She woke up with a splitting headache and her head resting against something bony. She lifted herself up from her crouch, her eyes drifting around the room. She immediately recognized it, the kitchenette, the decorated walls and warmth of the vicinity.

She was back in the apartment Gajeel and Levy rented to her, the last place she saw Natsu. Oh how she'd missed him, but what was she to think of the information she gained while in the custody of Mard Geer?

She couldn't worry that much about it. No, rather she was concerned with the fact that the water demon, Juvia, was sleeping soundly next to her. Hadn't she knocked her out cold? Blood stained her forehead, proving that she had indeed done damage to the woman.

She stood to full height, careful not to touch the demon and wake her. She was out cold, her breathes deep and even. Lucy figured she wouldn't be up for a while.

The apartment was otherwise empty. No sign of Natsu nor the lovely couple that barely made it out with their lives. How they hadn't died from their initial injuries, she didn't know.

Levy's spare clothes were still where she'd left them, folded neatly atop the dresser. She grabbed a pair, one that she knew for sure would fit her decently.

A bath sounded a lot more relaxing than a shower. Less standing and effort on her part lest she topple over and kill herself on the shower knobs.

That was something she didn't need to happen anytime soon. Her hopes of survival were dwindling, but she at least wanted to carry out her last days in bliss. That was her only wish.

Even as she stared at the steaming water fill up the tub, she didn't have the urge to emerge herself entirely and never resurface. Rather she slid in to her collarbone, nearly a months worth of dirt and grime spilling from her skin.

The blonde closed her eyes and sighed. It had been a while since she felt truly relaxed. She wasn't even worried about the fact that Juvia could emerge at any moment and pick her off. Whose to say she would even fight anymore.

But she would. She had made a promise to Erza and her baby. A promise that she would end this mess, get rid of every last demon until all Ignacios cease to exist.

She wouldn't kill Natsu though.

She couldn't.

She spent most nights thinking of him, dreaming of his touch. His lips. His voice.

She was utterly, helplessly in love with the demon. She'd rather him drive a knife through her heart than stick him 6 feet under. He meant more than the world to her.

Without him she wouldn't have felt adrenaline for the first time on her life. She wouldn't have met Mirajane, Levy nor Gajeel. She wouldn't have found value in a person's life, especially her own. She wouldn't know what love truly meant.

She found herself crying before she knew it.

"Why do you always seem so upset?" Her shoulders shook as she looked up from the bath. Juvia stared back at her with confused eyes, her brows furrowed and mouth parted.

"I mean no harm by you. Not anymore. And I can fix your hair." Lucy's fingers tugged at the strands tickling her neck. It had taken her years to grow it out to its previous length. She missed it greatly.

She averted her gaze as Juvia stripped down to nothing. The water splashed gently against her chin as the water demon stepped inside of the tub. Their knees touched, even after Lucy had curled herself up in order to make more room for the demon.

But it didn't necessarily matter for her body took shape with the stilling water, her skin nearly the same shade as the water beneath the bubbles.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever, Lucy not knowing what to say to the girl and vice versa. Tears still stained the blonde's cheeks.

"Turn around and I can use my ability to grow your hair back." Hesitantly the blonde shifted herself, some of the bubbles and water spilling from out of the tub. Instantly she felt water tugging at the tips of her hair, each one growing more painful until she was whining with each stroke.

"I know it may hurt, that is just my water digging into your skin. I can give you nutrients from my skin in order to grow it much quicker than normal." Juvia spoke as she continued to work her fingers through blonde tresses. Lucy watched out of the corner of her eyes as water seemingly manifested itself into her hair on its own.

"Why are you being so kind to me? What made you change whose alliance you decided to pertain to?" She seethed as another hard pull made her scalp sting. She knew it couldn't have been Natsu who had convinced or threatened her to take allegiance to their cause. It had to have been someone else, someone with greater influence over her that made her take the bait.

"It was because of...because of my beloved." She stopped her menstrations, the water dripping from Lucy's hair like a leaky faucet. She turned around and watched as tears streamed down the water demon's face. Her fingers gripped her cheeks. "He never wanted to be apart of Mard's plans to resurrect the king, but our lives were at stake. The moment Natsu offered us freedom he forced me to take it."

Lucy chuckled, her fingers wiping away Juvia's tears only to make it worse with her damped fingers.

"Now you're the one upset." She giggled, completely understanding the idea of wanting to follow your lover's wishes. If Natsu had wanted her to take off to safety she would, but she doubted she could leave him behind. Of course granted it wasn't to save his life like she'd done just weeks ago.

"Please forgive me, Lucy. I don't wish to be your enemy any longer." Lucy smiled brightly and couldn't help herself when she hugged the little bit of the demon that was still skin. She was warmer now than every before, warmer than the water and brighter compared to the way she was down in the dungeon she was thrown into.

They talked, mainly about the two demons they cared so much about. They grew closer and the blonde found herself happy to have yet another companion on this long journey as an Ignacio. Juvia had done wonders to her hair. Wet, and even dried, it rested against her hips in gentle waves. It was even longer than it was before. She adored it.

Juvia even helped her pick out an outfit, a crop-top and blue jean shorts. While Juvia decided to tend to the wound Lucy had graciously given to her, the blonde skipped merrily down the stairs in hopes that she would find the man she wished to see the most.

She found him hunched over a cup, a flame lit around the rim of the cup. She watched curiously as he stared at it, his fingers barely able to hold it longer than thirty seconds. The veins in his arm grew a deep red each time the flame was about to die upon his finger. He was growing weaker, their bond stronger as an N burned beneath her skin. It was more than it had ever been before.

"We're toxic to each other." His eyes gazed across his crest on her arm. She felt under pressure, like he was judging how it looked on her. She found herself covering it with her fingers.

"You've just now figured that out?" He rolled his eyes and she didn't dare move closer to him.

"Look I think we should jus' settle this right now." Lifting himself up, her hovered over the counter and grabbed something. When he turned around she couldn't help but back away.

He held a knife.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She screamed wedging herself between some tables in case he decided to do something rash.

"Kill me Lucy. Kill me. End yer suffering." She was shocked. Shocked because he was doing something so selfless. A deed that would rid them off the curse, rid her of being an Ignacio. Rid her of Natsu forever.

Naturally she began to weep.

"Don't be like tha princess." He laughed weakly. "We're both gettin weak, you deserve ta live."

"So do you!" Time ceased to move as she ran over to him. Her fingers gripped his wrist, her other hand dripping with blood as she pried the blade away from him.

"We'll figure it out." She declared proudly. Though bloody, she still gripped his neck, bringing his face down to her own.

"What the hell were you thinking idiot." She continued to weep, continued to take in his scent in case she never got the chance to smell it again.

"I was tryna fix this fer ya." Because he cared deeply for her, though he'd never admit it.

"Thanks for the effort, but you're not dying on my watch." She no longer cared if he was the sole reason she was kept alive by Mard Geer. She didn't care if he truly knew why he'd been summoned to earth, nor cared if he wanted to rule her world alongside his brother. No.

She only cared about the feeling of his lips as she pressed hers against his own.