ERMAGURD IT'S ONLY THE EIGHTH CHAPTER BUT ALMOST A HUNDRED REVIEWS

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"Lucy."

The small, five year old blond turned at the sound of her mother's voice.

Lucy beamed and ran into Layla's open arms, the two laughing as Layla hugged her daughter tightly and then settled her on her hip. "Lucy, remember how you said that you wanted a new baby sister?"

"Mmhmm! Yes!" Lucy cheered, throwing small hands into the air.

"Well, daddy and I decided that we'll grant your wish."

Lucy gasped and clapped her hands frantically. "Sister! Sissy!" She screamed in delight.

That afternoon, Lucy was holding her mother's hand as Jude walked in front of them.

They were going to a large, tall brick building. Lucy scrunched her nose at the letters above the double doors. She had never gone to school before, but Layla had started to teach her the alphabet and how to read.

However, the word was too hard to pronounce.

'A... Dop... Tion?' Lucy whispered inside her mind.

Inside, it was a bare room except for a desk and a lady behind it. She was nice, and the flowing purple skirt she had worn that day fascinated little Lucy.

"I see, well, the deal is set then!" The lady smiled widely thirty minutes later, Jude just having finished signing a stack of papers.

"I'll get her right away," the lady continued.

She walked into a door at the side, and Lucy whined a little when she couldn't see the pretty purple skirt anymore.

However, her brown eyes caught something else instead.

Layla let go of Lucy's hand and reached for the small child that the lady had brough out.

She had short, blue hair that curled around her ears, and was much shorter than Lucy.

Lucy looked with awe as Layla bent down and smiled at her.

"Lucy, meet Wendy. Your new sister."

The scene morphed into darkness, and instead of her mother's gentle voice and beaming face, scarlet blood splattered Lucy's vision.

Sirens rang through the air, flashes of red and blue. The hoarse, broken whisper of Wendy. Her eyes dead and lifeless.

Lucy shot up from her bed, sweat making golden bangs stick to her forehead.

Lucy pressed a hand to her cheek, and found a liquid trickling down heavily. Tears. She was crying.

Lucy sobbed and hiccuped as she tried to rub the tears away, but instead, she cried even more.

"Luce?"

The slight raspy voice of Natsu made her head shoot up.

Across the room was Natsu's bed, and there was a soft 'click' as Natsu groped around the darkness and turned on the lamp.

"Why're you crying?" Natsu whispered.

Lucy hiccuped and wiped her eyes once more. "N... Natsu."

He sat up in his bed, his bare chest being revealed as the silk bedsheets pooled around his waist. "Come over here," he beckoned.

Desperate for someone to share their warmth with her, Lucy threw her own covers off of her and stumbled over to him, almost falling onto him as she tripped over her bare feet.

"Whoa there," he mumbled, strong hands gripping her arms and steadying her.

Lucy's tears continued to drip as Natsu's arms wrapped around her shoulders and gently laid her down on the bed.

"Stop crying, Luce." He whispered gently, hugging her to him and rubbing her back.

Lucy choked on a sob and buried her nose in his neck.

Natsu frowned into the semi-darkness as slowly Lucy calmed down.

"I'm sorry." She whispered ten minutes later.

"Don't be." He muttered. "It was a nightmare, wasn't it?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"I'll keep you safe, Luce. Don't worry." He sighed, rubbing her shoulders. "Go back to sleep."

"Okay," she spoke in a tiny voice.

Her grip on him only seemed to tighten as she drifted into sleep, but Nasu didn't mind.

He closed his eyes, feeling his own call for slumber luring him in. He breathed in slightly, relishing the vanilla and sweet strawberry scent.

"I'll protect you..."

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A light snicker. "Never knew he had it in him."

"Do you think they'll have kids now?"

"Shh, you'll wake them!"

Natsu's eyes twitched open as he sleepily glared at the intruders.

"I'm already awake, thanks." He said a little hoarsely.

Juvia, Levy, and Gray only grinned at him smugly.

"What?" He asked when they didn't say anything.

At that moment, something warm moved in his arms and let out a low moan.

Surprised, he was slightly stunned to see Lucy beside him.

Oh, right. Last night she had freaked out and started to cry, nearly giving him a heart attack.

"What're you doing here?" He hissed as he sat up, removing his arms from Lucy gently as to not wake her.

"So, was she any good?" Was Gray's immediate question.

Natsu furrowed his brows. "What the hell are you talking about, stripper?"

"You mean you guys didn't?..." Levy trailed off.

Natsu frowned. "Do what?"

"Oh! The night of passion must have been too much for him!" Juvia gasped, her blue eyes wide.

"There was no night of passion, for your information."

The new slightly slurred voice caught their attention.

Lucy glared half-heartedly at their 'guests', sitting up and scratching the back of her head.

Gray snorted and crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Should've known Natsu was too dumb to actually do the deed."

"Hell you just call me, ice cube?!"

"I called you stupid, asswipe!"

"Gray, your shirt." Lucy yawned, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and stretching her back.

"Wha - I just had it on a minute ago!"

"Anyway," Levy said over Juvia's swoons. "Breakfast is almost ready. Erza says you should hurry."

"She always says we should hurry," Natsu grumbled, standing up and running a hand through his pink hair.

The next ten minutes were full of talking and shouting, Gray, Juvia, and Levy staying with the future king and queen as they dressed and washed.

"Juvia thinks Lucy should wear this today!" Juvia cheered as she held up a skimpy pink bikini.

"PUT THAT AWAY!"

Finally, Levy and Juvia managed to convince Lucy to wear a blue miniskirt, black boots, and a yellow tank top.

"This... Is way too much skin," she squeaked as the five friends walked to the dining hall.

"Nah, you look fine, Luce!" Natsu scoffed, swinging an arm around her shoulders and grinning at her.

She felt her cheeks light up, and muttered, "whatever."

How strange.

Her heart was beating faster than normal.

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Short, I know, but I wanted to make up for that extra delay with this extra chappie!

Btw, did you see that coming? Wendy? Adopted? Oh my!

Now, I wonder what Igneel's relationship with the Heartfilia's is~~

Hmm, I wonder, I wonder!

Anyway, please review!

:D