15 Chapter 15

Natsu hadn't ever been the one put in charge of a situation like the one he now found himself in. Usually, he was pushed aside and Wendy was there, or someone else. Never him. He just wasn't a healer. He had been taught magic that was used for destruction, not for making someone feel better.

Yet here he was, exchanging anxious looks with Happy as he struggled to try and make Lucy as comfortable as possible. Her face was white from stress and exhaustion, though it was slowly regaining its color. He carefully swiped the dried tear tracks from her cheeks, placed her phone and Plue's key beside her on the coffee table after gently moving the celestial mage to the couch. He draped the blanket he and Happy had shared the previous night over her with the blue cat's help, then sat down on the ground beside the couch, book in hand.

"Think she'll be okay?" Happy said from his place near her head.

"Yeah," Natsu said firmly. "She'll be fine. Wendy does this all the time. She just needs some sleep. We'll keep an eye on her until she wakes up."

Happy nodded, thoughtful. Then he asked softly, "Natsu, does she really think we'd make her go back? She really sounded like she hated it there…"

The dragon slayer shrugged, gaze hardening. "We'd never send her back. She's part of Fairy Tail now." He glanced at the phone, which still showed the message that had been texted to her. He scowled. "Like hell we'll let the bastard get away with that...I'm gonna let Gramps know about the threat stuff."

"I think we need to look to get her more keys," Happy told him. "At least one that can fight, like Yukino's. That way she can have a way to protect herself."

"Good idea," Natsu agreed. He narrowed his eyes in thought. "There any magic shops in the nearby area? Maybe we can go look for one for when she wakes up…"

"Yeah!" Happy said eagerly. "And we can get her a present for letting us stay with her!"

"Even better."

The two friends exchanged a huge grin. Natsu reached for his phone. "I'm gonna call Mira, see if maybe she can let Gramps know. Anything you want me to tell them?"

"...I guess," Happy sighed. "I thought we'd be going back sooner. Can you tell Mira that I stashed my fish underneath the second to last barrel of beer? Unless Cana found it…"

"Really need to stop doing that," Natsu told him, rolling his eyes. "You know that gets us in trouble."

"What? I can't help it. I need somewhere to store my fish."

"You could just store them in our house."

"...eh. Not as funny as watching someone's face when they open something and see my fish. Remember that time Gray found 'em in his pockets?"

"...okay, that was pretty funny…"

When Lucy opened her eyes, a soft groan left her lips. She ached all over, as if she'd run a marathon though she knew better than to think she had. Her throat was pretty sore, too, but she'd blame her crying for that. Slowly sitting up, Lucy rubbed her pounding head and glanced around. Her gaze landed upon the two sprawled out asleep on the floor, and a smile flickered across her face at the sight.

Natsu was on his back, snoring happily away. His mouth was wide open, drool escaping to form a tiny puddle beside his head. His pink hair stuck up everywhere, his clothes rumpled, and Happy was curled up happily on his chest.

She only shook her head before glancing towards the clock that hung at her wall. It was nearly one in the morning, meaning she'd been out for hours. Grimacing at the thought and feeling bad for more than likely scaring the hell out of her friends, Lucy slowly climbed off the couch.

Lucy sighed heavily as she grabbed Plue's key and her cellphone, heading out of the living room to make herself a cup of tea. She paused; she made and drank a lot of tea...maybe she needed to cut back on that? Lucy smirked at the idea. She'd make some for Natsu and Happy, too, even if it was cold when they woke up.

She shoved the key into her pocket, pulling the message she'd received up as she boiled the water, doing her best to stay quiet. She pursed her lips as she read it again, remembering what had happened. I'll have to ask them to keep quiet...why is it that I'm less concerned about Natsu then I am about Happy?

Happy did seem to be someone who might spill the news to everyone and anyone.

Lucy scrubbed a hand down her face. Why couldn't she just be a normal person with a normal family and background? Why did she have to be the runaway royalty that everyone would recognize? It came with so many problems…

Lucy finished making the tea with ease, practiced movements making it quick and easy. She poured the tea into three separate mugs, put a little sugar in each of them, and then somehow managed to hold them and her phone at the same time as she went to make her way back to the other room.

She'd just stepped through doorway and back into the livingroom when a blast of heat practically smacked her in the face. She nearly dropped everything she held in shock, staring at the now wide-awake Natsu as he glared dangerously out one of the windows, the curtains pushed aside and already smoking. Setting the tea down, Lucy pocketed her phone and questioned faintly, "What's wrong?"

