It wasn't much longer when Mira got a text from her brother, claiming that the match was set and ready to go. Lucy was a little disappointed when Mira told her that none of the boys fighting would be thier age, as the kids from their grade had decided to hold off. The blonde pushed away the frustration and decided that meeting Mira's siblings was a good enough reason to go anyway.

As Lucy chatted with the young girl, she found herself warming up. Mira was not just some beautiful face; she was smart and kind, she was never afraid to speak up and, as Laxus murmured to her, could be just as terrifying as Erza. She didn't know who that was, but took his word for it. She knew better than anyone that people with pretty faces could be the most evil of all, and she didn't want to get on her new friend's bad side.

"So how did you two meet? I don't mean any offense, but you seem like the last person to be interested in Laxus," Lucy asked curiously as she slid into the back seat of the car, purposefully ignoring Laxus' glare in the rearview mirror. Laxus had offered to drive, well, more like Mira had 'politely' suggested that he drove. Lucy was amused by how her tall, slightly intimidating cousin all but bent to Mira's whims, and was further entertained when he pulled out of the driveway in a silver Chevy. 

"A couple of years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd ever have the guts to approach Laxus," Mira admitted, sending the big guy a fond look before turning to face Lucy. "I actually work at your grandfather's bar. I've been there since I was a freshman."

"Eh? Grandpa has a bar?" Lucy gasped, glaring towards the other blonde. "Why don't you tell me these things?"

"It's not a huge deal. Our friends and a couple of old drunks are really the only ones who go there," he shrugged.

"Fairy Tail is like our home," Mira cut off the blonde, her voice filled with passion. "Everyone there is family, and we all watch out for our family. You'll be surprised to discover how many rivals we have." Lucy was confused, but only nodded. Mira smiled sympathetically and continued with her story. "Of course I went to the same highschool as Laxus. He was a year older than me, and practically a king with his little groupees always following him around."

"Bixlow, Freed, and Evergreen are not my groupees," Laxus denied vehemently. Mira sent him a look that said 'don't even try to deny it' before turning back to Lucy with a nod.

"They're all in Laxus' grade, and they practically worship the ground he walks on. Honestly, how are we supposed to go on dates when they're following him the whole time? So unromantic," she sighed, but there was still a small smile on her face that told Lucy that Laxus' "groupees" were a part of her family. Lucy was a little shocked by the amount of love and passion in her tone. She tried to ignore the heated jealously in her stomach. "But, regardless, I was afraid of him. It wasn't hard to avoid him in school, but work was another story. Of course he was always there, his grandfather put him to work, and our shifts seemed to always intertwine. I tried to avoid him, taking tables as far away from him as I could, but then Master moved me to work at the bar and he was transfered to the kitchen. Horrid idea, really. He can't cook for the life of him," she giggled at the blonde's groan. "Slowly we'd begin to talk to each other, and I got less timid around him. I still wouldn't consider approaching him in school, but I considered him my work friend. I was okay with that, until one night," Mira cringed and Lucy saw Laxus stiffen in the front seat. Lucy watched as Laxus carefully slid his hand over and grabbed Mira's, squeezing it reassuringly.

"If it's too bad, you don't have to tell me," Lucy told her gently, but Mira just laughed.

"Oh no, it wasn't bad. Well, Laxus didn't allow it to become bad. I was doing a late shift, and the only person still with me was my friend Cana. She was kind of drunk," Laxus threw in a quick 'when isn't she' but Mira ignored him, "and I had gone out back to throw out the trash. I was about to head in when suddenly I was grabbed and dragged backwards. A group of drunken men from one of the other bars, Sabertooth, had come. They pinned me down on the ground and began to try and strip me. They didn't get very far before Laxus was there," she cast a loving glance at the blonde. "Laxus was stronger than all of them, of course, but you wouldn't believe how resilient drunk men can be. One of them managed to grab a glass bottle and cut Laxus's face. That's how he got his scar.

"He managed to get rid of them, and then helped me up. Even though he was bleeding and looked worse for wear, he smiled at me and told me he thought I would have trouble. After that, I begin to approach him in school and talk to him. Only a couple of weeks later, he asked me out after work, and then two days after, I was his girlfriend, and that's how it's been for the last three years," Mira smiled with a giggle, and Lucy found herself smiling as well. She glanced at her cousin in the mirror, but his eyes were steadily locked onto the road.

