A/N: I've been AWOL. I know it. I got serious writer's block for this one (IDKY), so the update is a week later than planned. But better late than never, right? I feel like I'm always leaving you guys hanging with a cliff hanger. I swear it's not on purpose. (Well, maybe a little.) The fact that the last chapter referenced Lucy's mom the same week as the manga was pretty much the hugest fucking coincidence, like omg. I was pretty much dying when people pointed that out to me.

Thank you to all of my reviewers- you guys rock my world. We've almost hit 300 followers! I almost can't believe my lame-ass story has gained so much traction. But I'm grateful nonetheless. A lot of you are wondering why Natsu didn't feel the energy drain. Which will be explained! *cough* eventually *cough*. I'm kinda wondering how most of you guys came across my story. Did you see the link on tumblr or were you just doing random searches here on ff? Just kinda curious.

Anyways, on with the story! And a high five to anyone who actually reads these boring author's notes. :P

"Explain yourself. Right now," Lucy hissed, voice menacing. The thought of a single soul daring to refer to her late mother as anything but angelic sparked a deadly mixture of wrath and venom in Lucy's bones.

"Do you know anything about our kind," Minerva asked with haughty contempt, ignoring Lucy's demand. "Because if you did, you'd know that a succubus is born, not made. Which means one of your parents had to have passed the bloodline onto you. And we both know that your gift wasn't given to you by that disgustingly human father of yours."

Minerva's malice was met with the ringing clang of a fist against metal right next to her face. Minerva's eyes trailed from the wrist in her peripheral vision down the attached arm and finally to Lucy's furious glare. The anger only grew there when Minerva stared blankly at her, looking completely unphased.

"Don't pretend that you have even an inkling of what my family is like," Lucy gritted out.

"I have more than an inkling," Minerva murmured, slipping deftly under Lucy's outstretched arm. Once Minerva had once again established her personal space, she turned to give Lucy a contemptuous look.

"Demons like us are big on gossip. Especially when a succubus who is practically Daemonum Regalitatem falls in love with a pathetic human and starves herself to death. My father's an Incubus, and he still hasn't shut up about it."

"Daemonum Regalitatem? What does that mean? Demon Royalty?"

"Looks like those Latin classes were actually worth something. Yes, that's what it means. Your mother was one of the elite. Feared. Desired. Powerful. She was next in line to become Fiore's Madame Lilith. But that all turned to shit when she let herself become enamored by some young bond salesman."

"What-"

"Layla Heartfilia used to be the strongest succubus the world had ever known, Lucy."

Lucy stumbled back, backpack dropping to the floor. No. No, no, no. This can't be true. There was no way Lucy's mother would've known what Lucy would become (would've been what Lucy was) without warning her. Without letting her in on this mystical world that lay just out of reach. Without preparing her for what was to come.

"Y-you're lying," Lucy accused, voice shaking as doubt and a fear that she never even knew her own mother began to flood her. "My mother wasn't-"

"She was," Minerva interrupted, voice cold and leaving no room for refutation. "She was a succubus. She was like us. She was the strongest libidinem daemonio Fiore had ever seen. But she decided to give her life to a Normal."

"What do you mean she gave her life to a Normal," Lucy demanded, clenching her fists. "She died of heart failure! She had a weak constitution."

"That might've been what the coroner told you, but that's just the humans' way of trying to explain the unexplainable. Your mother died of starvation, Heartfilia," Minerva said, spitting out Lucy's last name with disdain. "Because she refused to feed too often from that father of yours."

It felt like the old wounds left behind by her mother's death were torn open again, hurting almost as much as the first time around. The throbbing ache in Lucy's chest made it hard for her to breathe, and Minerva watched her agony with a sour face. It looked like she didn't even care. And every mention of Lucy's father seemed to darken the hatred in Minerva's eyes further.

"There's no way my mom was a succubus," Lucy denied, shaking her head back and forth. "She never would've-"

"Never would've what? Why is this so hard for you to believe," Minerva demanded in indignation, crossing her arms and fixing Lucy with a glare.

"She never would've used people for sex," Lucy bit out. "She never would've done something so despicable."

Minerva's eyes hardened, and she took a dangerous step forward. Lucy tried not to shrink back, tried not to let herself be scared by some lusty SH that was obviously too big for her britches. But an ominous swirl in Minerva's eyes held her in place.

