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WARNING: Rated M for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, and Mental Instability. Please read at your own discretion.

I do not own Fairy Tail; All major characters depicted in this fan-created fiction story belong to Hiro Mashima.

CHAPTER 10

Lucy let Yukino help her into the steaming confines of the shower in the small infirmary bathroom. The blonde had anticipated that she was going to be in pain as soon as her feet hit the ground, but she hadn't expected the excruciating way her body felt like it being ripped from the inside out as she shakily pushed her legs down until her feet hit the cold floor.

The celestial key holder's legs wobbled under her own unaccustomed weight when she tried to stand by herself causing her to stumble a bit. Lucy watched as the silver-haired mage almost had a heart attack from watching the blonde's leg buckle out from under her while she let out a sharp gasp.

Lucy had been able to catch herself in time with her uninjured arm on the mattress before she fell to the floor. After that small incident, The Fairy Tail mage had reluctantly let Yukino help her wobble into the bathroom.

Lucy blushed when the silver-haired woman pulled the blood-stained pale pink top over her blonde head, taking special care to watch her shoulder as the fabric slipped over her then fell to the floor. Lucy looked down to the ground where the shirt pooled beside her feet, she felt guilty for ruining such a cute top that surely belonged to the Sabertooth celestial mage.

Lucy averted her gaze when she felt Yukino's hands tug at the waistband of her borrowed pajama shorts. She had tried to pull the shorts off by herself but had found it extremely difficult with one hand and not to mention that every time she attempted to bend even a little bit her abdominal muscles would scream in protest from the forced strain.

The stained garment fell to the floor to join the top as the short-haired celestial mage stood back up to turn and check the water temperature before deeming it ready for the Blonde. She helped Lucy safely into the shower before shutting the curtains to give the Fairy Tail mage privacy.

Lucy hissed when the warm water splashed over her abused body. Her scorched flesh simmered back to life as the water tumbled onto her sensitive skin. The blonde grit her teeth while she let the water continue its assault on her wary and worn body, enjoying the delightful torture as the water washed away the reminisce of her struggle just days ago.

"Are you okay, Lucy? Do you need my help to wash your body?" Lucy looked over at the silhouette of the other celestial mage through the shower curtain. Lucy hasn't actually thought that far ahead and she felt embarrassed as she nodded her head before realizing that she actually needed to voice her answer.

"I don't want to be a bother, I know I have been taking up so much of not only yours but everyone else's time." Lucy bit her lip as she looked back down at her scarred and dirty body. She didn't want to feel so helpless and weak, but the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to bend to clean over half of her body.

"..But.. I would really appreciate the help. I'm so sorry, Yukino. I don't want to be a burden to you." Lucy felt tears slip past her eyes while she watched the curtain pull open before she was staring into furious brown eyes. Lucy was startled by the fire burning in the silver hair girl's chocolate orbs.

"Lucy Heartfilia, you are NOT a burden! Helping you is the least I can do to repay you for the kindness you showed me when I needed it when I was kicked out of sabertooth at the Grand Magic Games. I watched you give all your strength and power in not only your battles but during the Eclipse Gate fiasco. So don't you dare feel guilty for needing help, you can't carry your sorrow and pain by yourself and you don't have to, at least not anymore!" Lucy's eyes widened as she watched Yukino throw her hands around while she spoke from her heart.

The blonde couldn't help but sigh when she felt an imaginary weight lift off her shoulders. She felt her body move on its own as she reached out of the shower to hug the raging silverette awkwardly around her shoulder with her one arm, almost falling over in the process. Yukino kept Lucy steady as she wrapped her arms around the crying blonde.

"I promise, no one here at sabertooth thinks that you are a burden, Lucy, so please stop thinking those sorts of awful things." Yukino moved to unraveled herself from the blonde's embrace as she grabbed the bath sponge she had brought from her room before she stepped into the shower not caring in the slightest how her wet clothes clung to her body in the process.

