A/N: Hey guys, so here is my new(ish) story, 'Hush'. I wrote a story very like this once before, one which I completed but wanted to rewrite and make changes to . . . big changes XD I hope you all enjoy.

Summary: How far would you go to save someone you love? Natsu knew how far he'd go. It was fate that brought them together, but it was their love that would tear them apart.

Pairing: Natsu/ Lucy, Gajeel/Levy

Rating: M

. . . . . .

HUSH

Chapter One

He stood and watched her for what felt like hours; the image of the rope cutting into her ankles and wrists forever engraving themselves into his memory as she huddled further and further into the corner. He hadn't been the one to tie her up. He had been against the idea right from the beginning, but after her, he'll admit, impressive attempts at self-defence, one which result in Gray taking a fist to the face, he realized that they couldn't risk it. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to get hurt. Or worse. After all, this wasn't about any of them anymore.

It was about him.

Slowly, he made his way towards her, her crying getting louder and more hysterical with every step he took. She scrambled as far into the corner as she could, her skinned knees pulled tightly into her heaving chest as she tried to create as much distance between them as possible. But that wasn't much. Back hitting the wall, he saw the full extent of her terror. Tears stained her cheeks as she continued to wail, her thick golden hair sticking up in every direction. Her usual pouty lips were dried and cracked from her chewing; a nervous habit, he had quickly discovered.

The only thing he could hand on heart state that he was happy about was the ratty old blindfold that hid the fear in her chocolate brown eyes.

Ever so gently, he reached out for her, a gasp escaping from her throat as he picked her up. Toes curled and body rigid, she held her breath, and he could tell, he could tell that she was waiting for a hard blow. Instead, he just lay her down on the bed.

"Please," she croaked, her voice lowering to a whisper. "Tell me what I've done. Please tell me."

He couldn't bring himself to reply. She looked so young. So . . . innocent. Only a few hours ago he had been sitting at the bar, watching her every move. He had never seen anyone smile so much in his life. It was contagious. He noticed everyone light up when she was around, and before long he even found himself cracking a smirk or two.

He watched as loser after loser had asked her for a dance, her body guards on edge the full time. Not one of them had held her attention longer than a few minutes, however. She had been there to enjoy herself with her friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

When it had come her turn to buy a round she had made her way to the bar with little effort, the crowd of bodies parting like The Red Sea. She smiled to everyone who greeted her, but he could see in her eyes that she was seeking normality. Praying to blend in like everyone else. That would never happen though, and he could tell that she knew that too.

It was when she was placing her order that the tables turned. He could hardly believe it at first, but it seemed that out of everyone in that place he was the one to catch hereye. She had smiled at him across the bar, blushing slightly before quickly looking away, clearly embarrassed at being caught. In any other situation, he probably would have found the whole thing rather comical. For someone of her status to spike interest in the likes of him. It was laugh-worthy, really, but an ego boost none the less. He'd have smiled back; played it cool before going and introducing himself. He was a bit older – by at least four or five years. But that didn't seem to faze her. Instead, she took her drinks, glanced at him one last time, and with that same small smile, disappeared back into the crowd.

He loved her smiled, and it killed him knowing that he was the one who was going to make it disappear.

He had downed the last of his drink, stood up from his stool and began to follow her into the cesspit. Just as the lights went out.

"Are you going to make me beg!?" Was the cry that snapped him out of his daze. "Just tell me what it is that I've done! Whatever it is, I'm sorry! I'm so truly very sorry!"

He cleared his throat. "You've not done anything wrong." His voice sounded like some strangers at that moment. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Then let me go!" She pleaded, her voice cracking as her sobs filled the room. "If I have nothing to do with this then please let me go! I promise, I promise I won't say anything. I won't tell a soul." Lip quivering, her voice broke completely. "I just want to go home."

He swallowed the lump in his throat, his own eyes beginning to burn with tears threatening to fall. Waves of guilt washed over him at an unbearable rate, her slight body heaving with each breath she took. It was only natural for him to wonder if it was even worth it.

Fist clenched, he looked to the battered floorboards. "I wish I could."

