"Natsu..." She managed to barely whisper. "How did you know where to find me?"

"I'm pretty good friends with most of the nurses around here." He shrugged. "Ya know, you're pretty lucky these walls are so thick... That was quite a..."

"A tantrum" She finished wiping tears from her eyes.

"I was gonna say a show, but yours works too."

He crawled over to the floor and sat across from the girl. He was unsure how to react at that moment. Weather he should support her, or calm her.

The ladder seemed like the best option.

"So... this is your mom? Huh? She seems very pretty... just like you."

"Pretty has never done us any good." Lucy muttered, her voice still breaking.

"...How is she?"

That one really set her off. In only a mere few seconds Lucy was sobbing uncontrollably once again.

'Nice going Natsu! You broke her!'

"oh crap! crap! I'm sorry! What did I do? I'm so sorry!"

But his apologies were silenced by the girl tugging at the sleeve of his T-shirt. He scooted closer by her side and held her close once again as she sobbed her worries away.

"This is the second time we've done this ya know." Natsu commented as he ran fingers through her golden hair, his other hand tracing light circles on her back. "I'm not complaining though."

"She's- she's not g-gonna make it-t." The girl stuttered between sobs.

Realization hit Natsu like a brick. He held onto her tighter and didn't say another word. He didn't dare to. He didn't know what to say.

"A-and of course m-my father w-won't be h-here." She choked. "It d-doesn't surprise me t-though."

She shuddered with every word.

What kind of living hell had this girl been enduring?! Wasn't surprised?! What had she gone through?!

"Lucy..." Natsu whispered softly into her ear. "You'll... you'll be alright. You will get through this I promise. I don't know what kind of guy your old man is, but to hell with him right now. You'll be okay. If you've come this far, you can survive anything."

It didn't stop her from crying. It didn't need to. Right now she needed to be sad. And sad she was.

She just clutched tighter to Natsu.

~~~~~

"I'm home." Natsu said kicking off his shoes by the front door.

"Hey scumbag. Your aunt called a while ago, said she needed to talk to you about something important." Gray explained, his eyes glued to the TV in front of him.

"Thanks popsicle perv."

Gray only gave a thumbs up in response.

So Natsu grabbed his cell and slipped out onto the back porch, out of earshot from Gray and his family. As the phone pressed to his ear, he found himself wandering. An uncontrollable habit he'd always had while talking on the phone.

He didn't really pay attention to his surroundings though. He was too focused on the words on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey Wendy! It's Natsu! Can you put your mom on the phone?" He asked his younger cousin.

"Umm... Yeah... sure thing Natsu.-- Mom!!! It's Natsu!!!-- here she is..."

"Hi Aunt Grandeeney! My friend Gray said you'd called?"

"Natsu... it's... about your father."

"Yeah?"

"I'm so sorry."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm sorry... I can't afford to keep him on life support for much longer. I thought I could but... I was fired yesterday. And with money running as low as it is... I'm so sorry. We have to pull his plug."

"...no."

"Natsu? Are you still there? What was that?"

*CLICK*

He started running. Forget shoes, forget Gray, he just needed to get there. He needed to get to the hospital. NOW.

He wouldn't let them. There was no way he would let them take his dad away.

Tears started rolling down his cheeks. 'DANGIT! I'M NOT SAYIN GOODBYE!'

Not. Yet.

Funny, wasn't he comforting Lucy for the same thing just an hour ago?

Yeah. Freakin hilarious.

"I'm not letting you go yet. Not. Yet."

~~~~~

HA HA HA! DON'T YOU JUST LOVE KILLING OFF MORE AND MORE CHARACTERS?!

*Sobs in corner