BROKEN AND BRUISED

CHAPTER 22

Meredy was looking between the women who were glaring at nothing and talking about how they were going to castrate the men for what they did.

She sweat dropped as she heard a vulgar way to end a man coming from the mouth of Titania and she felt real pity for the blue haired man who had this woman is his heart, because without a doubt, Titania was scary!

"I say we go there and ask if they were the ones who did it." She meekly said and immediately all eyes were on her. No one spoke and waited for her to elaborate. She cleared her throat and looked at each of their faces, their glares gone and replaced by a look of confusion. "Maybe they weren't the ones who stole our clothes, so we should make sure before we do anything drastic."

The women looked at each other then at Meredy. Lucy gave her a pat on the head as they cooled down. "You're right Mer-chan. Let's go talk to them."

"Yeah, great idea. Let's go talk to them in nothing but towels." Sorano grumbled as she walked behind Lucy who shrugged her shoulders.

"What can we do? We don't have any clothes."

They go out of the cabin into the chilly night. A cold breeze sweeps by causing them to tremble and huddle together.

"I'm starting not to like this idea." Levy commented as her teeth shattered.

"It's only a ten minute walk. We can do this." Lucy reassured as she hugged her keys close to her chest. She got them just before they left and was happy to do that when she felt their warmth radiate through her body.

The women were walking quietly when they heard shouting and an enraged voice saying. "IT HAS TO BE THEM! WHO ELSE COULD IT BE?"

They looked at each other confused and were about to question what the hell that was when Cobra jumped in front of them causing them to shriek. He held on to the towel around his waist as he pointed an accusing finger towards Lucy. "Sunshine! Tell me, why the hell would you steal our clothes!?"

Lucy, after getting over her shock, glared at brother. "Excuse me? Why the fuck would I steal your clothes?"

"Erik! Get your ass back here!" Sawyer pulled him back into the cabin. He looked at the women before he gestured them inside. "Come on, it's cold out here."

They didn't complain, they went inside the cabin in complete silence.

"Luce! This isn't funny! Where are our clothes?"

Lucy was starting to feel on the verge of breaking something and was tempted to start with the pink haired dragon' slayer nose. "I didn't do it. Our clothes are also gone."

"I don't believe you!" Gray shouted with pink dusting his cheeks.

"Gray, what Lucy says is true. Or else, why would we be here in nothing but a towel?" Erza stepped in front of the blonde, her rage matching the one the blonde felt at the moment.

"Yeah, our clothes are gone but you don't see us pointing fingers at you do you?" Sorano asked with her arms crossed. Meredy was about to comment on the fact that they were in fact pointing fingers at the men just a few minutes ago but refrained from doing so when she saw the look Sorano sent her.

The men that were accusing the girls felt a little bit of guilt before Cobra jumped up. "Bullshit. Knowing you three…" he points to Lucy, Sorano and Ultear. "You were probably trying to find a way to I don't know, castrate us maybe because I know that you thought it was us who stole your clothes."

The women quietened at that. He hit the nail on the head. It scared the blonde sometimes how well her brother knew her.

She sighed reluctantly and grumbled. "Maybe."

Jellal chuckled at the scene before he stood up from his stool, letting his glorious body stretch as sweat made it glisten. He didn't notice the eyes that were ogling him and she was thankful for that, because Erza' face was beet red.

It was now that the men and women dawned on them that they were in nothing but their towels.

They looked at each other before looking away with blush adorning their faces. Ultear sighed before she spoke. "We need to search for our clothes. We can't walk outside, it's too cold in only our towels."

"But searching for our clothes will involve us going outside." Evergreen noted and the rest groaned.

"Do you smell anything?" Sawyer asked as he looked back at Cobra who shook his head no.

"Can't smell shit in all this mist."

The other slayers nodded their heads in agreement.

They sat down for a minute, weighing their options before Lucy jumped up. She face palmed herself before she took her keys, searching through them she got the one she needed. It was a silver key with its white tip having blue fangs lined inside an open jaw. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?" she mutters to herself before she extends her arm in front of her, her key in hand. "Open, gate of the wolf. Lupus!"

A bell chimed before a blue with black swirling magic circle appeared on the floor. Dark mist spread from the portal before it formed into a shape. Red eyes glowed before paws formed and the wolf jumped from the mist. Its fur made of shadows flickering and dancing on its body.

His red eyes landed on Lucy who beamed at him with a smile. "Hello Lupus."

He quickly bounded to her and started prancing around. "Mistress, how have you been? Are you doing alright? I missed you. How are the kids? When can I play with them? Is Red still making fun of Layla? Oh wait… you called me here for a reason right. So what can I help you with?"

Almost everyone in the room except those who already knew the spirit, sweat dropped. They never in their life thought that after this grand entrance, the shadowy fur and the deep voice, that the spirit was going to be this chirpy.

Lucy giggled at her spirit's antics while scratching behind his ear. "I'm good Lupus and I missed you too. The kids are alright and you can play with them whenever you want. But now, I need your help with something. Can you check around the perimeter for a scent or anything unusual? You see our clothes have been… stolen."

It was only a split second but everyone felt the tension rising in the air. Lupus let out the deepest growl as he bowed his head. "I will find whatever and whoever wronged you and your companions my Lady." He says in all seriousness before he disappears in the shadows.

Lucy fixes her towel before she notices the expression on Levy' face. "Something wrong Levy-chan?"

The girl shakes her head out of her stupor. "You just have a very interesting spirit Lu. How long have you had him?"

"It's been a while. His appearance may seem intimidating but he's actually the sweetest and makes a very good nanny for the kids."

Lucy rolls her shoulders as she picks up another key. A golden one that was familiar for everyone. "Open gate of the maiden, Virgo."

Another bell chime and this time a golden circle, the maid spirit was in front of them. She bowed in front of Lucy, her chains dangling as she brought one hand to her heart and another behind her back. "You called for me Hime-sama, is it for punishment?"

The blonde smiles at her spirit. No one reacted at the spirit's request except for one blonde haired dragon slayer who quirked an eyebrow at the request that was made. He looked at Freed who mouthed an 'I'll explain later.'

"Yes and no."

This seemed to make the maid's eyes twinkle with excitement. Her usual stoic expression starting to falter as a small smile cracked on her face. "What do you need Hime-sama?"

"Can you fetch me some robes from the spirit world? Enough for all of us please."

"Right away." The spirit bowed then disappeared in a shower of gold specks.

Ten minutes later the spirit returned with the requested robes and handed them off to the occupants of the room. Lucy looked at Wendy who was blushing from head to toe then turned to the men in the room. "Turn and we'll turn as well, then change and call out when you're done."

