Disclaimer: I don't own

A/N: I swear this story has a mind of its own. Sorry! Also I didn't realize the format is messed up. I am not too sure how to fix that.

Losing Lucy

"Get lost!" Lucy screeched at him as she slammed the door to the bathroom.

Natsu let out a sigh as he heard the bath water turn on. He plopped back down on the now unoccupied bed. He ran a hand through his pink hair in frustration. Things weren't really getting any better. Lucy had her better days but when she had a setback it was like starting all over. And she killed that guy. Granted he had been attacking her. But still that wasn't the Fairy Tail way. That wasn't even the normal Lucy way.

Natsu felt like he was losing Lucy all over again.

000-00

Losing Lucy. He had completely lost her. There was not one trace of her scent anywhere. Natsu had viciously searched the area over and over. Happy was flying high in the sky doing an aerial search. Gray and Ezra also searched the wooded area while Wendy and Carla searched up and down along the river they had been on. Nothing. No trail. No foot print. It was like she had vanished into thin air.

0000-000

"This job is kind of lame!" Lucy whined as she stumbled her way through the thigh deep waters of the river.

"But it is a task that needs to be completed. We gave them our word." Erza spotted another ruby stone in the water, quickly snatching it up and placing it in her bag.

"You two are slower than molasses!" Natsu sneered from the edge of the riverbank with his hands placed proudly on his hips with his own bag full of gems dangling from his side.

"Aye!" Happy agreed as he landed with his own mini bag hanging to his side.

"You try maneuvering through this cold water!" Lucy shot back.

"Feels good to me!" Gray now joined Erza and Lucy in the water.

"Gray! Your clothes!" Lucy pointed to the ice wizard in annoyance.

"There are children, Gray!" Erza scolded as Wendy and Carla joined the team.

"Relax! I am just trying to help!" Gray commented quietly.

"You mean you collected all your gems too?" Lucy whined.

"Told you guys you were slow!" Natsu repeated himself.

"It is not my fault. My partner whines and moves slowly." Erza defended herself.

"Hey! That's not nice!"

"Here Lucy!" Gray handed Lucy another ruby gem.

"Thank you, Gray. You are so nice, unlike some people!" Lucy smiled sweetly to Gray.

"You're welcome! Your bag is looking a little empty so I thought I'd help," Gray teased.

"Not you too! You jerk!" Lucy stuck her tongue out at Gray before turning around and making her way to were Natsu and Wendy were now sitting at the riverbank. "Stupid team." Lucy grumbled to herself. Lucy wasn't paying attention as she walked and before she knew it, she had tripped over a rock and fell face first into the cold waters soaking herself and her backpack.

"Clumsy Lucy!" Natsu laughed as he hauled Lucy out of the waters, cradling her almost like a baby as he made his way back to the shore. Lucy didn't say a word. She was too cold and now too tired to argue with Natsu. How had he reached her so quickly anyway? It didn't matter though because his body was nice and warm to her frigid skin. She thought he'd drop her as soon as he they reached the shore but he hadn't.

"Maybe we should make camp here. We can count all the gemstones we've collected. I don't think we have collected the full five hundred yet so we can finish up early tomorrow." Erza emerged from the water, her too looking a little bit worse for wear.

"I can start dinner!" Wendy began to open up her back pack and pull out some dried fruits she had along with some salted meat that had been wrapped up.

"Good idea. I will help you." Carla joined Wendy in making the small dinner.

"Natsu, will you start a fire?" Erza requested as she reequipped into dry clothes.

Natsu sat Lucy down on wobbly legs as he went to do as he was asked.

"You should probably take off your clothes." Gray appeared next Lucy.

"No way pervert!" Lucy screeched.

"Here," Gray handed his large maroon tee to the shivering blonde, "I just meant you may want to get out of those wet clothes."

Lucy fought the blush as she took the giant tee and snuck behind a large tree to change. She stripped down to her underwear before quickly tossing the large maroon tee on. Luckily for her, it fit her like a giant dress. Scooping up her wet clothes she laid them on a rock before making her way back to the makeshift campsite.

"Why are you so red in the face, Lushi?" Happy poked at Lucy as she took her seat next to Natsu.

"I'm not!" Lucy protested as Wendy passed Lucy her dinner portions.

"You are kind of pink." Wendy agreed.

"Are you getting ill?" Erza asked between bites.

"No-no! I am fine!" Lucy quickly started shoveling food into her mouth, ignoring the strange looks she was receiving from a certain dragon slayer and ice mage.

-00-

The rest of dinner went by uneventful. The sun had set and the moon was now high in the sky. The team had laid out their sleeping bags in the clearing with the sound of the river being their lullaby. The group had been asleep for a while when Lucy suddenly awoke. She couldn't place her finger on it but something was off. The fire had burned out and it was now dark. The stream….Lucy couldn't hear the stream. She looked over her shoulder and could easily spot the river. So where was the sound?

"Nastu?" Lucy reaches over to give Natsu a light shove but he doesn't respond. That's when Lucy notices he doesn't even look to be breathing. "Natsu! Natsu!" Lucy shakes him but he doesn't move. His body literally doesn't waver an inch as she shakes him ruthlessly.

