A/N: This one is shorter, but it's the last of the 2015 entries before I start mixing both 2015 and 2016 to make a more linear story.

Important Author Note: I live in Tampa, FL, and with Hurricane Irma coming in the next couple days, there's a lot up in the air. We're not evacuating, and we've taken precautions to protect ourselves and our home. I hope any of my readers living in this storm's path are staying safe. After the storm passes, I'll post an update on the end of this chapter to let you guys know that I'm safe. I wanted to get this posted for you guys so it's not sitting in my doc manager, just in case I'm caught in the storm and stuck without power and internet for a while. Please be safe, everyone.


Jellal finished inspecting the large chunk of stone that had pinned Midnight's leg to the floor near a wall. "Alright, Angel and I can lift this," he said, getting into position and motioning for her to follow his lead. "Midnight, let us know when you can start moving, but be careful."

"Sure." Midnight bit his black painted lips and propped himself up on his hands, more than ready to pull himself free once the heavy stone was high enough. He should have been paying more attention, but having heard Lucy scream from across the room, he'd been distracted. Just that split second to look over and see Cobra carrying her in his arms - with that familiar white, fur-lined coat wrapped around her - while he dove away from a stray attack from Rogue. That was all it took for a deflected attack of Jellal's to crash into the wall and send enormous chunks of stone and dust crashing to the ground.

It was stupid, but now that Rogue was dead and beheaded, they were trying to regroup and get the hell out of there.

"Jellal!" Cobra bellowed across the large room. His voice sounded off to Midnight, but then the stone above his leg shifted and he tried to pull his foot free to no avail.

"Let's hurry," Angel huffed. "Lucy needs a doctor."

"I know," Jellal said. He groaned while putting more effort into lifting the stone.

"Jellal, help!" Cobra shouted. "Hurry!"

Midnight's eyes went wide at the trembling sound of his friend's voice. "Jellal, go," he said urgently. In all the time he had known Cobra, Midnight had never heard him sound so scared. The debris finally lifted enough for him to get his leg out from beneath it and he scrambled backwards, uncaring of how the floor scraped against his palms or the pain in his knee, or even the tingling in his toes.

"Jellal!" Cobra's voice ricocheted across the room, spurring the guild leader into action. "Please! Please, help!"

Angel threw Midnight's arm over her shoulder and helped him limp out from behind the fallen pillar, and they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Cobra hovering over Lucy on the ground.

"Lucy, stay with me," Cobra whimpered, pulling a trembling hand up to her cheek and brushing away the hair that had fallen over her eyes.

He had to think of some way to save her. Lucy didn't deserve to die after everything she'd gone through, after all the times she'd been on the right and just side of a fight. She was one of the good guys. Weren't they supposed to win in the end? Isn't that what all those fucking storybooks said time and again? "You can't just… You can't fucking die on me."

He had so much he wanted to say to her. He wanted to apologize for what happened all those years ago. Sure, it was a little late, but he'd never taken the time to do it and now… Now, fate was trying to be a goddamn cosmic cunt and take away the one person in the world that made literally everyone she encountered smile. What kind of sick, twisted bastard does that? All of this was wrong on so many levels, and he couldn't even begin to figure out what he could do to help her. 'I wish she'd been able to get to know the real me…'

"It's… too late for me," Lucy rasped.

"No!" Cobra didn't pay attention to the fact that everyone else was slowly making their way closer to him, that Jellal had actually listened and had come rushing to his aid. Deep down, he knew there wasn't anything he could do to save her, but he just couldn't bring himself to accept it. "Don't die…"

"Holy shit," Midnight whispered, finally getting a good look at Lucy as he and Angel came to stand by Jellal. How the hell was she even still alive? If it wasn't bad enough that she was about to be raped when they'd come in, and had obviously been tortured worse than any of them could imagine - not including Cobra's ability to actually hear and possibly see it - the sight of the Poison Slayer so completely devastated had Midnight at a loss for what to do.

They had to do something though, right? Sure, she was emaciated to the point that he was sure one wrong breath would be the end of her. And the amount of blood seeping from her nose and ears and mouth was definitely not a good sign. But there had to be something they could do. Anything.

Jellal knelt down next to Meredy when she collapsed to her knees, quietly whispering to herself that they couldn't let Lucy die. He could feel it though, and he knew that Cobra could as well. Lucy didn't have much longer to live. And there wasn't a damn thing they could do to stop it. He pulled the Maguilty mage into his arms, letting her curl into his chest while she started sobbing.

Lucy slowly blinked, wincing when pain lanced through her body. Every joint and muscle ached as the damage Rogue had caused finally caught up with her. The scar across her stomach burned, reminding her of the pain that she'd endured when he cut her open.

"I never got to tell you." Cobra's voice wavered and his hands shook while he tried in vain to keep his emotions in check. "Please, Lucy. Don't die…"

When she looked up at Cobra again, she frowned when she saw the scared and desperate look in his eye. 'Tell me what?' she thought absently.

