Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Lahar's P.O.V.

Lahars eyes were refusing to believe what they were seeing. Out of all the possibilities he had calculated, this hadn't been one of them. It was so surreal that it should have been in one of the plays at the theater house. Not at the King's Palace for the princess' birthday party, unfolding as if reality had gone into slow motion before him. His body was rushing forward, arms outstretched to catch the blond that was falling from the second-floor mezzanine.

A smothered grunt escaping his lips as the air was pushed from his lungs. The mix of gravity coupled with the weight of the woman's body now in his arms, doing it. Lahar looked at her face, which was growing paler by the second as she went into shock. Swallowing as he twisted his body, calling out orders as he went while making his way to a small dining table.

Worry flickering in his eyes as he again bellowed at someone to clear it of everything so he could lay her out on it. Already his hand under body was slick and sticky from the blood gushing from the bullet hole in her left shoulder. A hole that should not be there if he had been doing his job right.

Growling low in his throat as he placed her on the now cleared table. Lahar moved his hands to the bodice of her dress, grasping the material and ripping it open. Exposing blood stained creamy skin. Narrowing his eyes as more of the thick, viscous liquid gushed out as what little pressure had been slowing it down was taken away.

Cursing mentally as he let his eyes look up at her face, no Lucy's face. To see her wide doe brown eyes staring at him, silently pleading with him for something. Not sure what, Lahar turned his attention back to the wound. Setting his mouth in a thin grim line, knowing what he had to do.

Still grasping the bloody tatters of her bodice, Lahar balled them up. Before pressing it to her mouth. Which she opened to allow him to put them in, her eyes now closed. Giving a wry smile and soft snort at how tough she was being, Lahar placed on hand on her left shoulder to pin it to the table. Leaving the wound visible. Steeling his nerves as he plunged two fingers of his right hand into the bullet hole, feeling the flesh and muscle stretch and tear further.

The muffled scream accompanied by a mix of weak struggles and barely there punches with her free arm. Lahar fished around until he felt the out of place round metal pellet. Frowning at it being partially lodged in the shoulder joint. Shifting his fingers so they were spread, making Lucy scream again, as he grasped the pellet. Wiggling it as gently as he could to work it out of the bone and joint with the least amount of trauma.

Darting his gaze up to see how Lucy was fairing. He saw tears sliding silently down her cheeks as sweat beaded on her forehead. The ragged, uneven breaths leaving her nose told him she was still conscious, somehow. Then again the Fairies of Fairy Tail were a tough bunch.

A small pop drew his gaze back to his hands. Slowly and very carefully he pulled the bullet from the wound. Once it was free of her flesh, Lahar felt his body be roughly shoved to the side. Opening his mouth to berate the person, he snapped it shut just as quickly. There stood none other than the sky dragon slayer. Her brown eyes so focused on Lucy, her hands glowing green as she started to heal her guildmate and he knew was a friend.

With a small shake of his head, Lahar curled his hand around the bullet it held. Eyes flashing dangerously as he turned, making his way into the chaotic fray of bodies A dark, malevolent smile twisting his face into a mask that would make a demon proud. There was someone he had to track down and question.

On his watch, his lover had been seriously wounded. Hell would be paid in full. He would not be satisfied until an equal amount of blood and pain had been exacted.

~~ The End! ~~

A/N 2: See... it made me cry for a totally different reason. I love challenging myself. And this is what I get. BUT yeah... it is... not what I thought it would be...* Sniffles *