He tried to hide the pain in his voice, but it was inevitable.

Her head fell forward, her eyes, even with the blindfold he could tell, scrunched up. "You're going to kill me . . . aren't you?" It came as a whimper of a reply. "I'm going to die here."

"No." He managed to say firmly, causing her to snap back up. "If we were going to kill you then we wouldn't have bothered blindfolding you," standing straighter, he began to back away from her, "just . . . just believe me when I say that you'll be home soon, okay? I promise you, you'll be home soon."

"When?" Doubt lacing her voice.

But he didn't answer. Instead he turned and made his way out the door.

"When!?"

. . . . . .

Locking the door, Natsu turned and slid to the floor, his back resting against the chipped wood as his mind began to wander. What had he been thinking? It had seemed the only possible solution when he woke up that morning, but now, now he wasn't too sure. There was no doubt that he was nothing but a dead man now. Him and . . .

He couldn't even bring himself to think it.

Feeling fresh emotion burn the back of his eyes, Natsu angrily swept away the one stray tear that fell before clambering to his feet. He could still hear her soft pleas of freedom from the other side of the door. Whimpers of apology. But nothing she did could change anything now, and for that he was nothing but sorry. Running his hands through his hair, Natsu headed downstairs, the drunken laughter of Zancrow getting louder with every step. How could he rejoice at a time like this? How could he have no mercy?

Natsu found his friends, his accomplices, in the living room; Zancrow downing a beer while Gray typed away furiously on his laptop, a quietness hanging over him.

"And here's the man of the hour!" Zancrow slurred, tossing Natsu a can as he collapsed onto the sofa. "She crying her eyes out? Screaming for her mommy?"

Zancrow, or Zee as he preferred, stood at around 6ft 1" and was built like a tank. Long blonde hair fell past his shoulders in choppy layers. It completed the psychotic look he had been trying to master since he could walk.

Looking up from his laptop, Gray scowled. "Shut up, Zancrow."

Ignoring him, Zancrow bounded over, his beer spilling at his feet. "Hey Natsu," he grinned menacingly, "when are we going to have a bit of fun, y'know? I could do with a bit of fun."

Zancrow was easily the most sadistic person Natsu had ever encountered. It was during detention in high school they had met. Once again, he had gotten into a minor fist fight with Gray, his best friend, surprisingly. They were hauled into detention faster than he could blink. Zancrow was in for smoking in class. Since that day, they had gotten into more trouble together than he had during his entire adolescence. But potential psychopath or not, the guy had stuck by him through thick and thin.

It didn't stop him from pissing him off however.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Zee!?" He cried, jumping to his feet. "You've not to touch her. No one's to touch her," looking to Gray, he was pleased to see him nodding in agreement, "she's here for one thing and one thing only. Money! So, for once in your miserable life can you stop thinking with your dick and remember why we're all in this situation in the first place!?"

Kicking over the coffee table, a muttered 'asshole' spilling from his lips, Natsu stormed out the house, his anger blinding him as he slammed the door. He didn't need this shit. All he needed was for everyone to stick to the plan. Focus on the task at hand.

Sighing, for what felt like the millionth time that night, Natsu leaned over the rotting railing of the porch and lit a cigarette, a bad habit he had kicked along with many others, but had found himself doing more of recently. It's so quiet here. Although, 'here' to him was usually classified as 'nowhere' to others. There was no traffic. No towering buildings. There were no kids playing in the streets and no women yelling from the windows of their apartments. All there was, was an old house, a broken-down truck and a starry sky. All there was, was them.

Taking a draw from his cigarette, Natsu pinched the bridge of his nose feeling the dawn of a migraine. He couldn't help but scoff at the irony. If only Igneel could see him now. See what he had become. What would he say? Well, he'd probably kick ten shades of shit out of him to begin with. Yell at him a little too. But he'd understand. At least, he hoped he would. Nature had taken its course in every aspect of Natsu's life. He wasn't going to let it win again. This time he was ready to fight back.

To think that only a few months ago he was waltzing through life without a care in sight. The world one massive playground him and his friends. He could probably say without a word of a lie that he was truly happy for the first time in what felt like forever. But like all good things, he was coming to realize, it had to end eventually.

