It all happened so fast, before Lucy even realized it she had been led down into the third class level where it was alive with music, laughter and raucous carrying on. A band had gathered near the upright piano, consisting of Gajeel playing his flute, Gildarts playing his violin, and others playing instruments like the oboe, the clarinet, percussion, even an accordion, and bag pipes. People of all ages were dancing, drinking beer and wine, smoking, laughing, even brawling at some moments. It certainly wasn't anything like the parties she had been to in the past.
She was sitting at a table with Juvia, Gray, and Erza, watching the band and watching Natsu entertain Wendy. Though she had happily agreed to come to the party, the large crowd did make her feel a little nervous and Natsu sensed this so to make her feel more comfortable, he told her a few jokes, taught her a magic trick with a coin, and then asked her to dance with him. It wasn't anything classical or refined, just a playful motion of him taking the girl into his arms and spinning her around, the two of them laughing up a storm.
Lucy could not help thinking that it was so adorable. Dan never really liked children. True they had been expected to produce heir but she figured that he would be a father in name only. That he would be like her father, distant and only taking an interest in his child once they were fully grown and could be useful. Some family she'd have with him.
"Hey Juvia come over here." Gajeel called to her just as the band finished their song.
Juvia got up from her seat and approached her brother. He started to tell her something and suddenly she blushed apprehensively and shook her head. The two argued for a few minutes until Juvia appeared to have given in. He then whistled for two Irish girls to stand where Juvia was.
"Why is he doing this to me?" She wondered. "I'm just going to mess up."
But when she glanced over to see both Gajeel and Gray giving her smiles of encouragement, their eyes full of belief in her great potential, she decided that maybe she could face her fear just for tonight. After a few seconds of preparation, Gajeel led the band into a new song. This one was an Irish folksong, one that Juvia knew by heart and had often sang to herself in private. This was her first time singing it in public though, in front of people, and it made her so nervous she could hardly breathe.
Still she opened her mouth and allowed her voice to join the music.
"Look how the lights of the town,
The lights of the town are shining now.
Tonight I'll be dancing around,
I'm off on the road to Galway now."
The other two girls standing next to her sang next.
"Look how she's off on the town,
She's off on a search for sailors though.
There's fine fellas here to be found,
She's never been one to stay at home.
Home you'll go and it's there you'll stay,
And you've work to do in the morning.
Give up your dream of going away,
Forget your sailors in Galway."
Then all three of them sang together.
"Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú,
Téir abhaile riú, a Mhéaraí.
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile,
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta."
The crowd was already cheering and clapping for her, astounded by her incredible voice. However no one could have been more enchanted with her than Gray was. He thought that surely no other woman could sing more lovely or look more beautiful. She was like a fairy maiden dancing and singing in a moonlit forest and he was like a mortal hunter who had stumbled on to the magical scene, wondering how he could win the love of such a creature.
"Come now and follow me down,
Down to the lights of Galway where.
There's fine sailors walking the town,
And waiting to meet the ladies there.
Watch now he'll soon be along.
He's finer than any sailor so,
Come on now pick up your spoons.
He's waiting to hear you play them woo!
Here today and she's gone tomorrow,
And next she's going to Galway.
Jiggin' around and off to town,
And won't be back until morning.
Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú,
Téir abhaile riú, a Mhéaraí.
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile,
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta."
Suddenly they were all hiking up their skirts and trousers, dancing about and three gentlemen approached the singing ladies and asked to serve as their dance partners. Although the gentleman who came up to Juvia was smaller, younger, and in her opinion so much cuter.
"May I?" Romeo asked bowing.
"I'd be honored." She replied with a smile and curtsy.
Taking the boy's hands into her own, she led him into a playful waltz as she sang the next verse.
"Off with a spring in my step.
The sailors are searching Galway for,
A young lady such as myself.
For reels and jigs and maybe more."
The other two girls sang the next verse.
"Stay here and never you mind,
The lights of the town are blinding you.
The sailors they come and they go,
But listen to what's reminding you.
Handsome men surrounding you,
Dancing a reel around you.
Home you'll go and it's there you'll stay,
And you've work to do in the morning.
Give up your dream of going away,
Forget your sailors in Galway.
Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú,
Téir abhaile riú, a Mhéaraí.
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile,
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta."
Gajeel then stood up and began to perform an Irish jig as he continued to play his flute, impressing everyone and earning him a few cheers. Juvia watched him and smiled at him with nothing less of pride and he returned the same gesture when she sang the finale.
"Listen to the music flow,
I'm falling for the flow of home.
I'm home to dance 'til dawning.
Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú,
Téir abhaile riú, a Mhéaraí.
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile,
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta.
Stay a while and we'll dance together now,
As the light is falling.
We'll reel away 'til the break of day,
And dance together 'til morning.
Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú,
Téir abhaile riú, a Mhéaraí.
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile,
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta.
Téir abhaile riú, téir abhaile riú,
Téir abhaile riú, a Mhéaraí.
Téir abhail gus fan sa bhaile,
Mar tá do mhargadh déanta.
