Typical "Lisanna comes and Lucy leaves to get stronger" story. Hints of Nalu. Don't like it, don't read it. ;) This is supposed to be right after the Edolas arc, so Lucy still shouldn't have Capricorn yet. I'm a lot farther ahead though, so sorry if I forget that. .

"Natsu! Happy!" Lucy called cheerfully, running over as she waved a flyer for a job. "Let's do this job! I still have to pay my rent!" She slowed down. "Natsu?"

Natsu sat at the table with his usual bright grin. Lisanna sat in Lucy's normal seat. "Heyyyyy," Lucy said, giving Lisanna a playful shove, "That's my usual seat."

"Ah, I'm sorry Lucy-san! This was my seat before I left when I wasn't helping onee-chan with the bar," Lisanna apologized as Lucy frowned a little.

"Ugh, are the parties still going?" Gajeel said grumpily, struggling to get streamers and confetti out of his hair. "It's been weeks. Shouldn't we be going on jobs by now? Fairy Tail will go bankrupt."

"Come on, Lisanna just came back!" Natsu protested. "You guys didn't know her, but she was important to the rest of us." He put his arm around Lisanna's shoulder.

Gajeel rolled his eyes coldly. "If no one's going out to earn some money, I am," he said, then headed to the board with his hands in his pockets. Just as he ripped one off and started to walk out the door, rain started pouring down. "Juvia! What's that for!" he scolded.

"Juvia feels lonely," she looked down and swung her feet back and forth.

"I feel a little bit awkward too," Wendy admitted. "I'm sure it's wonderful for everyone that Lisanna-san is back, but truthfully I feel a little bit left out. She won't even acknowledge our existence."

"Which is why," Gajeel smirked and held out the job request, "We can go do this."

"Ehhh? A travelling circus?" Wendy said.

"Juvia thinks it seems exciting!" Juvia exclaimed.

"It's not dangerous," Charle nodded.

"And I'm sure the circus master will be happy to have us exceeds as well," Pantherlily said.

"Even better, it's for 2 months, so by the time we get back the parties should be over. So, how about it?" Gajeel asked.

"Juvia wants to come!" Juvia exclaimed eagerly.

"I suppose we will accompany you," Charle said as Wendy smiled next to her.

"What about you, blondie?" Gajeel turned to Lucy.

"There's another mission I want to go on with Natsu, otherwise I'd come. Thanks though," she declined politely.

"With the flame-brain?" Gajeel scoffed. "Go with him after he wakes up, because he's been rejecting you for the past few weeks. Good luck with that."

"Um, see you, Lucy-san," Wendy waved.

"Bye-bye!" Juvia said.

"Bye!" Lucy waved cheerfully, then stopped to stare at their figures getting smaller. What did Gajeel mean by that? she pondered. "Well," she said to Plue, "Natsu is busy, so let's go for an easy job today."

"Pun!"

"Ah!" Lucy collapsed onto a her bed. "I was wondering why they offered a whole 40,000 jewel just to babysit a bunch of kids. They didn't mention those kids were rowdy and annoying and that they were training to be mages!"

"Pun!"

"You're no help, Plue," Lucy sighed. She tugged on a new shirt, throwing out her old one which had been partially burned by one of the fire mages. "Well, it's still the afternoon. I'll go visit the guild. I wonder if they'll talk to me today."

"Pun!"

"Whatever," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Let's go!"

As Lucy and Plue approached the guild, Lucy heard a voice inside say, "Who's Lucy?" Lucy peered through a window to see. It was Lisanna.

"Oh Lucy? She's the celestial mage with blond hair. She's my best friend," Natsu grinned.

"I see," Lisanna frowned. Then she looked up at him with sad eyes. "I thought I was your best friend," she said softly, fidgeting a little.

"Lisanna?" Natsu said, surprised, "Don't worry," he reassured her. "No one cares for you any less."