"You're a miserable excuse for a succubus. You're weak, and you criminalize the source of our strength. Sex is power," Minerva hissed, moving to whisper into Lucy's ear. "You're too afraid of your capabilities to ever be more than a little girl. If you don't feed, then you will die of starvation. That's a fact."

"Why are you telling me this," Lucy whispered, knowing her voice would crack with emotion and betray her if she spoke any louder.

"Because I feel sick everytime I look at you. And I have no intention of watching one of my kind waste away and wither into nothing," Minerva growled.

She leaned away from Lucy, looking as if she were disgusted to have been so close in the first place. Lucy stared straight ahead, gritting her teeth and willing herself to hold back the tears until Minerva left. It was probably no use; If Minerva's sense of smell was anywhere near as good as Lucy's had become, she could probably detect the pooling saltwater.

"If you ever want to learn about what it really means to be a succubus," Minerva said callously. "You know where to find me."

Minerva left Lucy standing alone in the hallway. After she was gone, Lucy sat on the floor and tried to hold herself together. Everything she knew about her mother was a lie. Lucy felt more lost than ever. She decided to pick up her bag and go home; a bubble bath and a good crying session were well-deserved.

(LINE BREAK HERE)

Natsu was ticked. Lucy never came back to the library, and he eventually decided to take matters into his own hands. With his trusty cat at his side, he scaled the wall of Lucy's little rental house. When they climbed into her room through the window Happy immediately made himself comfortable, burrowing into Lucy's bed with extra zeal. Natsu looked around, surprised that she wasn't there. He had caught her scent from outside (the smell of honey and coffee beans and something else that made his insides burn). She was definitely here.

Natsu's eyes widened in realization when he finally noticed the humidity the seeped from the bathroom and permeated the air. Soon after, he heard the distinct sound of water being sucked down the drain. Lucy had been in the bath. Oh, crap. If she saw him here she'd probably shove him face-first out of her window.

Natsu looked around for a place to hide, but it was too late. Happy (being the clueless feline he was) flew to the bathroom door and knocked. Natsu swiped an exasperated hand down his face and sighed. Lucy's gonna kill us all.

The bathroom door swung open, and Lucy stomped out into the hallway. Man, she was pissed. The fury in her eyes made Natsu a little afraid- but only for about .3 seconds, which was the amount of time it took for him to notice what she was wearing. Or rather, wasn't wearing. He had assumed she'd be wearing baggy sweats or at least one of those ridiculously fluffy bathrobes she liked so much. Be she was clad in merely an itty bitty towel that did nothing to cover those luscious legs of hers.

"What did I tell you about coming in through my window," she hissed, pinching Happy's cheek between her fingers. "This is the fifth time in two weeks! I could call the cops on you for breaking and entering, you know!"

"Sowwy, Lushi," Happy whined pawing at her hand. "Natsu was just worried."

Lucy's eyes widened as she let go of Happy, apparently just realizing Natsu's presence. The poor tomcat scampered away and flew out the window, likely flying home to escape Lucy's wrath. Her cheeks were beet red, and Natsu got the feeling it wasn't just from her bath. She fidgeted nervously, trying to discreetly cover more skin with her little towel to no avail. She finally decided to just turn away from him, facing the wall in her embarrassment.

"What do you want," she asked, her voice a combination of mortification and annoyance that almost made Natsu want to laugh. Almost.

"I just came to check on you," he said, shifting around awkwardly and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Make sure Minerva hadn't eaten you alive."

"I survived," Lucy laughed, turning to face him. Natsu found himself riveted with the drop of water that slid down the slope of her neck, his stomach erupting into butterflies at the sight.

"Um, what did you guys talk about," Natsu stammered, averting his eyes.

"She… She interrogated me about my mom. That's all."

"What about her," Natsu asked, moving to sit on Lucy's bed.

"That way she died."

The room went silent, and Natsu wasn't quite sure what to say. Was there a normal thing to say upon finding out that someone's mom is dead. If anyone knew, it should've been Natsu. He gaped at her a little bit, shocked. She sighed, walking over to pull clothes from her dresser. Finally breaking the silence, she turned to him.

"Look, I've gotta change so maybe you should-"

"I don't have a mom either."

