Meanwhile, completely oblivious as usual, Young Natsu was debating which one of his guild mates he would fight today. Can't fight Erza, he thought, looking as the sword toting young girl. She'll kill me. I fought Gray yesterday…Elfman? No, he's not much fun… Lisanna? He looked at said girl contemplatively before glancing at her demonic sister. He quickly turned away with a shiver and a decisive shake of his head. Definitely no. I'ld rather not die today-especially not at Mira's hands. Young Natsu looked around the guild again in the search of the perfect sparing partner to test his skills against. Then it hit him. It was brilliant! He grinned triumphantly to himself at his genius. He couldn't think of a better way to test himself. He slowly rose to a crouch from his seated position on the bench, trying not to alert his target. He waited until his prey's back was turned, counted to three and pounced with a battle cry!

"Older self! Fight Me!" Young Natsu shouted.
Natsu spun and cackled with delight as he readied himself to show off to his younger self. That is until his younger counterpart was stopped midair by a hand gripping his scarf. Lucy held the boy at arms length so as not to be caught by his flailing limbs as she leveled a disapproving look on Natsu. "Hey! Put me down! What's the big deal?" Young Natsu shouted as he tried to loosen himself from Lucy's grip.
"Yeah, Luce! What's the big deal, spoiling all our fun?" Natsu added with a pout.
"Natsu, you should not encourage this kind of behavior. He could get himself hurt," Lucy reasoned calmly. "Oh, come on, Luce!" Natsu protested. "It's just a bit of sparring. I wasn't going to hurt him!"
"You think I can't handle myself, huh lady?" Young Natsu argued.
Lucy lifted him higher so she could look him in the eyes.
"Against your adult counterpart when neither of you know the meaning of self-control and can easily be swept up in the heat of the moment? When unforeseen happenstance, such as-I don't know-the roof collapsing because you both are severely destructive on your own, is a very real possibility in a wood building, especially when two fire mages are 'sparing', as you put it. Nope. I don't trust you two at all."
"Lucy," Natsu started with a sigh. It's so hard to argue with her when she has logic on her side… Natsu thought. "I can show self-control. I use it in training with Romeo all the time. And we can go outside where no roofs can collapse on us. Now will you release my sparring partner, please? I've got a lesson or two to teach myself," Natsu finished, taking his battle stance.
Young Natsu, who had been hanging loosing up until now, gave a cry of delight and tried once again to get free from Lucy's hold. Instead of releasing the boy like Natsu had expected he just stared at him sadly. When Lucy didn't release the boy after a few moments, Natsu looked up at her with his trademark grin, ready to persuade her anew, but when his eyes met her glassy ones, his grin faltered and he stood straight. Young Natsu, sensing the change in mood, froze and looked between the two adults. "Lucy…," Natsu started falteringly.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Lucy began as is he had never spoken.
Natsu just stared at her in increasing confusion. She closed her eyes and shook her head.
"If something, anything, happens to him," she lifted Young Natsu up to Natsu's face for emphasis. "it will effect you. Any injury he sustains, you will feel. If he looses a limb, so do you. If he dies-" Lucy's voice cut off suddenly as her fears and tears welled to the surface.
Understanding finally dawning on Natsu, he stepped closer to Lucy and reached a hand towards her, but she used his counterpart as a shield between them. Natsu took a deep breathe and let his arms hang by his sides.
"Lucy, if you're not comfortable-"
"Not comfortable?! Not comfortable?!" Lucy shouted, her voice rising a few octaves and successfully drawing the remaining attention of all their guild mates. "Do you think this is a fucking joke?!" Natsu took a step back in shock as a collective gasp echoed throughout the hall. Lucy never cursed! They thought almost in unison. Lucy's head hung low to hide the tears welling in her eyes as the strength to fight left her and her voice became deadly quiet. "Natsu, I've buried you once. Don't make me do it twice." She let Young Natsu drop to the floor in a heap and spun on her heel to leave. Natsu's hands had curled into fists as she spoke. How could he be so stupid? His mind roared in anger as he watched his mate leave through bang-hooded eyes. He warred with himself about whether he should follow her or not. If she hates me, she hates me. I won't let her suffer alone. He thought. His mind made up, he started to follow her retreating form as she disappeared into the shadows leading to the back door. That is until a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. He whirled around, ready to fight whoever would dare stand between him and his mate, only to find Gray standing calmly behind him.
"If you wanna fight, Iceprick, now is not the time," Natsu snarled.
"Neither is this the time to be chasing after her," Gray responded, nodding in the direction of the sound of a closing door.
"Oh? And why is that?" Natsu growled, itching for a reason to take out his anger on the man in front of him; but it was Juvia who answered this time.
"She needs to work out these emotions inside of her alone right now before she can work them out with you," Juvia responded cautiously as she approached to stand at Gray's side. "Out of all of us, she has the most unfortunate future to remember. You must remember that." Natsu let the tension drain for his shoulders and hands and took on a defeated posture that many of his guild mates had never seen before.
"I think I understand that more than any one of you…" Natsu sighed as memories of Lucy waking up screaming on more than one occasion played through his head. "I just wish she wouldn't try to do this alone."
"She just has to think, Natsu," Juvia responded. "She'll talk to you when she's ready."
"She does a little too much thinking if you ask me," Natsu responded bitterly. "Whatever. I'm going for a walk. Just tell her I'm at the spot whenever she's done sorting out our problems on her own." With that he sidestepped around Gray and Juvia, threw open the front doors, and left the Guild without a backwards glance.
"Can someone explain to me what just happened?" Young Natsu asked from his position still on the floor.
"Adults are so weird…" Jet muttered to Droy.