Lisanna still kept a sad face. Then out of nowhere, she said, "The blonde celestial mage? I hope we can get along. But I heard that she's really weak. I thought you wanted a strong team."

"Lucy isn't weak," Natsu punched the table. "Oh, sorry," he said quickly when he saw Lisanna's shocked face. "I just hate when people say that, because Lucy is not weak."

"I'm sorry Natsu," Lisanna was quick to apologize, "But don't you always have to rescue her?"

Natsu paused for a second, and Lucy felt her heart sink. "Well Lucy is getting stronger," he said, but with a hint of hesitation. "Speaking of which, where is Lucy? Her scent is still here." He looked around the room.

Lucy flinched. Had he not noticed that she had been gone the whole day? As he seemed to sense her presence and headed towards the window, she quickly ducked and ran off, dismissing Plue.

Lucy stared at the job she had taken from the request board. "Can I do this without Natsu," she sighed, leaning back on her chair. She looked over her shoulder at Natsu with Lisanna, who was sitting in Lucy's usual seat again. "I should've went with Gajeel and the others," she sighed again, "This place is too lonely for once."

Virgo suddenly appeared beside her. "You requested my company, hime?" she bowed.

"Uh, no I didn't."

"Then-punishment, hime?"

"No no," Lucy rolled her eyes. "Stay. At least someone here will know I exist then."

"What about Levy, hime?"

"Levy-chan was close to Lisanna too," Lucy replied. "I was just Levy's replacement best friend, considering she hasn't acknowledged me for the past two weeks."

"Now, don't say that," Loke appeared as well. "Shall we just take an easier job today?"

"Sure," said Lucy. "I need to pay my rent." But as soon as she stepped out the door preparing to help an old lady mage move her belongings, Lisanna's voice was there again.

"Erza-san, what do you think of Lucy-san?" Lisanna asked.

"Well, she's very loyal and brave. Why bring that up now?"

"I was just thinking that she seems to weak to be on a team with strong mages like you, Natsu, and Gray. Wouldn't you get jobs done faster with a stronger mage?"

"Well you have point." Erza said, causing Lucy to wince. "She's not terribly strong when it comes to fighting. Definitely not good enough to be S-class."

"Let's go, hime." Virgo said, leading a frozen Lucy away.

"But," Erza said just as they left, "Lucy is smart, and a valuable member on our team. She's helped us out of many sticky situations."

"Actually, I haven't seen Lucy much lately. Has she been going on missions alone?" Gray said, crossing his arms.

"Gray, your clothes," Cana said from the side.

"Ah! He ran off."

"She's probably just annoyed because we never end up getting the full reward," Natsu guesses.

Erza glared at him. "We would get the full reward if you wouldn't keep DESTROYING EVERYTHING!" she shouted.

"Aye sir," he said meekly.

"But we can't to as many things without her," Erza thought out loud. "She always manages to secure everything for us."

"I can replace her! If that's okay with you, I mean," Lisanna piped up suddenly. "I'd like to do a job with all of you. It's been so long! I'm sure I can be just as helpful as Lucy-san, and since I was with all of you for so long I know more of your habits when it comes to fighting."

"Very well, Lisanna," Erza said. "Let's do a job!"

"Lucy-san will be able to improve as a mage if she goes on solo missions as well," Lisanna continued.

"Don't fall in the water!" the men called out from the boat.

"I know!" Lucy shouted back. "Anyway, you know what I mean, Plue?"

"Pun?"

"It's not that I'm not happy that Lisanna is back. Everyone looks so happy. But I've barely been able to talk to them, especially Natsu, and Erza even called me weak. Lisanna thought I was a hindrance. It's lonely in the guild for once, you know?"

"Pun!"

"Well, whatever," Lucy sighed. "I'll ask Natsu again tomorrow before that job is taken by a mage from another guild."

Thanks for reading! There's more chapters to come. If you like it, please leave a review! Or if you don't like it (or see a mistake), please review a review anyway so I can improve my writing. Thank you! :3