Helloooo Vietnam! Thank you for all your lovely reviews, you have no idea how happy I was when I read them. To all you shippers out there, don't hold your breath over Natsu just yet, there's yet to be another contender or two…or three. Bah, who cares?

Chapter 2: Promises

Normal pov:

Laughter bubbled up from the pit of his gut as he stared at her. Oh this was just too sweet! She actually thinks she's going to avenge her little friend? His laughter turned maniacal the longer he dwelt on it, rocking back to fall on the floor. The guards chuckled quietly. After five minutes of him rolling around nearly pissing himself with his heaving laughter, she decided to turn her attention back to the guards and ignore him again. Ignorance was bliss and she strove to ignore the forsaken piece of shit almost five feet from her. Her staring turned into glaring the longer she listened to his annoying, deep voice belt out a melody of dying gasps and bat-shit-crazy laughter. Oh shit, was a collective thought as she eyed the pale pink floor. She swallowed the thick lump that suddenly swelled up in her throat, shoving her emotions to the side. Now's not the time to cry Lucy, she told herself. She couldn't show any form of weakness here, not in front of him, not in front of anybody. When he came to, finally calming down, he chuckled. "I like you, little girl." An eyebrow shot up, unconcerned with his declaration. Unfazed, he kept talking. "I'm going to enjoy playing with you as much as I did number twenty three [1]. Don't worry though, I'll be much gentler if you behave yourself," he smirked, his eyes practically drowning in lust. His words struck a chord of fear within her, momentarily killing her anger and replacing it with dread. No. Suddenly, she felt bare and vulnerable, the harsh dose of reality splashing her in the face. She wanted to scuttle back as far as she could to get away from this monstrosity and his demonic eyes, from his wolfish grin and his downright inhumane heart. Her vulnerability also made her realise something. She was the last prisoner, it was her duty as such to avenge the others deaths, to make someone pay for what happened to them. To protect Rhiannon. If I don't lose my fight, I won't lose the battle, she told herself, placing all her hope and belief in that statement. Steeling her resolve, she forced her eyes to meet his again, internally shuddering at the ravenous look in his stare. "Your name please," she inquired in a business tone, further amusing him. His amusement was the only reason he answered. "Shane. My name is Shane Hellfire." She nodded, searing the name into her memory.

"Well Hellfire, before I die, you will."

"Oh really?" He mimicked her serious expression, mocking her words.

"It's a promise."

Team Natsu's pov:

Erza stared at herself dully in the mirror, slimy fingers of guilt and self-disgust creeping up her spine and into her chest, attacking her heart. I should have been there, I should have walked her home. Her fists clenched. Why can't I ever protect anyone?! Her right eye watered, smudging her flawless make-up as a tear rolled down the side of her face. Pathetic. I can't even protect those I love most, I'm such a failure. A photo stuck to the top corner of her mirror deepened the ache in her chest. It was their team. Lucy was posing in the middle, Happy on top her head with Natsu and Gray on either side, she herself standing next to Gray. Tentatively, her fingertips brushed over Lucy's smiling face, mesmerised. I'm sorry Lucy, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you when you needed it most, I'm sorry for being such a failure. I miss you. A sharp rapt at her door broke her out of her thoughts, giving her a chance to compose herself.

"Erza? Are you ready to go?" Jellal lingered at the door, silently watching her. After hearing about Lucy's death, consequences be damned, he rushed to her side to comfort his lady love. Subtly, she sniffled, wiping off the rest of her make-up. She wanted to look her best for when they sent Lucy to heaven, even if they didn't have a body to bury. But she knew she wouldn't make it until then.

"I-I'm fine Jellal," she said softly. She lied. She was dying inside. He nodded, offering no other comment. He crept around her room to come up behind her and embrace her tightly, burying his face in her red locks. "You don't have to be so strong, Scarlet. It's okay to cry," he whispered, his heart breaking for the girl he loved. And in the safety of her home, the water gates flooded. He held her as she cried in his arms, sobbing Lucy's name and her apologies over and over. He wanted to cry too. He'd only met the girl on select occasions but she wasn't someone you easily forgot. Fiercely loyal and caring, she kept her team on their toes and their wits about them, the proverbial glue that held them together. He stroked Erza's head. She'd earned his respect and he would've been proud to call her friend. But now, he'd never get the chance to.

Gray and Natsu shared Lucy's bathroom, each doing the final touch-ups to their suits. If it weren't for the threat of castration from Erza then they wouldn't be doing this, preparing to send her off when they weren't even sure if she was dead.

"Gray, pass me the brush," Natsu said softly, not bothering to insult him. Gray nodded and gave it before immediately going back to tying his tie. Ever since Makarov announced her funeral date, they'd holed themselves up in her apartment. Call it what you will but they weren't ready to let her go, or give up on her. The possibility of giving up was unthinkable for both boys. They were pissed at the master for doing this, for forcing them to accept an alternate reality when they could still be out there searching. But seeing its effect on their nakama, they didn't have half the heart to be angry at him anymore, stiltedly accepting that it was for the good of the guild. That didn't mean they'd ever stop searching. Levy and the girls came for her clothes and stuff. They took everything, as it said in her will but not her bed. No, the boys wouldn't let 'em. They were thankful her landlady didn't bother them about Lucy's apartment and such, that she let them grieve their own way. None were sure they could handle any other kind of company at that moment. And in all the time they spent around each other, they never once started fighting or arguing, just reminiscing in the almost empty apartment. The boys had grown closer too, not in their usual rivalry-way but in a man-to-man, heart-to-heart way. They both shared the same pain, both felt the same things so why fight? They didn't see the need to. Gray was mourning the momentary loss of a little sister, even though they were probably the same age. He felt in his gut that she wasn't dead, Lucy wouldn't ever leave Fairy Tail without saying something first, kidnapped or not. He just needed to keep searching and hope for the best. Natsu was alternating between seething and mourning. On one hand, Lucy had up and disappeared without a trace and on the other, she was gone. Another person he loved ripped from his life, just like Igneel. He chanced a look at himself. I promise I'll bring you home again, Lucy. He silently vowed in fierce determination, a flicker of fire dancing in his slitted eyes. They were finished. Black suits fitted to perfection clothed their bodies. Gray was conscious of his clothes this time around, silently promising that he wouldn't strip. Not at her funeral. Even though it would make her laugh, he wouldn't. She wasn't there to laugh at his stripping habit.