Do mhargadh de - do mhargadh déanta."
The crowd exploded into rapid applause, whistling, and cheering. Juiva could hardly believe it. They thought she was good, they really thought she was good. And here she thought that she wasn't good at anything.
"See? They love you." Gajeel told her. "You show off the voice to the states and you'll go places kid."
"Gajeel performing is your dream not mine." She chuckled.
"Who says we can't have the same dream? We already had the same parents."
She laughed and took a seat next to Lucy and Gray in order to catch her breath.
"What a rush." She said. "I haven't done anything like that since my father passed."
"You were great." Gray said. "I don't think opera singers could have done better."
"Thank you." Juvia said, once again feeling bashful in his presence.
"Do you think your father would have liked to see you dancing and singing up there?" Lucy asked her.
"Liked it? He would have loved it more than anything." Gajeel insisted. "She was just like Ma up there. "
"Was I really?" Juvia asked.
"Yep." He sighed bittersweetly. "You can't imagine how happy it made him whenever you would do something that reminded him of Ma. How happy it made me. You were always a reminder that she wasn't completely gone for good. That some part of her voice and her love would always remain here. Through you."
Juvia smiled, Lucy smiled too but hers was more sad. You see just like Juvia, she had tendency to look and behave very much like her late mother but instead of it making her father proud ad devoted, it made him bitter and distant. Viewing her not as a symbol of the love he shared with his wife or her wonderful legacy, but a reminder that the woman he loved had left him and would never ever return to him. He didn't even like to hear Lucy speak of her mother, it was so painful for him.
From a distance, Natsu could see the troubled look on Lucy's face and decided that this was no place to be glum. She needed some serious cheering up, otherwise she might try to jump again. So when the next song played, he handed Wendy over to dance with Erza and walked right up to Lucy, offering her his hand.
"Honor me with the next dance?" He asked her.
"Oh I don't know." Her hands were in her lap, clutching the fabric of her dress nervously. "I don't normally dance and especially not to this kind of music. I don't even know the proper dance one does for this setting."
Everyone burst out laughing at her comment.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"There is no proper way to dance here. You just do it."
"Do what exactly?"
"Have fun. Come on, I'll show you."
He took her hand and brought her up to where they were facing each other. Lucy trembled as his free hand slid to the small of her back. To her, it was an electrifying moment. No other man apart from Dan had touched her there and unlike with Dan, she didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable.
"Are you..." She paused anxiously. "Are you sure about this?"
"Trust me." He said with a reassuring smile. "Don't think, just move with me."
The music started again and they were off. It was a little awkward at first, but once Lucy got into the rhythm of the step, she couldn't stop. Grinning ear to ear, she grabbed Natsu and they plunged into the fray, dancing faster as the music sped up. The moment was rowdy and rollicking, the two shined with sweat and filled the whole room with laughter. He whirled her, she whirled him, around and around they went until they were quite dizzy with happiness.
"Hey!" Gray called. "Look out for that-"
Boom! They crashed right into a poker table and fell over. But they still kept on laughing.
"Are you alright?" Natsu asked helping Lucy up.
"Yes!" She cried out excitedly.
"Sorry about that."
"No! It was fun! The most fun I've had in years!"
The tune ended in a mad rush and Lucy, exhilarated and slightly tipsy, took a bow. Everyone laughed and applauded her. After that the band took a break and Natsu escorted her back to the table.
"Here we go boys and Mrs. Fernandes, on the house!" Gildarts said setting a tray of beer-filled pints on the table.
"Why thank you Mr. Clive." Erza said reaching for a beverage. "Must people around here think women can't handle beer."
"What do they know?" Cana said before chugging down her pint.
Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray grabbed a pint as well but Juvia refrained from doing so, suspecting that she would probably have to be the sober one to get Gajeel into bed once he fell into a drunken rant.
"Can I have a sip?" Wendy asked.
"I think you're a little too young sweetie." Erza said. "Wait a few years."
But as soon as Ezra's back was turned, Cana leaned over and offered her own pint to the girl.
"Drink up kid, a little sip won't hurt ya. Why I was just about your age when I had my first."
Wendy skeptically sniffed the brown liquid inside and then put her mouth to the edge, slurping up the white foam. Unfortunately she slurped more than she could handle.
"Oh..." She groaned, her face turning pale. "I don't feel so good."
She felt bile rise up into her mouth and spewed it on the floor. Everyone instantly stood up in disgust, except for Cana who just laughed.
"Yeah that's pretty much how it went with my first time too." She said.
"Oh Wendy!" Erza said wiping her face with a handkerchief. "I think you've had enough excitement for one night."
She scooped the tired girl up into her arms.
"Come on, let's get you to bed."
"Need some help getting upstairs?" Gray offered.
"No thank you. I'm stronger than I look and my husband will be meeting me up there." She then turned toward the crowd. Thanks for the party guys! Glad to see that money still isn't required for everyone to have a good time."
"Amen!" Every third class passenger shouted in agreement.
And off she went back up to first class