"Rogue, are we both staying with Miss Fairy tonight?" Said dragon slayer turned to look down at the ground where Frosch was retracting his little wings just as his little pink covered paws hit the floor. The ebony haired male quickly scooped the little exceed up from the floor and turned to continue the walk back in the direction of their room.

"I thought you were staying in the infirmary with Yukino and the fairy, Frosch. Why are you here?" Rogue looked at his little friend while he made his way back up the staircase. It was now pitch dark outside creating shadows in the usually well light staircase. Rogue used the shadows to carry them faster to their room.

"Fro was!... But Miss Fairy and Yuki were in the bathroom together for a long time, so Fro came to see Rogue!" Rogue thought of both Fro and Sting's words before they left the infirmary. The silver-haired woman must be helping the Fairy Tail mage shower.

Rogue blushed as his nose started to bleed profusely while he tried desperately to force the thought of the two women in the shower together out of his mind. Rogue materialized right before opening their bedroom door.

Rogue didn't have any idea what had come over him the past couple of days, but he did know that he had started to act strangely the night he had come across the beaten fairy. The woman had a way of intriguing and annoying him all at the same time, and she didn't even know it.

"Yes Frosch, I do believe we will be staying in the infirmary tonight, are you okay with that?" Rogue set the little green exceed on their bed while he moved to take off his usual day clothes, he undid his sash and let his half kimono and pants fall to the floor before removing the heavy armor adorning his body. After he kicked his boots and worn clothes to the side, Rogue opted for a gray long sleeve shirt and a pair of red plaid pajama pants. He might as well at least make himself comfortable if he was going to be watching the sleeping fairy all night.

"Yes! Fro is okay with that! Fro likes Miss Fairy!" Rogue turned back to the bed with a small smile as he watched the tiny green cat jump up and down on the bed excited about the informal sleepover. Sometimes the ebony haired male wished he could be as carefree as his friends, but he knew that just wasn't possible. He had to keep his defenses up at all times unless he wanted his magic to consume him. It would be so easy for it to overtake him if he wasn't careful.

"That's good, Frosch. I believe she likes you as well, and I know she needs friends right now." Rogue pat Frosch's head while he sat down on the end of their bed. The crimson eyed male was worn from the hectic day, but he wasn't exactly tired.

"Rogue can be Miss Fairy's friend too." Rogue turned to look at the innocent exceed. He knew that Frosch didn't know anything about what was going on with the blonde woman occupying the infirmary, and he didn't know how to tell him that the possibility of them being 'friends' was highly unlikely. The fairy only agreed to let him in the room with her because they wouldn't be alone and because she didn't think she was going to be able to fall asleep anyways.

"Frosch, I'm going to keep my distance from her. It's complicated, but trust me I would be her friend if this was under different circumstances." Rogue didn't miss the confused expression that crossed over Frosch's face as his eyebrows knit together. Of course, he didn't understand. Rogue sighed, he really didn't know how else to explain it.

"Miss Fairy doesn't like Rogue?" A frown pulled at Frosch's mouth as he became disappointed.

"It's not her fault, it's mine, please don't worry about it, Frosch. Just be a great friend to her for the both of us." Rogue put the small feline in his lap while he rubbed the little exceeds head through the pink frog costume. The shadow slayer could tell Frosch still wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he answered with a small "Hai", before curling into a ball on Rogue's lap. It didn't take long before the shadow mage heard soft snores coming from the little ball curled and nestled close to his stomach.

Rogue laid his head back on the mattress, being careful not to wake the sleeping cat. It was going to be a really long night and even though he knew that fact, the slayer still didn't even care enough to even try and take a nap before returning to the infirmary. Crimson eyes stared up at the ceiling pondering ways to make the process of removing the shadows from the woman simpler, when a thought struck him.

Her bright and beautiful chocolate eyes had changed to a deep crimson red when she first woke from her sleep earlier. Did that mean that future Rogue's dark shadow magic was succeeding in taking her over? Rogue pondered the thought more as he brought his hand to his head. If he wasn't able to remove most of the tainted shadows soon, did that mean she would be lost forever?

