A/N: WELCOME TO NALU WEEK 2019!

As you know, Nalu Week is one of my favourites. One can NEVER get enough Nalu!

1st Prompt is On the Road.

Enjoy!

They were lost. Completely, totally, and utterly lost. Lucy sighed in frustration as she swatted a mosquito on her arm. The area was swampy, so the mosquitoes were rampant.

"It was a mistake to separate the group," Lucy complained, "Gray and Erza are probably back at Dawn City by now, defeated monsters in tow...but no...you just couldn't take the train like a normal person."

"Relax," Natsu waved a hand at her, "I said we'd take the short cut, and we will! I'm a dragon slayer, remember. I'll smell our way there."

"Do you think Happy, Carla and Wendy are okay?" Lucy asked after another minute of trudging through the sludge.

"They're fine," Natsu stated confidently, "Gray and Erza are with them."

"Well, they knew the train won't get lost," Lucy mumbled, "Unlike us. Because we are definitely lost."

"Look at this way, Luce! We get to spend a lot of time together! Just you and me!"

Natsu halted abruptly, causing Lucy to wander straight into his back.

"What is it?" she whispered when he froze.

"I don't know," Natsu replied, holding her behind him with one arm, "But it's big...and it's not moving. It's weird that I didn't smell it."

Lucy tried to look around Natsu as he broke out into a grin. She sighed, relieved that at least, whatever it was, it wouldn't put them in immediate danger.

It was large, smooth over the contours of its outline. Vines covered it from all sides, but it was clearly not a rock or a monster.

"What is that thing?" Lucy cried out as he yanked her toward it.

As they drew closer, Lucy could clearly make out that there were windows...it was a machine of some sort. It almost looked like a boat, but it had wheels.

"We saw one in Edolas one time," he reminded her, "Edolas Natsu called it a car."

"It's so different than magic mobiles," Lucy commented before helping Natsu clear the vines from the exterior.

Natsu opened the door, gesturing to her, "Wanna look inside?"

The interior was red, even the plush seat. Lucy climbed inside, examining the dusty dashboard buttons as she moved to the other side so Natsu could get in too. He shut the door, beaming.

"Where do you think this 'car' came from?" Lucy asked after a moment. She wiped the dashboard with a towel from her pack, revealing a panel of buttons.

Natsu shook his head, "I've only ever seen one like it in Edolas. The other 'me' drove it, remember?"

Lucy nodded, "And he didn't get sick with the movement."

Natsu smiled, "Just goes to show how backward he was. Anyway, do you think maybe the car was pulled back to this world with us?"

"Maybe," Lucy said thoughtfully, "It was, afterall, run off magic fuel. Everything magic was pulled through."

"Definitely other me's car," Natsu nodded affirmatively, picking up Edo-Natsu's goggles from the dashboard. He slid them on his face, making her giggle when he looked at her.

"We should go," Lucy told him, "The others are probably waiting for us and we still haven't found the road. We have no idea where we are...no clue what direction to take. We can't stay here."

"Why not?" he cried out, "This thing is so cool!"

Lucy shook her head, "No...something about it gives me the creeps."

Natsu ignored her as he fumbled with a few of the dashboard buttons, elated when it lit up. Between them, a map of the area popped up on a screen.

"We're right here," Lucy said in awe as she pointed to the map, forgetting her anxieties, "This is a navigation system…"

"And there's the road!" Natsu beamed, pointing at the line a ways from their location that most definitely signified a road.

"Look at all these buttons!" Lucy exclaimed, surveying the dashboard, "What do you suppose they do?"

She pressed a random one, both of them bolting upward as the car released a rocket into a nearby tree, blowing it to smithereens. Both stared at the smoking tree with dropped jaws.

"It has an onboard defense system!" Natsu declared, eyes glowing with wild excitement, "Luce...we need to bring this back to Fairy Tail."

"We can't," she frowned, taking in their surroundings, "It's caked in mud. Our friends are out there...we've got to get back on the road."

"We'd find them faster if we drove," Natsu said in a low voice, "Especially now that we can find the road - using the car!"

"You get motion sickness!" Lucy reminded him haughtily, "I can't believe you're even thinking about it."

"I bet I can make this car drive," Natsu determined.

