Lucy tapped her foot anxiously as she slouched in the tiny plastic chair. The receptionist looked up at her with annoyed eyes, but the blonde didn't care. She was the one who should be annoyed! She had been waiting for this doctor for two hours, and had been sitting in this small child's chair for half of that. All the regular, human sized chairs were occupied by other waiting patients. Lucy had wanted to grab one when the woman who'd been sitting in it got up, but then an elderly woman came in and the girl didn't have the heart to do that to the poor woman. So here she was, shuffling awkwardly in a chair that barely fit her whole butt, annoyed, and glaring at the set of legos in front of her. Lucy huffed, abruptly stopping her tapping by slamming her foot against the ground. The little girl beside her looked up from her coloring book, frowned and moved away. Lucy could feel the receptionist glaring at her again.

It wasn't the wait that really upset Lucy, although it was certainly troublesome. In truth, she would wait here two days if thats what it took to see this doctor. She'd already waited four months for this appointment, and she wasn't going to let her five hour drive up here go to waste. Dr. Dragneel was one of the greatest doctors in the industry, she'd been told. If anyone could tell her what was wrong with her, it was definitely him.

Lucy's heart sank, and her hand unconsciously went to touch the necklace against her chest. The pendant was a small golden star with a little diamond in the middle. It wasn't anything outwardly extravagant, but Lucy cherished it over anything else. It had been the last gift she'd received from her mother, just before the young woman died of a mysterious disease. It was that very reason Lucy was here right now, sitting for two hours in this foreign town with a bunch of strangers. Nobody—not any single doctor she'd visited—knew anything about her mother's cause of death. It wasn't cancer or anything like that, but there was something in her mother's body that had killed her, and now it was possible that it was in Lucy's body.

The doctors told her that she shouldn't worry. The chances she inherited it were a hundred in one, but Lucy had began to suspect that the chances weren't as small as they appeared. There were no signs thus far, but she didn't want to take a chance. Her whole life had been put on pause after learning there was a possibility she too might die, and she hadn't been able to move past it. Thoughts of dying like her mother flitted through her head all the time. What if she died? Dying didn't really so much matter as the circumstances it would happen under. Lucy knew without any explanation that her mother's one regret was leaving her and her father. What if she also had a family when she suddenly died? A daughter or son? What if they were younger than Lucy was? And her husband—what could it feel like to die with the love of your life watching you? Lucy shuddered at the thought, her chest growing tighter with each passing moment. It was too much to just believe in chance. She had to know, if only to make sure those possibilities never became a reality.

"Miss Heartfilia?" The receptionist called out, her eyes already locked onto the blonde. Lucy stood up so quickly that she nearly knocked her chair over. She startled the little girl, causing her purple marker to skid outside the line.

"Hi," Lucy said, quickly jogging over. The grumpy woman didn't bother to respond, looking down at the papers with cold eyes. Lucy tried not to fidget as she answered the basic question about her identity, but she found herself tapping her foot once again. Finally, the woman sighed and stamped the paper, sliding it over the counter.

"Doctor Dragneel will see you now, room 3," she grumbled.

"Thank—" Lucy started, but she was already holding a phone to her ear. Lucy cringed back and turned on a heel towards the open doorway. For the past hour she'd been considering just running in and demanding the doctor to see her, and it was a little unsettling to have her imagination become a reality. She walked through quickly, her heart thundering in her chest.

Lucy stepped into a long hallway that had pictures of cartoon animals hand painted on the wall. She'd been a little surprised when she'd seen the place Dr. Dragneel worked, but her friend Levy had told her that he was someone who wanted to work for everyone. The proclaimed best doctor in the world worked in a children's clinic. Lucy tried not to let that bother her as she walked down the hall.

"Hello there!" A cheery voice called out. Lucy spun quickly, her eyes settling on the most beautiful woman in the world.

This girl looked like the receptionists you see in old-timey movies. She had long white hair that was as smooth as her clean, pale skin. Two electric blue eyes locked with Lucy's and a giant smile covered her face. Instantly, Lucy felt her fears dissipating, replaced by an oddly reassuring sensation.

"H-Hi," Lucy stuttered awkwardly, unsure what to say. The girl giggled like she got that reaction a lot and smiled softly.

"Are you here for one of the doctors?" The woman clarified. Lucy saw that a badge on her uniform read 'Mirajane'. Of course she has a beautiful name, Lucy thought, trying not to be too spiteful as she smiled back.

