"Jude darling, Lucy and I are going into the store to get her something to eat really quick" Layla said smiling towards her husband who was sitting down on a bench outside.

"Alright dear. Be careful." He said kissing the woman on her cheek.

As Lucy and Layla walked towards the gas station Layla couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. She felt like she was being followed and watched as they headed towards the store. It wasn't until a strong pair of arms came at Lucy that she knew her feelings were correct. She tried to stop the man as he grabbed Lucy but she was shoved into another man's arms who held a knife to her throat.

"You're going to stay quiet otherwise the little one gets it. Do you understand? We don't want Little Lucy to get hurt now do we?" The man snarled while whispering in her ear before knocking the woman out and shoving her in a car.

A few hours passed and Layla didn't know where they were or what these men wanted with her and her daughter. She heard some noise coming from the other side of the door only for it to open and a man walk in.

"Hello Mrs. Heartfilia." The man said smiling towards her.

"Who are you and what do you want with me and my daughter?" Layla asked holding Lucy away from the man.

"Now, Now. You can't know who I am but I can tell you that you and your daughter are being held for ransom. You see I don't think it is fair that you have all this money just to flaunt wherever when we could have use of it for better purposes. Don't you think?" the man spoke laughing near the end.

"Please just let my daughter go. She doesn't need to be involved in this I'll stay but just let her go back to my husband." Layla pleaded.

"Sorry but that cannot happen. You see I have set up separate ransoms for the two of you and unless he pays the combined ransoms for both of you neither one of you are leaving here."

"Momma, I'm hungry. When can we eat?" Lucy said looking up at her mother.

"You will only have food once a day since I assume you have already ate you will not get anything until tomorrow around noon." The man spoke before exiting the room to go somewhere else.

"Mama, can we go home to daddy now?" Lucy asked

"I'm sorry dear. I will find a way to get us out of here I promise." Layla said hugging her daughter and trying not to cry.

Layla looked around the room she was in trying to find a way to at least get Lucy out of her to keep her safe. There was a window above her that was small but big enough for Lucy to get through if possible but it wasn't big enough for her to get through. She knew her husband had already called the police as soon as they disappeared but if there was any chance to get Lucy to safety whether she made it or not it was worth every chance she took. She made her decision she would try to break the window and get Lucy through before they came back and shot them. She knew there would be no way they'd let them live even if they got the money. There was always the small chance they would let them live but it was a very slim chance since they didn't know them personally. She thought everything over and knew once she broke that window that it wouldn't be long before they came running in here to stop them. If she was fast enough Lucy could run and she'd be safe.

"Lucy, baby listen to me. I must get you out of here when I break that window and put you through it I want you to run and don't look back. Find someplace to get help so they can call daddy." Layla whispered to her daughter.

"But momma what about you? Why can't you come with me?" Lucy asked trying not start crying.

"Shh, shh, it'll be okay. Mommy can't fit through there and those bad men could hurt you. Please don't cry baby. I Love you and I will do everything I can to come back home with you and daddy. I will find another way out of here I promise." Layla said to her daughter knowing full well that she would possibly not make it out of this room.

"Ok mommy. I love you too." Lucy said sniffling

It all happened in a flash as soon as the window was broken Layla pushed Lucy through the window just in time for the door to open behind her.

"You bitch! You are not escaping that easy!" The man yelled as he shot his gun. As soon as bullet hit Layla's back she looked at Lucy who had stopped from hearing the sound. But what Lucy saw would haunt her for the rest of her life.

She saw her mother crying with her arm reaching out towards her with blood running from her lip from the glass that had cut her. Her last words telling Lucy to run and don't turn back. So Lucy ran and ran as fast as she could be crying until she saw an officer who was standing outside his car by a gas station. She jumped to his arms crying and tugging on him to help save her mother.

Hours passed by and the police found where Layla Heartfilia was being held but when they arrived it was too late. She had died the bullet had went through a major artery close to her heart. That day was a day people remember clearly seeing police cars surround an old warehouse with a little girl screaming for her mother as a police officer held the girl close trying to comfort the young girl.

It has been 11 years since the death of her mother and Lucy would have thought her life would have gotten better. She was wrong her father started drinking shortly after her mother died and the family business soon began to plummet. He wasn't taking care of the business as he should and Lucy knew that he was in debt up to his ears.

Lucy was on her way to school and hoping that she wouldn't be noticed as she got there. She had a friend or two but they only talked to each other on occasion due to the amount of hatred she had somehow gained towards her. She didn't want them being seen next to her otherwise the bullying would shift to them as well. She was hurting from the beating she took last night because it was the anniversary of her mother's death. It always was worse on that day but last night it seemed like it ten times worse than it normally was. She was covered in bruises that were littered down her stomach and arms. The worse once had to have been the ones that looked like handprints wrapping around her neck. But that wasn't what made the wounds worse it was huge gash she had on her stomach that she had to have her maid Virgo stitch up before she went to school this morning. She just hoped that for once that Lisanna and her friends wouldn't take the bullying too far today. She knew if they did she'd probably get sent to the hospital immediately due to the extent of her wounds.

