AN: Hey-oh, fanfiction peoples! Yes, I know it's a bit early for a Christmas fic... but I just can't help myself! So, I decided to bring you a slightly early, crack-ship, holiday-themed fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!~

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, and the song, "What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas," belongs to The Emotions.

MidLu is a beautiful pairing, and if you don't like it, then don't read it - I don't want any bad reviews just because you don't like the pairing! You've been warned - bad/flame reviews will be deleted.

This is not my first fan-fiction, however, it is the first one I've uploaded on this profile, and it's the first one I've, admittedly, been semi-proud of.

Now, without further adieu, I bring you...

~*What Do The Lonely Do?*~

Written By:
Stella Nova
(S.N. Novellas)

Tis the season to be jolly...

But how can I be when I have nobody?

I walked the streets aimlessly, smiling as I passed shop windows, peering through the glass as I shuffled through the snow. It was cold out, my cheeks were pink and my nose tipped with red, but my eyes were alight with childish wonder as I watched toy trains go around their tracks, lights flickering in reds and greens and whites and golds, and little ballerina dolls twirling in the background. The Jingle Bell Rock was playing in many stores, although a few with small mangers and crosses played more serene songs. It was quiet all throughout Hargeon, not a single soul on the streets, aside from the occasional homeless man or woman, and a few late-shift workers. It was nice out, the silence and soft crunching of snow beneath my warm white boots almost relaxing.

I paused as I heard a small, petite sneeze a small way's back, and turned, moving to peer into the alley I'd just passed. I hadn't even noticed the two, a small young girl and what looked to be her younger brother curled up against the wall. The boy was rubbing his nose, while the girl wrapped her arms around him protectively as she looked up into my eyes. She had tears at the corners, but determination shone in their blue depths. She wouldn't cry in front of him, and for that, I admired her. I smiled down at the pair, pulling my bag off my shoulders and digging out one of many blankets I'd been carrying around this evening, handing it to them. "Are you all alone out here?" I asked as she wrapped the thick wool around her brother first, before taking what was left and covering her own legs.

"Daddy sent us out to surprise Mommy with a new necklace... but it snowed while we were in the shop, and everyone was moving everywhere... we got lost," the boy sniffled. "Who are you?"

"My name's Lucy," I whispered, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind my ear before extending a hand to the girl. "I'm a Celestial Mage, and I used to be in Fairy Tail. Would you like me to help you get home? I'm sure my spirits would love to help."

"Fairy Tail?" the girl asked with wide eyes, "they were the number one guild, weren't they?" I nodded my head, and she thought it over before placing her hand in my own, allowing me to help her and her younger brother to their feet.

The yuletide carol doesn't make it better...

Knowing that we won't be together...

"So, did you buy your Mommy her necklace?" I asked as I pulled out another blanket quickly, wrapping it around the girl. I placed my earmuffs over her ears, the soft pink fur tickling her cheeks, before offering my scarf to the boy. They both nodded, and the boy reached into his pocket, pulling out a beautiful silver chain with a silver heart pendant and four small gemstones.

"It has our birthstones on it, so she'll have all of us with her," the boy said. I looked down at the necklace, reading the names.

"Let me guess... you're Amelia and Casper?" I asked, to which they both nodded. "Well... would you like my friend to wrap that for you while we look for your house?"

"Yes, please!" Casper said, and I pulled out two keys, one gold and one silver.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo! Open, Gate of the Compass, Pyxis!" I chanted, smiling when the kids clapped as the two appeared. "Pyxis, can you locate Amelia and Casper's house while Virgo wraps the present they got for their Mommy?"

"Piku piku!" Pyxis chirped, and Casper watched the small bird-like spirit as Amelia was fascinated with Virgo's quick work, pulling wrapping paper and a small box for the jewelry seemingly out of nowhere.

"Your magic is so cool! Are all of your spirits like this?" Amelia asked excitedly, her hand still in her brother's as she turned to me.

"All of my spirits are unique, in their own way. Some are tall, some are short. Some can fight well, and others are skilled with singing, or knowledge. I love them all very much, though. They're my family," I said, taking the wrapped box from my maiden spirit as she disappeared with a smile and a bow, before handing the box to the young kids. "Now, let's follow Pyxis and get you home."

We all trudged through the snow, Pyxis and I working to create a clear path for the kids as we moved on. We'd walked for nearly five minutes, with Casper sniffling more than I was comfortable with, fearing he was sick, and Amelia letting out small sneezes every so often. Just as we turned a corner onto a small street, a shimmering glow appeared beside me, and I saw Loke standing in all his glory, smiling down at the kids as he held multiple cups in his arms. I took two as he held the third, eyeing him questioningly.

"Virgo told us you were accompanied by a few little friends, so Aries and Gemini insisted on making them hot chocolate. I got you some too, of course. Marshmallows and all!" he announced, smiling at the children as they beamed and held out their hands. I passed the two of them their cups, Loke holding my own for me as I warned them of how hot it was. Even after they'd had their drinks, he stayed out of his own accord, walking behind the two children and letting off a small glow, his light magic warming up the area the where two stood.

"Piku!" Pyxis exclaimed after another few minutes of travel, pointing wildly with his wings to a small home with Christmas lights adorning the bushes out front.

"There it is!" Amelia said happily, Casper too busy taking a large drink to comment, though he did jump up excitedly.

"I'll be heading back now, Princess," Loke said as the two kids ran ahead, and I nodded, allowing he and Pyxis to return before jogging to catch up with the two. We approached their door, and I quickly rang to doorbell before letting my hands rest on each of their shoulders. It didn't take long for the door to open, revealing a man with a creased brow and a woman with tears staining her cheeks. She let out a choked sob as her children ran in, hugging her and their father around the waist.