"That sounds so sweet. I'm glad Laxus has someone as nice as you to even him out," Lucy said, smirking as the blonde grunted in the front. Mira smiled back and then burst into a smile, glancing at the window.

"We're here!"

~~~~~

Lucy was dragged into the large school by Mira as the white-haired girl began to excitedly point things out. Laxus followed behind, hands buried in his pockets, watching the two girls with a small smile.

"This is the front office, where Mr. Straight works, and this is the nurses office. I don't suggest you go there often, Ms. Porlyscia has a thing against humans." Lucy was about to ask why she was a nurse, but shut her mouth and just allowed herself to be dragged along. Her cousin chuckled at her expression as Mira showed her the gym, auditorium, a couple of classrooms, and the extra-curricular art, music, choir, and band rooms. Lucy tried to take everything in, but the information came quick and was replaced by something else just as fast. She didn't risk asking questions as she took in information, and Laxus took to muttering the information in simpler terms for her to understand.

"And here we are!" Mira cheered, pushing open two double doors. There was a slight roar of cheers from the people cluttered in the space. Lucy had expected it to be set up in a gym, but the room looked like an abandoned classroom. It wasn't huge or very professional looking; the windows were boarded up so only thin streams of light shone through, and a large single red mat was in the center of the room, surrounded by the crowd of teens. In fact, the place looked more like a shady backalley type of thing more than anything else. 

On the mat, two boys were struggling to pin each other to the floor, their arms locked around their heads while everyone else cheered them on. Personally, Lucy thought they looked more like they were having an intense hug instead of a fight, but she kept that to herself. "I know it's not that impressive when freshmen fight, but you should see our boys. They're crazy!" Mira yelled over the noise, noticing her look. Lucy nodded back, taking her word for it, and followed the white haired girl through the crowd.

A few people called out to Mira, but the girl waved them away with her hand. Some other people eyed the blonde questioningly, instantly noticing the unfamiliar face. Lucy felt like a spot of black on a white canvas, and it was only Laxus's hand on her back that kept her moving forward. She was sure her cousin was glaring at those who looked at her for too long, because when she looked up they were all turning back to the fight.

"Elfman! Lisanna!" Mira suddenly yelled, her hand reclaiming Lucy's wrist before tugging her past two people. They gave protest as the girls pushed through, but then noticed Laxus and just grumbled before moving away. Lucy didn't have time to make fun of her cousin as she was jerked to a stop. She looked up, her view captured on two people smiling at her.

The first one she noticed was a girl, Lisanna she presumed. Lisanna looked exactly like her sister with the exception that her white hair was cut to her chin, and her blue eyes were slightly darker. She smiled as her eyes caught Lucy, and stuck a hand out.

"Hi there! I'm Lisanna!" She said cheerfully. Lucy smiled back, taking her hand and shaking it. She felt like the cheer was contagious, making her stomach feel giddy.

"I'm Lucy," the blonde introduced, pulling back.

"Laxus's cousin?" Lisanna asked, her voice sounding surprised. She glanced Lucy up and down critically.

"Mira's sister?" Lucy replied, giggling when Lisanna began to laugh.

"How did you know?" She joked.

"Cousins are manly!" A booming voice proclaimed in front of them, making Lucy jump and turn her head up. Lisanna laughed as Lucy took in Mira's brother, Elfman. She had thought Laxus was on drugs, but if that was the case then this guy did illegal experimentation. He was bulging with muscles and well over six feet tall. His white hair was cut short in a buzz, and a thin scar ran from his chin to eye. He stared down at Lucy with a odd look before breaking out into a huge grin. She felt the breath knocked out of her as he wrapped his arms around her. For a terrifying moment, Lucy thought he was trying to wrestle her, but than he proclaimed, "Hugs are manly!" and she realized that this time it really was a hug.

"Elfman! Don't kill the poor girl!" Lisanna sighed, and a second later Lucy was back on her feet, gasping for breath. She bent over, sucking in air greedily, while Elfman rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, Lucy," he apologized, but the blonde gave him a reassuring smile, finally straightening out.

