What happens when the heart stops beating?

She was unmistakably near the end. I don't know how far it is, I don't know how long she has- but she was near. And all I can do is sit beside her unconsious body sleeping a deep sleep.

She probably knows that it's something serious. But how can I tell that little fragile girl that she was going to die?

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, her breathing has fortunately gone back to normal. She turned to me and smiled meekly. "Porlyusica-san...", she breathed in a hoarse voice.

I looked down at her, trying to conceal the guilt written all over my face. But I could see that she saw through me.

"Am I going to die?", she looked up at the ceiling and smiled weakly.

"I-I'm sorry, child..", I choked back my tears. "There's.. there's nothing I can do.."

"Its alright.", she laughed. " Its going to happen anyways. Can you promise me something?"

"What is it, child?", I reached for her hand and squeeze it as gently as I can.

"Don't let the others find out... not yet."

Her voice was wavering and small, yet it seemed as if she was pushing herself to speak strongly. Her body was trembling and cold. Her eyes were empty.

"Do you know..?", I whispered.

She laughed. "Of course, I do. It runs in the family...", the blonde closed her soft, brown eyes and sighed. "I was expecting it..."

"Your mother...", I gasped, remembering what Makarov had told me. He did not know how she died, nor anybody in Fairy Tail did- she just... died. Hearing that Lucy, her daughter had known all along and that she has inherited the same disease.. was shocking.

She got up slowly, her elbows were shaking as it supported her body's weight. I put my hands on her back. "You shouldn't-"

"I don't have much time left.", she whispered, continuing to lift herself up. "I want to spend it with them."

My body acted unaccordingly to my will. I helped her up and led her outside the house. I looked into the distance and saw the town. "How did you get all the way here?"

"I had to make sure. And I needed help.", she whispered. "You can slow it down, right?" The blonde looked at me hopefully.

"Yes, I can.", I replied. "But there's no way-"

"I know.", she turned back to the direction of the town. "I already know."

It took quite some time, but we finally reached Fairy Tail. By now, Lucy was panting heavily and she was shaking more violently. She tried to calm herself down, only making it worse.

"A-are you okay?", I set her down on the cobbled path in front of the guild's doors.

"Y-yeah... I just c-can't stop s-shaking..!", she crouched over and held her stomach.

"Do you still want to go in?"

"Y-yeah.. just tell t-them that I-I have a c-cold!", Lucy stuttered. She tried getting up, only to slump down in fail. I sighed and gripped her arm gently, helping her to stand up. But the problem were her legs; they weren't working too well.

Gray's POV

I was walking back to the guild, finally managing to outrun Juvia. It's nice that I have an admirer, but there's such a thing as moderation.

"-I-I have a c-cold!", a weak voice uttered. I walked closer to the guild's entrance and found Lucy and Porlyusica. Lucy was trying to get up but her legs were trembling a bit too much. Then Porlyusica grabbed her arm and tried helping her up, but she still fell.

I walk closer and was able to make out the blonde's features. Not anymore was she bright, beautiful and happy. Right now, she looked like shit. Her face was paler than Kain Hikaru from Grimoire Heart. Her eyes were baggy and cloudy. Her hair was all over the place and she couldn't stop her damn shaking. Her face was all crunched up, like Natsu's battle face, and all she was trying to do was get up. How bad is her cold?

"Oi, Lucy!", I called out, walking towards them. She jumped and grasped her heart.

"God, Gray!", she gasped. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Do that again, I'll hit you with my broom!", Porlyusica slapped me upside my head.

I rubbed my head and kept my distance from her. "Need any help?", I held out a hand to the blonde. She looked up at me and smiled.

"N-No, thank you. I-I have a c-cold, and I-I don't want y-you to catch-"

"I ain't gonna' catch any cold. I'm an ice wizard, remember?", I smirked, moving my hand closer to her.

She waved her hand in front of her face. "M-my legs a-aren't working t-that well...", she laughed weakly.

I looked down at her and retreated my hand. "Okay, then.", I sighed. I crouched down and placed my hands on her waist. With a thrust, I slung her over my shoulder and carried her into the guild, followed by a screaming Porlyusica.

I looked ahead and saw Mira noodle-dancing with hearts for eyes. Everyone was staring at us, wide-eyed. Natsu pushed everybody out of the way and stood in front of me. He was silently fuming, his fists were clenched and his jaw was tightly locked. "What the hell are you doing to Luce...?!", he growled.

"Calm down, ancient pistol.", I replied, walking past him. "She can't stand up, so I'm helping her."

"Then get your filthy hand off her ass.", he snarled behind me.

I turned around with a confused face. Then I realized- my hand was on her ass. I panicked and threw her over my shoulder to the seething Dragon Slayer. He caught her and carried her bridal-style.

Natsu looked down at her and his eyes widened. So did everybody else. Everyone saw how bad she looked. Her eyes were closed while she clutched onto Natsu's top.

"L-Luce!", Natsu stuttered. "W-what's wrong?!"

Porlyusica appearred beside him. "She's sick. But don't worry, its not contagious or anything.", she answered. "There's no... there's no medicine, we just need to wait it out.", the old woman sighed, looking down. But for some reason, I thought I saw a glint of sadness in her eyes.

"Is there anything we can do to help?", I spoke up. She looked at me with a pained face. Then she relaxed and looked back down at Lucy.

"Spend your time with her as much as possible. If she needs help, help her no matter how stubborn she may get. Don't be too rough and if you may aproach her, be gentle.", the old woman stated. "She can't go on any missions while she is sick and if her health gets any worse, bring her to me."