"Merry Christmas, Mommy!" Casper called. "Lookie! Miss Lucy even wrapped it!"

"Yeah! We got lost, but she gave us blankets and hot chocolate and helped us get home! We even got to see her magic!" Amelia added excitedly as the woman set her present on a nearby dresser before checking over the two.

"She did, did she?" their father asked, before turning to look at me. "Thank you, ma'am, so much. I was so worried when they didn't get back, but the police told us we should wait before we declared them missing..."

"It's all right. I hate to ask, but, can I have the blankets back? I've been handing them out to the homeless around town, and I'm running low on them... they can keep the scarf and earmuffs, though," I said, and the man smiled, before taking the blankets that the two had dropped on the floor and handing them back.

"Is there anything at all I can do to repay you? Money, food, a place to stay?" he asked, the woman looking at me and nodding her approval.

"No, thank you. Those two are safe, so it's all good! If you ever need a mage, though, you can call me by lacrima. I'm a freelance for the time being," I said with a warm smile. Honestly, I had food and money thanks to Virgo and Loke, who helped me with everything I could possibly need, even taking simple solo missions while I was off on my own to double the income. I had a camping bag in the celestial world, as well, and as much as I'd love to take them up on the offer of a bed, I couldn't possibly impose on their Christmas.

A silent night, I know it's gonna be...

Joy to the world but it's gonna be sad for me...

"At least stay for dinner, will you?" The man asked as his wife disappeared, the sound of a child crying catching my attention. So, they had three children... no wonder they hadn't gone out to search themselves, they couldn't well leave their littlest one alone.

I thought over his offer for just a moment, before sighing with a smile. "If you insist on repaying me... unless you happen to carry Celestial Keys around, I think a bit of dessert to go wouldn't hurt," I said, and he beamed, his smile identical to his little girl's, before heading back to his kitchen. He returned not long after with a plastic tupperware holding banana-walnut bread, cinnamon rolls, a bit of sliced brown-sugar ham, mashed potatoes... it was a small dinner and dessert, the bisected little box managing to hold it all.

"I know we'll have more left over than we'll need, so really... you'll be doing us a favor," he said before I could even protest. I nodded and smiled, only to blink when he continued. "As for the freelance position you're in... you know, Lamia Scale isn't too far from here. They're one of the best guilds around and could use people like you. You seem familiar, though," he stated.

"I used to be a member of Fairy Tail... I didn't do very well at the Grand Magic Games, though, if that's where you've seen me from. Or it could have been in the paper, as well, when my friends and I were trapped on an island for a few years... you know, we ended up in the paper a lot, mainly for property destruction... who knows where you've seen me," I joked, and he smiled with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry to hear about your guild, but really... Lamia Scale's a nice place. Still, if you're happy, then keep on doing what you're doing. I really can't thank you enough for what you've done for us, though... you're like a Christmas miracle," he said, and I blushed, before bowing.

"Thank you, sir. I need to keep going - I'm sure my blankets can be put to good use. I hope to see you sometime in the future!" I said with a smile, waving at the two children who stood behind him.

"Bye, Miss Lucy!" they called, and I waved one last time before turning and walking away, the sound of a door shutting heard not long after I'd left their drive. I began my walk around the town once more, and the moment I found someone in need of a blanket, I tossed it over their form, handing them the food the man had given me. She smiled down at the dinner in her gloved hands, before blinking curiously as she ran her hand along the bottom. With a small tearing sound, she pulled something from the bottom, a small bit of tape hanging off it.

I blinked, accepting the silver key from her hands with a barely breathed, "Thank you, ma'am."

"I should be the one thanking you, sweetie," she replied with a light laugh, and I smiled, before continuing my way, placing the key on my key ring to contract later. I didn't think he'd have a key just laying around, but I couldn't help but thank the stars that he did.

Once I was sure I was on my own, pausing to look around, I jumped and let out a small squeal of joy, twirling on one foot before stopping and looking down at the key once more. I couldn't contain my joy because, after losing my family to the aftermath of Tartaros and the guild's disbandment, it was breathtaking to be able to add one more member to my celestial family on the holiday when family seemed to mean everything. It was a blessing I hadn't expected, but as I regained a bit of composure and continued to the next homeless person in need of a blanket, I couldn't even dream of the smile adorning my face dropping anytime soon.

A new member of my family... there wasn't a better gift than that, and hopefully they were just as happy as I. I was certain my spirits were giving the newcomer a warm welcome.

What do the lonely do at Christmas?

Oh, what do the lonely do at Christmas time?

Just as I prepared to turn the corner, I had to pause, listening as voices reached my ears.

"This is boring as hell..." one man grumbled.

"Yes, but it's the right thing to do, and I know you can't be all that against it. Stop being such a scrooge," another male voice called.

"Really, lighten up. It's Christmas, idiot!" The third male voice was met with soft chuckles and a prominent 'tch'.

"All right, quiet down... no, they already have a blanket," the second male voice spoke again.

"Oh, yeah!" A new voice called as they neared the corner.

"I was really hoping to pass out blankets, but someone already beat us to it... perhaps I could take a nap with them, then," someone yawned, and I smiled as I realized just who the group around the corner consisted of. I beamed as I rounded the bend, one blanket folded in my arms as I walked towards the five men, all of which seemed shocked to see me.

"Hey, guys... long time no see," I greeted, and Jellal was the first to regain his composure.

"It's nice to see you, Lucy. How are you this evening?" He asked as he and the others came to a stop in front of me.

"I've been alright. I was passing out blankets for an hour until I came across two kids who'd gotten lost... I just took them back to their house. The father slipping me a new celestial key as thanks was a pleasant surprise, that's for sure," I said, only for Erik to glower.

"So you're the one that's been passing out blankets, eh? Stealing all our customers..." he muttered.

