**I don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima does. Yada yada.

So... This was written in response to a request. Could be a one shot, but I'll probably write more eventually. Once I've wound down a few other stories... But don't expect anything more too soon on this one.

NaLi, if you can't tell from the description :P**

The air was tense in Fairy Tail. Makarov had been silent for several minutes, stroking his chin in deliberation. Finally he turned back and spoke.

"Lisanna, I'm sorry, but for your own good and the good of the team, you are hereby prohibited from taking missions with Team Natsu."

Lisanna gasped, tears threatening to come to her eyes. This couldn't be right. She'd just gotten Natsu back – her Natsu, not that phony Edolas Natsu who couldn't stand up to a fly. And now she was told she couldn't be a part of his life?

But apparently he wasn't done. "In fact, I'm pulling you off active mage status. You can take Mirajane's place at the bar. She needs to be more active now that she's able to complete quests as an S class mage again."

Lisanna choked back the tears that continued to threaten to break through. She'd been so excited when she returned to Earthland. When she finally saw Natsu again after all that time. And now this? She was going to be a barmaid, not even allowed to take missions? Only seeing Natsu when he was at the guild?

~~~~~~An hour ago~~~~~~

"We're back!" Natsu grinned as he kicked in the door, Gray, Wendy, and Erza right behind him. The first thing the guild noticed was that they were even more bruised up than normal. Natsu had a cast and several bandages. Even Erza was bandaged up, and Wendy had her arm in a sling.

"Umm, what happened to you guys?" Mira asked from her place at the bar, voicing everyone's surprise at seeing the strongest team in such a state.

"We just had a minor setback in our fight," Natsu said with a grin. "No big deal."

"No big deal?" Makarov spoke up, appearing suddenly from his office. "You look almost as bad as after your battle with Dorma Anim, and this wasn't that difficult of a request. How did this happen?"

"Well, umm… We were ambushed from behind while we were fighting," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head.

Makarov sighed, closing his eyes. As if things weren't bad enough already, now their most popular team had forgotten how to handle group fights. "I'm really disappointed in you Erza. You should know better than to let your guard down that way." He addressed the senior member and the most experienced fighter in the group rather than its namesake.

"I apologize for my incompetence master. You may hit me."

Makarov sweat-dropped. "There's no need for that Erza, though…" He got a tiny twinkle in his eye. "Perhaps a spanking is in order?"

He instantly regretted the decision as a sword was in his face in a blink of an eye. "You may be our master, but if you even think of such a thing again I won't hesitate to deprive you of your manhood."

Makarov just swallowed, hard, before taking another sip of his drink. "Still, I can't let this go. Look at the condition your team is in," he said reprovingly. "Somebody, or even all of you, could have died. I'll have to think of an appropriate punishment later."

Erza withdrew her sword, sheathing it and bowing respectfully. "I will submit to whatever punishment you deem appropriate."

He couldn't help the perverted smile that came to his face as he thought of possible punishments he could inflict, but it quickly left as he felt a menacing aura. But before he could apologize, another voice interrupted what was happening.

"You shouldn't punish Erza, master. It was my fault. I was supposed to be guarding the back."

He looked up to see Lisanna, her head inclined respectfully toward the floor as she spoke. His frown deepened. This was the third time the girl had made a mistake on her part in a team request that resulted in undue damage to the team. As much as he wanted to encourage her to actively pursue a role on Natsu's team, he couldn't allow her to put the lives of the rest of the team members in jeopardy. That was why there was only one decision that he could make.

Still, he chose to take some time to deliberate on it. He didn't want to react rashly, especially considering how what he felt needed to be done might affect Natsu, who seemed to be falling back into his old camaraderie with the girl. He retired to his office to deliberate for a while…

~~~~~~Present Time~~~~~~

Lisanna sat at the bar, still shocked at the master's decision to remove her from active duty mage status. She was hurt, and somewhat angry as well, if she was honest. Not at the master. He didn't know the full story. But she was upset because someone else on the team wasn't sticking up for her.

