The release of the SIXTTTTHH CHAAAPPTTERRRRR

First of all, this is probably the longest chapter that I've done. Of course with a mix of adjustments here and there.

Disclaimer: All rights belongs to their respective owner(s)

Lucy blinked as she stood at the doorway that led into the lounge. The blonde had women up in the middle of the night to grab something to drink, and after stumbling upon the lounge, she could make out the manly figure that lay on the couch. And from past experience, lying on a hotel couch wasn't comfortable. Needless to say, she still felt bad about her outburst earlier that night. After all, just judging by how the pink-haired male had been treating her so far, it was clear to determine that he's a good guy.

Slowly, she paced forward and bent down towards the sleeping male that had turned on his side. Rambunctious as he was, Lucy was surprised in the slightest that he had packed away the food. Her brown orbs drifted back before reaching out and softly tugging the man awake.

"Natsu... Natsu..." She whispered, hoping that the male would wake up but he sighed loudly before continuing his sleep.

"Natsu you idiot." Lucy said, adding a bit more force to shake to boy up. In which he finally did, before giving her a once-over, thumbs up and turning his back to her. Also drifting to sleep once more.

"OI." And she ended up thwacking the boy on his shoulder. The pink haired agent grimaced in pain and turned around. Once his eyesight developed, he had a shocked look plastered on his face.

"What the fuck is-" Eyes zoned properly upon a pair of brown eyes.

"Luce-!" But the said girl quickly palmed his mouth.

"Why the heck are you sleeping here? You've got your own room" Lucy whispered, her eyes staring down on the boy. At this, she removed her hand from his mouth.

"I can't. If something were to happen similar to what occurred at your apartment, then they would have to go through me." Natsu whispered back, and he kept his gaze on her. Lucy broke it first but suddenly, she heard a chuckle,

"Besides... I don't want to hear you snoring away like a constipated pig-"

THWACK

"Alright fine. I just couldn't be bothered to get up and move. Happy now?" Lucy stared for a couple more seconds before sighing loudly.

"Great. Now I can't sleep." Lucy said, standing up straight and settling on the single couch. Natsu couldn't sleep either as he breathed deeply. In all honesty, he couldn't go back to his room because it made him uncomfortable of another woman who he still had no idea about, sleeping in the room right next to his. And just maybe, he was trying to get on Lucy's good side, he was taking his chances.

"Lisanna..." the blonde began carefully, "what was she like?" There was a moment of silence. Natsu stiffened. It had been a long time since anyone brought up that name. And even still, his heart throbbed from the guilt and pain after losing her.

"You don't have to-"

"She was my best friend. Bubbly. Out-going. Kind and one of those people that I truly cared about." Natsu interrupted. At this point, sleep was forgotten. He slowly slid to sit up, ran a hand through his bed hair and breathed sharply.

"I know that I should be over it. If only I was stronger, then this wouldn't have happened. That's what I kept telling myself." Natsu continued, folding his arms and legs on the couch. Lucy looked down.

"I'm sorry for all that has happened." The blonde said softly. She couldn't imaging the hurt that Natsu was going through and yet here she was, rubbing it in his face. She needed to at least make an effort on their partnership. It was going to be a long night. The blonde quickly stood and did a little stretch.

"Wanna go out?" Natsu turned his chocked face towards the blonde. Although it was midnight, the illuminating light from the moon glimmered through a nearby window.

"Really? But I haven't touched first base yet-!" A nearby object flew in the dark and smacked the pink-haired teen right on the face.

"I mean out on the streets." Lucy corrected herself, eyeing her partner daringly for another joke, "I'm sure you're on to live life on the fast lane. Let's go explore." Natsu's eyes darted to the time and whistled loudly.

"You? Wanna go explore at this time of the night? Have you finally lost your marbles?" Another object strucked his face.

"Hahaha. I'm joking. Let's go!"

The streets was still alive and buzzing. There were still market stalls open and fairy lights had lit up the pathways and sidewalks. Majority of the shops were still opened and lot of people were still hovering around. Lucy walked out of a clothing store wearing a much better attire that she had bought. Meanwhile, Natsu sat on a brick fountain just a few meters from where Lucy stepped out. He gave a dramatic sigh before standing up and dusting off his pants.

