Author's Note: We made it to the end! I know it took me forever to finish publishing this story, but I'm glad I ended up completing it. Thanks for everyone who read, left feedback, and patiently waited for me update this story. So much in my life has shifted since I wrote the first chapter of Branded, including a major career change into creative writing professionally. I was never totally satisfied with this fic, but I've learned to be happy with what it is.

This may very well be my last Fairy Tail fic, unless inspiration happens to strike again the future. A special thank you to anyone who has followed me from my early Fairy Tail fics, which aren't the best, but gave me the confidence to truly call myself a "writer."

Enjoy!

"Moving on doesn't mean you forget about things. It just means you have to accept what's happened and continue living." - Erza Scarlet

Silence. It's not how he pictured things would be when they first met, but he knows that there are things that will never match your expectations in real life. He shouldn't be surprised.

He considers going in some other direction. After all, he's carrying her on his back and she's so tired there isn't much she can do to stop him. But no, he can't do that. If he does, he's no better than anyone else who took her against her will. Still, he doesn't have to worry about her when she's with him like this. Admittedly...he's a little reluctant to let her go. He's worried about her for so long. He just wants her to be safe.

They happen upon the mansion quicker than he wants, but by the time they reach the front door, he realizes that he actually admires what she's doing. Though he only knows her through her letters, her actions show him far more character than he could ever discern from her words. The uneasiness he was feeling dissipates, remembering what he's forgotten. She's strong. She just needed a hand to stand up again and that was why he offered his.

"I'm okay to stand," she says softly, and he sets her down, taking a second to make sure she can really keep herself upright.

He can feel Happy's concerned eyes burning into him. The cat hasn't come to the same conclusion and the words that come out of Natsu's mouth are probably not the ones he wants to hear. "Do you want me to come with you?"

She looks nervous. Nonetheless, she shakes her head with a smile. "No, thank you. I'll go by myself."

"Just yell if you need anything," he replies. He is not above burning a house down if that's what it takes to help her.

She nods and he watches her go. He wonders what she expects will happen and he hopes that she gets what she needs out of this.

Branded by HawkofNavarre

Chapter 20

Home

Lucy stood in front of the doors of her childhood home. She had lived here for 17 years, and even after being on a slave ship for months, coming back here didn't feel like coming back home. It was ironic how long she had spent running away from prisons only to return to the first one she had escaped from. With Natsu, there was really no need to fear that she would be safe, but during the final scuffle with Gajeel, she'd been overtaken by the realization that this would not end unless she put an end to it herself. Her father was selfish and relentless, both qualities that were fed well by his fortune. Today it was Phantom Lord. Tomorrow it would just be another group of people after her if her father had his way.

She would not allow that. Not anymore. The prospect of taking her life into her own hands again when she had failed so miserably the first time was daunting, but she had allies this time. Ones she could clearly rely on.

She had enough keys on her today, but her house keys were not one of them. Instead, she knocked on the door. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps and someone pulled open the massive door.

It wasn't her father, but she hadn't expected it to be. It was a much friendlier face and one of the reasons she'd stayed in this mansion for so long.

"Hi, Spetto," she greeted the old maid who had been like a grandmother to her for her entire life.

Spetto's hand came off the door and flew to her mouth. "Lucy…? You're-you're home?"

"I'm here," Lucy said, smiling.

Without another word, Spetto threw the door open and pulled Lucy into a tight embrace. A warm feeling spread through her chest, remembering the feeling of being loved and the feeling of being hugged.

"We were all so worried about you. I'm so glad you're here," the woman said before she pulled back, holding Lucy at arm's length. She frowned. "Your clothes are in tatters, and you're all cut and bruised up. And you're so skinny!"

"I'm fine, really," Lucy assured her.

"Of course you're not. Look at you! It looks like you haven't washed your hair in a week and-" Her eyes landed on the burn marring Lucy's thigh and Lucy covered it quickly with a hand. Spetto searched her former young mistress's eyes. "What happened?"

Her lips pursed. "It really is good to see you, Spetto, but I'd like to see my dad."

The maid did not seem pleased by this turn of events, but she let go of Lucy all the same. "Alright. I'll go get him for you."

Spetto shot a look before she turned and disappeared up the grand staircase in the foyer. Lucy closed her eyes and let out a breath. The burden...was her own. And it was over. There was no sense in having people worry over what had already passed. She wanted to move forward.

That was why she was able to face the man who came walking down the stairs.

If her father was glad to see her, he didn't show it. As always, he was dressed impeccably, and when he laid his eyes on her, he didn't smile or move closer to make any sort of contact with her.

