Chapter 20 - The Happy Ever After

Lucy swung her Scutum down up on the mage with a lazy swing. Despite the fact that it was a lazy swing and half-assed, the mage was sent flying a good twenty yards. Lucy placed the large sword on her shoulders nonchalantly and sighed.

"It's as if they aren't trying," Lucy moaned. That was probably the fifth mage in the month that had attacked Lucy while she was out on the job. Despite the fact that Sawarr was sent away scared, the rumour that spread about Lucy still made its' rounds around the dark guilds. Every now and then, Lucy would get jumped by a gang and she would effortlessly destroy them all.

"You shouldn't take them so lightly. Bad Blood were very dangerous," Erza pointed out.

"Next time they attack you Luce, leave it me! I have a score to settle with them," Natsu smirked, cracking his knuckles together. Lucy smiled at him and nodded her head in agreement.

"It's all clear here!" Gray called out from the top of the hill he was standing.

"Alright! Let's go home!" Natsu cheered, delighted to be on their way again.

"Close gate," Lucy murmured and Scutum disappeared in sparkling white light. Gray caught up to them and they continued their walk back to Magnolia. Though it would have been quicker on train, Natsu had won a game of rock paper scissors against all three opposing mages. He probably practiced with all his might just so that he could avoid getting motion sickness. Lucy didn't mind. With the weather as beautiful as ever, she didn't mind the long walk with her friends.

"Have you heard from Laxus?" Erza asked. Lucy and Erza were hanging behind the two boys and flying cat. The three were distracted talking about food so they didn't pay attention to the ladies.

"No. It's been three days..." Lucy frowned. Laxus had taken a huge job in the middle east. The travel alone to the place took over two weeks. Laxus would always contact her every night but for the past three days she hadn't heard anything from her friends the 'Thunder God Tribe' nor Laxus himself.

"You don't think anything happened to him?" Erza asked. She probably shouldn't have phrased it in the way she did.

"I know in my heart that nothing has happened to him... it's weird," Lucy chuckled. "I feel connected to him in ways I can't describe. I know he's alive and healthy," Lucy explained with an embarrassed smile.

"Ah yes, the mate's connection," Erza nodded her head.

"Huh?" Lucy furrowed her eyebrows.

"You know... that thing that the dragon slayers have with their partners...? You don't know?!" Erza almost screeched.

"No!" Lucy yelled back. "How do you know?"

"Levy told us ages ago... when you and Laxus first started dating. You were there!" Erza pointed out. Gray and Natsu looked behind in alarm to see the two girls screeching at each other for unknown reasons.

"Should we do something?" Gray asked hesitantly.

"I'm a little scared of them..." Natsu grimaced.

"How do I not know about this?" Lucy demanded to know, more to herself rather than her friend.

"Lucy, honest to Mavis, do you ever pay attention to us when we have conversations?" Erza said crossly with her hands on her hips. Lucy looked down at the ground, kicking a pebble on the pavement along the way. If this was at the start of their relationship, Lucy was in a state of bliss at the time. She spent a lot of time at the guild hanging out with her pals but would always be daydreaming about her beloved.

Oh. Maybe I should have paid attention a little bit.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy moaned. "But please tell me about this now!" Lucy put her hands together in a form of prayer, begging the mage to tell her. Erza sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers in a soothing manner.

"Fine," she easily gave in. "Laxus is a dragon slayer, which means in terms of food, fighting and... sex... he behaves more like a dragon, relying on instinct," Erza started to speak in a low voice, enough so that the boys would go back to their normal conversation.

"I remember that part," Lucy nodded her head.

"Well, dragons are unique animals. They choose only one partner for life. Once they've found them, they form a bond together. It's unbreakable in ways unknown to us humans. You feel what the other is feeling and there were some other things Levy mentioned but I forget them now," Erza dismissed her train of thought.

"Why do I not know this? I need to know this!" Lucy moaned, burying her face in her hands. Erza smiled at her friend.

"I wonder why Laxus never mentioned this to you..." Erza wondered, again, something she probably shouldn't have. Lucy groaned again because of Erza's words. She was right. Why hadn't Laxus told her about this? Was there more to this dragon... 'mate' thing she didn't know about?

"Should I ask Natsu about them?" Lucy wondered out loud.

"I don't think you should hear it from him... anyway, more than likely it'll turn out wrong," Erza chuckled a little at her own statement.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed with a smile.

Despite the way Erza attempted to calm Lucy's thoughts, her mind was elsewhere the whole trip back. Natsu and Gray would occasionaly get into a fight and Erza would break them apart. Happy would state how fat Lucy was but she'd just nod and ignore him. She didn't mean to behave that way she did but her own thoughts were consuming her insides.

"We're home!" Natsu exclaimed suddenly. Sure enough, as they approached the top of the hill, Lucy could see the overview of Magnolia in the bright daylight.

"Thank Mavis! I'm starving!" Gray sighed with delight.

The strongest team of Fairy Tail briskly made their way back to the guild. Natsu kicked the the doors wide open.

