18 Chapter 18

"What happened to your face?"

Natsu scowled at the blonde's question, a pout appearing as he puffed out a small wisp of flame and looked the other way. The two had gone out for the morning after Lucy had realized there wasn't nearly enough food to feed them all, and Erza had offered Natsu's services on helping her out. Natsu's mood, already dark from the previous evening, had gone berserk, putting him in an angry way that had Lucy flinching at the furious look he wore.

"Erza," he grumbled. "She was mad that I burned your place down, even though I told her it was 'cause someone attacked us." Onyx eyes gleamed like hard obsidian as he growled, "She wouldn't listen."

Lucy shook her head with a look of sympathy. "Sorry. I should have mentioned it. Then you wouldn't have ended up with that bruise…" Guilt slashed through her. She'd learned throughout the night that Erza was anything but patient and hadn't been surprised when a black eye had appeared on his face in the morning.

He huffed. "Whatever."

Pressing her lips together in a hard line, Lucy decided to change the subject, smiling brightly. "I'm excited," she said cheerfully. "We're going to meet with the client after we drop the groceries off for Happy to put away. This'll be the first job I've ever gone on as a mage - not that I can do anything - but I think it'll be fun. What do you think, Natsu?"

"Meh," he answered, rubbing the back of his head, shoving his other hand into his pocket. "Not as fun as the the ones where I get to fight...guess it'll do though."

It was Lucy's turn to pout as she tucked her hair behind her ear with her free hand, the other ladden with more than a few bags of groceries. She huffed, shifting them to her other hand as she mumbled, "Well you don't have to come then, Mr. Grumpy. If it's such a boring job, I'm sure Erza, Gray, Happy, and I can handle it." Jeez...what happened to his happy attitude from when he first showed up?

His eyes snapped to her annoyed face, growing wide. "I didn't say I didn't want to come," he protested, his voice becoming a soft whine.

"Seems like you don't to me," she answered snippily. "I don't know why you're so irritable about Erza and Gray coming, but it's getting on my nerves, so cut it out."

Natsu blinked. "...I'm not irritable."

Lucy gave an exasperated groan, waving at him with a snapped, "Then what is this?!"

"What is what?"

"You - no, I give up. Take these groceries." Lucy shoved the bags into his hands with a scowl on her usually happy face. There was a frustrated look in her eyes as she said, "I just thought it'd be fun to have a few more people come help us out, even if it does mean splitting the money up more. I thought it'd be fun to get to know a few of the Fairy Tail members a bit better, but you know, guess not."

Natsu looked lost as he demanded, "What the hell are you talking about, Luce?"

"I'm talking about your bad attitude," Lucy retorted. "You got all bitter when I asked if I could invite Erza to help. You got annoyed when they showed up even though you knew that Erza was coming, and were being a jerk, and you're being a complete and total - screw it. Go home." Now in a bad temper, Lucy crossed her arms tightly, turning her face away, looking frustrated. "I'll go meet with Erza and Gray by myself."

"But Luce-" Natsu's protest was cut off when she shot him a glare that was rimmed with angry tears. He looked astonished for a moment, and then mumbled, "Fine...but be careful, kay? There's probably a bunch more people like Bora hanging around."

"Yeah, yeah," Lucy muttered, waving him off impatiently. She stormed off, her teeth grinding as she fought the urge to shed the lingering angry tears.

Damn, she loved this new life, where she actually had friends.

But she hadn't realized having friends could be such a pain in the ass, too.

Using her phone to check which address she was supposed to head for, Lucy made it there in record timing, but was relieved when she saw that Erza and Gray were already there. At Erza's questioning look, she said simply, "I told Natsu to head back since he was being cranky."

"I see," Erza murmured.

"Don't worry," Gray said with a smirk. "He's just upset that we think he can't handle helping you on his own without anyone else's help."

"...it might actually be that." Erza tapped her chin with a thoughtful expression. "I've noticed that he hasn't been as cheerful as I know him to be."

Lucy groaned in exasperation, following them as they started for the door of the decent looking building they'd arrived at. "Great. I just thought it'd be better to have you here because I didn't think I would be able to help out as well as I should be able to."

