Disclaimer - I don't own Fairy Tail, the emotion-killing Hiro Mashima does (seriously, the recent chapters!)

A Devil's Call

Chapter 1

Brown eyes stared out of the train window at the oncoming trees of Magnolia, reflecting her joyful expression of being able to return home again. It was always good to come back to the Guild after a long mission. Its atmosphere is so safe and welcoming. For the blonde, the thought of finally being able to have a bath was a relief. She knew the rest of Team Natsu felt the same sense of relief. There was always an air of ease around her friends upon the return home, even after the hardest of missions.

This mission had been one of those difficult ones, especially for Lucy. Team Natsu had been specifically requested by a quartz farmer on Akuma Island to disband a group of mage bandits, who were stealing the precious stones he was mining. It was unusual for Fairy Tail to receive requests for particular mages, but Makarov had not seen anything amiss, so he permitted his children to go.

Though, by the time the Fairies had reached the cabin of their client, he had been killed by the bandits. They never found the body during their time there, but it could be safely assumed he was dead. Considering the amount of blood that decorated the log interior, along with the wreckage that was his possessions. The team was in for a further surprise, when these 'bandits' were actually a small group of dark magic users.

"Aye!"

Lucy was broken out of her thoughts at Happy's outburst. She blinked a few times to clear her memory clouded eyes, to see the train was pulling into Magnolia Station. She looked down at the pink haired boy laying unconscious on her lap, after being knocked out by Erza. Lucy always found it comical when the equip mage whacked Natsu round the head, to put him out of his misery. She had found the act shocking at first, but she quickly came accustomed to it. There was always a motherly look in Erza's eyes when she attacked him, making it quite clear she only did it out of affection. Lucy laughed to herself, it was just like Erza to use violence to show her love.

Lucy's mind soon came back to thoughts about their latest mission when looking at her friends. Thankfully, none of them had received any life threatening injuries and had come out of the ordeal virtually unscathed. But, they all sported a bandage here and there, though nothing that their Sky Dragon could not heal back at the Guild.

The blonde's attention was drawn on Gray as he stood up, proceeding to kick Natsu in the side. "Oi, flame breath, wake up!"

Having heard the insult after gargling awake, said Fire Slayer sprung to his feet from Lucy's lap. Happy flew off him, perturbed by the sudden movement, while Natsu advanced on Gray almost growling, "what was that, snowman?"

Erza raised herself from her seat opposite Lucy, coming to stand beside the two who were glaring each other down.

"Already bickering, boys?" The red haired women crossed her arms and raised a questioning eyebrow.

At being caught arguing by the Titania, two sets of eyes widened. Natsu and Gray quickly broke their rival showdown, to scramble into their we're-the-best-of-friends-never-screaming-at-each-other half hug.

Lucy walked by, laughing at their charade. One glance at their impossibly wide grins would make any passer-by snicker. But, it was what it took to make Erza happy enough to go and collect her luggage. After she left, the two boys sighed in unison at having narrowly escaped her wrath again.

They'll never learn, Lucy thought as she descended into another set of giggles.

The three of them got off the train to join Erza, with her mountain of baggage behind her, and Happy. Then, the team set off towards the Fairy Tail guild.

After having ran ahead, Natsu turned round to face Lucy, walking backwards as he talked. "You've got enough rent money now, right Luce?"

"I sure have," Lucy beamed at the Dragon Slayer.

"Great!" Natsu pumped his fist in the air, giving the blonde his signature childish grin.

It was then that Lucy glanced towards the dark haired boy walking beside her. To discover he was, yet again, walking around without his shirt on. She could still hardly phantom how oblivious he was to temperature change. Or, even that he could no longer feel material against his skin. They must all be immune to it, because not even Natsu realised when he was speaking to her.

She rolled her eyes before speaking, "Gray, you've lost your shirt again."

The boy dramatically halted, looking down at himself. "Ah, when did that happen?!" He exclaimed. The rest of the group stopped in their tracks to look on the scene. Gray turned left and right in quick succession, frantically searching for the missing article of clothing. Natsu laughed as the boy continued to seem like a lost puppy.

It dawned on him. "Damn, I must have left it on the train. It was one of my favourites!" The ice mage lifted his hands in the air in exasperation. "You guys go on to the Guild, I'll meet you there," he waved at us before beginning to jog back to the station.

"Exhibitionist," Natsu mumbled after him. Unfortunately, he did not say it quietly enough to evade Erza's ear, as she fixed him with an intense glare. Earning a chuckle from Lucy. At the delighted sound, Natsu looked at her and grinned, happy to have made her laugh.

"Let's go, guys. I want some fish," Happy whined above us, drawing three pairs of eyes up to him.

"Yes, let's," Erza agreed, nodding her head.

Team Natsu, minus Gray, continued along the main road of Magnolia toward the guild hall. There was a faint throb that had begun building in Lucy's head, but she ignored it for now as she wanted to see everyone again. Just as much as Erza and Natsu were excited to see their family after a week of being away. The majestic building that is the Fairy Tail guild hall loomed closer and closer, as young wizards walked up the road. Natsu picked up his pace, which the rest of the group quickly matched with equal amounts of enthusiasm.