"Oh, hush, bleach-breath. Doing good isn't a competition," I replied, and he blinked at the wisdom in my insult before I grinned, "but, if it were, I'd totally be kicking your ass right about now."

"Since when did little miss innocent have a mouth on her?" he chuckled, looking at Jellal expectantly.

"She's always had one, she was just too nice to show it... or so says Erza," the bluenette replied. I nearly winced at the name, the pain still far too fresh to be mentioning them, but much to my dismay, one of the five before me seemed to pick up on it.

"What's wrong, are you and Scarlet on bad terms?" Macbeth asked, but I quickly shook my head.

"N-No, we're not on bad terms, really... we're not on any kind of terms at all, I guess," I answered with a sigh, before shaking my head. "But, it's Christmas. No room for negativity!"

The children can play with their new toys...

While their little hearts burst open with joy...

"I beg to differ," Erik grumbled, earning peals of laughter from the rest of us.

"You don't count, there's not an ounce of happy in you, Erik... they call you toxic for a reason," I said, before turning to Jellal. "Now, about those blankets... I haven't hit the East side of town yet. We could split up into groups and pass a few out if you'd like. I'm running low on blankets as it is, I might need to borrow a few."

"That's not a bad idea! Oh, yeah!" Richard declared, and Jellal nodded his agreement.

"Richard, Racer, you take four. Lucy, who would you like to work with?" Jellal asked, giving me the choice between himself, Erik, and Macbeth.

"I'll work with Macbeth," I said, knowing Jellal was the only one that could somewhat control Erik... he'd kill anyone else. Or, I guess he'd just maim them... severely maim... to the point where breathing wasn't an option... really, there was no other way to say it, the guy was an asshole and he sure as hell wouldn't be afraid to show it.

"Ah, it's Midnight, not-" Macbeth began, but I cut him off.

"No, your real name is Macbeth, so that's what I'll call you," I stated, leaving no room for argument.

"I'd rather you didn't..." he sighed, and I raised a brow at the currently makeup-less man.

It wasn't that I was trying to be mean, per se, but he wouldn't know my reasoning unless I told him. So, with a deep breath, I said, "well, you see, Midnight tried to kill me. Twice, might I add. Macbeth, on the other hand, has never tried to kill me. So, if we're doing the whole fresh-start thing, then believe me, your name is Macbeth."

He blinked, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, and the others wore matching expressions of shock.

"Midnight and Macbeth are one and the same, Lucy," he argued after a moment, albeit weakly.

"Not in my eyes. You only called yourself Midnight when you were a crazed, killing madman intent on sacrificing me to some fish-clock," Sawyer let out a chuckle at my terminology, "Macbeth, however, is someone I haven't gotten to know yet. The same goes for Erik, and Sawyer, and Sorano. You're not the Oracion Seis, you're not evil, and you certainly don't need codenames. You're starting a new chapter in your life, a good chapter... so use the name you started out with, the name you used before you were evil. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

Jellal sighed, running a hand through his hair as the three I'd named all stared at me, and I was sure Sorano would be doing the same if she were- "Speaking of which, where are Sorano and Meredy?"

"They stayed at the camp to wrap presents and make dinner," Jellal advised. "Now, you and Macbeth can use these four blankets, along with whatever you have left." I appreciated his change of topic, accepting the blankets before turning. Jellal nudged Macbeth with his shoulder, and the man seemed to snap out of his shock, shaking his head a bit before moving to fall in stride with me.

I didn't notice the look of admiration in his eyes, nor did I notice the other emotions whirling in them as we walked throughout the town. I caught small flashes of amazement when I found ways to offer more than just a blanket, giving my large overcoat away, leaving me in only a jacket. I caught the slight smile lifting on his lips when I paused to gape over a beautiful red lace gown with white snowflakes sewn on the cuffs of the sleeves, and the laugh he let out when I nearly sobbed at the price.

Still, there were many things that night, things he didn't say out loud, that I had undeniably missed.

And lovers can kiss beneath the mistletoes...

The choirs can sing those glorious songs of old...

"Thank you, young man," an elderly woman said, wrapping the blanket around herself as she huddled closer to the others of her group, who were wrapped in the last of my pink wool blankets. We only had three left, but we'd wandered all around our portion of the town. It wasn't awkward, the silence we held between us, but rather, I appreciated it. I would never admit to it, but without the make-up and psychotic gaze, Macbeth was attractive, and the soft side he had for helping those in need caught me off guard. It sent my heart into a mess multiple times, but I reigned it in as best as I could. Really, I was acting like a schoolgirl, my heart soaring with every glance he seemed to toss my way, and I barely knew him.

Well, that was a lie - with what little we'd spoken and the council reports I'd seen upon his arrest, I knew a few basic facts about him. This new side of him, though, was the side I wanted to know more about. He seemed soft-spoken, but really, he only said what was necessary. As much as I loved conversation, it was nice to know that he wasn't just filling the chat up with pointless babble. The words he let loose were intriguing, or curiosity-filled, or interesting in some other way. Yet, there seemed to be something in the way he spoke that caught my attention, something in his tone that set my nerves on fire despite the cold, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

We continued walking, heading down a long alley connected to a road we'd walked along earlier, and moved down the cobbled street. I was simply following his lead, wondering where we were headed until I saw the small forest just outside of the town.

I watched the back of his figure in curiosity, questioning why we were headed that way, where the trees were dense, but in clusters, with a few open areas between, though they were small. He weaved through the trees like a pro, almost fading into them as though he were a shadow in some places, before he came to a halt. I saw smoke rising, though it was far off, and we'd traveled at an angle, so that we could see the smoke and lights of Hargeon both from where we stood. Deviating off the straight path seemed to give us privacy, and without a single word, he took one of the last blankets and laid it out over the somewhat snowy ground, the trees having blocked some of the soft white flakes from the area. He laid down, staring up at the sky with his arms behind his head, leaving me to stand with a bag over my shoulders, a blanket in my arms, and a quizzical expression that he seemed intent on letting remain there.