The males nod their heads and did as told, the women as well. Few seconds later both sides call out that they are done and turn to face each other once more.

"We can go back to the villa now, Lupus will tell me if he finds anything." The blonde turns to find her spirit waiting in anticipation. She sighs before she flicks the spirit on her forehead causing the maid to squeal in delight.

Virgo bows to Lucy before vanishing in a shower of gold. The blonde looks up to the ceiling and mumbles 'Never a dull moment.'

After the whole punishment ordeal was over, they make their trek back to the villa. Lucy recounts what happened with them to Sebastian who nods gravely at the news. He promises to send in guards in the morning to scout the area. She smiles in approval and heads to her room.

Once inside, she flops on her bed face first and inhales deeply. So much for a restful evening.

She could feel the start of a migraine causing her to groan, it was probably due to her walking in the cold night when her hair was still wet from the bath. She was about to turn in for the night when she heard a hum in her head and responded to the link that formed.

"Yes Lupus?"

"I found the stuff Lucy-sama, apparently a new neighbor has teenagers who thought it would be a fun idea to pull a prank on you and steal your clothes. They are none mages and were probably not sensed by the slayers because of the heavy mist in the hot springs. I have brought your belongings and…"

He went quiet after that causing the blonde to furrow her brows. "And?"

"I Made sure they never do anything like that again."

Lucy could hear the menace in his voice and almost see the smirk on his face. She just hoped that he didn't scare them to death.

"Should I be worried or prepared to have the magic council at my doorstep?"

Lupus cackled before he answered. "They'll be fine… hopefully."

"That doesn't answer my question nor does it make me feel better."

He chuckled before he bid his master goodnight and cut the link.

Lucy sighed and looked at the ceiling of her room. 'One problem solved I guess.'

She turned to her window and watched as the stars shone in the clear sky. Slowly getting off of the bed she walked casually to her cushioned seat where she sat and admired the stars.

Every time she faced something difficult, the stars would be there to help ease her worries. But sometimes she wished they could just give her answers… will she make Fairy Tail proud at the grand magic games or disappoint them once more? Will she get better with handling her feelings? And finally, what will happen with her and Laxus?

She closed her eyes and thought back to what Auriga said when he took her to Laxus' mansion. 'Sometimes all we can do is sit back and watch things unveil itself to us. We cannot control everything, so why try to?'

He was right, there was nothing she could do at the moment about these matters except of giving it her all. That's why starting tomorrow, she's going to go back to training and make Fairy Tail proud. After that, she'll see to the other things on her mind.

With that clear to her, she climbed back in her bed and for the first time in a while, had a restful sleep.

XXX

Morning soon came and with it breakfast. Everyone was already seated in the dining room.

It was safe to say that Gajeel was shocked. He had no idea that Bunny had a place like this, but honestly what did he know about her nowadays? He sighed as he thought about all the time he lost.

Seven years. It was no joke. She changed so much yet stayed the same at the same time. He didn't understand how that worked but he knew that this Bunny is still his Bunny. He glanced at the room they were currently in, it was so glamorous he felt out of place with his rugged look.

Large windows lined the walls that showcased a beautiful garden filled with tulips of all colors. Each window was separated from the next by a black pillar that had white engravings on it running its length. The other wall of the room was white and lined with different portraits of famous painters, he could practically see their worth in gold from the seat he occupied. Letting his eyes rove to the ceiling he saw the three crystal chandeliers that lit the room they were currently in reflect the light shone on them to the paintings on the wall, making them come to life in a way.

Or so he thought, Gajeel was never poetic and he never was able to describe something that caught his eye. Speaking of something that caught his eye, he glanced at the poison slayer who sat next to him that was eating silently. Not a word had escaped his mouth this entire morning and he wouldn't have been worried if it weren't for the sneaky glances that Bunny sent the poison slayer.

He was going to nudge him and see what his deal was when someone on the table started talking.

"So what are we going to do today?" Freed asked and the blonde looked his way.

She smiled at him and answered. "You guys need to train to compensate on the seven years gap."

"And you?" Natsu asked the blonde who snorted.

"Please, I could kick your ass easily."

Now at this Gajeel raised an eyebrow. He knew Bunny was strong but strong enough to take on a dragon slayer? He doubted it and he wasn't the only one peaked by this revelation of the blonde. Laxus was too, he looked at her subtly and quite shocked at her words. He knew the flame headed idiot for a long time now and knew of his raw power. He didn't doubt that Lucy was strong but to take on Natsu?

"Oh yeah? Then fight me Luce."

Lucy set down her cup of coffee and raised one delicate eyebrow at Natsu. "I would love to. But…" her eyes found red irises and smirked. "There is someone else I would like to fight today."

Gajeel' lips quirked in a smirk. "You sure about that Bunny?"

"Don't tell me you're afraid for your balls Gaj-nii?"

A series of oohh~ went around the table from Lucy's family, all well aware of the infamous Lucy kick.

His smirk turned predatory, showing his fangs as he nudged his head to the clearing. "See you in 10."

Everyone finished eating after that and settled down on the lawn in the clearing where Sebastian prepared. Lucy came out of the house in a black tank top with jean short shorts, her keys jingling on the side with her whip fastened in place.

Racer came between them and set the rules. "First to tap out loses. Magic is allowed. Wining is allowed through forfeit or knockouts. Now on your marks… get set… GO!" he made a swish with his arm as if he was cutting the air and walked back towards where the rest were seated.

Both stood still, no one moved. Gajeel, figuring that Bunny was going to be on the defensive, attacked first. She dodged his fist and followed up with a kick that was sidestepped by him. They exchanged blows for a while but no one seemed to be able to land a hit on the other. An item glowed in Lucy' hand before it dimmed causing Jellal to snicker. "That sneaky woman."

"Tell me about it." Cobra noted as he watched his sister trade blows and dodge, memorizing his footings and the way he seemed to prefer to attack from the right leaving a tiny bit of an opening from the left and Lucy seemed to take advantage of that. Honestly, sometimes the way his sister's mind worked terrified him and excited him at the same time, never a dull moment with her.

"What do you mean? What did she do?" asked Natsu as he looked at the fight that was seemingly physical for the moment.

"You'll see." Sorano remarked as she played with Justin' hair who nuzzled in her embrace.

"But I don't undewstand what's going on? Why is mommy fighting uncle Gaj with no magic?" Red' small voice inquired as he watched the battle.

"What is the first thing we learn in battle Red?" Sawyer looked at the little blonde.

"Strategy." He answered without missing a beat.