They had put it down to a simple migraine at the beginning. The double vision and headaches seeming to bring probability to that diagnosis. That's all it could have been, really. Igneel was as strong as an ox and as stubborn as a mule, and there was no way in hell that he'd bow down to anything more than that, so, life carried on as normal.

Normal didn't last long though.

The weeks began to pass by quickly, the migraines becoming violently worse. It was during their usual Sunday meal when Natsu noticed the slurred speech, the simplest of tasks catching Igneel off guard. He had stood staring at the oven with a look of utter confusion for a good five minutes before scratching the back of his head, mumbling a request for help and leaving the room. But Natsu, ever the optimist, knew that it was nothing serious. He'd leave 'serious' for the movies. 'Serious' didn't happen to the likes of them. He knew there was an explanation for the missing painkillers every time he went around to visit. He knew that the growing number of days that Igneel spent in bed was just because he was tired. He knew that moving back in was just to prove that.

He knew he'd been talking shit.

. . . . . .

"I'm telling you, you got a lucky shot and that's it," Natsu grumbled, rubbing the bruise forming round his eye. "Hardly felt a thing."

Snorting out a laugh, Gray swung his gloves over his shoulder. "No one likes a sore loser, Natsu. I won fair and square."

Wrestling with his key in the lock, Natsu felt his muscles tense. He hated losing at a sparring session, especially when he was losing to Gray. Igneel would never let him hear the end of it.

The house was in darkness when they walked in, Natsu dumping his car keys and boxing gloves on the table by the door. He had managed to get some of his pent-up frustration out with Gray. He even managed to crack a smile or two, and now, a good few beers were in order before he had to return to the real world.

Poking his head in the living room, Gray saw that the room was empty. A few blankets littering the sofa. "Where's your old man?" He asked, turning back to look at his friend. "Thought you said he hadn't moved from the couch all day."

Brows furrowed in confusion, Natsu looked in and saw the empty space that Igneel rarely moved from.

Mood lifting, he smiled. "He must be feeling better!" Carrying on to the kitchen, Gray following closely behind, Natsu shouted out, "Dad! Hey, Dad!" But there came no answer.

The further he got into the house, the more his good mood began to shift, a feeling of deep discomfort washing over him. Something wasn't right. In fact, something was very very wrong. Stopping at the kitchen, a fear washing over him, Natsu gently pushed the door open, Gray peering over his shoulder, and like a bomb, his life as he knew it exploded right before him.

On the floor, back pressed against the counter, sat Igneel, blood pouring from his nose onto his shirt. Locking eyes with his son, he fell slightly, his breathing ragged.

"N-Natsu . . ." He spluttered, shaking slightly as he tentatively reached out. "I'm not feeling too well."

He toppled to the ground then, his body immediately springing into a fit of convulsions.

"Dad!"

"Igneel!"

A cry of unison.

Skidding to his father's side, Gray rushing out the room to call an ambulance, Natsu cradled him, tears burning the back of his eyes as he screamed for Gray to hurry up. Igneel's face turned into Natsu's chest, blood staining his crisp white shirt as his body slowly came to a shuddering halt. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Not when things were going so perfectly. Not when he had finally found what he had been searching for for so long. He was his dad, his coach, his friend. He was the only family Natsu had.

The paramedics arrived in a matter of minutes, although for Natsu it had felt like hours. He could only watch as Igneel was strapped to a gurney and wheeled out to the waiting ambulance, the obvious questions running through his mind. Was he going to die? Would he be left on his own?

The journey to the hospital lasted a lifetime, but when they finally arrived Igneel was whisked away without so much as a by your leave. Natsu was left with Gray in the family room, his time spent filling out the monotonous amounts of paper work. The hours passed slowly, but he couldn't sit. He paced up and down the small room, praying for God to save his dad.

"The relatives of Igneel Dragneel." Was what snapped him out of his retrieve.

Glancing at Gray, they both stepped forward. "Here."

"You must be his son." Was the murmured response of the doctor, her gaze never looking up from her forms. "Name, please?"