The Fire Dragon Slayer changed his speed into a run towards the ever approaching wooden doors of the beer hall. He proceeded to kick himself off of the ground and lifted his legs into a flying-kick stance, aimed straight for the mid section of the entrance.

Lucy jogged after Natsu, leaving Erza behind with her luggage trailing behind her, and reached out toward the boy. "No, Natsu, don't-"

But, it was too late. Natsu had smashed through the doors, leaving a resounding crash in his wake.

"-Break... the doors," Lucy finished, her outstretched arm, and head, drooping at his actions.

No doubt he had added yet another layer of dents on the brick wall from the handle. The blonde was relatively surprised that the wood had not been completely pulverized already, from Natsu's continuous violent entrances.

Maybe Master had it reinforced with magic, just to serve as protection from Natsu, Lucy considered thoughtfully, internally laughing.

"We're back!" Natsu announced, excitedly.

"Welcome home," Mira chimed from beside the bar, as Erza and Lucy walked through the gaping hole of the doorway.

Natsu walked toward the two Strauss sisters beside the bar, as the Celestial Mage looked around the familiar room. Bright faces and smiles greeted her, she could not help but return the infectious glee of her family. They were obviously all glad to see that those they cared about had come back home safe. Lucy was so grateful to all these people for giving her the love, and fierce loyalty, she had desperately needed after her Mama died. Her Father was cold and brutal to his only daughter, but Master Makarov, though he could never replace Jude, was like the father figure Lucy had dreamed of.

Her brown eyes zoomed in on the blue coloured mage approaching Erza and herself, who were still standing by the door.

"Where is Gray-sama?" Juvia asked the two girls, clasping her hands in front of her with a worried expression decorating her features.

Erza focused her attention on the mage in front of her, "He just went back to the station to retrieve his clothing. He'll be back shortly." She gave Juvia a warm smile, knowing that the girl was concerned about her love.

Lucy watched as the two of them walked towards the bar, where Erza split away from Juvia to talk to Master, who was sitting on the wooden drinks bench. She will probably tell him about the discrepancies of their job, to see whether any further investigation would be needed.

"Lu-chan!" The blonde turned toward the voice to see Levy waving from across the hall.

Lucy walked to the table where the Solid Script Mage was sitting, and placed herself opposite the girl, beside Gajeel and Pantherlily. The black haired man simply nodded his greeting to her as she settled herself down. While the Exceed was too busy munching through his kiwi to notice.

"Hey, Levy and Gajeel," Lucy smiled.

"Hi!" The blue haired head bounced at her best friend's return. "How was the job?"

The girl hesitated before replying, trying to find the right words which would prevent the intuitive mage from asking any further questions. Lucy did not want to have to describe what happened, she would be happier when it was soon forgotten about. Though, somehow she knew it was not going to be as easy as that, there was a feeling in her gut that just would not go away.

"It was the usual really. Beat the bad guys and got a few scrapes." Lucy hoped her eyes would not betray her aversion of the truth. "But, hey, Natsu didn't destroy half a town for once," she added, perking up her tone toward the end.

Lucy was successful in her plan, as Levy laughed at her remark, "well, that's something for sure."

It was not long before the girl revealed her real agenda to Lucy. The bookworm gleamed with her barely contained excitement, "I've just finished a book, it was amazing and I'm sure you would love it." She looked expectantly at the girl in front of her for confirmation of her interest.

"Oh right? What was it about?" Lucy responded, knowing it was exactly what the wavy haired mage was wanting to continue.

Levy grinned. "Well, it starts off with a female mage-"

The blonde's focus shifted away from the explanation. She was genuinely interested, Levy always had an eye for picking out novels that captured Lucy's imagination, and even sometimes sparked her desire to write more of her own fairy tale. But, the throb in her head from earlier had refused to go away, intensifying the longer she stayed within the guild hall.

Lucy rested the crown of her head in her upturned palm, using her arm as a supportive column for her aching head. A few minutes must have passed after Levy had finished outlining a brief synopsis of her recently read book. The girl become uneasy at her friend's unusual quietness, and she leaned across the table to peer her hazel eyes into the vacant, down facing, brown ones.

"Lu-chan, are you okay? You look pale," Levy asked quietly, worry tinging her tone.

At the close, gentle voice, Lucy blinked at the girl and shifted her head slightly in her hand. "I'm sorry, Levy," she sighed. "I've just got a bit of a headache." Lucy attempted a small smile to console her friend. But, Levy's brow only creased in concern.

"You should get some rest. You guys were away for a while."

"You're right, I'm going to head home now." The blonde raised herself from her seat, lifting her legs from under the bench as she spoke to Levy. "I'll see you tomorrow," she raised her hand in a wave to the petite girl, who waved back to her.

