*Chapter Twenty-Five: Visitation
(December 8th, 2017, Friday Afternoon)
Natsu lost count of how long he spent in front of Happy's cage. His shirt draped over the wires since Natsu wasn't allowed to open the door. He had been scolded twice by Levy when he tried reaching in, but he couldn't blame her... too much.
He couldn't deny he felt some resentment towards his friend, but deep down he knew it wasn't her fault. Levy was following orders, just like Natsu was supposed to. That didn't make him feel any better every time he was told to stop trying to pet his cat. He was the one who found Happy when he was still a kitten. What right did anyone else have to say he couldn't even touch Happy?
"Hey buddy," Natsu said for the umptienth time, wanting to soothe his feline friend. "It's gonna be okay."
Natsu had to hand it to him. Happy was pulling it together better than he was. He brushed his body against the walls of his cage while he purred, relishing in Natsu's attention. He poked his nose at the wires, but didn't try to fight against them. Natsu wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't what he saw. Happy didn't look miserable, just a little cramped in the cage.
"Do I need to bring some food?" Natsu asked, seeing the paper bowl of cat food in the corner of Happy's cage. Next to it sat a real bowl, full of water.
Levy shook her head, though Natsu didn't see it since his eyes remained on his companion. "No, we have some here for them. I made sure Happy received the fish one."
Natsu looked at the other cages in the classroom, each containing another pet from Fairy Tail. Wendy was visiting with Carla while Sting was mumbling to Lector and Frosch. Natsu turned to Happy again, giving his cat a smile, even if the sight of Happy locked up hurt his heart. "I'll bring you home real soon, okay?"
Happy let out a soft meow before he proceeded to lick his back. Natsu sighed, wishing he could take Happy with him. It wasn't fair Happy was suffering just because people were scared. Happy wasn't infected. Natsu was sure of it. Still, he refrained from doing anything stupid like bust the cage open, even if every fiber of his being demanded he do so. He had done enough damage for one day, and anymore would surely result in him getting exiled from the base.
Fairy Tail meant safety, and that alone kept Natsu from doing anything else he would come to regret.
While Natsu couldn't say he regretted assaulting that guard, he did realize it was wrong to do so. It wasn't because the guy didn't deserve it, because he absolutely did, but it wasn't Natsu's place to dish out the punishment. Once Natsu heard of what the guard did, he should have went to Makarov to report it. He didn't, instead acting in anger without thinking twice.
If Cobra hadn't been there... Natsu didn't know what he would've done, but he wouldn't have stopped without force.
'I need to get control over myself,' he thought, leaning closer to the cage. He wanted to pet Happy badly, to assure him everything would be okay, but couldn't. Not only could Happy not understand what he said, he wasn't allowed to open the stupid cage. 'He looks like he's being held hostage.'
Despite Natsu wanting to spend more time with Happy, he had to get going. He needed to go see Lucy before the night was over, that way he could deliver the stuff he had for her before it was too late.
Natsu gave Happy a small wave, reluctantly standing before grabbing his bag of things. Levy assured him she would put his shirt in Happy's cage when he was gone, and he believed her.
Without stealing another glance at anyone else in the room, Natsu left, heading towards the annex to see Lucy. He wanted to make sure she was okay before that privilege was taken away.
It was only a matter of time before Makarov found out what Natsu did to the guard. He didn't know if or how their leader would punish him, but he had a feeling the visitation would be the first to go.
Natsu took a deep breath before entering the annex. He followed the path from before, finding the room they were keeping Lucy in easily. A different guard was outside of her room. Natsu recognized him as someone who was usually manning the gate. His name was Orga, and he was as big as he was terrifying. Natsu had no doubts the guy could handle himself with his fists alone, but sitting in the guy's holster was a handgun. Natsu already knew it was loaded.
Natsu had to push down his anger when he remembered Orga knew about Lucy's scars. That asshole of a guard listed Orga as one of the people he told, but Natsu didn't want to bring it up. He had no idea how Orga took it, and honestly, Natsu didn't want to think about it. He especially didn't want Lucy to know her secret was out. That was, if she didn't already know.
Natsu cleared his throat, alerting Orga from a distance so he didn't spook him. The guard looked up, eyes narrowing at Natsu. "What's up?" he asked, hand sliding to rest over his gun.
