Yes, I have unfinished fics. But i just can't deny inspiration when it comes!

Enjoy.

Faie.

1: Meeting the Neighbours

Layla Heartfilia wiped the remaining cookie crumbs from her hands and looked up at the young girl perched on a high chair on the opposite side of the kitchen island.

"Lucy sweetie, would you like to meet the new neighbours? We could bring over some of the cookies we just baked."

A young Lucy Heartfilia snapped her head up in surprise from where she had been icing the last of cookies, the strawberry cream icing tube that was clutched in her small fist suddenly spurting a streak of pink across the tray. "But… but you said I could have all of them!"

"Lucy, be nice. Do you remember how happy you were when Mrs. Sputner from next door welcomed us with fruit tarts?"

A happy grin instantly crossed the girl's face and she threw her arms into the air. "They were awesomest delicious! Mrs. Sputner bakes the best fruit tarts in the whole wide world!"

Layla smiled and didn't remind her daughter that her idea of eating the best fruits tarts was to pluck the fruity chunks off, leaving behind a empty cup of biscuit filled with sweet jelly.

"So don't you think our new neighbours would enjoy having fresh cookies too?"

The small blonde girl folded her arms on the kitchen island, not caring if her elbows were instantly stained with crumbs and creams, and pondered seriously for a moment. "So… we'd be making our new neighbours happy by giving them cookies?"

"Yes, dear."

"Hmm…. Ok! I'll go pack a box of cookies for them now!"

Layla smiled warmly at her 7 year old daughter as the small girl hurried off as fast she could on her short legs to find an empty plastic box and ribbons.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, dear."

"I can't reach that box on the shelf."

"Ok. Wait there." Her mother walked over and brought the box down from above them, and surprise immediately crossed her face when she glanced down at the plastic container she now held. "You want to use this box? Lucy sweetie, isn't this your favourite lunch box?"

The young girl smiled widely up at her mother, as she took the box from her hands. "Yup! The box has a funny cover so our new neigbours will be extra happy!"

The older blonde's eyes shimmered in amazement and she couldn't help herself but bend down and scoop her young daughter into her arms, squeezing her small body in a tight embrace. "Lucy!"

"Mo-mommy! Let me go! I need to pack the cookies before they get cold!" Lucy squirmed and fidgeted in her mother's grip.

"Oh Lucy, my darling. You're so adorable!"

"Mommy~!"

"Ok ok… But you owe me the second half of the hug later. I'll remember to claim it from you."

The moment she was put down, Lucy straightened her dress and dashed off again to get a clean spatula. Gently scooping a few cookies at a time from the metal tray where they were cooling, the small blonde girl laid them down nicely into the small lunch box, careful not to break any. Once she was satisfied with the number of cookies she had managed to squeeze in, she pressed the lid shut and wrapped the thin red ribbon around it like she would a present, which was what it was anyway. A welcoming gift.

"Let's go mommy!"

Layla giggled at her daughter's enthusiasm, which was a huge change from her earlier reluctance to share her chocolate chip cookies. "Coming sweetie, let me just clear up the mess you made first." While searching for a box, Lucy had pretty much upturned two drawers and left the lower cabinet's doors open with plates strewn all over floor.

"Come and help me Lucy dear."

"But I want to bring the cookies over now!" Her daughter protested.

"Sweetie, what did I say about clearing up after yourself…?"

The young girl's face immediately dropped. "That if I don't clear my messes, the elves who live in my garden will come and take my things away from me…"

"Precisely, now come and help me."

"Hurry hurry, mommy! Let's go now! We've wasted so much time already"

"That's only because you stopped to snack on that brownie and stained your dress."

"Oh hurry, mommy!"

Lucy took her mother's hand and pulled her out the door, stubbornly dragging the larger, older woman down the driveway of their house and across the lawn. The two females weaved their way between the piles and stacks of furniture that lay messily across their neighbour's lawn and along the driveway. At the junction where the driveway opened up into the street, there were 2 cars and a large moving lorry parked and men shuffled back and forth unloading more sofas, mattresses and cupboards onto the lawn where an older woman was waiting.

Lucy's eyes widened and she tugged anxiously at her mother's shirt. "Mommy... They sure have a lot of stuff. Would they even want our cookies?"

Layla gave her an assuring smile. "Don't worry sweetheart. They wouldn't pass up on your delicious cookies."

Lucy still looked a little apprehensive when the tall woman who had been directing the movers suddenly turned and came their way. "Hello there. Who's this pretty little girl here?" Her voice was warm and friendly and Lucy instantly felt a little less scared.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Lucy Heartfilia. This is my mommy, Mommy Heartfilia."

Her mother chuckled and extended her arm. "I'm Layla. We're your neighbors from next door who have come bearing gifts."

The woman's smile brightened and she laughed sheepishly. "Oh, haha. My name is Kerina. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. As you can see, it's really busy around here." She turned to indicate the mess behind her. "We just started unloading everything this morning and it's still a huge jumbled mess."

Lucy's eyes widened in panic. "I'm sorry, did we disturb you? We could come back later!"

The woman laughed again and shook her head. She squatted down to come face to face with the blonde child. "It's fine, sweetie. You're very polite for such a young girl… how old are you?"

"7!" Lucy held up six fingers and grinned widely.

"I see...Hey, what's that in your hand?"