"Correct. Strategy. Before going in and also while in a battle, we have to form a strategy, different ways we can take our opponent or gauge out their weaknesses. And that is exactly what your mommy is doing here, and she isn't the only one. Your uncle is doing the same."

True to that, Gajeel was also trying to read her footwork and memorize, deciphering it and trying to find a weakness. The only thing he found though was that her right leg was a bit weaker than the left and it could very well be due to the scar she acquired during the battle to save the crown. Now Gajeel could be a gentleman and not use this specific weakness against her, but! She challenged him and his dragon to a duel and he wasn't going to back out of it.

He smirked as he landed a kick on the scar that had her staggering backwards then jumping away from him.

"What happened to all that big talk Bunny? Don't tell me this is all you've got."

He thought he was going to be met with a glare, a snarky comment. He never in his life thought that she was going to send him the most crazed grin he had ever seen in his life that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Damn…" Laxus breathed at the look the blonde sent her brother. His heart jumped at the way she looked with the breeze letting her hair fly behind her matched with that crazed expression. He was left breathless.

"Now this is where the fun begins." Ultear smiled and straightened up, wanting to see the match with focus.

It was only a few minutes before the place was surrounded by pink wool, conjuring walls around her and Gajeel but obscuring her from his sight.

He went rigid as he lost sight of her, looking everywhere and trying to anticipate from which direction she might come. He sharpened his senses to be ready to counterattack.

"What is she doing now?" Red looked at Sawyer for explanation which the blonde man happily gave. He noticed through the year that when it came to battles like these he was the referee and was obligated to explain everything going on.

"You know your uncle Gajeel is a dragon slayer right?"

The little blonde nodded.

"What makes dragon slayers different from other mages?"

Red thought about it for a while before he answered. "Their senses."

"Correct. And so, in a fight against a slayer no matter how strong you are they will always have a slight advantage. Being able to hear, smell and sense your moves. So to be able to accurately land a hit what would you do?"

"Block their senses?"

"Exactly. Now Gajeel won't be able to see where she is."

This time Freed asked. "But if what you said stands correct, then here he can rely on his other senses. Lucy-sama only denied him of vision."

Sawyer laughed. "Well yes, but she hasn't finished has she?"

They looked back to the clearing where they could, albeit with difficult, see that Gajeel was swishing his hands in directions but landing hits on nothing. They could feel his frustration at his predicament and it was only with the wall cleared a bit that they were able to see what's happening. They saw a small girl with her hands outstretched in front her giggling as another fake Lucy tried to kick or punch Gajeel only for him to counterattack and for the fakes to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Quit your games Bunny. This isn't fun." He growled. No matter how much he pushed on the wool wall it would throw him back, not to mention that he would start feeling giddy all of a sudden whenever he touched it. So he opted for the second best thing and let out an iron dragon roar. It tore through the wall only for it form again within seconds.

The group looked to the side and saw Aries handling the wall, adding more layers in the places where he tore through.

"Come on out Bunny." He called out to her, the situation aggravating on his nerves. As a dragon slayer he never liked to be confined in one place and when the walls started to close in on him he felt the need to push against them further.

"Don't bother resisting them Gaj-nii, it's futile."

Came his sister's voice but it was almost hollow, he couldn't place his finger on it but it made the hairs on his neck stand up. Then suddenly all of a sudden voices from all around him started talking so loud he couldn't hear anything around him. He cursed his luck when he felt himself get backed up into a corner only to let out a yelp when the ground beneath him caved in and he found himself in a crater on his back. "What the fuck?" he whispered to himself but the amount of magical energy that was being released had him looking upwards.

The walls quickly dissipated and Aries left the clearing. He saw his sister and his eyes widened at her look.

"Holy fucking hell." Natsu yelled, his eyes huge as saucers.

There Lucy stood, in a long red skirt that was formed of two pieces. One that went around her lower back and met the other piece bellow her belly button. It had gold triangles embedded in it to hold it in place. It created two slits on either side of the skirt starting from her thigh reaching her feet and was outlined by gold engravings. Her top consisted of a red tube top held by a gold necklace that had the shape of a phoenix' head and was outlined by gold engraving as well with detached sleeves starting from her forearms to her wrists where it would thin out till it circled her middle finger and was fastened by a golden band.

Her hair was let loosely behind her. A golden tiara headband with small red crystals lay on her head where it converged into a bigger red crystal on her forehead.

Her eyes locked on his and he sucked in a breath. Her brown orbs were shining golden with a few red streaked marks in them, almost as if they were set aflame.

She sat crouched at the mouth of the crater, her skirt flowing around her. His gaze traveled to the hand outstretched above her to a massive fireball that was the size of the crater he was in. He widened his eyes when realization dawned on him of what was to come.

"Don't sizzle on me Gaj-nii alright?" she laughed as she hurled the fireball at her brother and leapt back quickly letting her stardress fall before positioning herself on standby.

All the onlookers except for Lucy's family sat there with their mouth hanging and eyes wide open.

"What the actual fuck?" Bickslow asked no one in particular.

"How is it possible? She is a holder type mage!" Freed inquired and Laxus was glad that his teammates asked those questions because he was about to.

"She'll tell you all later."

"Uncle Sawyer?"

"On it Red. You see all of this was to buy time for Virgo to drill the ground beneath him in a trap, they used Vulpecula to distract him with sounds and visuals and the walls of wool made him frantic he didn't notice the magic that was beneath because it surrounded him from all sides. Then the walls started closing in on him leading him to the place where the crater was dug. It was also to buy time to Lucy to prepare the fireball. And the rest as you saw, got it?"

"Yes thank you!" Red smiled up at him and he ruffled his hair.

It was a few minutes before Lucy heard a groan coming from the crater followed by a steel hardened hand appearing from the hole. He pulled himself up and glared at the blonde. He was still covered in steel as he popped his neck. "Okay, nice little trick Bunny. Now let's get serious."

The blonde giggled as she shook her head. "Are you sure you can handle it Gaj-nii?"

He growled at her. He knew what she was doing, she was provoking his ass that's what she was doing but he wasn't going to give in. He saw the shit eating grin on her face and it took everything in him to not growl again at her. Then he blinked at her, the look in her eyes reminded him of something before the Tenrou Island. Before he could dwell on it more, he was dodging attacks from both her and Loke. They worked with coordination so well it made him wonder how their attacks was flawlessly flowing like water. She would attack, Loke would shield her from Gajeel' attacks and then Loke would attack and she would protect him.

Loke sent him a Regulus punch that he was about to sidestep but was pushed right into it with a kick from behind him, he swiveled around to see a spirit that he presumed was the one he sent with Loke, the goat.

