Lucy couldn't remember ever having laughed this much before in her life. It seemed that scarcely more than a few seconds could pass before another set of giggles would pass her lips, and there were no prizes for guessing just why that was; Natsu. The rose haired man had half-led and half dragged her through the entirety of the Fairy Tail building, showing her all of the places he would play as a kid and telling her story after story to accompany them.

To any other girl it might have grown annoying as he spoke over and over about himself in the various stages of youth, but not Lucy. The blonde had been swept away in the magic of it all, eagerly absorbing each and every story that Natsu was willing to share. With each one he told she could glean little details about him as a person; from his chronic motion sickness in any vehicle that he wasn't driving, the numerous brawls that he had enjoyed with the various other children in the orphanage, and the hundreds of adventures that he, Gray and Erza had gone on that were only limited by the extent of their cumulative imaginations. He had long since captivated her, leaving her thirsting for more knowledge about him.

In some ways she felt guilty for not interjecting with some details about her own childhood, but he seemed to be so excited that she couldn't bear the thought of cutting him off. Besides, in comparison her childhood seemed frightfully dull. The only highlights that she could recall were the occasional visits to the beach whenever her parents could get the time away from their little coffee shop and spend some time together as a family. So she let him go on, listening and laughing at all of the silliest things that he had gotten up to.

Finally, he pulled her into one of the rooms towards the front of the building, one with a huge window looking out over the lengthy driveway. It was a view that took her breath away, overlooking the rolling fields and multitude of meadows that ran right back to the main road. The room itself was fairly simple, containing only a small single bed and a chest of drawers. A small stuffed dragon lay on the bed, resting by the pillows and looking like some child would come running in at any moment to pick up the toy and take it off to share in some grand adventure. The walls were decorated with flames that had long since faded until what had once been vibrant reds and oranges became much more subdued.

As they entered the space, Natsu walked in as though he were stepping into some kind of dream that he couldn't help but remember. The floorboards creaked under his feet as he made his way over to the window. One of his hands rested on his scarf, his fingers slowly running over the threadbare fabric. He stood by the window, staring out and lost deep within himself. It didn't take long for Lucy to realise that this room had once belonged to a young Natsu and was probably still in the exact same condition as it had been the day he left.

"This was your room wasn't it?" She asked. Her voice was oddly quiet as she sought to confirm what appeared already to be fact.

"Yeah." His answer was uncharacteristically blunt and he didn't turn away from the window. "It was from this window right here that I watched as my dad left. He told me it would just be for a little while, that I was gonna see him again real soon. He never came back."

As he spoke, Lucy felt her heart break. Images of a young Natsu watching his father go appeared in her mind, bringing a slight tear to her eye. She couldn't imagine how he must have felt when it had happened.

"That was the seventh of July, over fifteen years ago. I was just five when he left. Every day I would stand right on this spot and watch the road for hours, just waiting for his beat up old car to pull onto the drive and for him to come up to the house and get me. But it didn't. After a long time of waiting, the others came along; Gray, Erza, Lisanna and the others. They sorta became my family and Gramps became the dad I had always wanted but never had."

Lucy couldn't help herself. With tears streaming down her face she stepped towards him and locked her arms around him. She buried her face in his shoulder and held him tightly, even as soft sobs shook her body. It all seemed so unbearably sad, but when she looked up at him, he wasn't crying and he didn't seem bothered by it at all. He just had that same smile on his face and the familiar fire burning in his sage eyes.

"Don't cry Luce, It was all so long ago. I may never forget it, but who wants some deadbeat dad when they could have the best family ever? My dad walked out, but I know that Gramps and Fairy Tail never will; they're always gonna be there for me until the very end. And now, they're gonna be there for you too. I mean, if you want us to be?"

She didn't say a word, not trusting her voice to hold steady, but inside her heart swelled unbelievably. Ever since her parents had passed, there had been a void in her life; it was a kind of loneliness that nothing had ever truly managed to fill. In a way it seemed fitting that she would be adopted by Fairy Tail, after all, she was an orphan of sorts and had nothing in the way of family. With a slight smile creeping across her lips, she nodded and buried her face in his chest again. The tears still streamed down her cheeks but they weren't sad, rather they were cheerful. She had found the very thing that she had been unwittingly searching for. She had found a home.

