Yo guys! Sorry 'bout that cliffhanger, but it was so worth it. I'm not even sorry. It was a little on the melodramatic side and I may fix it at a later date, but I hope that I can work with it well enough that you will continue to enjoy this story.

Thank you so much for your reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't own this anymore than Lucy owns Aquarius. Wow was that mean!

Warning: I dunno…language, violence, fighting? We'll just have to see…

-Four hours after Erza, Cana and Lucy arrived at Fairy Tail-

The guild was tense with silence, many people had headed home though, after hearing a tired Wendy state that Lucy was perfectly fine, just sleeping off the blood loss she had suffered. But many had also stayed. Mirajane had stayed longer than she normally would, serving the haggard people who were waiting for news of their Celestial mage, including the two who had brought her home.

"Why weren't we there?" Erza asked to empty air, slamming a gauntleted fist onto the bar top, metres down from where a quiet Mirajane was serving an equally silent Levy. "We could've stopped the mo-!"

"Erza!" Snapped Cana as she downed mouthful, after mouthful of ale from a barrel. "Stop it!" She slammed the barrel onto the ground and slid out closer to Erza's left, gripping the red head's shoulder in support. "Lucy was simply forgetful, and we had been doing the same exercise for nearly two months! Of course someone was going to get slack after a while! It's just that Lucy was the unlucky person…"

Erza looked gratefully up to Cana before relaxing her tense posture and pulling her hand out of the bar's woodwork, splinters clattering to the floor as she did so. "Where's Natsu? Gray?"

"Both of them are in with Lucy," interjected Mirajane, scrubbing down the right-side of the bar. "You know Natsu hasn't left her the whole time, and Gray said something about not trusting Natsu to take care of her on her own." She gave a tired giggle, reminiscent of her usual fervour, before she turned with a smile to her sister who came asking when she was coming home.

"I'm going to go and check on her again," announced Erza, pushing her stool away from the bar so she could stand up. "Cana?"

"I'm coming," the drunkard grumbled, standing up to follow Erza to the guild's own medical bay. "But if she doesn't wake up in the next ten minutes, I'm going home. I'm exhausted. And," Cana frowned grumpily to herself as she and Erza headed for the medical bay door. "We didn't even get the reward money!"

Erza led the way into the medical bay, stone walls and sterile floors greeting them. "We can get it at a later time or have the mayor send it, there is no hurry, Cana."

"I want that money though," whined Cana slightly.

Ignoring the whinging brunette, Erza stalked past to approach the small bed that contained their friend.

Lucy looked incredibly small as she lay peacefully underneath white sheets, like she was sleeping. You wouldn't have thought she was injured, if it weren't for the heavily bandaged arm that was sitting on top of the sheets, standing out with its tints of red that dappled the textured surface here and there.

"How is she?" Erza's question was directed towards the two boys that sat either side of the bed on small, metal chairs. Just sitting there, watching and observing.

"She's okay," Gray divulged, shifting in his seat before standing up, crossing his arms over his bare chest as he did so. "Still sleeping."

"Gray," Cana walked over to slide smoothly into Gray's chair, claiming it as her own. "Your clothes."

The Ice mage merely blinked down at his bare chest before shrugging. He could find his clothes later.

Erza's gaze fell on the other occupant of the room, staring at Lucy's still form like looking away would make her disappear.

Natsu had been frantic when Lucy had come in, held in Loke's arms. He had promptly taken Lucy from Loke's arms and dragged Wendy into the medical bay, demanding that she fix Lucy right away. The little, blue-haired girl had, of course, but had informed the gathered Team Natsu and Cana that she couldn't do anything for the scars, and that she was sorry.

Both Cana and Erza had assured the girl that she had done well and that she could go home to rest, they would watch over their friend. Wendy had reluctantly agreed and bade them goodnight, wandering off with Carla (and Happy who had insisted on walking them home) to replenish her magic supply with sleep. It had taken around an hour to heal Lucy and they had arrived rather late in the afternoon, so it was hitting around seven when Wendy had left.