Or so I thought, until his words filtered through the air. "Why do you trust so easily?" He let his question hang in the air a moment before he continued, "Why do you forgive so easily? Or... maybe what I want to know is how," he mused, his eyes roving the area before resting on me. "I can't understand how the bubbly blonde of the most goodie two-shoes guild could possibly forgive the man that tried to take over the world twice, once as the mastermind, and in both cases, would have killed her in the process of said world domination. If I were you, I wouldn't be able to say my name, let alone walk around Hargeon on Christmas with me. It seems so... far-fetched, I suppose."

"Well, if you were me, you'd forgive you, too," I said, placing the blanket in my arms down as a pillow before tossing the third over the two of us, the chill in the air getting to me. He turned as I did so, his brow raised as he wondered just how I'd come to that conclusion. "If you were me, you wouldn't have been raised in the Tower of Heaven. You would have been raised as the heir to the Heartfilia Estate, with a loving mother who taught you Celestial Magic, and a father who worked his hardest to make sure his family could live the way they wanted to.

"Your mother would have died when you were six, and your father would have turned cold because you looked exactly like her, you acted like her, and you used her magic. You would have used the resources you had in that mansion to become a decent mage and certainly an intelligent one, and you would have left the house and your neglectful father behind at the age of sixteen, travelling for a year on your own before a pink-haired, fire-breathing idiot dragged you to the guild of your dreams. You would have been dragged into an incident where a dark guild planned on murdering the guild masters with a demonic flute from the Book of Zeref, and the strongest team in the guild would be formed, even though you probably set them back. They refused to let you go anywhere else, though.

"You would have been tortured by Black Steel Gajeel after your father hired a dark guild to return you home, only for the plan to backfire when they intended to hold you for ransom. You would have fought your beloved guild mates when one went astray and forced you into battles with each other, holding the entire town hostage, before you defeated one of his teammates and proceeded to get electrocuted to save the townspeople. You would have gone to Galuna Island to save demons from a man trying to revive a larger demon from the Book of Zeref, who was just a mislead boy who would grow to be an ally in the future. You would have gone to the Tower of Heaven and fought against an assassin's guild for the sake of your red-haired teammate, who promised to liberate those who were trapped there. You would take countless missions where the people rumored to have seen a dragon, all to help your best friend find his father.

"You would have gone off to save a phoenix priestess, who became a good friend of yours, her and her pet bird... only to have her die in your arms, and her bird had died in a fire trying to save her... which he did, at the cost of his own life. You would have tried to find a way to save her, only for two of your closest friends to use the weapon that killed her, on the orders of your guild master... he was the only other person who knew the consequences, and yet, he still let her die in order to save the rest of the world. It was a painful necessity, and one I still have a hard time accepting..."

"Lucy, you don't have to-" Macbeth began, but I held up my hand.

"You would have been sent to Nirvana to help save the world, and in the end, you'd watch a little girl break down as the only family she'd known for so many years disappeared. You would have met a group of people whose pasts changed their view of the world, who'd gone the wrong way, and you would have wondered for weeks afterward how you'd managed to survive. You would have gone to an alternate dimension where your light guild was actually a dark guild, personalities were reversed, and you'd end up saving that dimension from an evil king and bringing an old member from your world back to life, in a sense... it was kind of complicated. You would have gone to Tenrou Island, you would have fought Grimoire Heart and you would have nearly had your head crushed while your best friend was on the ground, unable to reach you, only able to watch. You would have fought against a dragon, so powerful that even the strongest members of your guild, even the strongest man you've ever met, couldn't make a scratch. You would have been trapped in time for seven years, and missed the wedding of two of your friends, as well as the birth of their daughter.

"You'd be shoved into some kind of giant fish-clock, slowly being absorbed as one of your past enemies tried to sacrifice you to take over the world. You'd be able to hear all your friends fighting for you, but you'd be trapped in your own memories, reliving every dark experience you'd ever had. You'd find out that your father had tried to reconnect with you but had died in the seven-year gap where you were missing, and you'd cry for hours knowing the last time you'd seen him, you'd practically despised him. You never got to tell him you loved him, or that you missed him, and you never got a chance to say goodbye.

"You would fight in the Grand Magic Games, only to lose both battles; in one, your opponent cheated and you had no hope of winning, and in the other, you were up against someone almost as powerful as Erza, who could control the terrain while the water was a disadvantage to you, and then that woman would torture you in front of your guild. You would fight Dragons that passed through the eclipse gate, and at some point you'd end up flying across Crocus, naked." At that, I laughed, and he joined in, not expecting that little tidbit to be tossed in. Still, I needed to get my point across, so with a deep breath, I continued.

"You would watch your future-self die right before your eyes... you'd see yourself dying in your arms. You would fight against your own spirits, your own family, when magic from the Eclipse Gate overtook them and turned them into enemies. You would have fought against demons, Macbeth! Your friends would have been trapped in a curse, frozen in place, and you would be alone, facing off against three demons on your own! You'd summon three Zodiac spirits, something most Celestial mages have never accomplished, and in the end, you'd have to break a key. You'd break the key your mother left you, because you had no choice. You'd cry, you'd beg for there to be another way, but in the end, you destroyed the gate to the person you'd considered a second mother. You summoned the Celestial Spirit King, he freed your friends, and gave you the remainder of your lost spirit's power... and you killed a demon. Everyone was saved, Tartaros was defeated, and while everyone needed time to cope, you knew you'd still have a home to go back to.