"Doctor Dragneel?" Lucy asked, looking around. The girl's smile widened and an odd glint entered her eye.

"You can just call him Natsu," she informed Lucy with a knowing laugh. Lucy didn't get the inside joke but Mirajane moved on before she could think about it. "Why don't you head into room 3, it's right there. He'll be with you in just a minute."

"Um, thank you, Mirajane," Lucy said awkwardly.

"Oh please sweetie, just call me Mira!" She cheered. Lucy nodded, unsure what else to say, and turned towards the room Mirajane—Mira—had pointed out. The door was open, so Lucy walked in.

Like the hallways, the room was designed with painted animals and figures. A small shelf of children's books sat in the corner, and a picture of a kitten sat on the desk beside the computer. Lucy sat on the cushiony waiting chair, not wanting to sit on the sheet of white paper. She used to hate sitting on them as a child because they always smelled like disinfectant and they tore, which was embarrassing.

The chair hissed as Lucy sat on it, causing her butt to sink into the fabric. She sighed, but at least there was no tearing involved for this. Lucy looked at the hallway, but she didn't hear anyone approaching. Not wanting to seem awkward, she pulled out her phone.

Lucy was surprised to see that she had messages on her phone, albeit the first two were emails from her favorite book store. She ignored those and looked at the texts she'd gotten.

One was from her father. He was asking her how she was and if the doctor had seen her yet. It was a brief message—probably written in the two minute break he had to use the bathroom—but it made her heart swell with happiness. She wrote back a reply saying that she was in the office now and giving an assumption of when she'd be home, although Lucy knew he wouldn't see it for another few hours.

The other message made her smile. It was from Levy and Gajeel—her two best friends in the whole world. They'd both texted her messages of support from Levy's phone, probably out on a date while she was away. Never an opportunity missed, those two, although she didn't feel spiteful.

Levy wished her luck with the doctor and expressed her deepest prayers about Lucy's safety. She went on to say that no matter what, Levy would be by her side every step of the way. Lucy smiled at that, resisting the sensation of tears.

Gajeel's message was less elegant, but no less supportive. He told Lucy that if the dumbass doctor didn't know what was wrong with her either, then he was going to drive her all over the world until they found someone who could. He also offered to drive out to her and beat the bastard up if she so desired. She laughed, shaking her head.

Lucy told the two of them that she was waiting for the doctor now, and thanked them both for their support. She added in that there was no need for Gajeel to drive his way over to her and waste their date. Lucy would've said more, but just then there was a knock on the door.

She looked up, expecting to see an older man with graying hair and a kind smile. She was right about the kind smile at least, but everything else was way off proportion. Dr. Dragneel was a young man who couldn't possibly be older than she was, and he had pink, not grey, hair. He was good looking in an odd sort of way. Striking, was the word that came to mind, especially with his hair and sharp, green eyes. She opened her mouth, slightly stunned, but he didn't seem to take notice as he walked over to the computer.

"Evenin' Luigi," he greeted her happily, looking up and smiling at her. Lucy was blinded at his smile and probably would've stayed there forever if not for his words.

"Luigi?" She gasped, her voice pitching higher than usual. The man cringed and looked at her in surprise.

"Huh? Not Luigi?" He looked down at his clipboard with sharp eyes, frowning. For a minute Lucy was afraid she would be sent back out into the waiting room, but the Doctor just laughed. "Sorry 'bout that, I read your name wrong."

"Read my—what kind of girl is named Luigi?" Lucy questioned, oddly miffed by the mistake. Did she look like a Luigi? Why did it matter if he thought so, but somehow it did.

Taking her question seriously, the doctor looked her over carefully. She squirmed under his intense gaze, her heartbeat picking up and a searing heat coming over her neck. She was sure her cheeks were red as she looked away, but he didn't say anything. "That's what I was wondering," he said, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. Lucy puffed out her cheeks indignantly, but he was already moving on. "So, what brings you here today? Must be important for you to travel so far."

She paused, her anger disappearing. "How'd you know that?" She asked stupidly.

"Says right here," the doctor said, smirking and tapping his clipboard.

"Uh, right," she murmured, blushing even harder. "Well, the paper should explain it, shouldn't it?" She returned.