Rogue grunted as he threw both of his arms onto the mattress beside his head before letting out a frustrated growl. The shadow dragon slayer really hated his future self, in the crazed man's careless act of revenge, he had successfully pulled the present Rogue into a paradox where now he was forced to fix his future self's mistake. How odd was that? Usually, it's the future's self that would have to worry about the mistakes they made in the past coming back to bite them in the ass, but no. Here he was, trying to fix the shit storm that his future self had somehow left behind.

Rogue carefully removed Frosh from his lap while he pushed himself to stand on his feet. He wasn't going to get anywhere just lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. Rogue flung the door open before he used the shadows to carry himself back down the stairs, it had been almost an hour since he had left the infirmary. Surely they would be done by now?

Maybe the blonde would let Rogue try to force some of the shadows out of her while she was still awake. If she ends up having another episode like earlier, he wouldn't be able to even attempt to try again. Plus they didn't even know if he absolutely had to try while she was sleeping, it was just a hypothesis after all.

Rogue reemerged a few feet away from the infirmary door, he glared at it for a minute as if his sight alone would make the door swing open. What if they weren't done yet? What if she just sends him away, what would he do then? He didn't really have anything else to do, and he was sure that Sting was probably passed out by now. He could always go back to his room and just wait, but he was just so BORED. Rogue sighed as he brought his hand up to the door before tapping his knuckles against the hardwood, then he waited.

Lucy felt shivers run down her spine when the cool air kissed her wet skin. Yukino had jumped out of the shower a few minutes before Lucy so she could change the sheets on the infirmary bed for her while she rinsed the suds of soap from her body. Lucy stood in the bathroom with a towel covering her body as she waited for Yukino to bring her clothes to wear.

"Okay Lucy, you can come here!" Lucy frowned as she walked out of the bathroom. As soon as the cool air of the infirmary hit her wet skin she shivered while regretting leaving the steamy confines of the bathroom. The blonde carefully and awkwardly walked over to the bed while she tried to cover herself further to rid herself of the freezing cold. Yukino sat on the edge of the bed with a small bedside table full of medicines and salves close to her before she motioned for Lucy to come closer.

"Alright, take off the towel. I have to remove these old bandages to put on new ones." Lucy stared at the determined silver head girl, the Fairy Tail mage shook her head before she complied and removed the towel to set it in on the bed. Lucy felt the air hit her newly exposed body as another shiver racked her freezing body. Lucy moved to stand in front of the other celestial mage as she moved to put on gloves before prodding at the blonde's slightly damp body with antiseptic medicines.

Lucy closed her eyes while she bit her bottom lip when she felt the silverette slowly remove the bandages. The tape had thankfully loosed from the steamy shower, making them easier to remove without hurting Lucy too much. The fairy pushed her good arm up to her chest, trying to get a better view of the stitch job adorning her taut abdomen.

The angry red flesh puckered as it pushed on each of the sewn sides while the skin around it had bubbled from the electrocution. Lucy frowned down at her body, there was no way Wendy would be able to heal it enough to where there wouldn't be scar damage.

Lucy felt Yukino's hands as they gently rubbed the medicine on various parts of her body, making her even more aware of exactly where every burn and cut had made a home on her once clear porcelain skin. The blonde looked back at the bathroom, she could see the small mirror that hung low on the wall above the sink, she hadn't even got to get a good look at herself yet. She already knew her face must have been a complete mess not only from the beating she had endured but from all her crying which had to have left her eyes red and swollen.

What a weak pathetic girl she must look like right now, Just like after her second match at the grand magic games, but one hundred times worse.

Lucy jumped as she heard soft tapping reverberate through the infirmary as someone knocked on the wood of the entry door. She watched as Yukino stood while taking off the gloves indicating that she was done covering up Lucy's wounds once more before she picked up Lucy's discarded towel from the bed and gently wrapped it around the blonde's body and tucking one side underneath the other. Once Yukino was sure Lucy's towel and her own were secure, the Fairy Tail mage watched as the short-haired woman made her way to the door before opening it just a bit to see who was knocking on the door.

