Summary: Beauty & The Beast – Fairy Tail rendition; Gray. Lucy.

A/N... I have no excuses what so ever. But know that I am sort of back and still writing when I make time! I decided to come back to this fic and try (try!) to push forward. I rewrote the 1st chapter because I was not satisfied. SO please if you have time I made a few changes re-read chapter 1!

P.s: a review will make my heart swell 😉 and possibly encourage

Standard disclaimer applied.

Her name is Lucy

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c.

"You can't escape this Lucy."

Lucy closed her eyes tightly against the fresh memory of her father's words. She leaned against the cold surface of the glass window, a contradiction to how warm her skin felt. After awakening in an unfamiliar setting, it was explained to her that she had been found unconscious and suffering from hypothermia. And it seemed that now a fever was taking a toll on her body.

An image of cold dark blue eyes resurfaced, and she unconsciously folded her body against the windowsill she was currently occupying in the nursing quarters. She had played mute and for the most part they had left her alone. And for that, Lucy was grateful. Grateful and desperate for someone to come bother her, because now she was left with her rampant thoughts.

Why?

Why did it have to come to this? A choked sob escaped her tightly sealed lips. And soon her sobs were the only thing that could be heard echoing in the room.

She was alone.

She was terrified.

And she was hurting.

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She stood stalk still. Confused and afraid to utter a sound as she watched a young man with short black hair and equally dark eyes approaching her, his high-collared rob and large, flowing white toga making him seem like a majestic entity. But something within her heart and soul warned her of danger.

Lucy quickly casted a fugitive glance at her father, who kept silent and indifferent.

"…Dad?"

She took a step back feeling the door connect with her bare skin, the bodice of her pink gown further enhancing her erratically racing heartbeat. She was vulnerable and wide open. She felt naked and suddenly detested the gown her father had demanded she wear for their outing.

"She's an exquisite creature Mr. Heartfilia."

In this grand room filled with golden tapestry and noteworthy furniture, Lucy's heart filled with trepidation as the young man extended his hand out towards her face. This young-man was not human…she knew this somehow…

"Dad!"

"Silence!" Jude commanded.

All was silent.

"You can't escape this Lucy," tears swelled in her eyes as she continued hearing her father's words "this is for your mother's sake."

"B-But mother is-!"

A thumb was placed over her lips to silence her, as the rest of the young man's hand cupped her cheek. His dark eyes met her frightened brown eyes "You weren't lying," his thumb caressed her bottom lip "she seems to be immune to my touch."

"Zeref the deal you promised—"

"It will be kept once I've taken your daughter as my bride."

Zeref sent her a small smile, one that didn't seem to reach his eyes as he finally took a step away from her "Your wife will be brought back only when our marriage is sealed."

And it was in that moment where everything had become a blur. Because if everything that had been exchanged were true…what happened to her? …her father had just sealed her fate.

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d.

Natsu slumped down on his seat by the bar. Stupid-ass popsicle had to get all emotional and frighten the girl! He exhaled, a small burst of flames licking the space in front of him for a short second. He understood where Gray was coming from. Even if everyone in the guild called him an idiot flame brain, he understood certain things. He understood a lot about what went on.

Just as he was about to ask Mira for a drink, a familiar voice appeared beside him.

"Hey, how did it go in there?"

Natsu glanced at the petite woman sitting next to him and quickly turned in his seat and swung his arms around her. Her scent calmed him, and soon he found himself unable to stop sniffing her neck.

"N-Natsu!? W-we're in public!" Lisanna wailed in embarrassment, trying in vain to escape her lover's hold. As if having her older sister, Mira send her coy glances from across the bar wasn't enough she could clearly hear snickering from their fellow guild mates.

"I did, do the right thing," she stilled at his unusually hushed voice murmured against the nape of her neck "bringing her here?"

Lisanna smiled softly as she hummed in agreement. It was intimate moments like these between them where Natsu, the all-loud, vibrant, unwavering fire breathing demon became vulnerable to her.

"You did the right thing Natsu," she softly ruffled his hair "right now we just have to leave her alone. And definitely not bother Gray for a few days."

"Maybe we can introduce her to a few friends later?"

She felt him exhale, a rush of warm breath caressing her skin before a pair of lips connected with a small patch of skin on her neck.

"Lisanna, you're the best."

Her blue eyes finally met his smiling black eyes.

"I'm all fired up!"

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"…are you sure this is okay, Natsu-san?"

"You know, I thought I said later not ten minutes later!"

"Hehe."

"…"

Lucy blinked at the loud whispering coming from the door.

"Alright, Levy and Happy go in first!"

"Aye, sir!"

"…uh."

"And why are they going in first?"

Lucy's lips started quivering, fighting back a giggle or two.

"Lisanna, Levy and Happy are cute and cuddly! They're perfect for someone who might feel uncomfortable in a new place!"

"…"

"…"

"Aye!"

After a few seconds of loud shuffling behind the closed door it was unceremoniously opened. Lucy jumped from her spot and blinked owlishly at the two newcomers in the doorway.

She continued staring.

There was an inconspicuous 'psst' coming from outside the door and suddenly the blue cat sprung wings and landed on her lap.

"Hi, my name is Happy! Nice to meet you!"

"…" Lucy looked up at the petite blue haired woman smiling kindly at her "…nice to meet you I'm Levy."

Her heart warmed at their gesture.

Truthfully, Lucy was never afraid of demons—they looked just like humans but more ethereal and beautiful—without her father's knowing she had interacted with some of them in their estate. They were gentle and kind to her, more so than her father.

She just didn't understand this incessant conflict between humans and demons. Why couldn't they all live peacefully?

Lucy's thoughts were broken when the tiny blue cat nudge her with its paw, "Are you okay?"

"Hm. I'm okay, thank you."

She smiled, noticing that now there were two others inside the room.

The pink haired young man smiled sheepishly, while a white-haired woman elbowed him "My name's Natsu and this is Lisanna."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Lucy."

It was soon after her introduction that the atmosphere seemed much more relaxed and opened. It was comfortable. And even as she laughed at Natsu's ridiculous antics in the back of her mind she wondered back to a pair of intimidating dark blue eyes filled with pain and despair.

Why was his form different from the others?

…and why did he seem so sad?