"Lucy…" whispered a soft voice that attempted to rouse her from asleep. "Lucy…" it whispered again adding in some shaking in futile attempt to wake her. "Lucy" the voice prodded louder and shaking more violently this time, Lucy simply moaned annoyed. "Lucy! WAKE UP YOUR SLEEPING IN SPAGHETTI" yelled the voice frustrated startling her and knocking her quickly awake.

"Oh" yawned an exhausted Lucy stretching out her arms in front of her. "Thanks for waking me Mirajane"

Mirajane smiled sympathetically as she watched Lucy clean her face with a towel she had handed her.

"What time even is it?" asked Lucy trying to look at her watch, though her eyes were glazed over with haze from her sleep.

"Let me see. It's 2:34pm"

"Oh" shrugged Lucy, resisting her begging eye lids that wanted another un-honest five minutes.

Mirajane poured Lucy a glass of orange juice and slid it across the bar to her. Gratefully Lucy took the drink and downed it hoping it would give her the kick she needed to stay awake, even if just for the next give hours when she considered it would be reasonable to go to bed.

"Not that's it any of my business hun" she started saying as she poked her thumb at the tea towel into the shot glass she was drying. "But have you been sleeping okay?"

Lucy paused for a moment before answering. "It's not the sleeping that's the problem" she sighed. "It's the dream"

"Which dream is this?" asked Mirajane intrigued but still trying to smile reassuring to the worried blonde that she meant nothing by it.

"It's daft really" sighed Lucy "Silly most likely. But in the dream my mum is calling me. She's got her arms stretched out as far as she can toward me to embrace me into a hug. I can… never reach her though. She just keeps telling me to go to… ah never mind. Like I said it's daft"

Quickly Lucy jumped up from the bar stool and headed toward the guild door. "Catch you later Mirajane. I'm going to grab some fresh air whilst it's still warm outside" she tried to cheer happily although there was a tinge of sadness quavering in her voice.

In Magnolia town square the streets were packed. There was a mid-summer sale going on at most of Lucy's favourite stores for the next week. Knowingly Lucy had dragged herself there to try to get her mind off of this dream she'd been having repeatedly for the last two weeks. Maybe she just needed some downtime, though rent wasn't exactly going to pay itself. She'd have to take a job at some point. Perhaps she could brave a solo one so that she could actually claim the reward and not end up paying three quarters of it out on property repairs.

"Galuna Island, huh" she muttered to herself in thought as she was slowly through the hordes of people.

Why Galuna Island of all places, she thought trying to piece this together, though it seemed odd that it would have any meaning at all really. It wasn't anywhere Layla had spoken to her about or mentioned before in their short time together. The first time she had heard of it was Natsu brought that S-Class request into her bedroom over a year ago. Always Galuna Island, she thought more irritated, never come home or to the ice-cream café we use to go to every Sunday afternoon.

Always, Galuna Island.

What if there was something there though. But that something doesn't mean mother is there, I mean how could she be… thought Lucy trailed off in deep thought that she almost forgot to look where she was stepping.

Lucy walked out of a cute clothes store after purchase a dark blue dress that was covered in a thin glitter fabric. It reminded her of the stars and her celestial spirits whom she cared for dearly which cheered her up a little knowing she had great friends always with her to support her.

"DAMMIT HAPPY!" yelled an annoyed Natsu loudly who had stopped for a brief moment in irritation. "She finally wakes up and then had to go and leave the stupid guild hall" he pouted scratching the back of his head in frustration.

"Well it isn't my fault!" moaned Happy placing his paws on either side of his hips. "If you weren't in that pointless fight with Gray, we'd be on a job right now"

Natsu cursed and made a sound as if spitting out the air with his mouth. "Stupid ice princess had it coming to him for being a love sick weirdo"

"Now is not the time for that Natsu" sighed Happy exasperated. "We have to go find Lucy!"