Natsu swallowed, his stomach churning as his eyes flitted over the firearm. He didn't want to cause any problems, so he remained still while saying, "I'm just here to visit Lucy."
Furrowing his brows, Orga stood before peeking into the window. After a few seconds, he knocked on it before stepping aside. "Don't bother trying to open the door. It's locked."
Natsu bit his tongue, holding back the urge to say, 'Yeah, I can clearly fucking see that.' He clenched his fist around the handle of his bag before slowly loosening his grip, reminding himself it wasn't worth his time. He just wanted to see Lucy, then he could go.
Though, the thought of leaving made his heart drop. Once he left, he didn't know when he would be coming back. He didn't want to sleep in his room alone, missing his two roommates. Natsu hadn't slept a night without Happy near him in ages, and he had grown used to Lucy being around over the past two months. The thought of going to sleep with them locked up made him more unsettled, but he had no say over their confinement.
"I brought some stuff for her," Natsu mumbled, lifting the bag. "Can she have them now?" He wanted to make sure the items actually made it to her. He waited, staring the guard down until he sighed.
"Yeah. Drop the bag on the ground and stand over there," Orga pointed down the hall, "so there's no funny business."
Natsu reluctantly did as he was told, placing the bag by the door before walking away. He gritted his teeth when he saw the guy looking through the bag, pulling out Natsu's hoodie, phone, charger, and unraveling the blanket to check to make sure there wasn't anything in it. Natsu wasn't stupid enough to try to sneak something in, knowing there was a possibility that someone would check.
When Orga deemed his stuff acceptable, he looked into the window before warning, "Stay back. Get in the corner 'til I'm done."
Natsu's nails dug into his palms to keep himself from firing off at the guy. He didn't have to talk to Lucy like she was a criminal, but he knew if he said something, it would only make things worse.
Natsu watched as Orga unlocked the two locks on the door before opening it just wide enough to shove the bag of stuff in. He didn't bother being gentle, too busy trying to get it over with as quickly as possible before locking the door again.
When the guard was done, he stepped to the side, bringing his chair with him. "You got ten minutes. Make it count."
Natsu's eyes widened before he hurried to the door. He didn't know if the guy was going to enforce that ridiculous time limit, but he couldn't take any chances. Peering inside, he saw Lucy huddled in the corner, her head tucked into her knees. Natsu frowned, knocking on the door to get her attention. "Hey, Lucy."
Unlike before, she didn't bolt up to come see him. Slowly, Lucy glanced his way before uncurling her body. She stood, hands wrapped around her stomach as she walked over to him.
Natsu sighed in relief when he saw no signs of infection on her. As long as nothing changed, she would be released Sunday morning, but that seemed forever away. He still had no idea when he was getting Happy back. Instead of thinking about that, he gave Lucy a forced smile, needing to use his time wisely.
"I brought you some stuff. I think it'll help." Natsu cursed himself when he realized he forgot to bring her a book. She could have used that, but at least she would have his phone to keep her entertained. Being stuck in a room all day and night was going to be tough, so anything he could do to lessen the stress would be helpful.
Natsu's shoulders fell when something dawned on him. He had been too busy thinking about how his roommates being locked up would affect him, that he didn't think as much about how they were going to deal with it. Memories of Lucy screaming herself to sleep invaded his head. His throat tightened, wondering if he could bring her some melatonin to help her sleep at night.
"I forgot your melatonin," he said, waiting until she got closer to the window to ensure she heard him. "I can try to bring 'em back before bed."
Lucy met his gaze before shaking her head, her voice raspy as she said, "N-no. I w-won't take... them."
Natsu's brows pinched together as he wondered two things. When was the last time Lucy had something to drink, and why was she refusing to take her pills? The second question was easy to answer without her help. He figured she didn't want to be more vulnerable than she already was. When she took those tablets, she slept better than without. He hoped nothing bad would happen to Lucy when she slept, but if it did, she would wake up quicker if she hadn't taken anything.
'No one's going to hurt her. Makarov promised. No one'll touch her. She's safe as long as she's in there.' That brought him the smallest amount of comfort, but it was better than nothing.
"When's the last time she had water?" Natsu asked, looking over his shoulder at the guard.