Juvia followed on with a contented smile as Gray led her all around the place in which he grew up. The rain still fell outside, coming down in delicate sheets that swayed this way and that at the behest of the breeze. It was the ideal weather to be inside, feeling more as though they were in their own world, completely separate from the true realities around them. To her it was like walking through a dream, so much so that she feared to close her eyes for even a second lest she wake up and it all turn out to be a figment of her imagination. As far as she was concerned, that would have equated to a fate far worse than death.

Gray didn't seem to notice her trepidation, or at least if he did then he did not make mention of it. He seemed to be in his own little world, glad to finally have someone with which to share it all with. Of course he had dated before, but his previous partners had never been interested in seeing the place in which he was raised; they had simply lacked in the desire for adventure.

"Daphne was never as excited as you are when I offered to bring her here. She seemed to think that it was all too much of a bother, or just too boring to be worthy of coming along." Gray said, surprised to hear him mention his ex-partner unprompted. Internally he panicked, knowing that it was a major party foul to mention one's ex on a date. Yet Juvia didn't seem to mind, either that or she hid it well, for instead of the hurt that Gray expected, she bore a pained expression that told of an underlying sense of empathy that none of his previous partners had shared.

"How could they not be? This is the place that Gray grew up, and the place that helped make him who he is today. To not understand or see the cause of such a thing, how can they ever truly understand Gray as a person?" She said after a long moment, proceeding with caution and clearly choosing her words with a degree of care.

Hearing what she said, Gray felt his heart skip. How was it that in the space of a second, a girl whom he had never met before only two weeks previously, had come and seized his affections with such ease? He stood in silence, looking at her intently. His grey eyes locked onto her cobalt ones with such intensity that it felt as though he was staring at her very soul. She shifted slightly, showing her nerves and cursing herself internally for feeling so shy all in a moment.

Standing opposite her, Gray wanted to retreat into himself as he always had, terrified of getting hurt again. He could feel himself growing more attached to the blue haired girl and it terrified him. Yet despite what every single one of his instincts were screaming at him, he simply refused to allow it to pass him by. Juvia was not Daphne; she was all that was good in the world, honest and kind and caring. He was convinced that she was the very kind of girl for which he had been searching for so long.

He felt his hands clam up at his sides as he fought with the tempest of thoughts in his head on just what he was supposed to do. It was all new territory to him. Daphne had always been the one to take the lead in his previous relationship, and judging from Juvia's character, that wouldn't be the case here. He gazed at the girl stood in front of him, admiring the depth in the colour of her eyes and the manner in which they were accented by her hair. She shifted nervously under his watch, reaching up to take a strand of hair and wind it around one of her slender fingers.

Taking a shaky breath, he shuffled ever so slightly closer. Her eyes locked with his in a look of slight confusion. He took another step, feeling a peculiar sort of confidence bubble up in the pit of his stomach. Another step brought him chest to chest with her. She looked up at him as her eyes widened in realisation for what he was doing. Biting her lip, she slowly leaned in even as he mirrored her actions. Gray's heart was pounding in his chest as their lips drew steadily closer to one another until finally, they met.

His hands travelled to her waist as they kissed, resting upon her hips. Her arms wrapped around his neck as the softest of moans escaped her lips, bringing a bright blush to Gray's cheeks. They kissed for what seemed an eternity, but was only mere minutes. As they pulled apart again with their lungs burning for air, he locked eyes with her and offered a smile. She returned it in kind, resting her head against his chest and listening to the rapid beating of his heart.

"Look, the storm's breaking." He said, his chest rumbling as he spoke.

Looking up, she saw that he was right. The two were stood by one of the building many windows, through which she saw that the rain had indeed come to a halt. From behind a thick patch of angry grey clouds, the sun emerged shooting rays of golden morning light throughout the sky, bathing the two of them in both radiance and warmth. Her breathing hitched as she saw that which she had been hoping to for many a year; the sunrise.

Leaning her head back against Gray's chest, she looked out the window and savoured the warmth of the sun's light on her pale skin. It was everything that she could ever have dreamed of, so beautiful and bright and full of hope. Perhaps even more so, she had been able to share the moment with Gray. It seemed like fate, as though he had brought a measure of light and warmth into her life which had previously seemed so dim and cold. It was the dawning of a new day in her life.

"Come on Lucy! You've gotta come see this!" Natsu cheered from up ahead.

The moment that the rain outside had broken, Natsu had set off at a jog through the house and out the door. Lucy followed on as quickly as she could, struggling to keep pace and dodge the puddles as best as she could. In the back of her mind, Lucy wondered whether Juvia had seen the sun come up; knowing that she would appreciate it more than most.