He took a shaky breath when he heard Lucy's soul calling out to the ones she loved, sending out its final farewells to those that couldn't be with her in the end. No matter what he wanted to say to her, Cobra could feel it deep within his soul. She needed something to hold onto. Something familiar. No matter how she'd accepted her fate, he could hear that she was still scared, deep down.

"Gimme her keys," he said softly, seeing fresh tears welling in her eyes when Angel gently pressed them into her open hand several moments later. "They're right here with you, Lucy. You're not alone. They're right here."

Why couldn't things have worked out differently? He felt so stupid for wasting so much time before, knowing that he could have been one of the people that she considered a friend even though he'd hurt her in the past. This was the only chance he was going to get, and he didn't plan on wasting it.

Still, when he tried to speak, he found himself sniffling and tears burning his only eye. But he could be strong. He had to be. "I'm sorry for what happened before," he whispered as the tears welling in his good eye spilled over and trickled down his cheek.

It wasn't the right time, but she had to know. He'd kept everything to himself for so long. Too fucking long. And maybe it was selfish of him to do it right then, but he had to.

"I've loved you for so long," he said. It tore at his heart to see the way her eyes brightened just a little. Why the hell had he never told her before? Why had he always been so fucking scared to get closer to her? When he tried to speak again, it took more effort than ever before in his life to make a single, coherent sentence. "L-Lucy, please don't die."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat, and she slowly pulled her other hand from his and brought it to his cheek, her fingers shaking as she caressed the scar over his eye. "I wish you'd told me sooner…"

She could see it in the way he was looking at her, how distraught he was by the prospect of her no longer living, that he was being sincere. She wished she had more time, but she could feel her life slowly ebbing away. Why couldn't she have had the chance to get to know the man that could look at her like this? To know what it was like for someone to love her and care for her as more than just a friend or guild mate?

The evil Cobra she'd heard about, the one she'd briefly seen all those years ago, was nothing like the man above her. The old Cobra wouldn't have helped to free her from that cage, or carried her and protected her when she was too weak to do it herself. But this Cobra did all of those things. He'd promised to care for her, to protect her… Why did it have to end now?

"Me too," he sniffled. Regret flowed through him while he listened to Lucy's thoughts mirroring his own. She wanted to know him the same way he did. So much time had been wasted, and now they wouldn't get that chance. When the faintest whisper of a thought concerning how long he'd loved her filtered in, Cobra whispered, "The Clock… I-I… I should have…"

He whimpered when Lucy's eyes fluttered closed for longer than normal, and desperately pressed her hand to his cheek when it started to slide away from him. He couldn't miss a single touch from her. Not if this was going to be the last time he ever got to see her.

Lucy's keys warmed comfortingly, and her eyes slowly opened again, her vision blurring here and there. She furrowed her brow and blinked repeatedly until she was able to see Cobra's indigo gaze staring down at her. She wanted to fight against the fog creeping in, feeling her breathing becoming more labored as time ticked onward. "M-My keys," she said, struggling to find the breath to get her words out. "Give them to… Yukino. She'll take good care of them."

Angel gasped and found herself being pulled into Midnight's arms. She knew now that she had wronged the spirits she'd once held contracts with, but the fact that Lucy was going to give those spirits to her younger sister filled her with pride and a deep sadness. She'd figured out while they were still locked up in prison that the young blonde was one of the kindest Celestial mages out there, and in the past few years she'd come to realize that Yukino's desire to become a Celestial mage was because of Lucy. If Lucy trusted Yukino with the care of her spirits, then Angel would ensure they made it to her. It was the least she could to do make it up to them - helping them get to a new friend, and not some sick master.

Cobra shook his head quickly, fear seeping into his veins and chilling him to the bone. He didn't want to lose her, not when he'd finally told her how he felt. "N-No, we'll find a way to-"

"Please…" Lucy watched as Cobra's lips trembled while he visibly forced himself to nod, then gave him the brightest smile she could manage. "I was... born in a cage. At least… I didn't die in one, too… Th-Thank you, Cobra. I'm… I-I'm free…"

The first sob wracked Cobra's body when Lucy used the last of her strength to lift her other hand to his head and pull it down to hers. As soon as their lips connected, he poured every ounce of the love he'd held for her for years into that kiss. Her lips moved so passionately over his, taking his breath away with the intensity of it.

He could hear her soul singing a sweet lullaby that was filled with happiness, and it only made him want to be closer to her. To stop time completely so he could just stay like this with her forever. Her pain and fear disappeared completely, leaving only the song he'd heard from her so long ago when he fell in love with the radiant woman in his arms. Lucy's soul soared high into the heavens when her tongue slid out to meet with his, and he willingly gave in to his desire to experience everything he possibly could before she left him forever.