"Chocolate chip cookies! Mommy and I baked them this morning." She answered, grinning now.

"Oh! Well, they smell absolutely delicious, Lucy. Why not you…" Kerina surveyed her surroundings quickly before her eyes landed on the porch of their new Victorian manor. "Give them to my son over there. He's the one playing his video game." She lifted her hand to indicate a kid who looked a little older than Lucy sitting on the porch steps.

"Oh…umm… Mommy, come with me?"

"Haha… you'll be fine sweetie. Mommy will be standing right her with Kerina – san."

"But…"

"Don't worry Lucy. My son isn't that much older than you. You will be fine."

"I guess that's fine then…"

Lucy walked slowly over to where the young boy was jamming his fingers against his PSP console, his brows furrowed. Anxiety raced down her belly and she turned back to look at the two women behind her but they merely smiled and egged her on.

"Uhm… Hello…"

"…"

"Hello? I'm Lucy Heartfilia… your new… neighbour?"

"…"

Lucy could feel her initial anxiety seeping away at his obliviousness and slowly being replaced by irritation. Was that game so interesting that he couldn't even acknowledge her presence? Well, that needed to change. She climbed the steps up to stand beside the boy, their mothers watching her curiously to see what the young girl would do next. What happened next took them all by surprise.

Young Lucy Heartfilia, dressed prettily in a yellow sundress and beribboned straw hat, with her angelic face and smile and polite words, reached out and conked the boy hard on his head with the cookie box.

The boy instantly froze and whipped his head around to glare at his unwelcome visitor. "Who the hell are you?!"

His mother's voice rang out from across the lawn. "Son! Manners!"

The boy was too furious to care though. "You just made me lose the game! And I was just about to level up too…"

The girl stood akimbo and glared back, unwilling to back down. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, your new neighbour. I came over to say hi."

He arched a brow at her. "If that's how you greet someone, then I want nothing more to do with you. Goodbye, Lucy."

"I only did it to get your attention." She stripped the ribbon off from the box and popped the lid. "I was wondering if you wanted some welcome coo-"

"Woah! All those chocolate chip? Dang, they smell awesome! Thanks, Lucy!" The kid's eyes widened in delight as he snatched the box from her hand and immediately started stuffing his face.

Lucy was rather taken aback by the sudden change in his attitude. Were all boys like this? Give them food and they instantly turn friendly? That certainly made making male friends easy… She tucked that mental note away in her mind, knowing that it would be useful in the future.

The kid turned to look at her and opened his mouth to speak, crumbs tumbling from his mouth. "These are awesome, Lucy. Did you make them?"

She nodded.

"Wow… You're awesome! You're ok in my book!"

The blonde blushed shyly, slightly embarrassed about how forthcoming he was with his praises. "Oh right, where are my manners… Mom would kill me if she knew. I'm sorry. Thank you, Lucy." He reached out a hand that felt rough against her own smaller one, as the crumbs scraped against her skin. He introduced his name and shook her hand firmly. "Pleased to meet you!"

"Well… I'm glad you like them. I even used my favourite lunch box so that you could read the comic strip on the cover… see here?" She settled herself down on the porch next to him and flipped the lid over. "That's Snoopy and Woodstock on the kennel…"

"Oh wow. This is old."

"Hey!"

He gave her a funny look. "Chill Lucy, I just said it was old. I didn't call it stupid. The comic's pretty funny… I like how Woodstock mistakes the cone for a mountain."

"Yeah! And Snoopy just has a face that kinda says… you're dumb."

"Well…he is a birdbrain."

That took her by surprise, and she laughed out loud. The boy smiled and he reached up to touch the brim of her sun hat. "You're really pretty when you laugh like that, Lucy. I like it."

Lucy felt her face heat up. "N- no…boy's ever called me pretty before…"

If anything, his smile grew. "Haha. That's cool. I'm your first then?"

She pursed her lips and considered for a moment. "I guess you are… Has any girl ever called you pretty before?"

He snorted loudly in reply. "I don't want to be called pretty! Especially not by a girl."

"So what shall I call you then? Uh… Lovely? Uhm… Adorable? Sweet?" Lucy's eyes widened at the last word.

"Excuse me?!"

She giggled and waved her hand at his face. "I'm joking, … – kun. I think you're… cute."

He smirked. "You think I'm cute?"

"Course I do. You apologized like a good little boy who was scared of his mommy just now. That was so cute."

"Wha… hey!"

"Hahahaah!"

"Hmph fine… you win this round. But I'll get you back, Lucy Heartfilia!" He shouted, and raised his arms angrily. Although, he really couldn't bring himself to be mad at his adorable new neighbour, who had so nicely brought him such delicious cookies.

The young boy had felt a little apprehensive and extremely angry when he had first found out he was being forced to move due to his dad changing jobs. Leaving his school, the friends he treasured and the life he had built for himself in the past ten years had left him bitterer than other kids his age.

But when he looked at the laughing girl next to him, for the first time since he stepped foot in Magnolia city, he felt something that felt suspiciously like excitement for his new life here.

It felt amazing.

Well… despite the fact that I have 3 unfinished fics, I've decided to go ahead and start a new one anyway. Ohohohoho! It's really short as compared to Wanting More, but it's 3am in the morning now and I really need to sleep.

Just as how I sign off in W.M...

Reviewez s'il vous plait!

Faie.