That had been three hours ago, and Natsu hadn't moved from his seat. Erza didn't know whether to be amused or worried for her teammate. His fondness was apparent for his partner, no fight could possibly take that away. So Erza couldn't help but wonder how he would react to Lucy waking up.

It would be interesting, that's for sure.

"We all know Lucy-chan's a heavy sleeper," said Cana a few minutes after quiet chatter between her and Gray. "So why don't I head home and you guys can decide whether or not you're going to head to bed as well." She stood up and stretched, her usual bra not doing much to hide her well-endowed chest. "I'll see you guys around, and just inform me when Lucy-chan gets better. I can't help but feel bad since she got injured on my watch…" Scruffing her hair, Cana went to leave, waving one of her hands in farewell.

"…Don't feel bad, Cana…"

There was a clamour at Lucy's whispered words, everyone (including the previously departing Cana) crowding around her bed and watching as she woke up with heavy blinks of tired brown eyes.

"Lucy?" Natsu's voice was first heard, the boy up out of his chair in order to scrunch his hands in the sheets beside Lucy's side. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been mauled by a monster," she replied dryly, shifting her injured arm to get a feel of it. "Where am I?"

Smirking, Gray leaned in to poke Lucy on the forehead. "You're at the guild, sleeping beauty."

Brown eyes finally opened in consciousness, and Lucy stared up at one of her male teammates. "Gray?"

"The one and only," the male supplied, leaning back out of her space so that she could sit up. "You gave everyone a scare there."

Lucy sat up fully with the help of Erza, pillows propped up behind her by Cana. "I'm so sorry, Cana, Erza. I didn't even think about summoning a spirit when I began walking through the forest back to you guys. We had cleared so much of the forest that I thought…" The blonde trailed off helplessly, looking up with apologetic eyes to her two teammates of two months. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive," Cana said with a shrug. "You got the jump, that's all."

"I agree with Cana," inputted Erza. "You can hit me, Lucy, for failing my duty as team leader!"

Flustered slightly, Lucy shook her head venomously, but stopped when the room spun. "Uh…"

"Wendy said since you lost a lot of blood, you might get some spells of dizziness." Gray crossed his arms again and leant back on his heels. "So don't be a ditzy blonde and shake your head around like that, okay?"

A soft smile came across Lucy's face, and she slapped Gray with her uninjured arm half-heartedly. "Ass…"

Gray smirked back before noticing that a certain loudmouth hadn't spoke up at all, either than the first words Lucy had heard. Then, why was she ignoring him? She still couldn't be angry, could she? It seemed impossible (Lucy not the one to hold a grudge that long, just like Natsu, in fact), but Gray was sure if they left them alone…

"Well," he started, picking up his shirt that he had tossed over a nearby bed. "I'm heading off since you're all better now. Is anyone else heading off?" He caught Cana's eye and saw the same devious glint that she had whenever she was about to con one of the males of the guild into a drinking contest. She was definitely thinking what he was thinking.

"I'll head off, too," Cana agreed, walking around Lucy's bed to stand next to Gray. "You coming, Erza? I can't get in unless you give me the key."

Erza glanced up and nodded, "I'll be right behind you." As the other two headed off, sharing a secretive high five, Erza turned back to Lucy with a smile. "If you want, you can come and sleep at my place again." Her brown eyes flickered over to the still form of Natsu before locking back onto Lucy. "I don't mind."

"No." Natsu said shortly, chipping into the conversation. "She's coming back to her place. Where she belongs." There was no room for argument in his tone of voice, so Erza bowed her head in a sign of submission she rarely showed. "Okay, I will see you two shortly, I hope." She walked over to the door to the main hall in the guild, clanking with every step.

Lucy, who had been quiet in bewilderment at everyone's sudden disappearance, smiled back hesitantly. "Y-yeah. I'll try and get to the guild tomorrow."

Erza waved and walked out, the clanking of her armour dying away with every step.

An awkward silence fell over the medical bay as Lucy tried to look anywhere but at the other occupant of the room, and Natsu continued to stare solidly at her.

