. Paranormal .
The second time Lucy awoke, she was in a bit less pain. She supposed it was the medication that was being forced into her body via IV, but she really didn't care. As long as the pain wasn't too bad, she was fine with it.
She was able to think a bit more clearly than the last time. So she was able to notice right away that she was alone in a room and that something was off with her hair. Or the lack of it, she supposed with a twinge of sadness. She was upset, really upset, over it, actually. Her long golden hair was something she'd always been proud of in regards to her appearance.
It had been like her mother's.
Not that she was complaining; she was alive, wasn't she?
Lucy was stumped. She remembered things, of course, she'd made sure of that the second she woke up. Her name was Lucy Heartfilia, she'd once been wealthy and was still rich if one was being technical, and she had a crazy poltergeist that lived in the building she and Levy McGarden occupied, a building owned by said woman's boyfriend, Gajeel Redfox, who she also worked for part-time.
But she didn't remember how she'd ended up in the hospital, or why there was so many machines around her. She didn't understand why her arm was in a cast, her fingers bruised black and blue. She didn't get why her chest hurt with every breath she took, or why it nearly killed her to wiggle her toes.
Her head hurt, too.
Her dark eyes watched with care, rolling to see what was happening every time she heard someone pass the door until finally, it opened, and in strolled a pair of people she recognized.
Erza and Gray.
Her brow drew down carefully and she decided to stay quiet for a moment, too tired to really try speaking anyways.
They were bickering about something that made her lips twitch painfully into a smile that pulled painfully at her injured flesh. Apparently, Erza wasn't pleased that Gray had failed to keep in contact with her after Natsu's disappearance. Gray only shrugged, responding that it wasn't entirely his fault. Contact went both ways after all.
And then dark eyes landed on her face.
"Lucy!" Gray said, clearly surprised. He stumbled forward as Erza whipped around and accidentally slammed into his shoulder in her eagerness. "Juvia said you woke up for a bit, but that was days ago! Glad to see you're up and...lookin'."
Erza hit his shoulder and he cringed in pain, muttering about bruises as he rubbed it. "Lucy," she scolded, "You scared the daylights out of all of us. Juvia's been fretting, Levy's been crying, and the rest of us were worried sick!"
Lucy snorted softly, then groaned softly when it shook her sore body.
Like she knew.
"Oh!" Erza gasped, looking horrified, "You must be hurting! I'll go get Porlyusica-san and Wendy-chan, they'll be very happy to hear you're awake." Her gaze darkened. "Porlyusica-san didn't think you would…"
She left the room without another word and Lucy tiredly glanced at Gray, who gently patted her hand in an awkward way. "Sorry," he muttered. "Dunno what to do in hospitals and it's not like we know each other well to begin with."
Lucy snorted again, and then cringed as the pain ripped through her. So the medication wasn't working entirely, but it helped. She simply twitched her fingers in response, exhausted after simply that.
It wasn't long before Erza was back with the doctor, and Lucy listened exhaustedly to the snide comments that the woman made as she checked over the young blonde. Erza and Gray gave her sympathetic looks alongside a teen Lucy didn't know. She was beginning to grow tired again when Porlyusica suddenly stopped and said firmly, "You're not completely out of danger yet, but you've managed to impress even me. Fight as hard as you can and you might walk out of this hospital in the next few months."
As she left, the teenager's face seemed to glow with excitement. "She likes you," she praised happily. "She doesn't usually say things like that!"
"I'd say," Gray grumbled. "She hates the rest of us."
Happy the tubes had been removed from her throat for the time being, Lucy croaked, "Happy?" They blinked in confusion, but it was the girl who beamed and answered.
"Your cat is safe," she promised. "I heard Levy-san and Gajeel-san mention him. I believe Gajeel-san has him at the moment."
Lucy sighed very, very carefully in relief before adding in with caution, too tired to really care if Erza knew by this point, "Natsu?"
Erza stared hard at her face as Gray rolled his eyes with a grin and answered her unsaid question. "Bastard's made a mess out of your place. Levy and Juvia have been picking it up every now and then. He'll be grateful to know you're awake. He's been as worried as the rest of us."
"Did you just...Natsu?" Erza demanded. "Natsu's back?"
Gray's eyes flashed with an emotion that neither woman could place. "I'll explain later, Erza. Trust me, it's not exactly a pleasant story, and if you want to go see him, I need face protection. Sucker threw a knife at me."
Lucy grunted to show her amusement. "How long?" She glanced around with her eyes to show what she meant. How long have I been here?
"You've been unconscious for close to a month," the girl reported honestly. "You're very lucky to have survived." She listed the several injuries that Lucy had been given before pausing. "Oh! I'm Wendy Marvell by the way."
Lucy wheezed out a painful laugh that had her groaning in agony. "Hi."
"You should get some rest," Erza scolded her after that, moving over to gently rest a hand over Lucy's head. "You don't want to catch some infection, they just did some surgery on your arm this morning...we'll let everyone else know that you woke up."