Lucy chuckled a little to herself as she watched the duo fighting just like siblings. She didn't really want to go on a job though. Yeah she could do with going on a job because of rent, but really she didn't feel like it. The thought of Natsu's face the last time she turned him down for a job stuck in her mind. She couldn't bear to say no to those sweet eyes that glistened with disappointment. Gosh he can be really cute sometimes, she thought then shook her instantly as if trying to shake that thought from her head as she started to continue walking away.

"Gotcha!" shouted Natsu excitedly as he grasped a now squealing Lucy by her waist and hoisted her into his arms. Moving swiftly he hiked her over his shoulder and ran for it.

"Hey Natsu! What do you think you're doing! Put me down!" she wailed kicking and punching him like a small infant child that wasn't getting it's way.

Natsu stopped briefly to smack her arse and then continued to run. "Will you stop that. You've already gotten away from me once today now I'm taking you somewhere you can't get away from me again"

Somewhere you can't get away from me again…

The words ran in her head. Just what exactly did this idiot mean? Surely not as something as naughty as tying her to the bed post in her underwear or anything like that, right? Though the thought has crossed her mind which depicted her begging Natsu to take her where she lay. Lucy tried to flop herself over his shoulder more in order to hide her hard blush, hoping that she would also slide right off with any luck.

"Natsu seriously put me down!" she shouted. He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Magnolia Park. Of course she thought to herself. It's so open spaced it'd be hard for me to get away from him unnoticed. Seems he actually thought about something other than fighting. Makes a change for the flame brain.

Natsu gently placed Lucy to sit under the tree "There. This should be far away enough from all those people. Honestly thought I was going to have to sneak in your place later if I didn't find you sooner"

Was he really worried about me? She wondered. And since when did he give a dam about only needing to sneak into my place?

"Anyhow are you alright?" he asked nonchalantly as he sat down close beside her so that there arms were brushing to lean against the tree.

Lucy simply nodded. "Are you?"

"Yeah I'm alright" he smiled his sweet tooth grin. "Why do you ask?"

"You're being nice. Use to you being sarcy or energetic" she teased prodding him in the ribs with her left hand that was closest to him.

Natsu shook his head clutching her hand. "You know I can see through that right."

"You can see through what?" asked Lucy trying not to seem alarmed by what he had just said.

Near diving at her Natsu embraced her in his warm arms. "That you're not okay" he whispered into her ear thanking himself that they had lost Happy in his sprint. "I can see it in your eyes Luce. It's like your smiling but your eyes are crying but without crying"

He hugged her tighter as he waited for her to respond. "Please tell me what's wrong Luce" he whispered pleading into her ear.

Lucy said nothing still instead she wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him closer towards her.

He's so warm. He feels like protection. And strength. And… and home. She thought as she continued to embrace him, wishing deep down that the feeling wouldn't end any time soon.

Anything but death. Say loneliness and I'll hold you tighter. Say jealousy and I'll make you feel like the only thing in my world. Just don't say death. Anything but death. Natsu's felt like it was sinking further and further into his chest the longer he waited for her to respond. Anything but death. He hoped again, he already lost Igneel in his life who was the most important person to him but then when Lucy burst into his life and started to open up his heart… Natsu thought he would not be able to bare the pain to look at her limp lifeless face.

She was startled when she felt some drip onto her shoulder. Is he crying? Then another one hit shoulder near where the other one had just landed.

"Natsu…" she whispered moving her arm up to his shoulder. "…are you okay?"

"Please" he whispered again, moving his right hand briefly to wipe his tears. Anything but death, please Lucy.

Lucy pulled back for a moment to look into his face. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Of course I wouldn't" he said starting to smile a little cheekily but his eyes glistened with the sweet tears that had just fallen.

"I've been having a dream about my mum…. Well it's actually more of a nightmare" she shrugged averting her gaze from his eyes. "She keeps asking me to go to her, but I can never reach her"

Natsu dives at her again to hold her though this time a little too roughly knocking her back pressed against the tree. "Oh thank the dragon king" he muttered

"Ehhhh?" she asked confused. What was that about a dragon king?

