Author's Note:

Thank you for the comments on this story! Except for that one on chapter Twenty. I didn't want to do a bunch of author's notes, since I think the story is more seamless without them. However, this comment upset me. You come into my house?! And disrespect my Nalu?! Even aside from the tactlessness of the comment, I've already written most of the story and am not planning on changing it. Also, enjoy this chapter. It's from the point of view of Lucy, who is awesome, so fuck you.

But about the other comments, thanks for your support!

-.-.-

Twenty-Three - Lucy Heartfilia

Lucy was actually a little glad for being suspended. It was only for a few days, but it gave her time to fully recover from her injuries. Who knew she would end up getting into so many fights? She sighed and sprawled out on her bed at the foster home. It had been a short time, but Fairy Tail was already her family, and it was worth a few scars and bruises.

She thought of her father, still. She had gone back to speak with him after the fiasco with Phantom Lord. There had been a misunderstanding, however. He had assumed she was there to apologize to him, but he was sorely mistaken. That hadn't been the best confrontation, but it had been better than leaving without saying a word.

"Hey, Luce," Natsu said, flopping down on the bed next to her.

She sat up in a hurry and yelped in surprise. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Laying down?" he suggested.

"On my bed?" she asked.

"There's not another bed in here," he shrugged.

"Oh look, you can shrug without pain now," she pointed out.

"Yeah," he grinned. "I'm almost fully recovered!"

"Your arm is in a sling and your forehead is still bandaged," she disagreed.

"I've had worse," he said, sitting up. "How are your injuries?"

"Much better," she said. "I never thought I'd be the one to get into fights."

"Eh, that's what this place is like," Gray said from the doorway.

"Please put some clothes on," Lucy muttered.

"Does Gray-sama always remove his clothes like this?" a voice asked breathily from behind him.

"Gray-sama?" Natsu repeated.

Gray turned to reveal the blue-haired Phantom Lord girl, Juvia.

"Hey! That's that girl from Phantom!" Lucy said.

"Love rival!" Juvia exclaimed, glaring at Lucy.

"What?" Lucy asked, entirely confused.

Juvia entered the room and got right up close to Lucy's face. Natsu went to interfere, but Gray called him off.

"She's harmless, Natsu," he said.

"She helped kidnap Lucy!" Natsu argued.

"I will not allow you to take away my Gray-sama," Juvia growled at Lucy.

"I don't want him," Lucy assured her.

"She's... weird," Gray said. "But she won't hurt anyone anymore. Headmaster Makarov already had a long talk with her. She's going to live here now."

"Here, at Fairy Tail?" Natsu asked.

Juvia finally turned her angry gaze away from Lucy and smiled brightly at Gray. "I'll be here with Gray-sama!" she said excitedly.

"You can lay off the '-sama'," Gray grumbled. Juvia just flounced over to him and grasped his arm in a tight hug. "Please, let go," he said, trying to pull away.

"She seems so different from before," Lucy said.

"Why did she call you her love rival?" Natsu asked.

"I have no clue," Lucy shrugged as Mirajane entered the room. "But if Headmaster Makarov thinks she's alright, she probably is, right?"

"Yeah," Natsu said, looking out the door as Gray managed to extract himself from Juvia's grasp.

She started chasing him across the house as Mira sat down and watched through the door with Natsu and Lucy.

"Gray was the one who fought her," Mira said. "He brought her to the hospital after he won. I think, after that, she's been following him like a puppy dog. She was even there with you at the planetarium."

"She was?" Lucy asked. "I didn't see her."

"She was hiding," Mira shrugged. "But she recognized that gang you fought and called the police to come get them."

"That was nice of her," Natsu said. "That explains why they assumed it was those guys that destroyed the planetarium. Though, it might have been better if they didn't show up. That Lahar guy is a real dick."

"How is Erza doing?" Lucy asked, not recalling seeing her recently.

"She's been locked in her room," Mira sighed. "Officer Lahar wouldn't let her visit Myst. They won't let her bail him out either."

"Why?" Natsu demanded. "He didn't do anything!"

Mira shrugged sadly. "I don't know," she said. "But Erza is very upset about it."

"She'd better cheer up quick," Cana said from the doorway. "We have our trip coming up."

"What trip?" Lucy asked.

"The same place we go every year," Natsu answered.

"She wasn't here last year, flame brain," Gray said. He was standing next to Cana and Juvia was hanging on his arm again. He seemed to have accepted it. "Every year, some of us fly out to Tenrou to visit Headmaster Makarov's hometown."

"Wow, that's cool!" Lucy said.

"Do you want to go?" Cana asked.

"Sure!" Lucy said. "But, what about school?"

"School practically takes a vacation," Mira explained. "Several teachers and many students will be gone for the week."

