The End part 2

"You're really going through with this then?"

Gray Fullbuster slid his hands into the pockets of his grey trousers and leaned against the glass wall of the lift. As the doors closed around them, he watched his friend with a solemn expression.

Natsu Dragneel jammed a finger against the lift button and heaved a heavy sigh. The tall male dug a shaky hand into his spiky pink locks as pain flashed across his hooded eyes.

"I've no choice. I received the official notice two weeks ago. She's adamant."

"Yes, but… Still you guys could-"

The pink haired scoffed. "Talk it out? How will I do that if she won't even pick up my calls or answer any of the mails that I sent?"

Gray sighed and folded his arms across his chest.

"So what now? You're just going down to sign the documents?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Natsu peeked at his friend from underneath his long bangs.

Damn it to hell, but he really needed a haircut. But with everything on his plate, a neat fringe was the last thing on his priority list. That and tidying up his apartment. Thank God for cantankerous fifty-year-old Spaniards who grumbled expletives at messily discarded clothing but still took them away to clean anyway.

Natsu really didn't know what he would do if Mendoza hadn't chosen to stay after he had moved from the friendly two bedroom suite by the park to the much smaller, lonelier loft across the street from his office.

Gray's eyes flickered to the side, away from his friend's prying stare. "Not really…"

"Thought so."

The elevator dinged to a stop and the males stepped out of the small box and into the imposing glass and steel lobby of the corporate edifice, their black dress shoes clicking against the polished marble floor beneath their feet.

The cool air of the lobby gave way to the dry, blistering heat of Magnolia's summer as they stepped through the revolving glass doors of the building. The men brought their hands against their foreheads to shield themselves from the sunlight as they strode forward towards the curb. It was lunchtime, and getting a cab at this hour would be akin to getting tip-free lunches in Crocus. Bloody impossible.

Thankfully, and rather surprisingly, a black limousine pulled up to where they stood barely a minute later. Natsu's onyx eyes widened when the driver's seat window rolled down to reveal a man none other than their burly silver haired friend.

"Elfman?" Gray exclaimed. "Weren't you stuck in some meeting with our spitfire presi-"

A second head peeked out from behind Elfman's silver spikes and a slender female hand waved at the men. "Hello, Gray."

The black haired male stumbled backwards, gasping.

"E-Erza! You're here too? D-did I say spitfire? Ha… hahaha! I meant prodigious-"

The woman smirked. "Clam it, Gray. I'm not here to hear how you guys gossip behind my back like little bitches. I'm here to support Natsu." Her brown eyes slid to the left to land on the second male.

Natsu raised his palms in defense and laughed weakly. "You don't have to, Erza. I'm just going to sign some papers then leave."

"They're not just any papers!" She retorted. "They're your div-"

Erza's words caught in her throat when she caught sight of the pained look that creased the male's brows. Gray cast a worried glance at his friend when Natsu's hands clenched by his sides.

A tiny blush of embarrassment lined the redhead's cheeks and she waved her hand about, hoping to clear a bit of the heavy tension that now draped over their small congregation.

"S-sorry…I wasn't thinking. Anyway, Elfman and I finished early and we decided to join you guys. You need a ride right? Come on."

Gray popped the door open and slid in, but when Natsu didn't move to follow, he paused.

"You coming?"

"I… uh…"

"C'mon, fla- Natsu. This beats waiting for a cab."

The traffic was heavy but they managed to reach their destination with time to spare.

The sleek vehicle turned a bend behind a convoy of silver cars decorated with the flags of some foreign ambassador. The small convoy drove on past, while their black limo rolled to a halt in front of the stately building. Three doors popped open and the limo continued on towards the car park behind the building.

The city courthouse was designed on anything but modest lines.

Having occupied the lion's share of the street from when the city had first sprung up as a small town surviving on trade and agriculture, the building's architecture was distinctly Romanesque in nature. Tall stone arches rose to intimidating heights above their heads as the trio slowly ascended the steep slope of steps leading up the entranceway. The floor that was once refined stone had since been laid over with modern porcelain tiles that shone with a luster appropriate of such an august setting. All three of them had different reactions to the splendor that decorated the courthouse.

Erza's eyes shone in appreciation at such an opulent setup; she had always been one for appearances.