Turning his attention from the blonde was a mistake as he could sense an object coming at his face with rapid speed. He quickly turned his body and caught the object only to find that it was none other than Lucy' leg. She squeaked and he held her upside down while smirking at her.

"Were you seriously going to kick me while I'm covered in steel?"

"If you were paying more attention to your body, you would notice that your steel isn't faring well."

She laughed at his shocked face then put her hands on the ground and used the momentum to spin out of his hold, she jumped up in the air and her body glowed.

"Now Scorpio!"

"We are! Sand buster!"

Gajeel looked at his left side alarmed and was preparing an attack with his right arm to counter the sand tornado coming his way when he heard Bunny say. "Oh no you won't. Time slowed, ten seconds!"

He watched with widened eyes as his right arm completely slowed its advancement, the magic building in it slowed to an unimaginable degree before he was sent flying from the tornado, his back hitting a tree and shattering his steel armor.

He looked up to see his sister in another weird getup. She wore striped white and black pegged pants fit into black boots that reached below her knees paired with a black V-neck cropped vest with suspenders. Her hair was pulled in a low bun with a few strands framing her face. A top hat rested on her head and a gold monocle on her right eye. Her scarlet lips pulled in a smile as she looked at the look of awe on her brother's face. Playing with the golden chain that at its end was attached a gold pocket watch she advanced to him.

"So, do you forfeit? I don't want to knock you out Gaj-nii."

He looked at his right arm that was moving perfectly fine now before he covered his eyes with it and let out a laugh. "I finally get in now."

She raised an amused eyebrow at his statement. "Get what my dear brother?" she let her stardress fall once she reached him.

"This is your way of vengeance isn't it? For that week I put you through hell." He said as he looked at her with a smirk.

She sat next to him and nuzzled in his chest. "Do you really think that I am that petty that I would hold on to a grudge for seven years for what you did to me in that week where you worked me as a slave while I was pregnant mind you?"

He laughed as he embraced her. "Do you really want the answer to that Bunny?"

She hit him on his chest then laid her head on it.

He was patting her head when he grinned. "Hey Bunny?" he called out to her.

She glanced up at him through her thick lashes. "Hmm?"

"I never forfeited."

The look of mischief that passed through his eyes didn't sit well with the blonde. "What-" she gasped and scrambled to get away from him but he was quicker than her and he grabbed her insinuating his final attack, the ace in his sleeve.

Giggles and laughter rang through the clearing as the others looked on at the scene before them.

"Fuck… you… Gaj… Nii!" she said between breaths as he continued his onslaught on her.

The asshole was tickling her.

"Forfeit and I will let go." He said between laughs.

"That's… low!"

"All's fair in love and war."

"Oh fuck you…. I forfeit! I forfeit!" she yelled breathless and he stopped.

She rolled to her side trying to catch her breath while he laughed his ass out.

"What a way to go down." Jellal remarked with a smile on his face as he looked at his sister's red face.

He turned to the rest. "Alright everyone, I think it's time you do your own training."

Soon they all dispersed. Laxus was off training to the side, the Raijinshuu were sparring to the left of the clearing while team Natsu was seen throwing some spells here and there and discussing how to best use them, well Erza, Gray and Wendy were while Natsu just did his thing. Lucy called out Virgo to fix the hole in the ground and then summoned Aquarius who started playing with her kids after throwing her famous commentary at the blonde who just rolled her eyes and went to meditate.

Gajeel had started sparring with Lily in his battle form while the crime Sorciere members just sat and enjoyed the soft breeze that was causing the trees surrounding them to sway gently.

It was a moment before everything went quiet, the fighting, the spell casting, the battle cries all stopped and each individual looked in one direction. They heard a squeal and turned to see Meredy racing towards the beach. "Ah she's doing it, I wanna see it."

After that, everyone raced after her. They arrived to the scene of Lucy sitting cross legged on the sand with her eyes closed, her hands gently resting on her knees as she straightened her back. She took a deep breath in and expelled her magic out of her body.

Laxus sucked in a breath at the intensity of it. He felt her magic call out to his and his dragon purred at the warm sensation that engulfed him. He watched as golden swirls started forming around her almost encasing in a beautiful golden sphere. Her hair floated around her as she slowly started letting her magic flow away from her. Bit by bit, the sphere started to enlarge until a crack was heard.

"Is this supposed to happen?" asked Laxus in worry, first time he talked today.

"Just watch." It was Ultear that responded and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I wonder what she's gonna make this time." Meredy thought out loud as she looked at the cracks that were forming in the sphere.

One final crack and the sphere shattered completely leaving behind it golden marks floating in the air.

"No way." Levy breathed as an awe washed over her at the sight of the marks.

"It's the Fairy Tail guild mark." Gray looked on at the blonde in astonishment, he was beyond proud of her for how far she came and he couldn't wait to see her different tricks when he battled her.

"Alright come on, we seriously need to work." Erza commanded the team and they followed, but even as she was leaving she looked back at the blonde to see her with a serene smile on her face. She in that moment, truly looked like an angel.

Everybody after that went back to their own thing.

Macbeth was about to faint.

Why?

Because he lost Red. They were going about their day normally when Red came up to him and asked him if he could take him to get some ice cream. Macbeth agreed, he knew an ice cream store on the port that was near the villa so he took Red hand in hand and went to the store.

What he didn't expect was for the store to be tight packed with people. So he told Red to wait outside for him on a table that he was able to keep an eye on even from the store as he went and made the purchase. As he stood in the line, his eyes were glued to his nephew. It was the two minutes that he placed the order in that Red was gone and Macbeth panicked.

He searched everywhere, from the other stores to the port where he highly doubted Red would be but didn't put it past him. It wasn't until he rounded a corner from a clothing store that he heard two girls talking to someone.

"What's your name boy?" one of them asked all nicely but even Macbeth was able to see through that kindness of hers, she sounded too fake. Upon further inspection, he found out that the two girls were teenagers one with black short hair and the other with auburn long wavy hair. He was baffled as to why two teenagers were talking with Red, he stayed behind the wall as he studied the situation.

"Why do you ask?"

"We just want to know who was that man that was accompanying you." the one with the auburn hair replied, also in a fake cheery tone that caused him to wince.

Little Red cocked his head to the side, confused. "Why?"

"Oh just tell us what's his name." the black haired huffed while her friend sent her a glare.

"Keep calm Kia or we won't get anything like this."

"Well Mia why the fuck are we talking to the kid when we could be talking the guy?"

'Good question'. Thought Macbeth as he continued looking at the situation.

It was almost like a light bulb went on in Red' mind as he looked at the two girls with wide eyes and an 'o' forming mouth. He shook his head then laughed causing the two girls to give him weird looks.

