"I'm calling the police. This is to fucked up, Gajeel! You saw the bruises on her body!"

"I wasn't looking at your girlfriends body, Natsu. I was to busy trying to calm you down before you burned her clothes off! You're lucky you didn't burn her! So calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down! You saw the bruises! I'm calling the police!"

Voices...seemingly all around her, voices. Yelling, so angry and filled with rage, she curled in fear at the memories surging through her. A voice a little less angry, with a soothing edge. She knew she should recognize these voices, but right now, she couldn't. Right now, her mind was telling her to curl deeper into her sleeping bag and escape the world. Escape the voices, the slamming of the phone. Escape the ringing in her ears, the burning and throbbing of the bruises on her body. All she wanted was to just escape, curl in a ball in her little room in the warehouse and not worry about her father and his abuse, not worry about her feelings for Natsu...

Just the thought of Natsu had her heart pounding, not in fear but in excitement. The way he held her on his knee in English class...the way he covered for her...helped her out the window of his truck when she was stuck...how he was with his family, so loving and warm! Just thinking about him, that same warmth was spreading through her, the same electricity that she felt when Natsu touched her. Her whole body felt alive! Like she could face the world with him at her side...

"Lucy?"

The soft whisper of her name, the gentle hand smoothing through her hair, down her neck, her shoulder...the tender touch left behind it a trail of warmth...everywhere the gentle touch went, so did the soothing burn. As Lucy let the warmth spread through out her, bursts of memories flashed behind her closed eyes.

She's a little girl, lying in bed with the flue and her mother is singing her a song...her lullaby. As she sings, she can remember the soft tinkling sound of her mother's Celestial keys, the very ones she carried. The memory she had the most though was her mother's voice...soft and soothing when she would sing Lucy to sleep as a little girl. Scare away the monsters under the bed, chase away the darkness to the corners of the room...

Answer me a question...and I will tell you a secret...

The softest of whispers and she's back in Natsu's room the first time he'd saved her. She could remember the pain rampaging through out her body...not seeing seeing but not really understanding anyone except for Natsu...feeling his touch as his hands smoothed over her hair, her neck, her shoulder. When he'd stepped so close to her and whispered that question, the urge to wrap her arms around his neck and softly kiss him was so strong, it embarrassed her, even now. Reach out and feel his warm hand close around hers...

"Look, Natsu, she just needs her rest, okay? I read through Carla's medical books, Gajeel spoke to her on the phone. Right now, she needs rest. When she wakes up, I'll draw a hot bath with epsome salts to help with the bruising, okay?"

"Natsu, Levy, dinners ready!"

Vaguely Lucy could hear their replies, mostly thinking about the bath Levy had offered...the warm water would feel so good on her aching and bruised body. Still the fear held her in it's vice grip, sucking the life out of her. This was all just a dream, she was sure of it! She would open her eyes and she would open her eyes and be back in her little run down room, still bruised, still afraid...even the phone call with Natsu was wrong. Lucy was meant to run away at this time! Yes, she often found herself coming to the warehouse in times of great sadness after she'd lost her mom, but that was not a habit! She felt safe there...all it was was a desire to escape for a night...to be alone and know that she was safe. No matter where she went, Lucy always carried her Gate Keys.

"Lucy..."

A soft and gentle touch followed by whispered words tore her from her thoughts. Still very groggy, her eyelids felt weighed down, her head so stuffed, it sunk into the pillow. Instead of opening her eyes, the blonde celestial mage carefully shifted her screaming limbs, settling into a more comfortable position.

"I don't know if you can hear this Lucy, but I just wanted to let you know that you're safe, okay?"

Again the warm touch smoothing through her hair, down her neck and shoulder, the touch as light as a feather. In her mind, Lucy can see Natsu and herself at school, the way his fingers held the pen as he wrote the note in English class...the look on his face as he held her in the gym after this battle...feel his arms around her when he blocked Grey's ice – make attack...

"We wont let anyone hurt you...no matter what, okay? All you have to do is call for me and I'll be there, Lucy...I promise..."

There's silence a moment and Lucy is about to open her eyes when she felt warmth pressed softly against her cheeks. As quick as it came, the warmth was gone, a soft brush on her hand. When the soft click of the door closing came to her ears, Lucy finally opened her eyes. In her hand was a paper that had her frozen in shock, tears falling down her cheeks his name bursting past her lips. Holding the note to her, Lucy raced for the door, the words whispering in her ears, little whispers of hope...little whispers of freedom from the devil himself...

Lucy,

When you called me crying, I felt my heart shred within my chest. Something in me snapped. When Levy checked you over for cuts and bruises...what we saw Lucy – I can't even begin to describe. Bruising the size of my fist...shoe marks from where he kicked you...finger marks from where that bastard grabbed you. Lucy, I'm taking you away from that situation. No long will he hurt you like that!

Every time you ran away from home, my heart ached, my arms itched to hold you...I wanted to be the blanket I draped across your sleeping body...so still, curled into a ball, even while resting. I wanted to whisper into your ear that you would be safe. That I would protect you...but I couldn't.

Lucy, the day you removed me from your life, I never thought that I would see you again...then you came to Magnolia High – and next thing I knew, I had you in my arms in Miss Strauss' English class! See you trying to get comfortable in the chair...the scent of the make up you use to cover your bruises so overpowering your own...already it makes me see red with the anger I have towards the bastard that dare lay a hand on you!

Enough is enough, Lucy. As long as you're safe, I don't care what happens to me. As long as that bastard's heart stills tonight...I will take my fate, happily, knowing you are safe. No matter what happens, Gajeel has agreed to take my place to protect you. I couldn't leave without telling you this, Lucy, but for all these brave words, I still lacked the courage to tell you in person...Lucy Heartfillia...I love you. I go to meet my fate, knowing that you now know this...if this is goodbye, Sweet Lucy, may it only be for a short time. If Fate decides another route and steals me away...I hope our meeting is long way away...I wish you a good, long life, Lucy.

All my love,

Natsu D.

Wiping away the tears, Lucy quickly dressed and burst out the door, calling for Gajeel and Levy. If her guess was right, Natsu was in huge trouble...possibly in for the fight of his life...