"Then your heart would break into millions of tiny pieces as your best friend left for a year, leaving nothing but a note. The next day, your guild would be disbanded. Your team was gone, the team you'd come to consider a family. You'd cry for days over your lost mother, and father, and Eclair, and Momon, and Michelle, Aquarius, Natsu, Happy, Erza, Gray, Wendy, Carla, Levy... your entire guild! You'd break down because, once again, you were all alone. The one thing you hated most, and you were shrouded in it."

My voice began to crack at the end as I recounted all I'd felt, the things I'd never gotten to say to anyone, as Macbeth watched with wide eyes.

"You'd blame yourself - everyone you care for always leaves, so maybe caring for people is something you shouldn't do. You believe that for weeks, until one of your spirits comes and gives you an entire lecture on why that theory is complete bullshit. You'd travel Fiore alone, and soon, Christmas would be upon you. You've learned new spells; you've grown stronger so you'd never have to break a key again. Your spirits are all you have left, after all. Eventually, you arrive at Hargeon, just on Christmas Eve. You see so many homeless people on the streets, and that night, you make blankets for them all with your spirits, before heading out on Christmas and passing them out.

"After a while, and after helping two lost kids get home, which ended up causing their father to give you a new celestial key, you'll come across your old enemies. The man from the Tower of Heaven, the old Oracion Seis members, minus one and the ex-Grimoire Heart member, and instead of worrying about whether or not they plan on murdering you, or taking over Hargeon with some other animalistic clock, you forgive them, because you just don't have room for any more sadness and pain, and it's just easier to let the past go, and become friends with them.

"You forgive them because you're selfish, and you don't want to be alone on Christmas Day. You forgive them because it's what your mother taught you to do, and after all these years, she's still the only person you want to make proud. You forgive them because you've been alone for months with these thoughts in your head and, finally, you have a chance to talk to someone, to let it all out. You forgive them because you want to atone for your own sin, for breaking the key and losing one of the most important people in your life. You forgive them because you're Lucy, and that's just the Lucy way. Do you understand now, Macbeth?"

But what is left, oh, for me to do,

Now that it's Christmas and I don't have you?

"I think I do..." he replied in a whisper, before rolling back and staring at the stars once more. He let one arm extend, and used the other to pat the area beside him. I made my way over, curling up against his side, and he wiped the few stray tears off my cheeks as he looked to the sky. "If you were Macbeth, you wouldn't have had a life like Lucy, and when you finally decided to turn your life around, you'd be unable to forgive yourself. Until one day, a Christmas day, when you realize the one person you hurt the most willingly curled up to your side after telling you their life story. Then you start to think that maybe, just maybe, there's a way to redeem yourself. She gives you hope for a better future, because even after all she's been through, she still has room to smile, and laugh, and sass Co- uh, Erik. She still has room for all of this good inside of her, you know? It just makes you feel like you have a chance."

"If she knew you were talking about her, she'd tell you that you do have a chance. As the person you hurt the most, she can rightfully give you as many chances as she wants to, and right now, she's letting you have your third chance," I said, and I saw him smile down at me.

"You really are a wonderful person, Lucy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of those terrible things I put you through, and I'm sorry I never thought to apologize before now. I know you've already forgiven me... I just need to forgive myself, but that's going to take some time. It might help, though, if I had you with me. I think it would help the others, too," he said, before turning so we were nearly nose to nose, my head still on his arm. "I know they still feel the guilt for what they did to your guild just as much as I do. I also know that, even though Erik's a complete asshole, he and the others would love to have you with us, because it's nice to know there's someone out there that isn't afraid of us, that forgave us even when we can't forgive ourselves. So... if I were you, I would consider joining Crime Sorciere."

"Oh? Well, if I were you, I'd officially ask the person to join your guild," I replied with a grin, and he chuckled at the mirth in my eyes.

"If I were you, I would say yes," he added, "before the others come looking for us and find us in a very odd position."

"If I were you, I wouldn't call it odd, but then, I'd be too happy because the person agreed to join my guild to care," I mused, and he beamed down at me, the red in his eyes shining a bit brighter at the news.

"I am happy, but this still counts as an odd position," he stated, and I smiled, before rolling onto my back and looking up at the sky.

"I don't know... I've been in similar positions with a snoring Dragon Slayer, a freezing exhibitionist, and a woman who occasionally sleeps in a chestplate. I'd say you're fairly normal, Macbeth," I laughed, but my breath hitched when I felt something soft ghost over my cheek. I turned to look at the reflector mage, only to see he, too, was staring up at the sky.

The only indication that anything had really happened was the slight reddening of his cheeks as he said, "you know, I really enjoy your laugh. It's very... bright. And warming, too. If home had a sound... I think that's what it would sound like."

What do the lonely do at Christmas?

Oh, what do the lonely do at Christmas time?

"No one's ever compared my laugh to a house before," I said with a slight chuckle, still tingling from that graze of the lips he'd given me. The thought behind his words stunned me more than the act itself - I'd kissed friends of mine on the cheek countless times, and after a while I'd probably do the same with my friends in Crime Sorciere. Still, his words alone were enough to make me feel a little more... important. Valued. Loved, even.

"You're not a house, you're a home," Macbeth corrected, his smile easily reaching his eyes. "It's nice to be home for Christmas... what do you say we give the others a home, too? I know they want one, even if they say they don't." I eyed him curiously as he seemed to be contemplating something, before turning to face me. "Lucy... you've shown me an unimaginable amount of kindness. I'll let you know now, nothing is more important to me than my friends. They've been with me through it all, even when I went astray... so, I try to put them before I put myself."

I nodded to show I was following along, and he took a deep breath. As I roved over his features, the pieces slowly started to fall into place, though I couldn't be entirely sure until the words passed through his own lips. "What is it, Macbeth?" I asked softly, and he exhaled, before letting his eyes reopen and center on me.