Happy, who'd been flying anxiously around the room, came to hover near her head. "Natsu smells someone, and he doesn't think they're friendly."

Lucy glanced to the dragon slayer for confirmation, and Natsu gave a curt nod, tugging the scarf away from his face and keeping his voice low as he said, "What he said. Smells funny, like someone lit something on fire with chemicals."

The celestial mage bit her lip. "Great," she murmured, sighing heavily. "Just what we need...tea, Happy?"

"Thanks," he said cheerfully, making himself at home and setting to work on drinking the tea Lucy had made. Lucy smiled slightly as she noticed that once again, the blue cat had one of her books out.

"There's some for you, too, Natsu," Lucy told the fire mage. She waved at the untouched mug as she sipped at her own. His onyx eyes flashed in their direction, and he gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes, full of gratitude though he quietly refused, instead turning to look back outside.

"He's quiet," Lucy noted in a mutter, well aware that Natsu could more than likely hear them.

"It's weird," Happy agreed.

"I can hear you," Natsu whined from his place at the window.

Lucy only blinked innocently. "Can you? How strange, I didn't know dragon slayers had such good hearing."

Happy laughed, draining the rest of the tea despite how hot the liquid was. As he whined about burning his throat, Lucy scowling and scolding the cat for doing so, Natsu suddenly squinted, something catching his attention. His eyes widened at the flare that lit up below, and he darted to his friends, ignoring Lucy's protest when their tea went flying. "Get down!" he snarled, dragging Lucy off of the couch and slamming her face-first into the carpet. He protectively covered her head, ripping Happy out of the way and under his arm just as the wall exploded inwards, flames licking at the walls. There were screams in other parts of the building, and Lucy grimaced, mentally apologizing as Natsu pulled away, shaking the debris from his hair. Lucy's eyes widened as she sat up, taking Happy from him.

Natsu quickly hopped to his feet, fists ablaze. A growl left his lips and his gaze darted this way and that, searching the darkness outside for any sign of that strange glow. Fire magic, he thought, suddenly slurping up the flames that had begun to rage around, making the room shiver with heat, smoke beginning to fill it. Lucy grasped Happy nervously as she stood and Natsu swiped at his mouth with a look of disgust. "Ugh. Disgusting."

"...you ate the fire," Lucy breathed, looking stunned. She'd read that it was possible, but to actually see it...

"Well, yeah," he muttered. "What else am I going to do with it? It tasted disgusting though." He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Comes in handy sometimes. I can use it against the bastard that's messing with us now."

"Do you know who it is?" Happy asked, his eyes wide.

"No." Natsu shrugged, shaking his head. "I have a guess though," he added, mind flashing back to the text Lucy had received. He cracked his knuckles, as if eager for the fight that would soon be happening. Another flare lit up in the darkness outside, and Natsu took a few steps back, readying himself when it launched into the sky. It swirled around and then darted into the room. A man seemed to step off of the strange looking flames, his gaze dark with malicious intent yet amused.

"Ah, the famous Salamander is here to greet me then?" he mused, gaze darting to Lucy for a brief moment. She tightened her grip around Happy, fearful. "The quick money won't be so easily earned then…"

"Salamander?" Lucy murmured.

"S'what other mages call Natsu sometimes," Happy reported. "Dunno how he got the name. He's not slimy."

The flames that flickered along Natsu's arms only made the room, which was lit by the light that hung above them all, glow brighter as they singed at his shirt. "I've heard of you...you're Bora. You're wanted pretty badly by the Magic Council. What do ya want?"

"Plenty of people across the sea would pay me well to have the lost princess as a slave," he answered, grinning broadly. Natsu's gaze darkened furiously, his teeth bared. "And imagine how much the king of Bosco would pay me if I "rescued" her…"

Lucy's grip tightened around Happy and the cat wheezed for breath. "Lovely," she said faintly. Damn, she seemed to be prone to this kind of stuff! Sirens filled her ears, and her eyes widened. "Natsu-"

Bora struck. That strange flame darted out, and Natsu, caught by surprise, yelped as he was sent flying. Happy stiffened from where he was in Lucy's arms, but Natsu was back on his feet in an instant, diving at Bora with a furious look, flames ablaze.