"I thought you were going to say you were dying or something like that" he sighed relieved and squeezed her tighter.

She blushed at his words, hoping he would stop pressing against her so roughly soon. This would not have gone unnoticed had they been back at the guild, that's for sure.

"Mother!" shouted Lucy as she ran toward the open armed figure. "Mother please wait… please wait…. I'm coming" she tried to yell though frantically out of breath.

"Lucy please come find me… Find me at Galuna Island!" she shouted frustrated as loud as she could trying to stretch her arms towards Lucy but being pulled back from an unknown force.

Lucy stretched her arm desperately closer to Layla but missed by mere millimetres "Mother!"

"Lucy!" shouted Layla still trying to grasp her daughter's hand. The hand she had been waiting so long to hold. "Galuna Island please"

"Wait. Please. Don't go! Don't leave me again" she cried out painfully, sharp tears making their way to the corner of her eyes. "Mother!"

Lucy bolted upright in her bed. It felt more real this time, like she almost her mother's warm from her hand. Her fingertips still tingled from the dream. But as much as she tried to shake the dream she couldn't shake her feeling of curiosity. She should go to Galuna Island?

"What time is it?" she moaned pushing the duvet off of her and trying to find a light switch.

Only 9:15pm. Great. She thought sarcastically. So much for a decent sleep.

Lucy threw her legs over the bed and rushed to grab some clothes. She shuffled on the clothes that she had been wearing earlier a little pink short skirt and white t-shirt, though swapping tights for thicker black leggings, with white boots. Swiftly she grabbed her gate keys and hand bag before heading out the door.

It was a lot warmer than what she had thought it would be outside and although the sun had set it the night sky wasn't quite pitch black yet. Steadily placing one foot in front of the other she headed toward the guild hall.

Master Makarov is usually still working now, maybe he can talk some sense into this dream. I mean, I can't just sit here and do nothing about it. What if it is important? Maybe there is something on Galuna Island calling to me? Maybe I should just go and check. But it's just a nightmare, right?

Lucy debated to herself repetitively her gut instinct screaming for her to leave and see what could be out there whilst her brain and logic were telling her to stay and that it was nothing. Before she knew it was she was opening the large doors of the guild hall which creaked slightly as she opened them. It was colder than usual she thought as she took a couple of steps in.

Has everyone gone home? But usually someone is around right?

"Hello? Is anybody here?" she called out hoping that the Master would appear before her or at very least give her some sort of indication that he was still around.

"Oh Lucy hun" called out the sweet voice that was just leaving the guild kitchens. "You've just missed Master Makarov not long ago, but he told me to give you this when I next see you. Said something about urgent" she trailed off as she handed her a folded sheet of paper.

"It's a job request" she spoke surprised under her breath. "Wait they've requested me to go alone?!"

Mirajane smiled brightly and tilted her head. "Well isn't that something!"

"Wait it says I'm go to alone, so I can't take Natsu or Happy?" she quizzed Mirajane staring at the request unbelievingly. Who would need or want her only on a job request.

"That's right. Unless the request states that you can take other members you're only to assume that you can't"

"Oh okay" she said a little anxious. "Thank you for giving me this Mirajane, can you let Happy and Natsu know that I've gone for me?" called Lucy towards Mirajane as they departed outside the guild hall.

Mirajane waved and smiled brightly back at her "Of course I can! Have a safe trip"

On the way home to back excited and nervous Lucy read the request a bit more carefully. Something about releasing her seal and finding a dragon something….. the hand writing was murky and smudged, barely legible but the next words she read were crystal clear.

Wait. That can't be. Lucy stopped near instantly on the spot. Galuna Island. The request is in Galuna Island.

She stared at the words for a moment. Well, I guess there's nothing for it. I will go to Galuna Island.