Orga sighed, sounding like he would rather be anywhere else. "'Bout an hour ago? Yukino came up to give her a restroom break and brought her dinner."
Natsu's chest lightened a bit at the mention of Yukino. He trusted she would have taken care of Lucy. She was kindhearted, and that was what Lucy needed right now. "When's she gonna get another bathroom break?"
"I don't know," Orga said, letting out a grunt as he leaned back in his chair. "Yukino said she's gonna come back before she goes to sleep, so your guess is as good as mine."
Seeing as he wasn't going to get a better answer out of the guard, Natsu turned back to Lucy. She was pulling out the hoodie, giving it a quizzical gaze before shrugging it on. Natsu almost chuckled when the hoodie swallowed her, the sleeves too long for her hands. She had to roll them up at the end while the hem went down to her upper thighs.
'At least her shorts are longer than the ones she wore when I found her.' He didn't want her looking like she was nude under the hoodie. She had been violated too much, and he didn't want to see that happening again.
"How are you feeling?" Natsu asked, catching her attention.
She blinked at him, her eyes dull as she shook her head. He sighed when she gave no other response. He could see her progress slipping away, the isolation doing more harm than good. He didn't want her to revert back to the timid, shaking woman she was when he found her. She had come so far in just two months, and he didn't want her to lose that.
"Lucy," he started, unsure what he needed to say to get through to her. "Please, just, don't withdraw on me. Please?"
Lucy averted her eyes, her lower lip caught between her teeth. He feared she would cry, so he tapped on the door to break whatever thoughts were running through her head. "Hey! Lucy, look at me."
She did for a second, but then her gaze was off to his side. He didn't bother asking if she was afraid to make eye contact with him. He didn't want to know the answer. "Lucy, trust me. You're gonna get through this."
Lucy's arms wrapped around herself again, but she didn't say or do anything else. He ground his teeth, needing her to understand he wasn't going to let her go backwards. They had tried too hard to get her better. That progress wasn't going to get wiped away.
"Lucy, you're gonna get out of there in a few days. I know it sucks. Trust me, I'm fucking pissed about it too."
He saw her flinch at the bite in his voice, but instead of cowering away, she finally met his gaze. Natsu paused, losing his train of thought for a moment while he looked at the depth of her brown eyes. He swore he could see the raw emotions flashing through them, but he couldn't pick any out no matter how hard he tried.
"You're strong," he said, a small smile surfacing on his face. "I know you can get through this."
Just as she started turning away, Natsu knocked on the door once, his brows pinching together as he raised his voice. "I mean it. I saw you out there this morning. You're strong Lucy. Hell, I knew you were strong even before that. No one—"
Natsu looked behind him, seeing Orga eyeing him. Frowning, Natsu turned back to Lucy, trying to keep his words cryptic so only she understood. "What you went through, no one else I know woulda been able to do that and live through it. You're brave, Lucy. You just gotta believe in yourself."
Her lower lip trembled when her teeth released it, her arms tightening around herself. She started shaking her head, only to stop when she covered her eyes with a hand. When her shoulders started moving, he knew she was crying. His stomach dropped, realizing he was the one making things worse. He was trying to help, but trying to give Lucy motivation had been a bad choice.
At least, that was what he thought. He was proven wrong when Lucy pulled her hand away, revealing her watery eyes. She swallowed, voice scratching as she whispered, "O... o-okay."
Natsu's eyes widened, unsure if he heard her correctly. "What?"
She cleared her throat, taking half a step closer. "I-I said... okay."
It was still quiet, but he made it out. His chest tightened with anxiety, but part of him felt a little better. He didn't know if she would keep her progress, but at least she understood what he said. That was enough to give him hope. "I really do mean it, Lucy. You're one of the strongest people I know."
He had never met someone who had been taken, beaten, and ra—
Natsu gulped, not wanting to think about the ways Lucy had been wronged. She didn't deserve that to happen to her, and he needed her to know it didn't define her. "I know you're gonna get better. Just keep your chin up, okay? You already got through the first day. You got this."
When she didn't say anything back, he added, "I believe in you. You should believe in yourself too."
Lucy's lips pressed into a tight line as she kept his gaze. Her shoulders and chest moved as she took a deep breath, followed by another before she nodded.