"I see you're back," he offered instead before searching the foyer. "Where's your escort?"

His nonchalance would have bothered her a few months ago, and on some level, it still stung, but she knew better than to put any hope into his words by now. "I came back by myself," she replied.

"So you've come to your senses," Jude said coldly.

Lucy shook her head. "No, father, I came to my senses the day I left this place." His expression didn't change, but she pressed on determinedly. "I came to tell you to leave me alone. I'm going to walk out of here again today, and you're not going to have anyone come after me this time."

Her father's temper flared. "You'll do as I tell you!"

"No," she repeated defiantly. "All you want to do is keep me here like a prisoner when you don't even look at me! You didn't even acknowledge my existence until I left!"

"You belong here," he snarled.

"I am not your property," Lucy snapped. "Ever since mom died, it feels like you've forgotten that."

Jude flinched visibly at the mention of Layla. If it was a cheap shot, she really didn't care. Her mother had died several years ago and that had been incredibly painful, but nothing in her life had hurt more than her father's neglect afterwards. Lucy had the house staff, but it was not the same as having her father. She'd needed him and he had abandoned her.

"I'm walking out that door today, whether or not you want me to," she continued, "but you need to stop chasing me. If you care about me even a little, you'll respect me."

Jude looked like he wanted to scream at her like he always did whenever she'd requested attention from him as a child, but was holding back. She didn't know why. Maybe because he knew what she was saying was the truth, or he was actually trying to give her respect she was asking for.

"Fine, I'll call off my people," he said scathingly. "Leave."

Lucy was a little taken aback. Despite the delivery, it was the warmest exchange she'd had with her father in years. Not once had he ever done what she'd asked.

"T-thank you," she replied, a little unsteady.

It was a strange way to end the conversation. Standing up for herself had been a way to get closure of some sort and her father agreeing with her request was definitely not offering her that feeling. However, there was nothing else to be done, so she nodded at him and turned toward the door.

"You'll be back here eventually when the world spits you out again."

She faltered in her step. There it was. He wasn't respecting her. He simply thought leaving her alone would make her regret her decision more. Somehow, knowing that he was being exactly the person she'd predicted he would be gave her a better sense of closure. She had a reason to stand up for herself.

But she'd gotten what she wanted and there was no point in staying further. Lucy looked back at Jude as he glared at her fiercely, challenging her to walk out the front door again.

"Goodbye, father," she said, before walking out the door without looking back.

Natsu perked up when he heard the door open, pushing off from where he was leaning on the wall to see Lucy emerge from the massive mansion. He checked her over closely as soon as he got visual, ensuring she had no new injuries. They might be blood, but everything he knew about Jude Heartfilia was anything but pleasant.

"I'm okay, really," Lucy assured him, somehow smiling after the ordeal.

"You're coming back to us, right?" Happy asked. "To Fairy Tail?"

"Lucy, wait!"

Natsu looked over to see a plump, little lady sprinting their way with tears in her eyes. She was breathing hard by the time she reached them.

"I-I know I can't stop you from leaving," the woman began as she placed a hand on Lucy's arm, "but I wanted to at least give you this."

The woman handed Lucy a lacy pink band of some sort. He had no idea what it was, but judging by Lucy's soft expression, it was something important.

"Thank you," Lucy said before embracing the woman. "I'll write you once I have everything figured out."

"I'll look forward to your letter."

The two separated and the chubby lady retreated to the mansion. Lucy used the pink band to secure a pigtail at the side of her head.

"That looks nice," Natsu commented, and it was true. Everything else she was wearing was a result of all the horrible things that had happened to her. The hairstyle was something that was just so uniquely her.

"O-oh, really?" Her cheeks flushed as he nodded, though he wondered why. "Thank you…"

"You're coming back to Fairy Tail with us, aren't you?" Happy asked.

She let out a light laugh. "You know, the whole reason I ended up in this message is because I heard there was a Fairy Tail mage when I was in Magnolia. I had to check it out and I ended up getting caught in a love spell Bora had cast," Lucy said. It was a moment she had gone over in her mind multiple times, berating herself for being so stupid, being unable to break out of his spell, but now it felt like she had made peace with it. What happened was undeniably going to leave scars, but she was finally really and truly free thanks to the mages she had always admired. "I thought maybe I could join. I'm a big fan of Mirajane Strauss."

"Well, you're a mage, aren't you? You can still join," Natsu replied as he cocked his head at her doubtful manner. "Except, this time, you'll be with me-someone who's really from Fairy Tail."