"What are you laughing at boy?" Kia snarled at the kid that she felt was mocking them.

He stopped laughing and looked at her then flashed her the most innocent smile except his eyes were anything but. "I finally get it. You two are trying to get my uncle using me. But it won't work, uncle already has someone and she is far more beautiful than you could ever be." With that he turned on his heel and walked away leaving behind him two shocked teenagers and one uncle that was wishing the ground would swallow him and rid him of his embarrassment. How little Red knew of this was beyond him and he was going to find out.

He saw Red waiting for him back at the table so he went and grabbed their order, gave the man some few jewels because he left the way he did and then went to Red.

"Here you go, chocolate and strawberry." He handed the cone to Red and licked his own mint chocolate ice cream.

He sneaked a glance at Red to see him already looking at him. He groaned and almost rolled his eyes. Stupid dragon slayer senses.

"You know them?" Red asked as he continue to lick his cone.

"No. Never met them in my life." He then took a deep breath and voiced the question that was swirling in his head. "How did you know I already have someone?"

He almost chocked on his ice cream at the devious look the little blond sent him.

"First, you always smell like her and she smells like you too. Second, I always hear strange noises from your bedroom at night but never understand what they me- uncle Macky are you alright?" the little boy asked worried as he saw his uncle's pale skin go even paler.

"Uh Red let's keep this between us, let's not tell mommy."

"Why?"

"Because it's a secret between men and girls can't find out, alright?"

"But auntie Sorano isn't a man and she knows, she always smells like you. Sounds like you just don't want mommy to find out."

Macbeth was about ready to throw himself in the seas and drown very slowly. He wasn't getting anywhere with Red and if Lucy, sweet darling Lucy, the woman he considers a sister, finds out that her son heard him while he was making love she would, without a doubt, Lucy kick him to oblivion and then squeal and ask for details as she hugged him in that distinct order.

Red saw the look of fear in his uncle's eyes and smirked. Macbeth noticed it and this time rolled his eyes. "What do you want to keep your mouth shut you little demon?"

"I want half your share of mommy's special pancakes this Christmas."

Macbeth looked at the little blonde that didn't even take time to think about his request, almost as if he was waiting for that moment for a while now. With a reluctant nod and a handshake Midnight agreed to the terms. "Deal."

"Happy to do business with you." Little Red had the nerve to say before he continued enjoying his ice cream.

Bickslow found a great shade under a large tree and sat there. Slowly he took off his helmet and fixed his hair. He sighed then leaned back on the tree with his eyes closed, before opening them once more and the usual dark red was replaced by a bright green color as he activated his magic. He looked around at the others and noticed that not one of them was aware of his whereabouts which is how he liked it. He didn't want anyone to know of what he was going to do, but it had been bothering him ever since he met her again and he wanted to check it out.

With his magic, he could do a lot of things. Most of them were terrible: binding souls, controlling them or completely eradicating them from existence. But the other things he could do were somewhat of a safe haven to the seith mage. He could see souls, sense the emotions swirling around them. If he were to picture it, it would be like a crystal ball, the color whatever the personality is like, and swirls surrounding it, protecting it. Those swirls are the emotions, aspirations, dreams, memories, all coming together to protect the soul. That was what he enjoyed seeing, more so when he was able to help them, mend them in a way that helped them move forward. What has to be the best thing to ever witness, is the bonds between different people, how they reach out, entangle around the other in a warm embrace.

Slowly, his eyes roamed across each person that was training in the field until he landed on the one he was searching for.

Lucy Heartfilia, or as he likes to call her, Cosplayer.

She was by far the most amazing person he had ever met, on par with Laxus himself in the imaginary pedestal that Bickslow created. She was forgiving, loving, loyal to a fault and a fierce protector of her family. She is what he would say and others would definitely agree to as the light of life.

So why?

Why was there a slither of shadow whispering around her golden soul? Trying to latch itself on her perfectly yellow golden soul that was dimmed in some places, previous loses no doubt about that, however her soul still shined brightly and warm. But that slithering shadow, kept hovering around it, trying to find an opening in where it can fixate itself into her soul. He was worried at the consequences of that thing that might as well be suffocating her soul, but she looked fine, acted fine and still laughed and joked about everything going on around them.

Was it because of the last mission she took? Could be, he remembers when she came back she didn't go to the guild for a week, if it weren't for Jellal reporting the mission to master Makarov he wouldn't have even have known that she was back.

Bickslow shook his head, he sensed that whatever was going on was more than that. And he needed someone to talk to about what he found out of the blonde, he didn't want to stay quiet about this. Not when it could mean danger to her. His eyes widened when he thought of the perfect person to share this with. Sure he never sat with the guy and the only interaction they had was through Cosplayer and on this vacation itself. But if there was anything concerning the soul that someone other than him would understand it would definitely be Cobra. His soul listening magic would be perfect in this situation to try and find out what the hell is wrong with Lucy.

So he diverted his eyes from Lucy and searched for the head of maroon hair with his green eyes. He soon found him and was about to walk up to Cobra when he felt the air sucked out of him and he stumbled back. Looking back at the slayer, Bickslow widened his eyes at what he could only define as a complete mess of a soul that the slayer housed.

It was grey, depressing, and if he could hear it, it definetly would have been screaming. Pain, confusion, hurt, anger, frustration, loneliness… Bickslow was almost chocking on the strong emotions that his soul conveyed, that he could see swimming in threads around his very core. The core that was slowly cracking, small fissures forming here and there with the violet light slowly becoming dimmer and dimmer.

Bickslow' eyes roamed his soul to find the cause of such misery, destruction. And after five minutes he found it. A cord that extended from the core almost as if reaching to hold on to something, waiting for something to envelop it, was completely shattered into tiny pieces that had Bickslow wondering if they could ever be mended. But there was one thing that kept the soul from shattering completely, a band of gold that surround his core with some branching going into the grey swirls that surrounded his soul. He could only assume that it was his bond with Cosplayer.

"What the fuck could have done this?" the seith mage whispered as he continued staring at the soul that was coming closer to him. He couldn't keep his eyes off of it but the way it was coming closer had him tilting his head until he looked up and saw enraged indigo eye staring at him as he closed in on him.

Bickslow was quick on his feet, his arms outstretched before him in defense as he tried reasoning with the pissed off slayer coming his way. "Hey man I didn't mean to- EEK!"

Cobra grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him away from the rest. It was at that moment that Bickslow knew he fucked up badly, when his only salvation was that he was close to friends which made him feel somewhat safe, flew out the fucking window.

