-** AUTHOR'S NOTE **-

Hello readers! This is my first publication on Fanfiction, and am hoping that I can continue to post more. Hopefully this story is as enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to write. I will be posting chapters as I see fit, and promise to not leave you hanging long- because personally I hate getting into a story only to find it takes the author for freakin ever to post anything. BUUUT this is NOT a Lisanna bashing story, because I like her character and I don't feel the way she is portrayed in other fanfictions that she is as evil as she's made out to be. Of course she's human, and so are my other characters. ANYWAYS that being said please excuse my slow writing format. I have so much crap bouncing around in my head it's hard to get it all out the way I need to ha ha. Please read and I look forward to any criticism and reviews and will answer any questions if they're asked. Thanks!

p.s. I don't own Fairy Tail, thank god for some of the characters because my pairings and crack pairings would cause quite the ruckus.

It had happened slowly at first, the slight implant of Lisanna into Team Natsu's lives, but now she was quickly becoming a constant fixture. When you looked for Natsu, be sure that she was close by. In the beginning Lucy had no problem with the young Take Over mage accompanying them on missions- she enjoyed the kind girl's company- but being left out on missions more and more was becoming a problem. Lucy found herself going on solo missions or being paired with Erza or Gray, and less with the traditional team Natsu, and she was conflicted.

Of course it was natural for the two to want to make up for lost time, but Natsu was Lucy's partner, best friend, and secret love, and she was missing the Pink Haired mage's company. She missed his arms around her shoulders, the calm and secretive way he talked to her, the used-to-be increasing times he snuck into her bed, and above all his protectiveness and caring attitude for her. He had stopped coming over to her apartment as often, and when he did, a lot of his side of the talking revolved around Lisanna. Lucy felt like she was rapidly being replaced but knew Natsu would never shut her out completely. Her nights were plagued with nightmares about losing her best friend and team, and poor Lisanna was made out to be a metaphorically evil problem. She knew it wasn't necessarily Lisanna's fault, and maybe Natsu hadn't intended to hurt Lucy, but something would need to be said soon. She didn't know how to approach the pair, and realized it'd be best if she just pulled Natsu aside for a quick conversation.

It was the day after a particularly disturbing dream that Lucy decided she'd confront Natsu about his mistreatment of her as his partner. She didn't want to seem petty, but damn if she wasn't a little upset or jealous. She was sitting at the bar, debating on when and how to talk to him. He was dense of course, and may misconstrue or interpret what she was saying wrong, so she had to be careful. Frowning, she couldn't understand how he hadn't stopped to think about her feelings yet- even Erza and Gray had picked up on the way he had begun to toss her aside and her changing moods. When Natsu and Lisanna would announce they were going to go on a mission together she always caught the looks of pity from the other half of the team, and it was beginning to irritate her. I am NOT a thing to be pitied. I'm stronger than they think...

She looked down at the wood of the bar top and resolved to stand firm. And in order to stand firm against her one weakness in the guild she'd need a nice and strong shot of liquid courage... or two...

"A double of whiskey please." Lucy grumbled to Mira, who in turn raised her brows in surprise.

"Whiskey? Is everything ok Lucy?" Mira asked concerned, grabbing a brown bottle off the back bar and poured it's contents into a larger shot glass.

"It will be in a second." The blonde responded with a "Drop It" look on her face. The white haired barmaid took the hint, and settled with serving the drink and silently stared at Lucy with concern. The usually bubbly demeanor of the blonde girl had soured as of late, and Mira had a gut feeling it had something to do with her younger sister, Lisanna, and Natsu. She watched as Lucy shotgunned her drink, before coughing lightly at the burn.

Lucy waited for the amber liquid to kick in and listened to the guild start to fill up. She turned and looked around the large room: Her good friend Levy was quietly reading, surrounded by her male teammates Jet and Droy. Gajeel and his exceed Pantherlily sat not far off in the corner of the large hall munching on steel, glowering at the other rambunctious occupants. Elfman was debating the manliness of Wakabo and Macao, and the conversation was getting heated. Soon the guild would be full, and the thick-skulled Dragonslayer Lucy needed to talk to would be here. It'd be best to pull him aside, maybe even take him outside so they wouldn't be interrupted or distracted.