"Will you give them the home you've given me? Will you stay with us until your guild reforms, because we all know it will... or, are you going to stay by our sides even then? If you're going to leave us when the others return, then-" he began, but as the last puzzle piece found it's niche, I raised a hand, placing it over his mouth.

"I just told you, didn't I?" I said, looking up at him from beneath my lashes. My breath puffed out in a small white cloud as the area grew ever colder, but yet, I felt warm inside and out as I spoke to the man I'd once thought would be the death of me in the most literal sense. "I'm selfish. I hate being alone, it's one of the few things I fear. If someone left me, I'd never be the same, especially if that someone is important to me," I took a deep breath, determined not to let my feelings of grief overtake me now, before I continued, "so why on Earthland would I leave behind the one person that's told me I'm like a home to him? Why would I abandon all of you when that's the very thing I'm terrified of? I won't leave you behind if Fairy Tail reforms. Crime Sorciere is their ally, right? So, I'll just... I'll just be a different kind of Fairy. I won't leave, I'll just keep in touch with them. Crime Sorciere... that's my home now."

His eyes softened from their slightly hardened state, having been taken up to convey his seriousness, but it wasn't necessary then, nor was it necessary now. He smiled, the look genuine with a bit of a boyish charm to it, and, once I'd removed my hand, softly whispered the words, "Thank you, Lucy."

I smiled in return as he rolled onto his back, before sitting up. It was time for us to go, I knew that much, but I couldn't resist as I leaned up and barely grazed his cheek with my lips, before tucking the blanket I'd thrown over us and the one I'd used as a pillow back into my bag and stood. If someone asked me why I'd done it, I'd call it payback, or tell them I didn't know. Really, I had no idea, but I also had a habit of trusting my instincts. They had a tendency of leading me in the right direction, and honestly, my schoolgirl crush had only grown as we'd spoken. My life story was something I wasn't afraid to share, but there were some things I'd kept a secret, even from my spirits, and to tell him how I felt, it wasn't something I'd normally do. Yet, I'd done it, and for some reason, it all felt right, like I was whole now that I'd let it off my chest.

With a small shake of my head, my thoughts moved elsewhere, and I grinned. "We'd better find the others before they think we got lost. Or maybe they'll just assume you fell asleep and landed in a snow drift."

"It's a possibility," he replied, much closer than I'd anticipated hearing him, and I turned quickly, only to catch his lips as they descended towards my cheek. We both blinked in surprise, before my eyes fluttered closed. Neither of us moved our lips, his warm breath ghosting over my mouth as we stood perfectly still, but neither of us pulled away, either. We simply sat there, frozen in time as the first of many snowflakes began to fall. He pulled back after a minute, only by a mere millimeter, just enough so that I could still feel the hot air whispering over my lips.

"I don't think falling asleep in a snowdrift is a good idea..." I murmured, my heart pounding intermittently as I tried to come to terms with the feelings running amok inside my chest.

"I don't think I would care too much, if it felt right," he finished, before leaning the rest of the way back. He brushed a few snowflakes out of his hair, tucked the last blanket under his arms, and stood beside me, staring at me expectantly.

Oh, what do the lonely do at Christmas?

What do the lonely do at Christmas'?

It took me a single glance to realize that he'd offered his hand to me. My breath caught as I stared down at it, his words sinking in. If it felt right... I laid my own hand in his gently, our fingers not intertwining, but rather, we kept it a simple friendly embrace. He smiled when I accepted his hold. "Though, even if I can't be bothered to care, no matter how right it feels... I still have at least one gentlemanly bone in my body."

"I'd say you have a solid forty-two gentlemanly bones, assuming you have two-hundred and six altogether. Not too shabby." My musings earned a chuckle as he walked ahead, leading me in the direction of the fire, his hand in mine helping us keep the same pace. We weaved through the trees once more, his footsteps in the snowfall making it much easier for me to follow, the path clearer for me as I fell into his footsteps, before finally, we reached the small campfire I'd seen in the distance. Erik and Jellal were seated off to the side while Sawyer and Richard took up residence next to the girls, watching as they prepared the food over the fire.

"Lucy! You're here!" Meredy called happily, waving to me. I waved with my free hand, surprised Macbeth was still holding onto my other, though I couldn't say I minded. I was a home to him, yet in a sense, he felt like a home to me. I couldn't tear myself away, even if we'd only been around each other for a meager two hours. When he wiped away those layers of makeup and showed me what was inside, that mind and heart of his, things had seemed to click. Even if I'd lost my guild, I'd found this, and for some reason, this felt... right.

"Oi, Blondie, pipe down. I can hear your soul from over here," Erik called, his eyes drifting to my hand, which squeezed Macbeth's lightly. He nudged Jellal and nodded towards the hand, the action noticed by Sorano, who showed Meredy, who proceeded to squeal about the new development to the entire group.

"Meredy, calm down, please... there's something I'd like to ask," Macbeth sighed, and the pinkette nodded happily.

"Yes, I'll be the godmother!" she squeaked.

"That wasn't the question..." I said, only for her to turn a dark smile to me, one that Mirajane would have been proud to see.

"But it is most certainly the answer," she said in a tone that left no room for argument, if only out of fear of impending doom.

"Macbeth, what is it?" Jellal asked after a moment, much to my relief as the talk of children faded away. A small kiss and loosely holding hands was as far as I'd be going for a long time... even if it felt right, I was raised to wait, and while I may be skipping a bit ahead already, I wasn't going to go much further than this. I wasn't even sure if I'd be giving him more than a graze of the lips for a long while... as right as it felt, I didn't want to rush gut-first into something. I blinked my thoughts away, looking towards the man still holding my hand, watching as Macbeth seemed to try to think of a way to ask the group. Rather than drag the silence on, I stepped forwards, releasing his hand as I smiled to the group.