Despite the shitty situation, Natsu gave her a broken smile, feeling a spark of confidence for her. 'She can do this.' It wasn't ideal, but if she was as strong as he thought she was, she would pull through.
"It won't be long," he murmured, unsure if she could hear him. Natsu closed his eyes, resting his forehead on the glass as he worked to keep himself calm. Everyone's emotions were high today, but he hoped tomorrow things would get easier. If everything worked out well, by the time Lucy was released, the whole thing would've blown over.
"Just..." He opened his eyes, wishing he was better with words. "Just stay calm, okay?"
She nodded, but didn't offer anything else. Considering she wasn't pulling away, he decided it was good enough. Lucy was hearing him, and that meant there was hope she wouldn't regress back to the woman she was two months ago.
"Time's up," Orga said, causing Natsu's eyes to widen.
He didn't think ten minutes had passed, but he hadn't timed it to make sure. Sighing, Natsu looked at Lucy once more before saying, "I'll try to see you tomorrow too. Dunno what time, but if I can't, just remember what I said."
Natsu wished he could do more for her, but he had to leave. He gave her a soft wave before whispering goodbye, turning as Lucy looked away. He said nothing to Orga, instead walking down the hall towards the annex's exit.
He had to keep hope alive for both of their sake. If she could keep it together, the time would pass quicker. He wasn't so sure he would be able to keep himself together, but he would try his hardest, for Lucy and Happy.
On his way into the main building, he saw people walking in the opposite direction, all carrying their dishes. He figured it was dinner time, but he could wait. He needed to talk to someone first.
Natsu gave a short wave to Mavis as he entered the office, his body tense as he made his way to Makarov's office. He had no idea if their leader would be there, but he figured it was a good place to start looking.
He knocked twice, voice strained when he said, "Gramps, it's me, Natsu."
A few seconds of silence followed, making Natsu wonder if he had just spoken to an empty room. However, that wasn't the case. He heard the door unlock before it opened, revealing the short man who held the most power at Fairy Tail. "Come in," he mumbled, turning to head back to his desk.
Natsu closed the door behind him, not wanting anyone to overhear them. Privacy seemed to be a privilege that not all could afford, namely Lucy when it came to the marks on her body. Natsu intended on addressing that issue, but he had another matter that needed handled.
"I'm sure you've heard by now," Natsu started, plopping down in the chair opposite Makarov's.
The leader sighed, shifting through the notebooks on his desk. The computer the ex-principal used to have was no longer up, a sign that Makarov was losing faith that things would go back to normal soon. "I have. Cobra informed me."
Natsu stayed quiet, allowing Makarov to gather his thoughts before running a hand over his face. "Natsu, I like you. You're a good kid—"
"I'm twenty," he said, cutting Makarov off.
Letting out a snort, Makarov said, "You'll always be a kid to me." He paused, his tone growing serious as he slumped in his chair. "Look, you can't keep doing this. I'm not saying you have an anger issue, but if you don't do something to correct this behavior, you very well might get one."
Natsu crossed his arms over his chest, refusing to meet Makarov's gaze. He didn't think he had any problems with anger. He only had problems with people acting like idiots. If he didn't put them in their place, who would?
"You can't go around solving everything with your fists," Makarov stressed, trying to get it through Natsu's head. "It's not healthy, and I can't keep covering for you."
Natsu's eyes flitted to Makarov, skepticism laced in his voice as he asked, "You covered for me?"
Makarov nodded. "Ryan complained about you. He said you assaulted him."
Natsu's lips curled back as he growled. "Did that dick tell you what he did to Lucy?!"
"There's no reason to yell at me," Makarov said calmly, waiting until Natsu stopped seething before saying, "And no, he didn't tell me, but I was made aware by Yukino about an hour ago."
Makarov sighed, shaking his head. "If I had known earlier, I would've done something about it."
"You know now," Natsu pointed out, leaning back in his chair, putting as much distance between him and Makarov as he could. "What's gonna happen?"
"Well," Makarov started, giving Natsu a stern glare. "I'm not going to banish him if that's what you're thinking."
Natsu would be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind. He didn't feel safe having guys like that in a position of power. He could only imagine how terrified Lucy had been. He hadn't mentioned it to Lucy when he saw her, unsure how she would react. Given he only had ten minutes to talk to her, it wouldn't have been wise to bring it up. If she started crying, there was nothing he could have done to calm her down, then he would have felt worse about her being locked up.