"WHAAAAA?" Lucy cried out, "Natsu, are you insane? We have no reason to believe this car will drive on Earthland! And the LAST thing we need is a sick dragon slayer driving an out-of-this-universe-car!"

"The other me didn't get sick when he drove," Natsu reminded her, examining all the possible ignition switches.

"The other you was the complete opposite of you!" Lucy reiterated.

Natsu grinned...his trouble-making, shit-eating grin. Lucy swallowed as he pushed a random button. A horn blasted, making them both jump to push it again, silencing it.

"Not that one," Natsu conceded, "but we'll have to remember that's there. Might come in handy another time. How about this one?"

Lucy and Natsu stared at the blades that wiped the windshield in awe.

"It's like...it knows the windshield was dirty," Lucy was completely amazing, "It self-cleans!"

"I need a button like that!" Natsu agreed, then moved on to the next button.

A horn blasted, making them both jump so high, their heads hit the roof.

"SHUT IT OFF!" Lucy yelled.

Natsu scrambled to hit the button again, both of them panting as the adrenaline wound down.

"Well, that was cool..what does this one do?"

Natsu pressed another button before Lucy could protest. She closed her eyes, bracing herself.

Nothing happened at first. Natsu and Lucy watched each other expectantly...waiting.

"Hey Luce..."

"Yeah, Natsu?"

"I think my butt is getting warmer."

Lucy's eyes widened, "Why would your -"

"Feel!" he insisted, grabbing her hand despite her protests. He guided her to his seat, placing her hand on the cushion next to his butt. Her face turned a bright red as he kept her hand there, but she could definitely feel the heat coming from his seat.

"M-my seat's not doing that," she stuttered.

He shrugged, letting go of her hand as he pondered which button to press next, "You don't need it to. Your butt's always hot."

Just when she thought she couldn't flush any deeper...

Several minutes passed. In that time frame, Natsu had pressed a button that made their seats move up and down (poor Lucy had gotten sandwiched until Natsu figured out now to reverse it), a button that chilled their seats, and a button that made the outside lights come on.

"We need to get moving," Lucy reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah...one more button."

His eyes lit up as the engine roared to life. He moved his hands to the steering wheel.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, "This is a bad idea! There's not even a road to get to the road! Under no circumstances should we drive -"

Lucy screamed, a blood-curdling screech that drowned out the roaring thunder as the car lurched forward, grinding to a such a sudden halt that Lucy found herself being thrown up to the roof.

"Oh hell ya...I've figured it out now!" Natsu began to laugh maniacally.

Lucy didn't know what scared her more - the fact that he wasn't puking yet, or the fact that he was determined to make her do so. Her head hurt.

The car jerked forward, throwing Lucy back and forth in her seat.

The more Lucy yelled, the louder Natsu's cries of excitement became. He hammered on the gas, jumping tree stumps and large rocks, laughing like a maniac.

He didn't see the river that wound directly in the path - nor the waterfall just beyond it - so he was a tad confused when suddenly they seemed to be flying mid-air.

...or more precisely, falling through mid-air.

"That wasn't on the map!" he bellowed, "Oh wait! It was! That must be what the blue signifies!"

"Oh my gawd, Natsu! We're gonna hit the water!"

Natsu pulled her body to his, enveloping her completely.

Thankfully, the closed windows prevented the water from rushing in when they smashed into the water below. The car bobbed, coming back up to the surface before placidly moving downstream.

"Y-you can let me go now," she murmured.

He relented, holding her at arm's length until he was satisfied she was unhurt. Lucy's heart was pounding from the fall over the waterfall - or at least that's what she blamed it on – but she was otherwise unscathed.

"This thing even floats!" Natsu cried out triumphantly, "Luce, we've hit gold! I can't wait to show everyone else! Gajeel's gonna shit when he sees what I have and he doesn't!"

"Natsu! Less bragging and more steering! Steer! Steer! Steer!" Lucy screeched.

He narrowed his eyes, realizing there was a gigantic boulder blocking their path. He let out a cry of alarm, futilely spinning the steering wheel in an attempt to avoid the inevitable collision.

"Blow it up! Blow it up!" Lucy begged as she searched for the button she'd hit before.

The rocket launched, but blew up a nearby tree.

