It was early, at least, for Lucy it was. Most of the girls would still be asleep.

She wasn't sure what had woken her up. A noise maybe? Slowly she crawled out of bed, taking the robe draped over her vanity chair and pulling it tight around her waist.

There was a quiet knock on her door.

Her heart leapt hoping it was Natsu coming back to her. Memories of the previous night swirled around her head, intoxicating her with a feeling she hadn't known in years- hope.

She flipped the latch and pulled the door open.

"Juvia?" Lucy said, surprised. "What are you doing up so early."

"I heard a noise," she whispered quietly as she slipped through the doorway, pushing it closed behind her and locking it again. "I don't know what it was, but I got a bad feeling."

Lucy pondered the girl's words. It wasn't like Juvia to be quite so paranoid.

"I'm sure it was nothing," Lucy said with a gentle smile.

The blue haired girl sat nervously on Lucy's bed, kneading her fingers in her lap.

Lucy heard the doorknob rattle followed by the sound of a key working the lock.

A bolt a fear swept through Lucy's body. Instinctually Lucy put herself between her friend and the door.

Natsu appeared as the door swung open.

"Lucy," he said as he swept in, throwing the door shut behind him.

"Natsu," a wave of relief washed over her. A smile lit up her face.

But Natsu wasn't smiling. He looked grim, an unusually serious expression shadowing his features.

"I need to talk to you," he said in a harsh, rushed voice as he hovered by the door.

"What is it Natsu?" Lucy asked with concern. Something about his presence was unsettling. She felt a weight drop in the pit of her stomach.

"What's Juvia doing in here?" He said as if she couldn't hear him.

"We thought we heard a noise, Juvia-"

"You should go to your room, Juvia. And stay there."

"Natsu what's going on?" Lucy couldn't hide the nervous tone creeping into her voice.

"I need to tell you something," he gave Lucy a hard look then turned back to Juvia. "Go to your room, Juvia."

Now Lucy was getting angry. "Don't talk to her that way," Lucy snapped. "Tell us what's going on," she demanded.

Natsu looked over his shoulder at the door as if he was being followed.

"Shh," he said abruptly as he listened at the door. Lucy exchanged a confused glance with Juvia.

"I should just go," the girl whispered.

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard down the hall.

"Damn it," Natsu almost growled as he made a lurch toward Lucy's vanity table and dropped onto the chair. Lucy watched as his expression morphed into a look of cool disinterest, the stress in his eyes vanishing. He leaned back deeply into the chair, relaxed, as if everything were right with the world.

"Natsu-" Lucy began but was cut off by the door swinging wide open.

"You!" Ivan growled at Lucy as his large frame appeared in the door, Gajeel following closely behind him.

The girls both jumped. Lucy pushed Juvia to her feet behind her and they both took a step back, trying to put distance between themselves and Ivan.

Ivan barreled towards Lucy, grabbing her by the arm.

"Gajeel here told me about your little escapade last night," he sneered at her as he gave her a shake. Lucy put her hands up defensively. She grabbed Ivan's hand, unsuccessfully trying to pull him off of her.

"Gajeel," Lucy heard Juvia say in shock. "How could you?"

The large man laughed, his dark features catching in the shadows.

"It's what I'm paid for," he shot back mirthfully.

"Let me go!" Lucy demanded, trying to sound braver than she felt.

"If you think you're going to just run off anytime you want, you've got another thing coming," Ivan sneered. "I told you what would happen if you ever disobeyed me." He raised a hand to strike her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Natsu's voice rang out from the other side of the room.

Ivan turned, for the first time noticing Natsu's presence.

"Wouldn't want to damage the merchandise," Natsu continued coolly.

A smile of pure rage and hated worked its way over Ivan's mouth. "I'm glad you're here, Mr. Dragneel. I was hoping you'd get to watch the fate your girl here was going to meet because of you."

Natsu looked Ivan over with a cold stare. Lucy stood motionless, Ivan's fingers still digging into her arm.

Natsu was here, she reminded herself. Everything was going to be okay.

"Kind of a waste, don't you think?"

"What are you talking about?" Ivan shot back at him.

Natsu pulled a folded paper out of his pocket, opened it slowly, and tossed it onto the bed near Ivan.

"It would make more sense to sell her."

The coldness in Natsu's voice and expression made him look suddenly like a stranger. Had Lucy's heard him right? Had he really just said that?

Ivan looked down at the paper. Lucy began to feel herself getting light headed.

"I know what you're doing," Natsu continued. "And I want in."

Ivan's eyes snapped back to the calloused man that Lucy was having trouble recognizing. Her head began to spin.

"So you figured it out," Ivan scoffed, "Did you really think I would bring you in and give you a cut, just like that?"

"I know what you're doing with Tartaros," Natsu said as he pulled a small lockbox from his other pocket and set it on the vanity.

Ivan's grip tightened and Lucy cried out in pain.

"Lucy!" Juvia cried.

"Stay out of this Juvia," Gajeel growled at the girl.

"As I said before Ivan," Natsu leaned back, casually resting an ankle on his knee. "I'm a simple man. I see a business opportunity here, and I won't let it pass me by."

"What about your little friend here?"

Natsu shrugged emotionlessly. "I've had my fun. And she was the one who first told me about your business. She can't be trusted. One way or another, she has to go. Why not make a buck in the process?"

"Natsu!" Lucy called his name in disbelief.

It was all a lie, she realized then. He'd been using her the whole time so he could get in with Ivan. Natsu was never planning to rescue her.

Lucy watched as Ivan considered his words. He looked back at Lucy and gave her an evaluated stare.

"You don't have any girls ready to move," Natsu stated. "But Tartaros is getting antsy. They want to make the first shipment, but you hesitated. Am I right, Ivan?"

Ivan glared back at the smug man sitting across the room.

"Tell them you have a shipment ready, a small group just to test out the process- work out any of the kinks. Mard Geer will be satisfied, and you'll secure your position with them." He looked at Ivan, a sly smile drawn across his face. "I told you I would help you negotiate with Tartaros."

Slowly Ivan began to nod, a wicked smile creeping over his face.

"Gajeel," he said over his shoulder. "Take Juvia to her room, and make sure she doesn't leave. Get Cana, too. If Lucy here wants her and her friends to leave, I'll grant her wish." He pulled Lucy in close, his stale breath invading her senses. "You'll wish you'd never left. This place will seem like heaven compared to where you're going."

Gajeel nodded and moved past Ivan to grab Juvia.

"No!" Lucy cried, tears splashing down her face, her resolve cracking.

"Gajeel what are you doing!?" Juvia cried as he grabbed her roughly, dragging her towards the door as she fought against him.

"Let her go!" Lucy pleaded.

"It's your own fault, Juvia" Gajeel snarled. "You shouldn't have gotten involved."

"She didn't do anything!"

"It doesn't matter," Ivan said coldly. Gajeel grabbed the flailing girl and all but carried her from the room.

"Natsu," Lucy said desperately, "Why are you doing this?" Tears poured down her cheeks now. She was trembling under Ivan's grip.

"Sorry Luce," he said casually, "It's just business."

Ivan threw Lucy onto the bed. The two men strolled out the door. She could hear the upper padlock turn as Ivan locked the door behind him.

Lucy curled into a ball on the bed, letting her tears fall in dark spots on the silk duvet. She was devastated. It had all been a lie.