Lucy tried to move to where she could see who was standing on the other side of the door, but was having a hard time looking over the other celestial mage's shoulder from a distance. Lucy tried to bend the top portion of her body a little further to see around Yukino but gasped as she leaned just a little too far and started to lose her footing before she started to fall.

Lucy heard the door slam against the wall as time slowed while she waited for her body to impact on the infirmary floor, but the excruciating pain she was expecting never came. Instead, the blonde felt her body being pulled by her uninjured arm until she was falling the opposite way causing her body to collide with another firm, yet soft surface. Lucy felt her body steady before she opened her eyes to stare into a gray cotton-covered chest.

Brown orbs looked to the side causing her gazes to lock onto the shocked expression of Yukino who still stood by the wide open door. If the silver-haired mage was still by the door, then that meant that Lucy was caught by the person who was knocking on the door, and given the stature of the body the blonde was half pressed against, she could tell it was a male.

Lucy Looked down at the ground as she tried to step back from the male that had stopped her descent to the ground, she knew it would be the proper thing to do to thank him, but she couldn't bring herself to look up and meet the eyes of her savior, let alone talk.

The blonde covered her chest when she suddenly remembered her state of undress. The silver-haired celestial mage must have sensed her distress as she moved closer to Lucy before turning her so that she was facing her instead of the male that Lucy had just been pressed against.

"Lucy, are you okay? Your stitches didn't pop, did they?" Lucy blushed when she realized Yukino was just as undressed as she was while she was hugged against Yukino's large towel covered chest. Lucy felt the man walk past her, causing the air to shift while he moved through the room at an alarming speed. The blonde could feel a pull from deep within her body causing the dark hidden magic within her to purr.

"Wait, Rogue! I have a favor to ask before you leave, please wait outside for a second while I get Lucy in bed!" Lucy felt ice as cold as the magic Gray wielded run up the length of her spine. Yukino's words pierced her ears causing the words bounced around in her head before she turned to watch the retreating figure. The fairy observed the door slowly close right before she was able to stare at the shadow dragon slayer.

Lucy whipped her head back around to stare at a frantic Yukino as she pulled Lucy's towel over to check and make sure her abdomen hadn't started to bleed. Once Yukino was sure that nothing was wrong, the blonde watched the other celestial maiden's brown eyes take in Lucy's startled form.

"Was.. Did he.. Did he save me.. again?" Lucy felt herself choke as she struggled to get the words out. She was in a madhouse of emotions, part of her was completely terrified that he had touched her while she was half naked, and the other part of her wanted to thank him for saving her from what she was sure was going to cause her even more physical pain than she was already in. The blonde felt like she was going to be sick, she didn't know how to feel, so she didn't, she just opted to stare into Yukino's concerned eyes.

"He acted as soon as he heard you gasp. I didn't know what was going on, but Rogue has a sixth sense on top of his already heightened senses, so he must have known you were going to fall." Yukino tried to explain to her.

"Give me one second okay? I've got to ask Rogue something real fast." The blonde woman only nodded as she carefully sat on the bed while she felt nausea overtake her causing her to gently fall back before covering her eyes with her good arm. Why was she always getting into odd situations? She shouldn't have been so nosey in the first place.

Rogue waited by the door making sure to keep a well enough distance away from it just in case the fairy was the one to open it, he didn't want to scare her any more than he already has. He heard feet pad across the floor before the door cracked open a bit revealing silver hair and brown eyes.

Rogue sighed as he moved a little closer to the door so he could talk to Yukino. He was an idiot to think the blonde would answer the door, especially when the silverette was with her. The ebony haired male watched as the door opened wider giving way to expose some of Yukino's body to his confused gaze. Why was she also wearing a towel?

