She couldn't sleep. She just lay there, back against the thin mattress, covered in nothing but a flimsy blanket. She cast her gaze over to Carter, watching as his chest slowly rose and fell as he slept, his head against the wall and his legs crossed.

She never understood how someone could sleep sitting up – she could never do that. Natsu done it too – although, he sometimes slept in much weirder positions that just sitting. She chuckled quietly as she remembered coming home one day and finding him asleep on her bed, only not asleep on her bed. His head had been resting cheek down on the floor while his bum stuck up in the air, his feet draped across her mattress.

The blonde sighed. Natsu… She missed him. She missed him so much that just thinking about his soft pink hair of dragon scale scarf made her heart clench painfully in her chest. She wondered what he was doing right then, in that exact moment. Was he looking for her? Stupid girl, she scolded, of course he was looking for her, he was Natsu after all.

But, maybe, just maybe he hadn't even noticed that she'd gone…

She shook her head. She shouldn't think things like that, Natsu was Natsu, he'd always care about her, even if it never went beyond friendship. That brought up another funny memory as Lucy recalled one of Mira's matchmaking schemes. She had told Lucy that Natsu had liked her. As in, like, like. Lucy hadn't gotten all worked up after that and had even dressed all fancily when he asked her to meet her somewhere.

She hadn't understood at the time why she'd been so jittery, but she understood now. It was because she loved him. It was because she loved him as more than just a friend. That's why when he had said he had wanted to see her spirit Virgo instead of the blonde celestial mage, she had felt shattered.

Not to mention angry.

Lucy sighed and rolled onto her side, her chocolate eyes numbly watching as her black haired cell mate twitched and shifted in his sleep. It was strange to think that in reality – not counting the seven year time-skip, because that still confused the poor girl – she hadn't really been in the guild for a whole year yet. Ten months, that was it.

"You wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Then come with me."

The day that changed her life forever. The day she met the infamous Salamander of Fairy Tail, Natsu. After that everything seemed so perfect, despite the danger they managed to get themselves into and despite the constant fighting of Gray and Natsu or the teasing from Happy. Lucy wished she was dreaming, she wished she would just suddenly wake up to a loud snore from her favourite dragon slayer who had, once again, snuck into her apartment and taken nest in her bed.

But yet again, at the same time, she didn't wish it was a dream. If it was a dream, then what about Carter? Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked at her new friend again. The boy had been so kind and so considerate to her, guiding her through this whole ordeal. How could she just wish he wasn't there, that he didn't exist?

Someone she wished didn't exist.

Lisanna. Guilt shot through her like a bullet. Why did she hate the white haired take-over mage so much? Lisanna had never done anything to Lucy whatsoever, so why did the blonde want her gone? Easy – jealousy. That horrible green eyed beast. Lisanna was sweet, kind and caring and Lucy couldn't be friends with her all because she was jealous of her close relationship with Natsu.

There wasn't even anything going on between the two, Lisanna had said that herself, and even shown support, for what she and many guild members called 'Team NaLu'.

"Hey, Lucy, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Are you and Natsu... you know… dating?"

"W-what?"

"You two are so cute together though!"

"Lisanna…"

"I can just imagine your little pink haired babies… eeek!"

"B-babies?"

"Just so you know, I'm team NaLu all the way! GraLu and LoLu can suck it!"

Even though she said that, Lucy couldn't help but feel that Natsu was all for, what Mira called, NaLi – Natsu's and Lisanna's names combined. She saw the way the dragon slayer gazed fondly at his long lost friend and felt a pang in her heart every time he told her that he couldn't hang out with her because he was going someplace with Lisanna.

"Don't fret, Lu-Chan! No-one can beat you sex appeal wise!"

"Levy-Chan!"

Too bad Natsu didn't care about looks – he was all for the personality, which just made him all the more amazing. Lucy felt a single tear trickle down her cheek and fall to the cracked concrete floor. She missed it all so much – her friends, the guild, her one true family.

She missed Gray and Natsu's fights, Erza's strange fetish with strawberry cake, Happy's teasing, Juvia's rivalry babble. Heck, she even missed Elfman's spouting about being a 'Man' and Gajeel's 'Singing'.

Soon, more tears were streaking down her face, leaving dark grey splashes on the floor. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and tried to muffle a sob. No use, it broke free from her lips.

"Hey…" A warm voice soothed and Lucy felt something wipe her tears from her cheeks.

"Carter…" The blonde sniffled.

Suddenly, she was pulled into a tight hug, her head resting softly in the crook of Carters neck, tears beginning to dampen his shirt. She felt his fingers softly stroking her hair and buried her face deeper in him.

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled.

"Sorry for what?" He asked.

"Sorry for being weak."

He chuckled softly and kissed her temple.

"You're not weak Lucy. You're not."

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Lucy's sobs and hiccups began to subside. Slowly, Carter released the girl from his embrace and studied her, seeing if she was ok. Then, he broke out into a Natsu grin and gave her a thumbs up.

"You look gorgeous. Just like one of those girls from Shaun of The Dead."

Lucy punched his arm and he pretended to be wounded, causing the blonde to giggle. Yeah, she missed Fairy Tail, but, at least she had Carter. He was a new member to her ever growing family and she wouldn't give up meeting him for the world. She just couldn't wait to introduce him to the guild.

That's if they rescue her.

No, that's when they rescue her, because they'll definitely come. He'll definitely come.

He always does.


Carter and Lucy jolted awake and Lucy was shocked to see that she was actually sleeping sitting up. Well half sitting up anyway. He head was against Carter's chest and he was leaning against the wall again, so, she was sleeping diagonally.

Lucy groaned and looked at Carter, whose face was alert and ears pricked and ready. His sudden movement had caused her to wake from her slumber as well and now she was deadly curious as to what had caught the boy's attention.

"Carter?" She asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

He slowly turned to face her, his eyes being the last thing to move.

"Another pair gone." He said, his voice tinged with guilt, as if it was somehow his fault. "Two boys. Ken and Jet."

Lucy gulped.

"How many teams left?"

"I don't know, can't be too many though."

The two's eyes never moved from the others. The number of contestants was dwindling down and that only meant one thing.

The main event was getting closer.


Wow, fast update, just like I promised! This was a bit sappy, I think, and a bit of a filler, but oh well! Well, we say goodbye to Jet and Ken then. It's a shame, I liked writing those two. Good news, I got Carter back into his character profile! Woop-woop! Hopefully we'll have no more disruptions now-

Caleb: Yo, where the hell am I?

BTB: Caleb! What are you doing here? This isn't even the right story for you!

Well, I'll see you guys soon, one of my new creations seems to have gotten out. Bye!

Caleb: 'Creations'? You're talking like you made me in Science or something!

BTB: Oh just shut up!