"That's okay. It's good to meet you, Elfman," Lucy assured him, smiling through the pain in her chest. Lisanna and Mira cast her sad looks, but Elfman didn't notice it as he laughed.

"Lucy is man!" He bellowed as if it was the greatest thing ever. Lucy blushed and ducked her head as people looked over.

"Elf-nii, can we dial it down with the manliness, please?" Mira requested sweetly. Elfman nodded his head. "So, this is my brother and sister, as you see," Mira pointed out, turning to Lucy. Lucy looked between the three and nodded, unsure of what else to do.

"You look an awful lot like Laxus, are you sure you're his cousin?" Lisanna asked, squinting at the blonde. Laxus and Lucy looked at each other before quickly shaking their heads.

"Cousins," they assured her together. The Strauss siblings exchanged looks with each other before smiling.

"If you say so," Mira sang. Laxus rolled his eyes.

"I'm going not gonna stand around while you girls do your thing. Call me when you want to leave. Elfman?" Laxus glanced at the white haired boy.

"Fighting is manly!" He affirmed, following after Laxus.

"Those two," Mira sighed tiredly, but a small smile donned her face. She turned away from where the two boys had disappeared into the crowd, and clasped her hands together. "Is anyone else here that Lucy can meet?"

Lucy groaned at Mira's excitement, while Lisanna laughed at Lucy's pain. "Mira," Lucy said gently, trying not to sound ungrateful, "if you introduce me to anything else tonight, i think i'm going to explode."

"Oh, did Mira-nee show you around the school, Lucy?" Lisanna giggled, finally realizing why the blonde seemed so stressed. Mira just looked between the two in confusion. Lisanna laughed on her sister's behalf. "I think you went a little too fast, Mira-nee. I dont' think Lucy could keep up."

"No, I could not," Lucy agreed, laughing when Mira frowned.

"But you never stopped me to ask questions!" Mira protested, displeased that her tour went to waste.

"You never gave me the chance," Lucy said back before gently giving her arm a friendly bump. "It's alright, I enjoyed just walking around with you and Lax. I never got to hang out with friends often back at home, so this was really fun!" Actually, she didn't have friends back home, but she didn't say that. 

"Oh, Lucy," Mira said, smiling gently. "I enjoy hanging out with you two!" And before the blonde could process it, Mira was also trying to wrestle her. Er, hug her.

"Whoa!" Lucy gasped, surprised by the strength of Mira's grip. It wasn't as bad as Elfman's, that was for sure, but it was no joke either.

"I know we've only known each other for a few hours, but I feel like we've been friends forever," Mira admitted, pulling away and giving the blonde a blinding smile. Lucy couldn't help but giggle and smile back, even if it hurt her chest.

"Perhaps you were friends in another life?" Lisanna suggested, watching the exchange in amusement.

"Of course we were!" Mira shouted joyously, grabbing Lucy's hand tightly. "And in this life we'll be best friends too, yeah?"

Lucy looked at their locked hands and the two girls' smiling faces before nodding slowly. She didn't know why, but she could feel her eyes watering. She blinked quickly, trying to hide the tears, but they came anyway. Mira and Lisanna's smiles died away when they spotted them, happy expressions replaced by concern, which only made Lucy cry harder.

"What's wrong Lucy?" Lisanna worried, moving forward.

"Did I say something wrong?" Mira gasped, looking sad.

"No, no!" Lucy waved her hands, rubbing her eyes and chuckling. "God, I'm so sorry. No, you guys didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...I'm just not used to having friends, and I came to this town thinking I was going to hate it and everyone here is just so nice and...and..." Lucy sniffed, dropping her hands and smiling brightly at the two. "And I'm so excited to spend more time here with you all!"

"Lucy," Mira whined, enveloping into another, less painful hug. Lisanna also smiled and joined in, and Lucy giggled before wrapping her arms around the two other girls. After a moment they pulled away, Lucy sniffing and dabbing at her slightly red eyes.

"Ugh, I hate crying. I'm sorry I'm so emotional," she apologized, but the other two shook thier heads.

"Don't apologize for something like that! I think it's great, this just proves we'll have an even deeper friendship!" Mira proclaimed, smiling.

"You know what I think we should do?" Lisanna asked, placing a hand on each girl's shoulder and making them look at her. She smirked. "I think we should take Lucy to Fairy Tail."

~~~~~

Fairy Tail was nothing like Lucy imagined it to be.