Lucy stomped angrily through the clearing behind the Guild. As much as she loved the old guild hall, she hated the fact the it was in the middle of town. She greatly preferred the escape of the woods surrounding their other one when she need to get away. She cursed inwardly as she debated where to go. She couldn't go into town and risk blowing their cover. She couldn't retreat to her apartment since she didn't live there yet. For all she knew, her landlord didn't even live there yet. She definitely couldn't go back into the guild hall-not after the scene she just made. And Natsu is probably still in there since he didn't come after me… Lucy thought forlornly as she wrapped her arms around her midsection. Why didn't he come after me? He never leaves me alone when he thinks there's something wrong. The tears started to well in her eyes again. Why does it matter?! I don't need him! She decided with a violent shake of her head. Yes you do. A voice whispered in her head as the memories from the party the night before flashed through her head. No! We are not going there! She insisted mentally, squeezing her eyes shut tighter. She wiped away her welling tears with the back of her had and squared her shoulders. There is no time for this nonsense. Not we have bigger problems to deal with. Lucy decided with a nod. I'll just go for a walk to cool off and come back tonight. He and I sort this out when we get back. —If you ever get back, a malicious voice hissed. She shook her head and set off into the back streets towards the woods on the edge of town.

"Juvia hopes Lucy-san and Natsu-san are okay. It's been over an hour," Juvia said, looking to Gray who sat on her right in the booth. "Since when did you stop calling Lucy 'Love Rival'?" Lisanna responded with a chuckle from across the table, completely sidestepping the question.
"Since she realized she wasn't a threat and Gray-sama's heart was her's!" Julia replied with a lovesick grin.
Gray tried not to react to Bixlow and Elfman's snickering from the other side of the table.
"That's so sweet, Juvia!" Lisanna declared as she elbowed the two men sitting on either side of her hard in the ribs.
Both stifled cries of pain as Gray chuckled immaturely at them. He shot them a smug look, which both returned with glares.
While Juvia and Lisanna gushed to each other about how special and amazing love is, Gray just watched Juvia's face light up as she spoke with a slight smile gracing his features. Meanwhile, Elfman and Bixlow pouted, both upset that their girls were ignoring them, one very pointedly, the other more obliviously.

Across the hall, in a corner booth tucked into the wall to the right of the door, sat Gajeel and Levy. Lily had just excused himself to sit at the bar with the other Exceeds and get more kiwi juice. Gajeel had his chin resting on Levy's shoulder, trying to read the book in her hands with her but she hadn't turned the page in almost ten minutes. It was just getting good, too, Gajeel pouted. With a heavy sigh, Gajeel lifted his head and did the only thing he could to break her focus: he plucked the book out of her hands.
"Hey-" Levy started to protest but Gajeel was quick to interrupt.
"You and I both know you weren't actually reading that," Gajeel said, trying to stare into her eyes but she wouldn't meet his gaze.
Gajeel closed the book carefully and set it on the table and used the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders to turn her towards him even though she still wouldn't look up at him. He gently lifter her chin to look in her eyes.
"I know you're worried about them, but you can't force them to get along. They've got a lot of baggage they need to work out on their own. You running after her wouldn't help anything."
"But-"
"No, she would've vented you to avoid talking Natsu. She needs to bottle to the point where she's forced to take it up with him. That's how worked with us," Gajeel added with a half smile, which Levy returned.
"You always know how to ease my nerves," Levy responded, reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek.
She shifter to curl her feet under her on the bench and settled deeper into Gajeel's side. Gajeel made a contented sound in the back of his throat and placed kiss on the top of Levy's head. He laid his hand on top of the one she had draped across his middle in a half hug and contented himself to people watch as she dozed.

Lucy walked a familiar path through the woods as she let her thoughts roam. She admired the flora that surrounded her and the fauna that inhabited it. She hadn't consciously chosen the path that her feet now followed, she just felt an inert attraction to that area and wasn't thinking clearly enough to question why. As she neared a clearing, she realized where her feet were taking her, she smiled softly. A large pond filled most of the clearing with rock of all sizes surrounding it. She heard water splashing as stepped closed and assumed fish were playing as they were wont to do on sunny days like today. Lucy's happy thoughts and feet came to a screeching halt as soon as she caught the true cause of the splashes. Natsu was sitting on the bank with his back to her skipping stones. Quick, maybe he hasn't noticed I'm here yet. If i leave quietly maybe he won't know-
"I didn't think you'd remember this spot," Natsu began softly as he continued to cast stones across the pond's surface. "I only brought you here a few times. Did you know I never showed this place to anyone else? Only Happy and I ever came here before you."
Lucy bit her lip as the memories washed over her. Natsu had been so nervous and excited when he had first brought her to his secret fishing hole. There had even been a few nights they had walked out there to admire the stars without the interference of the city lights to block out their brilliance. She fought tears anew as she fought her fight or flight instincts. Natsu, sensing her distress, sighed heavily and cast his remaining stones into the water. "Come on and sit by me, Luce," Natsu nearly pleaded, still refusing to turn and face her.
Lucy glanced over her shoulder, considering bolting, before she took a steading breath and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. She sat woodenly beside him, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Natsu looked at her for the first time even tough she fixed her eyes forward. He offered a weak smile as he spoke.
"What's up, Luce?"
Lucy broke into a wet laugh as her tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she turned to offer him a soft smile. Natsu's smile broadened as he shifted closer and cautiously laid his arm around her shoulders drawing her into him. Lucy leaned into his shoulder like it was second nature and cried softly with a smile on her face. She wasn't going to loose her friend, neither of them would let that happen.