Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. 'the dreamer' Owns the plot and the story.

Pairings: Natsu x Lucy, Gajeel x Levy

Summary: Lucy lied, saying she was soon to be married to her boss. Now her late father had left her a large inheritance under the name of 'Lucy Dragneel'. Her boss had never spoken to her, let alone proposed to her. What's a girl to do? Make him fall in love with her of course.

Note: "Hi Everyone!

This is Raeny or "the dreamer" the original author of "Mending Mistakes" which is a story I originally wrote for and uploaded into the CCS fandom. To avoid any sort of misunderstanding, this message is just to inform you guys that Saichiko239 has already asked for (and received) my permission to re-upload "Mending Mistakes" into the Fairy Tail fandom. So if anyone is thinking/saying that she plagiarized this story, you can check my profile where I've listed her penname and this story as proof that she didn't... I hope this clears up any current/future issues. Anyway, I hope you guys continue to enjoy "Mending Mistakes"! Happy reading! :)"

Chapter One

"Little White Lie"

"Ready to order sir?"

The middle-aged man looked up at the finely-dressed waiter and shook his head with a smile.

"I'm still waiting for my daughter," he informed, making him bow and take his leave to serve other customers in the restaurant.

Jude looked around him, the restaurant was fancy. Too fancy in fact. Never in his life would he have imagined that he could afford to dine in such an luxurious place. But then again, a lot has happened in the past years.

'A lot indeed,' he thought to himself with a little smile until a familiar voice at the podium set up near the entrance took his attention.

A young lady, dressed in a sleeveless magenta ruffled blouse, black slacks and a pair of high heels of the same color as her blouse was talking to a man in a suit standing behind the podium.

Jude smiled and raised his arm in the air just as the man pointed in his direction.

The lady smiled a huge smile before thanking the man an headed her way to the table.

"Father!" she said in a cheerful tone before hugging him tightly around the waist.

"It's great to see you again Lucy," Jude whispered, hugging his only daughter, and only child for that matter. "You look even more beautiful now than the last time I've seen you!"

Lucy looked up at him and grinned before pulling back. "And you look even more handsome than the last time I've seen you!" she declared before a frown appeared on her features. "And thinner," she pointed out, "We only saw each other a week ago, aren't you eating well enough lately?"

Jude chuckled lightly before waving off her statement and sitting back down on his chair."Take a seat and let's order."

As if he's been eavesdropping their entire conversation, the waiter from earlier appeared instantly by their sides, handing them both menus. The father and daughter both ordered what they wanted and watched the waiter disappear to the kitchens before resuming conversation.

"So, how have you been this week?" Jude asked, not wanting to to resume their previous conversation.

Lucy smiled brightly at him. "Great! I've just been promoted, well, sort of. My boss told me about it this morning. My services are needed and I'll be working in another department next week, so now I have two jobs, But I was told to prioritize this new one for now. Although it's only temporary, but who knows where this will take me," she told him excitedly. 'And the new boss being too handsome for words isn't bad too,' she added in her thoughts. That wasn't something her father needed to know of course.

"I'm so proud of you," Jude said, enjoying his daughter's happiness immensely.

"How about you? How have you been?"

"You know, same old, same old."

"Still reeling in the cash?" Lucy asked with a raise of a brow and a grin.

Jude laughed at this. "I suppose you can say that. But you how I am Lucy, I never spend the money I earn needlessly."

"I know," she replied with a small smile. "But I wish you would though. You know, spend a bit yourself. Like, take a vacation or something. You of all people deserve it dad. You've worked yourself to death for the past years after all."

"I don't need need material things to be happy Lucy. At my age, material things don't matter. That's suited more for you young folks."

"Dad, you're only like, fifty four years old. Although you can't be considered as one of the 'young folk' as you put it, you aren't that old either," she pointed out.

"I know, but there's only one thing left that would make me happy," he said although in an unsure voice.

Lucy immediately knew what what he was going to say. This was her and her father's routine. They go out to lunch or dinner once every three months. They've done this ever since she moved to Magnolia for work and left him in Acalphya where he works as a college professor if he wasn't out on his trips overseas for expeditions.

Lately though, her father's been insisting they go out more frequently. Last month, they had dinner twice. And this month, they've had dinner four times already, every Friday night since the first week. And every time they were out, there was a particular topic he always brought up.

