Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and its characters belong to Hiro Mashima

Lucy lay relaxing in her bed with both arms folded behind her head and eyes closed. It was her first day after completing three quests in a row. Natsu and Gray were currently off on a job and weren't due back for a couple days. She had opted out of going (she really needed a break) and Erza decided to go on an S-Class quest alone to re-sharpen her skills as a solo quester.

Lucy took a deep breathe. Today she planned to write a bit more of her novel and do some shopping before coming back home and taking a nice long bubble bath.

Just one more minute she thought lazily as she snuggled deeper into her bed.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and the sound of heavy footsteps.

"LUCY?! Lucy are you home?!"

"Gray?" she said.

Lucy jumped up to run to the front but before she could Erza, Gray, and Natsu came stumbling in. Gray had a bandaged wrapped around his head coated with day old blood. His entire chest was covered in mutating bruises of various colors and shallow scratches. Erza on the other hand looked completely fine but reeked like no tomorrow. She was struggling with holding onto the weight of Natsu who was only semi-conscious and leaning heavily against her. Sweat beaded his forehead and he was clutching his stomach in a death grip.

Erza and Gray stumbled over to Lucy's bed. Erza grabbed Natsu's arms and Gray grabbed his feet and unceremoniously flung him on her bed.

"What are you doing?!" She ran back toward her bed half worrying if they were all all right and half wanting to kick Natsu off her bed. She wasn't done snuggling.

The worrying side won out.

"What happened?! Is he alright?" She says as she points to Natsu as he buries his face in her pillow. "Gray your head!"

"He's fine" Erza says sternly. Her eyes turn to Gray and she glares at him. Gray flinches back.

"These two idiots got themselves caught up in my S-Class quest and-"

"We finished ours early" Gray interrupts "and you were nearby so we-"

"You got yourselves caught by the monster I was facing! You were in way over your heads-"

Gray looked at Erza shocked.

"THE MONSTER ATE YOU!"

"All part of the plan." Erza says indignantly and crossed her arms.

Gray rolled his eyes "Tch. A pretty idiotic plan"

"What?" Erza's head whipped around so fast Lucy wondered if she got whiplash. Lucy couldn't see Erza's face but by the way Gray's face melted into a look of utter fear Lucy could guess it wasn't pretty.

"Uh I meant-" Gray starts.

Without a moment's hesitation Erza hurled Gray out of the room with one swift movement of her right arm. There was a loud crash and followed by several smaller ones.

That meant Gray probably hit one of her bookshelves.

Great. Add that to the growing list of furniture I have to fix Lucy thinks. She turns toward Erza.

"Uhh he has a head injury do you really think you should have-"

In answer to her question Erza shot Lucy a look. Lucy likes to think that after all her Fairy Tail quests she completed, she has become pretty fearless, at least more so than she was before she met Natsu and the gang. But in that moment all the courage Lucy collected over the years instantly vaporized. It felt like all her bones melted and her skin turned to lead. All because of a single look from Erza.

It was the most evil glare Lucy had ever seen.

"Nevermind" she squeaked.

Erza closed her eyes in frustration and continued where she left off. "These idiots came barging into the lair where I was facing the monster and in one second idiot number 1" she pointed in the direction from where Gray was flown, "got hit by its tail and knocked unconscious. Meanwhile idiot number 2" she pointed to the quietly moaning Natsu on Lucy's bed, "got trampled. The monster then blew its fire at him and him being the moron that he is ate it."

"Oh" Lucy glanced at Natsu.

"He got one one shot in before he doubled over." Erza opened her eyes and pointed her chin high. "My plan was flawless however, even with their inference. After the monster swallowed me I was able to execute my plan and attack the monster's vulnerable spot… his stomach."

Lucy unconsciously grabbed for her nose.

"Ughhh thats why you smell so disgusting!"

Suddenly Lucy's world went black. Next thing she realizes is that she is laying on her floor with an ache in her head.

