The Fairy Slayer

Chapter Four - Surprises

It was weird, Lucy thought. Eva had only been back in the guild for a few days wand everything was back to normal already. Eva fit in with the guild like a missing puzzle piece that had just been found.

Eva's presence had already surprised multiple members of the guild, including Laxus and Gildarts yesterday.

The guild doors burst open and Laxus walked in, flanked by the Thunder Legion. Laxus started walking toward over to the bar while Freed, Bixlow and Evergreen claimed a table.

"How was the job, Laxus?" Mira asked as Laxus leaned against the bar.

Laxus shrugged. "It was just some bandits. It was a piece of cake."

"That's good to hear," Mira said with a smile. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Before he could answer Mira, an excited voice could be heard over the crowd. "Laxus!"

Eva practically ran toward Laxus, well, as close as she could come to it with crutches, anyway. She had gotten quite fast on her crutches; having to constantly dodge Natsu and Grey when they fought had its perks.

Eva was mere feet away from Laxus when she stumbled and fell.

Luckily Laxus caught her before she hit the floor and carefully held her in his arms.

Eva beamed up at him. "Thanks, big brother!"

Lucy leaned over to Cana and whispered. "Is Laxus really Eva's big brother?!"

Cana took a swig from her keg. "Nah. When they were younger, Laxus used to rescue her from all sorts of things. Mostly Grey and Natsu's antics, but she only started calling him her big brother when she got trapped in a cave upon Mount Hakobe and he rescued her."

"Wow," Lucy said quietly. "I didn't know Laxus such a nice guy." She returned her attention to Laxus and Eva.

Laxus looked at Eva with wide eyes and then reached up and poked her in the cheek, making her wrinkle her nose. He shrugged. "Well, you feel real to me."

"That was anticlimactic," Lucy said to Cana.

"Just wait. The show's just starting."

Instead of putting her down. Laxus carried her over to the Thunder Legion. "Hey guys, look what I found."

Freed stared at them in shock before passing out in an ungainly heap on the floor.

Bixlow was in the middle of taking a drink from his mug and dropped it, the mug rolling across the table and falling off the edge, clonking Freed in the head on the way down.

As the most composed member of the trio, Evergreen was merely in shock, staring at Eva and Laxus with her jaw almost on the floor.

Laxus looked at them in confusion. "What's up with you guys?"

Evergreen pointed at Eva. "Eva's...alive. She's really here, Laxus."

"You mean I'm not dreaming this time?!" Laxus shouted, dropping Eva in surprise.

Bixlow dived across the table and caught Eva right before she hit the floor. "You gotta be careful, man. Natsu'd kill you if you hurt her," he said to Laxus, who had pretty much passed out next to Freed.

"Wow. Who knew Laxus could lose his composure like that," Lucy said, turning to Cana.

Cana was practically rolling around on the table, laughing her ass off.

Just then, the guild doors opened again and Gildarts strode into the hall. He immediately walked to the bar and asked Mira for a drink.

Bixlow stepped over his fallen comrades and carried Eva over to the bar. He set her on a bar stool next to Gildarts and went to try and revive Laxus and Freed.

Gildarts glanced over at Eva while Mira handed him a drink. He took a sip of it and looked over at Eva again. He swallowed and sighed. "I knew it, I'm dead."

Eva grinned at him. "No, but it sounds like you gave it your best shot."

"Jura found Eva and brought her back," Mira said as Gildarts took another drink, which he promptly spit out.

"What?!" he turned to look at Eva. "You're alive?"

Eva opened her mouth to explain, but she was enveloped by a pair of arms and the edges of a cloak.

Gildarts hugged her so hard, she thought he might crack a couple of her ribs.

"I'm so happy you're alive," Gildarts said, pulling away from her. "When I couldn't find you on Zonia Mountain, I though Achnologia had killed you. And you were gone for so long, I-″ he stopped abruptly, staring at her cast.

"Who did that to you?" Gildarts asked, suddenly angry. "Was it that idiot Natsu? It was, wasn't it?"

Before Eva had the chance to tell him, Gildarts was already over picking a fight with Natsu, who had already picked a fight with Grey.

"Hey, flame brain," Gildarts growled. "Did you hurt Eva?"

Natsu looked at him, completely confused. "What?! There's no way-″

"You sure about that?" Laxus asked, standing next to Gildarts with his lightning crackling around him.

Eva threw Gildarts' empty beer mug at the back of his head. It ricocheted off and smacked Laxus. It was like all men just jump into fights willy nilly and leave their brains behind.

Both Gildarts and Laxus turned around to see Eva glaring at them. If looks could kill, the pair of them would be dead thrice over.

"You boneheads!" she exclaimed. "You both just conveniently forgot that I went to scope out Achnologia, didn't you? And did it cross those itty-bitty minds of yours that maybe, just maybe, Achnologia broke my leg? Apparently not!" Eva sighed in frustration. "By Mavis, men are stupid."

Eva looked over at Lucy. "Lucy, can you get my crutches for me? I want to get out of here before I do something I might regret."

Lucy immediately scrambled up and grabbed Eva's crutches, handing them to her.

Eva carefully hopped off the bar stool and turned to Lucy. "Thanks. Want to come on a walk with me so I don't commit murder?"

Lucy grinned. "Sure." She'd wanted to get to know Eva better, especially since everyone in the guild liked her so well.

"Here!" Mira said, setting a basket on the bar top. "I made you guys some snacks so you can have a picnic instead of being cooped up in here with those idiots."

Lucy beamed. "Thanks, Mira!" She grabbed the picnic basket and she and Eva walked out the door.

Natsu took a step as if to come with them, but Eva glared at him.

"Don't even think about it."

And with that, the girls left the guild hall to its chaos and went on their own small adventure.

(A/N - I'm sorry for the slow updates. It's been craaazzyyy. Holidays, dead week and finals week have me exhausted as all Hell.)