Natsu flinched at how damned vulnerable his voice sounded. He never was one to pity himself, but not having a mom had always made him feel unbearably different. Finding out that Lucy shared that same tragedy made him feel like they had some sort of inherent bond, and the words just tumbled out. Natsu clamped his mouth close, itching to take back what he'd said. But Lucy just looked at him with these unreadable eyes that somehow prodded him to continue.

"They told me she died in childbirth," he continued, voice somewhat strained. "And no one knew who my dad was. I was a foster kid up until I turned seven. That was when Makarov finally noticed a trend in foster parents' curtains catching fire on the morning news."

Natsu smirked at the memory. Makarov had scared the shit outta him, all-knowing and iron-fisted. Natsu had been about ninety-nine percent sure the old man was gonna out him as a juvenile delinquent. But Natsu had wound up with a fate that had (at the time) seemed way worse. Enrollment in some snobby, rich-kid school and an ice freak roommate.

"That's, uh, how I got where I am. I guess."

"I never knew that," Lucy whispered, eyes incredibly soft. Natsu's face practically caught fire, and he bit his lip as he toyed with the hem of his hoodie.

"I don't really tell many people," he finally choked out, cursing himself when he saw guilt flash in her eyes. "Not that it makes me uncomfortable! I just don't wanna drag people down with my life story."

Lucy was quiet after that, eyes distant. Without a word, she grabbed her clothes and shuffled over to the bathroom to change. Natsu stayed sitting on her bed, unsure of whether or not he was supposed to leave now. When she came back out, her demeanor had changed. A new resolve had strengthened it, and it looked like she'd just made a big decision.

"My mom died of health complications when I was ten," she said without warning, sitting next to Natsu on her bed. "She was my best friend, since I never really knew kids my own age. And I was completely devastated."

"That must've been hard," Natsu murmured, seeing the sadness in her eyes. He knows that most people would've apologized for her loss- that's all he'd ever heard when others learned about his own backstory. He also knew that if Lucy was anything like him, condolences would only make her skin crawl. He'd always hated being pitied.

"It was. My dad had always been a workaholic, but after my mom died he was even more distant. He started pushing me really hard in school and spending all his time in his office. It was lonely," she said, voice dropping. She looked far away, visiting memories that happened lightyears ago. Natsu didn't like it.

"How did you end up in Hargeon?"

"Oh," she breathed, the question seeming to draw her out of her reverie. "I ran away from home."

Silence filled the room, and he watched Lucy squirm in anticipation of his answer. Several seconds ticked by. The cicadas chirped outside her window, and her furnace kicked on.

"Wait, what?"

"I- I ran away? About a month before we met a Hargeon. That's why I don't really have much stuff. I know that it was stupid and reckless, but-"

"Isn't your dad, like, worried? Or something," Natsu asked, confused.

Lucy stared at him like he'd grown a second head. And then she was laughing at him. Like, literally. She fell over, clutching her sides and gasping for air at the insinuation. After she was done, she wiped at her eyes and gave a grimace that contradicted her earlier humor.

"He'd have to actually notice I'm gone for that to happen. I've been a runaway for over 3 months. If my dad had so much as bothered to file a report with the police, I'd all over the backs of milk cartons right now," she grumbled, flopping back on her bed spread. Natsu frowned at the forlorn expression on her face.

"Do they really still do that? The milk carton thing?"

"That so wasn't my point," Lucy snorted, punching his leg. Natsu grinned.

"Too bad. You could've been a model like Mira," Natsu chuckled, oblivious to the way Lucy's breath caught in her throat. "Except, instead of modeling for girly stuff, you'd model for milk. Kinda ironic since your boobs are so-"

"Natsu!"

(LINE BREAK HERE)

November

Juvia has always been an emotional wreck. She was inconsolable when her parents died, locking herself in her room and refusing to come out no matter how much her aunt begged. She cried a lot back then, always finding some way to be overcome with grief. Then came the anger. Middle school was awful (as it is for most people). Being an angry, orphaned, self-loathing siren only made matters worse. She went through a heavy metal phase that she'd rather forget.

And along came Gray Fullbuster. Her perfect, breath-taking, heart-stopping Gray Fullbuster. The very thought of him filled Juvia's heart with so much love, she felt like it'd burst at the seams. Honestly, it wouldn't be a bad way to go.