Gray's eyes were trained on the space in front of him, his expression drained of any emotion as he followed a step behind Erza.

Natsu's own gaze dragged across the floor in front of him as though he found the muted reflection of himself in the tiles fascinating. He walked at a slightly slower speed than his companions, and from the way he kept taking increasingly short steps, it was apparent that this was the last place he wanted to be. Elfman caught up with them just in time to enter the elevator, to which Natsu was quietly relieved. Something about his friend's imposing stature gave him an extra sense of security.

The hallways on the fourth level did not give an inch in terms of interior decoration, even though they had undergone much renovation. The walls were no longer hewn from stone but had been remodeled with smooth oak paneling. The Aubusson carpet was a lush layer of rich red and gold fleur-de-lis that complimented the wood perfectly. The four came to a halt, where they were surprised to see a single girl sitting at a bench against the wall marking the end of the hallway.

She was dressed in a simple grey pantsuit over a white blouse with a ruffled collar. Her blue hair had been pulled up into a bun but her bangs hung in soft curls on either side of her face. She had her head buried in a book, but from the glazed look in her eyes, it was obvious that she wasn't absorbing anything.

Erza was the first one to announce their appearance.

"Hello, Levy."

The blunette looked up, and her surprise gave way to a look of joy. She laid her book down and stood up, her small arms coming around her friend in a friendly embrace.

"Erza! Nice to see you again! Gray, Elfman and… Natsu. Hello, guys."

Breaking the hug, she moved to shake each of their hands, but when she got to Natsu, Levy paused for a second. The four startled when sadness suddenly bubbled up onto her face and the blunette let out a loud sobbing sound. Tearing her hand away from the pink haired male's, Levy threw her arms around his shoulders instead and pulled him into a hug.

Her voice was watery and nearly incoherent. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Natsu."

He laughed weakly. "It's not your fault."

"Still… I'm sorry. I tried, I really really tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't listen."

Natsu sighed and gently pushed the girl off him. Bringing his sleeve to her face, he wiped the tears that had pooled in her eyes.

"It's not your fault, Levy. If anything, I brought this upon myself."

"But-!"

"Not your fault." He reiterated, this time more firmly. Drawing in a deep breath, he glanced around.

"And where is she?"

The blunette gave a watery hiccup. "Inside. We reached half an hour ago."

He choked back a laugh. "She never changes, huh. Still arriving way before everyone else."

Breaking away from Levy, Natsu turned to face the closed door beside them, his hand coming up to rest on the doorknob. A hand came up to grab his shoulder gently, followed by another and another. Within seconds, all four of his friends had a hand stacked up on his left shoulder.

"Good luck, flam- I mean, Natsu."

"Don't worry too much about it."

"We'll be right here if you need us."

The pink haired male nodded his thanks at his friends and drew in another deep breath. Steeling himself, he turned the knob and stepped into the small chamber, the clicking sound of the door closing resounding loudly behind him. All of a sudden, he was assailed by a need to flee the room but his feet refused to budge, mainly because of the nature of the company he had on this side of the door.

A middle aged man was sitting behind a large escritoire, his attention glued to a stack of documents, a feather pen between his fingers. He was adorned in a brown plaid suit and was balding before his years.

But it wasn't he or his receding hairline who had so stolen the pink haired male's attention.

An adult female sat in one of the chairs in front of the large desk. She was dressed in a black pantsuit over a wine red blouse. Her entire form was devoid of any feminine accessories except for a single silver watch adorning her left wrist. Every strand of her long blonde hair had been pulled up into an austere bun.

On most females, the hairstyle would have relegated them to looking overly serious and plain, but on this woman, the severe hairstyle drew his eyes to the sleek lines of her profile, her rounded forehead, pert nose and plump lips.

Lips he had once kissed.

Fuck.

Upon hearing his arrival, the blonde female turned to face him, her hands gripping the armrests of the chair as she stood up. From where she stood against the light, he couldn't decipher her expression very well but it was obvious that she had on make-up.

The only time the blonde ever layered on make-up was when she wanting to hide something on her face, specifically, after she had been crying the night before.

Double fuck.

Natsu took a small step towards her, his eyes trained on her face to gauge her reaction. When her expression didn't change, he closed the rest of the distance between them, coming to a halt beside her smaller, petite form.