"I-I don't know."

Happy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Natsu watched her as she fidgeted with her fingers. "I mean, I'm not...very strong. You came here because you were trying to rescue me and I couldn't...do anything."

He stared at her. She refused to look at him, but he could tell right away that she really thought that. He reached out and placed a hand on her head, eliciting a jolt of surprise.

"What are you talking about? Your magic is just like Yukino's, and she's plenty strong. You even beat up that guy Gajeel with it," he stated as her eyes met his in astonishment. "And I know it wasn't easy for you being on that ship for so long, but you still somehow sent out a message to ask for help. It sounds to me like you did a lot."

Lucy flushed. "Um… But I-"

"You what?" Natsu asked. "You want to join Fairy Tail, right? So come with me."

It took a few seconds, but eventually she nodded, smiling softly under his hand. "Yes…"

A week after the major decision Juvia had made, things had changed more drastically than she could have ever expected. When she had woken up in the Fairy Tail headquarters of all places, she hadn't exactly been sure what to do, especially after the jumbled fragments of memories had finally finally started to assemble themselves into something comprehensible.

Her guild, the one place she thought she could put her trust in, had turned around and hurt her for their own gain. She had a body that was made out of water. Most things wouldn't hurt her, but Jose had chosen to use a magic that knew would. Her initial thought was to turn her guilt inward, because she had been the one who'd done the betraying, but then other thoughts trickled in. How could they have done that so carelessly? After she had been one of them for such a long time? Was it normal for family to try and kill one of their own the moment they no longer saw eye-to-eye?

And then there was Gray, who had been by her side when she'd woken up. It was a really strange feeling, having someone there for her when she had always just stood on her own two feet. Of course she'd gotten injured on missions before, but nobody in her guild made a fuss over her when it happened. That kind of thing was just standard.

Yet Gray had been there to tell her he was glad she was okay, and he was steadfast in his resolve to stay there too, stubbornly telling off his guildmates even when they made fun of him. She recovered quickly enough thanks to the Fairy Tail healer's care, chatting with Gray about some of the shallow things they used to discuss back when they'd see each other at the cafe. It really felt like he cared about her.

It was the day she was given the okay to leave that really surprised her. By herself in the infirmary, the kind old woman had told her she could go. Juvia had no idea why she had expected an invitation to stay instead. She was not part of this group, and no matter how much she enjoyed Gray's company, the reality was that she did not belong here.

So she left, feeling confused about what to do and where to go. Her home felt empty when she arrived and she'd stayed there ever since, wondering if she should somehow find her own guild and apologize for what she'd done. It was something she'd contemplated for hours before the decision was made for her when Gajeel Redfox showed up at her door.

He looked absolutely awful. His wild hair somehow looked even more untamed as he stood in front of her. He was clearly recovering from black eyes in addition to how bloodshot they were. Holding his midsection, he was hunched over slightly, obviously carrying internal damage that hadn't been properly taken care of.

"Gajeel-kun?" She stared at him, gaping.

Gajeel didn't bother asking her for permission and simply stepped inside, Juvia moving out of the way to accommodate him. He limped over to her couch and threw himself down.

"This is your fault," he said flatly.

Juvia blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Our guild," he continued, though his tone sounded neither happy nor angry. "Master announced that we're disbanding. I hope you're happy."

She couldn't even close the door, she was in so much shock. "...What?"

"You heard me," he groused, his voice somewhat muffled by his face in her cushions.

Juvia whirled, this time swinging the door closed before she marched over to her former guild companion. "Gajeel-kun must be joking. Master was full of pride. He would never disband the guild."

"That's exactly why he did," Gajeel shot back, rolling over to glare at her. "Do you even know what happened to them or were you too busy shacking up with the enemy to pay attention?"

"Juvia knows," she replied heatedly, feeling somewhat offended that Gajeel would think she was that willfully naive.

"So then you don't care."

Her mouth stayed firmly shit, unable to articulate exactly how she was feeling. Obviously this was surprising, but her feelings were far more complicated than "not caring." Phantom Lord had been the closest she had to get family after her grandfather had passed, and then her Master had ordered her killed if she was in the way of their goals. How was she supposed to feel?

"I don't know how I feel," she said finally.

"Of course you don't care. I'm sure having the Fairy boy around is exactly what you wanted," Gajeel drawled.

She'd been trying not to take things personally since she knew how devastated Gajeel must be by this development on top of her decision to go against their Master's orders, but there was only so much she could take.

"Master ordered Juvia killed," she hissed, stomping toward the door again. "Gajeel-kun is a jerk!"