"You're not going to the guild tomorrow," Natsu spoke up. At seeing Lucy's face flush with anger and her mouth open to argue, he quickly spoke. "You're going to stay home and rest."

Lucy huffed at his solid words, and went to cross her arms and pout, but found the vague pain in her right arm spiking with a hidden rage. "Ow!"

Instantly, Natsu was standing up and hovering over her. "Are you okay, Lucy? Should I call for one of the other girls? Do you need me to go get Wendy?"

The tenseness was shattered by the Fire mage's words and Lucy couldn't help but giggle. 'How could I be scared that it would be awkward and angry between us? He's Natsu, the most reckless, idiotic, kindest person I know.'

At hearing Lucy giggle, Natsu relaxed slightly and scratched his head, embarrassed at his outburst. "So, do you want to head back to your place now? I mean, you don't have to, but-"

"I would be happy to go home, Natsu," smiled Lucy. "I've missed my bed."

"Who wouldn't?!" Grinned Natsu. "It's so comfy! And I had all to myself when you…were gone…" His grin faded as he spoke, and Lucy couldn't help but feel guilty.

"I'm sorry."

Natsu perked up at Lucy's quiet words. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Lucy repeated, clenching the sheets with her uninjured hand. "It was stupid to get angry over your words, you didn't mean anything by it, and…I overreacted, and then I got scared…" The girl gulped as she remembered fleeing from her nakama. "What I did was inexcusable. I left without a word and didn't resolve my mistakes." She chewed her bottom lip with her teeth, worrying it so that she wouldn't shed the tears that were currently warming her face. "I'm so sorry, Natsu."

She waited for the angry words she knew she deserved. She waited for Natsu to snap and fly off the hand, shouting about how stupid she had been and how she shouldn't be part of Fairy Tail if she would just leave her nakama. She waited…And waited…

"Luce."

The word was spoken with softness that the blonde hadn't expected, but she flinched all the same as she would if it was shouted.

An arm slipped around her and she was carefully pulled into a taunt chest, the familiar smell of ashes and flames themselves filling her nose. She smothered the urge to gape at the sudden action of companionship from Natsu. Although he was a physical person who often was in contact with his nakama (Lucy really couldn't remember a single day where he wasn't grasping her shoulder, or slinging his arm over them), he rarely ever initiated hugs.

"Natsu…" With her left arm, Lucy hugged her partner closer. "Thank you."

Those two words had so many meanings, and Natsu couldn't even begin to decipher them all.

She could've meant thank you, for him silently taking her apologies and returning them back. But why wouldn't he?

She could've said it, just for the action of hugging. He would do it anytime she asked, no questions asked if she would just smile again.

It could've even been, for everything he had done. He couldn't imagine what he had done to earn such a thank you. He was simply…Natsu.

And – although he didn't know it – that was what Lucy was thankful for.

Natsu was the one who had brought her to Fairy Tail, to her new life. He was the one who had done so many things to make her feel at home – but was it home without her partner? – and he had just…

Lucy had no words for how amazing a blessing Natsu was to her.

"Natsu," the blonde said into his chest, fanning the bare skin with her warm breath. "Let's go home."

The early morning sun wasn't the thing that had woken up Lucy. Nor was it the sounds of the outside world drifting through her open window. It was a combination of; heat, a sense of security, and a sharp throbbing pain in her arm.

Sleepily blinking her eyes open, Lucy took in the blurry view of her room before she noted that only one of her eyes was taking in any images.

"Eh?"

The thing that was blocking her left eye shifted, but Lucy was dragged with it, noting absently that she had something wrapped around her waist, trapping her to whatever was blocking her sight.

"You up, Luce?"

A flush worked its way up Lucy's face, and she felt her face burn with mortification as she realised that she was snuggled up against her partner, his left arm curled around her body in order to pull her closer to his chest.

Thinking quickly, Lucy pretended to shift and made small noises, as if she was only just waking up and was yet to realise that she was in bed with Natsu!

(Not that it was very unusual as the Dragon Slayer often snuck into her bed, but he had never snuggled or cuddled with her!)

