Previously:

Lucy joined the military, placing among the special forces. Her first mission with her team, a telepathic mage named Troy, and a blind illusionist named Beck finds them on their way back to Fairy Tail where Lucy has to come face to face with the very same people that betrayed her and set her on the destructive course that made her the woman she is today.

She has gotten a hold of her heat waves, which were caused from leaving Natsu, who had possibly been her mate, or Lisanna's, or both of theirs?

She is a more powerful mage, she can summon Loke's magic without his key.

Jellal and Lisanna are dead. Jellal died of a disease that Lucy could have cured, which Erza is furious about. Lisanna died on a mission that is striking similar to the current one.

Lucy is trying to remain uninterested in returning to the guild. Natsu, is simply happy to be able to sleep now that she has returned to Magnolia, and is plotting ways to get her to stay as he muddles through his remorse.

Part Three:

Chapter One

Two and a half days into the Dark Forest exploration, and Lucy missed indoor plumbing like there was no tomorrow. She missed the privacy of her room back at the guild, the bed, the blankets, and the ability to close a fucking door when she needed to take a breather.

Instead, she sat on the ground, her military clothing soaked with sweat and splattered with mud. The fruit of the Sundrop Trees had dimmed not too long ago, and as the natural light from the plump fruit served as the only source of light in the forest, it soon became evident as to why it was named the Dark Forest. Luckily for them, Natsu was more than eager to make them a fire as they set up camp for the night.

It didn't take long for her to set up her sleeping roll, and so she sat looking into the fire. It crackled and sparked at some meat Erza had skewered onto a sword and propped it above the flame. Lucy rotated it here and there, focusing on the even browning instead of the uneasy eyes that would occasionally shoot fleeting looks her way.

To say the exploration thus far had been tense would be an understatement. Not in terms of the mission. All in all, the Dark Forest was a winding maze of man eating plants and aggressive animals, but Lucy could deal with that easily enough. It was everything else that sucked.

"Lucy," the bushes rustled not too far from where she sat, and Juvia emerged with damp hair and her dirty clothes bundled in a ball in one hand, a torch Natsu made in the other, "Juvia found a small river not too far from here, if you want to clean up before dinner."

All but literally jumping at the opportunity to both clean up and get away from her traveling companions for a hot minute, Lucy nodded her head, reaching for her bag of 'clean' clothes she had washed the night before in some puddle. "Thanks, I think the meat is almost done cooking." She informed.

Juvia nodded, looking at the meat like she wanted to eat it all herself. "Alright. Juvia will make sure to save a piece for you. You know how the guys can be." She said off handedly, fishing to start a conversation.

Taking a towel she had draped over a nearby branch to dry, Lucy looked to the ground. Although Juvia was a neutral bystander in what happened between her and the guild, it didn't make Lucy feel any more comfortable talking with her. Juvia went out of her way to make sure that Lucy was relaxed and content, and tried to keep her company when the others were fooling around, but Lucy would just shut her down most times. Seven years made Lucy into a loner. She was much more comfortable alone or just hanging with her crew.

Frowning, she tried to forget that Juvia used to be a part of her crew. "So where is the river?"

Handing her the torch, Juvia sighed and motioned towards the direction she had just emerged. "It's a straight shot. Just walk until you find it. It's not far, so if something happens just yell."

Nodding, Lucy wordlessly stepped into the woods, muttering a small thank you as she passed. She didn't mean to be rude, and she hopes she understands that this is weird for her. She figured she would just reply on Troy and Beck, and be able to remain uninterested in the Fairy Tail mages, but Lucy should have known better.

There were a couple things she had not foreseen. She knew that Troy and Beck knew the Fairy Tail mages, but she had not expected the familiarity they would have with each other. Lucy had been counting on Troy and Beck to be all business. Much to her surprise, Troy was fairly buddy buddy with them, and when they weren't fighting or marching, he joked with the other mages. And Beck, well, Beck was Beck. He was just as standoffish as she expected him to be, which didn't necessarily comfort her.

So, in short, She was the odd one out. She spent a lot of her down time alone, giving off the best 'I don't want to be here' vibe she could so the others would stop trying to strike up small talk with her. So night time for Lucy was a gazillion times more stressful than the dangerous trail they traveled during the daytime when the Sundrop Tree fruit shined.

In theory, night time meant they only had to worry about the prowling animals, which were way less threatening than the plant life that became active during the day. But Lucy had a different enemy to fight during the night, an enemy she couldn't hide from anymore. She could only hid behind her mask of disinterest for so long.

Fuck Natsu Dragneel.

She was so god damn beautiful. He didn't mean to walk up on her like this, he had been sent by the ice-for-brains to get firewood in the nearby woods. He just happened upon the river, attracted by the light of a torch, and when he saw her he couldn't look away. He swore the ice bastard sent him out this way on purpose.

She was undressing, her military button down shirt already piled up on the ground, her bra resting on top. Natsu took in the large scar on her neck and shoulder, immediately going to touch the matching one on his own neck. Even with the mark, her skin was still beautiful, and the fact that something had hurt her that bad, enough to discolor the creamy smooth skin he used to love to touch, make him wish he could time travel and be there to stop it. To take the hit for her.

She shimmied out of her slacks, placing them next to her boots. He took in her curves, eyes lingering on her rear. She always had a nice ass. He wished he could just sneak up on her and get a nice handful—

Mentally shaking himself, he tore his gaze away. What was he, a horny teenager? He was a professional mage, yet here he was peeping on his team mate. Granted, it had been over seven years since he'd gotten to 'peep' on her, but still. The woman was currently avoiding him like the plague, and she'd surely kill him if she caught him.

Taking one last glance at her form as she waded into the river, he smiled a small smile. Try as she might, he has noticed her resolve slip. It was in the little moments, like when he handed her lunch after he cooked it earlier that day. His fingers lingered on hers longer than they needed too. Three days ago she would have ripped her fingers away like his touch seared her, but she let them linger a bit before she realized what she was doing.

Slowly backing away, he took the little bit of firewood he had gathered back to the camp, a bounce in his step for the first time in seven years.

AN:

Soooooooooooooo look at this things guys. An Update. It has only been what…like two years haha? Yes, this means I've returned. Yes, there will be more updates.

So, for those who are curious or care, life has been fucking hard for this author. I would have updated sooner, but my father passed away in March unexpectedly and between the depression and the nightmares from the night my boyfriend and I found him, I lost track of writing, and drawing, and doing anything but trying to keep my life together. But, I've sort of found my muse again maybe.