"Why are you here so early, Lucy hasn't fallen asleep yet, oh, but I have a favor to ask!" Rogue watched the curious silver hair mage lift an eyebrow before he turned a little to keep his eyes trained on nothing in particular down the hallway so he wouldn't get accused of ogling her womanly assets.

"I was bored. What's the favor?" Rogue listened as Yukino was about to say something but cut her off when a small gasp met his acute hearing. Rogue turned quickly, peering through the small opening in the door behind Yukino to watch the blonde fairy clad in only a towel about to fall face first to the ground.

Rogue moved past the flabbergasted short-haired woman, making the door slam into the wall as he used the small shadows littering the room to give him a boost just in time to catch the blonde by the arm while he stopped behind her causing the girl to spin around right into his chest. Rogue let out a small sigh when her scent covered him with her sweet yet dark aroma.

Rogue felt his shadows strain against his magical barrier, begging to be released so they could merge with the darker magic hidden deep within the celestial mage's body. The slayer moved back when he felt the woman freeze in place before she moved her head to the side.

He could practically feel the anxiety rolling off her. She was conflicted and it was entirely his fault once again. He had said he wasn't going to get close to her again unless it was for him to try to remove his magic from her, yet here he was- so close he could feel the shadows deep within her pulsing to be set free.

Rogue stood still while he waited for the blonde to catch her balance, he expected her to push away from him as soon as she registered that she had bumped into him, but that didn't seem to be the case with her body still partially pressed into his.

The slayer blanched as he tried to decide if he should move away first or wait for her to move. He could feel his magic push harder on his boundaries before the fairy finally took a step back. Rogue inwardly sighed a breath of relief when the desperate shadows calmed ever so slightly when she moved away from him. It was still annoying, but at least he didn't feel like he was about to lose complete control of his magic.

He needed to get out of that damn room right now, obviously, he wasn't going to be able to get anywhere with her while she was awake especially not after that little accident. He was almost positive that was going to be a major drawback from the progress that they had made just a couple of short hours ago.

Crimson eyes watched the woman cover herself before letting her head down for her hair to cover her eyes. Rogue used that chance to sweep past her.

Before he could even make it out of the room Yukino asked him if he could wait outside. Rogue wanted to just get out of the infirmary, maybe if he was at least a little further from the room he would be able to think clearly and the tugging he felt toward the blonde would calm.

Rogue shut the door behind him after making sure to give Yukino a small nod and the blonde one last glance. Once he was alone in the hallway, Rogue took the chance to catch his breath, for some reason he had been so extremely concerned when the fairy was about to crash to the floor. After all, he didn't want her any more hurt than she already was, but this wasn't a just genuine concern.

The dragon slayer felt like his chest was going to explode when he saw the poor women wobble and try to catch herself from the inevitable fall to the ground. Rogue hadn't even cared she was only in a towel and that she was still scared of him.

No, his only concern was to stop her descent to the hard floor below her.

Almost as if his instincts had driven him into that room.

Rogue ran a hand through his unsecured fringed before he let out a small chuckle. His life was just getting more and more frustrating by the minute and he hated it. The ebony haired male had never felt such a strong bond with anyone, not even Frosch or Sting. The bond he held with the fairy was making him feel like a completely different person.

He didn't even know her, and yet his magic has claimed her as its own, not even recognizing the fact that she was indeed a different host making it hard for the slayer to keep his shadows contained when she was near him, especially when she was terrified, it seemed to cause his magic to activate through her.

How was he supposed to live knowing that this celestial mage had a part of him inside her that may possibly be able to control his magic just as he does?

Rogue dropped his thoughts when he heard the click of the door opening up to reveal Yukino who was now wearing a baggy dark blue t-shirt and short pink pajama shorts. Rogue could tell the silver-haired mage was tired just by looking at her give him a small smile. She shut the door softly behind her before she came to stand in front him. Rogue pushed himself off the wall as he waited for Yukino to speak.