"Is she going to be okay?", Erza asked, stepping forward.

Porlyusica closed her eyes and sighed. "Do not worry, it'll be over before you know it." Lucy seemed to flinch at her statement.

Something weird is definitely going on, but hey, it can't be that bad, right?

Natsu's POV

I sighed a relief sigh, hearing that Lucy would be okay again soon. Her sight really scared my balls off, I thought she was gonna' die! But luckily, Porlyusica says that it'll be over soon and that all we need to do is to spend as much time with her as possible. I can understand, being sick probably causes you to isolate from everybody 'cos you're not in the right health or mood to be up and moving around.

Master stepped out of the crowd and gestured for Porlyusica to follow him. Everybody swarmed around me and Luce, poking her body and petting her hair. I could see the old man and woman walk upstairs and into his office. Probably to talk about something important.

"Lu-chan! Are you feeling okay?", Levy put a hand on Luce's forehead.

"Lucy! You want a fish?", Happy uttered, standing on my shoulder.

Luce opened her eyes and smiled weakly at the crowd formed in front of her. "I've been better, but I can manage..", she whispered in a hoarse voice. Everybody had to lean in to hear what she said.

"Oh, you poor thing!", Wakaba whined.

"Lucy, Porlyusica-san said that you won't be able to go on jobs in your condition.", Erza said. "I'll help with your rent money in the meantime."

"Me too!", Gray and Levy piped in.

"I'll help too, Luce.", I added, looking down at the pale face of my nakama.

"Thank you...", she smiled weakly.

"I'll get you a comfortable arm chair to sit on, wait here.", Mira said, running off into the guild's shed. Everyone got back to what they were doing, their current subject now, Luce. Meanwhile, she continued to clutch my top, resting her head on my chest.

Mira later came out carrying a large, cushioned arm chair on her shoulders. She set it down in front of a pillar and motioned for me to set Luce down. I walked to the chair and gently let go off her. She shifted, making herself comfortable. I sat next to her and grinned.

"Natsu...", she whispered.

"Hmm?", I replied.

"What... what happens.. when the heart stops beating..?", the blonde sang quietly.

I was taken back by her sudden question. Why would she suddenly ask that?

"Well..", I thought out loud. "You die."

She stopped breathing and looked at me with pained eyes. Then she sighed and went back to her previous state.

"Did you know, Natsu...?", Luce continued.

"Know what?"

"I'm sick... really sick..", she closed her eyes.

"Yea, but the old woman said you'll get better.", I grinned.

She smiled back warmly. "It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you, Natsu Dragneel (John Green- The Fault in Our Stars)."

I heard her... but what does 'privilege' mean?

"Huh?", I titled my head.

She laughed weakly, brightening up my heart a bit. I like hearing her laugh. "I fell in love with you... out of 6.5 billion people in the world, I choose you, Natsu..", she smiled, closing her eyes.

What? She.. Luce.. fell in love with me?

"Love... as in- love love?! Like those couples in the movies?! O-or love as in-", I stuttered, denying what she had said.

"Way more than that..", the blonde cutted me off. She opened her eyes and stared at me intently. "Way more than the couples in the movies... more than family.. more than just a comrade.."

I stared at her, my jaw hung open.

"I fell in love with Natsu Dragneel.."

Normal POV

Natsu's face heated up crimson red and he abruptly stood up. "G-Gomen, Luce!", he stammered. "I-I forgot I had a mission to go to!" He ran out the guild, grabbing Happy's tail along the way.

Lucy sighed in defeat. Gray walked up to the blonde and sat next to her, staring out the entrance. "Gee, d'he get rejected or somethin'? By the way, how you feelin'?", he turned to the blonde resting on the chair.

"I feel lovely.", Lucy laughed, making Gray sweatdrop due to her unlovely-ness at the current time. "And no, I was the one rejected."

Fullbuster stared at her with wide eyes. "Y-you?!", he screamed. Lucy nodded. "B-but how?! And why?!"

Mirajane, hearing the commotion the ice mage made, approached her nakamas. She pulled a nearby chair and sat next to the blonde. "Porlyusica said to be gentle around her, Gray.", she pointed out.

"G-gomen..", Gray apologized. "What exactly did you say?"

"Say to who?", Mira butted in.

Lucy ignored Mira's side comments and replied to Gray, "I told him that.. it would've been a privilege to have my heart broken by you..", Lucy smiled weakly.

"B-By who?!", the Strauss elder squealed, grabbing Lucy's hand softly.

"That damn pyro!", Gray sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't think he even knows what privilege means."

"I don't think he did. So I kinda' had to repeat it..", Lucy laughed hesitately.

"Annndd?"

"I told him- I fell in love with Natsu Dragneel. Then he stormed away to god knows where! I feel rejected-"

"No!", Mira interrupted. "I bet Natsu just.. couldn't interpret that so fast-"

"So he went somewhere else to get a breather and to process what you just said.", Gray finished. "You know well enough how dense that bastard is. Just give it time." He stood up and stretched.

Lucy went quiet. "I wish I had more..", she uttered under her breath.

"Hmm? D'you say somethin'?", Gray turned back, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope! So I just have to wait..?"

"Don't worry about it, Lucy. He'll come around.", Mirajane smiled, standing up and returning to the bar.

"Gotta' go. See you tomorrow, Lucy.", Gray walked away, waving his hand in the air.

Lucy looked down at her hands, which were curled up in a fist, to conceal the shaking.

"I wonder... how many more tomorrows I have.."