A/N: It honestly feels weird to write this chapter when I'm not all that depressed lol. I'm actually very happy. Does nervous happy counts? lol

Please enjoy?

Shortly after leaving Master's office, Erza immediately looked for a certain raven and pink haired boy. She immediately spotted them at the far corner, glaring at each other demonically.

Erza needed them to be stationed around Lucy's apartment to keep her father away. She doesn't want to risk her having another breakdown. It would break her heart to see Lucy in such state.

The more guarded Lucy's place is, the less odds there are for her father to come in contact with her.

Erza needed capture Jude again

...

"What!? Do you even know what the term 'privacy' means?" Lucy gritted through her teeth as she glared at the redhead.

Erza stuttered a little. "Yes... But think of it as an extended sleepover."

"I don't want a sleepover. I want to be alone. And you have been invading my privacy for weeks! You even did inspection of your place five times a day!"

"I wanted to make sure that you were safe."

"From who?" Lucy spat, crossing her arms.

Erza silently sighed and looked at Lucy in the eyes. "I think you know."

Lucy let out a ragged sigh in dismay. "Fine, but you're sleeping in the other side of the room. And ON the floor."

"Fine with me." Erza honestly had no qualms with sleeping on the floor. She did it before on countless jobs. This isn't anything different. As long she is close to the blonde to ensure her safety.

"Good. Now I'm going to shower. Stay away." Lucy ordered before entering the shower and slammed the door behind her, locking it in the process.

Couple seconds later, Erza let out a long sigh before scanning the room. She know that Lucy won't like it, but she'll have to get ride of some 'dangerous' objects for the time being. She isn't taking any chances.

15 minutes later, the armored mage had managed to get rid of all potential 'dangerous' objects and leaned against the wall next to the bathroom. She rested her head against the wall and relaxed a little to get rid of the stress invading her body. She was honestly tired and wanted a good night sleep. But Lucy was her top priority.

Erza honestly could understand how Lucy feels. Or what she is going through. Erza was suicidal herself once. When she had escaped the tower and joined Fairy Tail, she often held a blade to her skin and contemplated on her decisions.

And Erza had heard voices in her head. Why did she deserved this? Why is she so lonely? Erza had lost everything that she held dear.

It had took the redhead to come to her senses.

She had found a new family. A place that she can start over. She could leave the past in the past. And just move forward. She was still standing with a heart made of steel. She couldn't be broken that easily. And she won't break now.

But Lucy... She was difficult to crack. Erza couldn't understand what was keeping Lucy on the suicide path. At first, she figured it was her father. If he was locked up, Lucy could be safe again. But Lucy been acting saltier.

Erza knew the answer though. Lucy was lonely. She was scared and refused to let anyone in. But Erza was lost on how to get Lucy to open up again.

Snapping out of her reverie, the redhead looked at the time and saw that Lucy had been in the bathroom for 30 minutes. Alarmed, Erza straightened herself and turned to the door, knocking loud enough for the blonde to hear.

But she got no response. The knight knocked harder, almost pounding on the door.

"Lucy!"

"..."

"Lucy?!"

"..."

"LU-"

The door sudden opened up, an angry looking blonde stepping through the wooden door. "WHAT?! Can't I just shower in peace!? Geez!"

Erza blushed a little, seeing how the blonde was only covered by her tower. Her collarbone seems to have its color back, and it looks... sexy in the old girl's opinion. "S-Sorry. I panicked."

Lucy scoffed. "Whatever." She walked away from the knight mage and toward her dresser. How much Lucy had missed her own clothes.

Erza sighed and leaned against the wall, letting her cheeks return to normal and watched the blonde from the distance.

When Lucy dropped her towel to put clothes on, there was a loud crash that caused her to jump. She turned around to see Erza blushing bright red with the wall cracked behind her head. "... What happened?"

When Erza saw Lucy's butt cheeks, she literally slammed her head hard against the wall, blushing profusely in the process. "A-Ah...I-I'll fix the damage to the wall. M-My apologies." She stuttered while keeping her eyes on the floor.

What was wrong with her?