"If I punished him like that, I'd have to do something to you too for assaulting him."
Natsu narrowed his eyes as he huffed. "I barely touched him."
"That's not what I heard." Makarov shook his head, letting that subject rest. "Anyways, that's not the point. The three men who were with Lucy this morning are no longer guards effective immediately."
Natsu jolted, not expecting Makarov to strip them of their position. "Really?"
Nodding, Makarov said, "I'm going to have them join the runners until I can find somewhere more suitable for them. I think that's a fair punishment for what they did. From what I understand, they didn't touch or assault Lucy, so demoting them is what I can get away with."
Natsu didn't like that they were basically getting away with it, but he had to admit, it was a lot better than letting those assholes continue being guards. "Fine. I guess that works." He didn't bother keeping the bitterness out of his voice. It wasn't like being sweet was going to get him anywhere, and he was still frustrated with everything going on.
"Now, about what's been said around Fairy Tail about Lucy."
Natsu made the mistake of flinching, causing Makarov to sigh. "I'm guessing you're aware of Lucy's scars?"
He looked aside, keeping his head low as he nodded. He had come to talk about the mess Ryan made, but he worried it might make things worse. "Yeah. I've seen some of 'em."
Honestly, he didn't want to see them all. It only reminded him that Lucy was abused, but he didn't like thinking about that. He doubted Lucy liked thinking about it either, but she had to live with her scars, unable to cast them away.
"I've heard the rumors floating around, and before firing Ryan I got him to confess to what he saw." Makarov swallowed, shaking his head. "It sounds horrific. He says they're all over her body."
Natsu's stomach sank, but before sadness could set in, his anger quickly rose. "What's your point?" he asked, growing defensive. "That's no one's business but Lucy's. The asshole had no right to tell people!"
"Lower your voice," Makarov warned, needing a deep breath before he said, "And I know. I told him to stop telling people, but I fear the damage is already done."
'No fucking shit.' Natsu bit his tongue, letting Makarov continue.
"I know it's Lucy's business, but I can't ignore what I heard." He paused, studying Natsu's face. "Do you know how she got those scars and burns?"
Bile rose in Natsu's throat when he remembered when Lucy told him she had been captured and beaten. He didn't know the specifics, but he knew people hurt her. He didn't want to imagine the unspeakable things done to her.
"Natsu?"
"Yes," he breathed out, his chest constricting, as if a weight was resting on him.
"Will you tell me what happened?"
Natsu shook his head, knowing he couldn't. Lucy trusted him with her secrets, and he didn't want to ruin that. If he did, he doubted she would be willing to trust another person, which was what he wanted. He wanted her to open up, to be social with other people. How could she do that if she was terrified of everyone's motives? He had to show her there was goodness in the world, that it wasn't too late for her to get better.
He needed her to see there was a reason to get better.
"No, I won't." He wanted to though. Natsu needed to get it off his chest. He didn't like keeping secrets in general, but part of him knew not getting outside help was hurting Lucy more. It wasn't good for him either. He couldn't handle it all. He couldn't be the only one trying to make her better. He didn't have the training or the resources needed to help her on his own.
'Having her talk about it would probably help... I think. I just don't know how to get her to open up. I can't... I can't do this by myself. I'm only one person. I need to help, but I can't betray her trust either... I can't get her the help she needs unless she wants it too.'
"Do you think you can convince her to tell me?" Makarov asked, cutting through Natsu's thoughts.
He looked down at his lap, his brows pinching together. "Honestly, I don't think so." He took a deep breath, trying to release his frustration. "She barely even told me, and I didn't get a lot of details. I... I think she might tell Grandeeney, since she's a doctor."
Sighing, Natsu carded his fingers through his hair, unable to look up at Makarov. "I've actually been trying to warm her up to the idea for a while. Been trying to get Lucy used to her. I dunno if it's working." Natsu swallowed past the lump forming in his throat, anxiety weighing him down as he whispered, "I... I don't know what the hell I'm doing half the time. I'm... I... I need help."
Natsu's shoulders fell as he sucked in a shaky breath. While it felt good admitting he needed help, he also felt vulnerable, like he was exposing his weaknesses.
