Chapter 9: Catching Up

Lucy

"Yo, Luce. Luce, wake up," Natsu's voice called me to open my eyes.

Fighting off my resistance, I obeyed and squinted them open to see him above me. What was he doing here? I thought he just left. How long was I out? Is Juvia okay?

I voiced, "Natsu? Mavis, what time is it?"

Happy replied, hovering over Natsu's shoulder, "About three-thirty, you were asleep for five hours. You feeling any better?"

Not as good as I wanna be, but I can't tell him that… "Yeah, much actually. Did you find it?"

"Nope, there was no trace of 'im," he answered.

"'Him'?" I questioned.

"Juvia woke up not too long after you passed out last. She said that it had short black hair and a male build, so we're assuming it's a male," Gray responded, though Natsu looked to be annoyed with the interruption as he was going to speak.

"Well, I guess that would make sense. It didn't look in any means feminine. I assumed we were just going to call it 'it'," I said.

The two broke glares and Natsu said closely to me, "I hope you can forgive me."

I inquired, tilting my head in the process, "For what?"

He sighed, "For returning before destroying that bastard."

I sat up, making room for him to sit next to me, and reassured, "Natsu, you're doing the best you can, right? Besides, this… Guy… Will probably stay underground or something until the sun sets. Horologium said that he ran away when the sun began to rise so maybe it can't go out into the sunlight?"

"But, Will is just fine in the sun… Right?" Erza interrupted.

"From what I know, yes. I haven't checked to make sure I am, and honestly I don't know if I want to test it out," Will replied.

"Juvia… Is she alright?" I asked, looking frantically to the bed next to mine.

"She's fine. You both have been given the cures to the poison so you both should be getting your strength back by tomorrow," Gray answered.

"That's a relief," I sighed.

Gray was sitting on Juvia's bed, turned to face me, with his arm leaning down to support himself. His hand encasing hers like he couldn't let go. It was painfully obvious how much he really cared for the bluenette. A smile spread on my face knowing that at least Gray was starting to figure out his feelings for her. They are both some of my closest friends and I want the best for them.

I looked back to Natsu and told him, "Earlier I contacted Loke, so my spirits know what happened. Horologium came in and saved me last night. That's how he knew about the sunlight stuff."

"Then I owe him a favor, don't I?" Natsu replied, looking down at the bed sheets.

"No, no you don't. I do," I answered him. He looked up to me with eyes I've never seen before. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, which scared me more than seeing him be angry or concerned. I looked at Happy standing on the bed next to me and added, "I also owe Happy a fish when I get better too, hua?"

"Really?! What for?" the exceed exclaimed excitedly at the prospect of fish.

I easily responded, "Just for sticking with me. I appreciate it."

Happy jumped up and pumped his fist, "Aw, you're welcome Luce! I'm just glad you're okay!"

His face contorted like he was going to cry and I opened my arms for him to come into my chest for a big hug. I stroked his blue fur to calm him down. This whole ordeal was very hard on him. It was obvious he cared so deeply for me to even stay away from Natsu just to stay curled up on my bed for hours while I was unconscious. I pulled him gently away and gave him a big smile. He returned one just as big.

Happy sat back down in my lap and I looked more seriously towards Natsu. Those eyes… Distant and calculating? That's not like Natsu. Serious was rare, but I've been around long enough to know that look and I expected that look. What could be on his mind that makes him look like this?

"Natsu…" I started, not knowing what more to say.

His gaze didn't break as he responded, "Sorry. Guess I'm just processing that you're actually going to be okay…"

That response wasn't what I was expecting, although I don't know what else he would have said instead. He was worried about me, just like Happy. Maybe he was more worried than he let on? There were still guildmates around, so he probably wasn't as comfortable at letting go of his emotions since everyone's in listening distance.

My hand found one of his on the bed, snapping him out of his gaze. He looked wide eyed at the contact like I'd never touched him before. I softly reassured him, "I'm fine." With that, his eyes softened a bit as if to tell me that those two words, directed only for him, put him more at ease.

"Good to see you up, Lucy," Anastazia's voice called as she and the three others entered the infirmary. "I hope Natsu didn't wake you up too roughly."

"He was gentle… For Natsu at least," Oultilissa answered her mother.

The older healer chuckled, "I figured as much."

Gray shifted in his position, twisting to address the ravenette. I looked down at Happy and pet his head with my other hand not covering Natsu's. I could feel the tension in the room growing by the second. If Happy wasn't in my lap I would have rung the sheets inside and out.

"Now comes the boring part: Repeating the same thing twenty times over," Anastazia announced.

"Why can't we contact them all at the same damn time?!" Master cried out, then sighed in resignation. "Well, any suggestions at what guild to contact first?"

Gray broke the silence that followed, "Can you keep Lamia Scale for last? I'd like to talk to Lyon alone, if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course, Gray," Anastazia nodded, then addressed Erza. "You think Crime Sorciere is going to be contactable?"

Erza responded, "I doubt it, but it's worth a try. We could get Cana to set up something. If not, then we can contact Dorenbolt of the Magic Council; he'd be able to locate Jellal and Meldy."

Anastazia answered, "Okay. To be honest, I'm surprised you don't have an easier way to contact him, Erza."

Master once again sighed, "And so the torture begins…"