Chapter Twelve:

The guildhall was subdued.

Usually, you were almost deafened by the cacophony when you sat up on the second floor, but as Lucy sat at the long table that had been designated for the council of war, she could barely hear the conversations happening below.

"What's the plan?" Gajeel asked as eh dropped into the seat besides Laxus. "When are we going to wreck them?"

"We don't know what they want," Freed pointed out, his voice rough and appearance unkempt. "For all we know, us marching to war is what they want." Despite a previously unknown block in Mest's memories being released, the only new information that they had was that Makarov had disbanded the guild and marched off to Alverez alone in an attempt to stop the coming war.

"Ivan wanted Lumen Histoire," Bickslow contributed slowly. "And we know Zeref's been after Cheerleader's keys. So as long as we…"

"If anyone finishes that sentence with anything implying leave Lucy home," Lucy interrupted with a smile, "I'll feed you in bits and pieces to the fishes. Starting with the parts you like most."

"Lucy," Laxus said firmly, and she slumped back into her seat, arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm not a child," she snapped irritably. "You can't keep me hidden away. I can defend myself." They had gone through variations of this same argument on an almost hourly basis since Makarov's body had been found two days before.

"Gramps couldn't beat them," Laxus roared, slamming his hands down on the table. "What makes you think that you could?"

"Master Makarov couldn't beat Hades either," she retorted, rising to her feet. "You know who could? Team Natsu and you. Was I not a part of Team Natsu then?"

"This. Is. Zeref." Laxus growled at her, lightning sparking around his body as he seemed to struggle to rein in his emotions. "Not Hades, not anyone like you've ever faced."

"I have faced more than you know," she said lowly, locking eyes with him. "Virgo?"

The maid spirit appeared, a battered notebook in her hands. Silently, she passed it to Lucy, who took it at threw it down on the table with a heavy thump.

"Remember this?" she said coldly into the silence that had fallen around the table.

"How could I forget?" he murmured, his voice catching slightly.

"They may not have been Zeref, but I have put my life on the line time and time again for this guild. I will not let you put me on the sidelines now."

Fed up with the argument, and tired of all their discussions going nowhere, Lucy left the table, heading for the attic. Last she knew, Erza was out destroying the training dummies with Natsu in an attempt to safely channel grief, so that was out. Mira was stress-baking and even Kinana was afraid to go in the kitchen with her there. Laxus would likely retreat to his office to huddle and plot with the Raijinshu, someone was sitting with Sorano in the safe room that had once been hers…

Only the attic was likely to be empty.

She slipped up the familiar stairwell, knowing that any dragon slayer would be able to find her, but hoping they wouldn't follow. Ever since Makarov's body had been found two days ago, the pull of what Loke had described as her magic's "survival instinct" seemed to have increased. Apparently, celestial magic, like many family-inherited magics, tended to attempt to ensure its own survival by pushing its wielders toward suitable partners who would not only be able to protect them, but also help sustain the line.

Whatever it was, it was immensely frustrating to suddenly find herself pulled to the unmated dragon slayers who weren't Wendy, with little regard for how much she cared for them in a romantic sense. Sure, Sting and Natsu were powerful dragon slayers, but there was no way in hell she would ever let herself be bond to them, no matter what her magic suggested.

Soft footsteps on the boards behind her made Lucy cross her arms over her chest as the pull redoubled, making the ache that was now constantly present triple in intensity. There were only two slayers that made her react that way. And Laxus, for all of his grace and speed, did not walk so softly that it was almost impossible to hear him.

"Acnologia," she said, refusing to turn from the patch of wall she was studying. She knew what would lie on his face: the same hunger that echoed her own. The same thing that she had seen in his eyes ever since their encounter in the safe room where Sorano now rested.

"Celestial Maiden," he replied easily as he drew closer. "You seem troubled."

She did her best to ignore the warm heat of the eldest dragon slayer's body as he stopped right behind her, but it was even worse than the siren song of the lure had been only days before, when she had struggled to resist. Ever since, she had tried to keep a reasonable distance from him, fearing that she might lose herself to the draw of her magic attempting to protect itself. Everything was heightened, and she wished it would all just stop.

"Has he even touched you since the other day?" Acnologia murmured, hands ghosting down her hips in a way that made her breath stop. "Surely he can smell the need on you. If I can, so can he. And yet he resists."