"Hey, it's the bitch." A girl said walking towards Lucy

"What do you want Lisanna can't you see I'm not bothering anyone." Lucy said trying to walk away without her trying to hurt her but of course lady luck was against her. Before Lucy could get away she was pulled by her hair and thrown to the ground. It didn't take long before the girls started kicking her and reopening the stitched wound on her stomach. As soon as the blood seeped through her stomach Lisanna just laughed and walked off while making fun of her. After Lisanna left Lucy just laid there from feeling numb she knew she was losing blood but it's been happening so much she didn't even notice that someone had started carrying her to the schools' infirmary. Before she passed out she barely heard someone's voice screaming for help.

*Dream*

Lucy was laughing as she was running through a field from a boy with pink hair. It wasn't long before he caught her and pulled her down with him when he fell. The boy landed on top of her and just stared into her big brown eyes with such passion she hadn't seen before. Lucy felt for one time in her life that she was happy and belonged somewhere.

"Luce…" the boy said interrupting her thoughts.

Lucy looking up to him with a smile on her face soon frowned as she realized who the boy was. He was one of her bullies and Lisanna's boyfriend. She was almost in tears that even in her dreams she couldn't escape the boy in front of her. But as soon as her sadness came up it vanished when she felt soft lips crash on to hers with such a fiery passion she'd felt that she would pass out.It wasn't until he stopped that she heard something she hasn't since her mother died.

"I love you, Luce." He said. With those four words Lucy's dream world fell apart all the shining light that was surrounding them faded to black and the boy in front of her faded smiling sadly towards her. The next thing she knew she was doubling over in pain that was coming from her stomach before she woke up.

Lucy woke up screaming as she threw her body forward before looking around and finding herself in the infirmary once again. When she looked around she saw someone beside her leaning on the bed she was currently on. It was a boy she'd never seen before; he was passed out and holding onto her hand with what looked like tear stains on his face. Lucy had to admit he was very handsome but that didn't ease her mind. She was confused about why this boy would be so caring about what happened to her. Lucy froze when she saw him move and start to wake up. It took everything she had not to run out of the infirmary and get out of the room. When he looked up and saw Lucy it was when Lucy started getting nervous and her anxiety started going through the roof. She was scared was he just going to finish what her father and Lisanna started.

"You're okay. Thank god." The boy said sighing in relief.

"W…W…Who are you?" Lucy asked backing away from the boy next to her bed.

"My name's Sting I just transferred her from Sabertooth High. I found you this morning outside and carried you here. "he explained.

"Thank you. I'm Lucy." Lucy murmured.

"How did you get those wounds anyways that gash was horrible? The nurse said she still found fragments of glass in it and that it had been previously stitched." He asked the question Lucy hoped to whatever god was out there he wouldn't.

"I… I…uh… fell last night and hit a glass vase that shattered underneath me." Lucy lied. She hoped he would believe her.

"If you say so, I'm glad you are ok. School just ended looks like, Can I walk you home? I want to make sure you get there safe." Sting said.

Lucy blushed she'd never had anyone offer to walk her home or even act like they cared for her. It was a definite first for her to have such a handsome guy care for her let alone talk to her.

"I'd like that. Thank you for everything." Lucy said smiling for the first time in awhile

Sting froze he hadn't seen such a beautiful smile from a girl before and it made him feel guilty. He was starting to regret that bet he made with the pink haired idiot in the school.

As Lucy and Sting walked outside towards her house Lucy was surprised that no one had come up to her. Usually when she left she'd have another beating coming from either Lisanna or Natsu. She was still nervous about the dream she had and didn't know what was going on. She put that thought aside while she turned to get a better look at Sting. He was everything Lucy was not; confident, he had gorgeous baby blue eyes and a scar that went over one of them. He was handsome and she knew that had he shown his face in his classes he would be instantly popular with all the girls in the school.

"You know it's not nice to stare. I know I'm gorgeous and its hard to resist my good looks and charms." Sting said laughing.

"eep" Lucy squeaked after being caught before mumbling a quick apology and looking back down to her feet. When they got to her house went to run into the house after saying goodbye but was quickly stopped when Sting grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Lucy. I want to be your friend. I want to help you through whatever is going on with you." He said hugging her.

Lucy on the other hand was shocked. She thought she was dreaming again. She was feeling happy for once instead of feeling the pain that normally seared through her. Looking up she almost jumped back as her mind went back to her dream and replaced sting's calm smile to the one she saw Natsu make in her dream.

"I…uh… ok." Lucy mumbled looking down trying to hide the blush creeping up on her face.

"Here. This is my number call me or text if you ever want to." Sting said handing over a piece of paper.

"Thanks." Lucy said before turning around and running into her house only to shut it and fall to the floor behind it.

She turned and looked out the window as she saw Sting look at the door sigh and rub the back of his neck before mumbling while walking away. Sighing Lucy pushed herself up off the ground to head to her room and hide from her father for the rest of the night. As she was walking up to her room she heard a man yelling in her father's office. She figured it was just another debt collector or loan shark that her father owed money coming to get his money once again.

Lucy threw her stuff on the floor before walking over to her bed and laying down. She thought about her day and how it seemed to have taken a turn for the better. She thought about Sting and how kind he was to her. She knew even if she had just met him she was falling for him and hoped that things would keep looking up. Lost in her thoughts Lucy quickly succumbed to her slumber hoping for a brighter future.