"Sheesh. You women really don't care whether a century has passed or my bones-"

"Quit it." Lucy retorted. They both walked around for a few minutes until a sound of a growling stomach was heard. The blonde snapped at the pinkette pointedly. In which the teen rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Even at a time like this?"

"Desperate times calls for desperate measures?"

They both scouted for an open stall and settled down at a nearby table.

"We're heading out to Acalypha tonight. Don't forget." Natsu reminded, looking around and eyeing out people that were walking passed.

"This is actually such a nice place." Lucy said, also looking around. Natsu eyes a nearby stall that was obviously dealing with fake jewellery. There was quite a handful of people surrounding the looking at the variety that was put on display. Suddenly, a certain object caught his eye and subconsciously, he expelled a sharp intake of breath.

"Natsu?" The man snapped out of his train of through and offered a smile to the blonde, but Lucy was not having none of it.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?" Natsu looked down briefly before shaking his head and smiling back at her again.

"Quit worrying, Luigi. It's nothing." There was a brief exchange of unsure silence before their food came with the drinks they ordered. Lucy twirled the cold glass of orange juice before taking a sip. Natsu was the only one that ordered for the both of them. She wasn't very hungry, far from it actually, as she sat across, watching her partner consume the meal. After taking a few more bites and swallowing, he turned to her suddenly.

"So what made you want to join the organization?" Lucy perked up but quickly, she bowed her head and turned away.

"I just wanted to get away from how I lived." The blonde replied, "In all honesty, I was once saved by a member of the organization when I was once a kid, travelling by myself. So after that, I trained myself ridiculously to the point of almost dying - because I wanted to pursue on being just like the person that saved me." Natsu nodded knowingly and taking a couple more bites.

"You know Luigi-"

"It's Lucy, dumb-ass."

"Right. Lucy. You're not as bad as I thought." He spoke between chews. "I thought you were a poser, standing outside at the doors. But after dealing with those bastards that ransacked your apartment, I'm starting to think that I was an idiot of judging too quickly." He swallowed and took a gulp of his drink.

"Yeah. Don't get too comfortable. Let's just get this mission over with-" Lucy's eyes zoned completely on a group that just passed the stall and her sentence was cut short. Her lips parted in silent horror as her mind reeled in memories of the people she was looking at. Natsu, having taken notice of this sudden change turned his head to look but the blonde had quickly grabbed his head and brought both of their heads together towards the table. From a passing civilian, it would look like they were just another couple having a good kiss.

"Shit." Lucy swore, her brown eyes never leaving the group.

"What's going on?" Natsu whispered. The hunger in his stomach had completely dissipated but the urge to look was so tempting.

"Those bastards - keep your head down and don't draw any attention." Lucy whispered back.

"What's happening?" Natsu whispered loudly. The muscles in his head was screaming to look. Lucy gritted her teeth.

"When I ran away from home, my father hired Phantom Lord to abduct me. Judging by their stature, it seems leader, Jose, hasn't expelled the contract with my father." Lucy replied,

"What makes you say that?"

"This is the first time I've seen them in Magnolia. And just after witnessing their encounter with one of the stalls, I saw them holding my picture and exchanging questions." Lucy said. As soon as the men at the stall moved at a far distance away, she stood from the table and grabbed Natsu by the collar.

"Let's make a break for headquarters."

The two barely made it back to Natsu's room until they spotted five men dressed in black suits surrounding the premises. Indeed, Natsu quickly understood the situation and tugged the blonde behind the building, in which Lucy submitted to the pinkette leading. After walking for a few minutes in the building's alleyway, Natsu stopped abruptly.

"I saw something." Natsu spoke lowly, even Lucy had trouble hearing because of the low tone.

"What was it?" Lucy saw him hesitate before he sighed. A clear indication that he was troubled.

"It's - no. It's nothing. It could be just some hallucination." Natsu clenched his fists. It may be just him imagining things. Anyways, even if it was - no, Lisanna is dead. There's no way that she could be up and running around with a potential enemy long after she died.