"Come on Gramps, you can't just kick her off the team!" Lisanna smiled as she heard Natsu's voice somewhere to her right. At least he was sticking up for her to be on the team. She could understand Erza, who didn't need any more blame for what happened anyway. And Gray, well, he probably had no clue what was happening anyway. Wendy was too timid to speak up, especially with Natsu being so boisterous. But Lucy…

"Natsu, that's my decision." Makarov said. "Nothing you can say will change my mind. If it were the first time, or the second time, I might just chalk it up to being out of action for so long. But this is the third time she's failed to perform a basic, but crucial role on your team. My decision's firm."

"If that's what your reasoning is, then what about—"

"It doesn't matter Natsu, but thanks for sticking up for me." Lisanna said with a smile, cutting him off before he could finish. As much as she would like Lucy to stick up for her, she wasn't about to let someone else implicate her as part of the reason the mission almost failed.

~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~

"So how close were you and Natsu before you, well, died?"

Lisanna sighed, keeping her eyes focused on the left doorway. She and Lucy had been assigned to keep an eye on the group's exposed back while they dealt with the strongest opponents. "Lucy, now's not the time to be discussing this. We have a job to do."

"You always say that," Lucy replied. "But then when we get back to the guild you just disappear, or Natsu's there and it's awkward to try and talk about it. I just want to know where you stand with Natsu, or where you want to stand with Natsu."

Lisanna sighed, her eyes still glued to the door she was assigned to watch. "Natsu was my best friend growing up. We did everything together. Does that answer your question?"

"Not really. It doesn't tell me where you stand with him now."

Where did she stand with him now? In some ways, it felt like he hadn't changed in 2 years. But in other ways, he was a totally different person. Did he still see her the same way he did years ago? A small smile played around her lips as she remembered their conversations. Their roles as Happy's mom and dad, and her insistence that she was his wife. It was so cute the way he used to get all flustered at being her 'husband.' She would give anything to get those days that she missed with him back. Those days she spent looking at a face that was Natsu's on a person who wasn't. Did he feel the same way? Was there still time to make her childhood fantasies a reality?

"Well, at least I know where you want to stand with him." When Lucy spoke, Lisanna realized that a small blush had crept up to her cheeks. She turned toward the girl, a little annoyed.

"What does it matter to you where I want to stand with Natsu? Honestly, I don't even know that myself yet. I just want to spend more time with him so that I can find out what, if anything, is still there. That's all."

"Right… That's why you get all flustered just thinking about him. Have you asked him out on a date yet?"

"What? No! Even if I were looking to date him, I would wait for him to ask me. I'm not about to make the first move on a guy." Lisanna said, feeling her face darkening at the thought. She would probably – no, who was she kidding – definitely say yes if he did ask her out. But if anybody, even Natsu, wanted to date her, they were going to have to at least be bold enough to ask her.

"Well, considering it's Natsu you'll have to be the one to ask. He's denser than a lump of Osmium."

"He's not – what is Osmium anyway?" Lisanna started to retort, then cut off when she realized she had no idea what Lucy was talking about.

"Osmium – the densest thing that exists in earthland," she said, rolling her eyes. "And you were about to deny it. Look, if you took the 5 densest people in the kingdom of Fiore and multiplied their denseness, you still wouldn't have someone as dense as Natsu when it comes to girls."

Lisanna turned fully toward her, feeling her eyes spark. "Natsu's not that dense. Sure, he can be a little clueless about girls sometimes, but that's just the way he is. He doesn't pick up on subtle hints easily when it comes to romance, sure. But he'll be the first to recognize when something's wrong. When you're in trouble, or – SHIT!"

