Sorry it took me so long to finish this up. It wasn't flowing and I actually had to scrap some parts and start over. This is the final chapter to this FreeLu story and, no, I will not be adding to it or anything like that.

XxXxXxXxX

Lucy ended up going to Erza's armouror to have these made. Origionally she had planned to go to the town's jewler, but when she walked in his store he had been deep in a gossip session and that just wouldn't do. This had to be done in secret and kept a secret. Franklin, the armoror, had lit up when he realized what she wanted. He had then rolled up his sleeve and thumped the leather band on his upper arm, grinning when he assured her of his discression.

She clutched the dark wood box to her chest as she hurried home. Franklin had finished in the nick of time. It was Christmas Eve and she had just enough time to get home, and get ready for the party. She had a gift for Freed under the huge tree at the guildhall. She wasn't even sure if she would be brave enough to give this one to him. Maybe it was to soon. She would keep it tucked into her coat pocket until the right time came.

"Ever! I'm home!"

"You are cutting it aweful close girl."

"I know. I just really had to run this errend before the party. Open! Gate of the Maiden. Virgo."

"Princess. I have the outfits you requested for yourself and Lady Evergreen."

"Thank you Virgo. Now I want you to go enjoy Christmas Eve with your friends. I know you spirits have your own Christmas traditions."

"Thank you, Princess." Virgo vanished leaving Lucy with her arms full of red and green velvet and fluffy white fur. The girls rushed through getting dressed, doing each other's hair since Lucy refused to Let and of her spirits 'work' tonight. Spriggs of holly and mistletoe were tucked into braids and curls and seasonal earrings and chokers placed. They were wearing matching tea length dresses and heels with ribbons wrapped up their calves dangling more jingle bells. Evergreen was all in green and Lucy all on red. Lucy brushed out the white fur trimming on their dresses and grinned.

"Shall we jingle on our way?"

"All the way." Lucy tucked her wooden box deep into her coat pocket before they left the house. The two jingled, sang, and danced all the way to the guild.

"Hey! It's the Thunder babes!"

"Merry Christmas, Lucy, Ever!"

"Merry Christmas!" They stopped to hang their coats on the wall of hooks that went up during the cold season.

"Evergreen, Lucy, you two look gorgeous!"

"Of course we do!"

"Hey, Luce!" It had taken a bit of work, but her old team had come to terms with the fact that she would not be returning. They still hung out together sometimes, but even Natsu had moved on from the old days.

"I'm gunna go spend some time with my boyfriend. See if you can get the boys to come down so we can open presents. I think most everybody is here."

"The Witches aren't."

"You think they will come?"

"Yep. They came to both of the fall holidays didn't they? I got them presents so they had better be here." Lucy had been able to afford real presents for all her friends this year and Evergreen and Erza had been the only ones able to keep up with her shopping aggression. Even Mira had given out before Lucy during the female Christmas shopping migration to Crocus.

"Cosplayer! Look at you, all Mrs Claused up." *ho, ho, ho, ho, hooooo.

"Hey, Bix! Hi babies! Did your daddy get you all those little santa hats?"

"Nope."

"Baby Straus."

"Lissanna!"

"So nice."

"Like a mommy!"

"Oh, really now. Something you wanna tell us, Bickslow?"

"No!" The blush on his face made it obvious though. *shhh, secrets, stop telling, shut up.

"Aww. Bixy has a girlfriend."

"No he doesn't! I mean, no I don't." *fall in a hole, just no.

"Does your dad know?"

"No. Because there is nothing to know!" *please no, daddy's daddy, grandbabies.

"I beg to differ." Lucy leaned back against Freed when she heard him speak behind her. "Lisanna baked at least six different kinds of spice cookies this year after she heard they were Bickslow's favorite. Also he has been walking her to and from the guild for almost two weeks now." Lucy grinned and resolved to increase her Bixanna bet as soon as possible. Then she tipped her head back to look at her Imp.

"Merry Christmas, Freed." There was that sunshine smile that lit up her world.

"Merry Christmas, Lucy." She didn't even have to ask for her kiss today. Christmas magic at it's finest.

"Mmm. Merry Christmas indeed. Where is tall, blond, and moody?" Laxus had been a huge pain in the ass recently. Lucy was almost entirely certain it was due to seperation from a certain pink haired Witch, but she hadn't been able to prove it. She did have a load of money riding on pink haired, blue eyed lightning babies though.

"His office. We are all hoping his Christmas cheer arrives soon."

"Boss needs laid, and there is only one chick for the job these days." *sexual feeling, sexual healing, happy thoughts, so sweeeet.