The past year in which he had not seen her had seen some subtle differences in her appearance.

While she still looked every bit an attractive female, her face was slimmer now, her cheekbones more prominent. Her waist also seemed to have shrunk a little, resulting in her hourglass curves to become starker. He could only attribute that to an improper diet. Her expression looked tired and drawn, like she had not slept properly in days and he yearned to touch his hand to her cheek to ease the stress he could see in her eyes. But he couldn't, not anymore.

Clenching his fists by his sides, Natsu gave her a terse nod, her name tripping off his tongue in the friendliest tone he could manage, given the inner turmoil he was currently feeling.

"Hello, Lucy."

She reciprocated the movement, her softer feminine voice echoing in the drafty silence of the room. "Natsu."

The lawyer sitting behind the desk looked up when the couple had settled down into the armchairs. As the man droned on about the minute details that they were both already aware of, Lucy found herself casting a sideway glance at the male beside her from under her lashes and a pang of longing struck her heart.

This man, this man sitting beside her was the reason why all her attempted flings for the past months had backfired.

Fleeing her life in Magnolia for a new one in Crocus 12 months ago amidst a wave of despair, hurt and betrayal, the blonde had found herself job-hopping due to her inability to concentrate on anything but the pain in her chest. After three months or so, she had resigned to living off her savings while she hid away in her rental apartment, only emerging to stock up on non-perishables and the basic necessities.

Halfway into the fifth month, Erza and Levy had shown up uninvited at her doorstep in Crocus, both women mortified by the deplorable bog Lucy had sunk herself into.

Nearing the end of month six, they had convinced her to pull herself back together, their efforts aided by the fact that the Strauss sisters ran an advertising company in Crocus and were willing to hire the blonde despite her emotional debilities.

By month eleven, Lucy had started dating again, although that had promptly blown up in her face when she realized she couldn't bring herself to go all the way with the guy, even though she genuinely liked him.

And in the twelfth month, the need to prove herself a changed woman had driven her to the point where the blonde had deliberately hung out late at clubs looking for adventure of a sexual nature. The results were all the same; she had kissed, fondled, stripped but when it came to the final joining of bodies, Lucy had froze and fled.

Mr. Brown-hair-green-eyes, who was also Mr. Failed-lay-number-seven from last night merely proved that she had not yet come to terms with a new man. And all because of the guy now sitting beside her.

As always, she cursed the weakness in her knees when she laid eyes on him. Thank God she was sitting down now. Jelly legs were the last thing she wanted in this situation.

The domestic lawyer sitting across from her cleared his throat, and Lucy realized that he had been staring at her the whole time she had been out of it. Natsu was also waiting patiently, but his eyes were not on her. Instead, they were locked onto the words that slanted across the top of the page before them in a beautiful cursive type.

Official Agreement of Divorce.

His expression seemed to be frozen, and Lucy couldn't blame him, since the words also served to burn a hole in her heart. The pain was instant. Overlooking and detailing clauses across her computer screen 3000 miles away from Magnolia was one thing. Seeing the official document before her now was another thing together.

The lawyer cleared his throat again.

"Ms. Heartfilia, do you agree to the clauses stated in this document? Or do you wish to request for amendments? I must inform you though, if you choose to amend them now, I will need to schedule another meeting with both of you two weeks from now.

"I…"

Her breath was caught in her throat. The younger male beside her didn't acknowledge the older man's words, but she could clearly see his fists trembling slightly where they were pressed against his thighs.

"Ms. Heartfilia?"

"Y-yes. Of course I agree. I've studied them all in minute detail."

"Then please acknowledge here on this piece of paper. I will need your signature, identification number and thumbprint." He slid a custom made fountain pen, a small black inkpad and a standard template divorce document towards her.

Three small, insignificant objects that individually were inconsequential, but together, they would change her life forever.

Lucy drew in a shaky breath as her hand moved to pick up the pen. Uncapping the piece of stationary to reveal a sharp nib, she brought it down towards the document where she was supposed to sign along the dotted line.

Always a dotted line. Why a dotted line? Her hand paused when she found herself thinking that all of a sudden.

"Ms. Heartfilia? It's alright to be nervous. Take your time." The lawyer said in a soothing voice, one no doubt practiced with every couple who came through his door. "Would you like some time to mentally prepare yourself?"