Juvia didn't bother to wait for his reaction before she left, feeling like she'd been kicked out of her own apartment. Her legs carried her through the town aimlessly. She was no less sure about where to go than when she'd still been at home. Stupid Gajeel. Things were so black and white with him, but there was no denying there was a grey area when it came to their guild.

Somehow, she found herself at the cafe she always frequented before this whole mission to find the Heartfilia daughter turned her life upside down. It was the cafe where she'd met Gray for the first time and she was still figuring out if it had been a good or bad thing. She was glad she was no longer living a life where a lie was the first thing that she believed, but things had been a lot simpler back then. At least she used to know where she stood day-to-day.

Juvia wasn't under the impression that having a cup of tea would solve anything for her, but it was better than wandering around the town aimlessly while her friend was being a big jerk in her own home. Small comforts were all she could possibly look for right now.

A few minutes later, she was sitting in her usual spot with a teacup in front of her, back to her original conundrum. Discovering that Phantom Lord had been disbanded was throwing her for a loop, but there was no denying she could see Jose doing such a thing. If his perception was that they'd "lost" to Fairy Tail, that was an extreme reaction that was characteristic of someone like Master.

But...that was it? A group that had dedicated their time to becoming a collective being-a family-could be broken apart as easily as that?

"I thought I might find you here."

She looked up shyly. "Hello, Gray-sama."

He was handsome as always, and somehow still wearing his shirt. At this point, she was used to his stripping habit and almost preferred him when he had his clothes off. Obviously there were some less than pure reasons for that, but he also seemed much more comfortable when he was down to his boxers. It was always better to be around someone who was comfortable rather than someone who was always fidgeting.

"You left pretty quickly," Gray replied as he sat down across from her. "You didn't even say anything."

"Was there anything for Juvia to say?" she asked evenly. "Juvia thanked Porlyusica-sama for her help."

He looked away, maybe irritated. "Yeah, I guess you did."

They sat in silence for a full minute, only briefly interrupted by Gray ordering his coffee. After that, it was back to quiet. Juvia contemplated making small talk, but she knew neither of them really wanted to hear it. He'd come here for more than that and she was too afraid to find out why.

Too bad when his coffee came, he pushed further. "You couldn't even let me say anything."

Juvia swallowed nervously. "Gray-sama…"

"Don't gear up for an excuse," he said firmly. "It was on purpose. We both know that."

Gray held the coffee mug in both hands while Juvia sunk into her seat. She didn't expect Gray to seek her out. In fact, she hadn't expected to see him ever again. He'd gotten what he wanted from her and had no reason to speak to her anymore. She was sure that his attentiveness at her bedside had only been out of guilt for using her or defeating her in battle. Gray was probably the kindest man she'd met in her life, but he was still a man. They were always looking for something else.

How ironic. Juvia had come here to escape from her jerk friend, but now she almost wished she'd stayed. Though Gajeel had been right about her enjoying Gray's presence, her feelings for him were messy. She never knew what she could trust when it came to him. She was so used to following her heart and after Bora, it was obvious it had led her astray. How could she claim to have learned anything if all she did was let her feelings for a man drive her again?

"I heard about Phantom Lord," he said, but his voice didn't reveal how he felt about that information at all. The one thing that had become abundantly clear when she was still at the Fairy Tail headquarters was the collective disdain of their attitude toward her former guild. All of them were rather disgusted by her Master's treatment of her.

"Juvia only heard about it too," she admitted.

"What are you going to do now?"

The question irritated her. How was she supposed to know? That was the whole reason she was here in the first place! She'd never thought the day the rain went away would be the same day her whole life fell apart. Gray wasn't a real factor when she didn't even know what to do with herself.

"Gray-sama, why are you here?" she asked as emotions overwhelmed her.

"Because you didn't give me a chance to say goodbye," Gray told her, holding her gaze with an intensity nobody had ever looked at her with before. "You didn't give me a chance to ask you to stay."

Her heart pounded. No. No, no, no. He didn't mean that. This was stupid. "Gray-sama…"

"Look, I didn't get to before, so now I'm saying what I want to say," he pressed on determinedly. "I… I hurt you as much as anyone else, even if it wasn't what I wanted to do, so I know that it's kind of hypocritical for me to feel so angry about what your guild did, but I do. Every time I think about it. They were supposed to protect you, and yet they were the ones who ended up…"

He trailed off, swallowing the anger that appeared to be rising just from talking about it.

"You put your trust in their hands and they used it against you," Gray said, obviously seething. "I just...want to support you. All of us do."