The front of the bar looked pleasant enough, even a little extravagent. It resembled an old castle, brightly colored with reds, greens, blues, and had a glowing sign above the large wooden entrance that proclaimed it's name proudly. She was impressed to say the least, but that feeling died as soon as she entered the door and a wood chair came flying towards her face.

She would've been a Lucy pancake if Laxus hadn't stepped forward, with surprising quickness, and stopped the chair midair. Lucy had screamed in surprise and covered her face with her arms, but lowered them when she realized that she'd been saved from the oncoming danger.

"Why is it always chairs?" She heard Lisanna mutter from beside her before the white haired siblings grabbed Lucy's arms and dragged her from behind her Laxus-shield. Everyone in the room was looking at Laxus with fearful looks, but their expressions turned curious as the two girls stepped out with an unfamiliar girl in their grip. She looked fearfully around the room, examining the different faces and silently wondering who had thrown the chair.

"Who's that?" someone finally called out, although Lucy could not pinpoint from where, exactly.

"This is Lucy," Mira introduced loudly so everyone could hear her. Lucy felt extremely self-conscious as all the people in the bar examined her. She would've tugged her shorts lower if she had control of her arms, but she didn't so she just ended up squirming between Lisanna and Mira's strong grips. Silence filled the air, making a tension grow in her stomach.

"She's a hottie!" a voice called, and suddenly the tension was erased. A bunch of people burst out laughing while others threw in comments about Lucy's appearance and body. Lucy became flushed when someone commented on her breasts, and then Laxus was back in front of them, glaring around the guild.

"She is also my cousin, and Gramps' granddaughter. Remember that," he warned, and the comments about her suddenly stopped. The whole room sent one last glance at the blonde before turning around and resuming their conversations. Lucy blinked in surprise, but Lisanna gave her a look that said this was nothing unusual before pulling her towards the bar. There was a girl standing behind the bar, rushing back and forth as she took orders from those on the stools. The three girls and Laxus approached the bar, and she looked over with a tired look. Her expression turned into relief when she spotted Mira, and Lucy was sure she would've tackled the girl if there wasn't a bar between them. She had short, dark purple hair and bright green eyes that almost seemed to be glowing as she smiled towards the group. Lucy briefly remembered Laxus mentioning her before, but couldn't think of her name.

"Mira!" the girl gasped, leaning across the bar to look Mira in the eyes. "Why is that whenever you get off, the bar is swamped?" she asked, frowning towards the long line of men sitting on the stools. Some smirked at her from over their beers, others ordering more just so she would glare at them. Lucy noticed an odd looking tattoo in green on her lower back as she turned to yell at one boy who was holding a beer and...a broom? The boy snickered before running off with his broom, and the girl sighed and turned back around. "Please help me!" she begged.

"I'm sorry Kina, but I'm actually here to show Lucy around," Mira apologized, although she looked like she had no regret about being unable to participate. Kina, as Mira had said, blinked in surprise and turned her gaze onto the blonde girl standing beside her, noticing her for the first time. She eyed Lucy up and down critically before smiling.

"Hey Lucy, wanna help me work?" Kina asked. Lucy giggled while Mira sighed, reprimanding the girl for trying to push her work off on the unknowing innocents of the bar. Lucy took the time to turn and examine the bar. It was all made of wood, but was huge. There were two floors, with two sets of stairs on either side of the large room leading up to a small upper platform, but there seemed to be no one up there. The lower floor was adorned with a large stage, currently covered by curtains, and had tables and booths spread across the floor. Behind the bar was a small kitchen where she could see another person running around and fufiling orders. Lucy was surprised by the amount of people in the bar, especially since her cousin had said that not many came to it. She also noticed as she gazed around, that there were other people with the same tattoo as Kina. She spotted two older men sitting in a booth, each adorned with the mark. She turned towards her cousin curiously, the two barmaids still fighting and a panicky Lisanna trying to break them up.

"Laxus, what's up with those tattoos?" Lucy asked, pointing towards one girl who was sitting on top of a table with a barrel of beer. The blue tattoo on her stomach was clearly visible with only a blue bra covering her upper half. She looked a little tipsy, a lazy smile on her flushed face and her brown hair starting to fizz out. Laxus rolled his eyes at the girl before his eyes found what Lucy was talking about. He laughed when he understood.

"Those aren't tattoos, their stamps," he told her.

"Stamps?" Lucy didn't get it.