"Luuuucccyyyyy~!" Natsu was now calling her and shaking her softly. "Wake up, Lucy! C'mon, lazy bones! Up and at 'em!"

"No, Natsu. Sleeping." Lucy muttered, trying very hard to pretend that she wasn't going to combust into flames of horror and embarrassment.

"No, Lucy! It's time to wake up! I'm hungry!"

"Aye!"

At the new voice, Lucy's eyes snapped open to see a grinning, blue face pressed up against her own. "Happy?!"

The cat moved back slightly, floating with his white wings. "Aye! Who else would it be?"

Trying to sit up and finding that Natsu's arm was still around her waist, and that her arm was still very much injured, Lucy did something that she was rather good at.

Scream.

The sudden, high-pitched (painfully so) noise startled Natsu who let go of Lucy in favour of throwing his arms up and trying to move away. His head thumped into the windowsill, and he nursed it before looking grumpily at Lucy whose scream slowly petered out. "What the hell was that for, Luce?"

The blonde nursed her right arm as she glared at Natsu, ignoring the wail of Happy who had tumbled off the bed. "Who said you could sleep in my bed, Natsu?!"

"You did!" He argued back, sitting up, the pink covers of Lucy's bed tangling around his legs. "Don't you remember? Last night, when we got back here, you asked me to stay. And then when I got into bed, you didn't argue back!"

"What?!" Squeaked Lucy, blushing a bright red, even as she tugged the covers up over her incredibly loose, black shirt – Was this one of Natsu's?! "No way! Why would I let you sleep here?"

A look of hurt crossed Natsu's face, and Lucy instantly felt bad. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that, Natsu. I was just surprised to see you here. I don't really remember anything of last night, after we walked back from the guild.

Natsu brightened up and grinned happily at Lucy. "That's okay, Luce! Happy joined us last night and slept here as well, you didn't mind him sleeping her either."

Lucy wanted to argue that Happy was a cat, and that he didn't go around hugging unsuspecting people in his sleep, but she bit her tongue and stayed silent. She didn't want to hurt her friends feelings any more than she already had.

"I'm just glad you're feeling better!" Natsu continued before his smile died down and he peered at her anxiously. "Are you alright? And don't lie to me, Luce, I don't like it when you lie. And you're bad at it anyways."

Cringing slightly, Lucy looked away from her partner in order to inspect her arm, not noticing Happy scrambling up onto the bed and plopping tiredly onto the covers where her feet were situated. "Um, it stings a little, but I don't think it's too bad." She tugged at the bandages that were coating her arm, slightly sloppy, but not too bad. "Did you bandage them last night?"

Scratching his cheek bashfully, Natsu nodded. "Yeah, I did. They're not too bad, are they?"

"No," Lucy responded quickly to reassure him. "I was just wondering if I should take them off. I don't think I can take a shower with these on." She studied the arm as she threw back the covers and slid out of bed, smiling slightly at Happy's muffled protests as he got buried in the pink blankets.

Natsu shrugged before scrambling off the bed to follow Lucy, feet thumping on the ground behind her. "So, are you taking a shower now?"

Lucy hummed in answer, rummaging through her chest-of-draws to find some casual clothing to wear. "Yeah, I feel kind of gross. And it's been two months since I last used a real shower. Washing in the stream really isn't the same."

"But that's what me and Natsu do," said Happy from the bed. "What's wrong with that?"

Lucy rolled her eyes to herself as she went to open her bathroom door, clothes clenched in her left hand. She went to open the door, but found her one good arm currently full. Staring at the blank door with equally blank eyes, Lucy cursed her luck.

"Lucy, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Lucy, who stares at doors like that?"

Growling in her throat from Happy's teasing remark, Lucy whirled around with a glare on her face. "Shut up, you damn cat!"

"Waahh!" Happy burbled, sprouting wings in order to glide from Lucy's bed to Natsu's hair. "Lucy's such a meanie!"

Natsu patted his partner soothingly, "yeah, she can be a real meanie sometimes, pal."