Juvia glanced at him in surprise. "'All of us?'" she repeated in confusion.

"Our Master invited you personally to be part of our guild," Gray replied, a blush starting to form on his face. "And to be honest, I'd like it if you were part of it too."

What was he saying? She was trying not to trust so easily, but every word out of his mouth sounded so earnest. And the way he was looking at her made it feel like he saw something in her that was more than just friendship. Juvia had been in this scenario so many times in the past and bought into the fantasy, and each time, she had been burned in the end. This time, she knew she shouldn't believe him. She knew, and yet right now, she wanted to believe him more than ever.

"Gray-sama, can I trust you again?" she asked as she looked down into her tea. "Will you show me that I can?"

"I promise you can, and I'll come here everyday to show you that if I have to."

Someone wiser than her might not have taken his words at face value, not after all the scars she had in the past for jumping into things head first because she just wanted to believe that this person could be different. This time...she didn't just want to. She looked at Gray and her heart told it was going to be okay. It wasn't the wild desperation she usually felt when she'd pursued men in the past. There was a calmness about it-a trust in herself that she was making the right decision, like the serenity that had come over when she'd finally stood up for herself against Bora.

"You don't have to," Juvia replied. "I believe you. Juvia...would like a place to go again."

He smiled at her and she felt her own face start to redden. She wasn't scared anymore. He looked so genuinely glad to hear her response that she didn't think there was any way that he might be faking it. And Fairy Tail...as far as she could tell, they were nothing like Jose had ever described them to be. It hadn't taken her very long to figure that out. There was just one itty bitty issue that she had to address.

"But Gray-sama, Juvia has a request…" she started, glancing at him shyly.

He tilted his head in confusion, waiting for her to continue. If believing she could trust him was already this difficult, this request was going to be a doozy…

Fairy Tail was a very energetic place. Even with all she had read about them in magazines, it couldn't quite prepare her for what things would be like in real life. Mirajane, a woman who had been an idol to her for years, was even more beautiful in person than on the printed pages. The mage who had drunk every town dry in each mission location she'd visited was none other than Cana Aberona, and she was just as feisty without the alcohol than she was with it.

Then there was Levy McGarden who Lucy clicked with in an instant. They were both huge lovers of books and had similar tastes in genres. On a different level, both of them were also dealing with the effects of a traumatic experience in their lives. While hers had been a single incident, Levy was still completely shaken after being brutalized by Gajeel. It was a strange disconnect for Lucy, having met him and beaten him with Natsu's help, because overall, he didn't seem like such a bad guy. Of course, she was never going to discount Levy's experience when she had her own constantly buzzing in her head.

In general, everyone she'd met in the guild had been extremely kind to her. Lucy watched the pink-haired woman who had been taking care of her since the day she'd arrived, a little rough around the edges but with a healing touch like no other. Porlyusica definitely had a way about her that really ensured you knew she cared.

"This will be the last application," as she finished putting the balm on Lucy's thigh. "I know you'd rather it all be gone, but it's been there for too long. The best I can do is help the skin heal properly."

Lucy nodded and looked down the brand. She'd known it was probably never going to go away, but a part of her had still been clinging to the hope it would just disappear and remain only as a horrible memory. Now she had to accept the fact that it would always be a part of her. It was funny; when she'd actually been on the ship, it was so much easier to deal with that fact. Now she had nightmares about waking up there despite being in a place that was safe. She'd been naive to think things would be just fine and dandy as soon as she was free. She would see that brand everyday for the rest of her life. Maybe she would never be okay for the rest of her life.

Porlyusica shot her a knowing look. "This is hard for you. I know that. But recovery takes time. You'll have lots of it now that you're here."

"I really appreciate how much you've helped me, Porlyusica-san," she said, ducking her head a little in embarrassment.

"Well, this place would fall apart without me considering what a walking disaster that old geezer is," the healer replied with a wry smile. "And what does he do? He gathers all the walking disasters into one guild and pretends to be surprised when things quite literally blow up in his face. Fairy Tail could use a few more calm souls like you. Now let's weigh you and we'll be done."

As was routine by more, Lucy got out of the bed and stood on the nearby scale. She watched as Porlyusica observed the results.

"Good. You're up two pounds from yesterday," she said. "It's only been a week, but you're putting on weight nicely. It's going to be a bit longer before your muscles are back up to strength. Just keep going about your day like normal and you'll be completely healthy again."

Lucy nodded. "Thank you."

"Lucy."