"Yeah, sort of like identification. Only people who officially join our bar get them from Gramps. Sometimes we have an open night, like tonight, where anyone can come in. In truth, we only have around thirty people in Fairy Tail," he stared at the huge crowd disdainfully.

"So it won't always be like this?" Lucy sighed in relief.

"Well, it won't be so crowded, but if you're talking about the fights than dont get too comfortable. There's always some fight going on here, and typically the whole guild gets pulled into it," he chuckled, remembering some moment. "Gramps has to pay for all the damage we cause. That's another reason he hates Natsu; that punk's usually the one who starts the fights. Well, him and Gray.

"And they're in my grade," Lucy deadpanned. Laxus shrugged and gave her a smile, while Lucy sighed. "I swear I'm gonna die this year."

"Don't worry about Natsu and Gray," Mira said, suddenly appearing at Laxus's side. Lisanna came up behind her, glaring at her sister and looking tired. "Erza doesn't let them get into fights on school grounds."

"Who is Erza? I've heard a lot about her," Lucy murmured, confused.

"Oh yeah, I guess she's not here tonight either. Anyway, Erza is kind of like the chaperone in our group. In reality, she's the student council president, and takes her job seriously. She can also kick Natsu's ass with just a flick of her wrist," Mira said, laughing at the last part.

"I really wish I had a face to put with all these people; Natsu, Erza, Gray...I have no idea who any of them are," Lucy sighed, rubbing her head.

"Don't worry, you'll meet them all soon enough," Lisanna assured her, smiling comfortingly.

"Most of them don't like to show up on open bar days," Mira explained to the blonde, motioning around the room. "Too many strangers on our turf tends to rile them up. In fact, I'm pretty sure master banned Natsu and Gray from coming on these days for starting too many fights."

"These guys sure like fighting," Lucy blinked, sweat dropping.

"To them, it's like air," Lisanna sighed, also looking upset by that fact.

"Only the really serious drunks like Cana, Wakaba, and Macao show up on these days, and then either me or Kinana, depending on whose turn it is to run the bar," Mira explained, pointing out the two older men from before and the drunk girl on the table. "Most of Fairy Tail like to come when its just us family."

"So this is the family you were talking about earlier?" Lucy asked, and Mira nodded with a smile. "It seems like a lot of fun."

"Oh, it's a blast," Mira assured her, and then jumped as she remembered something. She quickly grabbed Lucy by her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. "What's your favorite color?"

"Color?" Lucy blinked in surprise, uncertain with the sudden change of events. "Um, pink?"

"Great!" Mira cheered, releasing the startled blonde and running over to Kinana. She whispered something to the girl, and the other smiled before ducking under the bar. She grabbed something and handed it to Mira. Mira gave her a thanks as she ran back to the group, stopping once again before Lucy. "Where do you want it?"

"Want what?" Lucy asked, confusion lacing her tone.

"Your stamp, of course," Mira rolled her eyes, showing Lucy the stamper. The blonde could make out the grooves of the odd symbol that she had spotted on the others. She felt her chest tighten.

"You want me to be a part of Fairy Tail?" she asked in shock, blinking.

"Well, duh," Lisanna answered for her, lifting up her shorts just enough so that her own silver stamp was able to be seen. "We did tell you that you're gonna be best friends with us, didn't we? In other words, that means you're a part of our family."

"Mmhmm, so where do you want it?" Mira asked again, clearly excited. Lucy felt slightly flustered.

"Where do you have yours?" she asked Mira.

"Same place as Liz's. Laxus has his on his chest, although I don't suggest you take that route," Mira laughed when Lucy's face flushed, and the blonde shook her head.

"Um, how about my hand?" Lucy asked curiously, wondering if that was okay. She didn't want to copy the two girls and she didn't want it on her upper body. At least on her hand people could look at it without turning to look at her butt or chest, and she kind of wanted to be able to show it off. The thought of having it covered made her feel a little sad.

"Hmm, I don't think anyone's ever done their hand before," Lisanna mused, tapping her chin.

"I like it! Are you sure that's where you want it?" Mira ensured. Lucy nodded, more confident in her decision, and Mira smiled. Lucy presented her right hand, and Mira pressed the stamper onto it. It was cold and tingled for a second, but when Mira pulled away, her hand felt normal. Lucy looked down, gasping at the pink mark on the back of her hand. She thought it looked pretty, the odd looking tattoo, and gently touched it. She was surprised to find that her skin didn't even feel sticky or wet. In fact, the stamp seemed to blend seemlessly into her skin.