"Thanks for catching Lucy. She is a little shook up, but she didn't even know you were the one that had caught her until I said something to you when you were leaving. I think she wants to tell you thank you, but she's scared. Anyway, could you please go to my room and get some clothes for Lucy to wear. I know this is weird, but I kind of ended up having to wear the clothes I brought for her earlier." Rogue sweat dropped while he listened to Yukino ramble on.

How was he supposed to know what women are supposed to wear? And wouldn't that mean he would have to dig through Yukino's drawers or closet? If Sting found out he would be so pissed off.

Actually, now that he thought about it, it would just be another way to irritate his blonde partner. The ebony haired slayer smirked a little to his self, not noticing the way Yukino cringed away from his creepy smile.

"You know what? Maybe I should just go get them myself." The silver-haired woman scrutinized the shadow dragon slayer. Rogue dropped his smirk at the tone of her voice, did she really think he was being a pervert?

Because he could assure her right now that he had no interest in digging through her intimate wear. He just liked the idea of messing with Sting.

"I will, but I honestly have no idea what to get for her to wear. I don't know the first thing about women. What if I get something that's too small for her and she hits me again with my own damn magic. I don't think I should be the one picking out clothes for her." Rogue visibly cringed when he thought of the hit he received earlier.

He didn't want the blonde to have any other reasons to hate him, and Rogue had heard from various other members of the guild, including Sting, as to how girls were sensitive about their clothing. Maybe messing with Sting would have to wait so Rogue wouldn't get himself into any deeper shit with the fairy than he already was.

"Okay, I guess you are right. I just don't really want her to be alone while it's dark..." Rogue listened as Yukino's voice trailed off while silence settled between them.

"I could stay with her." The ebony haired male mentally kicked himself when he let the words spill from his usual tight lips. He couldn't understand why he'd volunteer to watch the blonde while Yukino went to get clothes, surely Lucy wouldn't have it.

Why did he say that even though he literally just ran straight from the room not five minutes ago!? Rogue watched Yukino's brown eyes go wide while she thought over his words.

Shit.

Was Yukino truly even considering this?

There was no way Lucy would let him be alone with her. The slayer let the tension release from his rigid form when the thought processed.

Yes, he had nothing to worry about. The celestial spirit mage would never let him in the room alone with her, so that meant that Rogue's offer was nothing but that. Just an offer.

He didn't have to make good on it.

"Okay, let me go ask Lucy real fast then." Rogue sweatdropped when he watched Yukino move back to the door. No way was she really going to ask the blonde if she would be okay with that.

Was she dumb? Lucy was not going to tolerate it.

Rogue's crimson eyes followed the silver-haired woman as she slipped back through the doorway, leaving the door cracked open just enough for the shadow mage to peek through and see the fairy lying on the bed covered with blankets.

The ebony haired male leaned back on the wall while he waited for Yukino to come back and tell him the inevitable answer- that she said no

In fact, the slayer was so sure of the blonde's answer that he didn't even see the point in listening in on the women's conversation.

"Okay Rogue, You can come in." Rogue practically fell to the ground when Yukino yelled from the other side of the door.

What…

The..

Hell..?

It was in that moment that the dragon slayer realized that both the celestial mages must have gone insane.

The two brown eyed women had undoubtedly lost their minds. After all, that was the only logical explanation as to why the two would even consider letting the slayer be alone with the now timid blonde.

Rogue regained his composure before taking a tentative step through the doorway. His ruby irises scanned the expanse of the room, making sure he wasn't about to get hit by something for even suggesting he should stay with the hurt fairy.

When the shadow wizard finally realized this was not a joke, he looked over to the bed to see both an amused Yukino and apprehensive blonde. The fairy clenched the blankets up closer to her face as she let her head drop for her hair to cover her bangs, much like she did when he left the room ten minutes ago.

"Okay then, I'll be back in fifteen to twenty minutes. Be nice to each other." And with that Yukino walked past the shocked shadow dragon slayer and out the door before he could even protest.

Rogue cursed himself silently.