"If it makes you feel any better," Erza offered, "You have done a surprisingly excellent job on keeping his habits in check."

Gray only snorted, halfway through yanking his shirt off - though he did stop when Erza glared at him and rapped her knuckles sharply on the door.

"You really need to stop that," Lucy commented.

"I can't help it," the ice-make mage huffed.

"You will refrain from doing it while we're conversing with our client," Erza threatened.

"Y-yes, ma'am."

A man answered the door, dressed in a sharply pressed suit with a cautious smile on his face. "Hello," he greeted carefully, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes," Erza answered. She rolled up her sleeve, showing the blue emblem on her upper arm, and when Gray lifted his shirt to show his, Lucy decided to copy and raise her own hand, showing him the pink Fairy Tail emblem on the back of it. "We're mages of Fairy Tail, and we have been requested as an escort for the daughter of one of the generals of the king's army? We're here for the details of our work."

"Of course. Excuse my rudeness," the man said hastily. He waved them inside quickly, and Lucy stuck close to Gray and Erza as they slipped inside.

It had been a while since Lucy had been in such a grand building. Her eyes scanned the beautiful hall they stepped into, and she swallowed thickly, distantly reminded of the cold and lonely corridors of the Heartfilia Estate she'd left behind two years before. Just the thought had her head spinning, wanting the comfort she couldn't have.

"Lucy?" Gray said suddenly, frowning. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she forced herself to answer, her voice thick with emotion despite her words. He didn't look like he believed her, but he said nothing. They followed the strange man through the hall and down another until they reached a door. He knocked, calling quietly for a "Miss Swanson", and a light voice answered for them to enter.

She was sitting on an expensive looking and comfortable chair. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head, her form clad in a long dress that covered her from throat to toe and reminded Lucy of the ones she'd once had to wear. It wasn't as big, instead hugging her slim form, but it did the job to make her look professional, almost regal. Her large blue eyes were narrowed suspiciously as she studied them, the thick lashes that framed them brushing her cheeks when she blinked. Her voice was cold as she said, "Who are these people?"

"Fairy Tail mages, hired by your father," the man said firmly, bowing his head respectfully. Lucy instinctively felt a flash of dislike towards her when a look of annoyance flashed across her face. "Here to learn the details on where they will be escorting you to, Miss Swanson."

"I see. You may leave." When the man had left, she introduced herself. "I am Amelia Swanson. You are…?"

"I'm Gray Fullbuster," Gray offered, not seeming the least bit bothered by her attitude.

"And I am Erza Scarlet," Erza told her.

When Lucy didn't speak up soon enough, Amelia turned a cool look onto her. "No need to introduce yourself," she mused after surveying Lucy's flustered appearance. The blonde's gaze grew round with shock as she tilted her head and commented, "I am curious as to what you are doing here, pretending to be a mage, however, your /highness." Stiffly, Amelia drew herself down into a curtsy.

...are you kidding me?! Lucy silently wailed, her lips pressing into a hard line. Mentally wishing for Natsu's comforting presence as Gray and Erza gaped at her in utter bewilderment, she straightened and said firmly, "I apologize, but you must have mistaken me for someone else, Miss Swanson. I am Layla Cor, a mage of Fairy Tail." Please, please, pretty please, don't say anything, Gray and Erza!

Amelia lifted her gaze. "No," she said slowly, brows pulling into a frown. "You are Lucy Heartfilia, the missing princess of Bosco. I was taught to know all of the royalty of the neighboring countries, Miss Heartfilia, and I know you all by face. I cannot possibly have been mistaken."

Panicking silently, Lucy reached for Plue's key in her pocket, wrapping her fingers tightly around it. As if to soothe her, the metal warmed. Lucy's dark eyes darted to Erza and Gray, who were both watching intently, Erza wearing a suspicious look and Gray a confused one. "No," Lucy protested again. Her voice was just as cold as Amelia's. She was using the skills she'd learned in the place she hated most. "You are mistaken, Amelia Swanson. I am not the woman you believe me to be. I am Layla Cor, a well-known author. And if you think otherwise, then I believe you should have your eyes looked at, because you are blind."