Natsu led the way along the side of the grand house and over a stile into a neighbouring field. Lucy followed, lamenting as the plants brushed against her legs and transferred what remained of the rainwater onto her. By the time that they reached the edge of some woodland she was soaked through and shivering slightly in the chill breeze. Natsu led her up a slight hill and into a clearing that overlooked fields of barley as far as the eye could see. The stalks were golden and shaking lightly with the wind, all while the sun shone brilliantly overhead in clear defiance of the clouds. Sitting himself down on the rise he waited for her to join him.

Lucy walked over in awe of the natural beauty arrayed in front of her and took a seat beside him. She still shivered but could no longer feel the cold, her whole attention having been stolen by the view. Even as they watched, a rainbow shimmered off in the distance where the last dregs of the rain still fell; a splendour of colour that took Lucy's breath away.

"See? I told you that you had to see this." He smirked, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders in an effort to ward off the shivers. "Erza, Gray and I used to come down here all the time in the summer and watch the sun go down. Gramps used to get real mad when we came back late and missed dinner."

Lucy smirked a little at the stories and wrapped his jacket tightly around herself. Leaning over with a contented smile, she rested her head upon his shoulder and settled in to admire the view. The warm scent of his aftershave permeated the fabric of his jacket, reminding her of cold winter nights spent by the fire. It was a pine and spice kind of smell that blocked out the damp scent of the world around them.

Red hair swirled in her wake, creating what looked to be a blazing trail behind her as she worked. Customers marvelled at the new barista and seldom took their eyes off of her. For Erza it was a fantastic feeling to see the smiles appear on the faces of her customers whenever their drink appeared. She had long since turned the sale of coffee into what was almost a new style of dance as she flowed from one order to the next without missing so much as a single step.

At heart, she wanted to do well for her new boss, to thank Lucy for the opportunity and ensure that the aftermath of her date would be as stress free as possible. But the reality was that she liked the atmosphere; the little coffee shop was a calm place in which its customers could feel at ease and take a break from the stresses of the day. That made for a wonderful environment to sit in, and an even better one to work in.

Yet her day took a turn that none of them could have foreseen. As mid-afternoon approached and her shift began to wind down into the quiet hours of the early evening, a gentleman entered the little café as many had before him. Yet this one in particular caught Erza's attentions the instant he appeared. There was something oddly familiar about him in a way that she just couldn't place, it was as though she knew his name, but couldn't place his face.

He was of middling height with a peculiar head of midnight blue hair. His face was one which showed the result of too many late nights burning the candle at both ends and was covered in a light dusting of stubble. Under his right eye he had an odd tattoo, a mystical looking design in red ink. He approached the counter with a shuffling step and spoke without looking up from the tiled floor underfoot.

"Uh, one coffee; to-go please." He said in a tired voice. "Black and as strong as you're allowed to make it."

She nodded and shot him a quick smile before quickly grinding fresh coffee, tamping it down and setting it into the machine to brew with one of the café's branded takeaway cups underneath to catch it. As it did, she collected one of the accompanying sleeves. With a marker, she drew a quick smiling face on the sleeve and hoped that it might bring some cheer to this man's life.

With the coffee brewed, she collected it and popped it into its sleeve before handing it over the counter with a napkin. Looking up for a moment to offer payment for his beverage, the man caught his first glimpse of the barista and stopped dead. His jaw dropped a little and a sense of comprehension dawned in his eyes. In a voice scarcely above a whisper he uttered one word.

"E-Erza?"

In that moment, his voice triggered a memory that had lain all but forgotten within the deepest recesses of her mind. Her eyes widened a little as countless thoughts, feelings and memories came flooding through her head.

"Jellal?" She asked dumbfounded, merely confirming what she already knew.

"It really is you!" he answered with a hint of shock in his voice. "How have you been, it must have been what; Ten, fifteen years?"

"Something like that…" She replied curtly. She was a little unsure of how to handle the developing situation.

"Well I uh… I'm a little busy at the moment but if you'd like I can pop by a little later and we can catch up over a couple of drinks once you're done here?"

She stood in silence for a long moment and simply looked at the man before her. In her mind she tousled with his question and debated whether or not it would be wise to take him up on his offer. It certainly seemed not, and yet so much of her life had changed lately for the better, perhaps this was simply another positive shift? Either way, she deemed, it was worth the risk.

"That sounds good. It would be nice to catch up with you. I finish here at six, if you would like to meet me here?" She answered, choosing her words carefully.