Dr. Dragneel hummed, glancing down at the paper again. "It mentions some stuff," he admitted, looking up at her, "but I tend to think the actual patients explain it a bit better."

"I'm not sure how much better I could explain it," Lucy sighed, tugging on a strand of her hair. She always felt awkward explaining it to people. Some asked her why she worried or wasted so much time if there wasn't anything wrong with her, and that made her feel bad about being here, wasting this man's time. "My mom died of an unknown sickness when I was really young. I've been to a couple of doctors but they don't know what happened, and tell me not to worry about it. I can't though, because I don't know if I could die and leave my family like that too, and it scares me..." She paused, looking up at the doctor. She blushed, realizing she'd just explained everything to him.

Instead of judging her, the doctor simply nodded. "None of the doctors you've visited know anything about it?" He clarified.

"The closest guess I've gotten was a genetic problem, and, well..." I let that hang in the air, but he seemed to understand.

"Do you have a picture of your mother?" He asked suddenly, looking at her with intense green eyes. Lucy gulped under his gaze, nodding her head and pulling out her phone. She found the photo and showed it to him. He sat in silence as he examined it. Occasionally his gaze would flicker up to her face. For a solid five minutes this odd pattern continued until Lucy couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So what do you think?" She asked nervously. Her tone was a bit sharp, even to her ears, so she awkwardly coughed into her arm to cover it up.

"Your mother was very beautiful," he said, closing the phone and handing it back to her. His hands were warm when they accidentally brushed against hers, but he didn't seem to notice the tingles. Lucy pulled away quickly, awkwardly clutching the phone in her hands.

"And?" She pressed, trying not to be too obnoxious. Despite his good looks, her patience was beginning to ware thin. She didn't need a doctor to tell her that her mother was beautiful; Lucy knew that well enough herself.

"You two are very similar," he said, her eyes examining her face again.

Lucy froze, but she wasn't sure if it was a compliment or a simple observation. His tone didn't indicate either way, so she tried to keep her voice smooth as she said, "I've been told."

"Hmm, indeed," he agreed, his eyes locking with hers. "But I have to wonder, are you the same on the inside as well?"

"Huh?" Lucy questioned uncertainly, not getting it. Doctor Dragneel smiled, understanding her confusion.

"Sorry, I've been informed that I speak idiot," he laughed at some inside joke and shook his head. "You and your mother look an awful lot alike, but that doesn't necessarily mean your DNA makeup is the same. I'd say the doctors are right: the chances of you having this disease, if it even was genetic, is a thousand and one. Probably less."

"I know that," Lucy sighed, flipping her phone in her hands distractedly. "It's just...isn't there any way to know  for sure?"

The doctor frowned. "I'm afraid not. If the disease is unknown then there's no way to track it inside of you. It'd be different if your mother was still with us-we'd be able to take samples and examine it, but we don't have a clue what to look for. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," Lucy said, her heart plummeting.

"Can I ask why you're so worried?" He wondered. Lucy looked up, about to tell him not to worry about it, but something in his eyes made her pause. She realized that his gaze reflected her own, and she could tell right away that he'd lost people as well. Lucy sighed.

"It isn't that I don't trust the doctors -I do! - but it's hard to just accept that it might or might not one day come and take me away. It makes me apprehensive. I don't want to be like my mom - meet someone, fall in love, start a family - and then leave that all behind. I wouldn't want to punish someone like that."

"So you're afraid of falling in love?" He asked uncertainly. Lucy blushed, spluttering.

"N-no! I'm afraid of leaving the people I love," she clarified.

"Ah...so Gajeel is your boyfriend then?" He asked, writing something down on his paper. Lucy blanched, suddenly feeling pale.

"Gajeel? When did you-"

"I saw his name on your phone when you gave it to me," he said easily, not looking up. She balked at him.

"You went through my phone?!"

"Wrong again," he hummed, this time smirking. "He texted you while I was looking at the photo. Said to call him, just in case he needed to come and beat me up." Lucy sweated at that, glancing at her phone with a sigh.

"Well, this is where you're wrong. He's actually my best friends boyfriend, and he always wants to beat someone up," she explained. Dr. Dragneel looked up curiously.

"So you don't have a boyfriend then?" He asked. Something about his tone made Lucy's pulse jump, and she had to swallow to make her throat feel less dry.

"Right, for once," she agreed, and her words made him smile.