Why did he have to put himself in this situation, usually it was his loud mouth of a partner that ended up volunteering the dark-haired slayer for things he didn't want to do. Even though the awkwardness between the two ex-rivaling guild members was practically palpable, the crimson-eyed shadow mage couldn't do much about it except sit down in the vacant chair beside the bed where the injured fairy sat covered in a mountain of blankets and sheets.

Rogue had to reign in his magic the longer he sat by the woman in the deafening uncomfortable silence. Through small sideways glances, the ebony haired male could tell that the blonde was trying to make herself seem as small as possible compared to the pile of linens that covered her body.

Though no matter how many blankets she threw over her battered body, Rogue was painfully aware of the fact that she was there, and the pulling of the foreign magic from within her was not going to go away.

The slayers magic sizzled while it pulsed beneath the confines of his skin, he could feel the power swimming in his veins as he tried to ignore her potent scent that coated every inch of the infirmary. It was all almost too much for Rogue, he could only wonder if his magic had the same effect on her as it did him.

Could she feel the pulling that was created by the two mages sitting so close to one another? Was the dark magic riling up within her body as well? Or was he the only one that had to deal with the annoying aftermath of his shadow magic's frustrations.

Can she even feel the bond we've been forced into?

"Thank you for everything." The shadow dragon slayer whipped his head around to stare at the mountainous pile of blankets when the small voice carried throughout the room.

Why was she thanking me?

If anything she should be screaming at him to get out. He had caused all this to happen to her and he didn't care if she didn't believe it was his direct fault. On top of that he had touched her even though he knew she was scared of not only males in general, but him more than any male in particular.

Though, who could blame her? She had been used and literally abused, it was only natural for her to question the opposite gender, and even though he knew that- he just couldn't bring himself to refrain from catching her as she was falling.

"I didn't do anything that would deserve your thanks." In some sort of emotionless and apathetic way, Rogue knew he was also trying to atone for the pain his future self had caused her. After all, if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been put in the position to be attacked. Rogue had no doubt that the blonde would have been at her guild with Natsu and the rest of her team; not trying to recover from the trauma that his future self had caused.

If what the lion spirit had told Sting was correct, then Rogue really did feel to blame for everything that had transpired against the blonde celestial mage. He had indirectly ruined her life and the thought made his chest ache in the oddest of ways.

"You saved my life, and then you kept me from falling. I don't care what you say about it, the fact remains if you hadn't have found me I would have died, the end." The ebony haired slayer felt his ruby eyes widen when the blonde peeked her head up over the covers to look over at him. Her face was still littered with bruises and cuts but her eyes were not nearly as puffy and watery as the last couple of times he had seen her.

Her hair had a golden hue to it, causing Rogue to remember just how radiant it was at the Grand Magic Games. This was the woman he remembered seeing at the grand magic games fighting for Fairy Tail, this was the mage he remembered seeing at Natsu's side the first day Sabertooth had arrived in Crocus and Sting wanted to boast a little.

They had been standing by a fountain when Natsu had busted through the crowd with this blonde celestial mage hot on his heels.

Rogue felt his shadows twist around his body as he remembered the woman's face vividly. Seeing her so worn and broken made his magic flare as it tried to pull harder to merge with the shadows deep within the blonde on the bed. The ebony haired slayer gazed into the maiden's wide chocolate eyes in alarm when Rogue felt his magic surge a bit before he could calm it once again.

"Why do I feel like I am being pulled towards you?" Ruby irises stared as the celestial mage put a hand to her covered chest while she gasped for air while black wisps of shadows formed over her own skin. Her damp hair whipped around her shoulders and face while Rogue watched her lose control of the dark magic.

He felt his own shadow magic retaliate as he fought desperately to reign in his shadows before they could erupt from his body as well. The dragon slayer moved to stand, he didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he knew if he didn't attempt something the shadows would likely try and consume her.