"The few people there have substitute teachers and do small assignments," Gray said. "There are still some kids there because they don't stay at Fairy Tail, they just go to the school."

"Plus, some people here don't want to go every year," Mira said. "It's fun though. You should definitely come with us."

"Of course!" Lucy exclaimed. "This will be great!"

The conversation was cut off when they heard a commotion coming from the main room. They all got up and ran out to see what was happening. Lucy, Natsu, and Gray pushed to the front of the gathered group to see Wendy sitting on the floor in front of the door, crying.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked.

"Why are you here?" Natsu asked.

"You all w- were so n- nice the oth- other day," she sobbed. "And I- I- I didn't kno- know where else t- to go."

"Why?" Gray asked. "Where are your parents?"

Her sobbing escalated to weeping as she collapsed on the floor. Lucy was trying to figure out what to do, when Erza appeared and knelt beside the little girl. She placed a hand on her back comfortingly. Wendy turned and threw her arms around Erza, crying into her shoulder.

"Her family got into a car accident," someone murmured.

"Oh no," Lucy breathed. "That's terrible."

"It's always sad to lose those that you love," Erza said quietly. "But you're not alone. You have us. Come live at Fairy Tail." Erza smiled slightly, but there was sadness behind it. She helped Wendy to her feet and turned to everyone else. "This is Wendy Marvell," she announced. "She's one of us now."

Wendy was still crying, but she gave a watery smile. Lucy went forward to give Wendy a hug, and was soon joined by Natsu, Gray, and then everyone else. By the end of a few more moments, everyone, even Wendy and Erza, was smiling and laughing. Makarov showed up, remarking on how many people were coming to Fairy Tail.

"I guess three in one semester is a lot," Gray said.

"Four," Juvia said.

"Lucy, Juvia, Wendy," Natsu said, counting on his fingers. "That's three."

"We have one more," Makarov said. He gestured behind him, through the door. Everyone looked on in confusion as a tall, black-haired man with far too many piercings entered the room. Everyone was in shock as Makarov went on. "This is Gajeel Redfox, as most of you know," he said. "He's going to live here now as well."

"What?!" Lucy asked, incredulous.

"No," Gray said instantly.

"No fucking way," Natsu growled in agreement.

"You brats don't have a say," Makarov snapped.

"Juvia was one thing," Gray said, ignoring the fact that the girl in question was still clinging to his arm. "But this guy tore apart our home, beat up Levy, Jet, and Droy, and kidnapped Lucy."

"Juvia helped kidnap," Juvia piped up. "Juvia is sorry. Juvia brought Gajeel-kun because he needs positive influence."

"He beat the shit out of me!" Natsu exclaimed, glaring at Gajeel.

Gajeel glared right back. "I didn't ask to be here, pyro bastard."

"That's enough," Makarov said. "Gajeel is part of Fairy Tail now and you will all have to accept that." There was grumbling all around, but no one could argue with Headmaster Makarov. "Now, he won't be staying in the house," the old man went on. "As you all know, we are rapidly running out of room. Gajeel will be living next door with Pantherlily."

"Whatever," Gajeel said. With that, he spun around and left, presumably for the smaller house next door.

"I don't know why Lily even pulled him out of that fire in the first place," Natsu grumbled, crossing his arms.

"He told me that Gajeel just needs help," Lucy recalled. "Like Juvia said, he needs positivity."

"But still, I don't like him living so close," Gray muttered.

"Gajeel-kun is not so bad when you get to know him," Juvia stated.

"Guys, it'll be okay," Levy chimed in with a nervous smile. "I'm okay with it."

"Levy-" Lucy started.

"No," Levy interrupted. "He needs help, remember? Who better to help than Fairy Tail? We help everyone."

Natsu just huffed and trudged off to his room. The group slowly dispersed. Lucy followed Erza and Mira as they showed Wendy to her room. Suddenly, she recalled that Wendy's best friend was the little girl that also lived next door. Wasn't Carla Pantherlily's daughter?

"Wendy, why did you choose us?" Lucy asked. "Carla lives right next door."

"I didn't want to bother her," Wendy said quietly.

"Don't be ridiculous!" a small voice said from behind them. They all turned to see the little, white-haired girl they had just been speaking of. She had obviously just been running, trying to find them. "Wendy, you can always count on me." Wendy's eyes started to tear up again as she ran forward and hugged her friend tightly. "There, there," Carla said, patting Wendy on the back.

"It seems like their house is becoming practically a part of Fairy Tail anyway," Mirajane smiled. "Now you'll be like foster sisters!"

Everyone laughed happily and Lucy was glad that everyone could still smile through all that was going on. Fairy Tail really was a wonderful place.