"I was wondering if I could join your guild, Jellal," I asked. Meredy and Sorano nodded excitedly along with Richard. Sawyer smiled and leaned back, intent on letting the others decide, though he seemed happy with the idea. Jellal looked wide eyed and, perhaps, a bit scared, certainly due to his "not"-girlfriend's protests to my involvement in dangerous work, while Erik called out a blunt "no."

"Why not? Don't say no just to be a negative little shithead, at least give us a reason... and it had better be good!" Sorano snapped. I was glad we'd gotten on better terms after their release from prison, but surprise wiggled its way in when I saw her jump to my defense so quickly.

"You wanna know why not? We take out dark guilds and evil Zeref-worshipping cults. I'm sure Blondie's got some skill, but do you think she can hold her own in that kind of situation? I'm not about to throw a little softie into a guild full of dangerous jobs." While I was happy that he at least had enough kindness in that sour attitude of his to care for me, I couldn't help the heartbreak I felt when I realized just what he was implying.

He thinks you're weak, my subconscious hissed. Then again, you were the weakest link in your team, weren't you? You'd just be holding them back from their mission... you're better off traveling Fiore on your own. Don't be a fool. I promised Macbeth I wouldn't leave, but then, there wasn't even a guarantee I'd be allowed to join. He cast me a worried glance as I locked up a bit, before a new voice filtered into my mind and my limbs went lax.

"Don't think like that, and don't listen to him, Miss Lucy. You've grown stronger over the years. You can handle yourself, and if you can't, you have spirits willing to come to your aid." Capricorn's voice echoed through our connection, and the support I felt humming from my keys was all I needed, my fists clenching as I looked Erik in the eyes.

Oh, what do they do, what do they do at Christmas?

Oh, what do they do, what do they do at Christmas?

"So what if you take out dark guilds? I fought Eisenwald, Oracion Seis, Trinity Raven, Grimoire Heart, Neo Oracion Seis, Sylph Labyrinth, Naked Mummy... I took them on, and that was before I unlocked my second origin. I helped defeat Tartaros and could hold my own against two of the nine Demon Gates as well as a lesser demon. I can take care of myself, and besides, whereas you're all ex-criminals, I'm an ex-heiress and a good friend of Princess Hisui's, as well as an ally of the top legal guilds. Even if you don't consider me strong, I've got connections. Consider me a resource if you have to, Erik." I kept my voice neutral, and my eyes cold; I wasn't going to take no for an answer, and Erik seemed to realize that quickly. I was more stubborn than any Dragon Slayer, even the toxic asshole before me; "yes" was the only option.

"As the master of this guild," Jellal began, stepping in before Erik could come up with any kind of retort, "I think you would make a good addition to our group, and perhaps you'd be a good influence on a certain someone's attitude."

"Fucking blue-balled son of a..." Erik mumbled darkly, though Jellal seemed practiced in ignoring his mutterings. I smiled as the group slowly returned to normal once I'd received my guild mark and took up a seat on a log beside Macbeth.

"Welcome to the guild, Lucy," he whispered, claiming my hand once more as Sorano and Sawyer fell back into a wrestling match, arguing over something I couldn't make out. Meredy was laughing wildly with Richard as the two watched the scene, Erik continued muttering while Jellal grew considerably paler when a few threats were called...

"I think I'm going to like it here," I whispered back with a bright smile, which only grew when, once again, I felt something soft on my cheek. Suddenly, though, the peace was disrupted as Meredy shot up with wide eyes.

"Oh, no!" she yelled, looking towards Jellal as he sat up, looking for a threat. "We don't have any presents for Lucy!" To my surprise, Jellal seemed to tense further - perhaps Meredy was more like Mira than I'd originally thought.

"Don't worry about it, Meredy," I said, trying to calm the frantic pinkette. I didn't need a present, but apparently, she felt otherwise. So, as she continued, I reached down to my belt.

"But, you should have something-" she protested, only to stop when I held up a silver key.

"This was my Christmas present, not to mention I got to join your guild, and that's all I could ever ask for. Really, don't worry about it," I replied, and she blinked, before sitting with a sigh.

"Fine, but I'm going all out on your birthday, you hear?" she declared, and I laughed with a nod.

"Actually, I have a present for you," Sorano announced, "and since we're on the topic of presents... let's get started!"

Meredy cheered like a little girl as she pulled a few presents out of the pile, all wrapped in pink, and set them beside her seat. She then set those purple in color by Erik, blue by Jellal, black by Macbeth, white by Sorano, red by Sawyer, and yellow by Richard.

"Purple?" Erik sneered.

"Oh, hush. Your poison is purple, so your presents are purple. Get over it," Sorano replied, and I smiled at the harsh tone she took with the equally snippy Slayer. I watched as the two jumped into an argument, smiling at their odd way of showing they cared, before I blinked, a brown package landing in my lap. I looked to see Sawyer walking back to his seat, jerking a thumb at Sorano to let me know it was from her.

"Thank you," I said, and he nodded with a smirk, before bumping the angel-lover over while Meredy smacked a hand over Erik's head.

Oh, what do the lonely do at Christmas?

What do the lonely do at Christmas?

"On three, ready?" Sawyer asked as the two bickering mages grumbled, and the others nodded. "One, two..."

"Three!" Meredy screeched, before digging into the wrappers. Erik's wrapping paper seemed to hiss as it was melted away with acidic poison, and Sawyer... already had his opened, and was looking over them with excited eyes.

I unwrapped mine, wondering just what Sorano could have had to give me, before my eyes widened and my heart beat out of my chest.

Three silver keys sat glistening in the moonlight. One I recognized as Caelum, the others Vulpecla and Telescopium. Tears pricked my eyes as I realized that, even after all this time, she'd kept the keys, and she'd planned on giving them to me. She could have sold them, or given them away to someone else, but the faded brown package with my name on it in cursive told another story. I couldn't help but sniffle, and when Meredy looked up, she immediately 'awwed' at the sight. I hooked the keys carefully on my key ring, before I ran and tackled Sorano in a tight hug, the woman squawking as we fell backward.