Makarov's voice was soft, trying to soothe Natsu. "Let us help you, and help her." It sounded too good to be true to Natsu. He didn't think Lucy would allow others to know about her past. She hadn't even told Natsu the whole story, just small fragments that painted enough of a picture to understand what she went through.
"We're not here to judge her," Makarov whispered. "If she made those scars herse—"
"She didn't!" Natsu snapped, clenching his teeth afterwards. "Sorry," he muttered, not wanting to get scolded again for his outbursts. He hadn't meant to let that information slip, but he couldn't stand the thought of people thinking she harmed herself when she didn't.
"I see." Makarov paused, allowing Natsu to settle back in his seat before he sighed. "Well, we might be able to help Lucy if we know what's going on. Is there any way you could get her to open up?"
Natsu snorted, but it lacked any humor. "If I knew how, don't ya think I'd done that by now?" He closed his eyes, breathing through his nose while his lips pressed into a tight line. He thought about all the times he tried getting her to open up. Sometimes it worked, others it ended in disaster. "She starts crying if I push her too hard." He worried about her mental well-being. He didn't want to hurt her, physically or emotionally.
It would be so much easier if she just told him what was going on, that way he knew what he could and couldn't say around her. Sometimes he had to walk on eggshells just to have a conversation with her, unsure what might trigger her. He didn't blame her for how she was, but he wished she would work harder to improve.
Though, if he was in the same position she was, he didn't know how long it would take him to recover either. He had never been sexually or physically abused. Anytime someone put their hands on him, he put up a fight, often earning him detention. He had never been through what Lucy went through, so he couldn't compare his hypothetical recover to what was happening to her in real life.
The only thing he had somewhat in common with her was verbal abuse, but once again, it wasn't the same. His few bad instances with foster parents didn't compare to what happened to Lucy, so he gave up trying to compare. She hadn't said she was verbally abused, but if people were willing to capture her, beat her, and violate her, he had no doubts they said some hurtful things to her as well.
Makarov's voice pulled him away from his thoughts, but Natsu was grateful for the interruption. "Is there anything about her you can tell me?"
Natsu narrowed his eyes at Makarov, his tone cautious. "Can you promise whatever I say will stay between the two of us?"
When Makarov nodded, Natsu sighed. "I... I met her before, once." Natsu decided he could tell Makarov about the first time he met Lucy at the gas station. He described her state of being then, telling him he wasn't so sure she was all there before the outbreak started.
"I never got to see her arms or legs, so maybe she had those scars before? I have no fucking idea. I barely remember that anyways. It was months ago, just a random encounter." He never thought he was going to see her again, so he let it fade from his memory.
Natsu went on to explain how he found Lucy in the basement, keeping out the part where she attacked him. It wouldn't do Lucy any good if Makarov thought she was a threat. "I asked about her group... About her parents. Her dad's dead, and I think her mom's either dead or a zombie. It's hard for her to talk about her parents..."
Natsu's brows furrowed as he thought about the pink haired woman, the one who called Lucy 'Princess'. "I have no clue what happened to the lady that was with her, but Lucy refuses to talk about her, so I stopped trying."
Natsu didn't reveal what happened to Lucy before she escaped. If Lucy wanted Makarov to know, she could tell him herself. Skipping ahead, Natsu said, "She's been getting better. I can see it, but I'm worried her being locked up is gonna undo all that progress she's made. I really don't want that happening."
"I can see why you'd want to prevent that," Makarov said, his tone guarded. "What do you suggest?"
Natsu shook his head, wishing he knew a solution that would make everyone happy. "I don't know. I'd like you to let her go, but I know that's not gonna happen."
He didn't need confirmation, but Makarov gave it anyway. "It's not."
Ignoring that, Natsu went on. "I just, I don't know what she needs, honestly. I dunno if talking about it'll help, or if she'd be better off forgetting it ever happened." He didn't know how to get Lucy got forget, but he would be willing to bet she would if she could.
"Did she go through some trauma?" Makarov asked, causing Natsu to hold his tongue again.
'That's putting it lightly,' he thought, releasing a long exhale before nodding. "Yeah, she did."
"Well, I don't know Lucy on a personal level, so I can't begin to guess what she needs either." Makarov grew quiet, as if pondering his next words. "If we knew what it was that's troubling her, we might be able to figure out what she needs."