"You two go on downstairs. I'll see if I can talk him out of his man cave before she gets here and sees him being all mopey." She got a kiss on the cheek before the boys headed downstairs. She took a deep breath before knocking on the Thunder God's office door. She only heard a vague grumble from inside, but took it as permission to enter. "Laxus, come on. Come party with us."

"No."

"Please big brother."

"Fuck you and your pouty little face and fuck this infernal holiday and all it's happy feelings." Mavis. Someone was grouchier than normal today.

"You know she will be here soon." He slammed a paper onto his desk and glared at her.

"Don't care."

"You forgot to ask who I was talking about." He groaned and slammed his head onto the table. "We like her. Gramps likes her. The guild likes her. What is stopping you?"

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"No, but you are my brother and I care about you, so I want to talk about it."

"I regret giving you that weapon to use against me."

"It isn't a weapon. It's a tool. Now. Would you rather have Meredy be the one to come up here and see you acting like the demented baby of the Grinch and a wet cat." He picked his head up and glared. "Come on. Mira has Christmas-time alcohol out the wazoo."

"Fine. But I'm not happy about it."

"Of course not. Heaven forbid you be Happy about something." They made it downstairs just in time for the doors to slam open and admit Cobra, Meredy, and Jellal. Hey guys! "Where is the reast of your coven?"

"Stuff it, Tink. Swan Whore wanted Christmas with her sister and they went with her."

"Aww. But I got them presents!" Cobra stared at her like she was crazy.

"There is seriously something wrong with you. Just send them with us when we leave."

"But I wanna see them open them."

"Then just leave them here till the next time we come back."

"But we are going to Bosco for New Years and I don't know how long until we will be back, because we are taking a big S-class mission afterwards."

"The fuck do you..." He trailed off and glared at her, coming close and sniffing the air. Then like lightning his hand snaked out and snatched some of her greenery from her hair.

"Hey!" He ate it. "What the fuck, Cobra?"

"The only thing good about this accursed holiday is all the poisonous plants."

"Go get your own mistletoe you hairpin junkie!"

"No."

"I should have special ordered you an extra large butt plug for Christmas instead of what I got you. You are just that big of an asshole."

"You... Got me a Christmas presant?"

"Of course. I got all my friends Christmas presents."

"There is something wrong with you." She narrowed her eyes and prepared to snark back, but he snatched a twig off a nearby wreath and gently fixed it in her hair. "Don't ever let anyone try to fix you."

"Wanna open your present now? I think you guys were all we were waiting for." He shrugged as if he didn't care. "Gramps! Is it time for gifts?" She wasn't sure if Makarov answered or not, because the whole guild cheered.

Presents were passed from hand to hand in a wave from the tree. The tables had all been pushed against the walls and covered in food, so wizards stood or sat in loose groups. Nothing was opened until every gift was passed out. Cobra ended up with more than a handful and was staring at them as if they would bite him.

Gramps gave the signal and wrapping paper flew like confetti. Cobra got some rare, potent snake venom from Bickslow. Erza got home made strawberry tarts from Lisanna. Crime Sorciere as a group gifted Lucy with a new key, the hunting dogs Canis Venaticai. Natsu got Bix a whole box of prank supplies which no one outside of the two of them were happy about. Erza gifted Cana with a chain mail bikini which caused a few nosebleeds. Wendy got Lisanna the cutest pair of ear muffs that looked like floppy puppy ears. Lucy got her biggest, blondest brother an expensive aged whiskey that actually earned her a real smile. Happy got Natsu a fish, and Carla got Happy a fish that made the blue exceed's whole year. Cana, of course, gifted alchohol to everyone, though it was tailored to each individual's taste.

Lucy had wrapped one of her best celestial books for Freed. It had belonged to her mother. The awe on his face when he realized this about made Lucy's heart burst. Freed found her some dangling, princess cut ruby earrings and the prettiest golden necklace. The Golden charm had Cancer's constelation, her zodiac, on the front in tiny rubies and he had etched a set of runes into the back. They would essentially become an emorgency beacon if she forced magic into them.

By the end of the night somehow Meredy, Cobra, Wendy, and Lisanna were all going to be visiting Bosco with them. Carla was unhappy about staying behind, but noone wanted to hear what she had to say about Boscan culture if she saw it upclose. To be honest she knew very well why Meredy was going with them, Lisanna too for that matter. However Cobra had just up and decided he was coming too and may have tricked Wendy into admitting she wanted to go with them.

XxXxXxXxX

"I love snow." Lucy walked tucked against Freed's side on their way to his house after the Christmas party. She wasn't watching where she was going, to bustly admiring the world covered in a veil of white. Freed would guide her safely so she didn't feel the need to watch her feet or the path ahead of them. "It reminds me of my mom. Some of my best memories of her are from the winter before she got sick." He tightened his arm around her waist.

