This chapter reveals why I am considering having Cana part of the relationship with Erza and Natsu. It's not a 100% hint to why, but I think its obvious if you look into the details.

I own nothing. Enjoy.

Natsu stood behind Erza as she waded through the guild's halls. It was about supper time for everyone so everyone was eating at their respective seats. Cana sat at the bar drinking and eating, while Makarov sat on the far table near the wall opposite the door. Erza walked over to Makarov and bowed her head.

"I have done the task."

"I can see that… So, have you decided to join Fairy Tail?" Makarov asked, turning to look at the cloaked figure, his features still unable to be seen. It seemed Natsu was also using some of his shadow magic so he couldn't be seen easily if at all. Natsu nodded in response looking at the ground. "Cheer up my boy! You have just joined the greatest magical guild of them all!" He stated, leaping high into the air before standing upon the second floor balcony. "Fairy Tail! Fairy Tail is number one and you wanna know why?!"

"Because our magic is the best!" Roared the guild, raising their right hands into the air with an L shape of their hands, though the L was facing themselves. It was the symbol for number one!

"You're damn right! Now everyone, I call for a feast to welcome in our new member!" Makarov stated.

'Except Supper is already served.' Mirajane thought with a sweat drop.

Elfman came over and began to put his arm over Natsu's shoulders with a big smile on his face, but Natsu dodged with the skill of a serpent, slithering away. With his long cloak, it looked like he was gliding across the floor.

"Ah man! I wasn't gonna hurt ya!" Elfman stated, frowning a bit at how skittish Natsu was being. Erza took a seat at a table that wasn't occupied, in which Natsu followed her and sat next to her though on the other end of the table. It allowed him to keep his focus on the other members of the guild and the door.

Natsu stayed quiet as he looked around the guild, eyeing everyone. It was then Mirajane popped out of nowhere, surprising Natsu who visibly jumped a bit. She grinned and placed a large plate of food on the table, smiling happily.

"It is on the house!" She stated. She left to go back to the bar as that is where she was mostly working out of. She and Erza both watched as Natsu picked up his fork and picked up a slice of meat, bringing it to the hood. They could tell he was eyeing it and sniffing it, checking for any sort of poison.

"Kid, if we wanted to kill you we would have done it already." Erza said with her strict tone. Mirajane looked over at Erza, giving her a critical look but she didn't pay any attention to Mirajane's scolding look. Mirajane noticed that Natsu looked over at Erza for a bit before eating the food on the plate, digging into the food with much fervor as if he was starved. It was then Mirajane realized that Natsu wasn't well fed. She couldn't tell because of the cloak but Natsu was very malnourished.

Makarov approached Mirajane and sat on the bar's counter, much to her displeasure because she would have to clean it again.

"You seem to have noticed it as well… but that boy isn't well fed at all… It would seem that the rumors are true about him being banned from most markets in Fiore."

"This is a very strange thing for us to take in someone like this. No one else came in like this, shy and reclusive. I mean yes Mystogan is a recluse but that's different… he's traumatized beyond anything we've seen… especially considering who is father is and what happened to his mother."

"Indeed. I just felt like this was the right thing to do." He stated, stroking his beard. "Are you dissatisfied with my choice?"

"I think that it will be difficult but it was the right thing to do. I will do what I can to get him healthy." Mirajane stated. "Do you wish for me to do anything special?"

"Just make sure he is fed and I will have Erza work with him on Jobs… though I think once she learns about him… she will stick to him like glue." Makarov said with a chuckle.

Natsu focused on his meal, his thoughts currently on his situation.

'They seem really nice… and they aren't like the villagers who hate me. Kill them all. They won't want me around when they learn the awful truth about who I am though… they know nothing about me. No survivors. No mercy. Why would anyone want anything to do with me? I'm better off dead.' Natsu stated, looking down at his plate as sorrow filled his mind. About a minute into his depressing thoughts, he felt someone sit next to him and it was the scarlet haired wizard who brought him into the fold. 'She's so similar to the little girl… could she be? Kill her.'

"I never got your name… do you even have one?"

"Natsu… Dragneel." He said quietly, looking away.

"Well, my name is Erza, Natsu. Erza Sc-"

"Scarlet." Natsu said quietly, only to quickly bite his tongue as he said what was in his thoughts out loud.

"W-What did you say?" Erza asked, wanting to hear him again.

"I said that this food is good." Natsu said, taking a swig of the drink in front of him, only to reel back as it wasn't water. It was something else with a strong taste.

"That's not what you said." Erza stated, her serious and authoritarian tone coming out. "You said my last name… you… you're him aren't you…?" She asked, looking at Natsu with wide eyes.

Natsu stayed silent while holding the mug of the strong drink. 'She fears you like all the others. Burn her!' Natsu was instantly hugged around his shoulders, in which got him to drop the mug onto the table, making a mess on his food while Erza buried her head in his shoulder.

"You're him… you're the one who saved me."

"I think you're mistaken."

"I'm not mistaken… you're the one who gave me my last name. Everything about you is the same… the cloak… the distorted voice… You're still alive."

Natsu kept quiet, looking down at the alcohol soaked food but when he was released from her hug, he gently turned his head to look at her and she had some tears in her eyes and a big smile on her face.

"Thank you so much. Without you… I'd be dead. Without you I would have never found my one true home." She said before hugging him again, this time around his neck. Natsu lifted up his left arm, which was that of the dragon and hesitated for a moment before patting her back. "You… have a new arm… how?"

"My father is a dragon." Natsu stated quietly. "So I am part dragon."