Whoever had said that it was necessary to love yourself before loving someone else was horrendously wrong. Juvia had never particularly liked herself- probably because everything she'd ever wanted always got ripped away from her. And it always felt like her fault. Her parents wouldn't have died in that plane crash if she'd told them not to go. She could've joined choir or the swim team if it weren't for her own cursed lungs and legs. After a while, she even began thinking that every spout of bad weather must somehow be her own wrongdoing.

No, Juvia didn't love herself. But she loved Gray. And loving him eventually made her feel like she was worth a damn. Maybe it was because he never really pushed her away, despite the protest that left his mouth. Sometimes he'd even let her come a little closer. Maybe it was because Gray was the first real friend she'd ever made. Sometimes she'd even venture to say that they were a little bit more. Or maybe it was just the way he looked at her.

Yeah, being hopelessly in love with Gray had showed Juvia how to love herself. But it was also an emotional rollercoaster of its own. Sometimes being in love put her on cloud nine. But other times…

"Juvia loves him so much," she whined, face down in her desk. Lucy sighed.

"I know, Juvia."

"Gray-sama should just hurry up and propose to Juvia," the siren groaned. "It would give her much more peace of mind."

"I'm sure he'll get on that," Lucy murmured, rubbing Juvia's back.

"Why can't we spend time together like Love Rival and Natsu-san," Juvia wailed, too distraught to notice Lucy's embarrassed flush.

"Natsu and I aren't dating or anything! It's not like we spend that much time together."

Juvia's head snapped up, and she glared at Lucy. The blonde had the decency to look uncomfortable, squirming under Juvia's harsh observation.

"Why was Love Rival not at Mira's Halloween party on Saturday," Juvia suddenly asked.

"I already apologized for that a million times! I was all dressed and ready to go, but Natsu made me watch this stupid horror movie and-"

"Juvia sees. Love Rival was too busy having a movie marathon with her 'not-boyfriend' to attend the party," Juvia sniffed, an edge to her voice. "Or maybe she was chicken after hearing that everyone would be playing Seven Minutes in Heaven."

"I'm not chicken! Take that back!"

"Juvia wasn't chicken either," the blunette sighed, sinking into her seat. "But Gray-sama was."

Lucy frowned, finally seeing what Juvia's real problem was. Rejection is never easy. She scooted closer, preparing to comfort.

"What happened," Lucy asked, voice soft.

"Ice dick made up an excuse and ditched after Mira tried shoving him in a closet with Juvia," Gajeel snorted, intruding in on the conversation. Juvia gave cry of anguish while Lucy shot him a glare.

"I will tell Levy on you," Lucy threatened, tone shrill.

"I ain't scared of my own damned girlfriend," Gajeel growled, crossing his arms.

"Nice try," Lucy said haughtily. "But my aura spell is on, and that was a total lie."

"You don't need an aura spell to know that was a lie," a certain pixie smirked from behind them.

"I ain't scared of you one bit," Gajeel grumbled, but the resignation in his tone was a dead giveaway. Levy laughed.

"Sure you aren't," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Shouldn't you be in Mavis's room? Class is about to start," Lucy said, glancing at the clock.

"I was just dropping this off," Levy said, pulling a bag of blood out of her bag. "Gajeel forgot it in the library."

"Gross," Lucy gagged. "Can you do that somewhere else?"

"It ain't gross," Gajeel said indignantly. "Vampires drink blood for the iron in it. We need the nutrients."

"If you have an iron deficiency then why don't you just take vitamins," Lucy deadpanned.

"There's other important stuff in it that we need! The most important one is probably-"

"Lucy!"

The group's attention shifted to Natsu as he burst into Lucy's class. He was practically bursting with energy, eyes unable to find a spot to focus on. Juvia had an errant thought that Natsu was somewhat akin to a squirrel when he got excitable. Lucy groaned.

"Natsu, what-"

"I think I left my scarf over at your place," he interrupted, worried. "I've been looking all over for it."

"I texted you this morning saying that you did," Lucy chastised. "That and the millions of other things you forget when you come over. I still have your English textbook, your sweatpants, your bus pass-"

"You can keep that stuff," Natsu shrugged. "I just missed my scarf."

"My apartment is not a place for you to keep your junk," Lucy shrieked.

"You don't mind that I keep a toothbrush and spare pillows over there," Natsu reasoned. Lucy sighed.

"Well, those things are practical."