She tried to dodge the incoming projectile, but she wasn't fast enough. She couldn't even see what it was. Only that it came from the area they were supposed to be watching. She felt a sharp prick in her neck, and tried to call out a warning to the group in the front. But her voice wouldn't work. It was almost as though her vocal cords were so relaxed they wouldn't even make a sound. As she slumped to the floor, she saw Lucy falling next to her, neither of them able to warn their teammates in the room beyond of the coming danger.

~~~~~~Present Time~~~~~~

Lisanna felt that spark, that little bit of fire she'd acquired from her time spent with Natsu, growing in her. She wasn't going to take this lying down. She wasn't about to rat out a teammate, but Makarov couldn't just kick her off the team. Natsu was still arguing for her, after all.

She turned back to the master, half trembling as she launched into her response. "You know what? I may be off Team Natsu, but you can't keep me from following them when they go on quests. Just because I'm a member of this guild doesn't mean that I have to work the bar just because you tell me to. The guild is a place for mages to gather and take jobs that they think are appropriate for them. Well, the bar isn't the place for me."

"You will not follow Team Natsu," Makarov replied in a steely voice. "For your own good and the good of the team, I can't allow that."

"You can't stop me," she replied defiantly, aware that she was acting a little immaturely here but unwilling to accept being relegated to the backburner in Natsu's life without a fight.

"Then I have no choice but to banish you from the guild," Makarov said with a heavy sigh. "You will not follow them as a Fairy Tail mage."

Lisanna's jaw dropped. He was threatening her with banishment because she wanted to be part of Team Natsu? Sure, her reaction could be construed as immature, but banishment? Really?

Then she looked around, and she saw it. Gray, Jet, Droy, Gajeel, even Wendy to an extent. She was the outsider here. The guild had moved on without her, and the only people that really wanted her back, or at least acted like she was back, were Natsu and her two siblings. So as the guild outsider, she wouldn't have anyone to stand up for her. Well, at least not anyone who could actually sway Makarov in his decision.

"Alright," she said plainly, making her decision. "If that's the way it is, so be it." It was a challenge, and she knew it. She was effectively daring the master to follow through on his threat, and as much as she knew that he would have to she hoped that he wouldn't. Fairy Tail had been her home growing up as much as anyone else's, and even if she only had a few people here who she was still close to, it wouldn't be the same anywhere else.

"Don't make me do this," Makarov asked in a half-pleading voice, but Lisanna didn't want to hear it right now. She wasn't making him do anything. All he needed to do was let her have her place back on Team Natsu. She remained silent, her face clearly showing her resolve.

"Very well…" Makarov said after a few minutes. "Lisanna Strauss, you are hereby banished from Fairy Tail. Remove your guild mark. You may no longer enter as a member of our guild.

Lisanna choked back a sob as her guild mark disappeared. So this was really happening. She could never come back to Fairy Tail again. Slowly, she headed toward the door, looking around one more time at the now silent crowd. Each step seemed like an eternity. She wanted to go back. To retain her place in the guild even if it meant being relegated to the life of a barmaid. But she couldn't do that. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

"Wait!" Before she put her hand on the door, Natsu's voice echoed from near the bar. "If Lisanna's gone, I'm going too."

"I'm coming too," added Happy, flying after Natsu. "Wherever Natsu and Lisanna go, I go."

"WHAT?" Half the guild practically shrieked. But unlike Lisanna, Natsu didn't even give them a chance to change their mind and side with them. He just erased the guild mark and offered her a grin as they left.

"It's time to start a new adventure," he said as the doors closed behind them.

"HOLD ON A MINUTE!"

Natsu turned with a sigh, and Lisanna followed. Erza was right behind them.

"Natsu, just because Lisanna is leaving doesn't mean you have to do something rash. Fairy Tail is your home."

"Erza, Lisanna was my best friend in the guild. She was the only one that really believed I was raised by a dragon. Do you really think I'm going to just let her walk out of my life now that she's finally back?"

"As regrettable as that is, she brought it on herself by defying the master," Erza said. "There's no need for you to go this far. You can see her again."

"That has nothing to do with it Erza. I've made my choice, and you're not going to stop me."