Erza began to reach for his arm, only for him to pull away from her, not wanting to be seen by anyone. Erza frowned a bit but didn't try again. She could only imagine what this boy went through. She then smiled softly.

"You'll need a place to stay… so come to my house in Fairy Hill's. Mirajane will show you to my house tonight. I'm going to go and set up the place for you ok?"

Natsu nodded and watched as Erza walked away, heading for the doors.

'She's beautiful. Make her scream.'

Natsu then watched as Mirajane picked up his ruined food and wiped up the mess on the table before placing a new plate of food on the table, giving him another mug of drink.

"I apologize for the drink last time. It seemed I gave you alcohol when you are supposed to have water." She said with a smile. She looked like an angel to Natsu.

"I… would like to try more of the alcohol."

"You sure hun? Aren't you a little young?" She asked, smiling sweetly.

"Please." Natsu said, looking away from her in which Mira just obeyed, placing a mug and a bottle of strong alcohol in front of him in which he poured himself a drink and began to eat his food, drinking the strong drink with it.

Mira watched from the bar, eyeing Natsu who was chugging the drink down. She then turned and giggled towards the other patron at the bar. "Seems you have a contender for strongest drinker in here now." Mira said with a chuckle.

"Please. He will regret his mistake soon enough." Spoke the young woman. She was a very pretty young woman. Tall, slim and tan. She had long mid-back length brown hair. She had very large breasts and curvy hips. Her fairy tail symbol was on the lower left part of her stomach, right above her hips. She wore a light blue bikini top, a pair of capri pants and high-heeled sandals.

"I dunno. Seems he's still going at it strong." She said, motioning over to Natsu who had already finished half of the bottle, which surprised the two women.

'I feel… so… good.' Natsu stated, his eyes drooping. 'The voices… no longer call to me.' Natsu stated before he passed out, his forehead on the table barely missing his food.

Cana snickered and Mirajane laughed a bit seeing what just happened.

"Or not." Cana said with a grin.

"Guess I should take him up to Erza's place." Mirajane said with a laugh, beckoning over Elfman who was waiting for his big sister, Mirajane, to finish up so they could head home. "Can you carry him and walk with me to Fairy Hills?"

"Absolutely!" Elfman stated, lifting Natsu up like a bride, and they watched as Natsu just laid their lifeless except for the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept. "He's drunk?"

"Lightweight." Cana laughed out, taking a swig of alcohol.

"Alright alright, that's enough teasing him. He's not even here to hear it. Let's go." Mirajane stated, walking out the door with Elfman in tow. Cana waved good bye to the trio, leaning against the bar with her head on her left hand, elbow on the bar.

'So… the new member seems to enjoy his alcohol. Wonder what that is about? I could feel a change in his disposition from earlier.' Cana thought only to be brought out of her thoughts when she heard some talk behind her. It was a group of Fairy Tail wizards that were pretty low ranked.

"Is it just me or is that kid getting a little awfully close to Erza?"

"She better watch out or that dark wizard will steal her virtue."

"Oh please. Erza is the strongest woman! No way she would allow that!"

"Did you see how she hugged him though?! He obviously has her wrapped around his finger."

"I think you're just jealous cause Erza likes him and not you."

"Shut up. I am serious. That dark wizard is dangerous. He doesn't belong here."

"Says who?" Cana spoke, turning on her stool to face the group of wizards. "He seems to be doing just fine."

"Cana… do you not feel his aura? It's almost visible how dark and evil it is."

"Erza, Mirajane and Makarov all accepted him into the guild. I, for one, have no issue with him being here."

"You don't know the kid! How can you trust him?"

"How can you just ignore the fact that the master was the one who invited him?" Cana stated. "You guys are thinking he's some evil wizard without even knowing the truth."

"The dark aura doesn't lie."

"Except he's not doing anything evil." Cana pointed out. "We're jumping the gun."

"He stole from us! He stole our jobs!"

"Oh, so one wrong deed makes him an evil wizard." Cana said sarcastically, turning on her stool. "Do not judge a book by it's cover." Cana stated, going back to her alcohol, letting the group of wizards behind her just ramble on about Natsu. 'Even I judged him harshly when I first saw him…'

Erza opened up her front door after hearing some knocking, spotting Elfman holding Natsu in his arms. Erza raised a brow by Mira just grinned.

"He got drunk and passed out." Mira explained.

"You let him get drunk…?" Erza asked dangerously.

"He wanted to try more of the alcohol. Was his choice." Mira defended with her hands up. Erza sighed and moved out of the way.

"Take him to my room. I will sleep on the floor in the room while he takes the bed." Erza stated, watching as Elfman walked up the stairs towards her bedroom. Mira and Erza stayed downstairs.

"You seem to be getting really defensive and caring about him… someone got a crush?" Mira asked, teasing Erza.

"Of course not! He's a family member!"

"So am I but you don't show me such kindness of letting me have your bed."

"Oh please. Totally different." Erza huffed.

"Sure." Mirajane said with a chuckle before walking out the door with Elfman who just came down the stairs. "Bye Erza." She said, waving good bye. Erza waved goodbye in return and went up the stairs to the bedroom.

She stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at the cloaked figure of Natsu who was sleeping soundly.

'I'm so happy to have you here with me… to have you back in my life… I fell in love with you the day you saved me… please never leave me.' Erza said, leaning down and kissing Natsu's cheek, or what she hoped was his cheek as she was going in blindly due to the hood. She laid down on the makeshift bed on the floor and began to fall asleep.

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