She looked up at her father almost awkwardly, expecting him to say it.

"And that is to see you happily married," he said with a smile, making Lucy sigh in exasperation. That was it, his one true wish. The one he kept mentioning to her for almost 5 months now. Her marriage.

"Dad,' she responded, almost in a whiney tone. "You know I-"

Jude held up a hand to silence her, which she did immediately.

"I know what your going to say Lucy, you've told me the same thing ever since I told you to get married."

Lucy, in spite of herself, smiled as he said this.

"Which is why I took matters into my own hands," he added with a grin.

That was something new. Lucy could almost feel her jaw fall and hit the table beneath her,her face holding an expression of pure disbelief.

"What?" she asked, trying not to scream.

I've already contacted a few of your old classmates," he said, sounding excited. "Some of them didn't agree, but a few of them are willing to see you, to catch up. Of course, I didn't tell them you were going to marry them, but this is a start."

She looked at her father with a horrified look on her face.

"Y-You contacted my old classmates? From Acalphya? Oh my Gosh!" she cried out loud, earning a few looks from the people seated close to their table.

Jude bowed his head at them and apologized before returning to his daughter. "Keep your voice down, you're getting unwanted attention," he scolded in a whisper.

Leaning forward on the table, Lucy glared at him slightly with a pout on her glossy pink lips. "You're the one who's getting unwanted attention! I can't believe you actually called up my old classmates from Acalphya!" she hissed

"I didn't have a choice. You seemed like you weren't at all interested in getting a husband. You're already 26 years old Lucy, it's time to think about settling down," he told her in a serious tone, making her frown. "If you won't find suitable husbands for yourself, then I'll do it for you!"

Lucy moaned, letting her head fall onto her arms on the table. Her fathers actually planning to arrange a marriage for her? The era for arranged marriages has long past, these were modern times, modern days. The last time she ever heard of arranged marriages from her family was...well, never.

"Dad, you can't do this to me," Lucy told him with a pleading look on her face. "Arranged marriages always end badly. You've seen it on movies and they say so on the news. There are reports of unhappy couples resulting in divorce! Or suicide! Or even worse, murder!"

Worry crossed Jude's eyes as she said this, and Lucy saw it. Taking the opportunity, Lucy started working up her defense.

"Do you really want to make me unhappy dad? Do you really want me to end up having a divorce? Or to commit suicide? Or to commit murder?" she pressed, biting the smile threatening to appear on her lips at the ludicrousness of her words.

Jude raised a brow to her. He knew Lucy all to well than to ever commit suicide, let alone murder. As for divorce, she was a sweet girl; he knew she'll manage to carry on a decent marriage.

"That won't work on me Lucy, you're getting a husband ant that's that. Unless you find yourself a respectable husband on your own, then I'll tell your old high school classmates that you'll see them for lunch or dinner sometime next week."

"B-But I do have a respectable husband coming up!" Lucy blurted out without thinking. Just the mere mention of her having to meet and actually talk to her old classmates, and even worse, her high school classmates, was enough to send her to say anything that might stop him.

"You have a respectable husband coming up?" Jude repeated in complete surprise.

Lucy fidgeted in her seat, racking her brain for anything to cover for the straight forward, thoughtless lie she had told her father. She sighed and swept her bangs from her face and looked at him determinedly and a fake smile on her lips.

"Yes, I do. I-I didn't tell you because you might make a-a big deal out of it, that's all," she said with a firm nod of her head as if she too actually believed it.

"Really now? Who is this man? Where did you meet him?" he asked, very interested.

She laughed awkwardly and gulped. "Err...I met him at work. H-He's a great guy. You now, nice, hardworking, serious but fun to be with, rich, and handsome of course."

"I'm very happy to hear that Lucy! What's his name? When will I get to meet this fine young man?"

"You can't!" she shouted immediately, surprising her father. H-He's really busy you see. I mean, you know, work and all. He has a much higher rank than me at work, and I'm busy enough a-as it is. So he's much, much, much busier than me."

Jude nodded in understanding before smiling at her, looking contented now than he had for all those times they've had dinner.

"What's his name?" he asked yet again.

This time Lucy couldn't avoid it. She's avoided it because even she didn't know the name of her supposed-soon-to-be-husband because he doesn't even exist!