At those words, Lucy relaxed her angry stance. "Sorry, Happy, I didn't mean to be mean."

Blinking at the unusual reaction, Happy flapped off Natsu's head in order to share a confused look with his best friend.

Natsu turned back to his favourite blonde to see her dropping her clothes carelessly to the ground (something she would never usually do), in order to open her bathroom door. Her bandaged right arm swung uselessly at her side, the fabric teasing him with its blankness. "Hey, Lucy."

The blonde stiffened after she followed her kicked clothes into her bathroom. "Yeah?"

"You can't shower if you only have one arm, you weirdo." Natsu wrinkled his nose at her, his expression slightly grim, but still retaining its joking features.

Lucy grimaced in return, eyes flicking to her useless arm. "I'll manage."

"You can't take a shower unsupervised," began Natsu stubbornly, crossing his arms to emphasis his current emotion. "So me and Happy will have to watch you shower. To make sure you don't fall or injure yourself, or something."

Lucy's face blossomed into a lovely tomato. "W-WHAT?! WATCH ME?!"

"Yeah," inputted Happy, "it's for your own good, Lucy. We'll just sit inside the bathroom and watch you."

The blonde clutched her right hand close to her chest protectively. "THE HELL YOU WILL!"

"Fine," Natsu rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms, "you can just keep the door open."

A wordless shriek escaped Lucy's mouth and she slammed the bathroom door, cutting off their view of her and rattling the walls.

Happy and Natsu shared confused looks before shrugging at the girls actions. And Lucy wondered why they thought she was weird…

Inside the bathroom, Lucy was standing stock-still, panting slightly as she leant with her good hand against the bathroom door. The nerve of him! Asking so casually to perve on her! She out to…

The anger died down and the blonde slumped tiredly, left arm dropping to her side. She shouldn't be angry at him, not after being so rude. Nope. After today, she would try and be as nice as she could to Natsu, and by default, Happy, since he was as much her partner as the Fire mage.

A soft groan escaped her lips as she straightened up and turned around to have a nice shower. Normally she would enjoy a bath, but she didn't feel like lazing around in the water, she felt like having spray hitting her face and waking her up (not like she wasn't already hyperaware of everything after the amount of blood rushing to her head this morning).

Struggling to undress with one arm, Lucy tugged off her black t-shirt – she was pretty damn sure this was one of Natsu's that he had left here one night – and accompanying pink shorts – had Natsu changed her?! Her face flushed once more and she decided to focus on unwrapping her arm to take her mind off it.

Gritting her teeth in preparation of any pain, Lucy untucked the end of the bandage that was situated up near her shoulder and began to slowly unravel it. When it reached her elbow, she hesitated.

Although she had full trust in Wendy's capabilities, she couldn't help but fear of the damage that had been inflicted on her arm.

Would there be scars?

Screwing her face up in determination – Fairy Tail mages didn't run from fear! – Lucy unravelled the bandages to reveal a slightly bloody, thin red line that curved across the crook of her elbow to her underarm.

Almost reverently, she traced the slightly raised line, marvelling at how healed it already was. Sure, if she applied any more pressure, the small layer of scab that had formed would break and release a torrent of blood, but Wendy had done a remarkable job and Lucy couldn't be more thankful.

Cheered by this good development, Lucy flicked around her left hand to take off the bandages faster. Another, slightly deeper and wider scab was revealed, slashing across her pale forearm. She cringed at the mark, knowing that it would be more obvious than the last one, but continued to take off the bandages.

But when she passed her wrist, she had to stop in horror.

Her mark. Her guild mark. The beloved pink Fairy Tail mark that signified who she was – Lucy of Fairy Tail! Not Lucy Heartifilia! – had a thick, angry, ropey scar through it. The scar came from the sharp jut of her wrist to the base of her thumb. It went right through the guild mark, entering by the 'belly' of the fairy and joining its wings in a large sweep.

"Oh no…" She moaned before shutting her mouth with a click, not wanting her sharp-eared teammate to be worried.

"Luce?"