The blonde didn't reply, but instead gave a shaky nod, the pen immediately slipping from between her fingers. The lawyer's eyes widened when he realized that the nib would etch a ghastly line across the clean document but he gave a relieved sigh when Natsu's hand shot out and grabbed the pen before it hit the table.

Lucy visibly startled when the smooth fabric of the male's sleeve brushed across her wrist but if he noticed, he gave no sign. Instead he dragged the sheet of paper towards himself, and after a pregnant pause, lowered the wet nib down and drew out the words "Dragneel, Natsu" across his dotted line in a messy script.

Lucy wanted to laugh. One year later and his terrible handwriting still had yet to improve. It reminded her of all the times he had drafted out grocery lists that she couldn't read. Then anger seeped to the fore of her mind and she dug her nails into her pant leg.

Here she was, deliberating and hesitating over the simple act of signing her name when all he did was pause for a second before filling in his part.

Was divorcing her that easy of a task for him? The idea of it being so caused fury to bubble up within her chest.

That accursed man.

If anyone here deserved to be justified in signing the document, it was her Goddammit! She was the one who had been wronged!

Natsu was just about to press his thumb down onto the paper when the blonde suddenly shot up in her seat. Both men jerked upright, their surprised gazes on her.

"Ms. Heartfilia?"

"Lucy?"

She was breathing hard now, her fair cheeks a mottled red. Slamming her palms down onto the leather surface of the escritoire, she all but ripped the paper out from under her husband's palm. Grabbing the inkpad, she rammed her thumb down on the wet sponge and flattened it against the sheet, leaving a clear imprint of her finger.

"Give me that."

She snapped at the startled male, and snatched the fountain pen out from his hand. She had harshly scribbled her ID, family name and traced out the length of a capital 'L' when her movements were suddenly halted.

Lucy's head jerked up in surprise when she realized that Natsu had his hand clasped over hers in a soft hold. The burning heat from beneath his skin permeated her own flesh and Lucy felt an all too unfair curling of pleasure in her gut.

He was watching her from under half lidded eyes, his dark orbs filled with a mix of strong emotions she didn't dare to identify. She could easily identify, though, the familiar feeling that surged through her when his thumb traced lines on her inner wrist, the tiny movement blocked from the lawyer's curious eyes.

Her heart stuttered when his lips parted and he uttered three simple words.

"I'm sorry, Luce."

Lucy's heart clenched in her chest upon seeing the earnestness in his expression. Something in his gaze made her want to rip up the document and take him on the leather escritoire, lawyer be damned.

That sudden thought sent anger bursting through her again. How dare he make her want him again after all the pain he put her through?!

Gritting her teeth together, Lucy acknowledged his apology with two words of her own. Two words that conveyed all the mixed feelings she felt for her soon to be ex-husband.

She took sadistic satisfaction in the hurt that flashed in his eyes upon hearing her reply.

Natsu slipped his hand off hers and watched in silence as she scribbled the rest of her name, threw the pen at him and whipped away from them.

The blonde was mildly taken aback by the small crowd that had gathered outside the office when she burst through the door. Erza and Levy immediately moved to follow her but she flipped them both off and cursed gruesome deaths on anyone who dared to follow her. She knew that the two girls would no doubt show up uninvited on her doorstep again sooner or later anyway.

Lucy drew her first steady breath only after she heard the deadbolt of her hotel room slide into place. Exhausted beyond belief, Lucy plopped spread eagle down onto the bed when a pattering noise to her left drew her attention. Trickles of water slid down the clear glass of her room window as the skies split open with a summer shower. When she moved to rub the edge of her palm against her tired eyes, that's when she noticed something else.

The inside of her wrist was lined with black ink.

More specifically, it was lined with the black ink that had been left on her skin when her ex-husband had traced his thumb over it. As careless minded as he was, he must not have realized that he was marking her skin.

Sighing in defeat, she padded over to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. A second before the gush of water could hit her skin, the blonde froze. She stood there for a silent moment just staring at the ink blotch before moving to turn off the faucet and walking out of the small bathroom.

Minutes later, she walked back in and turned on the faucet again, watching in silence as the harsh jet of water melted the black off her skin.


Read and review please.

Thanx.

Faie.