Laxus had been distant. She tried to console herself with thoughts of how busy he was, how concerned for the guild he needed to be, and his own personal grief over his grandfather's death, but she couldn't overcome the memory of him coming late to bed. Lying down with his back to her and not even a goodnight kiss had become their custom.

"He makes you suffer like this," the dragon whispered, his lips next to her ear as his hot breath caressed the bare flesh, causing her to shudder. "How much can he care for you, to leave you wanting and needy among those who could easily satisfy your desires if you turned to them?"

Lucy didn't want to admit it, but she had almost fallen prey to the draw of the bond towards the unmated slayers, especially Acnologia himself, during the initial hours of the lure seeming to at least double in strength. Laxus's avoidance of any type of romantic situation was only making it worse.

"You are not bound to him," Acnologia continued, gently uncrossing her arms from where they rested over her chest. "It is well within your rights to choose another, especially as your intended spurns you so."

His voice dropped even more, if that was possible, falling into a husky whisper where there was no mistaking the lust dripping from every word. "I would give you what you so desperately desire. You think you are burning now? I can make you burn with pleasure, so much so that you will be afraid you might lose your mind." Warm hands, his touch almost scorching even through her clothes, pressed her back gently, folding her into the hard planes of his body. Lips traced down her neck, teeth gently scraping as they passed her pulse point. "Celestial Maiden," Acnologia continued, his voice little more than a growl that threatened to make her knees weak. "Just say the words."

All the while, his hands skimmed over her sides, gravitating toward her hips as he pressed her to him, her back to his front, and there was no ambiguity over how invested he was in the situation, not with so little space between them. "You could rule the world," he rasped against the skin of her neck as she tilted instinctively, baring it for him so that he could have better access. "Together we could turn the fools upside down and have them on their knees begging for us."

It was getting harder and harder to think straight. His dry lips travelled up to her jaw in a scorching path, slowly kissing its length in a way that threatened to make her knees week as one of his hands caressed its way up her side to tilt her face over toward him, bringing their lips together in a kiss that Lucy could only lean into desperately. Acnologia kissed as if the world was burning down around them, equal parts lust and urgency, with an undercurrent of tightly controlled power waiting to be unleashed.

As he broke the contact, she managed to get a grip on her mind, muddled by lust and inhibited by the effects of the pull. "No," she managed, trying to pull away. "Not you. Not because it's what my magic wants. I love Laxus. He's the one I want."

"And when he leaves you wanting again?" Acnologia challenged roughly as he tightened his arms around her, as if almost desperately trying not to let her move further away. "What then, Celestial Maiden?"

It was tempting, what he offered. Her magic certainly agreed with him as to his suitability as a mate, and there was no denying that he had all the qualities of the heroes in the trashy romance novels that were her guilty pleasures.

But life wasn't trashy romance novels, neatly wrapped up in crisp pages. Life was loving so deeply that you would bleed out to protect your friends, that you would set yourself against the person you love if it might protect them. Real life was hard and messy and ugly, not the pretty words Acnologia promised.

He hadn't seen her in her darkest moments and stood by her side supporting her until she could support herself.

Laxus had.

"Go away," she said firmly, leaving the circle of his arms. "I have a mate to claim." And to apologize to. I shouldn't have doubted him. We need to talk, the way we haven't in so long.

Before someone ends up on the guild floor bleeding out again.

Her anger at the situation, coupled with her mounting frustration resulting from the denial of the bond yet again, gave her speed as she stalked down the hall to Laxus's office. It was most likely where he had retreated to after she had confronted him with the reminder of her service to the mayor. Pulling out the novel that she had written as a method of release, but also as a record of her entire life that year and a half, had been a low blow, one that she now regretted. Only the two of them knew what was contained within, and Lucy hadn't touched the notebook since Laxus had returned it to her.

Not bothering to knock, she flung the door open and stormed in. Laxus was standing by the window behind his desk, while the Raijinshu, Gajeel, Sting, and Erik were scattered around the room, sitting or leaning on various pieces of furniture.

"Everybody," Lucy snapped. "Out."

Laxus turned, opened his mouth as if to protest, but she glared at him until he closed it. Meanwhile, Erik had started chivvying everyone out, squeezing her shoulder in a comforting manner as he ushered them out, talking over their protests. She would have to thank him, although she had a sneaking suspicion that he was doing it more for his benefit than hers, considering his soul listening abilities.