Kagura came striding into the room with an air of confidence she hadn't had back when they were stuck on that ship. The time away from it had done wonders for her. She looked like she was ready for battle and nothing like the somewhat apathetic girl on Bora's ship. It wasn't the first day Lucy had seen Kagura since then, but much like herself, she was better and stronger every single day that passed. She was looking lethal in her new outfit, a formal battle tunic over leggings and boots with a sword strapped around her waist.

Lucy smiled. Seeing her friend look so good was just something that made her feel better about this whole situation. "Hey, Kagura."

Porlyusica wrote something down on her chart and acknowledged the other young woman. "I'm about done anyway. You two can have whatever little chat you want to have. Kagura, remember what we talked about."

"Yes. I will be increasing my training gradually, and only according to the schedule you've placed upon me," Kagura said with a resigned compliance in her voice.

"And?" Porlyusica prompted.

"I will not train any more than you have physically deemed me fit to."

"Good," replied the healer with a nod. She stepped aside to let Lucy off the scale and back onto the bed as she gathered up her things. "You take care of yourself now."

Lucy thanked the old woman again before she left, then sat down on her infirmary bed feeling a little weary. Admittedly, as much as she wanted to feel normal again, she'd just been downright exhausted since the whole ordeal with Bora. Having an actual bed to sleep in every night was her happy place right now.

"So what brings you here?" she asked.

Kagura was stoic as always as she moved forward to stand by Lucy. "It's time for me to say goodbye."

She tilted her head. "You're leaving?"

Kagura nodded. "I appreciate all the help Fairy Tail has offered me, but I'm ready to be on my own again. I have training that needs to be done. My Master will not be happy that I've been gone for so long."

"I understand," Lucy replied. "I hope you get back to what's important to you, and while I wish neither of us had ever ended up on that ship, I'm glad that you were there with me. I wouldn't be here without you."

"Likewise," Kagura said, "and I mean that. I think you underestimate yourself, Lucy. Your strength of will was greater than my own. I would've given up if it weren't for you."

Lucy blushed. "Thank you."

"Fairy Tail is full of good people. You'll do well here, and if there's anything you need, come find me," she continued, looking assured. "I don't think I'll have to worry about you either way. Natsu-san seems rather dedicated to you."

Her face only grew hotter. "He's-he's a really good person."

That broke Kagura's stoicism as a small smirk appeared on her face. "I suppose that's true as well." She didn't say anything for a moment, letting Lucy sit in the embarrassment for a bit. "He'll take care of you when you can't care for yourself."

"S-safe travels, Kagura," was the only thing Lucy could sputter in response, trying hard to change the subject.

Kagura gave a final nod before leaving the infirmary with a satisfied smirk on her face. That girl sure knew how to cause trouble. After all, Natsu was just a friend. A really, really kind friend who she didn't take for granted. She couldn't possibly be unappreciative after all he'd gone through to save her when the only thing he had to go on in the first place was a silly message in a bottle.

Lucy wandered out into the guild hall, trying to keep the "Kagura" thoughts to a minimum. Fortunately, Yukino came and grabbed her by the arm almost immediately after entering, allowing for a good distraction.

"Did your check up go well?" the young girl asked her even as she dragged Lucy gently toward the bar. Yukino beamed when Lucy nodded and began pulling her harder. "That's good! Natsu-nii has a surprise for you!"

There was little choice but to go along with her. For only being twelve years old, the girl was freakishly strong, and Lucy's malnourished body wasn't going to put up a lot of resistance either way. Not that she minded, of course. Yukino was the sweetest girl she'd ever met. She'd been completely embarrassed when she found out her writing had been making Natsu's letters come off as female. Independent of that, she was intelligent and kind. It was nice having another Celestial Spirit Mage around who understood and valued the spirits, as well as appreciated the bond a mage could share with them. After a tearful reunion with each of her spirits, she'd discovered that the only spirit Yukino had actually called from her keys was Aquarius, and not for one moment had she presumed to forge a contract with those spirits herself. If that wasn't a sign of a good heart, Lucy didn't know what was.

"I found Lucy-san," Yukino said as they reached the bar where there were already a bunch of people crowded along the counter. Gray Fullbuster, who she'd met in the infirmary hovering over Juvia when she'd arrived at Fairy Tail, was fittingly still at Juvia's side. Natsu and Happy were sitting on stools as they watched Mira preparing something she couldn't see at the bar.

"Good!" Natsu said as he jumped off his seat to rush over and usher her into the group. "Come on. You're gonna like this."

