A/N: I hope you all bear with me. This'll be fun, I swear.

Chapter 1 - Lionel Hart

"This sound okay?"

"Uhhh... I think you should remove the text 'retrieve kidnapped daughter of the business tycoon Jude Heartfilia'. You don't want word to spread, nor have the name of Heartfilia attached to it."

Intense nodding. "I suppose they should just call directly..." followed by a sigh.

"Are you regretting the decision? It's not too late. They can be... er..."

"Its extreme, yes, but this may be the only way. No one else can or will help."

Solemn nod.

"I'll up the reward to a million jewels. Just for reassurance."

"Highlight these words. That's very important." Mild tapping against the sheet of paper, resting on the table.

Sigh. "Yes, I suppose so. Maybe I'll even mention it twice."

Dark eyes go over the flyer again. And again.

"This is it..."

"Yep. This is it..."

COVERT MISSION. NEEDS EXTREME SECRECY AND CONFIDENTIALITY.

REWARD: ONE MILLION JEWELS

Owing to the urgency and secrecy of the job, details will only be revealed to a wizard(s) that has the approval of Mr. Lionel Hart.

Volunteers are to contact him personally for further details via portable lacrima using the code 0900-018-5413

COVERT MISSION. NEEDS EXTREME SECRECY AND CONFIDENTIALITY.

Natsu stares at the flyer, thoughtful. No one had taken the Hart job yet. It'd been two months since the job had first come in. There'd been a brawl at the realization of the reward but it had subsided almost immediately when Levy pointed out that they had no clue what job it was. There had been prolonged discussion, raging debates and it was ultimately concluded that there was something too suspicious about this.

Nah, something isn't right with this, was the collective conclusion and the job was forgotten about. Except when Nab stood at the board to announce that no one had taken it yet.

"Planning on taking up that job, Flame Brain?" asks Gray, coming up from behind and standing next to him, arms crossed as his eyes roved over the board.

"Naw," says Natsu, still staring at it. "What's it to you, Streaker."

"Just that the job description says it's supposed to be covert. Not your style, is it?"

"Are ya sayin' I can't pull it off," retorts Natsu, turning and glowering at Gray.

"Chill out," says Gray, without taking his eyes off the board. "And yeah, that's exactly what I mean."

"Say it to my face, Icicle," Natsu snarls before tackling Gray to the ground and naturally, a brawl breaks out and the rest of the guild pretends not to notice.

It stops as suddenly as it had started when the clanking of a metal armour announces Erza's rival. The boys freeze in place, Gray's hand holding Natsu by the scarf and the other about to punch Natsu in the face, and Natsu, tugging at the hand holding his scarf and about to punch Gray in the stomach. Erza watches the two of them for a couple of moments before rolling her eyes and holds her hand out, she revealing a bunched up white coat.

"Gray," she says. "For god's sake, put this on!"

"Yes, ma'am," he mutters as he reaches out for the coat and shrugs back in.

"What are you two idiots fighting about this time?"

"He started it!" both Natsu and Gray say at the same time, glowering at each other, fists ready to light up with fire and ice.

Erza takes another step towards them, eyes narrowing as she continues to look at them questioningly and Gray relents. "Fine. I told this idiot that he shouldn't take the Hart job because being covert is not his thing."

"Natsu?" she asks. "Do you intend to take it up?"

"Well, I wasn't gonna," he says, scratching the back of his head. "But to prove Ice Princess wrong, maybe I will."

Gray scoffed. "You won't get any of that pay. You're just gonna burn everything down."

"As if you can do better!"

"Hell, yeah! I bet I can finish the job and have all of that one million jewels," says Gray smugly.

"Well, I suppose it's decided then," says Erza grandly, closing her eyes for a second with satisfaction.

"Huh?" Both the boys give her a puzzled look.

"Mirajane, Gray and Natsu are taking the Hart job," she says, eyes twinkling. "And I will be going along with them for damage control."

Natsu, Erza and Gray sit Makarov's study, ready to call Mr. Hart. It is odd that he chose the portable lacrima code, because usually they either met the people posting the job in person or on the video lacrima. One couldn't help but wonder what about this mission could possibly be so secretive. Erza sits at the desk, across the empty chair that Makarov was to fill at any moment. Gray stood beside her, arms crossed, looking bored, while Natsu has both his palms flat on the table to Erza's right, peering at the glowing blue lacrima screen, the number ready to be dialled.

The door burst open and Makarov walked in to occupy his seat. He stares at the three of them before sighing. "You do understand this is a covert mission?"

"Yes, Master," says Erza sombrely.

Makarov looks pointedly at Natsu, who grunts indignantly in response.

And then with a nod, Makarov hits dial. It rings twice before they get an answer.

"Hello?" says a woman's voice.

"Er..." starts Erza. "Mr. Lionel Hart?" Well, obviously not.

"Oh!" the voice exclaims, clearly surprised. "Er, yes of course. One moment, please."

There's a little bit of shuffling, a soft ringing noise and then, a hushed voice that Natsu's dragon sense perceives; it is very low, and he has to strain to hear it. He speculates that it was the same woman who'd answered the call.

"I think it's them."

"About time I'd say."

A soft chuckle.

"Hello?" comes a voice, startling everyone in the room. "Lionel Hart, here."

