork again. Deciding to give his suggestion a try, I placed a forkful of spaghetti into my mouth before adding a small bite of the bread. Sighing in contentment, I let the smooth, buttery flavor meld with the slightly spicy sauce. Again, before I knew it, my plate was completely clean. I had even grabbed another slice of bread to wipe the excess sauce from it. I small, unladylike burp escaped my lips and I slammed a hand over my mouth, apologizing. Both men just chuckled.
"Her compliments to the chef," Fullbuster quipped, winking at me. A small smile of my own played on my lips.
"It was very good," I complimented Dragneel, giving him a small smile as well. A huge grin split across his face.
"Glad you liked it, Lucy!"
After I finished off my water and the men polished off the rest of the pasta, I raised myself from my seat first.
"I'll take care of the dishes," I offered, gathering my plate and reaching for theirs.
"We can't make you do that!" Dragneel argued. "Leave it for the popsicle. It's his job, anyway." Fullbuster rolled his eyes and reached for my plate. I slid it just out of his reach.
"Detective Fullbuster set the table. You cooked. It's only fair that I pitch in and do the dishes," I reasoned, again reaching for Dragneel's plate. He held my gaze for a moment before shrugging and handing it over.
"Whatever floats your boat. At least let me help you carry them into the kitchen."
Fullbuster excused himself to finish unpacking as Dragneel and I cleared the table. Once all the dishes were on the counter, I grabbed a sponge and began scrubbing. After the first two plates, Dragneel interrupted me.
"You know there's a dishwasher, right?"
I jumped, having forgotten he was still there. Normally, Dan would disappear after dinner to watch the news on TV, leaving me to clean the dishes alone.
"They're cleaner if you wash them by hand," I answered robotically. How many times had Dan told me that? Don't use the dishwasher, Lulu. They're cleaner if you wash them by hand. He could always somehow tell when I hadn't. He would scratch at the plates and bowls before demanding that I wash them again—properly this time. I learned that it took less time and energy to just wash them right the first time.
"Huh," he huffed, picking up one of the now clean plates. He examined it for a moment before picking up dish towel and drying it. He set that one aside and picked up another, repeating this. After he picked up the third plate, I turned to him.
"You don't have to do that," I said, reaching for the plate. He held it just out of my reach, arching an eyebrow.
"Do what?" he asked, blank-faced.
"Help," I answered. I reached for the plate again. "I'm sure you have more important things to do. I can handle this."
"Nah," he chuckled, smiling again. "I wanna help. If that's okay," he added, looking a little sheepish. I winced as I remembered my actions earlier.
"That's fine," I allowed, turning back to the sauce pan I'd been scrubbing. After a few seconds of awkward silence, I spoke again. "I'm sorry."
He glanced down at me. "For what?"
I took a deep breath. "For earlier. The…name thing. You didn't mean any harm. It was just a joke." I winced. "I overreacted."
Dragneel stared at me for a long moment with that same look he'd given me in Captain Clive's office. I returned to my sauce pan, scrubbing at the spots where I thought I could still see remnants of its previous contents. Dragneel carefully pulled the pan from my hands and began drying it.
"I made you uncomfortable. It happens." He shrugged. "You don't have to apologize for letting people know when they've crossed a line."
"Yeah, but again, I overreacted. You didn't mean any harm. I should've known that."
"How about this," Dragneel reasoned, "you say you're sorry for snapping at me, and I'll say I'm sorry for hurting your feelings with my joke. Then, we can call it even and watch a movie. How does that sound?" His voice wasn't condescending, as I was expecting. It was sincere. I nodded.
"That sounds good," I relented, smile stretching across my mouth again. He returned it.
"I accept your apology. We cool?" he asked, offering his hand in truce. I took it without hesitation.
"Yeah, we're cool." I squeezed his hand slightly. "Thank you, Detective Dragneel."
"Awesome," his smile widened. "Now, how about that movie? Oh, and call me Natsu. Detective Dragneel makes me feel old." A thought crossed my mind as I followed him into the living room, dishes done.
"How old are you?" I asked. "'Cause you look really young to be a detective. Fullbuster, too." For a moment I was afraid I might have offended him, but he just snorted. He grabbed the remote, sat down on the couch, and turned on the TV, opening the guide.
"Just turned 25," Drag—Natsu answered offhandedly, distracted by the options on the guide. "Freezer Burn is about to turn 26. We're the youngest officers to ever be promoted to detective," he added smugly, a smirk spreading across his face. "You should've seen the looks on their faces when we were. Ooh, Batman Begins is on. Wanna watch that?" He patted the seat next to him, waiting for my verdict.