"The current is going to take us around it!" Natsu determined, "But it's going to be bumpy ride! HOLD ON!"

She wasn't sure who was screaming louder, but they held onto each other tightly, their faces pressed together in horror as the car careened around the boulder directly into rapids.

Lucy had to admit she was impressed with the car's safety features. It had handled the large bumps, changes in direction, and jolts very well. The river had slowed tremendously, joining with a second river. Lucy remained in Natsu's arms, despite the fact that the danger had passed.

"Hey Luce?" Natsu murmured.

"Hmm?"

"I think we've stopped," he told her.

Natsu's washboard chest was surprisingly comfortable. He held her lightly now, often smelling her hair as they waited for the car to come to some sort of a halt.

"How did that happen?" Lucy asked.

She was half-asleep. Natsu smoothed her hair back from her forehead. She thought he planted a chaste kiss on the top of her forehead, but she couldn't be sure.

"I think we've hit a sandbar," he replied, "The car isn't moving anymore. According to the navigation system, there should be a road right above the bank."

She lifted her head, taking in their surroundings. The river appeared to be somewhat shallow on either side of them. The bank on one side was slightly rigid, but nothing they couldn't handle. The other side lead to a vast forest.

"Up there?" she asked, pointing.

He nodded, "We're going to have to get out."

She nodded, disentangling herself from his body. He opened his door, reaching for her hand.

Lucy felt kind of guilty about leaving it behind. The car was a little more useful than she'd originally anticipated. They had covered a lot of distance in that short time and were none the worse for wear. Natsu hadn't complained once about motion sickness. AND they now knew there was a road nearby.

It was a cold swim to the edge of the water. Thankfully, the water was slow-moving and Natsu was able to pull himself up on the bank, then Lucy after him.

He helped her to her feet, then allowed her to lead as they climbed the embankment.

"Natsu!" she cried out excitedly as she scrambled to the top, "There's the road! Just like the car said it would be!"

"I told you I knew where I was going," he huffed.

"Okay, okay. I admit it. The car is pretty cool."

The squish of their shoes was the only sound for quite some time. Natsu walked beside Lucy in quiet contemplation. It was highly unusual for him to be so deep in thought. Lucy was starting to get concerned.

"I wish we didn't have to leave it behind," he murmured.

"There wasn't a choice," Lucy reminded him.

"We could have taken it further downriver," Natsu pouted.

"It's stuck on a sandbar."

"I could have blasted it out," Natsu harrumphed, "Either way, the car's navigation said the city is dead ahead. It won't be long now."

He fell silent again, but Lucy knew her partner better than anyone. His shoulders slumped as he shuffled his feet.

Natsu was disappointed.

It was not an emotion she saw from him often. Natsu never let anything bring him down for long.

"Natsu," she said gently, halting him with a hand on his shoulder, "I want you to know that I trust you. I might scream and act terrified...but I always know I'm safe with you. Thank you for getting us this far."

"Sure Luce," he murmured absent-mindedly.

She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently as they continued their walk. Lucy didn't try to make conversation as she lost herself in her own thoughts.

It bothered her that Natsu was so down.

Natsu...who constantly strived to make her smile.

Natsu...who always put her in front of his own needs.

Natsu...who protected her, yet encouraged her growth both as a mage and a warrior of Fairy Tail.

She would be nothing without him. He was her rock. He was the first person she wanted to tell good news to. It was his smile that she looked forward to seeing every morning (and, if she was being honest, at night). Amid danger, he always made sure she was protected first.

So why did it bother her so much that he'd had one small disappointment? It wasn't like they'd had a car to use before. Life would go on.

She liked the feeling of his calloused hand holding hers. Yes, their trip had been eventful, but Lucy found that she was content. Part of her didn't want to get back to the city. She was completely satisfied with just being with Natsu.

She could practically hear Happy's mocking voice teasing her from afar.

"You loooooooooooove him!"

"Stupid cat," Lucy murmured under her breath.

"What'd you say, Luce?" Natsu asked, clearly only half-interested.

Lucy froze mid-step, her eyes widening as it hit her like a ton of bricks.

Oh my gawd. That damned cat is right.

"Luce?" Natsu repeated.