Rogue watched the panicking blonde as her pleading eyes landed on his approaching form. The conflicted slayer stopped short when he was right at the end of the bed, so close to the blonde that he could see the blood-red eyes that stared back into his own. Rogue gasped as the woman cried out to him.

"What's happening to me? I've never felt this type of magic before." Rogue reached a hand out to the blonde but stopped when she flinched away from his touch.

That was right, she had always been asleep when the magic would take over her body and mind, and she had never been awake before from what he could recall so this was all completely new to her.

"Let me try and help you... Lucy." Rogue let her name roll off of his tongue as he tested it out for himself for the first time. He didn't feel like he deserved to say her name, not after everything she had been through at his expense, but right now, he didn't know how else to calm her.

Lucy nodded slightly letting Rogue know that it was okay for him to move closer. The ebony haired male sat on the edge of the bed feeling his magic swirl around his own body while both his and her dark shadows mingled with one another for the first time.

The shadow mage felt tiny pinpricks on his body as he grabbed the blondes head with both his hands. He stared into her terrified crimson gaze while he stroked the skin under her right eye with his thumb. Something about the way his shadows intertwined with hers made him feel elated as he looked into her red gaze with his own. The celestial mage visibly relaxed as Rogue's presences seemed to calm the raging foreign magic bit by bit.

Rogue focused all of his energy into the blonde as he tried to form a ball of the dark shadows within her, trying to force it into submission while he worked his own magic into her little by little to coat the tainted shadows with his own. If he wasn't able to remove the shadows yet, maybe he could force them into obeying him with his own magic.

The ebony haired mage assumed his idea had worked by the way both of their shadows had died down to where Lucy had her eyes half closed while still gazing into his own contempt gaze.

Had he actually succeeded in calming the woman down?

Maybe there was hope for Lucy to be saved from the tainted shadows after all. All he had to do was change the malice magic into the same shadow magic that he could control, though it would seem he definitely would need to be close to her. After all, he was the one that could draw out the tainted shadows within her.

The shadow dragon slayer watched as the now calm celestial mage closed her eyes, only to reopen them again to reveal her chocolate gaze once again. Rogue stared into her gaze for a moment before he registered the sound of the door open while a soft 'thump' reverberated throughout the room as something hit the floor.

"I leave for twenty minutes and come back to you two all over each other? Lucy cover yourself up!" Rogue moved his hands away from Lucy's face while noticing just how close his own face had actually come to hers.

Alarmed by the proximity, the shadow mage jumped away from the bed just as the short-haired celestial mage swatted him on the back of the head with a bag full of what he could only assume was clothing.

Rogue rubbed the back of his head while he turned to look at the red face of Lucy as she covered her exposed chest. The ebony haired male's nose gushed with blood when he got an unintended peek at her perky full breast. Lucy looked up in time to see Rogue's surprised wide eyes with blood running down his nose.

"KYAAAAAAAAA" Lucy pulled the blankets tight against her chest before she sent a leg out to kick the unexpecting slayer back into the wall as she flung the blankets over her head.

"Somebody please tell me what the hell I missed?!" Rogue watched as the silverette tried to comfort the blonde while he just slid down the wall to sit on his ass before putting his head in his hands.

Lucy's kicks hurt worse than when she flung him with the shadow magic.

the real narnia- This is definitely true about Rufus! I am sure he would be able to copy her magic enough and I can't believe I didn't even incorporate that into this story! What an excellent idea! Don't worry. I love hurt/comfort stories so much and I have not a clue why. Fro is just too adorable for words! I try not to focus on what happened in the actual series since we all know what happens, but they will definitely know how powerful Lucy is, soon. :)

NinjaKitten93- Sort of! Since Future Rogue is basically an image she conjured up, it's more of Lucy mixing the reality of what happened to her with the bandit and the feign magic inside her. Though in future chapters, her dreams react to magic within her in a completely different way. Think about it like this, the shadow magic from Future Rogue was placed just for the sole purpose of torturing her, and Lucy's mind knows exactly what will frighten her the most, so the dream Rogue acts from those memories and emotions.