Her body was gradually buzzing with the effects of the two shots of alcohol, and she felt a calmness and warmth envelope her. It was just the right amount to soothe her nerves, and she relaxed, cradling her head in her hands. How is this going to end? I'm scared...

"Lucy!" a certain pink haired mage yelled, wrapping his arms around his blonde partner from behind. Lucy sunk into his embrace, enjoying the rare sense of peace, and tried not to show on her face just how much she loved his hugs. But a devious barmaid caught the flash of emotion on the girls face and tried not to snicker.

"Natsu... Let go of me!" Lucy demanded barely struggling in his grip, for appearances sake. That just made Natsu cling tighter to her, and Lucy gave up the fight to move. He has no idea the effect he has on me... and desire pooled low in her belly.Suddenly she felt something rest on her head, and in irritation discerned that Happy had claimed it as his resting place.

"Luuusshhyyy," the cat squealed "you don't have any fish at your house!"

"How do you know you annoying cat?!" It was so easy to settle into routine around this pair- her ordering them to stop breaking into her house, and them defending themselves against her onslaught of smacks or kicks. After they finally settled in a table, Lucy figured this would be a good opportunity to talk to Natsu as Erza, Gray, and Lisanna hadn't arrived yet.

"Natsu, can I talk to you?" Lucy nervously asked.

"That's what we're doing right?" Natsu asked in confusion while he slurped up fire from a sparkler. She caught him looking around for a certain white-haired girl, and she tried not to notice the pang of hurt she felt at his lack of attention.

"I mean in private." Lucy said, and Happy flew off towards a now entering Charle and Wendy, leaving the two alone.

"Can we go out back? It's getting noisy in here." The two got up and Natsu followed her to the designated spot out near the empty pool area, not aware of a certain matchmaker's eyes following them.

"So, what's up Lucy?" Natsu offhandedly asked, his arms crossing behind his head. Lucy tried not to drool at his muscles bunching around his shoulders, and steeled herself for the conversation to come.

"Well, I- oh how do I start-," and she sighed loudly, "Natsu, lately you've been spending a lot of time with Lisanna... and that wouldn't be a problem if you weren't neglecting time with Gray, Erza, or I. I mean we're partners right?"

"Yeah but I-" and he was cut off as Lucy continued.

"Well, it seems like we're not. It's like team Natsu isn't really even there lately. I just feel like you're shoving us aside to spend more time with Lisanna." Lucy paused, letting him have time to respond.

"Wait, do you not like Lisanna?" he asked, slightly upset. That's all he got from what I just said?

"Of course I like Lisanna, she's a friend, and it's not her fault you've been neglecting me- and team Natsu. I miss you Natsu, we miss you..." she said trailing off, looking down. Lucy could almost hear the warring thoughts in his head, and unexpectedly felt his hand on her arm, jolting her eyes to his.

"I'm sorry Lucy... I never meant to do that. It's just we all thought Lisanna was... gone... forever. We grew up together, and I just want to catch up ya know?" He seriously answered.

"Then let's go on missions as a group. You're my partner Natsu, and it's been hard to take good missions when you're not there to go with me, it's been a month since just you, Happy, and I have taken a job together." She stated, keeping her emotions in check.

"Can't I have two partners? I don't want to stop going on jobs with just Lisanna, and I-" and at that his words ripped through her heart.

"No Natsu, you can't. I thought our partnership was more important to you than that, but I guess I was wrong." Lucy ground out before he could finish, trying her best not to cry, and she left her partner standing there confused. She ignored her friends calling her name to join them and swiftly walked through the guild, giving Erza and Gray an apologetic look before grabbing a random job request off the Job Board. It was then that she saw Lisanna enter the guild. She didn't want to be a coward and run from the situation, but she wouldn't be able to sit with her friends and pretend that nothing had happened. She couldn't sit there and smile as Lisanna and Natsu laughed together, and pretend her heart wasn't breaking. She couldn't watch Lisanna make eyes at her partner and the man she loved after how their conversation went. So instead she decided she'd go on a solo mission and let her heart heal itself. She sure as hell wasn't going to sit at home and sulk. Leaving things the way they were right now might not be a good decision, as she wasn't sure if she and Natsu would be partners when she returned, but either way she didn't give a fuck.

After she informed Mira of her choice, despite the warnings from the elder Strauss sibling, she left the guild without a backward glance, not knowing a certain pair of blood red eyes followed her every move.