"Natsu?" The said boy couldn't speak. But the thought of the white haired girl made his heart beat fast. Pushing Lucy aside, he ran back.

"Natsu-!"

"I saw Lisanna!" And the loud pounding of footsteps slowly bounced away softly into the night. Lucy didn't know whether to wait or keep walking.

No. I'll keep walking. The mission comes first.

With that, she made her way back to the Fairy Tail headquarters without sparing a single thought over her pink-haired partner, although a sudden stab to her heart was something she could't ignore.

"So that's what happened?" Levy asked, tilting her head and placing the cup of mocha on the coffee table. Lucy had arrived in the early peak hours back to the headquarters and ever since that exchange with Natsu, there hadn't been any contact.

"I think it's better if I do this on my own. Secretly that is. I don't want to be paired with someone that is consumed by feelings." The blonde spoke, sighing loudly and looking up to the ceiling. Suddenly, the doors opened and two figures walked in.

"Ah! Erza! Gray!" Levy exclaimed happily, the two said figures smiled and nodded in acknowledgement before sitting respectively in the empty chairs in the room. Lucy turned a light shade of pink before nodding as well.

"Lucy? Where's that dumb-ass? I thought he'll be with you." Gray spoke, settling down on the chair closest to the blonde and facing her fully.

"He... got distracted by something." Lucy laughed sheepishly, or rather... someone.

"Oh! Lucy - this is Erza Scarlet. One of our top female assassins in the organization. She's seriously awesome." Lucy nodded and bowed to the red-haired woman. No doubt, this person name 'Erza' was a very beautiful woman indeed. In fact, she could just be mistaken for a model!

"Erza, this is Lucy Heartfilia. My best friend and she's currently in a mission. Partnered with Natsu, the idiot of all things." The red-haired agent looked at Lucy before giving a warm smile. Gray watched the two share a smile before closing his eyes and smiling to himself. Erza extended a hand towards Lucy, in white the blonde took with a grateful yet gentle shake,

"I hope that fool isn't becoming a nuisance." Lucy shook her head with a shy smile,

"Unfortunately, that's a tad bit too late to say that." The four occupants then laughed with smiled until the door bursted open. A safeguard held a folder and ran directly towards the four agents that were settled at the table. His breathing sounded quick and desperate.

"We've got a problem!" Levy immediately retrieved the folder from the safeguard and flicked through the papers whilst Gray and Lucy helped the man to a nearby chair. Erza had already started to question the situation with Levy.

"What happened?" Gray asked, grabbing a nearby book of a sort and fanning the tired guy.

"Salamander was brought in earlier with fatal wounds. Apparently, he also obtained a broken arm and was found just a few blocks away from headquarters." The news sent Lucy on her feet and running towards the medical sector of the base.

But it couldn't be.

The blonde knew that Natsu was one of the best fighters, because of his skill and talent. He wouldn't be this careless, right? This couldn't be right. It didn't make sense. Was it something that would distract Natsu? Was it when he saw something...or rather, someone?

As the blonde bursted into the medical room that displayed his name, her breath hitched. There he was. Lying on the bed with the medical monitor beeping almost loudly in the room. Makarov was standing at the edge of the bed on a stool with his hands clasped behind his back and a stern were others in the room that Lucy had not seen before. He was wrapped in bandages and although his wounds didn't seem as fatal as she imagined, it was still a shock that Natsu would receive a treatment like this so easily.

His head had turned away from the door after her entrance. Possible in shame? Lucy didn't know. But there's one thing that she had an idea of why he must've acted like how he is now.

"I saw her." Oh. It was Natsu speaking. His voice sounded croaked. Strained in a weird way. Makarov had breathed loudly before folding his hands in front of his chest.

"Who did you see, boy?" There was a hesitant void. The rest of the members were silent. The silence was killing Lucy.

There was a brief second.

"I saw Lisanna."

As my friends would say... "OH SHNAP." XD what do you think happened? Why is Lisanna still alive? or better yet, HOW?

That's the sixth chapter done! Whooppp

Please review!

Much much love.

B7K