Summary: Death cannot stop true love. It can only postpone if for a time.

Pairing: NatsuxLucy (NaLu)

Genre: Romance/Tragedy

Warning: Contains character death. Some characters may be OCC. Lisanna spoilers!

Lucy

xXx

Leaves crunched beneath Natsu's feet as he walked slowly, the ghost of a small smile on his face. He was happy yet he was not because he was going to see her. Her place came into view, inhaling deeply through his nose Natsu continued walking, not having realized he had stopped.

He let his rough fingers glide across the smooth surface of the grave. Her grave. He sniffed quietly as he looked down at the roses he held in his hand before placing them on the still freshly turned soil. It had been a week already, but that still wasn't enough time for grass to grow yet.

"Hey Luce," He said as he sat himself down on the ground, he leaned his back against the cold grey stone. "Can't believe it's been two weeks already. Sorry I haven't been around in awhile. Are you really gone? I keep feeling like I'm in a dream, like I'll wake up any minute, but no matter how hard I pinch myself I can't seem to wake up." Natsu chuckled darkly as he rubbed his face.

"Remember when we first met? I always called you Luigi instead of Lucy." Natsu smiled his ghost of a smile again, "You used to get so mad." He had never forgotten her name to begin with, he just though she looked cute when she was mad, she was even cuter when she was mad at him.

"Were you watching, Luce? When I found out?" Natsu bumped his head against the stone a few times. He could still remember it clearly, like it had only been yesterday.

xXx

The young fire mage ran happily toward the guild that could only be recognized as Fairy Tail. Natsu was happier that he had been in awhile, Lucy said she was finally getting better, which Natsu was excited to hear, wasn't long after they'd be off on another mission. They hadn't been on many lately because Lucy had been in bed sick for just over a week now.

Natsu busted down the front doors like he usually did, his trade mark smirk on his face as he began looking around for Erza and Gray to tell them the good news. As Natsu looked he couldn't help but feel that something was off in his home. It was to quiet, not as lively. He couldn't even hear Erza screaming at anybody yet. Strange.

When the pink haired teen finally found Erza and Gray they were standing together at a table and surprisingly not killing each other. Natsu strode over happily.

"Guess what?" Erza and Gray both only had time to merely glance at Natsu before he burst out, "I just saw Lucy yesterday, and she said she's going to be ok!" He smiled as he folded his arms behind his head.

What he got in return for his good news wasn't what he had expected. What he thought would happen was Erza would smile one of her rare smiles and would say that she was glad Lucy was making a quick recovery while Gray would smirk and say something around the lines of "about time."

What he got wasn't even remotely close to that.

Erza bit her lip, her shoulders shook and her fingers closed into tight fists. Gray placed a hand on Erza's should and whispered something that sounded like, "It's ok." Then she was crying.

Natsu had never seen Erza cry. Never.

Tears flooded down the Titania's face, she turned to Gray clenching his shirt as she soaked it with her tears. Gray placed a comforting hand on Erza's head as he continued to whisper comforting words to her.

Erza was making an effort to cry quietly, the blue haired mage sitting not that far from them didn't even bother trying.

Natsu whipped around when he heard a loud wail echo through the guild. Not far from them sat Levi with Gazille next to her, squeezing her hand slightly. He obviously had no idea what to do when his girlfriend cried. Levi wasn't weak; it took a lot to make her cry.

"Lu-chan! Lu-chan!" Levi wailed as she let her head fall to the table. Her breath came fast and broken and her shoulders shook violently. "Why?!"

Natsu's eyes widened, what the hell was going on? Why where Erza and Levi crying? Why did he feel like something bad had happened when it was the exact opposite? Why was Levi calling for Lucy like something bad had happened to her when it was the exact opposite?

Natsu's eyes darted towards the bar. Mirajane! He'd ask her, she always knew what was going on.

"There's Natsu."

"Why's he so happy?"

"I thought the news would affect him the most, she was his best friend. Doesn't he know?"

"I don't think he does."

Natsu clenched and unclenched his hands nervously as he approached the bar. "Mira-chan?"

Mirajane whipped her head around and stared at Natsu wide-eyed, "Natsu?"

"What's with the look, Mira-chan, you look like you saw a ghost." Natsu said as he sat on one of the stools in from of Mirajane. He smiled, but only slightly, everyone's foul moods had brought his own down.

Then he remembered Lucy. His smile grew, "Mira-chan I saw Lucy the other day. She said she's feeling better."

Mirajane could only stare at Natsu, she couldn't believe her ears. How could he not have heard?

"Natsu, there's something you need to see." Mira whispered as she motioned for him to follow her to the back rooms of the guild. Natsu's brow knitted together in confusion, but he followed her anyways.

The pink-haired teen followed Mirajane until she stopped at a closed door next to the guild infirmary. "Go ahead look, but you won't like what you see." She whispered.

Natsu gave her a confused look before slowly turning the handle and opening the door. Inside was a single bed covered in crisp white sheets and it that bed laid Lucy.

"Luce?" Natsu pushed the door all the way open and made his way over to the plastic chair next to her. He sat himself down and looked at her. He couldn't help but notice that she looked incredibly pale. He chuckled which caused Mira's brow to pull together. "Why are you sleepin' Lucy? You just said yesterday that you were getting better, come on." Natsu reached over to shake her shoulder and as he did his warm arm brushed her face.

Natsu froze. She was cold, too cold.

"Luce?"

"Natsu," Natsu felt Mira place her small hand on his shoulder, "She's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?" Natsu heard Mira sniff behind him, before the sound of a chair being pulled over stopped beside him. "Natsu look at me."

Natsu didn't know why, but it took a lot of effort for him to look away from Lucy.