When the door closed behind them, Lucy marched over to Laxus's desk, slamming her hands down on it so hard the contents jumped. "Do you love me?" she demanded.

"What-?" Laxus began, but Lucy cut him off with a snarl.

"Yes or no question. Do. You. Love. Me?"

"Yes," Laxus said immediately. "Of course I love you."

"Do you want me as your mate?"

"Of course," Laxus growled, eyes flashing.

"Good." Lucy said, before turning and throwing the door open. Freed and the others were lurking down the hall by the top of the stairs. "Freed, can you and the Raijinshu hold the fort here?"

"Just get out of here, Bunny girl," Gajeel grunted. "You and Sparky need some time to yourselves."

Flashing him a quick grin, and noting that Erik looked somewhat nauseated, she closed the door and marched back over to Laxus. "Take us home."

Something flashed in his eyes, but he obligingly wrapped his arms around her and lightning transported them to the house.

When they landed, his hands moved from wrapped around her to her shoulder, his grip almost painful as he growled: "Why do you smell like him?"

"Because he keeps attempting to seduce me," Lucy said flatly. "I don't know if you've noticed, though I can't really understand if you haven't, but I've got the same draw to complete the bond as you do. My magic is pushing me to pick a mate, and right now it's not all that picky."

"So you let him touch you?" Laxus's hands were skimming over her body almost as if on autopilot. "Without any struggle?"

"I walked away," Lucy spat back, her hackles up. "And you didn't seem to give a damn. This is the third time he's made a pass at me, the second time he's been close enough to leave substantial scent on me. He's warned you about his interest in me. I've warned you about his interest in me, and all you seem to have done is backed off."

"Well," Laxus growled, hands at the hem of her shirt, fingers curling in so tightly she knew it would be stretched beyond return, "consider this me stepping up."

"Fucking finally," Lucy muttered, reaching up to yank his head down for a kiss.

There wasn't much time for talking, at least not in the beginning. Both of them had been holding back too much, and the pull of their magic, finally released, had been both intoxicating and overwhelming.

When they finally surfaced for air, Lucy lay sated in Laxus's arms, curled against his chest as she traced the lines of his tattoo with her fingertips. His own hand was caressing one of the scars over her hips, a reminder of one of her worse missions.

"You look thoughtful," he murmured, brushing his lips over the crown of her head. "What's on your mind?"

"When did we stop talking?" she asked, the motion of her fingers stilling. "When did we stop honestly talking about what we were worried about with each other?"

Laxus looked guilty. "When I found out that the mayor was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg."

"And you didn't want to tell me because you thought it would set me back," Lucy surmised, knowing she had hit the mark when he winced. "I suppose I can't fault you for that. I've been fairly quiet about things lately so that I wouldn't worry you."

"I'm all ears now," he said, shifting back so he could look at her face. "Tell me."

"Acnologia almost tempted me," Lucy admitted, closing her eyes and blowing out a deep breath. "Today, when he found me in the attic. It had been too long since…and the draw of the bond…I'm sorry."

"He won't bother you any further," Laxus said firmly, moving his hand from her hip to brush against the small lightning shaped mark on her neck where he had bitten her. "Not with my mark on you. And you were not the only one being tempted."

"Really?"

Grinning sheepishly, Laxus ran his hand through her hair. "Fairy Tail produces a lot of strong women. Why do you think I was spending so much time cooped up in my office?"

"And I'm one of those women?" Lucy asked pointedly, knowing that where she wanted to take the conversation would kill the mood, but it needed to be talked about.

"Lucy," he started with a sigh, but before he could continue, she cut him off.

"Why won't you let me fight?" she whispered. "I love this guild as much as everyone else, and I'm going to be completely honest with you now. With or without your permission, I'm going to be wherever the battle is."

"Is it too much to ask that you keep yourself safe? Go into hiding somewhere with Sorano and come out when it's all over? I thought I had lost you once, and that was before you were my mate." His voice was muffled as he pulled her close. "I can't lose you now."

"Do you think it's any different for me?" Lucy whispered, knowing that his enhanced ears could pick up the sound. "Do you think I want to lose you?"

