I do not own Fairy Tail or "It's Quiet Uptown". Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima and the song "It's Quiet Uptown" from the musical Hamilton belongs to Lin-Manuel Miranda

Note: Bold and in italics are the lyrics from the song

The Unimaginable

By Peacerockgirl123

Natsu collapsed when he was notified of what had happened on the mission.

It was supposed to be an easy job; they would escort a wealthy lady to Crocas, no strings attached, but the carriage was attacked by bandits who were targeting the woman for her riches.

The two young mages put up quite a fight considering them being outnumbered, but they grew to be too much.

There was nothing Storm could do to stop it from happening.

Natsu burst into the guild's infirmary. His heart gave a painful squeeze when he saw what was inside.

There was so much blood. No matter how much he tried to deny what he was seeing and pushed it off as some kind of joke, but it was all in front of him.

He looked over as Porlyusica walked over to him, her face expressionless but she had sorrow in her eyes.

He pleaded with his eyes for some good news, but when the woman shook her head, he already knew.

Porlyusica left the room, soon followed by Wendy. When the young dragon slayer reached him, he noticed the tears in her eyes. She put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. "I'm so sorry, Natsu." She wept "There was nothing we could do. There was too much blood."

"What happened?" He managed to rasp out.

"The bullet entered just above her hip and launched into her right arm. It was infused with black magic, making the injury worse. The wound was already infected when she got here." Another sob. "You have to understand, Natsu. She doesn't have much time left. It's best to prepare for the worst." She then left the room, leaving him alone with the bloodied body.

He raced over and collapsed to his knees when he reached her side.

The figure slowly opened her eyes, meeting his. "Daddy?" She mumbled.

Natsu gently took her outstretched hand in his, giving a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here." He kissed his daughter's hand.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I did everything I could. There was just...too many of them." He hung onto every word she said like his life depended on it. He took in a raspy breath and tried to give his best smile, trying to lighten the situation.

"I know, I know. You did everything you could. You did everything just right." He blinked back tears. He refused to let her see him crying right now.

She looked up at him. "Daddy." She started to talk quietly.

Natsu leaned closer to his daughter's face, trying to catch every word she said. "Yes, sweetie?"

There was a short moment of silence before the pinkett said anything. "Am I gonna die?"

Natsu's heart broke when his daughter asked him that. What was a parent to tell their child when they ask if they're dying?

Just then, the infirmary door slammed open. The two occupants looked over to see a heaving blonde, dressed in black, standing in the doorway. She met her husband's eyes, before noticing her daughter laying on the bed.

Tears instantly started streaming down the woman's face. She let out a sob as she ran over to her daughter. "Noooo!"

"Lucy-" Natsu started but was cut off.

Lucy reached her daughter, her hands searching all over her body, trying to grasp onto reality. "Is she breathing?! Is she going to survive this!?" She turned to Natsu. "Who did this!?" He couldn't answer her.

"Mom." They turned their attention to their daughter. Lucy put her hands over Natsu's on her daughter's hand. She tried her best to keep her composer, but it was impossible.

"I'm here, darling." Lucy patted down her daughter's clothes. "You'll be alright. We'll get through this, you'll see. Before you know it you'll be back to having magic brawls with Storm and going on jobs. You'll be just fine." She didn't sound convincing at all. She sounded like she was trying to reassure herself rather than Nashi.

"I'm so sorry, mommy. I wasn't strong enough." Now Nashi was crying.

Lucy shook her head. "No. You will never not be strong enough. You're one of the strongest people we know."

Natsu nodded his agreement. "Yeah. You're the daughter of Natsu and Lucy Dragneel, two of the strongest mages in the world. You are very strong."

Nashi gave a small smile. "We went fishing together, Daddy. We would always compete and see who would get the biggest fish." Natsu let out a snort. Nashi smiled again and looked over at her mother. "We played piano."

Lucy nodded her head, remembering. "I taught you piano." She smiled as she recalled sitting at the piano with a young Nashi, playing piano and singing songs.

"You would put your hands on mine," Nashi said as she stroked her mother's hair, feeling how soft it was.

Lucy allowed herself to giggle. "You changed the melody every time."

Nashi smiled. "I would always change the line." She could feel the life drain out of her. Natsu seemed to sense that Nashi only had some much time left 'cause he grabbed her head gently, silently telling her to hold on and to fight for her life.

Lucy, blind to the slowing of her daughter's breathing, started to sing their favorite song. "Un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf." Nashi joined in.

"Un Deux trois…." Nashi suddenly stopped singing. Her face fell. All the strength left her body.