"Mr. Hart," starts Makarov. "I'm the Master of Fairy Tail. In the room I have with me Erza Scarlet, Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster," he pauses hesitantly, sure that the man would say something snide, but nothing, just silence, but Natsu does hear something.

"All three of them that can't be good." A low mutter.

"Erza Scarlet? As in The Titania? And The Salamander?" Pause. "Fullbuster... The icemake mage. They're among the most powerful the guild has." The voice of the woman.

"They have volunteered for the covert job request you sent two months ago."

"Shh."

"This is supposed to be lowkey," Emphasis on the words 'lowkey'.

Natsu feels just a tad bit offended and is filled with indignation. He's about to retort when he hears Hart again.

"SHH."

"Ah, yes," says Lionel, taking a couple of seconds to respond. "I... I..."'

Then, there's a clearing of the throat. "My daughter Lucy... She's been kidnapped, and I need your help to retrieve her."

"Lucy?!" an annoyed whisper. Natsu frowns, wondering what the issue was and strains harder, but hears nothing else.

It takes him a moment to realize that everyone was quiet. They look taken aback and as the words hit them and they realise that they'd ignored the job for two months. Erza looks down uneasily and Gray now has the man's full attention. Natsu still stands alert, still frowning.

"I carried out some investigations of my own. We know where she's being held," continues Lionel, "But then I hit a dead-end simply because where she is... I can't send my men without drawing unwanted to the situation. I haven't made her kidnapping public because it could pose danger to her..." he pauses.

"Where is she being held, Mr. Hart?" Erza presses.

"Er, at a mansion. It's owned by a dark guild. The... Obsidian Knights," says Hart and after a pause admits. "It's heavily guarded."

Erza looks up with a frown at Makarov, who shrugs. Obsidian Knights?

"I've never heard of them," says Natsu curiously, voicing everyone's doubt.

"Ah, yes. They're very quiet, hiding in the shadows. Not many people know about them. They lack funds and their guild master approached me, for sponsorship. I suppose refusing them was what set them off on this vendetta," he replies.

"How do you know it was them?" asks Gray.

"They... Left a note," says Hart. "My daughter will be held hostage till I co-operate and fund them. I had a private investigator do some work and found where she was being kept. But I myself cannot afford to interfere because the slightest sign might set off alarm signals. I can't risk that."

"Hence the lack of details," states Erza.

"Yes, I wanted to make sure that no one knew except the ones who are supposed to help. If it got out, everyone would be watching and we- I couldn't have that."

"That makes sense," murmurs Gray, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So I can be assured you will do it? This won't get out?"

"You have my word," says Makarov solemnly.

And then he tells them where to find her, the address and everything.

"We'll be there tomorrow evening, sir," Erza promises. "By tomorrow night, your daughter will be liberated."

Natsu and Gray nod in agreement, and Hart says slowly. "Tomorrow night... That sounds wonderful."

The smaller details are worked in the next 10 minutes and just as the conversation's heading to a close...

"COVERT. CO-VERT. They have to cover their faces and the emblem. They can't know who was involved in this. If he finds out, there'll be hell to pay. For both me, and Fairy Tail."

"Just one more thing, make sure none of the guards see your emblem or faces. No one can know who the parties involved are. Witnesses will prove to be more trouble than I can afford."

Lucy leans against the walls of the room. It'd always felt this cold. She wanted reprieve. It was tiring, the facade and all the smiling and the niceties. Home... What an abstract concept. She sighs, rolling to her side, and stares at the bag leaning against the soft pink wall. The getaway bag that she'd had ready to go for so long. She'd given up hope now. This was what her life would be, she thinks with resignation. Her eyes mist over and she finds herself missing her mother more than ever. She was tired of the loneliness, with no one for company except her celestial spirits and the godawful guards that were designated to keep her inside.

She's close to falling asleep when her portable lacrima rings. Her eyes fly open and she grabs it instantly. "Hello?"

There's a small pause and the deep voice of a woman comes through. "Er... Mr. Lionel?"

"Oh!" She's instantly alert. "Er, yes, of course. One moment please." she says, tears forgotten as she reaches under her pillow and grabs a golden key, and before she does something it pulses before there's a flash of light and Loke appears, looking at her questioningly; she gives him an excited smile.

"I think it's them," she says excitedly, voice low as she holds the lacrima away from her face.

"About time I'd say," he whispers as his hand reaches for the phone, giving her a small smile.

A/N: GIMME YOUR THOUGHTS PLS. Pls leave reviews and tell me what you think. I'm kind of proud of this baby... You can send me prompts on my Tumblr at . ! If anyone guesses things correctly, I'll write on whatever prompt y'all want.

I'm going to shamelessly advertise myself because... I love validation :) - In case you haven't read it, read my FRIENDS AU fic titled 'Lobsters and Friends' fic I need y'all to tell me about both these fics. PLEASH.

SUMMARY OF THE FIC: Loosely inspired FRIENDS AU set in the Fairytail universe. Runaway bride Lucy moves in with Erza, and playboy Gray and the dorky Natsu live across the hall. Aside from their personal lives, there's also a bigger threat looming that they need to prepare for. NaLu, GruVia, JeRza, etc. Rated T for themes. Romance Adventure Humour