He'd been an idiot for not telling her how he felt before. For not seeking her out so they could get to really know one another.

Cobra had no clue how much time had passed before her lips slowed along with her heart. The grip on his hair loosened slightly. Still, he couldn't let her go. Not yet. Not when he'd just found the happiness he'd been seeking for so long. Not when he realized that he was doing the same thing for her, and making her feel complete. He listened to those last echoes of her soul, to the way she seemed to whisper only to him. Her own thoughts were still there in fragments, but he was able to see the woman Lucy was deep down.

She was vibrant and beautiful, with kind and compassionate eyes, a heart that engulfed everyone she met, and a wild fire in her soul that didn't take no for an answer. She was smart and funny, and everything he'd ever wanted in a woman. That image he saw of her was the way she was supposed to look, healthy and nearly glowing while she stood in the sunlight with a gentle wind whipping through her golden hair. The smile on her lips was only for him, the way she sighed his name saved only for his magic to pick up.

Her truest feelings were rooted so deeply in her soul that he couldn't blame himself for missing it before. He'd never wanted to pry into this part of her the few times they'd been in the same vicinity in the last few years. He'd respected her too much, cared for her too much, to betray her. Because Cobra had longed to have her soul open up to him of her own accord. Just as it was doing for him right then.

He knew her final moments were coming, so he delved even deeper. It didn't really take much, since the soul of a dying person was already so open, but he wanted to know the deepest parts of the woman that he was about to lose forever. And he could feel her soul winding around his magic, pulling him ever closer.

'So this is what love is like… I wish I'd told him sooner…'

Lucy looked up as she was being absorbed by the clock, anger filling her that these people would do something so despicable with no remorse for their actions. Midnight, Cobra, and Angel ignored her completely as they spoke, but just before the other two left Midnight alone with her, Cobra's single amethyst eye locked onto hers.

Everything stopped for her in that moment.

She suddenly saw past his scowling face and posture that radiated tension. There was something hidden just beneath the surface, something that she could see he was trying to hide. Pain and loneliness. If she hadn't seen it in her own reflection so many times before, she probably never would have noticed it. He looked lost, like this whole thing was something he had been dragged into against his will, but there was no other option for him.

That was just silly though. He'd chosen to follow through with this plan. He could have refused it.

But Lucy knew what she'd seen. Reluctance. Pain. Why was he hurting so much? Why couldn't anyone else see it? Didn't the other members of his guild care that he felt this way?

As he turned away from her, Lucy found herself wishing that she could be the one to take that pain away from him. She wasn't physically strong like everyone else she knew, even like Cobra himself, but what she lacked in physical strength, she made up for emotionally. Her heart went out to the maroon-haired mage as he left the room with Angel. If given the chance, she was willing to take his pain away. She couldn't explain why she felt so compelled to help someone that was assisting in Midnight's diabolical scheme, but that small moment that she had been able to see the man beneath the mask was all it took for her to come to a startling realization. She could save Cobra from a life of misery, pain, and loneliness. If given the chance, she would do it in a heartbeat. Lucy lowered her head as Midnight turned around, closing her eyes and silently praying that she would get to see that indigo eye again.

'One day, Cobra… One day, I'll set you free. I promise…'

One last breath escaped her lips as Lucy's memory faded along with her soul, and Cobra pulled it into himself, wanting just one small part of the beautiful woman he'd lost to be with him forever. She stilled and her hands fell to the ground, her keys dropping and clanging in the otherwise silent room.

Cobra's body trembled while he gave her one last small kiss. His heart shattered into millions of pathetic little pieces with the knowledge that the one woman he'd ever loved, that had apparently loved him just the same all this time, was gone. He hadn't saved her like she had wanted to do for him. They could have saved each other from the years of pain that followed that day with that stupid clock, but he had failed. He hadn't protected her, when he'd sworn he would. Everything he had ever wanted in life was in shambles, and he could hear his own soul - for the first time in years - wailing desperately as it tried in vain to latch onto hers.

If only he could catch her soul before it left. If only he had the power to hold onto her with his own soul, to bring her back to him. But there was no song ringing from her any longer. There were no thoughts. No memories. She was empty and lifeless, and he hadn't done a goddamn thing to stop it from happening. He'd held her, cried over her, begged her not to go, but it had all been in vain. What else could he possibly have done?

Why couldn't she have stayed with him?

'Why does everyone I love leave me?'

Despair clutched at the hole in his chest, and he tore away from her lips to roar his anguish to the heavens with all the power he could possibly muster. Once his voice died out, Cobra collapsed and openly sobbed, not caring in the slightest that he wasn't alone. Every hope and dream he'd had over the years crumbled. His only chance at happiness was gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. His own soul screamed so loudly that he couldn't hear anyone else's while they watched him, frozen in the face of such despair coming from the man they had all thought of as unflappable and heartless, even after all this time.