My knee-jerk response was "Sure, whatever's fine," but something in the way he looked at me stopped me from saying it. It had been so long since I had been asked what I wanted to watch on TV, and I hated Batman. Definitely not my favorite superhero. So I shook my head in the negative, sitting down on the other side of the couch and turning my attention to the guide menu. I scanned the titles, seeing a few I might enjoy, until my eyes stopped on one. A defiant smile crossed my face as I pointed and said, "That one!" Natsu followed my finger, a smile lighting up his own face.
"Pacific Rim? You like Pacific Rim?" He selected the movie. We were in luck; it had just started.
"Are you kidding? I love this movie. I know it may not objectively be the best movie ever made, but it's one of my favorites. Giant robots fighting giant monsters, badass female leads, and a relationship that can be seen as romantic or platonic? What's not to love?" I felt a blush heat up my face uncomfortably. "Sorry, I just really like this movie…"
"Finally, someone who understands!" I stared at him wide-eyed. "This movie is kickass. And I've finally found someone who'll watch it with me without tearing it apart! Frozone thinks it's okay, but he always points out the bad parts of it." He rested his arm across the back of the couch. "It's nice to meet someone who likes it for what it is: a really badass movie. You're not supposed to take it super seriously. Just shut your brain off and enjoy the carnage."
I smiled at his explanation. Dan hated Pacific Rim. Said it was garbage. I hadn't seen it in over a year, mostly because Dan trashed it all the time. Back, before we started dating, I used to watch that movie all the time. Had a long day at work and was in a sour mood? Pacific Rim. Frustrated with a chapter of the novel I was perpetually working on, or with a paper for a class? Pacific Rim. Argument with my dad? Pacific Rim and a tub of ice cream. I could probably quote that movie by heart. It wasn't the kind of movie you would expect a "lady of class" to enjoy, but hey, I thought it was good.
About ten minutes into the movie, Fullbuster joined us from upstairs.
"Seriously? You're subjecting her to this movie?" he groaned. He turned to me. "You don't have to watch this if you don't want to—"
"Shh," I shushed him, waving my hand frantically. Pentecost had arrived at the Wall to convince Raleigh to pilot Gypsy Danger again.
"She picked it out." I could hear the smirk in Natsu's voice. Fullbuster groaned again.
"No…now there's two of you!"
"Shh!" I hissed more insistently. That line. "Would you rather die here…or in a Jaeger?" I just about fist pumped. I heard a low chuckle beside me.
"Just sit down, shut up, and enjoy the damn movie. Look at how happy it makes her." A long-suffering sigh followed, before Fullbuster slumped into a recliner to my right.
"Fine," he conceded. After a few more minutes of silence, he spoke again. "Do you guys want popcorn?"
"Sure!" we agreed in unison; him cheerful and me almost monotone. I hadn't seen this movie in so long…I was really getting into it.
And that's how the rest of the night played out. Natsu and I quoted the movie while Fullbuster—he'd requested I call him Gray—lamented his bad luck in being assigned to protect the one person who loved this movie as much as Natsu did. We laughed, joked, and got into a popcorn fight. For the first time in a long time, I let myself go. I didn't worry about how my voice sounded or how loud I was being or whether or not I was being too flirty. And it felt amazing. I fell asleep that night feeling lighter than I had in months, a smile still plastered to my face.
All right, guys. Another chapter down! Hope you guys enjoyed my love letter to Pacific Rim. In case you couldn't tell, I absolutely love that movie. Also, I wanted to address a review I received. First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to review! I read each and every one, even if I don't respond, and they mean a lot to me. As long as the review is constructive in some way, it will never offend me. Anyway, Dan being a detective was brought up, and I wanted to explain my thought process on that a little bit. I made Dan a detective for a specific reason: because he can use police resources to come after Lucy. A detective would have an easier time disappearing because he already knows every protocol that would be put in place to find him. Not to mention, having the crazy dude that's after you be a cop is super scary. Who do you trust? This will come into play later. I hope that addressed your confusion, and I hope I didn't offend you in turn with my answer. :)
Next order of business: the update schedule. Short answer: I don't have one. Long answer: I want to promise you guys right now that I have absolutely no intention of abandoning this story. I published it, it will get finished (I'm holding myself to that). Unfortunately, I'm a graduate student, which means I'm busy af. Therefore, I can't promise when it will be updated, or how long each chapter will be. My only hope is that you guys stick with me.
Thank you for your continued support, and I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can.