"Lucy?" Jude asked, seeing that his daughter was in a mental battle against herself.

"Dragneel!" Lucy blurted out without thinking. She mentally slapped herself as the name sunk into her.

"Dragneel? So he's from Hargeon then? What's his complete name?" he inquired

"Uhm...Natsu, Natsu Dragneel," Lucy muttered regretfully remembering the information written on one of the many profile sheets her current boss had given her earlier that day.

"Natsu Dragneel, huh? Well, I'm happy for you Lucy! So, how serious are you with him? When are you having your wedding."

"Uhh...before my next birthday I guess. I mean, I told him I didn't want to be twenty seven when I get married to him," she said with a small smile, making her father laugh lightly and nod in agreement.

"That's good, very good. I can't wait! It would be wonderful to have a summer wedding, but then again, that would mean you would get married around June next year, that's too late in my opinion. Although, having a spring wedding really isn't that bad. It could be quite romantic for both of you, with the flowers and all. Don't you agree?" he asked.

Lucy could tell that her father was really into it. Now she was guilty.

"Look dad, about that, I-"

"Your order sir and madam," the waiter interrupted

Both looked up as the man slowly set up their dishes in front of them and their drinks drinks beside their plates.

"I'm really happy for you Lucy. Really I am," Jude said as the waiter left. "But let's talk about this later. You must be famished from all the work you've done today. Let's eat!"

Lucy sent a small smile to her father before picking up her fork and knife and silently started to cut up her food.

'At least he's happy,' she thought to herself with a glance at her now more cheerful looking father. 'A little white lie shouldn't hurt'

At that point, she had no idea just how wrong she was.

"What's this?" he asked, taking the folder from his secretary.

"Your new secretary ," the 34 year old woman said with a smile. "You always said you needed a new secretary on board, specifically a bilingual one."

"All my secretaries are bilingual Mira, you all have to be. But true, I did ask for a new one. So this..." Natsu skimmed through the pages and read her profile sheet, "...Heartfilia, Lucy can speak fluent Boscoian?"

"Not just Boscoian," Mira said with a pleased look on her face, "She's multilingual. Besides, Boscoian and Hargeonian, she can speak fluent Acalphyaes and Magnolian too!" she informed him almost excitedly.

Natsu raised a brow at this. "Then that would mean I wouldn't need you or Liliana anymore."

Mira frowned, now a worried look on her face as he said this.

Shaking his head of messy pink hair at her, he smirked before looking down at the profile sheet on his desk.

"You're not fired, neither is Liliana. You both know I still need you, even if the new secretary's fluent in Acalphyaes and Magnolian. You may leave now though," he said, now with his businesslike tone.

Mira bowed and left his office. She and Liliana were two of Natsu's three three secretaries. She was fluent in Boscoian and Acalphyaes, Liliana was fluent in Boscoian and Magnolian while the third secretary, Kagura, was fluent in Midian and Acalphyaes. They all had some purpose as being the CEO's secretaries. Doing secretarial duties were a given, But when he had to deal with the many other branches under Drag Corp. in different countries, he needed them to stand by and take notes with him during his meetings or translate files that come in.

Natsu looked at the woman's photo interestedly. Her honey brown eyes were bright and her pink lips were curved upwards in a sweet smile, she looked quite...exotic. Her wavy blonde hair was held up behind her head so he didn't know how long it was, but the color of her eyes and hair, matched with the nicely defined face and her high cheekbones, were enough for him to conclude that she really was beautiful.

Of course, it was just a picture. Her personality could be quite different, and for him, it didn't matter if she was a beauty if her personality was that of a brainless and naive teenager. But he knew well enough though from her profile that the woman in the picture is smart. Not everyone can be fluent in four different languages, especially not at the age of 26 years old, and the rest of the details written of the organizations she was part of since college were impressive as well.

"Lucy Heartfilia..."

"I love my job," Lucy said with a sigh as she leaned back into her high-back chair and closed her eyes.

A giggle was heard in reply to this.

"What's so funny Levy?" she asked with one eye open looking pointedly at the woman about her age who was standing by the door to her office.

"Nothing, you amuse me that's all," Levy replied with a grin. "So when are you moving up?"

