Natsu was desperate, the rain was clearing, but he was still dragging an unconsciously Lucy back to town as quickly as possible. After debating for a minute he had picked up Lucy bridal style and put both their stuff on his back, making a run for Hani.

Lucy was out cold, and after what that creepy shadow said he was as panicked as panicked can get. Natsu clutched Lucy's wrist in a way that he could feel her pulse; reminding him that she was still alive. She's still alive, so it could be fixed, that shadow was wrong, Lucy would live. Natsu used these thoughts to propel him towards town. She's okay, she's okay, she's OKAY. It felt more like he was trying to convince himself and his heart sunk slightly at the thought.

After about an hour Natsu had reached the town, but he honestly didn't know what to do from there. Going back to the hotel seemed like a start, but shouldn't he get Lucy to a doctor? Had carrying her around everywhere been a bad idea?

Natsu sighed, and if he wasn't clinging to Lucy like a lifeline then would have been running his hand through his hair anxiously. Normally he was one to boast about strength, but carrying Lucy around (she was actually kind of light) was starting to get tiring. Natsu stopped walking for a minute; he began hesitating whether or not he really wanted to go back to the hotel, that Haru guy creped him out to an extent.

There was that girl Lucy had gotten all buddy-buddy with. What was her name again Ai-something, Aiko? Yea, that sounded right. But finding her would probably take longer than just going back to hotel. Natsu let out a frustrated grumble, what to do. His feet started walking for him and he apparently unconsciously decided to go to the hotel because that's the direction he was walking. Not thinking about it too much he picked up the pace.

When Lucy was better they were going to take a break, head home and take a break. If-no that's wrong-when Lucy got better she'd need some recovery time. Lucy had been through too much he could probably pay one of her rents and instead of missions he'd help her relax. Just for a couple of weeks would be okay.

Before he even realized it Natsu stood outside the hotel. Sighing in defeat he walked in, Lucy in tow. Before he could even walk two steps a disheveled looking Satou walked past them then stopped noticing Lucy. He turned to Natsu and gave him a blank look that clearly read 'what the hell man?' except in maybe fancier more formal terms, Natsu didn't really know. He didn't do 'high-class speak' whether Lucy told him he should learn or not.

Satou straitened himself out from whatever he'd been doing before and turned towards Natsu. After seemingly contemplating something he gave a frustrated sigh.

"Follow me." Satou ordered his voice soft yet commanding.

Natsu debated for a moment, he really didn't trust this guy too much but he didn't really have any better options other than heading back to their room while Natsu stumbled around trying to figure out what he could do, so he relented and followed Haru.

They winded through a couple hallways and ended up in a creepily sterile white room. Natsu felt uncomfortable and shifted Lucy who was still in his arms.

"It's called an infirmary. Now you can either set her down on the bed there or you can continue to stand there like an idiot." Satou's tone came out slightly sharp, partly intentional for demining Natsu.

Natsu now understood why he felt uncomfortable. As a kid the infirmary meant no good, they had doctors who told him what to do and what not to do demanding him to eat funny tasting food which he now knew was medicine. Though over the years he had learned he felt better quicker when he actually listened to them he was still reluctant to do so. The doctors freaked him out, always so cold and calculating.

Natsu slowly walked over to the bed and set Lucy down with the upmost care. As he backed away he half-expected another snarky comment on Satou's behalf but it never came, instead he just gave Natsu a quick glance-over.

"I'll send the doctor down, and I'll be at the front desk if you need me." And with that Satou abruptly walked out the door.

After a minute, true to Satou's word a man wearing a white lab coat walked in proclaiming himself as the doctor. He spent some time checking over Lucy and Natsu gave a shiver in the corner. After the long silence, only interrupted by the scribbling of the doctor's pen, the doctor turned towards Natsu.

"Other than a high fever, she seems generally healthy. She most likely passed out from fatigue. To be on the safe side I'll provide some medication." After handing a bottle of what Natsu guessed was the medication and some brief instructions the man turned to walk out the door.

"Also if she feels well enough when she wakes up she may leave." Then the doctor disappeared from sight to who knows where to do who knows what.

Seconds passed, then minutes, and being the irritable person Natsu was he had gotten up to pace the room. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the rustling of sheets behind him. Lucy pushed herself up mumbling unintelligibly about some killer headache while running her hand through her hair. She glanced around the sterile looking room and thought about how she had gotten here. Memories came flooding back in leaps and bounds and she clutched her head with both her hands now since her headache grew exponentially at the memories.

Natsu came up to her panicked and waved his hands around while trying to form a legible sentence. "L-Lucy! A-Are you okay? Umm do you want water, er-water for headaches, that isn't right is it? Um medicine? There's a doctor around here somewhere, maybe Advil would be enough…ah, I don't know!" Natsu rain his hand through his hair furiously as he debated what to do.

Lucy's head-pounding subsided and she giggled at Natsu's antics. "Water would be nice Natsu." Lucy said while tugging on his vest to get his attention.

"O-oh okay, right." Natsu hurried off and came back with a glass of water. "Here, drink up."

Lucy accepted the glass with a bow of her head and began to chug down all the water. Ah, that was nice, just what she needed. She thought about all that had happened here and she was ready to leave and go back home, she had some stuff to sort out. She turned towards Natsu will a serious and sorrowful face she rarely uses.

"Natsu, I think it's time we go home…" Natsu leveled her glance and caught the meaning; he could be more perceptive than people gave him credit for.

"Yea, we'll leave first thing tomorrow, can you walk? We should probably go back to our room if you're up for it." Lucy hesitated a moment, she felt a little shaky still, but she was generally fine. She opened up her mouth to answer but was interrupted when Natsu picked her up bridal-style and began walking out of the room. Lucy made a pout and Natsu just looked away, his hair color seemingly spreading to his face for a minute.

"You were taking too long to answer," was all he said before they started headed for their room, key in hand this time so he wouldn't have to put Lucy down before opening the door.

Natsu laid Lucy on the far bed while he began to pack up. When he was done he walked over to Lucy who was still up but her bangs covered her eyes.

"You okay Luce?" Natsu inquired. She looked up at Natsu; her eyes were watering and finally overflowed, glancing at him. "I was so scared Natsu." She tightened her already fierce grip on Natsu's vest as tears began to stream more freely down her face. Natsu reached for Lucy in a rather awkward hug, not really accustomed to showing affection.

In the end they both fell asleep on the bed together, Lucy clutching Natsu but sleeping peacefully, and Natsu with a hand on Lucy's head in a comforting gesture. Lucy wished this could last forever, though she wasn't quite out of the woods yet.

*cough* Whoops, well um… I'm here guys. Sorry, that's all I can really say. I know most everyone out there knows how life can get in the way of stuff.

I honestly don't know when my next update will be, expect in and around three weeks. I'm hoping maybe sooner, but don't hold your breath. I tried to make this chapter a little longer to make up for it but once I reached my stopping point I had to call it quits.

From now on I'll reply to comments through PM unless you guys want it otherwise. So big shout out to Mimichan because she was the only one to leave a comment on chapter nine. I'm fine with that, one is better than none, I'm just kind of curious why. I hope to see you all soon.

~Airka-chan ^.^

Posted: 12.1.2013
Oh isn't that ^ nifty, ya it's for my own use, hope you don't mind it there.