Lucy took in a shuddering breath, not believing what was happening. "Sept huit neuf." She continued, begging her daughter to continue the line, but got no response. "Sept huit…" She stopped when she realized her daughter wasn't breathing anymore. She let out a broken sob before backing up and screamed in anguish.

She grabbed onto her daughter's body, begging her daughter to say something and to come back to them.

Natsu looked on in horror, unable to sink in his daughter's sudden passing. Suddenly, all the anger started boiling inside him. Like his wife, he let out a heartbroken roar that was heard all around the country of Fiore.

All the dragon slayers stopped what they were doing to look up at the sky and comprehend what they were hearing. Their hearts all broke for the dragon that had made the heart-wrenching sound, knowing its meaning.

A dragon had just lost a child

All the guild members who were waiting outside patiently dropped their heads solemnly. When they heard Lucy scream, they knew that they had just lost one of their youngest members.

There wasn't a dry-faced face in the Fairy Tail guild that day….

There are moments that the words don't reach. There is suffering to terrible to name. You hold your child as tight as you can and push away the unimaginable. The moments when you're in so deep, it feels easier to just swim down.

Everyone tried to stay strong for the Dragneel's. It was raining the day of Nashi's funeral, echoing the grief and sorrow of the Fairy Tail guild.

Lucy and Natsu surprisingly kept their composer through the funeral, but as soon as they entered the privacy of their home- they broke down.

As soon as Natsu closed the door to their house, Lucy let out a sob-filled scream, and slide down the wall, sinking to the floor. Natsu's heart broke seeing his wife endure this pain. If he could, he would take it all away from her and put it on himself. She didn't deserve to go through this. She's gone through enough pain and grief in her lifetime. To her mother and father, and to Aquiares.

His heart sank as he remembered that he had left her alone for a year after that, not having any idea about the lost of her first spirit.

He swore that this time, he'll be with her every step of the way. They can get through this together.

He quietly bent down and picked Lucy up in his arms, and carried her over to the bed, sitting her down and wrapping her in the blankets and covers. He put a gentle kiss to her forehead, before walking around and getting in with her. He brought an arm over and pulled her to him, shielding her away from the world.

He held her as she cried. After a few moments of sitting in silence and listening to her cries, he broke down himself. He let the tears flow freely.

He held Lucy closer as they grieved the loss of their only child.

If you see him in the street, walking by himself, talking to himself have pity.

Natsu walked around Magnolia. He didn't talk to anyone or stop anywhere. He just walked, taking in the city. He used this time to think. Every now and then someone would come up and give him their condolences. He only nodded and replied with a small "thank you" before walking away.

He is working through the unimaginable.

His hair has gone gray, he passes every day. They say he walks the length of the city.

Sometimes when he gets to a certain place in the city, like the park or Lucy's old apartment, he has flashbacks and can't help, but to fall apart, right there. No one judges.

They look on in pity.

"Can you imagine?" He hears some say when he walks by.

Natsu walks into the dark bedroom. He sets down the tray of food on the bedside table. He looks over at the lump of blankets in the middle of the bed with longing. He is really worried for her. She hasn't eaten or said hardly anything in three days. The only sound he hears from her is her muffled sobs. The only time she gets up is to go to the restroom. When she's done she goes straight back to bed.

Dearest, Lucy

Please eat, my love

Natsu

He had set up pictures of Nashi around the room for Lucy when she had requested him to. He figured it was her way of mourning and to heal.

She just needs time.

On the fourth day, Natsu sat on the bed and traced circles on her back. "Just hear me out, that would be enough. If I could spare her life if I could trade her life for mine. She'll be standing here right now, and you would smile, and that would be enough. I don't pretend to know; the challenges we're facing. I know there's no replacing what we've lost, and you need time. But I'm not afraid. I know who I married. Just let me stay here by your side, that would be enough."

If you see him in the street, walking by her side, talking by her side, have pity.

Natsu would follow Lucy as she walked around Magnolia. The same he had done himself the first week.

He is trying to do the unimaginable. See them walking in the park, long after dark, taking in the sights of the city.

"Look around, look around," Natsu would say to her as they sat against a tree in the park.

They are trying to do the unimaginable.

There are moments where the words don't reach. There is a grace to powerful to name. We push away what we can never understand. We push away the unimaginable.

Lucy took his hand in hers and laid her head on his shoulder.

Forgiveness. Can you imagine? Forgiveness. Can you imagine?

If you see him in the street, walking by her side, talking by her side have pity.

They walked away, hand in hand. They could get through their loss. They just need to be strong. They have each other to lean on for comfort.

They are going through the unimaginable...