She found herself on the stool Natsu had just vacated, watching as Mira pulled away from Juvia. Her new battle dress was more revealing than her old one, leaving her legs fully visible. As they came into view, Lucy could see the freshly stamped mark of Fairy Tail on Juvia's thigh.

"Gray-sama, Juvia is one of you now!" she exclaimed as she clung to Gray's arm, beaming.

Gray, who didn't seem like the type of person who would be open to these kinds of exchanges, surprisingly placed a gentle hand on her head and smiled. "Yeah, you are."

"Thank you, Mirajane-san," Juvia said. Mirajane waved it off before the water mage's eyes landed on Lucy. "Are you going next?"

She froze up a little at the question, realizing that this was in fact the surprise Natsu had for her. Considering everything that had happened in front of her in the last two minutes, she didn't know why she hadn't expected this. Back when she'd left her father's house, Natsu had quite literally asked her if she wanted to join Fairy Tail and she'd told him yes. Her answer hadn't changed. Of course she wanted to be part of Fairy Tail.

But seeing Juvia's new guild mark on a place that was so close to her ugly existing mark… It was hard. Anything on her skin almost felt like a mark of ownership all over again, and while she knew it wasn't true, she couldn't help but think it.

Natsu's hand came down on her shoulder, shaking her from her frightened state.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his kind eyes full of concern, but the words were caught in her throat and she couldn't find it in herself to reply. That didn't faze him. "Is it the stamp?"

Very hesitantly, she nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was cut him out when he had been so supportive of her this whole time.

"If you're not ready for this, that's okay," he reassured her. "You don't need to get the mark. It doesn't matter. You'd still be one of us in every way that counts."

Her stomach fluttered under his gaze. The strength of his voice, his determined aura, and the intensity at which he looked at her… To say Natsu was effective at conveying his emotions would be an understatement. It had quickly become clear that he was a man of dedication, and one of the things he had dedicated himself to was her. When people said cheeky things about their relationship, she'd deny it, but the truth was, they weren't far off the mark. Lucy had never met someone whose feelings went so deep for her, regardless of whether or not that might just be purely platonic. It was impossible not to feel something in return.

Slowly, her eyes turned to the soft looks she was getting from all the others. Happy, Yukino, Mirajane, Gray, and Juvia… It took her a second to realize they weren't waiting for her to get it; they were waiting for her to decide whether she wanted to get it or not. It was her choice. Nobody was going to force her-violate her after drugging her-so they could slap a vile sign of their ownership on her body. It was a symbol of family, friendship, love, and support. The initial fear wore off and the answer of what to do next was so obvious.

Lucy stepped toward Mirajane and held her right hand out, palm facing down. "I'd like it here please."

"Are you sure?" Mira asked, her voice kind and without judgement.

She nodded, knowing the only thing in her life that she had ever been so sure about was when she'd taken Natsu's hand.

"Okay then."

Mira pressed the stamp to her hand and when she pulled it away, a pink mark remained. Lucy smiled. She was a member of Fairy Tail.

Yukino cheered and grabbed Lucy's hand, jumping up and down in celebration.

"Welcome to the guild," Mirajane said with a bright smile.

"We're glad to have you," Gray said.

"I'm really a member," Lucy stated a little incredulously. It was crazy to think that even if she had been staying here for the past week, she was now really part of a guild she had admired for so long and constantly read about in magazines.

"Aye!" Happy chimed in. "You're part of the family!"

She was suddenly overtaken by Natsu, who had wrapped his arms over her shoulders. Lucy blushed, but he didn't even seem aware that he was making her flustered. "Alright! Now we can go on missions together and everything!"

"Natsu-nii, Lucy-san is still in recovery," Yukino reminded him, hands on her hips.

"After she's better," he emphasized as he finally removed himself from her. He pumped his fist in the air. "We'll be the strongest team in Fairy Tail!"

Gray rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot. Anyone would be stronger than you. I bet Juvia and I could outmatch the two of you."

Juvia seemed to swoon a bit. "Juvia would love to form a team with Gray-sama!"

"I'd wipe the floor with both of you and Lucy's mermaid lady would clean you up," Natsu shot back as he advanced on Gray.

Gray gave as good as he got, butting heads with the other man, and Lucy wondered why nobody was stepping in at this point. While Juvia also looked slightly puzzled by the interaction, Mira, Yukino, and Happy didn't seem at all fazed by this. In fact, all of them were smiling.

"Didn't realize you were so eager for me to kick your ass!" Gray snarled, now standing in his boxers and socks as he and Natsu grappled, their hands locked together. He gained a little ground, forcing the fire dragon slayer to step back.