"You've had quite the company," Wendy giggled when she frowned in confusion, ignoring the pain.
Gray began ticking the names off, using his fingers to count. "Me, Erza, Juvia, Jellal, Levy, Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, and some girl that Sting's getting kinda attached to are here most of the time. The Strauss siblings and their little relationship people have come in to visit, too."
"Yukino," Erza corrected, "But we'll tell you about her when you're feeling much better."
"Yeah," Gray agreed hastily after she glared his way. "What she said."
Wendy grinned, shaking her head. "Excuse me, Erza-san, Lucy-san, Gran-san. I have some other people to check on…" She whisked out of the room, throwing a huge smile over her shoulder.
"Wendy's a sweet girl," Erza told the curious blonde. "You'll like her."
Lucy was absolutely positive that she would.
The days ticked by and within two weeks, Lucy was capable of proper conversations again and staying awake for more than minutes at a time. While she still ached and hurt all over, too sore to move, she was told that she was healing nicely and bed rest would keep her on that road.
Still. Close to two months more in the hospital if Wendy was correct. And that was enough time to drive anyone nuts.
Juvia giggled from where she was sitting beside Lucy, a discarded book beside them. Levy had left to work, and the two had decided to continue reading. Since Lucy couldn't hold the book up, Juvia had read it aloud, and eventually, they'd put it aside to discuss a subject that made Lucy far more curious.
Natsu.
"Natsu is impatient," Juvia was telling her with a giggle. "Juvia talked to him, and he said that he was ready for you to get out and go home. He said he was bored."
Lucy's lips twitched into a smile that didn't hurt as much as it had before. "Is he? Good...it's kind of lonely, without someone constantly keeping an eye on my safety. Excluding security cameras, but that's just creepy."
"Only you would think that's creepier than someone watching over you," Gray uttered from where he was suddenly standing in the doorway. Catching Lucy's eye, he winked and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Sting's here. Brought Yukino to talk to you. They're gonna stay and chat; Juvia, we're out to the store. I'm hungry and you need to cook, don't you?"
Lucy's eyes flashed with a wary curiosity. In the time since she'd been healing while allowed to be awake, she had yet to meet Yukino. She knew that there was something that the others were hiding - they left to discuss something whenever her name was brought up - and she couldn't believe that she was finally awake when the young woman was there. "I'll see you two later then...go ahead and send them in."
There was a few minutes between Gray and Juvia leaving and the other two coming in; Lucy could hear quiet talking just seconds before Sting stepped inside, a huge grin on his face. "Bout damn time you woke up to see me!"
Lucy giggled painfully, wincing. "You're the one who showed up at the wrong time," she told him breathlessly, grimacing in pain.
His smile lessened for a moment. "True," he said after making sure she wouldn't need him to run and get someone. "Anyways, got someone who wants to meet you if that's alright."
"Yukino, right? The others have mentioned her every now and then. Bring her in." Lucy subconsciously reached up with her good arm to touch an un-stitched portion of her head, frowning. It hurt her that her hair was gone. She preferred to look somewhat decent when meeting new people. "I'd like to meet her."
Sting hesitated. He took a moment to study her, then said carefully, "Could you be...careful? She's been worried about you. She wants to tell you something, and she's worried that you'll hate her for it."
A suspicious feeling entered Lucy's mind, but she pushed it away. "Of course. I doubt I'll hate her no matter what she says. Now bring her in so I can stop being scared. You're worrying me and according to Wendy, stress isn't good."
"Okay, okay." Her fellow blond gave a final grin and then peeked his head out. She heard him demand Yukino come inside, and then stepped away so she could do just that. Lucy's eyes softened at the way his gaze followed her.
Lucy liked to think she was a good judge of character, and she knew immediately from the look on the tearful woman's face that Yukino was truly a decent person who must have gotten caught up in something. The woman bowed several times as she cried, "Lucy-san, I'm so sorry! I truly am!"
"I...what?" Lucy blinked, horrified when Yukino burst into sobs, burying her face in her hands. "What's going on? Sting?"
Sting opened his mouth but Yukino cut him off, sniffling as she choked out, "I'm so, so sorry, Lucy-san! I didn't mean to...so sorry…" She took a deep breath and Sting, rolling his eyes with an affectionate look towards her, decided to clarify for her.
"Yukino," he said gently, nudging her with his shoulder, "Was the driver of the car that struck you."
"Oh," Lucy gasped, startled by this announcement. Well that explained a lot right there… "Um, Yukino-san, it's alright, I'm not angry or anything. I don't blame you. I actually…" She flushed. "I actually didn't know I'd been hit by a car. I guess everyone assumed I remembered? The last thing I remember was leaving my shift at the cafe…"
She sniffed a few times as she lifted teary expressive brown eyes to look at Lucy. "I'm sorry," she repeated miserably. "You nearly died because of me...I've already started paying for hospital costs, and I've taken over your working hours to make up for it as well! Juvia-san took the paychecks to your apartment, and sh-she says someone by the name of N-Natsu agreed not to touch them until you went home."