Once they were a safe distance away, Cobra shoved Bickslow on a tree and growled in his face. "What the fuck did you see?"

Bickslow was trying his hardest not to shake, this wasn't the same man that was taking a bath with them last night in the hot springs, of that he was sure. "Look, I didn't mean to, I was just searching for you to tell you something-"

"What. The. Fuck. Did. You. See?" Cobra repeated once more, his glare hardening at the seith mage that gulped.

"You- your soul, shattering…"

After a few seconds, Cobra let him go and Bickslow slid down the tree, his knees giving out on him.

Cobra turned his back on him, took a deep breath to reign in his anger then looked back at the mage that was lying on the grass. "You will not tell this to anyone, you fucking hear?"

Bickslow, who stood up from the grass when he was addressed, furrowed his brows. "Listen up man, it's obvious you are hurting, you shouldn't keep it in."

Cobra rolled his eyes. "I'm fine freak eyes. Why don't you fucking mind your own business?" the slayer growled as he started going back to the others but was stopped when a hand landed on his forearm. He turned ready to strike whoever touched him but saw that it was Bickslow and refrained from doing this. "Take your hand off of me fucker."

"You want to be a little bitch about it? Fine, then be one. But I actually needed to talk to you for a fucking reason, it's about Cosplayer."

Cobra' demeanor completely shifted and he stood facing the man before him completely. "What about Sunshine?" he asked, the worry quite clearly evident in his tone.

"Her soul… there is something weird with it. Have you heard anything out of her?"

This had Cobra frowning, he was next to her this morning and her soul was completely normal, soft lulling music with a beautiful serenity to it. That's what her soul was, and that's what he tuned into whenever he needed to relax, to let go, much like how he is feeling now.

"Are you fucking high? Her soul is perfectly normal."

Bickslow wanted to punch the man. He really did, but he opted to groaning. "You can't see souls like I can, there is something that was swirling around her soul, dark, sinister, I could sense that it means no good."

Cobra' scowl turned deeper, he could sense that the man wasn't lying. The fact that he was telling the truth is what set him on edge. Dark? Sinister? Sunshine doesn't need that now, not after what happened at the village.

He glanced at the man before him and nodded. "I'll keep my ears sharp in case I heard anything."

Bickslow nodded his head in agreement. "Alright. But man?"

Cobra put a hand up, already hearing through his soul where this was going. "Don't."

"Look man I get it, alright? Bottling it up won't work. Your soul is practically crying! I know you don't want to worry Cosplayer but talk to someone about it."

"Who? You?"

"I won't judge."

"No you fucking will. I know exactly how your reaction would be and I can't have that. I won't do this to her. So fuck off and keep quiet about it." With that Cobra stormed off leaving behind him a very confused Bickslow.

'What did he mean by, he won't do this to her?' Bickslow looked after the slayer before he shrugged and went back to the others, all the while keeping an eye on a certain blonde and now a certain slayer.

XXX

It was dusk time now. The stars shone brightly as they welcomed the moon into their embrace. Casting a soft blue hue at the people that sat around a campfire, sharing stories and laughing together.

"Alright. Alright. Enough chit chat. How about a little game?" suggests none other than Sawyer.

Ultear hums as she looks at him. "And what do you propose?"

He smirks as he answers. "Truth or dare."

A series of groans could be heard from the group.

"Seriously man? That's boring." Gray mutters as he drinks his cocoa.

"But, with a twist." Sawyer continues as he realizes he now has their attention. "Anyone that refuses to answer or do the dare requested from them, takes a shot."

"You just want us drunk." Sorano snickers as she looks at the blond man who sends her a wink.

"This could go wrong very fast." Richard remarks.

"Tell me about it." Jellal agrees as he looks at the group that was sitting around the fire. The things that could go down are already giving him a headache.

"Come on, it's the perfect game. Especially now that the kids are asleep." Sawyer looks to his side to see the kids fast asleep in the embrace of Wendy and Meredy, who are as well asleep.

"I'm cool with it." Lucy says and immediately, Sawyer is beside her.

"That's because you are fun sweets. The others are just blockheads. No offense Richard."

"None taken." Richards puts up an arm and continues his drink.

"Well then, since Sunshine agrees to it. I'm in."

Sawyer laughs as he calls out to Sebastian and asks him to get the drinks. He helps Lucy in taking the kids to their rooms then comes back to find the drinks prepared.

"Now then, I hope everyone knows how to play this game?"

Everyone nods their heads.

"Great. I'll go first." He brings an empty bottle and flips it. It lands on Levy who immediately turns beet red.

"Levy-chan~"

The women laugh as he dances her way and plops down next to her.

"You are such a tease Sawyer." Lucy giggles as she looks at Levy to her left, noticing how the poor girl got even redder.

"Oh I'll be nice. I promise." He turns to the blue haired girl and sits in front of her with his head resting on his palms. "So Levy-chan, truth or dare?"

The meek girl squeaks as she answers. "T- truth."

"Well. A word on the street goes that someone has captured your book loving heart. Care to share who?"

"Stars Sawyer. Going hard from the start?" Lucy shakes her head as she looks at her brother with a smile on her face.

Sawyer points to himself and answers. "I have not done anything dear sister. She could choose to either answer or drink."

They all look back at Levy who was debating with herself whether she should go through with it or not. A set of eyes was watching her like a hawk trying to gauge out what's going through her mind.

"Oh fuck it." She says as she takes the shot and drinks it.

"Levy!" Lucy looks at her with wide eyes before she laughs and the others join her.

"Nicely done Shorty. Nicely done." Sawyer commends as he settles back in his seat.

Jellal takes the bottle and spins it. It lands directly on Lucy.

"Oh fuck." She grumbles causing him to laugh.

"Come now Lu. I'll be nice I swear."

"I highly doubt it. I want…" she racks her mind as she looks at him. She knows she's fucked either way no matter what she chooses. He has ammunition in both. "I'll choose dare."

He laughs before he sets the shot in front of her, already knowing that she's going to need it.

"That confident huh?" she quirks an eyebrow at his actions.

"Oh trust me, you are definitely not going to do it." He assumes the position Sawyer was in as he continues. "So Lu, we went on different missions together as Crime Sorciere. And we, as a guild, had to do a lot of things in order to succeed in some missions."

Lucy pales as she understands where this is going. "You fucking wouldn't."

A laugh escapes him before he resumes. "In the mission we went on as a duo, you had to do something to garner the attention of everyone there. Why don't you give us a glimpse of what you did back there?"

Lucy, without missing a beat, takes the shot and downs it. Jellal bursts out laughing as he looks at her face, already starting to get red from the alcohol.