"The police and whoever else will come," Lucy said anxiously. "Happy, what-"

"Natsu's got this," he told her firmly, cutting her off.

Bora swore as he let the fire bend this way and that, his eyes darting between his goal and Natsu. Suddenly, he grinned, the fire splitting in half. Natsu gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply, strangely slit pupils becoming even more so as he prepared his attack. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Bora gave a furious snarl as a blast of searing hot fire slammed into him.

Lucy squealed as she tried to bat the flames out of her shirt before she was burned, and Happy hurried to help her. The celestial mage grimaced when they finally put it out, realizing that most of her shirt had burned away without harming her. A snicker filled her ears, and her jaw parted when Natsu shot a teasing grin her way.

...that bastard! He did that on purpose!

Flames roared around the room now, Natsu carelessly attacking in his attempt to get Bora. But Bora was sneaky, and before long, Natsu was in a rage as he shouted, "STOP AVOIDING MY ATTACKS, DAMMIT! YOU'RE BEING A WIMP!" He bellowed out another Fire Dragon's Roar, not seeming to care that the sirens were practically screaming.

Bora only smirked. "I wonder what happens when the public discovers a mage...shall we throw you out to the crowd outside and see what happens, Salamander?" A bit of fire suddenly swept Natsu's feet out from under him. Another wrapped around Lucy's ankle, and the blonde shrieked as she found herself on her back, being dragged towards the hole that was now in her wall. She ignored the singing flames blazing around them, instead gritting her teeth as she struggled to grab for Happy's desperately scrambling paws.

And then she was hanging in nothing, the dark of night hanging around her. She stifled a cry when she realized Bora's flames had turned a dark color to avoid being seen by the anxious residents awaiting for news on what had happened below.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, the flames exploding into a massive inferno that had the people outside crying out, backing away rapidly under the orders of a few police that had arrived. Bora only laughed, stepping backwards, his own flames supporting him with ease. Lucy fought furiously to see if she could pry at the tight grip he had on her, feeling sick as the blood rushed to her head. Damn, she hated being upside down!

Natsu gave another Fire Dragon's Roar, letting it billow out into the air from where he stood near the edge of the hole in the building, and Lucy shrieked, covering her face as the searing heat washed over her. Bora hissed in pain, and the flames faltered.

And then she was falling. An unintentional cry left her lips, but it was unheard by the people below, who were all watching the roaring fire with horror.

"Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" The blue cat dove out of the building and Lucy gasped as he caught her by the back of what was left of her shirt, his little wings fluttering as he kept them in the air. "Got you!"

"Thanks," she rasped, hugging her arms against the chill that suddenly washed over her. "What about-" She cut off, eyes wide with horror as she watched Natsu throw himself out of the building at the furious mage that glared at him. Natsu didn't seem the least bit concerned as both he and Bora fell, his face full of fury as he slammed his head forcefully against their attacker's.

They hit the ground rolling, and Natsu yelped when an elbow was driven into his gut. But then he was crouching over Bora, landing blow after blow until he'd finally managed to finally knock him unconscious. Happy flew over, gently dropping Lucy, and the celestial mage scrambled over to where the panting pink-haired dragon slayer was climbing to his feet, shaking his fist out with a wince. He caught sight of her and gave a huge grin. "You okay, Luce?"

"Fine," she said firmly, then glanced back at her destroyed home with a grimace. There went anything she'd ever owned outside of her phone and Plue's key. Her eyes darted to where the people had gathered, watching the officials do their job. "How didn't they notice?" she said, exasperated.

"They weren't paying attention; they never do." Natsu scowled down at the unconscious Bora. "Damn, our nullification stuff was in my bag." He impatiently yanked his scarf away from his mouth, then suddenly smirked. "Hey, Lucy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want my shirt?"

"Why would I want your-" Lucy cut off with a groan, immediately crossing her arms over her chest with a brilliantly red face. "Damn it, Natsu!" He only snickered, and Happy joined in with the smug little laughter as the dragon slayer shrugged his shirt off and yanked it over her head for her.

"Not my fault you can't keep yourself from lighting on fire," he muttered.

"Not my fault you can't control your own fire," Lucy retorted.

Happy's addition to the conversation had Lucy pinching the bridge of her nose tiredly, wanting to hit the cat.

"Aw...Natsu, you like her!"

It was just not her night.