"I don't know, I thought I was starting last week. But it's almost two weeks already since Alissa gave me the news and still nothing. But I don't mind the delay, Alissa said it's only a temporary job anyway," she replied with a shrug. "I thought it was going to be a big deal at first. You know, working directly for the CEO but Alissa only just told me yesterday that I'm just going to do secretarial duties."

"What's wrong with that?"

Lucy raised a brow at her. "You do know that the man's already got three other secretaries? And all of them are way older than I am too. I thought the job's going to be different, more important or something, but turns out I'm just going to play secretary number four."

Levy shook her head, her brows knitted together in puzzlement. "Then why does he need you?"

"They say he needs a translator or something, and I'm the only person they can get in such short notice who can speak Hargeonian. Who would've thought my elective Hargeonian class in high school would actually be of use."

"But you are going to be paid extra for it right?"

Lucy grinned at this. "I wouldn't have agreed to it if I wasn't paid for my services you know. I"m only doing this for the money after all."

"Of course you are," Levy said with a roll of her brown eyes at her friend and colleague.

"Mr. Clive?"

Gildarts Clive yawned and rubbed his eyes and glanced at the digital clock beside his bed.

"Who is this? It's barley six o'clock in the morning!"he muttered in an annoyed tone.

"I am sorry , but this is Dr. Okada from Acalphya District Hospital."

Gildarts immediately sat block right up as the voice on the other line said this.

Dr. Okada, yes, what is it?"

"Although I've been given specific instructions to tell you on the phone directly from the patient himself, I'm not sure if this is the appropriate way of telling you," the doctor said hesitantly.

"Just tell me," Gildarts said in a strained voice, already knowing full well what the news might be, although wishing otherwise.

"Well, Mr. Jude Heartfilia has just passed away at precisely 5:48 this morning."

Gildart's shoulders slumped as he leaned back onto his bed's headboard as the words sunk in. Although he was already expecting such news, he still couldn't believe it.

"Mr. Clive?"

"Y-Yeah, I'll be there in thirty minutes. Thank you for calling Dr. Okada."

"Alissa?"

The middle-aged woman looked up from the file she was reading and smiled.

"Levy, yes what can I do for you?"

Levy looked at her boss with a sad smile.

"Uhm...I just came to tell you that Lucy isn't coming in today. You see, she just received news this morning that her father just passed away and she had to leave immediately for her hometown."

Lucy sat in silence in the living room at her old home, the place where she grew up, where she spent her entire childhood with her father. She hasn't been here at all since college. Right after she graduated from the local college in Acalphya, she merely came by to pack her bags before heading to Magnolia, and she's never come back until now.

She and her father always celebrated her birthday, his birthdays and the holidays together somewhere in Magnolia or anywhere close to Acalphya, depending on where they agree on but never in the town itself. Jude knew how much she didn't want to go back to her past.

And now, here she was again. Of course she was back for the worst reason. For the burial of her own father whom she didn't know was even dying in the first place!

"I-I can't believe he's gone!" Lucy said in denial. Tears weren't streaming down her face anymore as it did for the past two days. Ever since she got the call from her father's best friend and the family's lawyer, Gildarts Clive, about her father's death, she's been crying nonstop all the way from her condo at Magnolia to her father's hospital room where the staff were given specific instructions to not move him until she gets to have her farewells.

She's been there for three days now, skipping work freely and not caring about it, and still in denial of her father's death. Except now her eyes have run dry of tears.

"I really am sorry Lucy," the older man said in a very apologetic tone. "Jude specifically gave me instructions and it's the least I can do for he is a dear friend of mine. I only had to respect his wishes. He didn't want to worry you of his health. He knew just how much time he had left, which is why he visited you more often for the past few weeks."

"I should've known something was wrong! He was so pushy about me getting married all of a sudden and he's been visiting me more than often for the past few months, especially the past few weeks! And he's looked a lot thinner the last time I saw him two weeks ago! I should've wondered why he visit me last week! I mean, he's been going to Magnolia every week for some time now after all! Why the hell didn't I notice?" she asked no one in particular, feeling very miserable now.

Gildarts smiled sadly at her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"The doctors told him to stay put and just rest, to have you come to Acalphya instead. But he was persistent, saying he didn't want to disrupt you from your job and your new life in Magnolia. He's really proud of you Lucy, the way he talks about you to everyone around here after you left, he was really proud of you and what you've become."

Lucy nodded, not able to say a word in fear that her voice might crack. Regardless that she dried herself to tears, she could feel a whole new round of tears staring up again.