"Then I am exceedingly glad it snowed this Christmas. You have an exceptionally lovely smile when you think of your mother." Lucy hummed happily.

"You know, I never in a million years would have expected us to happen, either as a team or as a couple. I'm so very glad you guys decided I needed a vacation that day. I've been able to grow so much as a wizard and as a person. I have the best team ever and I have you." She looked up at him and there was so much hope and happiness and... adoration in his eyes as he smiled back at her that she finally felt peace about the gift she carried in her pocket. "And my Imp makes me exceedingly happy."

She caught a glimps of his blush right before he let go of her waist and turned to release the runes on his door and let them in. It pleased her right down to her bones that she could still make him blush with something so simple. He reacted so strongly to either her praise or displeasure, and she was careful in her expression of either these days. Aside from teasing Laxus she tried to keep the exact nature of the relationship between herself and Freed quiet at the guild. Not that she was ashamed or hiding it, she just didn't want other people sticking their noses in their personal business.

Lucy stopped Freed as soon as the door was closed and slowly took his jacket off just as she had after the poltergeist mission. She then gestured for him to sit on the couch while she hung their coats. She could see the burning curiosity in his eyes as she carried the wooden box back with her and sat straddling him. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his to simply bask in his presence. This was a hallowed moment and she wanted to relish it.

"I got you something. If you don't want it or if you don't want it yet all you have to do is say so. I won't be disappointed or anything like that. I just felt like this was the right time." She handed him the box and waited patiently. His eyes widened and he actually gasped when he opened it.

There, resting on green velvet, were two chain maille pieces of jewelry. They were made of small, golden links with a single row of purple links spiraling along their length. The longer piece had a bracelet sized loop at one end with a golden key charm, at the other end was a small golden clasp. The smaller, choker length piece had a sightly larger golden link at each end. In the center of all the coiled metal chain rested a padlock that had been especially commisioned from Crocus. It was tinted the same purple as the links in the chain, and fashioned in the shape of a demons head, the shank carefully crafted in the form of the demons curving horns.

"It is bespelled so that it will shift with the wearer's magic, such as your transformations and my star dress. Once it is fastened it will only open again by the hands that fastened it. If anyone else tried to remove it a magical alarm will be sent to the other piece of the set." She tried to wait, but as the silence dragged on she began to get nervous. "Is it... Do you like it?"

Freed dropped the box between them and yanked her into a kiss. She would have made a startled noise, but all she could manage was a pleased moan with the way he was kissing her. It was rare that he got aggressive like this, and usually his demon was involved when it happened. This seemed to be all Freed himself though and shocking as it was she was perfectly happy to let him kiss her crosseyed.

"Like it? Lucy, I love it." He punctuated each sentance with another kiss and Lucy's head was about spinning. "It's perfect and so are you. The most beautiful, amazing, perfect woman to ever have existed in all the the worlds ever formed or dreamed of!" He burried his face against her shoulder and held her so tightly she could barely breath. "I love you, Lucy. I love you so much." She felt tears prick her eyes.

"I love you too, Freed." She gad never actually said that before, but it was true. She had probably been in love with the man since even before the poltergeist mission if she were honest with herself. There were happy tears in Freed's eyes as well as hers when he pulled away and eased his grip on her.

"Please, Miss Lucy..." He held the box out to her with pleading eyes. She smiled and slowly reached out to pick up the shorter chain. She draped it around his neck, then used the small golden key to unlock the little demon's horns and thread them through the links at the end of the chain. There was a pulse of magic when she relocked the padlock to hold the chain snug against Freed's skin. He gasped and they both shuddered. She slipped the loop with its little gold key over her hand and then clipped the other end to the demon's horns. The small clicking sound caused Freed to whimper.

"Does it make my Imp happy to wear the collar I got for him?"

"It makes me very happy, Miss Lucy."

"Does it bring you pleasure to be mine? My little Imp."

"Being yours is my only pleasure, Miss Lucy. Your pleasure is my pleasure, and making you happy is my only wish."

"Such a good Imp." She tugged gently on the leash to pull him into a kiss. Later she would unclip the leash and coil it around her wrist. Freed would be the only one who could take it off once she had him fasten it. She would wear it proudly and boldly, though only Freed would know what it was. The leash that was linked to the collar he would wear hidden from sight under that perfect, white cravat of his. The chain she wore that bound her indubitably to her Imp.

XxXxXxXxX

The End

XxXxXxXxX

You may not have noticed, but each prompt, once introduced, was used in all the following chapters. As such each of the 8 prompts can be found in this chapter. It's not a big deal, but I am a bit proud of myself for that. Just saying.