Lucy sighed heavily. "You better." She turned back to her dresser to put some clothes on.

Erza tried, she really did. But something was tugging her to look. And she did. Lucy's long slender pale legs, her perfect shaped back, and her long beautiful blonde locks waving in the air. She couldn't look away.

"Pretty..." The redhead whispered to herself, as if she's in a trance.

Although it was a whisper, it was still audible for the blonde to hear the older girl. "What?" Lucy questioned.

Erza locked her jaws shut as she realized she said it out loud and looked away. "What?"

Lucy turned around as soon she put her shirt over her. "You said something."

"I didn't say anything, Must've been the wind." Erza kept her jaws locked, afraid to be caught oogling her friend.

Why was Erza oogling the blonde in the first place? She couldn't understand it.

"Whatever. I'm going to bed. Don't come near me." Lucy walked toward her bed, and bed herself comfortable.

Erza silently sighed as the blonde was walking to her bed, and tried to calm her beating heart. "N-Night..."

The redhead did not move a muscle for the next 10 minutes, just staring at the lump under the blankets. Her thoughts drifting off in cloud 9. Her mind was blank, unresponsive and quiet.

Not another second, Erza felt a presence outside and it seemed to be nearing Lucy's apartment. It felt familiar, too familiar. Alarm filling her senses, the redhead walked toward the door and closed it behind her once she was outside.

The streets were empty, and there was no one in sight. But she could still feel it. It was near...

"Erza!"

Erza quickly turned around, summoning a sword in the process, ready to cut down the shady person.

"Whoa! Calm down! I'm on your side!" The figure exclaimed, with a terrified tone.

Erza took a pause and realized it was Natsu that had snuck up on her. "I told you to stay at your post! What are you doing here?!"

"I came to tell you something, is that not allowed?" Natsu silently swallowed from the glare he was receiving, knowing that Erza was sending death threats.

With a heavy sigh, Erza sent her weapon back to her realm and silently scowled. "Make it quick."

"I saw a shady person with a cloak on. I tried chasing him. But I track of him. My nose can't find him."

"Really? Was he headed this way?" Erza questioned.

"I dunno. I just saw someone who seemed really shady." Natsu shrugged.

Erza sighed. "Okay... If you see him again, try and not lose him."

"Alright... And Erza?"

"Hmm?"

"I might not had destroyed couple of buildings while I chasing him..." Natsu nervously said.

Erza let it sink in for a moment before raising her fist and punched Natsu hard in the stomach. "You Idiot!" She screamed, sending the dragonslayer across the sidewalk.

...

It was quiet. It was silent. It was deadly to listen. It made her feel so insignificant as she continued to listen to what the wind had to offer. And it wasn't that much. She couldn't hear a thing.

Lucy believed that no one could understand her. Her problems couldn't be understood because she believed that she is alone. No one had to deal with an abusive father. No one had to go through the things that she had. No one would understand her. No one.

Sighing deeply, Lucy covered herself and closed her eyes.

Within darkness, everything was still. Within Darkness, everything was silent. Within darkness, everything was lost, and Lucy struggled. She couldn't breathe within the concept of her own will. Voices screaming in her mind, voices of the damned.

Her skin on fire, her senses to a minimum, her sight is nothing but a blur. But Lucy know for sure...that she is crying.

Faster than lighting bold, Lucy sat up from her bed, breathing heavy. She looked around her room to find that she's alone, and she hoped to be alone.

That urge that got her into this mess came back. And it screamed at her do it again. The temptation of wishing all the pain made it to a point to where Lucy would anything to get rid of it.

She wanted it gone.

Lucy ripped the blanket off of her and walked to her kitchen and looked for a sharp blade that she could use.

She opened the drawer and saw it was empty. She opened another one, and another one. She became very frustrated that she pulled the drawer out and threw it to the other side of the room in frustration. She slid to the floor and hugged her knees, silently sobbing.

She wanted the pain to disappear. Why couldn't anyone understand this?

A/N: Am I losing my touch in writing this story?

Please review and comment on your thoughts! I don't bite!~

Toodles!~~