"Look, your father wouldn't want you to be like this Lucy. He's left me a list of instructions which he made before he died. He told me I have to stick to it no matter what, some of them were absurd, but we- the hospital staff included- stood by and respected his wishes. And I suggest you to do," he suggested with an encouraging smile.

She couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Her father really was into making lists and instructions for as long as she can remember. He was really organized that way.

"What's next on the list then?"

Gildarts grinned in spite of himself. "He said, after three days of his passing, if I were to find you still grieving for him, I must find means and ways to make you stop!"

Now Lucy really laughed. It really was like her father to leave such an absurd instruction.

"Have I fulfilled that request?"

Lucy nodded, still laughing and lightly and sniffing her nose.

"Next?"

"Your father's will. We really don't need anyone else with us. I know the contents of the will and it really just involves you since you are the only family he has. He had written up his will a few months ago after he learned of his diagnosis and finished it two weeks ago after his last visit to you in Magnolia."

Sighing, Lucy nodded and went over to the dining room where they sat opposite of each other.

Gildarts opened his briefcase and took out a folder. He settled his glasses on the bridge of his nose and started reading.

Lucy listened to him intently, he basically just read out everything they owned, all their possessions, everything they earned for the past years. The house she was in right now in Acalphya, the property he owned in Bosco which he had bought years ago when he went on a trip there, his earnings from his job as a professor's assistant in the earlier days to his earnings for the past few years as a college professor, and his earnings and bonuses for the specific excavations he's gone to and assisted overseas to places like Joya and Enca.

After he had finished reciting all that, Lucy was surprised to learn that her entire inheritance had totaled into a whopping amount of 300 million jewels.

"M-My father had that much amount of money?" Lucy asked incredulously. Just how much did her father own in those excavations trips?

"You already knew of course that your father was never one to spend on his own wants. He only spent for day to day needs like groceries and electricity and water bills. So, he really didn't spend much of what he earned."

"Of course he hasn't," she said, not at all surprised. "So the money's mine now?" she asked, slightly amused by the whole situation, and now can't help but feel excited at the idea of buying even more shoes to add to her growing collection as well as bags and clothes.

"Yes, but there is one more thing," Gildarts said with a grin playing on his lips.

"What is it?"

"The last part of your father's will is quite interesting," he said before clearing his throat and peering back down at the paper. "It reads, and I quote: Everything listed above are therefore now the property of Mrs. Lucy Dragneel, my daughter who shall have to be married to Mr. Natsu Dragneel with a perfectly viable and official marriage license before her 27th birthday on July 1st or else all my assets shall be withheld and shall remain in the bank where further instructions are given as to how my assets will be distributed if by the said date my daughter remains unwed."

Gildarts sighed in relief as he finished the last line of the lengthy will and took of his glasses before looking up at a dumbstruck Lucy.

"Lucy?" he asked in bewilderment at her frozen expression.

Lucy was looking at him with her jaw down, her mouth wide open in shock. Her eyebrows were held up to her forehead and she could literally feel her eyes about pop out oh her sockets.

"Lucy?" Gildarts repeated, waving a hand in front of her.

Shaking her head furiously, Lucy shook her had and looked at him in disbelief. "Married before I turn 27? Y-You have got to be kidding me! And to Dragneel! Why the hell did my father say that! Let me see that! I don't believe this!"

Gildarts gave her the paper and watched her as her face from total disbelief to that of pure dread.

"C-Can't we like, I don't know, put some white-out on that part or something?" she proposed in a nervous voice, making him raise a brow at her.

"You know we can't do that. Who is this Dragneel anyway? Your father must have had his reasons for writing this up. He wouldn't have wanted you to marry a complete stranger."

'You have no idea,' Lucy thought as she groaned miserably and let her head fall to the table. She's rather take an ugly and idiotic, complete stranger whom she actually stood a chance with marrying and just divorce later rather than an insanely handsome, just as complete a stranger who is one of the few most eligible bachelors in Fiore- and one of the richest men in the country to boot- to whom she was going to be working for in few days time.

Her 'little white lie' just backfired on her. Big time.

Author's Note

Did you guys enjoy the first chapter of 'Mending Mistakes'?

Let me know what you guys think about it

I'll be updating as soon as I can

Sai