Hey!

So, today I spent the whole day in art. That's lessons one to six, plus till 3.30 after school doing art. If you minus break and lunch time, that's five and a half hours of painting... I have paint on my forehead and elbows... Oh well, I met the deadline. To anyone else ho had art deadlines today, I hope you got everything in :P

Thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate them and the idea's of where the story is going! I don't want to give anything away though, so *zips lips* :)

This chapter is told from Natsu's point of view this time, just so you know

Well, enjoy! :)

Chapter Seven-

Never to touch and never to keep

"Hey, Lisanna!"

I walk up to the bar, leaning in a free space opposite my white haired, childhood friend who is helping her sister clean glasses. I smile at her, as I usually do. I seem to startle Lisanna, as she jumps slightly, making me laugh. Looking up at me, she smiles back.

"Hey, Natsu. Can I get you a drink?"

"Hmm." I hum, pondering the question. I hadn't really visited the guild today for a casual drink. I didn't even come to go on a mission. "No thanks, I'm good."

"Okay." She smiles, continuing the dry the glass she has in her hands. Tapping my hands against the bar top, I sit down before spinning around on the stool. Leaning my elbows on the bar behind me, I look out onto the guild. Everything looks as it usually does. Gajeel is sitting next to Levy, trying to inch ever closer. Wakaba and Macao are sitting at a table, glasses in hand and arguing over something or other, as they usually do. Cana and Gildarts are at another table, most likely in the middle of a drinking contest, laughing together as father and daughter do.

The only difference today than any other day, is that me and Gray are not fighting, yet.

You ice bastard, next time I'll beat you and prove I am stronger!

Sour memories of last times fight fill my mind, and I shake my head to remove them.

Sighing, I glance at the clock on the far wall. There's another difference, I comment to myself. You're late today. Pouting, I look forward, searching the guild once more, looking for familiar blond hair and brown eyes. Every few days Lucy visits the guild. As usual, the same day and time every week; like a little routine, but today, she is late. It is the only time I can actually talk to her. No, allow myself to talk to her. It is stupid really, but it is all I can think of doing, and in honesty? It hurts worse than Erza's arse kickings.

I mean, how would I even act around her? What would I do, or say? What am I meant to do? I guess what scares me most is, what if I do something wrong? Frowning at these thoughts, and the feeling of blood in my cheeks at the thought of my blond friend, I almost miss Lisanna talking to me. "-I was surprised she had gone on- ... Natsu, you listening?"

"Huh?"

Shaking my head, I turn to stare at her a bit blankly. She is no longer drying the glass she had been when I sat down at the bar, instead she is leaning against the bar staring at me. She pouts at my expression.

"You weren't listening."

"I was!"

"Okay, what was I saying then?" To my lack of a response and scratching of the back of my head, she sighs, before beginning he sentence again. Guiltily, I turn fully in my stool to listen to her. "What I was saying was, I was surprised when Lucy came into the guild yesterday looking like her old self. I was even more surprised she took on a mission."

I am rather shocked for a minute, trying to digest what Lisanna has just told me. Yesterday? Lucy isn't usually in the guild on wednesdays, and a mission?

"Who did she go with?"

"No one, it was a solo."

"What?! What mission?"

I demand, standing up and almost knocking my stool over. From the corner of my eye, I see a few people look in our direction.

"Urm..." Lisanna fiddles with a cloth. From the look on her face, my reaction to her news was taken worse than she thought I would take it. Looking down she speaks again after a moment. "The one in Fressia Town and detaining the three mages."

I stare at my childhood friend for a moment, unblinking and almost in shock. I knew the mission Lucy had taken, because I had tried to convince Gray and Erza to accompany me on that mission a while ago, but Gray had refused, protesting it was unfair to leave Lucy out of the mission. 'She's part of our team, Natsu. Yet you don't ask her on missions any more or refuse to go on ones she is on. So no. I wont.' Erza, agreed with his conclusion, but before she could question me, I dropped the conversation and went off to pick a fight with Gajeel.

It had been to track down three mages responsible for assaulting women, women like Lucy.

I suddenly feel worried for my friend, she hadn't been on a mission in a while, and as much as I hate to admit it, I was happy for it. In fact, it is pretty fair to say I was rather jealous that the last mission I had heard she went on had been with Gray. But at least she had someone with her then who could protect her, she's all alone now. All alone tracking down three powerful mages who would undoubtedly hurt her, if not worse.

"When did she leave?"

I ask, staring hard at Lisanna.

"Yesterday morning. Bu-... Natsu? Natsu?!"

Not listening to the end of Lisanna's sentence, I turn and head towards the guild doors with the intention of heading to Fressia Town in search of Lucy. I can feel a disconcerting feeling in the pit of my stomach and my heart beat speeding up, causing me to take larger strides.

As I reach the large, wooden guild doors however, ready to push them open and head towards the train station- the thought of the carriages rumbling already bringing about my motion sickness- I am beat too it. From outside the guild, someone has opened the doors.

At the sight of her, I feel my fast beating heart stop in my chest and I stop dead in my tracks. There in front of me stands non other than the woman I had moments before decided to go in search of.

Lucy.

Her hair is in two ponytails, face framed by two strands of her blond locks. Eyes their warm, chocolaty brown. When they flick in my direction, I feel a flutter in my stomach. This feeling intensifies as, at the sight of me, she smiles. I smile back, glad to see she is safe and my worry melts away. Stepping forward, I am about to wrap my arms around her small frame, until I notice all of the bruises and cuts which cover her skin. She has a bandage wrapped around her right, upper forearm. A cut lip, and scratches across her legs. There are deep black-blue bruises around her wrists, and a thin purple one across her neck. The sight of these injuries make me feel sick, and my smile falls.

I'm sorry. I hear the voice in the back of my head whisper. I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop them hurting you, Lucy.

Looking down, I bite my lip and simply walk past Lucy instead of hugging her as I had intended to. I don't stop walking until I am outside the guild, and the doors have shut behind me. A guilty feeling taking over, and I can feel warm streams down my face. I am crying.

Reaching the nearest tree, I punch it, breathing heavily. Why can't I just face that I, I... I feel whatever I do for her? If I had already, she wouldn't have been hurt like she had been. She wouldn't have been alone. Leaning into the bark, I close my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lucy."