Lucy's heart swelled with gratitude for such a thing. "Oh, Yukino-san, that's...you don't have to do that. I have money, it's just money I don't want to use unless necessary-"
"We tried to tell her," Sting reported, "She wouldn't stop."
Yukino gave a soft hiccup as she sniffled. "I just...I wanted to make it up to you. I know you must be in incredible pain, and I-"
"Yeah, it hurts, but it's fine." Lucy forced herself to shrug. "I'm alive is all that it means. I'll tell you what. You can make it up to me in one way and one way only." She took on her most severe expression and Sting grimaced in preparation. Yukino's eyes went wide. "And that one way is for you to join my little rag tag group of friends. How does that sound?"
Yukino's lips parted in shock for a moment before she gave a shaky smile. "Okay. I'll be a friend, Lucy-san. But please...do you want something to eat?"
"If you could get me something other than hospital food, I'll worship the ground you walk on," Lucy told her seriously, though the effect was ruined when she giggled painfully. It hurt, she realized. She'd need to delve back into the unconscious world for some time to take a break.
"Done," Yukino laughed, waving before hurrying out of the room.
"Thanks, Lucy," Sting sighed, puffing his cheeks out for a moment. "Means the world that you're being kind. She's been visiting you constantly in hope that you'd wake up."
"It's not her fault," Lucy said with a shrug. "It's mine, so why would I blame her? I'm the one who didn't watch for cars apparently." She flashed him a quick smile. "So don't worry. Besides, I like Yukino. And so do you?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "Getting kind of close there, were you?"
Sting's cheeks tinted pink and Lucy grinned triumphantly. "Shut up," he muttered. "S'not like that."
Lucy gave a mock gasp of shock. "Oh? You're not flirting with her every chance you get? Throw some fireworks out there, guys, Sting Eucliffe's not trying pickup lines!" She gave a playful cackle before gritting her teeth. "Ouch, okay, no more laughing for a while."
Grateful to have a change of subject, Sting scolded, "Stop laughing, Lucy, you'll mess yourself up."
She winked. "Already done. Next suggestion?"
The bickering continued even after Yukino had come back and until Lucy was too sore to continue. At that point, they bid her farewell, and Lucy smiled before closing her eyes, wishing she could curl up on her side as she fell asleep.
It was lonely in the empty apartment.
Incredibly lonely.
There was no one to screw with. No one to tease. No one to upset and piss off. Just silence, silence, and more silence.
And it pissed the being that dwelled in the building that housed the empty apartment off beyond belief. Anger swelled throughout the building, there was no way to describe it as anything else. Anyone it touched became as angry as the one causing it, and tensions ran high among those that lived there. Yet no one understood the sudden rage that would flash through their veins.
The anger was accompanied by heat, of course, but also by the stabbing agony of fear.
Had she been scared off?
No. She couldn't have been. She always came back.
They'd told him of what happened; she'd been struck by a car. She'd been near death in a hospital for close to two months. Two lonely long months without her. The anger surged at the thought into a deadly rage before residing for the time being. The book woman's apartment had already been destroyed by rage that night, and it wasn't necessary to destroy more for the time being.
Especially not her apartment.
If she was truly hurt, there was no wish to cause her more pain by making her and her friends clean up. There was no intention of causing her harm no matter how much anger was taken out on her.
She'd only started out as a source of entertainment. Someone to tease, mess with. She'd become more over the time she'd lived there, though. A friend. More. More.
Rage and fury crossed through again, threatening to swallow them all whole.
Nothing was really remembered of life. All that was remembered was that of the life that was lived now. Well...it wasn't really life. Endless wandering and screwing around was more what it was. It was endless. Lonely. Horrid. Something that brought a terrified and angry feeling.
With her there...it was easier. Not as harsh. She brought light, happiness, laughter to a world that had been dark for years. More. She brought more.
Such feelings weren't felt before. Not before. Now, things were different. Things were so different, it was beyond ridiculous. So much that hadn't been wanted was wanted. Warmth. And she was warmth incarnate, with her huge smiles and sparkling eyes.
What if she didn't come back?
What if they'd lied?
What if she was dead, too?
A dangerous darkness spread through at that idea. If she was dead, mercy was wished upon the souls that dwelled within the domain of what could have been and what could still be.
Because they'd all go, too, even the book woman.
The building would be torn to bits with everyone still inside.
Mine.
More.
Warmth.
All things that hadn't been cared for until she'd come.
And now…
Something that Natsu Dragneel, the poltergeist of Lucy Heartfilia's apartment, couldn't live without.
So that turned real dark at the end, did it not? ;) Thanks to reviewers (luv it, kat5552, Braveartemisknight, CuteKitty264, Moon Stone Tiger Lily, NaLu x Buckets, ilftnatsu, MehKitty, Kinsutenekochan, cantorahagedoorn, Mechanical-Rose-Sama, and the lovely guests!) as well as those who favorited and followed!