"You wish you could!" Natsu retorted, resisting Gray's attempts to overpower him. When his foot slid back just a little more, he slammed his head against Gray's.

Lucy's eyes widened as Gray went flying. And he really went flying. His body went crashing into several tables, knocking dishes to the ground and breaking chair legs as he went. The even more shocking part was how he simply rose from all the splinters without so much as a groan, and completely naked for that matter. She let out a squeak and raised her hand to censor his body for her own eyes.

"O-oh my…" she heard Juvia breathe nearby.

Gray now had his hands out in a peculiar position, one she assumed was for using magic. "You're gonna pay for that one."

"And you're gonna make me?" Natsu taunted him.

A hulking man came barreling into Gray, sending him tumbling into more furniture. It took a moment, but Lucy then realized this was Elfman Strauss, Mira's younger brother who had been in magazine articles simply by association. "Destruction of furniture is not very manly!" he proclaimed as if he hasn't just been responsible for some five seconds ago.

"You knocked over my drink, you buffoon!" Cana shouted as she joined them. "Did you and your stupid manliness think about that?"

"Nyeh nyeh, you can't hit me!" Natsu mocked them.

"Hey, guys, why don't we all just calm down…"

"Shut up, Max!"

"All of you pipe down! You're the reason our guild always looks so stupid!"

"Aw, Laxus, leave 'em alone. They're just having a little f-what the hell? Why'd you hit me? I was defending you?"

At this point, there was way too much going on for Lucy to follow. The guild master's grandson had joined in along with a slightly older man she had never seen before. Someone had smacked Natsu in the face, but she wasn't sure who. Neither did he, apparently, because he was just throwing fists at whoever's body came his way.

"STOP YOUR FIGHTING!" Erza the Titania boomed as she threw one person into another.

"Isn't this...sort of getting out of hand?" Lucy asked, not quite believing what she was seeing with her own two eyes.

Mirajane shrugged, a beautiful smile on her face. "Oh, this is pretty normal." A glass promptly hit her in the head, causing her temple to split open, but she barely moved on impact. Lucy gaped. "We end up doing a lot of rebuilding."

"And if that's what we have to do, then so be it."

They turned to see Makarov striding into the room. Lucy had been introduced to the Fairy Tail Guild Master days ago, and while he had been nothing but kind and welcoming, she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by him despite his short stature. He stood next to Mirajane looking like a prideful father.

"We've all got our differences and those differences are accepted. I'd never want anyone to be anything but themselves here. However, some of our members prefer to express themselves in an excessively physical way," Makarov explained, looking only mildly irritated.

"Juvia thinks it's nice," said the other girl as a chair leg flew through her body. "Fighting one day and friends the next. Is that not what a family is like?"

Lucy clutched her hand to her chest, looking down at the Fairy Tail stamp with a smile. "I don't know, but I think I'd like that."

She jumped slightly when Natsu's body came crashing down in front of her, landing on his back. His body was looking a little scuffed, but nothing like it had on the day he'd saved her from Gajeel. He glanced up at her puzzled face.

"Are ya having fun?" he asked, grinning.

Lucy offered him a hand which he took, helping him up. "I am. I… I'm glad you found me." She peeked at him shyly. "I'd really lost hope that anyone would find me."

Natsu gave her a long look, long enough that she felt her face heating up. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll never stop," he told her, his voice low as it rumbled in her ear. "If you're ever lost again, I won't stop looking for you no matter where you are, and now you have all of us to look for you too." He let go of her, giving her a brilliant smile. "This is where you belong."

She looked around at the craziness ensuing in the guild hall. This wasn't fighting; it was liveliness and love. They weren't seriously trying to hurt each other. It was just the way they interacted, much like brothers and sisters. Lucy had never wanted to be part of something so much in her life. "Y-yeah."

"Now come on! We're gonna go find a mission to complete!" Natsu said triumphantly, grabbing onto her wrist.

She didn't resist, but looked at him a little curiously. Natsu was such a whirlwind, it was hard to keep up with what he was thinking. "A mission…?"

"Come on, Happy!"

"Aye!"

"Natsu," Mirajane called after him, "she can't go on a mission yet. She's still recovering!"

He continued making his way through the chaos, only briefly looking back. "Fine! Then we'll go on an adventure!" He grinned at Lucy, still dragging her along. "We'll do something fun."

At this point, Lucy had no idea what his definition of "fun" was, considering he'd just started a massive fight in the guild hall, but the warmth of his hand in hers was reassuring and she couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather be with right now.

She gripped his hand in turn and followed after him. "Okay!"