"Thank you," I whispered, and she smiled as she hugged me back.

"Yeah, yeah... now get off so I can open my own presents, tiny," she said, though the warmth in her voice was all I needed to know how she felt. I helped her back up, before clutching my key ring to my chest and letting out a squeal, spinning around like an idiot as I celebrated the four new members I'd gained to my family. I still had to contract them, as well as Chamaeleon, the spirit I'd gained from the grateful father, but I couldn't help but celebrate the idea of a new friend.

"I think you broke her," Macbeth mused as he watched me spinning about.

Oh, what do they do, what do they do at Christmas?...

Everyone had smiles on their faces as they admired their gifts, Erik's smile more of a grimace as he thanked Richard for the purple snake earrings he'd managed to form with his magic, before having someone else paint them. Macbeth was ecstatic over the waterproof, smudge-free makeup, consisting of a semi-white foundation and black lipstick, as well as a bit of black liner. I stifled a laugh when I realized two of the three were bought at a costume shop.

Jellal didn't know how to feel about Erik's gift, a Thor doll with its hair colored red and its armor changed a bit to look more feminine, but Sawyer didn't hold back his laughter with he pulled the brake that had undoubtedly been picked from a junkyard out. It came with a small note from Sorano, "next time you rush to the store, don't forget my fucking cake."

"What cake?" I asked, looking to Meredy, who was still giggling.

"Over the years, she acquired a taste for cheesecake," she responded, "something about it being the holiest baked good in the market, and that Sawyer was an impudent swine for forgetting such a hallowed item."

I nodded solemnly in agreement, which sent her into another fit of giggles. The first had been caused by Erik's gift to her, a stuffed cotton candy plushy with a face drawn on the white cone, looking surprisingly like the woman beside me. "I'm almost glad Erik didn't give me a gift..."

"You can have mine, if you want," Jellal mumbled as his Erza-Thor doll was moved to sit behind him on his wooden seat.

"I don't get mine, really," Richard said as he held up a package of strawberry Kool-Aid. "Oh, yeah!"

I lost it at that, falling back into the snow, thankful for my jacket, as I cackled like a maniac. It was too perfect, and Erik seemed to lose himself as well as he listened to my soul.

"Damn it, Blondie! Stop! Stop!" he shouted as his laughter echoed.

"What's she thinking?" Meredy asked him, seeing as I was breathing far too hard to answer. I couldn't get enough air in, it seemed, especially when he tried to convey my thoughts to the group.

"F-Fucking... Richard! Richard in the damned- the Kool-Aid costume! The... the pitcher! Goddamnit, Pitcher Richard!" he cackled.

"O-Oh yeah!" I replied, letting my voice deepen and causing Meredy and Sorano to giggle hysterically. Macbeth was doing his best, biting his lip with Jellal, but Sawyer gave up just as quickly as Erik had.

"B-Best... Christmas... ever!" Meredy gasped between laughs.

"This is fun! Oh yeah!" Richard yelled, just as I'd started to catch my breath. I managed to stay calm, though the giggles were still intermittent, but Erik wasn't so lucky.

"Wait! What the hell is this!?" Sorano screeched, and we looked to see her holding up... oh, Mavis. I snorted, loud and proud, before collapsing once more, this time letting my head rest on Macbeth's shoulder as I laughed. The entire outfit was comprised of five strings and two white wings, as well as a golden halo.

"I think it's lingeri-" Meredy began, but Sorano tackled Erik after reading the note, shoving snow in his face angrily. Sawyer picked up the slip of paper, cackling loudly as he read it to the rest of us.

"Better think twice before giving Racer that Brake pedal... you really want him to slam them on when things were just getting good?"

"For the last time: I do not have feelings for Sawyer!" Sorano screeched.

"Not-" Erik coughed as he tried to get a break from the snow, "-what your soul sa-" and of course, a snowball nearly gagging him cut him off there.

Sawyer, who wasn't afraid to go along with the joke, simply wiggled his eyebrows. "Oh? What exactly does her soul say?"

Another snowball, another man down. Then Sorano was taken down. Suddenly, a ball of white was slammed into Jellal's face, and Meredy was not spared when the ball he launched was dodged. Macbeth shoved me back as one soared over our heads, but while he was determined to not get involved, I quickly summoned Virgo and Capricorn.

"Lucy?" he asked, only to let loose an unmasculine squawk as a white wall was formed in front of us, courtesy of my maiden spirit as Capricorn began forming snowballs.

"The most agile and accurate of my spirits... the snowball king and queen, and of course, our winning ticket," I said, my voice dark as I chuckled.

The snowball queen has arrived, peasants.

"You're as competitive as Sorano, aren't you?" Macbeth sighed, though it was more of a statement than a question. Still, he smirked when I handed him a snowball, and as we peeked over the wall with my two spirits, we chuckled a bit, before launching a flurry of white, powdery material at the unsuspecting mages. I cackled when one of Macbeth's snowballs went down Sorano's shirt, only to cringe when she thought it came from Erik, not even hesitating to shove a glob of snow down the man's pants.

It went on for hours, our snow fort growing as the others split off, Meredy joining us as the others worked together to build their own defenses.

"This really is the best Christmas I've ever had," Meredy whispered after a while, Macbeth and my spirits all picking up the pace of their throws as we worked to make ammunition. "This guild is really starting to feel like a family... like a home, you know?"

My breath hitched as I heard her words before I smiled once more and nodded, tears pricking at my eyes as a song came to mind.

"I always wondered what the lonely do at Christmas... but I guess they're not really lonely after all, huh?"