Fist clenching, Natsu fought back his anger. "Natsu Dragneel."

Looking up at the two, a flash of confusion lighting her eyes, she nodded.

"You're a bit older than I expected." She stated matter-of-factly, but he never explained. "Alright then, Mr Dragneel," She began, all attention now fixed on him. "After some extensive testing, we have managed to find the source to your father's pain, and I'm sorry to say that it isn't good news." Natsu could feel himself begin to slip. "Unfortunately, we located a large tumour in your father's brain which is pressing against his right frontal lobe. We're not too sure what has caused it. Many times, these things can be genetic, and other times they just happen."

But Natsu wasn't listening. His world was too busy crashing down at his feet for him to do that. He didn't need to know why it was there, or what had caused it. It was there, and that was it. Fresh tears burned the back of his eyes, frustrating him further. He hated showing his vulnerable side. Real men don't cry had been what he was told growing up. Crying was a sign of weakness.

"There is some good news, however." He was snapped back to reality then, that 'however' a small glimmer of hope in his dying world. "The tumour, right now, is operable. Your insurance won't cover it, and it is costly, but it is operable."

"I don't care!" Natsu cried, his voice breaking as his hands found their way to his hair. "I'll get the money. I don't know how, but I'll figure something out. How much are we talking here? One-hundred . . . two-hundred thousand jewels?"

Eyes softening, the doctor looked at Natsu with sympathy, a reluctance to tell him weighing down heavily.

"Mr Dragneel," she began softly, "for this type of procedure we will have to order in special equipment . . .On top of your hospital care and post op treatment, I'm afraid to say that you're looking more in the region of thirty million."

The floor fell out from under him, forcing Natsu to sit down before he fell down. Was it even possible to raise that kind of cash?

"How long?" He asked, looking up at the doctor glassy eyed. "How long does he have?"

"Roughly three to four months without the surgery." She replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I really am terribly sorry."

And with that, she left, leaving Natsu and Gray with nothing but their thoughts. He had no idea how he was going to raise that kind of money is such a short space of time. He'd be lucky if he twenty-five thousand for his old motor cycle for starters, and he highly doubted that holding a garage sale would help. For the first time in his life he felt totally helpless. Useless, even. But he couldn't give in. Through all the shit he had managed to get himself into over the years, Igneel was the one person who hadn't given up on him, and he'd be damned if he was going to do any different. But thirty million was no small task.

Natsu started out by contacting the banks in search of a loan, but they quickly shut the doors on him. He visited some local drug deals from his teen years, but after parting on bad terms, they weren't as willing to help. Gray and Zancrow couldn't help by much, and the only family that he had in his estranged brother, Zeref, was nowhere to be found. With savings just over fifty-thousand jewels between the three of them, Natsu was soon beginning to realize that this was a battle that he may just lose.

The weeks continued to pass at lightning speed, Natsu becoming more and more anxious with each passing day. Gray and Zancrow asked around on his behalf, but soon came back empty handed, something that hadn't come as a surprise to any of them. Natsu had quickly learned while growing up that if you had a history of drugs, violence and petty crime, then people were a lot less likely to be 'charitable'.

"Can you think of anyone else?" Natsu asked, pacing back and forth as Gray typed away on his computer and Zancrow flipped between channels on the TV. "Anyone at all!? Relatives? Friends? I mean, there has got to be someone in this damn city who can help us!"

"Natsu, we've tried," Gray replied, sadness in his voice. "We've exhausted every avenue, and believe me, it's killing me to admit it. I love Igneel as much as my own Dad . . . but sometimes you need to know when enough is enough. Igneel wouldn't want you practically killing yourself trying to get this money together."

Shaking his head, Natsu glared. "No. I can't give up."

"Have you considered a loan shark?" Zancrow asked, taking a sip of his beer. "Laxus would probably help you out."

"Zee, are you kidding!?" He scoffed, hands finding solace in his hair. "Do you remember what happened the last time I saw Laxus? He nearly lost an eye, I was beaten to a bloody pulp with a slashed side and we both spent the night in the cells!" Sighing, Natsu collapsed onto the sofa. "What the hell am I going to do you guys? I can't just sit back and watch him die . . . I can't."