"Just know Blueberry, that you started this war. You did." She warns him as she looks away from the crowd that was eying her.

"Sunshine/ Bunny, what did you do?" both slayers glance at each other before they focus on their sister.

"Nothing!" she quickly answers. In her moment of embarrassment, the wall that she usually puts up around her to keep Cobra out of her mind, falls.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" He jumps up from his seat as he stares at the blonde who was mortified. Jellal at this point couldn't breathe as he laid on his side.

"Fucking hell I had to alright? It was a serious mission. And we fucking agreed to not bring this up to anyone you fucking asshole!" She finishes while glaring at Jellal who was trying to catch his breath.

"What did she do?" Gajeel asks as he turns to Cobra.

"OI!" Lucy jumps up from her seat. "I took my shot so you can't say."

Cobra looks at his sister then at Gajeel before he grumbles. "Fine. But we are going to talk about this later. Fucking pole dancing…" he mutters the last bit before he widens his eye and slaps his mouth shut.

The table was silent save for one blue haired individual who resumed his laughing fit, this time harder.

Lucy looks at him, they lock eyes before she gets up and he starts running.

"FUCK! MY BAD!"

She was hot on his tail. "GET BACK HERE YOU ASSHOLE!"

"OI! BUNNY! WHAT THE FUCK!" yells Gajeel into the night as he looks at his sister who at the moment reached the other slayer and is preparing for a Lucy kick.

Cobra's eye widens. "Wait! No! No! We can talk about this! You can tell them about something embarrassing I did."

Her legs stops midair. Her voice turns sinister. "Are you sure about that?"

He gulps. "It's either this or your kick and I pretty much prefer to keep my bones intact, thank you."

She lowers her leg and turns to the table with a big smile on her face. "Let me tell you guys about a bet we made about the kids that he lost to."

"Fuck!" cobra groans from behind her as she continues the story of how he became their maid and wore a dress for an entire day.

The whole table laughed at the misery of the poison dragon slayer as he sat there on the ground looking at his demon sister while she happily told the story.

The night continues, and before long almost everyone on the table is tipsy and some completely drunk.

Freed turns the bottle while trying to regain his composure from his previous shot. It lands on Lucy.

She immediately holds up her hand and answers. "Truth." She isn't going to risk another dare leaving her breathless. The last one was given to her by Gajeel and it was to endure five minutes of tickles. Safe to say she doesn't feel her sides.

"While you were battling, you used many new forms and spells that we haven't seen before. Can you please tell us about these new abilities?" he asks, sincerely curious.

The whole table quietens after that, all the newcomers interested in hearing her explanation.

"Of course I could. So I used three new spirits today that you guys haven't seen before. First one is Vulpecula, she is the fox spirit and can use illusion magic. She's the one who created all these fake Lucys that attacked Gajeel."

"Lovely." He rolls his eyes at the memory.

She winks at him and continues. "Second one is Ankaa. He is the phoenix spirit, has both human and phoenix form and uses fire magic as well as healing magic."

"I wanna meet him." Natsu quickly says.

"Later. Right now I honestly can't summon any spirit. And lastly, Equeeleus the foal. He uses time slowing magic. But to make it work is kind of hard. You see you need to map the zone you want to slow the time in, which is what I was doing when I fought Gaj-nii hand to hand."

Freed lets out a breath after she finishes. "Wow. This is simply marvelous. I never knew that you can do such things with celestial spirit magic."

Lucy beams at him. "I know right. It just seems limited when in reality the things you can do and learn are just endless."

Freed hands the bottle to Bickslow, who turns it and uses one of his totems from under the table to knock it slightly so that the bottle shifts towards Lucy. He needed to make sure of what saw and this was the perfect opportunity, surrounded by people who love her and won't judge her.

Cobra gave him a side eye, he knew of his devious plan and wanted to call him out on it but decided otherwise. He isn't going to lie, he wants to know if something is wrong with his Sunshine.

Laxus wanted to intervene. He knew Bickslow was up to no good. But when he saw Cobra bite his tongue on the matter he hesitated. He thought Bickslow was gonna prank the blonde somehow but now he was alert that something serious was going on.

"Stars, me again. Ah, I choose truth." Lucy says as she looks sleepily at the seith mage.

"What happened on your last mission?"

Her mood immediately switches from relaxed to tense. She straightens up and looks him in the eye. He was waiting for an answer. A serious one. This wasn't a game anymore.

"You fucking idiot." Cobra growls as he looks at the seith mage.

"Why do you ask?" she inquires. Her tone flat.

Everyone notices the shift in the mood instantly. They all look at her expecting an answer, save for the ones who already knew of the mission.

"I want to know because you haven't been the same after you've returned from it. And I want to see if I can help." He answers truthfully.

She wanted to be happy that he cares for her and wants to help her, but all he did was remind her of her failures.

"I failed the mission." She admits in a whisper.

"What?" Natsu looks at his team, checking to see if he heard correctly before focusing on her. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes are downcast when she answers, focusing on the swivel of her drink. "It should have been an easy solo mission. Except it was a trap to get me alone. I got caught and failed to protect the people I was meant to and they…"

She grows quiet. Her shoulders slump as she takes a deep breath in, trying her hardest not to cry.

Cobra sat up trying to reach her. "Sunsh-" his words dies in his throat right away. A shadow was looming over her, seeping out of her the more she continues talking.

"And they died. And it was my fault. I failed to protect them." A tear escapes her eyes before several more follow. All the while, the shadow was continuing to materialize behind her, growing in intensity from her sadness.

"LUCY!" Ultear slams her hands on the table, garnering the attention of the blonde. The shadow disappears at once, leaving only the blonde with flowing tears down her face.

"He has been conducting experiments on them for years. And this may sound harsh but it's the fucking truth, they were going to die either way! You need to stop blaming yourself for things that you have no control of at all, what happened to you was just a bad coincidence. You are not responsible for their deaths, he was. And that's final!" Ultear lets out a breath after she was done with her rant.

Her eyes soften at the shaky form of the blonde. She goes to her side and helps her up. "Come on, you need some sleep."

She takes her away from the table and into her room where she stays with her.

Cobra looks at Bickslow. "Well fucking done four eyes. Amazing work. Is this what you hoped to accomplish?"

"I told you there was something wrong with her and you just didn't believe me. I wanted to make sure and it was the only way, and thanks to that we know that there is something fucked up with Cosplayer."

"We already knew that." Jellal stands between the two.

Both Bickslow and Cobra look at him. "What?"

The blue haired mage heaves a sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose. "It appeared before, this shadow thing, when she was on the mission."

Cobra looks enraged. "And you never thought to tell me?"