When he did Mira looked him straight in the eyes, which wasn't easy to do between her tears. "How many heartbeats can you hear in this room, Natsu?"

Natsu didn't understand why Mira was asking him such a simple question. Of course there were two . . . two. Natsu's eyes widened. "No." The fire mage whipped his head around to look back at Lucy. He only got a glimpse before Mirajane pulled his face back to look at her again.

"Natsu, Lucy had leukemia."

Even Natsu wasn't stupid enough to not know what leukemia was.

"No, I just saw her yesterday, she was fine. She can't have cancer, she can't! She's too young!"

"Age doesn't matter when it comes to cancer, Natsu." Natsu gripped his pink locks tightly, this wasn't happening. "Gray and Erza found her this morning."

This wasn't happening to him. To her.

"I never knew." He looked down at his knees.

"Nobody did, Natsu."

He looked back up at Mira whose tears were now dripping from her chin, "You knew."

"I only found out by chance, Natsu. I wasn't supposed to. It was only luck that Lucy had dropped her treatment pills and it was only luck that I was the one who picked them up." Mira paused to wipe her eyes, "She only said three words to me before she grabbed the pills and left."

"What did she say?"

"She said: 'Don't tell Natsu.'"

Natsu's eyes widened, "Why would she not want me to know."

Mira looked at her own knees and shrugged before looking back up at him, "I'm not sure, maybe she didn't want you to worry about her, or maybe she was going to tell you herself some day."

Natsu couldn't take it anymore. Lucy couldn't be gone, she just couldn't. He turned back to her and put his hands on her pale, cold face. "Luce, Luce please don't leave me hear. Luce. LUCY!"

For the first time in his life Natsu felt cold.

Erza stiffened as the sound of Natsu screaming for Lucy filled the guild. She burst into tears all over again.

xXx

"Hey Luce," Natsu said as he sat down by her grave once again. "Sorry it's been so long since I've visited. How long's it been, a few months?"

"Mirajane says that I'll get closure from saying your name once in awhile." Natsu chuckled as he closed his eyes, "But it seems I'm still only able to say your name when I'm talking to you."

Natsu looked at the roses he had brought for her before putting them on the now grass covered mound. He leaned his head against her headstone, "Happy birthday, Lucy." She was 19 today, Lucy had died to young, far to young.

Just a little over a year that was how long Natsu had known her. If he had known then that she would be taken away from him he would have done things differently. Much differently.

Because just over a year wasn't enough time for Natsu, but it had been enough time for him to fall in love.

xXx

How many times had he visited her grave? He had lost count long ago, but every time he had visited Natsu never cried.

So what made this time so different?

He didn't know what had come over him but suddenly the fire mage felt hot tears running down his heated cheeks before dipping on the flesh of his hand. The tears didn't last long on his hand before they would sizzle away.

"Dammit, Lucy!" He yelled as he pounded a fist against the headstone. "Dammit why'd you have to leave me here?" His heart ached. It ached more than the time he found out Lisanna had died; it ached more than the day he had awoken only to find Igneel gone.

Love is strange; it has a way of making you hurt even though you try to tell yourself that you're done hurting.

xXx

Natsu didn't know how long he had been sitting in the same position. His body had long gone stiff from his lack of movement but still he refused to move. "Why'd you leave me here, Luce?" He asked again as he placed his forehead against the cold stone.

"Natsu."

His eyes went wide as he whipped his head around, "Impossible."

Yet there she was, standing before him.

"Lucy."

"Did you miss me, Natsu?"

Natsu didn't speak, but Lucy's question didn't go unanswered either. It had been answered the second Natsu had wrapped his strong arms around her. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply, she still smelled the same. Like Lucy.

"Am I dreaming?"

Lucy laughed as she wrapped her own arms around him, "No."

"I must be or else you wouldn't be here," Natsu whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I can't stay, Natsu."

He froze, so some things really are too good to be true. "Why not?"

Lucy looked up at Natsu and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Natsu I'm dead, how could I possible stay here when I'm no longer alive? I only came to say goodbye."

Natsu nodded, "How much time do we have?"

She looked up at him with her big brown eyes; they still shined like when she was alive as she smiled for real this time, "Awhile."

Awhile felt like forever to Natsu, as he and Lucy sat by her grave just talking, making up the six months that had passed since she had died. He was truly happy for the first time in those long six months, but even his new found happiness couldn't shake the taunting voice in the back of his mind that said: 'This won't last forever.'

Oh how he wished it would, that time would just freeze and he and Lucy could just walk anywhere, holding hands, laughing, talking. But they couldn't.

"How are things up in the sky?" Natsu asked as Lucy snuggled closer to him as she looked up at the stars.

"That's a secret."

"No fair, Lu." Natsu complained.

For the short period of time Natsu truly forgot that Lucy was dead. That she would have to leave soon, and eventually that time did come.

He knew the second she was leaving, when she stood up and turned to him with a sad smile. He stood as well and placed his warm hands on her cheeks. "You're time is up?"

Lucy only nodded as tears began to slip from her eyes.

"Hey now," Natsu whispered as he wiped a few away with is thumbs before kissing the few he had missed. "Don't cry, Lu, angels don't cry. Besides you're prettier when you smile."

"You think I'm pretty?"

"I think you're beautiful, I always have."

Lucy smiled as she stood on her toes and pressed he soft pink lips to Natsu's. He couldn't help but smile as their lips moved together. For him, for both of them this was more than just a kiss. It was a promise, a promise filled with love that they would see each other again.

Once they parted Natsu whispered, "Save a spot for me in the sky, Lucy."

"I will."

xXx

"Hey Lucy I remember your name…"