"He is fine. He is just suspended."

Lucy jumped at the unexpected voice. She strained her eyes in the darkness trying to spot the figure. "Let- let them go! Whatever you did un do it now!" Lucy struggled to keep her voice level.

"I will. In time that is. Once I get what I came for." The figure emerged from the shadows. A tall man with dark hair became visible by the moon light.

"Are you after the gems? Take them already!" Lucy barked.

The man laughed at her assumption. "I've not come for the gems, stupid girl. I came for you." And in a flash the man was standing over Lucy with a hand reaching for her hair. Lucy did a roll over Natsu to get out of the man's reach before looping back around and reaching for her keys.

"Gate of the Lion- Leo- I summon you!"

But nothing happened.

"Time is suspended. That includes your spirits being able to enter this world." The man laughed as Lucy's face faltered. Lucy prepared for a sprint. She needed to get this man away from her friends. Then maybe they would become mobile again and help her. It was not much of a plan but it was the only one she could form. Lucy dug her bare heels into the dirt prepping for her run.

One. Two. Three.

Lucy made a mad dash away from her friends. She chanted to herself over and over not to trip. This was one time she could not afford to fall. She was running as fast as she could and although it was hard to tell over her breathing, she could hear the man's footsteps not far behind her.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried for help. She was defenseless without her keys. She should have grabbed her whip!

"Gotcha you!" Lucy heard right before she felt a hand grab her hair and toss her roughly into a tree. Lucy could feel the bark scrape her face as she crashed into the tree harshly. Lucy quickly shoved herself off the tree and did her best at a Lucy kick to the man. He dodged it with ease and she stumbled about to regain her balance. The man used Lucy's wobbliness to his advantage as he gave her a quick shove to the ground. Lucy fell on the ground with a thud. Before she could flip herself over she could feel the man straddling her back. His arms on either side of her, trapping her.

"Now you are mine."

Lucy had no idea what she was doing. She reacted on instinct. As her attacker lowered his face to hers she used this chance to head-butt him as hard as she could.

"Bitch." And with that he slammed Lucy's face into the ground hard enough for her to lose consciousness.

000-000

The sun was just rising when Natsu sniffed the air lightly with his eyes still closed. Something was off. He could smell his entire team…his entire team expect Lucy. Natsu opened one eye to sneak a peek at his best friend's sleeping bag. She had been reeking of Gray since putting on his stupid shirt. Maybe that was throwing his senses off? Her bed was empty but for the most part looked undisturbed.

Natsu slowly sat up and glanced over to the river. No Lucy over there. Natsu took a few more deep breaths. And didn't understand why he wasn't smelling Lucy at all. Not a trace of her.

"Lucy?" Natsu quickly stood up and shouted his best friends name, "Luuuuccyyyy?!"

"Quiet down, flame brain." Gray grumbled from his bed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Erza questioned as she sat up, no needing to rub the sleep from her eyes. She was already at full attention.

"I can't smell Lucy." Natsu frantically yelled at his teammates, panic written all over his face.

"Don't be a perv." Gray finally sat up.

"He is right. Lucy is gone." Wendy's eyes wide in horror as well as she joined Natsu in the middle of the camp.

How did he lose Lucy? She had been right next to him.

000-00

"You are still here?" Lucy glared at Natsu as she emerged from the bathroom.

"Of course." Natsu grinned, "I'll always be here."

"I feel like you are trying to do a weird double meaning." Lucy huffed as she took a seat next to her longtime friend.

"I'm not the weirdo. That's you." Natsu ruffled Lucy's wet hair. Natsu ignored the flinch Lucy gave when he reached for her and took it as a good sign she didn't flee from him immediately. Natsu dropped his hand and the two remained seated on the edge of bed in silence.

"Natsu. I'm sorry I can't always control myself. I can't help the outburst you know. This anger I feel. The lack of guilt from my actions. The wanting to hurt others and sometimes joy I get from it. All of these things once felt so foreign to me feel like home. I don't know if the Lucy you are waiting for will ever return. I'm so….tired."

Natsu shrugged in response, "Guess I better get used to this Lucy then. She's even weirder than the one before."

Lucy looked up wide eyes in awe of Natsu. He was accepting her as she was? He wasn't leaving her? She was a monster. Not just physically but mentally too. She was used, gross, and damaged. She had been destroyed.

Natsu did his best to let Lucy sort her feelings out on her own. He could see almost every emotion flicker through her eyes as she tried to decipher things. He was tired. He wanted to pull the blonde into a big snuggle and sleep the rest of the night away with her in his arms. Hopefully protecting her from all her inner demons. So that's what he did. He tried not to over think it as she struggled against his hold at first. She didn't scream at him but she was clearly uncomfortable by his actions. "It's ok, Luce. I'm not going to hurt you." He murmured as he pulled her closer into him, her back firm against his chest. Lucy finally stopped struggling against him. Natsu could smell the anxiety and fear on her. He could hear her rapid heartbeat. He loosed his grip. If she still wanted to flee he would let her.

She stayed.