"Does it wash off?" Lucy asked curiously.

"It's a special kind of mark that can only be removed by a mix that Master has. You only get it removed if you're not planning to come back," Mira said, looking at the mark doubtfully.

"So it's like a tattoo," Lucy clarified, but the fact that it would never disappear was less scary than she thought it would be. She was surprised to find herself okay with the mark on her skin.

"Sort of, but without the pain," Lisanna shrugged, smiling. "Cool right?"

"Very cool," Lucy agreed, smiling up at the long, white haired girl. "Thank you Mira."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy."

~~~~~

Lucy stayed at Fairy Tail for hours. She didn't mind the crowd too much, although she would readily agree that a smaller group of people would've been more pleasing. However, by the time the sky had darkened with the setting sun, only the really drunk were still there. There was a hearty amount of people, but it was certainly less crowded and rowdy than before. Some of the drunks had even fallen asleep in their chairs, although the two older men in the corner were still chatting and smoking up a storm.

Lucy spent her time talking with Mira, Lisanna, and Kina at the bar. After some more pleading, Mira had agreed to help Kina with her troublesome customers, and Laxus had disappeared upstairs hours ago to where her grandfather's office apparently was. Lucy had begun to worry when he didn't return, but Mira assured her that he tended to get dragged into his grandfather's work. She didn't know what kind of work her grandfather was involved in that could keep her cousin away for hours, but decided it was best not to question it.

The blonde girl was pleased to know that Kinana, her full name, was actually very kind. Lucy learned that Kina, as she preferred to be called, had been with Fairy Tail since she was a young girl. Kina went to Magnolia High, and was even in the same grade as Lucy. She also discovered that the girl had an illegitimate boyfriend that followed her around, and that he was camped somewhere in the guild. Mira told Lucy that his name was Erik, although for some reason he went by Cobra, and that he was in their grade as well. Kina denied it when they called him her boyfriend, saying that he was just a friend, but Lucy saw the blush on the girl's face and knew that was a lie she wouldn't be able to keep for long. Lucy had yet to actually see said boy, but Mira assured her that he was never far from Kinana.

"So what about you, Lis? Got anyone on your radar?" Lucy asked, giving the white-haired girl a curious stare over the lip of her glass. She had been nursing a shallow glass of red wine for the last hour and a half, quite pleased with the calming effect it had on her. It made her stomach less queasy, and talking a lot easier. There were no age limits in Fairy Tail, although Lucy had no intention of abusing that rule. 

"What? No," Lisanna blushed slightly, shaking her head. Lucy caught onto her lie instantly, and so did the others.

"Oh, I know who Lis likes," Mira bragged, snickering at the fearful look on Lisanna's face. Lucy understood why; from what she'd gotten in the past hour, Mira tended to be a huge gossiper as well as a matchmaker. Lisanna and Kina had also both informed her that she tended to take her matchmaking to the absolute limit.

"Lizzy, don't lie to us," Kina whined, sipping a rather large cup of her own wine. 

"I don't!" Lisanna protested. "Mira is crazy."

"Oh really? So you don't like Natsu," Mira smiled, and Lisanna's cheeks heated up as she turned away.

"That was so long ago, Mira. When will you get over that," she murmured, but something told Lucy that Lisanna still very much liked this Natsu person.

"Ooh! Natsu and Lizzy sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Lucy teased, and Lisanna sent her a half-hearted glare.

"First comes love," Kina sang along, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Liz blushed at the implications. 

"Then comes marriage!" Mira gushed, her eyes practically shinning. 

"And finally a baby in the baby carriage!" Lucy finished, breaking into laughter. The other girls laughed as well, and Liz puffed out her cheeks as she glared at the three. 

"I'm serious! That guy is just too crazy for me to handle," Lisanna said, looking between them, but only seeing smirks. She sighed in annoyance, shaking her head. "You guys are unbelievable."

"We know you are," Mira said back to her, causing Lucy and Kinana to laugh again. Lisanna pouted as her sister chuckled.

"Great. You bring her to the bar and the first thing you do is get her drunk," A deep voice said from behind them, and they turned to see Laxus standing there. Her cousin had lines of exhaustion etched on his face, and he was staring accusingly between Lucy and Mira.

"I can handle a little wine, Lax," Lucy assured her cousin, setting her glass down. "Are we gonna go home now?"

"Yeah, it's late and I have to get up early tomorrow. Gramps and I have to go on a business trip to Blue Pegasus, so you're gonna have to stay home alone for a while," Laxus told her, trying to help her off the seat. Lucy slapped his hand away, rolling her eyes at him.

"Do you want me to come over?" Mira offered. "Liz and I have something to do in the morning, but I can come over around two if you want?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Where'll we go?" Lucy asked.

"Back here so you can meet the rest of the gang. I want you to know at least a few people before you go to school on Monday," Mira informed her.

"Ugh, school, the bane of my existence," Lucy sighed, but smiled thankfully at the girl. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"At two," Lisanna reminded her with a giggle, waving goodbye. Lucy laughed and waved back, following Laxus out of the bar and into the car. She collapsed in the front seat, setting her feet on the dashboard and leaning the chair back. Her cousin chuckled at her and started the car.

"Hey Laxus," Lucy murmured, tilting her head towards the window. Laxus hummed to tell her he was listening. "Thanks for inviting me here, for introducing me to all these people. I'm really happy to have a family again."

Laxus looked over at Lucy in surprise, but stopped when he saw that she was alseep. He grunted and shook his head, letting a smile take over his face. "It's good to have you in my famiy again, too, Blondie," he murmured, and slowly made his way back home.