Juvia watched the two continue to bicker, probably not noticing the befuddled looks they were receiving from the rest of the group. Practical? Juvia wondered if keeping a toothbrush at someone else's house was normal for people who weren't dating. Last she checked, it wasn't. Then again, Juvia had never been a very good judge of what was or wasn't typical behavior.

Soon enough, the bell rang. Levy kissed Gajeel's cheek and scurried off to her class. Natsu gave Lucy a playful nudge before heading off to his, obviously not noticing how flustered the simple touch made her. Juvia sighed. Stupid flirtatious couples taunting Juvia with their stupid flirting.

"We're not a couple, and we weren't flirting," Lucy protested, face red. Oops. Juvia must've said that out loud.

"You two are probably gonna hook up before the semester ends," Gajeel teased, laughing at how red in the face Lucy became.

"Why you-"

"Class! Attention," Porlyusica called, sweeping into the room. "Before I hand back the results of our last test, I have an announcement to make. As many of you know, the principal frequently makes known a variety of jobs around the school that can be completed for pay. We are currently below our quota of workers for a job that will take place during school tomorrow and need more volunteers."

"Probably that dumb ranch-hand thing," Gajeel mumbled. Juvia nodded in understanding as Lucy shot them confused looks.

"Ranch-hand?"

"Volunteers will be excused from school tomorrow to assist local farm owners corral livestock," Porlyusica continued. "We need at least five more volunteers signed up by four o' clock today. The bus will leave at eight am tomorrow morning and is expected back at three in the afternoon."

"Aren't the jobs usually SH-related," Lucy whispered to Juvia.

"This is SH-related," Juvia murmured, wondering if she should sign up. Sure, she'd miss eating lunch with her beloved. But some spending money would be nice…

"But how-"

"Now, as many of you already know, this farm is the famous Unicorn Ranch. You'll be taking care of salamanders, griffins, and- of course- unicorns."

"Aaaaand there's the SH part," Lucy murmured sarcastically. Juvia chuckled.

"Since volunteers will be handling unicorns, they cannot have been previously sexually active to remain eligible. Sign up sheets are up front. Feel free to volunteer at the end of class."

"Not previously sexually active," Lucy hissed, face confused and flushed. "What the heck is that about?"

"That old saying. 'Only a virgin can tame a unicorn'," Gajeel grumbled. "Everyone knows that."

"They also say all vampires are vicious, but we know that's a myth," Lucy huffed, crossing her arms.

"I am vicious," Gajeel hissed.

"Says the guy with a librarian-pixie-girlfriend," Lucy said dryly. Juvia interrupted them when Gajeel moved to wring the blonde's pretty neck.

"Is Love Rival going to volunteer for the job," Juvia asked, curious.

"Probably," Lucy sighed. "Lord knows I need the money for rent. My job writing for the school newspaper doesn't pay enough."

"Ha! At least I'm not a virgin," Gajeel chuckled.

"There's nothing wrong with being a virgin," Lucy half-screamed, ticked off by Gajeel's snide comments. Jabs at Lucy's lack of sexual activity were apparently a low blow. All eyes turned to stare her due to the loud outburst, only heightening the poor girl's embarrassment.

"Thank you for the message of hope," Porlyusica said in that monotone voice of hers. "I'm sure many students will now be able to sleep at night. But would you mind being quiet so I could get on with today's lesson?"

"Yes ma'am," Lucy whispered, trying to make herself disappear as the class erupted into laughter. Juvia glared at Gajeel, who was probably laughing the hardest.

"Juvia will probably be volunteering as well," the siren said, patting Lucy's back in an attempt to comfort. "It'll be fun! Isn't it every little girl's dream to see a unicorn?"

"I guess," Lucy mumbled. "My mom used to swear that they were real. I guess she was telling the truth."

Instead of being happy, this only seemed to make Lucy more withdrawn. Juvia recognized a sore subject when she came across one. And the way Lucy crawled into herself every time mothers were mentioned made it clear that her own mother was a topic of discomfort. Juvia frowned as she continued to pet Lucy's back. Maybe Juvia wasn't the only one who was a bit of an emotional wreck.

Tomorrow's trip to Unicorn Ranch would definitely be an interesting one.

Yeah, I had an epiphany and realized that I can't have a paranormal AU without unicorns. And seeing as how only a virgin can touch/tame a unicorn, I have to work it in sooner rather than later. Because by God, cherries will be popped. I can at least promise that much. I'll try to get the next chapter posted by the 19th. Until then,

~Mya