Her eyes narrow, 'Fine if he can just drop me like that!' She turns back to Sting, "You know what I'll take you up on that offer, come find me when the DJ starts."

"Hell yeah!" He grabs her right hand and kisses it, "Till later Blondie," before walking back to his own friends.

Natsu feels his blood start to boil the moment the blonde man kisses Lucy's hand. "I'm gonna kill that guy!" he mutters through clenched teeth, his grip tightening on the hand he forgot he is holding.

"Oww! Hey that hurt!" Erza yanks her hand out of his grip and starts to massage it.

"What?!" he utters still vehemently focused on the man, watching to see where he goes.

"My hand you were crushing it!"

"Huh?" He turns back to look at the red head, "Oh Shit I'm sorry I forgot… Is your hand okay?"

"I'll live." She responds curtly

Looking back around, "Damn it where'd that bastard go!" But Sting has disappeared somewhere in the room. "I gotta go talk to her!" Natsu tries to stand up, intending to rush over to Lucy but Gray and Gajeel both push him back down, "Don't. Just stick to the plan."

He stands up and pushes back. "But… it's not going as we… Did you see her reaction? She was pissed!… Ugh! This is not gonna work!"

Gajeel's grabs Natsu from behind in a full nelson hold, "Oi, you can't just react to her, she's gonna try and push your buttons too!"

"Fine! Then let me go so I can find and beat that fucker down too!"

Gajeel pushes him down a second time. "Stay the fuck down! You're not gonna go after him."

"Ugh!" His mind is just in tatters not knowing what to do, what to think, how to react… So he just stares at the floor with his head in his hands.

"Natsu?"

"What is it Erza?" The tears are evident in his monotone voice

"Look, you should think of it this way, her reaction confirms she still cares about you."

He looks back up, "Right, but her eyes looked more like they wanted to kill me."

Gray- "Oi, that's the point, if she didn't care she wouldn't have reacted. But since she did that means she does wants you back, she just maybe doesn't know how to admit it yet."

"I don't think I can go on with the blind date part of this plan," he puts his face back in his hands, "I just know I can't fake it anymore."

"Whatever; just avoid looking at Lucy for now."

"Do you think she…" A new song starts to play…

Lucy storms back to their table, "Who the hell is she?!" she slams her hand on the table grilling Levy

"Um, they wanted to help Natsu get over you so they set him up on a blind date… I swear he didn't know they were gonna do it."

"And you didn't warn me!"

"I didn't know they were coming here!"

"He was holding her friggin' hand! I can't believe that asshole would move on so quick!"

"Well he didn't, they forced him into this date." Shouting back, "And you should talk, what about you talking with that blonde guy who kissed your hand. And now you're gonna dance with him later!"

"Hey that was because I saw Natsu holding another girls hand! Of course I'm gonna react!"

"They probably forced him to do it, to make the girl feel comfortable! Or maybe she grabbed his hand, ever think she's the one coming on to him?!"

"He coulda turned her down!" Walking back to the bar in a huff, Lucy asks Laxus to put on a certain karaoke song for her.

…..so they all turn their heads to look recognizing the melody. 'Before He Cheats' by Carrie Underwood.

Gray- "Oh shit, maybe she does wanna kill you…" Natsu looks up to see Lucy standing between the booth and the bar just glaring straight at him. She puts all the pain she's feeling into the song running his blood cold...

As soon as the song starts playing Levy quickly starts a text chain with the everyone, "Don't panic!She's just venting!Okay plan B, we gotta play things by ear."

"Right now, he's probably slow dancing with a red headed tramp and she's probably getting frisky. Right now, he's probably buying Her some fruity little drink 'Cause she can't shoot whiskey…"

Erza- "She just called me a tramp!" incensed.

Loke- "She doesn't know who you are Erza, and she's angry."

"…Right now, he's probably up behind her with a pool-stick showing her how to shoot a combo, and he don't know…"

Erza- "She's lucky I don't go beat her ass right now…"

Natsu- "Erza, please don't… if anyone deserves that it's me."

Cana add's to the text chain, "Maybe Natsu should turn Erza down somehow.Oh I know, how bout Jellal comes by and sweeps Erza away from Natsu like he's an old flame?"

Erza turns to the stricken young man, "Natsu, from what you all tell me, both of you may deserve a smack… but under the circumstances I'll leave her alone."

Natsu- "Thank you." He mutters

Lucy starts screaming the words, her whole body leaning into the beat… "I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive. Carved my name into his leather seats. I took a Louisville slugger to both head lights. I slashed a hole in all four tires. Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats…"

"I like it." Gray texts Jellal to get to the table quick, he's gotta steal Erza from Natsu. In the mean time Gajeel is telling Erza to become enamored with Jellal as soon as he walks up. Since he had been hanging out with other friends a couple of tables away he easily gets to the VIP section and starts to flirt with his girlfriend who plays to the love at first sight action like a pro.

"…I might have saved a little trouble for the next girl 'Cause the next time that he cheats. Oh, you know it won't be on me! No, not on me…"

"Is it over? Juvia feels so bad for Lucy."