Lucy glanced at the bar, where Natsu and Gray were sitting talking to Mira, with Happy and Carla chatting next to them. She hoped to slip by without them noticing, it was harder to lie to the Dragon Slayer. He could be extremely perceptive of Lucy's emotions when he wanted to be. She figured it was what happened when one spent years in another's company. You come to know their habits and indications to when something is awry. Like how Natsu's fist clenches and his breathing quickens whenever dragon's are mentioned, or any new information about them may be coming to light.

"Bye, Lucy!" Mira called, just as she was about to leave the Guild unnoticed.

Oh, Mira... Lucy inwardly sighed.

She turned to call out her fair-well's to find Natsu running toward her.

"You don't usually leave without saying goodbye, Luce," Natsu observed. Lucy was glad he didn't appear to have noticed anything wrong yet, so she breathed a little easier.

"I didn't want to disturb you guys. You seemed engrossed in your conversation," she said, waving off his words.

"Don't be silly! You never disturb us, ya weirdo. You should always let us know when you're leaving," the pink haired boy joked, though there was a serious undertone to his voice.

"Sorry," Lucy rubbed her head, partly from being caught out and from trying to ease the pounding in her head. "I'm just tired and want a bath. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She cocked her head and gave a smile.

A shooting pain flitted across the back of Lucy's skull, forcing her to close her eyes in a grimace. She tried to walk out of the doorway then, before Natsu could notice the change. But, she failed to do it quick enough and the mage grabbed her wrist, to pull her to face him again.

"What's wrong, Luce?" The girl in question lifted her face to see all traces of the care free Natsu gone, to find a worried expression in its place.

"It's nothing that a good night's rest won't cure. Honestly, I'm fine." Lucy once again smiled at the pink haired boy, albeit weaker than the once before. Though it did quell his anxiety somewhat, as his eyes softened into a caring look.

"All right, then. See ya," he let go of her wrist, bidding her good-bye.

"Yeah," she waved to him, backing out of the entrance to the guild hall.

Despite the knocking against her head, Lucy smiled at herself knowing she would always be safe by Natsu's side. Even though she did not want him to notice at first, it had made her feel better to know that he did care.

The next day, the pink haired Dragon Slayer strolled into the guild hall, after having spent the majority of his hours fishing with Happy for their dinner. The blue Exceed fluttered away from Natsu to join Carla and Pantherlily, who were sitting with Wendy and Cana. The brown haired mage seemed to be showing the younger some magic tricks with her tarot cards, as Wendy's face was alight with delight. She even clapped here and there, at the more complex tricks Natsu supposed.

As he wondered through the room, everything was how it normally was and as welcoming as ever, but it was missing one important part. He spotted Reedus painting Freed pouring over the book in front of him. Natsu continued to look round the beer hall, but the one face he wanted to see was nowhere to be found. His feet carried him over to the table where Gray and Juvia were sat, hoping they would be able to shed some light on his predicament.

The subdued mage placed his hands on the polished wood, drawing the attention of the pair in front of him. Looking directly at Gray, he asked, "have you seen Lucy today?"

His dull tone sharpened the alertness of the raven haired boy, bringing him out of his usual laid back aura.. "No, she hasn't been around. She's probably chilling at her apartment," wanting to dismiss the question, but the demeanor of his rival made him tense. "Why?"

Natsu straightened himself and rubbed the back of his head. "She wasn't feeling great yesterday, but she said she would see us today," his black eyes were far away as he recounted what Lucy had told him. The Fire Mage hoped that his best friend had not been hiding something. She was the type to always put others before herself, it is what made her so lovable.

Nah, why would she? Gray's probably right, Natsu shook his head slightly.

As if noticing his internal quandary, Gray's companion spoke, "Juvia thinks you should let Lucy rest." Her eyes sparkled with sincerity, she did not want her beloved Gray-sama to worry over the love rival. The blue haired mage could see the two of them were getting upset by Lucy's lack of appearance, but she was sure that their imaginations were just being over active.

"Juvia's right, dude. Lucy will come in when she's had enough of her apartment." Gray eased his tensed posture, wanting to believe in the words he had uttered to Natsu.

"Yeah, I dunno.." The confidence in his voice petered off, as he drifted away from his friends.

Natsu was still worried that the blonde's condition may have worsened, and the possibilities of what might have happened plagued his mind. He tried to shut them out, but he knew that until he saw her for himself, he wouldn't be able to keep quell his thoughts . The boy decided to visit Lucy later that evening, though he had to make sure Happy and himself were fed first. The Celestial Mage would always shout at him for entering her house uninvited, but it never deterred him, as he could see in her brown eyes, that she secretly enjoyed his visits. Being able to see Lucy look like that lit a spark inside Natsu. Bringing her happiness gave him something to look forward to each day.

A/N: So here's the first chapter of A Devil's Call! Thank you to Cray560 proof reading and helping me make adjustments.
What did you guys think of the opening? Let me know in the reviews~

I'm pretty pumped for writing this, so the next chapter will be out either later today or tomorrow - see you there :)