He was waving a hand in front of her face.

"Helloooooo!"

Lucy shook it off, offering him a half-assed smile, "I'm good, Natsu. Hey - I think we're getting close - there's a road sign up ahead."

For the first time in an hour, Natsu stopped pouting, sprinting ahead like a child on his way to a candy store.

"Race you!" he yelled behind him.

Lucy smiled to herself, watching his taut muscles as he sped ahead. Nothing ever held him down. Just like that, his disappointment was gone. She could hear the distant shouts of Erza and Gray and see the image of a flying blue blob up ahead.

"C'mon!" Natsu bellowed.

He was jogging backwards, slowing his pace so that she could catch up. One hand was outstretched, waiting for her to join him.

A warm feeling of peace passed over her as she broke out into a run to catch up. As she rejoined her hand with his to run the remainder of the distance, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd noticed her sweaty palm.

"Where the hell is Lucy?" Gray complained, "We need to get moving. The train is leaving in 10 minutes with or without us."

Natsu was already turning green at the prospect of getting on the train. He tried to convince the others to take the scenic route back - AKA walking - but Erza was anxious to get back to Magnolia as soon as possible. Natsu figured she actually had a rendez-vous with Jellal somewhere, but he couldn't say that out loud.

"She said she was going for a walk this morning," Natsu stated, genuinely looking concerned, "But she didn't want me to go with her. Said she had to talk to Loke about something."

"My luggage is already on the train!" Erza told him sternly, "But we can't abandon our comrade. Why would she be taking so long?"

Natsu shook his head, his worry mounting, "I need to go look for her. If you have to go ahead, go. We'll catch up later."

"We can't leave you!" Wendy protested, "I'll help look too!"

"And me!" Happy determined.

"Go to the train station!" Natsu yelled as he began to run, "If we run out of time, go ahead. I'll find her!"

He disappeared around the corner, leaving his friends gawking behind him.

"He does know we won't leave until Lucy is found, right?" Gray dead-panned.

"When it comes to Lucy," Erza replied, an expression resembling big sister's pride on her face, "Natsu has tunnel vision. He'd move Heaven and Earth to find her."

The others nodded their agreement, staring after Natsu's wake in silence.

Natsu had picked up Lucy's scent. It was faint, but it was definitely there. This was the way she'd come.

What he couldn't figure out was why she was doubling back the way they had come to the city. She had complained non-stop about Natsu's shortcut. So what would make her decide to disappear all morning, knowing he'd actually agreed to take the train back to appease her?

He'd been running for a good hour now, his panic growing with every step. He couldn't pick up any scents other than Lucy's, so he was sure that wherever she was going, she was alone.

Lucy's scent was getting stronger, and with it, Natsu's resolve. She was close. He doubled his pace, rounding the corner of the road before coming to a complete halt.

She stood in the middle of the road about half a mile ahead, dressed in her Taurus form. She and the perverted bull were whacking at the weeds and vines in front of them. They were almost to the road.

"That's great, Aries! Just a little more!" she yelled.

Natsu was about to call to her, but found himself watching in awe.

She was working with her spirits...but what were they doing?

He slowed to a walk, watching intently.

Aries had created a bed of wool that Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Loke were dragging on the path Taurus and Lucy were making. He could clearly see the wool enveloped something large, but even with his immaculate eyesight, he couldn't tell for sure what it was. The Gemini twins had transformed into Elfman, pushing the object from behind. Virgo used her chains to pull the object from the front. Cancer and Scorpio took care of anything on the ground that Lucy and Taurus hadn't managed to obliterate.

All he knew was that Lucy must be exhausted. She had 9 of her zodiac spirits out. Even if Loke and Virgo were out on their own power, it would be too much for her.

"Okay everyone! We have to stop again!" Lucy announced, wiping her sweaty brow, "Go back for now. I'll call you out again once I've rested."

Obediently, her spirits disappeared, leaving Lucy to collapse against Aries' soft wool.

Her eyes were closed when Natsu finally caught up to her. She appeared to be asleep. He knelt beside her, smoothing the bangs back from her eyes.

"Ah, Luce...what are you doing?" Natsu scolded her.