Amelia looked anything but happy about that comment. "Hm...I see." She turned her face away, gaze locking on Erza. "Keep your mages in check, Miss Titania. They are quite rude."

For once, the requip mage looked lost. "O-of course, Miss Swanson."

"Now," Amelia murmured, turning away. "I'd like to speak with you about the details of your job…"

The walk to the hotel they were currently staying in was surprisingly quiet. Lucy expected dozens of questions, demanding voices snapping at her. But they were quiet. Gray kept shooting her curious looks, and Erza looked thoughtful, her finger tapping her lip despite her lack of speech.

Lucy was about ready to explode with the anticipation she felt. Why aren't they questioning me?!

The second they were in the door, however, her thoughts were immediately distracted by a brilliantly bright grin. Natsu was there, looking completely different than he had earlier in the day. His onyx eyes were no longer full of anger, instead sparkling impatiently. His pink hair stuck up all over the place, and Happy was practically radiating energy as he zoomed this way and that around the room, crying, "Finally!"

"What happened?" Gray demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Finally learn how to grow up?"

Natsu paused to glare at Gray for a moment, then said eagerly, "Hey, Luce, guess what?" His face was close to hers, and Erza expressed her displeasure over it by glaring at him until he scurried back a few steps.

"What?" Lucy had to smile. She couldn't stop the faint smile that crossed her lips, amused by the way he was able to change her mood in an instant despite being such a jerk earlier. "I haven't seen you this excited since I let you show me that trick last week."

Natsu shoved his hand into his pocket, and then gently pushed what he pulled out into her hand, his calloused fingers warm as they closed her fingers around it. "Happy and I thought it would be a good present, since you're letting us stay with you and we burned your place down by accident. And since you said I was being mean earlier. We found it at this old antique store and bought it for ya...cost me nearly two hundred fifty thousand jewels..."

Lucy opened her fingers - and stared at the gift with a shocked look. "Natsu…" she murmured hoarsely, tears gathering in her eyes.

A silver key rested lightly in her palm. She recognized its form as some sort of clock before she lifted her gaze to give him a huge watery smile. "Thank you," she told him, voice cracking.

And then she snapped. The stress of the situation with Amelia Swanson along with her happiness over Natsu's gift mixed together and she burst into tears, throwing her arms around the dragon slayer's neck in a tight hug. He panicked, gaze darting desperately to the shocked pair of mages behind Lucy. What do I do?! he pleaded silently with his eyes.

Erza's eyes narrowed. Return it, Natsu.

Gray silently frowned, as if concerned for the celestial mage.

So, with hesitance, Natsu returned the hug, his arms wrapping lightly around her waist. She gave a small sob at the gesture, and he almost ripped away in fear that he'd screwed up, but her grip tightened, and she buried her face in his shoulder. "Lucy…?" he said softly in her ear, confused.

"Sorry," she mumbled, voice muffled. She didn't pull away, the tears coming in a new wave as she realized she hadn't been aware of just how much she needed a hug. It had been nearly seven years since she'd had any form of affectionate contact like this, since she'd been comforted.

She hadn't been allowed to have such a thing since the month before her mother died.

Sure, she'd had Levy's comfort when they'd been imprisoned, and she'd had Happy in her arms quite a few times.

But Lucy hadn't realized just how much she'd missed human contact until this moment. It brought back memories of love and warmth and of Layla Heartfilia, the now deceased queen of Bosco.

Which brought her to another point.

Natsu was more than aware of her status as a runaway princess, as was Happy and Makarov. But Erza and Gray were not and after the encounter today...she doubted she'd get away without telling them.

So, with great reluctance, she pulled away, her cheeks flushing slightly as she rasped another apology. Natsu only looked away, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. She safely tucked the silver key into her pocket, and smiled at the warmth that radiated from Plue's, as if Plue was greeting it. "I, um, owe you two an explanation," she said softly to Gray and Erza.

"I'd say," Gray mumbled, voice muffled since he was half-way through removing his shirt. "The hell was that chick going on about with Bosco's lost princess?"

"I think," Erza said firmly, gaze never leaving the tired looking celestial mage, "We should go have a seat…