"You have a deal, I'll drop by to meet you here and we can head off into town." He said with a clear look of excitement rejuvenating his eyes. "I'll see you at six."

Paying for his coffee he left a generous tip in the jar and headed out of the coffee shop and into the evening air again. She watched him go with a faint smile before returning her attentions to the running of the coffee shop. It wouldn't do to get sloppy now, after all.

The hours of her shift seemed to melt away in the blink of an eye as she worked, accompanied by a myriad of smiling faces that helped ease the growing discomfort in her legs from the prolonged period for which she had been on her feet. But despite it all, when at last the final customer of the day left the shop and the door was locked, Erza simply collapsed into one of the chairs with a tired sigh. A satisfied smile remained on her features despite the fatigue that was evident in her eyes.

After the aches in her legs had eased off a little she dragged herself back to her feet and set about completing the closedown work. She wiped off the steam wands and cleaned out the coffee machine with practised ease. Once her critical eye was satisfied that not so much as a speck of dirt remained, she hung up her apron and gathered her belongings before heading out the door.

Her eyes scanned the street for any signs of Jellal, and to her surprise she found him leant against a wall just beside the little café. He greeted her with a weary smile and offered her a steaming cup of coffee and a brown paper bag with '8 Island Patisserie' emblazoned across its crinkled surface. She eyed him with a raised eyebrow before taking the foodstuffs off of him with a nod of thanks.

"I thought that after working so hard all day that you might like a quick bite before heading out, you know, something to pick your spirits up a little?" He offered as way of explanation.

Opening the bag she found within a small clear plastic carton in which was the most pristine looking piece of strawberry cake that she had ever seen. A slight twinkle appeared in her eye as she looked upon her favourite baked treat. With an expression of reverence she took it out of the bag and opened up its container, savouring the sweet scent of sugar and strawberries in delicious harmony. Taking up the small plastic fork contained within, she took a small bite of the cake; it was positively euphoric.

"I'm glad to see that some things never change." Jellal chuckled, watching her intently for signs of approval. Satisfied that his gift to her had been well received, he gestured to a modest car that was parked up at the curb side outside the coffee shop. Opening the door for her he let her in before walking around to driver's side and climbing in.

Erza continued to eat her sweet in quiet contentment, savouring each and every bite. Ordinarily she wouldn't have eaten using plastic utensils, being thoroughly convinced that cake was best enjoyed off of silverware. It was a belief which had led to her purchasing a number of dessert sets crafted from fine silver for the express purpose of enjoying the best strawberry cakes that Magnolia had to offer, but for a cake as fine as this she was willing to make the exception.

Jellal drove them a short ways across town before pulling up out the front of a modest looking pub. It was a smaller timber framed building sat between two average sized apartment buildings and at first glance, appeared to be a little out of place. Hanging from old iron fittings was a worn and faded sign depicting the establishment's name; 'The Dragon and Child'. The calligraphy of the sign wasn't much to be impressed by, but the artwork itself certainly was. Despite its age and the colours having faded under both sun and rain, the painting still showed a vibrant blue dragon and beside it a helpless looking blonde child. It seemed the complete juxtaposition between brutal power and helpless innocence and Erza couldn't help but marvel at it.

Finishing her cake she disposed of its packaging along with her now empty coffee cup before following Jellal inside. The interior was well lit and quite cosy. Besides the usual broad benches for larger parties, there were a number of comfortable armchairs set into small alcoves within the walls as well as a pair flanking a large fireplace, in which burned a number of aged cedar log that gave off a pungent and heady aroma. Behind the bar and inundated with a variety of regulars stood the landlord himself. He was a rotund man with a magnificent handlebar moustache and a reddened face. Looking over at the newcomers, he flashed them a warm smile before returning to his never ending task of satiating the parched string of customers. In all, Erza was quite fond of the place. It held a welcoming atmosphere that gave the impression that no-one could ever be unwanted there.

Leading her over to the pair of chairs beside the fireplace, He took a seat in one and waited for Erza to join him. He shed his jacket and leaned forward to warm his hands beside the fire. Erza sat down opposite him and found herself pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the chairs were. She too shed her coat and warmed herself by the fire.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me. I know that it has been a very long time since last we saw one another." He said after a few minutes, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"The last time I saw you was the day you were adopted, I watched you drive away up the lane not knowing that I wouldn't hear from you again." She replied, feeling the sting that such a pained memory brought to her.