"Well, go sit on the table," he suddenly commanded. The mood dropped like a rock and Lucy stared at him blankly. He looked back  at her and smiled, nodding towards the white papered table. "Go on."

"Are you serious?" She asked. He nodded his head and Lucy gaped. "But why? There's nothing wrong with me."

"Required procedures," he dismissed, standing up. He went over to the table and tapped it encouragingly.

"Aren't you supposed to do this before the examination?" She asked, standing up and creeping towards the table. It was taller than she expected, and she knew for a fact she wouldn't be able to get up there without ripping it. Speaking of taller, she was surprised to realize that Dr. Dragneel was a good five inches over her.

"I'm not known for the usual," he shrugged, eyeing her. He frowned when she awkwardly leaned Against the table. "Can you not get up on it?"

"W-what?" She stammered, embarrassed by his assumption. "N-no, it's just..." Lucy tried to find how to explain it, but the doctor just sighed. Suddenly she felt two hot hands at her waist and her feet no longer touched the ground. Lucy squeaked as the doctor lifted her and set her down on the table. She waited for the familiar pop, but there was none. "Um..."

"Weirdo," the doctor muttered, causing Lucy to gape, but he just smirked and grabbed the equipment.

He checked her blood pressure and her eyes, ears, and -reluctantly on her part- her nose. Throughout it all, Lucy tried to remember how to breathe. It was rather difficult considering that every time his hands touched her skin, it was like getting shocked. Her heart was thudding out of her chest by the time he put on his stethoscope.

"Alright, just take in deep breaths, alright Luce?" He'd started calling her that, which made Lucy's heart tremor every time he said it.

Lucy felt the chill of the stethoscope through her shirt, but it was quickly masked as he put his hand beside it, holding her steady. Her whole body seemed to tingle as she breathed in and out on his command, trying her hardest not to have her heart explode.

"Are you okay?" He asked, finishing the front. Lucy nodded, afraid her voice would shake if she spoke. He frowned but didn't say anything as he turned to her back.

Lucy tensed when his hand slid under her shirt, but she couldn't hold back her shudder when his hand touched her skin. Instantly he froze, his warm appendage still sizzling against her skin. Lucy didn't need a stethoscope to hear her heart pound.

Dr. Dragneel abruptly pulled away, turning around and heading back to his clipboard. It was quiet as he wrote, and no matter what, Lucy couldn't get the blush to disappear from her cheeks.

"Alright!" He suddenly exclaimed, turning around and smiling as if nothing happened. Lucy felt relieved and sad at the same time. "All done. Give this to Mira and she'll give you your prescription." Lucy was so confused that she didn't even bother to ask. She stood up and grabbed her stuff, quickly hurrying from the room. She went to Amira's desk and the white haired girl smiled as she approached.

"How'd it go?" She wondered.

"Fine," Lucy lied. Her heart still raced and she was sure her face was still red.

"Sorry to see you go so soon," Mira poured, turning to her computer. "Lets see what the doctor ordered..." she clicked on a link and froze. Lucy watched as the girl's eyes widened, then grew narrow, then widened again. She turned to the blonde with a smile, quickly handing her a piece of paper. "Well, well, I suggest you follow those orders exactly alright?" Lucy nodded, accepting the slip and turning. "See you around!" Mira called after her, sounding cheerful.

It wasn't until Lucy was in her car back in the parking lot that she looked at her prescription. She couldn't possibly wonder what he gave her. Drugs to stop her heart from racing? Maybe he thought she had heart problems and wanted a follow up?

Lucy looked down at the slip and felt her heart nearly stop. Scribbled in horrible handwriting was a phone number she could just barely make out, and under that it said: Doctor's orders, a wholesome dinner.

Lucy frowned, confused. She was just about to enter the number when her phone beeped. She looked down. Who was Natsu?

Oh, you can just call him Natsu. Mira's words rang in her ears, heavying her blush. She looked at the text and nearly screamed.

Dinner with me tonight at Rontillo's?

Needless to say, Lucy had to correct her last text, informing her father that she wouldn't be home until the next morning. She also never went to another doctor about the disease again, because after meeting Dr. Dragneel, all her worries we're at ease.

He really was the best doctor in the world.

Sorry if that was cheesy or boring. The ending is kinda rushed because I'm typing on my phone and it's ten and I'm tired. Hope you enjoyed though. Hopefully the next few will be posted tomorrow. Bye~