"We wanted to." Macbeth intervenes. "But when you returned, you seemed like you had a lot on your plate and we didn't want to add more."

Cobra takes a deep breath and lets it out. "No matter what I'm going through, anything that concerns Sunshine is something of utmost priority."

"You think we don't know that?" Sorano eyes the slayer with discontent. "But imagine having two of the people you care about, each on one end and you have no idea how to approach them about what they're going through."

"What do you mean?"

Cobra swivels his head when Richard speaks up. "She means that yes, Lu is a priority, but so are you. We are family Cobra, no one is worth less than any other. We wanted to include you on this problem but you are dealing with something and we want to help you both. We're not gonna weigh you down with the problem when you are already going through something."

Cobra wanted nothing but to tear his hair out. "Look I'm fine. I can take it."

"Is that why your soul is shattering?"

Cobra was on Bickslow in a second. "Listen here you little fuck, you have been pushing your luck for the whole day now and-"

He was carried off of him by Jellal. "Snap out of it."

Jellal pushes him back and glares at him. "What the hell does he mean Eric?"

"Nothing. I am fine!"

"No! You clearly aren't! Because you never in your life would have pounced on him like you did just now. So I'm going to repeat myself one more time, what is up with you Eric?" Jellal stands firm in front of the slayer.

Cobra looks at him then at the others. He can't say it. He can't fuck her up like this. He looks at the sky and watches the stars. He can't fucking say it no matter how much he wants to, he can't.

He faces Jellal once more. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong with me."

Jellal looks at him before he massages his temple. "I swear to God, you two are making me age twenty years each day. What is up with this stubbornness? She refuses to talk from one side and you do from another. What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to help you two? We can't hear thoughts like you do. And you should know better by now that we won't judge Eric. We went through a lot of shit together and we've always been by each other's side. So let us help you!"

It's quiet after Jellal's outburst. Everyone was looking at Cobra, waiting for him to speak up and tell them what's bothering him, save for two people.

These two were staring at each other intensely.

"Same one isn't it?" Laxus asks the iron dragon slayer sitting before him.

The slayer doesn't voice his answer, he simply nods.

"You know where he is?" Laxus growls, garnering the attention of the others.

Jellal steps up. "What are you guys talking about?"

Both slayers turn to him. Gajeel speaks up first. "About the whole Fantasia ordeal. You guys know that Laxus was controlled…" a growl was heard but Gajeel paid it no mind. "… by a shadow, and we believe that the shadow back then, is the same as that one."

Sawyer puts his hand up. "Hold up. You guys think that the fucker who controlled Laxus back then is trying to do the same with Lu?"

"It sure smells the same." Laxus points out.

"What do you mean?" Jellal questioned.

"Back then, when I used Fairy Law and the shadow dissipated from me, I was able to detect a vile scent. It's the same one that I smelled from this shadow just now." Laxus explains.

"So, in other words, this is a huge problem." Cobra groans.

"If the shadow was able to control you, make you do things that you wouldn't normally do, that means that it can also fuck up your brain. Could explain why Lu continues to think it's her fault." Sorano comments.

They all nod.

"We need to catch that fucker before he seriously hurts Bunny. I'll start searching about him."

"I'll help. I know some few people who can get us information." Laxus says while getting up.

"This could be another ploy from Ivan, so we need to proceed with caution." Freed mentions.

They call it a night and go to sleep, each thinking about different things that feels heavy on their hearts and minds. It started out as a fun night only to end in a somber mood.

XXX

Lucy wakes up the next day with the worst headache of her life.

"Ugh, I'm never drinking again." She groans as she puts pressure on her head in an attempt to relieve the pain. She doesn't remember anything from last night after she got drunk and she has a feeling it's for the best.

"Over here, over here."

"Lightning dragon's roar!"

Laughter was soon heard from outside her window. She smiled when she listened to her kids training.

"That was an impressive roar Red." Came a gruff voice.

Lucy widens her eyes and hastily walks to her window. She looks down to find a scene that will forever be etched in her memory.

The three kids were surrounding Laxus as he told them how they should meditate and how the boys should better relieve their magic containers. They circle around him and sit on the grass, all taking a deep breath before closing their eyes and starting their meditation.

Her eyes travel to the serene smile on Laxus's face as he watched the kids try their hardest to concentrate on their meditation.

Red cracks open one eye before he quickly shuts it and lets out an evil smirk. He lifts his pointer finger and points it at Layla, then he lets out a small zap before he frowns. She didn't let out any sound. Something was not right, he figures. He cracks his eyes open once more only to find his father staring at him with a smirk, Red's pointer finger pressed into Laxus's finger.

"You are a mischievous little one aren't you?"

Red giggles at his father's remark before he closes his eyes once more, trying to regain his focus back on meditation.

Laxus could feel her gaze on him, it somewhat soothed him and agitated him at the same time. He just hoped that he wasn't letting her down with how he is handling the kids. He knows it's not his place to hang out with them now, or even have the privilege of being called a dad when she was the one who raised them. He just wanted to right his mistakes and see where it'll lead him. He knows what he wants in his heart. He wants her, he wants the kids. But Laxus knows that in this matter, he can't be selfish. When it comes to what happens to them, the choice is up to Lucy. And for now, she seems okay with him. Which makes him very happy to know.

He wants to know what kind of expression she might have on her face now but he doesn't want to make it obvious that he knows she's watching them. So he shifts in his lightning mode for a second then shifts back.

The kids all open their eyes.

"Daddy what happened?" Layla asks worried as she saw a red tint on her father's face.

He clears his throat and pats her head. "Nothing, continue your training."

He wants to punch himself in the face for acting like a lovesick teenager who never experienced attraction in his life. But he knows that for the rest of his life, he would never forget the image of Lucy sitting on the window, her head laid on her palm as she looks at them with the fondest and warmest smile on her face. How her golden locks were swaying gently with the wind, and the way her brown eyes were closed halfway in content.

XXX

After that night, they spent a week full of fun and training before each team departed on their own to train. Two months and a half later, the participants were announced and Lucy was shocked to know that she was chosen alongside Natsu, Erza, Gray and Wendy. It reminded her of the old times and made her feel nostalgic.

A week and a half later, they were on their way to Crocus, where the Grand Magic Games will be held.

Disembarking from the train, Lucy looks at the capital that she knows by heart and smiles. "It's time."

Author's note:

Thank you everyone for your continuous support for this story even though that it has been a long time since I last updated it. The thing is, I fell out of the fandom for a bit and I'm getting back into it. I will continue this story for sure and I will try to post more regularly. Thank you again for being the best supporters there is 3

SIGNING OUT, KAWAIINECKO!