OW OW OW she thinks as shifts her body around.

She forced her eyes open just in time to see Erza heft Gray over her shoulder and step over her destroyed front door. Erza lifted the hand she wasn't using to hold steady Gray in a goodbye gesture.

"I'll take care of this one but Natsu wanted to come here so take of him".

Lucy sat up groggily.

So much for my relaxing day off, she thought.

She walked over to Natsu and felt his forehead. He was burning up.

Not that this means much, he is a Fire Dragon Slayer.

She stood over Natsu staring at him. She really shouldn't be the one taking of him, she had no idea where to start.

Do I bring him ice? Is ice bad for him? But what if he's hot cause he's getting better? Can a Fire Dragon Slayer get too hot? Do the laws of biology even apply to him? Ugh! Stupid Natsu for eating stupid fire making me think hard on my day off! She huffed.

Lucy kept staring but Natsu wasn't making any noises.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO? She flung her arms up in the air in defeat and turned away from Natsu.

Ok just calm down…He does not look good but at least he's sleeping… Heee this would be perfect time to prank him, he couldn't fight back. I could draw a mustache on his face or dye his hair black like Gray's. I bet he would love that. Or maybe dress him like a girl- No Lucy focus! You're suppose to take of him and-

"No."

"What?" Lucy spun around back toward the bed.

Natsu's hands were clenched around her sheets, his eyebrows scrunched together in pain. His breathes were shaky and uneven.

He was dreaming.

"Please no...no" Natsu's whole body was shaking now and he started moaning. Lucy ran to the bed and grabbed him.

"Natsu..." Nothing. She shook him. "NATSU wake up!"

His eyes flung open for a second before he squeezed his eyes shut again in pain.

"Natsu?" Lucy was really concerned now.

He opened his eyes again and looked around before focusing on her face. He was bleary eyed and unsteady. He took a deep shaky breathe. "Lucy?"

"Yeah Natsu its me, it's ok I'm here." She scooted herself on the bed so Natsu leaned against her. His eyelids were drooping.

"You were having a nightmare... How are you feeling?" He didn't answer but she watched as he forced his eyes open.

"Do you need anything?... You should have water, I'll bring you some."

She started to move but Natsu grabbed her hand. He looked up to her and she had never seen his face look so vulnerable. He looked terribly lost and alone and he clung to her as if losing her would break his heart irreparably.

"Please…Please don't leave."

"Its ok." She snuggled back onto the bed. "I'm not leaving."

They both leaned back on her bed making sure they weren't touching. Lucy felt a blush rise to her face and snuck a look a Natsu. His eyes were shut like he was relaxing but his muscle's were tense.

"Are you ok?"

"Why did he leave me?"

Lucy started. "What?"

"I was just a kid and he left..." He looked toward her wall so she couldn't see his face. "I was all alone... and he just...My dad just..."

He grabbed his stomach again but this time it wasn't for the physical pain. Igneel's leaving left a jagged edge in him he didn't know how to fix. It had dulled since joining Fairy Tail but every now and then it came back and felt like someone was stabbing his heart. He was chained to that moment and the pain of it would return just when he thought he finally gotten over it. It would probably haunt him until he found out the truth of Igneel's leaving.

Lucy reached out and gingerly took his hand while keeping her eyes on the ceiling.

"I don't know why he left, Natsu, but what I do know is that for whatever reason he had for leaving, I'm certain it hurt him as much as it hurt you. I believe he'll come back, and when he does it will be for you…" She turned to look at him. "And until he does you have a family right here and we'll ...I'll never leave you."

At that comment his head turned and he stared at her.

"Thank you," he whispers. "I would have told him all about you." A small smile graced his face.

"He would have loved you."

His eyes were still watery and were slowly closing. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin without touching him. She wasn't sure how aware he was or how much of this conversation he would remember. But she did know, as her cheeks pinked and she watched him start to snore, she wouldn't forget it for a long time.