Happy sat on Lucy's windowsill, staring vacantly into the room for any sign of his blonde teammate. Her bed was still there, her wardrobe was there, now empty of clothes and ninja masks (you know what those are), and all her furniture was still there but no Lucy. Even her scent had faded from the room. Except on her bed but it was mixed with his own old scent and the fresher ones of Natsu and Gray. The little exceed had been taking it harder than most would've thought. When Lisanna disappeared, so had his mother, leaving a void that Natsu had tried his best to fill on his own. Then when Lucy came, she'd slowly been filling it till there was no more void, just one warm, big feeling. Not even Lisanna's return could kick her out of his heart. He missed her terribly and even though the rest of his teammates believed she was still alive, he wasn't so sure. The mere thought of her lying cold and dead somewhere made him want to break down and cry. He could hear Natsu and Gray shuffle around in her bathroom, an ethereal scene of her bursting out in her towel to yell at them playing out before his eyes, making him smile before it disappeared. He shook his head sadly. Now that she's gone, what will happen to our team? He couldn't really imagine going on missions without Gray, Lucy and Erza, no matter how scary the women were. Back to how it was before Lucy came into the picture. It'd be too hard. The quiet ping of Lucy's alarm clock caught his attention. Three o'clock. It was time to leave. Summoning his wings, he floated into her bathroom to get the others. It was time for Lucy's funeral.

Fairy Tail's pov:

The funeral was beautiful. Chrysanthems and pink lilies, Lucy's favourite flowers, lined her empty coffin and her towering headstone. A Fairy, much in the likeness of Lucy, swathed in battle armour and a bright smile on her grey lips let all who saw know who exactly was buried there. The life-sized statue carried a whip on her hip with a replica of her keys, a sword in hand and a shield with Fairy Tail's crest on it. The Fairy Tail men carried her coffin to the grave. Even though they knew it was empty, they treated the occasion with the same sombre respect they would if it was full. Gajeel, Laxus and Gray carried one half while Bixlow, Natsu and Freed carried the other. All had volunteered and had it not been such a hard thing to do, some of the women would have volunteered too. But alas, none had any more emotional strength to carry their beloved friend to her grave. Other guilds had shown up to the faux funeral too; Sabertooth, Blue Pegasus, Mermaids heel, Crime Sorciere, all their friends were there to show their support. Natsu and Gray didn't bother to hide the disdain on their faces as they hefted the empty box towards its final resting place. They, as one, ignored the looks from both Mirajane and Erza and the Master. It just wasn't right. After laying the box down on the platform, they went and stood at the front. Gramps came to the front and said his bit. It didn't matter. Their feet were itching to get back out there and search, to get away from all this needless sadness and bring her back home. Unbeknownst to them, they weren't the only ones.

Lucy's pov:

Hellbitch, as she so 'affectionately' labelled him, left soon after the guards, leaving her to her own devices and giving her the break she silently prayed for. That was terrifying, she thought to herself. But it wasn't as terrifying as the situation she found herself in now. The amount of want in his eyes scared her well and truly. Somehow she just knew that if he ever got the opportunity to get her alone, all that pain would seem like a slap on the wrist compared to what he could inflict. A violent shudder ran through her, rattling her bones and teeth. Listening for any other approaches, she dropped down and started doing push-up sets. It wasn't ideal, to be exercising after the death of a close friend but what else could she do? Especially after the promises she made. After 30, she turned onto her back and did stomach crunches, gritting her teeth against the now-familiar feel of unyielding concrete against her back. She couldn't let herself soften in any shape or form. Not if she wanted to survive. She did a range of other exercises until she was spent, giving her the exhaustion she needed to sleep. Dragging herself to her cot, she collapsed onto the mattress, immediately falling asleep without a second thought.

Not long after she fell asleep, her nightmare came true. Shane's heavy footsteps announced his arrival, instantly waking her up. Who is here? His chuckled answered her question. Heart in throat, her mind ran through all the memories of what he did to Kansas and other prisoners. Oh god, she thought in horror. His pace deliberately slowed the closer he came to her cell, toying with her fear. Please, no, go away! Leave me alone! She wanted to scream but who would come? He stopped right outside her door, his otherworldly eyes glowing menacingly as he pinned her with his gaze. He smiled.

"You waited up honey? You shouldn't have," he cooed. She felt her lip curl in disgust. He smirked, taking a set of keys from his pocket, the bits of carved metal tinkling as he moved. Snick. The door slid open creakily, welcoming the horrid creature into its embrace. And embrace that she wanted no part in.

"S-stay away!" She said futilely. She knew it was useless, knew he would take all he wanted and leave her a broken mess. Just like the others. But dammit, she had to try! He snickered, coming into the cell. "Oh honey, you wound me. I bring a gift! If you don't resist." His voice lowered deceptively the closer he came towards her.

I apologize for not updating as often as I should. Dick move, I know but I have a life outside of the internet too ya know! Just kidding. I'll try to update as often as possible and as always, thank you for your reviews my lovelies.

Number twenty three is the woman previous to Kansas, making her number twenty four. I know, he's a sicko for keeping count but that's just how his character is.