'It Must Have Been Love' by Roxette comes on. "Nope, Juvy. She ain't done yet." Her boyfriend puts his arm around her.

Lucy's rollercoaster of emotions is evident in her choice of songs as she moves on to something lighter but just as heartbreaking for Natsu to listen to.

"Lay a whisper on my pillow, leave the winter on the ground. I wake up lonely, there's an air of silence. In the bedroom and all around… Touch me now, I close my eyes and dream away… It must have been love but it's over now. It must have been good but I lost it somehow. It must have been love but it's over now. From the moment we touched, 'till the time had run out…"

She wants him to feel her turmoil and it's working. "Could someone just drive a knife into my heart… I don't know if I can take this."

Loke- "Natsu," he puts his hand on his friend's shoulder, "You'll get through this…"

"You don't know that."

A third song starts to play, 'We Belong Together' by Mariah Carey.Tears form in his eyes as she sings and he listens; this is the worst one yet.

"I didn't mean it. When I said I didn't love you, so I should have held on tight. I never shoulda let you go…"

He's so confused, doesn't know what to do. He wants to run over and embrace her but if she's not ready yet… Sigh, he replies back to Levy instead, "This is killing me!Should I just go to her?"

"I didn't know nothing. I was stupid, I was foolish. I was lying to myself…."

"No Natsu not yet!"

"I can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"When you left I lost a part of me. It's still so hard to believe. Come back baby, please 'Cause we belong together…" Lucy collapses into the booth breaking down in tears at the end and buries her head in her arms. Cana tries to comfort her.

"I've got it; sing to her."

"Sing!I'm not that good."

"You sang to her last week and she totally caved on you for it."

"And what would I sing?"

" 'The Reason' by Hoobastank, she won't be able to resist that song."

"Alright I'll try anything."

Gray calls Lisanna over and asks her to program a song for them in the karaoke machine. Levy and Cana are trying to cheer Lucy up at the booth, glad they didn't put a lot of make up on her tonight when the song starts to play. She looks up to see where it is coming from…

Natsu is standing up looking in her direction holding a microphone. "What's he doing?"

Cana- "I think he's trying to tell you something."

"I'm not a perfect person, there's many things I wish I didn't do. But I continue learning; I never meant to do those things to you. And so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be…" he holds out his hand towards her and she starts to tear up more… "A reason to start over new, and the reason is you. I'm sorry that I hurt you," his voice cracks as tears start to trickle down his cheeks. "It's something I must live with everyday, and all the pain I put you through I wish I could take it all away and be the one that catches all your tears…" Her chest is heaving from the sobbing. "That's why I need you to hear…"

Cana- "Natsu's trying so hard Lu…" but she's shaking her head. "…most guys would've given up already."

"…And the reason is you… and the reason is you… and the reason is you…" she sees him hang his head. "I'm not a perfect person. I never mean to do those things to you. And so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know…" he holds his right hand over his heart. "I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new, and the reason is you. I've found a reason to show, a side of me you didn't know. A reason for all that I do, and the reason is you."

When the final words trail off he stares, pleading for a reaction from her. "See girl, he still wants you back. Just stop being so stubborn."

Lucy keeps shaking her head, "Levy I can't..."

"You're sending mixed signals, first angry, then it's over, then you're telling him to come back!"

"Look I'm all mixed up Levy! Don't you get it?!" She flags down Lisanna and orders several rounds of shots.

Cana- "What does that poor guy need to do to win you back?!"

"It's not just that… I-I don't know okay! He shouldn't have done what he did last week or tonight!"

Cana- "Why are you…" she's starting to shout but Levy cuts in

"Well…" Levy looks up at Natsu who has slumped back on the couch dejected then back to her friend, "… you are really being a heartless bitch right now Lu! You both are hurting so much but you're the only one that can end the pain and yet you're sitting here acting like a spoiled brat!"

"Fine! I'm a bitch, a brat, call me whatever you want…" Lisanna drops off the shots Lucy ordered and she picks one up, "…I'm all screwed up right now so if you don't mind Levy, I'd like to drown myself in alcohol." She puts the glass to her lips, then stops. "I know you guys are all texting each other so tell Natsu I'm still mad and I'm not ready to talk." Then shoots down the first Kamikaze.

Levy just sighs, "Lu… You're a fool..." Lucy responds by raising another shot glass to her lips.

His phone vibrates.

"I'm really sorry Natsu.Don't be sad, I know she was touched but she's being really stubborn, just be patient..."

" : ( " "Think I'll get wasted too…"

On the other side of the bar, Sting was with a couple of his friends watching the performances. "Ugh it's that pink haired freak again! I was hoping to score with that Lucy chick tonight but he could ruin things."

"Well you might still have a chance, look she didn't get up from the table and go to him." His black-haired friend points out

"Your totally right Rogue." He looks back in Natsu's direction, then to Lucy smirking. "The music's about to start up soon and I'm gonna make her forget all about that loser!"