"Just a few more minutes, Loke," Lucy murmured dreamily, "Almost done…"

He maneuvered her sleeping body into his lap, stroking her hair gently as she slept. She didn't hear him use the lacrima to tell the others that Lucy was safe and they would make their way back later, nor the ensuing lecture from Erza.

Two hours passed before she stirred.

She was comfortable, cocooned in gentle arms. This was quickly becoming her favourite place. She hummed happily, about to return to sleep when she felt a tender kiss on her forehead. This time, it was definite. She was sure she hadn't dreamt it.

"Natsu?" she asked groggily. She tried to lift her head, but he held her still, stroking her forearm gently, "What are you doing here?"

"Finding you," he replied, "The others are already half-way back to Magnolia by now. I got worried when you didn't show at the station."

She blushed, lifting her chin to face him, "I'm perfectly safe."

"I know that," he scoffed, "You can take care of yourself. But we're still partners. I couldn't go on without you. Good partners stick together, no matter what."

She smiled, settling back down onto his shoulder.

"So...what are you doing here anyway?" he asked tentatively.

She smiled, sitting up, "Trying to be a good partner."

His confused expression said it all. Lucy laughed lightly, jumping to her feet, then pulled him to his.

"Open! Gate of the White Ram - ARIES!"

"I'm sorry!" Aries exclaimed as she appeared.

Natsu was still lost.

"Aries, please pull back your wool and show Natsu what we've been up to all morning," Lucy said softly as her eyes locked with Natsu's.

Aries nodded, lifting her arms to do her mistress's bidding.

"You were so sad the other day," Lucy explained, "We were almost to the city, just like you promised...and all I did was complain that morning. You got us to where we needed to be...even if it was by unconventional methods."

Natsu's mouth dropped open in awe as the wool receded, revealing the red structure of Edo Natsu's car. It was spotless. Every trace of mud had been removed and the paint shone in the sunlight.

"The car terrified me. It's not of this world...and that joy ride we took was scarier than when Erza drives us in the Magic Mobile. But that's the first time I haven't seen you get sick in a vehicle. It's the first time I've seen you get excited about it even. In fact, I saw something completely different in you. For the first time, I saw you want something for yourself."

"You came back for the car?" Natsu queried, his voice filled with awe as he ran his hand over the hood.

Lucy nodded shyly, staring at her feet, "You do so much for me, Natsu. You're my protector, my partner, and my best friend. Sometimes I don't show you my gratitude enough. I want you to know that I value you."

Natsu's face morphed into a shit-eating grin, "Do you think it will still run?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "We just got it off the sandbank. It was super dirty, but there doesn't seem to be much damage...other than those bags of air."

"Thanks for everything, Aries," Natsu told her, getting into the driver's seat, "Please tell the other spirits thank you too. You can go now."

"Hey!" Lucy frowned, "You can't dismiss my spirits!"

Aries disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Apparently he can.

"Get in, Luce!" Natsu called as the engine roared to life, "The others on the train are probably only half-way back to Magnolia. We can still catch them!"

Lucy closed her eyes, wondering just what she'd gotten herself into, but obliged him by taking the passenger seat.

"You know, Luce," Natsu said thoughtfully as he donned Edo-Natsu's goggles, "You're the most important person in my world. Thank for you this."

Lucy reached for the belt on the side of the door. She had noticed it earlier and realized it was meant for strapping oneself down. Just because she had purposely signed up for this ride with Natsu didn't mean she shouldn't take every safety precaution.

"You're my most important person too," she told him sincerely, "In fact, there's something I need to tell you, Natsu. I've recently realized that I -"

In true Natsu-style, he slammed the gas pedal at that exact moment, propelling them over the myriad of rocks and shrubbery, then squealed tires as he whipped them onto the highway.

Lucy's thoughts died with the shrubbery.

"We're on the road again!" Natsu announced, "Magnolia, here we come!"

Lucy grinned back, relaxing into her seat.

Maybe she would keep her revelation to herself for the time being.

A/N: And that's the first prompt down! Tomorrow's prompt is Stranger..and you know me. I don't like to be conventional.

Please be sure to leave a review, then go check out other Nalu Week 2019 entries! In particular, please watch for MorriganFae, Wordsaremyspells1331, and Professor of Gallifrey.

See you tomorrow!

~Shana~