"I know and I really am sorry that I never got in contact. After I got adopted my whole life turned upside down. My parents were pretty strict on me and between studying, chores and my new friends I lost sight of Fairy Tail." He answered, surprising her with just how upfront he was willing to be.

"I guess that's to be expected; you had a new family after all. But we never forgot you." She replied, somewhat bitterly. Taking a breath, she continued with a wry smile "Though I must admit, I didn't expect that bright-eyed little boy to grow up to look so haggard and worn out."

Internally, she cursed herself for having sounded so angry. It surprised her to know that she was still harbouring such feelings over wrongs some fifteen years old, but to see him again had sent her mind racing back to those days long passed. Sighing softly to herself she tried to clear her mind, perhaps it was time to move on and start afresh. After all, following their chance meeting, he had seemingly wanted to try and make what amends he could.

"A result of my work. Too many late nights and no-where near enough sleep." He chuckled, pulling her back out of her deliberations.

"Just what is it that you do?" She asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Well, I'm trying to start up my own investigation agency; 'Crime Sorcière'. Usually its quite simple cases, just wives wanting evidence of their cheating husbands or parents trying to find out if their kids are involved with a bad crowd, nothing too dark really. We are a fairly small organisation at the moment, just the three of us, but I hope to expand in the coming years."

The hours melted away between the two of them and drinks passed with pleasant conversation. The passage of time was such that by the time that they had fully caught up on fifteen years' worth of tales, jokes and events, that the fire had burned low and they were the last people remaining in the bar. Apologising to the bartender, they quickly finished their drinks and stepped out into the night air. The two exchanged details before Erza bid him goodnight and began the walk back to her home. It wasn't very far from the bar and only took her around twenty minutes. Once in and out of the cold, she showered quickly and climbed into bed so as to be ready for the following morning. After all, she would have a great deal to tell the others.

Lucy felt saddened as she climbed out of the boys' beat up old car. Her heart had been heavy when the four of them had left Fairy Tail; she had watched the building pass into the distance as they drove away up the long driveway and back towards the city.

Though she was loath to admit it, she had been hoping that the day could have lasted forever. With Natsu up on their secluded hilltop, the two of them had fallen into their own little world; a world which she had been heartbroken to leave. Even as they drove away, she sat there in the backseat with the pink haired orphan's jacket wrapped around her shoulders. When she thought no-one was looking she would bury her face in the fabric and take in a lungful of his aftershave, savouring its musky pine scent.

She couldn't help but smile when they began making their way up to the apartment and he made no efforts to take his jacket back. She looked over at him quizzically but soon turned away to hide a blush as he shot her a cheeky wink.

Alongside them, Gray and Juvia walked together arm in arm and completely in their own world. Juvia stared up at him with a warm smile permanently affixed to her face. It made Lucy's heart swell to see her friend in such a state of pure bliss. Moving over so that she could walk alongside Natsu, she gave him a quick smile.

"I wanted to thank you… for everything. Today has been so amazing, I've loved every minute of it and so has Juvia. I haven't seen her looking this happy in a long time so… thank you." She smiled, snagging his arm in her own and holding him close as they walked.

"You're welcome Luce, I'm glad ya liked it. I know Wendy and Romeo were super happy to have met you guys. Maybe you'd wanna come back with me sometime to see them again?" He replied, leading the way.

Hearing that, Lucy's heart flipped in her chest. She fought to keep her composure before nodding with a wide grin. "I'd love to! There's so much out there that you didn't get time to show me, and I want to see it all!"

Natsu promised her that he would show her everything in time, and together the four of them made their way up into the apartments. Not long afterwards, Lucy made her excuses and left for her own apartment. By the time that she got home at last, she was yawning wide and thoroughly exhausted. Yet, despite it all, she really didn't mind. To her, every ache was well worth it.

If the day was any kind of indicator, Lucy felt confident in the belief that she was onto something very positive indeed; and she couldn't wait to find out just where her new friendship might sweep her off to. Entering her bedroom, her eyes strayed to her manuscript sat upon a small writing desk and she made herself a mental note to get some work done on it soon, she certainly had a new source of inspiration to work with.

Hello all and many apologies, I completely forgot to post this one and it has been sat in my laptop for quite some time now. I hope that you all enjoyed it and am super sorry for the delay. If you did enjoy please do follow, favourite and review to let me know what you think or rant about the shaky release schedule. Next chapter coming soon I hope so please do watch this space.

As always, I will see you all in the next chapter.