~~~~~

When Lucy awoke, she found herself half wrapped in her blankets, with the sun illuminating her room. She frowned in confusion, sitting up and yawning tiredly. She looked around curiously. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Laxus's car, but somehow she had ended up in her room. The idea that Laxus carried her up to bed made her blush and feel slighly warm. She couldn't help but think back to what Lisanna and Mira said about their similarity in looks and their coment about them being siblings. Lucy smiled at the thought, but shook it off a second later. She still wasn't even sure that he wanted her there, let alone wanted to become something like that in her life. Still, she was thankful to him for not just leaving her in the car over night.

Lucy let out another yawn and stumbled out of bed, looking down and glad to discover that she was fully clothed in her previous attire. If she had woken up to that surprise, she would've been less thankful to her cousin, and more creeped out.

She glanced at the clock, surprised to see that it was already eleven thirty. She shrugged off her sleepiness and grabbed some loose athletic shorts and a pink tanktop from her drawers. She exchanged her dirty clothes, tossing them in the laundry bin to do later, and headed down stairs. She entered the kitchen, discovering a plate of slightly cold eggs and toast sitting on the counter, a note in front of it. She ignored the cold breakfast, although noting the act of kindness, and picked up the paper.

Gramps and I are going to Blue Pegasus for some business. We won't be back until late, but you better be home and sober by the time we are. Mira will be at the house at 2, don't forget. Be safe, don't drink, see ya later.

Laxus.

Lucy snorted at the mention of her drink and rolled her eyes. Seriously, she thought, one drink is not going to kill me.

Lucy glanced at the eggs disdainfully, poking it, but noticed that even if she microwaved it, it would be too cold to be edible. She sighed and sadly bid the breakfast goodbye as she sent it to the trash, turning and heading to the fridge. She pulled it open and bent down, eyeing its contents. She felt her mouth drop open when there was practically nothing. The only things that the fridge held was a carton of eggs (which, evidently, was completely empty when she opened it up), a half empty milk bottle, a moldy sandwhich, and a small packet of cheddar cheese. Lucy frowned but, seeing no other choice, grabbed the cheese and pulled out a couple of slices. She closed the fridge door with a loud thump, munching on her cheese and looking around the kitchen. She glanced at the clock before shrugging her shoulders and deciding to go on a little adventure.

The blonde managed to kill an hour exploring the house. She ventured through a door and discovered a staircase that led to the basement. She spent half an hour rumaging through boxes, looking at pictures of her mother and uncle as children, along with a younger Marakov. She found a book full of Laxus's baby pictures, and she captured a few on her phone just in case a good opportunity arose. Then she pulled out another book and began looking through, thinking they were her mother's baby pictures. She felt herself freeze when she discovered that the smiling, blonde baby in the photos was not her mother, but rather herself. She sat stunned for a few moments, and then closed the book and left the basement.