Natsu didn't like how uncertain Makarov sounded. It didn't make him more motivated to spill Lucy's secrets. If he was going to tell anyone without Lucy's permission, it was going to be Grandeeney. He had only met her when the outbreak started, but she proved her trustworthiness. Not only that, he could tell she had a kind heart and would be careful when dealing with Lucy. He wanted Lucy to tell Grandeeney herself, but if Natsu couldn't take it anymore, Grandeeney would be the first person he went to for help.
"I dunno... There's no guarantee you'd be able to help even if she did tell."
"No, there's no guarantee," Makarov whispered, choosing his words carefully. "But I think it'd be better for her, and you, if we knew. You can't shoulder all this on your own."
Natsu looked to the side, his hands curling into fists on his lap. "It... hasn't been easy." His heart pounded as his throat tightened, but he knew he wasn't able to help Lucy by himself. He had tried, and he had failed. He needed others, but he needed Lucy okay with the idea before he bombarded her with 'solutions'. Even he wasn't that insensitive.
"Then let's try to help each other," Makarov suggested, hope coloring his tone. "It's obvious something bad happened to Lucy, and I don't like the idea of leaving her alone to deal with that. And like I said before, I like you Natsu. You weren't the easiest student to deal with," he joked, earning a huff from Natsu. "But I know you. You're a good kid and I don't want you dealing with that responsibility by yourself."
Natsu sucked in a deep breath, wishing it were that simple. If he could just get Lucy to agree, then maybe things would be smoother for the both of them. He slowly loosened his fists, but the rest of his body remained tense. "I'm not saying yes, but... I'll try to talk to her about it."
Makarov nodded, accepting that answer. "If it makes you feel better, none of us truly know what we're doing." He paused, offering a sad smile. "We're just trying to make the best out of a bad situation. We need to stand with each other now more than ever, otherwise we'll surely fall."
When Natsu didn't respond, Makarov added, "If you can get Lucy to open up, I promise you, we'll do whatever we can to help her."
"What if you can't though," Natsu whispered, revealing one of his fears. What if everything he did to try to get Lucy better was for nothing? What if there was nothing he could do to help her? He liked to believe she wasn't going to stay like that forever, but sometimes he thought that was just wishful thinking.
"But what if we can," Makarov said, determined to get Natsu to agree. "If we don't know what's wrong, we can't do anything."
"I know one thing you can do," Natsu muttered without thinking. He looked over at Makarov, seeing his interest was piqued. "You can get the people on base to stop gossiping about Lucy. It's none of their business what she has on her body. I don't want her feeling worse than she already does, so can you do something to put an end to it?"
Makarov took a deep breath before nodding. "I will do what I can to stop it from spreading."
Natsu held his stare for a moment before standing, deciding he said all he needed to say. However, as he turned, he realized there was one more thing eating away at him. Looking over his shoulder, Natsu asked, "Am I still gonna be allowed to visit Happy and Lucy while they're locked up?"
Makarov nodded. "As long as it's not during work hours and not too early or too late, I don't see a problem with it. I'll let Laxus know to tell the other guards not to give you any trouble. Just remember the rules and you'll be fine."
The tightness in Natsu's chest loosened a fraction, giving him a small sense of relief. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Without another word, Natsu left, trying to sort through his muddled thoughts and feelings. He didn't know if Lucy would agree to tell her story, but he was going to give it an honest shot.
He just hoped he wasn't making things worse. It seemed like lately he only made the wrong decisions, and that was chipping away at him, piece by piece.
.
.
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We're coming to a turning point in the story. I hope you can feel it. :) Let me know what you thought of this chapter. Natsu's realizing Happy doesn't need as much support from him. His cat is fine for the most part chilling in his cage. He has his Aunt Levy there to take care of him. Lucy's the one who needs more support, and Natsu realizes he may not be enough to help her. He wants to help, but he knows he's not qualified for it. That doesn't mean he's going to give up on her. He just needs her to let others help her too. So, anyone wondering how next chapter is going to go? This is the part I was a bit iffy on since I had two ways it could go, and I hope I chose the right path. We'll see next chapter if it goes well with the story. Out of the two options, I think it's going to be better over all, but we'll see. :)
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Up next, Chapter Twenty-Six: Evidence