"You can't leave Natsu. Your team needs you. I need you."

"If more of my team stuck up for Lisanna, this probably wouldn't even be happening. Gramps wouldn't have followed through if all of us told him he was wrong. Besides, if my team doesn't need Lisanna, it doesn't need me either."

Lisanna felt a bubble in her heart at those words, turning the gloominess she'd felt only moments earlier into calm, and even happiness. Natsu did care for her. All the time they'd spent together growing up really did mean something to him! She'd been heartbroken to return and think that maybe all those years were forgotten, but now she couldn't be happier.

Erza, meanwhile, looked like she didn't know whether to be angry or cry. Lisanna looked away, feeling her heart melt for the red-haired knight. She could understand the girl's predicament. She wouldn't have wanted to risk punishment if she were in her shoes anyway, especially as the team leader. It was part of the reason she spoke up in the first place.

"Besides," Natsu added. "If my team needs me so much, where are the rest of them?"

"Gray, Gajeel, and Carla are holding Wendy back to keep her from making the same foolish mistake," Erza said sharply. "And Lucy is crying." Suddenly her tone changed. "You'll come back to the guild with me now, Natsu. The guild needs you more than you think they do."

"What will you do if I won't come Erza?" Natsu asked. "Beat me? Then what? You can't watch me 24/7. Eventually I would have an opportunity, and when I did I would leave."

"You'll see sense after I beat some into you," she threatened, stepping forward.

"Ara, ara. What do we have here?" Lisanna turned to see Mirajane coming in from her most recent mission. "And I thought you were past your bossy child days, Erza."

"Mira-nee!" Lisanna said. "You're back!"

"Yep, just got in from my job request," Mira replied with a sweet smile. "Good to see you and Natsu having fun together, just like the old days." She grinned. "But I wonder what Elfman will have to say about it when he returns." There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"I won't be here when he returns," Lisanna said plainly.

"Oh, going on a quest, just the two of you?" Mira asked, turning for the first time to fully look at Lisanna and Natsu. Then she frowned. "Lisanna, where's your guild mark?"

"Gone," Lisanna replied. "I was banished today."

"WHAT?!" Mira's voice went from sweet and mild to ear-splitting and demonic in the blink of an eye. "What possible reason could master have to banish you?!"

So Lisanna explained, leaving the part out where Lucy had been a major factor in her distraction from the fight, and then went on to explain how Erza was determined to keep Natsu from coming with her.

Mira frowned, turning her attention to Erza. "Well, I don't care if you or anyone else in the guild thinks she deserves this. If Natsu wants to go with us, he's coming with us. Unless you think you can beat all of us into submission."

"Us?" Erza asked, looking confused.

"Of course," Mirajane said, a slightly sad smirk playing at her lips. "Do you really think I'll stay at the guild that just kicked my sister out?"

"NATSU-NII!" Natsu blinked in surprised as he was tackled from behind by a blur of blue. Happy was already here, and this was too big to be a cat, which only left…

"Wendy? I'm sorry Wendy, I really am. But I can't stay here right now. The guild will be great to you, just like they were when you first got here." He said reassuringly.

Wendy shook her head. "I'm not asking you to stay, Natsu. I'm coming with you. With or without Carla!" She said the last lines rather loudly, and Lisanna turned to see the white exceed with her arms crossed, watching the exchange. There was a frown on her lips as Gray and Gajeel came running out.

"Sorry Erza, we couldn't hold her after she cast her enchantments," Gray said.

"Well, if this fool is really going to go with the buffoon, I'll have to accompany her obviously," Carla said tossing her head to the side as she spoke.

"Natsu, please don't leave…" Erza's righteous anger was gone again, replaced by an unusually vulnerable tone. "The guild won't be the same without you…"

"The guild wouldn't be the same without Lisanna," Natsu retorted. Then he turned, wordlessly, and headed off.

"But the S-class trials are coming soon!" Erza called after them desperately. "Don't you want to become S-Class?!"

Natsu didn't answer. Lisanna knew that would be the final blow to any hope that Erza had left for getting him to stay behind. Hell, even she knew how much he was looking forward to the S Class trials.

Despite the gravity of the situation she couldn't help but smile. It would be a new life for her, but at least she was starting it with the people who were dearest to her.

So there's the 1st chapter/one shot. Let me know what you think.