Speak of the devil…

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, marvelling at how steady her voice was. "Just realised that I have no clue where my bags with my clothes are. I'm pretty sure I left them at the forest." As she spoke, she pulled off the last of the bandage with a vicious tug before throwing it over with her clothes.

"Oh, yeah!" Came Natsu's excited cry from right outside her door (Lucy could only pray that he wasn't going to come barging in). "Cana said that she got your bags from that pink-haired spirit of yours. Marco or something."

"Virgo," Lucy heard Happy correct. "It's really not that hard.

"Hey!" Lucy sighed at Natsu's angry shout before approaching the shower, determined to get cleaned up. She drowned out the muffled shouts and thumps from outside her door with the constant spray of warm water, carefully stepping into the blissful heat so as to not get her right arm wet.

She spent nearly half an hour under the spray; alternately cleaning herself and staring down at her new scars.

When she finally stepped out, Lucy felt invigorated and like she could maybe handle all of the curveballs that life had been chucking at her recently.

"Are you done yet, Luce? Me an' Happy are hungry!"

"Aye!"

Lucy tripped slightly as she pulled on a pair of jeans, "j-just a second!" Se hurriedly pulled up her pants and fastened her belt with her keys and whip hanging of it before tugging on a plain red t-shirt with stars embodied on it.

After hesitating and realising that Natsu would freak out if he saw her scars, Lucy wrapped the bandages back around her arms, fiddling with the end with her one arm. Several moments passed before she threw her left arm up in anger and irritation. "I'll never fix it!"

There was a rattling and Natsu poked his head through the now-open door. "Fix what?"

Lucy screamed slightly and whirled around, chest heaving in surprise. "D-don't just barge in! What if I was getting changed?!"

Natsu shrugged before slipping in, "so what?"

Honestly, Lucy thought Natsu could be the densest person in the world at times. Most times, actually.

Lucy breathed out through her nose before turning away and fiddling with the tail of the bandage, trying (fruitlessly) to tuck the end in with one hand.

"What's wrong, Luce?" Natsu padded over to peer over the blonde's shoulder to see her struggling with her bandages. "Do you want me to help?"

Lucy's first instinct was to decline (she could do it herself, damn it!), but she found herself nodding and offering her arm up to Natsu.

'I seriously sound like I'm sacrificing my arm…'

Natsu's warm hands brushed Lucy's shoulder as he reached for the bandage, and couldn't help but notice that she was stronger than before. He could see the definition of her arms and legs that weren't there before, even if her legs were currently covered by long pants.

That was something that had also changed, Natsu had noted, as he tucked the end of the bandage in firmly. Lucy was wearing long pants, a modest shirt and had done nothing with her hair. Not even blow-dried it, simply letting it naturally dry, which was something that Natsu rarely ever saw.

Just how much had she changed in two months?

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Natsu found that his hands was still resting on Lucy's shoulder and that she was steadily turning a darker shade of red.

"Oi," Natsu moved one of his hands to her forehead, noting at how hot she was. "You're not getting a fever, are you? Should I go get Wendy?"

Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but found herself beaten to the punchline by a giggling Happy.

"She liiiikeeees him~!"

"Shut up you damn cat!" Lucy twisted away from Natsu's grip, good arm thrust into the arm as she angrily chased after the smirking and teasing Happy through her apartment. "Get back here!"

Head cocked to the side, Natsu wondered at his teammate's odd mood swings. She could be happy one second, bashful the next. And then even angry or running a high fever.

Honestly, Natsu thought Lucy could be so weird sometimes. He watched as Lucy jumped up on her bare feet, arm grasping uselessly for a floating Happy.

Most times, actually.

This chapter is done and literally nothing has happened.

Honestly, I feel disappointed in myself.

But, there was no fight and there was a sort of Natsu and Lucy friendship going down which is always great to have.

Although they seem perfectly fine and it's like nothing has happened, there will still be some conflicts and major differences in the future. Lucy is stronger and Natsu will probably realise his feelings for her quicker.

As they say; you never know how much you love something until it's gone!