Laxus's arms tightened around her, pressing her ear to his chest where she could hear the rumble of his voice as he replied: "I don't know what to do."

"We'll figure it out," Lucy promised, putting all of her faith in the words. "Somehow, we'll figure it out."

Despite having three different strategy sessions before Makarov's funeral, they were no closer to finding a plan that would satisfy everyone.

But all thoughts of war were set momentarily aside as they said their last farewells to the man who had given all of them a home at some point.

Standing at Laxus's side, demure in her black mourning dress (it had seen too much use of late), Lucy had a front row seat for their unexpected visitor.

The guildhall was packed to the rafters with guests come to pay their last wishes to Makarov. Quatro Cerberus, with Goldmine at their head, Blue Pegasus, with Ichiya trailing behind (sopping wet from where Erza had booted him into the lake), Mermaid Heel, Kagura leading and staying well away from Jellal (who had resurrected his Mystogun disguise), and hundreds of others who had gathered to say farewell.

Including eight of the nine remaining Wizard Saints, who made up the current iteration of the Magic Council, and huddled in a corner together for most of the afternoon. Lucy recognized Warrod Sequen, who nodded gravely at her when he caught her eye, but he made no attempt to come speak with either her or Laxus.

They had returned to the guild in the early morning, prepared to work like maniacs to get the guild into shape for the funeral and wake, only to find that Mira and the Raijinshu had chivvied the entire male populations of Fairy Tail and Sabertooth into cleaning the public spaces from top to bottom. There was almost nothing left to do, leaving Mira and the other women plenty of time to corner Lucy and ask for details of her night with Laxus, especially after their mating mark was noticed.

It had taken her several minutes to escape that particular interrogation, but she eventually was able to escape when Erik took pity on her and invented a reason for her to get away. She needed to do something nice for the man, since he had been bailing her out of uncomfortable situations more often than not recently.

When the door opened, she watched for the newcomer out of the corner of her eye. Most of them would eventually make their way up to her and Laxus, but occasionally she had to greet them herself and bring them to her mate.

Her mate. Those two, simple words held so much meaning for her. Laxus seemed to sense her train of thought, because the hand resting on her waist tightened for just a moment, the closest they could get to a hug in front of the visitors that had crammed their way into the guild hall.

The distraction took her attention away from the door, causing her to miss the visitor until the screaming started.

As Lucy turned, heart in her throat, even as her hands reached for the keys tucked into the discreet pocket of her dress, she saw Asuka standing frozen in a suddenly open area by the door, Warren holding Bisca as Alzack requipped a rifle. There was a large, humanoid metal figure in the doorway, arm pointed at the little girl.

Given the way things had been going, Lucy was certain that she didn't want to find out what it did.

"What is the meaning of this?" Laxus said coldly into the silence that fell as he stepped forward, brushing aside the latest person who had come to offer their personal condolences. "This is a funeral."

"Emperor Spriggan sends his regards," the figure said, but before he could move, Laxus was moving, snatching up Asuka and sending her flying into the arms of her parents as lighting crackled dangerously around him. The rest of the dragon slayers were slipping out of the crowd, as well as the main fighting force of Fairy Tail. Erza was requipped into her armor, Jellal-as-Mystogun by her side. Lucy strode forward, only to find the Raijinshu flanking her, Evergreen with her fingers on her glasses, Bixlow toying with his visor, and Freed looking seconds away from transforming fully.

"You can tell Zeref," Laxus growled, causing a chorus of gasps to rise up from the visitors, "that normal people send letters when they declare war. He went as a diplomat, trying to prevent war, and you killed him. For that, Fairy Tail will make sure that you never even dream about setting foot in Fiore again."

The robot made a mechanical tsking sound that sent shivers up and down Lucy's spine. "Such defiance! All we need are the keys and Fairy Heart, and none of this would have have to happen."

"Over my dead body," Lucy snapped, and she saw Laxus flinch.

"That way is preferred," the robot agreed, and then it began to glow.

Before they could think to duck for cover, a long metal pole skewered the robot through

its chest.

"When will you learn to stop baiting your enemies, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel growled, following his arm as he moved closer to the fallen robot. "They tend to take you up on it."

"At least we learned something," Lucy snapped, pushing Freed's arm roughly aside as he tried to keep her from approaching the downed robot. "They want me dead."

