Hi! :)

I can't believe it! 92 reviews! I am almost to triple figures, and I have never, ever had that many reviews before! I am so happy, you are all amazing~!

I am almost at the end of this story, and the closer I get to saying goodbye, the harder this is getting to write, but I still hope you like the chapters! I am trying my best to wrap up all ends and give you people an ending you will like :)

Now, I haven't got much else to say tonight, so I just hope you like the update! I want to see if it's good enough to get me too 100 reviews!

Enjoy! :3

Chapter Twenty Eight-

Answers sometimes come as methodically as the sun

I watched as Rogue was hit with burning white flames, crackling with golden lightning, throwing him across the clearing with great speed. A cry of pain passing his lips as he flew before the torturous scream ended as he collided with a tree. Slowly, he had skidded down the bark and ended in a heap on the floor, releasing a grunt as his face met dirt.

Timidly, my limbs still trembling slightly from the rush of adrenaline from fighting Rogue away, I had gulped before looking over to the two men who had just rendered the black haired Dragon Slayer unconscious.

"You were all fired up."

Natsu had spoken to Sting, who was catching his breath, quickly doubled over and rested his hands on his slightly bent legs. Wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead, he looks to me and nods reassuringly as if to say, 'you're safe now', before he had straightened up and begun to walk over to where Rogue was laying unmoving on the floor.

Flicking my eyes quickly so I was looking at Natsu through the dark night, I saw he still stood with his arm outstretched. His palm closed slowly before his whole body gradually became looser, causing his arm to fall to his side. Like Sting, he was also sweating and with the little light the stars granted, I could see the evidence of his fight visible on his skin. There was a grin on his face, even though the cuts and bruises which adorned his skin must have been very painful. As he looked over to me, his onyx eyes caught the star light brilliantly causing his iris' too look as if they were shining. I felt a warmth grow within my chest, my own smile forming on my lips at the realisation that Natsu was still smiling, and he was looking at me.

He's smiling at me.

"Lucy..."

He breathed. He had started walking towards me, with every step he took I felt the butterflies wings flap harder, leaving my stomach tied in knots.

"Nats-"

I had taken a step forward but stumbled, finding myself now light headed as well as light hearted, my legs were to weak to hold myself any longer. An 'Uuu' sound passed my lips, completing the pink haired mans name as I fell forward, my vision turning dark. I had expected to hit the floor with a painful thud, but as I felt my world topple a pair of strong arms grabbed me, cradling me into the nothing which was unconsciousness.

Shaking my head, I am suddenly aware of the rowdiness of the guild around me, that I am sitting at my usual place at the bar. Clanking glasses, people deep in conversation, laughing, the sounds of a beginning of a fight. I am no longer in the clearing far away from Magnolia, I had simply been day dreaming; my mind wandering, again.

Ever since I had woken up, Natsu has been missing. Not even the other guild members, Happy included, have seen him. That was a few days ago. At least my keys were on my bed side table when I roused, unharmed and all safe.

I can't help but feel worried about Natsu, as well as a pain in my chest. I had declared how I felt about him while protecting him from Rogue, finally admitted I love him. Maybe not to his face, but so he knew. Has he left again because of me and what I said? Is it still my fault?

Sighing heavily, I place down the blue covered book I have been reading for the past few days now and rub my eyes with the back of my hand. Being so short and already quite a way through, the task should have been completed fairly quickly, however, I have been distracted from the words on the pages. Ever since I woke up in the guild infirmary I have been trying to piece together the events that followed the fight Natsu and Sting had fought against Rogue. Hoping an answer to why Natsu had gone away again is somewhere in these distorted fragments.

So far, I have found nothing.

Quietly, I laugh to myself bitterly, shaking my head as I do while still rubbing my eyes, my desperate search for answers being put on hold by a realisation. Happy was wrong, maybe my sex appeal works after all. Natsu and the White Dragon Slayer had arrived to save me from the Shadow Dragon Slayers sex obsessed clutches, his obsessions over me.

Halting my hand and lowering it to the bar again, I open my eyes. I sigh slightly agitated, giving up on trying to read my book and instead begin to continue racking my brains, still trying to remember what happened after I had passed out. I remember rousing a few times before I had woken up in Fairy Tail.

I remember smelling Natsu, his burnt match and pine smell filling my nostrils. I had been on his back, my arms draped over his shoulders and my face buried into the crook of his neck. I remember the way Rogue was limp, begin dragged along by Sting, who's clothes were ripped. Every sudden move he made causing Rogue's doll like body to respond with a rolling head or flapping arm. I remember the hazy glow of stars, the green tree's. Natsu's voice.

Frustrated, I scrunch up my face, desperately trying to remember anything to indicate why Natsu's gone again. Still after a few minutes of thinking, nothing comes to me. I groan loudly, now even more annoyed than I have been since I had woken up. I can't find an answer to why Natsu isn't here, I can't remember anything to tell me why! I can't bloody remember because I am fucking stup-

"Lucy, are you okay?"

A soft voice reaches me, pulling my from my thoughts. I open my eyes suddenly to be met with bright, sky blue ones. Mira is staring at me, her face covered in worry lines.

"Yeah, Mira. Sorry." I sigh, running my hands through the loose strands of my fringe before placing my head in my hands. My elbows leaning against the bar. "I just didn't slept well..."

"It'll be okay you know, Natsu just needs space sometimes. He always has."

"I know that Mira, it's just..."

My words falter as I groan once again. I can feel tears threatening to fall, and my heart strings tug in my chest. I hated this feeling before the incident involving Rogue, but now, now it's so much worse. Natsu had left without giving me an answer to my feelings and now I feel dejected. More so than before.

"Just?"

Swallowing the growing lump in my throat, I answer the Take-Over Mage quietly, not looking up at her. Instead, finding the kinks in the bar top and the grain lines suddenly very interesting.

"I told him how I feel. I told him that I... I lo- love him, but I got no answer. And now he is missing."

"He is such an idiot sometimes." I hear Mira say more to herself than to me, her voice irritated. I can sense her aura darkening, so I simply nod in agreement, not wanting to be subject to Mira's wrath. Feeling concerned that if he turns up any time soon, Natsu will be.

Flexing my fingers to stroke my hair slightly to calm me, I pull a face. After a moment, the barmaid places a drink in front of me before she continues to speak. "Natsu has always been dense, Lucy. In fact, I don't think in all my years of knowing him, I had ever seen him think of any woman as more than just Nakama. Well, until he bought you to the guild."

Shocked at her words, I look up at Mirajane, letting my mouth hang agape slightly. Her words cause my stomach to twist and hands to grow sweaty. Dropping my arms so they are resting against the bar, I respond in a high pitched squeak.

"Eh?"

She smiles a small, warm smile, placing her hand over mine.

"Natsu may not want to admit it to himself- or anyone for that matter- but I know him. Lisanna knows him, we all know him. And we all know that he feels for a certain Celestial Mage as more than just family. And we all know that scares him. Who knows, maybe he's away working his way around loving someone and not worrying they'll leave him and once that's worked out he'll surprise you?"

A call from the other end of the bar steals Mira's attention, her hand leaving mine as she smiles one last time before leaving to take a drink order. Taking the glass from in front of me, I sip the liquid expecting to wince at the strong taste. Non comes, Mira had placed water in front of me. Placing the glass back down, I breath in deeply before allowing a small smile to come onto my face. For the first time in what feels like forever, I let my worries slip away, replaced with Mira's words instead.

We all know that he feels for a certain Celestial Mage as more than just family.