The room went silent, the only sound coming from the old TV in the corner where His Royal Highness, Jude Heartfilia, King of Fiore stood with his daughter, waving to the cameras. Natsu couldn't help but glare, the anger within him reaching boiling point. He never had to worry about money, about scraping and scrounging to try and keep his loved ones alive. When Her Highness, Layla Heartfilia had been on her death bed, the country was up in arms. But she was comfortable, and when she passed it was said that she had been smiling.

It wasn't fair.

His daughter probably got everything that she asked for too. She was only a month over eighteen, and nothing but a spoiled little rich girl.

Natsu continued to watch as King Jude shook hands with Makarov Dreyar, the Principle of the newly unveiled Fairy Academy, Fiore's most prestigious University to date.

"Great, just what we need," Natsu spat, "another university. What's that, the tenth one that has been opened in Fiore in the past twenty years? Forget investing a little into our health service, lets open another school where most us will have to sell our soul just to be able to afford the tuition!"

"Can't say I disagree with you there." Gray murmured, turning his attention back to his computer.

With a shrug, Zancrow smirked. "May not be ideal, however, I can say one thing," getting up he moved to the TV, tapping the image of the busty blonde with the remote, "sure is great having a nice little piece of ass like that within touching distance."

"What?" Natsu asked, brows knitted together.

"Her Royal Highness, Lucy Heartfilia, Princess of Fiore." He explained, eyes dancing with lust as he followed the movements of the vivacious beauty. "Since turning eighteen, our little princess has decided that Fairy Academy is going to be her next big step in the world. She starts classes in the fall."

"Yeah, you might see her around, Zee," Gray chimed in with a smirk, "I'm sure they'll be looking for a janitor."

"Hey, I could definitely tap that!" Zancrow argued back.

But Natsu wasn't listening, all he could do was stare at her.

And then it hit him.

He knew how he was going to save Igneel.

"Well, that 'nice piece of ass', gentlemen, is exactly what's going to save my dad." He smiled, pointing to the screen. "Pretty girl like that, I'm sure, is worth a lot to someone like Jude Heartfilia. Maybe somewhere in the region of thirty million jewels."

"What the hell are you talking about, Natsu?" Gray asked in confusion. "Are you talking about . . ." Realization hit, his eyes widening as he stared up at his friend. "She's the princess of Fiore, Natsu! Are you crazy!? You can't just take her! She'll have bodyguards everywhere and you'll be shot before you even have time to blink!"

"Look, I'm not saying it's my first choice," Natsu bit back. "I don't want to harm the girl in any way, but this," tapping the screen again, he felt the hope reignite, "this is what we've been searching for. This is our pay out. It'll work, believe me." Standing straighter, his smile growing, Natsu never took his eyes off the girl. "There'll be a moment when she's alone, and when there is, I'll be there."

. . . . . .

That had been three weeks ago, and Natsu could remember it like it was yesterday. It had seemed a good idea at the time. Take a rich man's daughter and force him to pay a hefty ransom to get her back. Jude would be happy to get her back, Lucy would be happy that she had returned home safely, and Igneel would live. No one could lose. So, after keeping tabs on her for a few days, finding out her routine, how many body guards she had and hearing the little rumour that she was heading to Club Edolas with some friends, Natsu finally made his move.

And now she was sitting in the attic, cold, scared and alone. She was exactly where he wanted her.

"So why do I feel like shit?" He whispered to himself, taking one last draw from his cigarette before throwing the butt into the long grass.

Turning, Natsu looked up at the attic window. He could hear them. Zancrow's drunken slurs and Gray's pissed off scolding's. He could hear Zancrow mocking her, laughing at her and the tears she shed. Again, he could feel his own dreaded tears threaten to fall, but he wasn't going to let them. He had to stay focused. For Igneel's sake . . .

And for hers.

. . . . . .

A/N: Well guys, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I do have this all written out, so it should be updated a bit more often than my other story, 'The Good Girl' (please check it out). But as for this one, please leave a little comment letting me know what you thought. Thank you my lovelies :o) xoxoxo