"Why?" Laxus snapped, lighting still snapping around him. "Why do they want her dead?"

"Inheritance laws," the robot said with a creaking imitation of laughter. "There's a pretty little subclause that suits His Majesty's purpose nicely."

"What's Zeref planning?" Lucy's question cut across all of the others. "What does he want, besides my keys and my dead body?"

"He doesn't want your body," the robot answered. "He just wants you dead."

"Besides the point," Lucy snapped. "Why did he send you here?"

"Declarations of war are always better when followed up with in person. His Majesty thought it only good manners to send an envoy."

"What," Acnologia's voice rumbled from above them. He had made himself scarce for most of the day, but as Lucy looked up, she saw him lounging casually against the railing. "They did not merit a personal visit?"

More whispers started as everyone stared at the dragon of the apocalypse leaning against the railing, but Lucy marched up to the robot and crouched next to its head.

"He's able to know everything that happens here, right?" At the robot's nod, she continued. "Then tell Zeref that if he wants my keys, he's going to have to meet me on Tenrou Island. Leave the mainland out of this."

"That's a bold declaration, Lucy Heartfilia," the robot wheezed. "But are you prepared to back it up?"

Smirking at the downed robot, Lucy straightened, before calling a bit of Loke's power into her foot the way the lion spirit had taught her. Without hesitating, she drove the spike of her heeled shoe through the robot's helmet, only dropping eye contact when the artificial creation's eyes went dark.

Someone whistled, and Lucy looked up to see Gajeel snickering warily. "Damn Bunny, way to remind Sparky not to piss you off."

Deliberately, she ground her foot in a little deeper, smirking as Gajeel paled slightly. "I'm sorry Gajeel, what did you say?"

"Remind me where to get a pair of shoes like that?"

"Levy knows my favorite shoe store," Lucy turned to face her mate, and was surprised by the amount of heat in his eyes, even though the worry was clear on his face. "But your shoe shopping can wait until we finish that council of war that we keep interrupting."

"Is this a private party, or can we cut in?" a voice asked, and Lucy turned to see Goldmine, Bob, and several of the other guild masters standing in a clump, their faces grim. "You're not the only guild with an axe to grind."

Laxus shrugged, the lightning finally fading from the air around him. "Fine by me. The more the merrier. There's probably enough of the Alverez Empire to go around."

"You can't declare war on another country without the Council's approval!" a voice snapped, and Lucy rolled her eyes before she turned to look at the Wizard Saints in attendance. "We won't allow it!"

"They declared war," Laxus growled. "We're just taking up arms in response."

"We could have you disbanded. It's hard to fight a war when you're in prison."

"Have you ever tried to keep Fairy Tail in jail, sir?" Lucy asked sweetly, moving to stand next to Laxus so that she could rest her hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. "We don't particularly like cages."

"Was that a threat, Miss Heartfilia?" The question came from the man at the head of the group, who bore a suspicious resemblance to a vampire from a novel she had once read.

"No sir." Lucy's smile turned downright dangerous. "That's a promise. Why don't you ask Captain Doranbolt how Fairy Tail has reacted in the past when you try to take someone we care about to jail? Or look through your records and find the ones after the Lullaby incident where you took Erza Scarlet for a trial."

Mest blanched, decidedly not looking at Jellal. That seemed to be answer enough for the councilmen, and Lucy watched them bristle with rage.

"Shall we adjourn to the second floor?" Laxus said, turning his back on the Wizard Saints and focusing on the guild leaders. "And can somebody find Sting?"

"If any of you take a single step towards those stairs," the lead councilman said, voice menacing. "Your guild is automatically disbanded and forbidden to petition for status for five years. Any attempt to form before then and you'll be considered a dark guild."

"Just try it," Laxus growled, the lightning back in the air around him. "Every dark guild in this country has faced off against us, and the most they pushed us to was separating for a year. And you know what? Lucy Heartfilia kept this guild open on her own against overwhelming odds, and I don't think she's going to give up just because a bunch of stupid old men decide that we're out of line. This time, she won't be alone either."

***So sorry that this took so long to write. It's been fighting with me. Special thanks to GemNika for helping me with the bit of Acnologia and Lucy there- now that I've considered the pairing, it won't let me go! Happy holidays to everyone.***