"Yo bitches!" he exclaimed with fire shooting from his mouth. A few cheers were heard, some curse words thrown here and there but other than that, it was a warm welcome. Lucy looked from corner to corner, trying to spot the giant who owned her heart. Sure enough, at the table surrounded by the Thunder God Tribe, sat no other than Laxus himself. He had his head propped up, looking directly at her from across the guild. Lucy smiled and gave him a little wave.

He did nothing in response.

Typical.

Lucy began making her way to him when suddenly Levy had embraced her in a hug from behind.

"Levy!" Lucy gasped surprised. Levy grinned and watched as Lucy turned around to face her.

"It's good to see you back. You've been gone for a while," Levy said with a smile.

"Yeah the mission did take us some time," Lucy agreed.

"Did you get all your money for it at least?" Levy asked.

"Of course," Lucy winked. "I'm keeping the boys in line so they don't cause too much havoc... try slowing down Erza though," Lucy muttered the last bit under her breath and made Levy laugh.

"Laxus has been here every day for the past five days," Levy smiled.

"Five days? He's been back?" Lucy narrowed her eyes. She looked behind her to find Laxus engaging in some conversation with Bixlow. He didn't even come over to say hello to her. He didn't contact her for five days and the whole time he was just chillin' in the guild while she was worried sick. He was going to get it. And get it bad.

"Yeah he seems to be in a grumpy mood too," Levy pointed out.

"It's about to get worse," Lucy murmured and left Levy's side. She marched over to the table and with a loud bang, placed her hand onto the table in front of Laxus.

"Hey Bixlow," Lucy said, apparently ignoring Laxus. Bixlow, a little confused and surprised replied with a nervous 'hi'. "Could you do me a favour and tell the son of a bitch over here that if he's planning on getting 'any' in the near future he better get his feckin' act together, and soon," Lucy said those words with thick sarcasm laid over. Poor Bixlow, unable to say anything, just stared down at Laxus in complete and utter shock.

Laxus glared up at Lucy, gritting his teeth. Lucy pretended to ignore him and was about to walk away with that, however, he had grabbed her wrist stopping her from going anywhere.

"Let go," Lucy spun around and looked up at him. Laxus didn't say a word. He stood up and with one swift movement he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Laxus!" Lucy exclaimed. He began walking towards the stairs where Makarov was sitting down on the steps.

"Mind if I use your office?" Laxus asked, walking by his grandfather. Makarov didn't say anything but gave him a pervy smile as he walked by.

"No you can't use his office!" Lucy yelled out. "Now put me down or I'll get Loke after you!" she threatened. Laxus gave Lucy a loud smack on her behind and she let out a screech. The guild members watched as the kidnapped Lucy was taken upstairs and into the main office.

"Should we have stopped him or something?" Gray asked, leaning into Erza.

"I think they need a lot to talk about, so let them be," Erza said with a small grin on her face.

"Laxus, put me down!" Lucy slapped his back as hard as she could, which probably wasn't all that hard, despite her new strength. Laxus flopped Lucy down on the armchair and she fell into it with a thud and mutter of 'ow'.

"You've got some nerve, Blondie," Laxus gritted through his teeth with a deadly venomous tone.

"Screw you, I had my reasons," Lucy said boldly, glaring directly into his eyes.

"Reasons?" Laxus asked, his voice unwavering.

"Yeah. Apparently there are some things you've been keeping from me about your dragon instincts, or whatever," Lucy exclaimed in a rush.

"Huh?" Laxus frowned in confusion.

"I had to hear it from Levy!" Lucy said, even though it was actually Erza who repeated and rephrased the whole thing.

"What in the world are you on about?" Laxus said, leaning back on his heels. Lucy stood up from the arm chair. It did nothing beneficial to her height in comparison to the giant.

"How you never told me about some sort of connection me and you have. About the fact that it's some dragon slayer magic at play," Lucy blurted out.

"Oh Lucy stop changing the subject!" Laxus rolled his eyes and began to pace around the room.

Lucy watched him, narrowing her eyes. "Changing the subject?"

"Yes. It's what you're good at," he hissed.

"Excuse me?" was he trying to pick a fight with the dangerous celestial wizard?

"Let's just get straight to the point," Laxus leaned against the windowsill, looking at Lucy. "Why didn't you tell me you went off with Natsu and Gray for so long?"

"Huh?" this time it was Lucy who was frowning in confusion.

"I had to find out through news updates from Mira," there was a vein popping from Laxus's forehead. "You never told me that you were going with them in the first place, let alone a whole week!"

"You have got be fucking kiddin' me!" Lucy stared at him in awe. "That's what your issue is about?!" she was raising her voice at him.

"Yeah that's my issue," Laxus said, a little more calmly but his eyes were still glaring into hers, a form of intimidation.

"I went on a job with my team, I told you that," Lucy decided to deal with his issue first and then confront him about hers.

"You told me you went on a job, you never told me you went with those two dimwits," Laxus pointed towards the door.

"They are my team! When I say I go on a job it's usually with Natsu and the rest," Lucy told him matter of factly. "If you told me you're going on a job I'd expect you to go with the Thunder God Tribe."

"It's not the same thing. Gray and Natsu are..." Laxus was unable to finish the sentence.