Lucy searched through her grandpa's office, finding nothing more than piles of paperwork and a few empty noodle cups. She didn't dare go into his room, although she glanced into Laxus's room. Yup, it was a regular old smelly boy's room, although she tried to ignore the photos of Mira's modeling gigs that were pinned to the walls. Yeah, she didn't even want to know about those.

It was just after twelve thirty when Lucy found herslef grabbing cleaning supplies from the closet and going on a mad cleaning spree. She had vaccuumed the floors, cleaned the wood and glass, fixed up the kitchen and even tidied up Laxus's bedroom. She was currently dragging the trash out of the house, the bulging bag feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds.

"Ugh, why is this so heavy?" She questioned, tugging the bag forward another inch. She begged Kami that the bag would not rip on the sidewalk, as she had absolutely no way to carry it and was not in the mood to pick up the trash with her bare hands.

It seemed Kami was with her, however, as she successfully dragged the bag to the large trash bin without any mishaps. She smiled proudly at her work before awkwardly picking up the heavy bag and all but tossing it into the trash. She dusted her hands off, flicking the lid shut, and turned on a heel back towards the house. She slumped up the stairs, exhausted but proud of her work. She hoped her grandpa and Laxus would appreciate what she'd done.

"Man, I so need a bath," she sighed, crossing the porch and tugging the door open. Well, she tried to open the door. In reality, the thing barely moved under her hand. Lucy blinked in startled surprise and tried to push the door, but it gave the same result. Realization sunk in and she let her forehead fall against the wood, muttering profanities under her breath. "Why, Kami? Why me?" She said loudly, pulling away from the door. She grunted, shifting her sticky, sweaty shirt uncomfortably. The heat had only gotten hotter as she progressed through the day, and the ten minutes she'd already spent outside was not helping. She had also conveniently left her phone inside, so she had no hope of contacting anyone who could help her out.

Lucy sighed and glanced around. She could either wait here on the porch, sweaty and dirty for the next hour, until Mira came and picked her up, or she could try to find another way into the house. Shaking her head, she turned away from the porch and began to circle the house. Lucy tried the back door, but also found it locked. She was surprised to know how secure her grandpa seemed to be, especially considering that he mentioned their neighbor breaking in all the time.

Her neighbor! Lucy turned to glance at the house besides hers, eyeing it carefully. It looked almost exactly like her grandfathers, except that it was made of deep rusty brown bricks. However, her neighbor seemed to be out, as there were no lights on or any cars in the driveway. Lucy sighed, her hope crushed, but as she turned her eyes caught on something. There, up on the small balcony that connected to her grandfather's office. The door into the office was propped open to allow warm air through and out of the house. It was barely noticeable from her previous angle, but she could see it clearly now. A confident smile begin to play on her lips, but was replaced with a frown when she looked around the yard and saw nothing that could help her up there. It wasn't too tall; she only needed a box or something and she would be able to hoist herself up.

Lucy turned and looked around the backyard. There was a garden, like in the front, that was displaying useless vegetables and fruits, a stone fountain in the middle of the grounds that was completely dry, and a shed stuffed in the corner that looked on the brink of collapsing. She frowned, but seeing no other choice, took her chances and made her way to the shed.

The door didn't resist under her hand, practically falling in. She cringed when it crashed against the wall, causing the whole frame to shake. Lucy braced herself, waiting for the inevitable destruction, but the building seemed to settle as some dust rained down on her. She frowned and touched her hair gingerly, pulling it away to see the white plaster that covered her. Now she definitely needed a shower.

Scanning around the small space, it didn't take long for Lucy to spot a wood crate that was tall enough to work. She picked her way across the floor, avoiding any sharp looking objects, and picked up the crate. It was sturdy enough in her hands, although she would test it outside, and empty. Lucy gave it a slight squeeze and, satisfied that it didn't bend under pressure, made her way back outside with the box. She walked across the yard to her previous place under the balcony, and quickly stepped onto the box. Lucy smiled when it held her weight, and reached up to grab the base of the concrete platform. She thanked all those days that Aquarius made her work out, as she begin to pull herself up. Just as her feet lifted from the box however, she felt a shiver run up her back. She was about to go back down and retry when someone yelled. The last things she heard was, "Stop Thief!", before she felt something heavy crash into her and she screamed, falling off the box.