"Gray and Natsu are what?" Lucy asked with a dissatisfied tone.

"You loved Natsu once," Laxus blurted out. Suddenly, there was a cloud of intense emotion floating about the room. Neither Laxus nor Lucy spoke for several minutes.

"That's not fair," Lucy's voice cracked a little. She bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions from overflowing. How dare he say that to her? Yes, over a year ago she loved Natsu but he didn't share those feelings back. She returned a changed woman and never gave Laxus a moment to doubt her.

"I didn't mean to say that," he groaned, brushing his hand through his hair awkwardly. "What I meant was... I trust you Lucy and I love you like no other. However, don't expect me to trust other men around you," he said with a low voice, avoiding eye contact.

"Gray and Natsu aren't like that," Lucy said in a calm voice. "Natsu has Lisanna and there's something going on with Gray and Juvia."

"It doesn't ease me feelings. The thoughts I get into my head... it's just uncontrollable," he sighed.

"You're jealous?" there was a hint of amusement in Lucy's voice.

"Jealousy doesn't even begin to cover it," Laxus muttered but it made Lucy smile.

"So what, I'm not allowed to go on jobs with my team anymore?" Lucy asked with a smirk.

"No. Just, tell me where you go, whom you go with and for how long from now on," Laxus said, as if it were on order.

"I'll think about it," Lucy decided. "I won't promise you anything until I talk to you about my issue."

"Your issue?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Oh yeah. So what's with this thing about us having a connection because you're a dragon slayer or some shit?" Lucy asked with a sarcastic smile. Laxus's eyes widened in surprise. Or was it worry? Lucy wasn't sure.

"Levy told you?" Laxus asked, his voice so quiet, Lucy barely understood what he said.

"Yes... she researched a little into it," Lucy explained. "Why didn't you tell me anything about this?"

Laxus looked away from Lucy. He turned his back to her and looked out the large window that was facing the training grounds. He was staring at something for a while, finding the courage to speak the words. "I was scared."

Lucy was unable to say anything in response. Was this bad? Is this thing that Levy spoke about dangerous?

"Why?" Lucy whispered.

Laxus closed his eyes and licked his lips before speaking. "There's a lot of things that involve us now and I was scared you might leave me if I told you about them."

"Leave you?" Lucy gasped. What in the world was he talking about.

"Lucy... I'll tell you everything now but please... promise me you won't storm out of here and just let it register for while in your mind."

"Ok."

Laxus turned around and faced her. Lucy almost wanted to cry by the look of pain and discomfort on his face. "You're a little more than a lover to me Lucy. My instincts drove me to you because you're my mate in life. Once a connection is made, we're bound together for life. We can feel each other's emotions, have an instinct feeling when we're in danger..." he looked away for the final part. "And if you ever die... I will too."

Lucy's heart shattered. That last part tore her insides apart. If anything ever happened to her in future, if anyone hurt her and left her for dead... he would die. He'd be gone and won't live anymore. He wouldn't exist any longer and it would be her fault.

"And if you die?" Lucy asked, her voice a little shaky.

"No. You won't die," Laxus said, looking up. "This has got more to do with my connection to you than the other way round, since I'm the dragon slayer in this relationship."

"Oh. Ok."

She couldn't say anything other than that. What was she supposed to say?

"I'm sorry I never told you sooner. I should have told you about this before we made a connection but it was too late. I didn't know you were my mate at the time."

"By connection you mean..."

"Sex," Laxus finished the sentence for her, making her gulp a little. "Trust me when I tell you I would have told you, had I known," he took a hesitant step forward but couldn't continue. He didn't have the courage to walk up to her.

Lucy looked at the ground, biting her lower lip.

"I understand," she whispered softly and looked up at him. Laxus's eyes widened in shock as Lucy took five bold steps forward and embraced him. He stood there motionless and speechless. "I promise to value my life a lot more now that we're connected," Lucy said with a smile, closing her eyes as she took in the smell of his jacket. "And I also promise to tell you where I go, with whom I go and when I'll be back," Lucy added with a chuckle.

Laxus felt weak to his feet. How did this petite woman always manage to do this to him? Make him feel so powerless at times like this.

He lifted his hands and wrapped them around her waist, burying his face into her neck.

"Oh Lucy," he sighed into her neck, tickling her a little. "You never fail to surprise me."

Lucy smiled and just stayed the way she was, enjoying the moment. In these little moments, when she made peace with him, when they rested together in bed or when they walked down the street holding hands; all those moments led to a phrase in her head - happily ever after. She had so many of those happily ever afters, and there are more to come.

The best is yet to come.

You bet.

Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!

This is the final chapter! HAHA XD

So what can I say but an amazing thank you for the amount of followers I got because honestly I didn't deserve it. I'm not a great writer, just a fan so I'm happy to see some people still supporting me.

The idea about Laxus dying and Lucy not came from the novel Eragon by Christopher Paolini.

If there's something else you'd like to read, there's a fantastic amazing story called 'Age of Gladiators' in the Fairy Tail archive. It's amazing! And look up the artwork for it, it's fantastic.

Anyways, this is goodbye guys.

Bye... :'(