Chapter 2

~There were days when the sun was so cruel, that all my tears turned to dust and I knew my eyes were drying up forever.~

For the next couple of weeks, Lucy stayed home from school, which everyone understood. Unfortunately, Natsu was forced to go, for which she was regretful. She felt so alone during the day. Every morning, her father would lock himself in his study until late at night, not accepting any visitors, and probably not eating. The silence tortured her. At first, she was perfectly content with spending her days in bed, crying over her mother. She'd lay there all day, and when it became late afternoon, Natsu would creep through her window and settle himself under the blankets with her. Sometimes they would make love, other times they would just lay together. There were days when he would tell her something about school, and she'd find herself laughing along with him. Other days, they'd lay in complete silence.

Sighing, Lucy wandered the halls of her home. There was nowhere in particular she'd want to go, so she found herself just wandering. Eventually she found herself in front of her mother's study. The dark blue door was closed - it had been since she passed away. Lucy gently placed her hand on the wood, feeling the cold of the unused room seeping through the grain.

She bit her lip as she ran her palm down the wood, stopping as she grasped the silver handle. She stood there for a good five minutes, wondering just how good of an idea it would be for her step inside. Everything her mother had worked on and studied was through that door. Everything that made her mother who she was, was just a few inches away. Could she do it? Was she ready to step into her mother's study and look upon her astronomy notes, her zodiac collection, everything?

Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle…

It didn't budge. It was locked. Of course it was. Lucy let out a soft chuckle and let go of the handle. She didn't know who locked it, but it was probably for the best. She wiped her hand on her skirt, and continued down the hall. She suddenly realized she was hungry, and decided to make her way for the kitchen.

"Lucy?"

The girl stopped. She almost didn't recognize his voice behind her. Slowly turning she set eyes upon her father, the first time since her mother's funeral. He looked like a mess: his hair had grown past his ears, his beard and mustache had grown together, and he still wore the same suit from the funeral. The man certainly was a sight, and not one for sore eyes.

Lucy gulped as she nodded at her father, and he raised his hand and motioned for her to go to him. She did as she was silently told, following him into his study. She sat in the chair in front of his desk, but he kept his back to her, staring out the window. Whether he was staring at their garden or the world beyond, she wasn't certain, but she did know that he a perfect view of her mother's personal flower patch.

"Lucy," he began, still not facing her, "it was always the intention of your m-mother and I for you to have the best education."

She nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"We were accepting of you going to the local school, but that was because she insisted that you stayed with your friend."

She? He must have meant her mother.

"But now…" He turned to her finally, and nodded at an envelope on his desk. "You'll be going to that school."

Lucy blinked, both at him and the envelope in succession. She was scared to touch the paper. She couldn't go to another school. She was supposed to stay at Fairy Tail with Natsu and the rest of her friends. As a child, she knew she'd be going to a private school, but her mother allowed her to go to school with Natsu. She looked back up at her father. Was he sending her away because her mother was gone? There was no one to argue with him anymore, so he automatically wins?

She shook her head and looked back at the envelope. "I don't want to go," she whispered. She already knew what school he wanted to send her. A girls' only boarding school across the sea in another country. She only had two more years of high school left! Why would he send her away now?

"It's not for debate." He sat down at his desk across from her and pushed the envelope toward her. "You will be going to this school and furthering your education. They have a college program, and I want you complete it. I intend to have you take over the company eventually, so I need you to have the best education money can buy."

She gently grabbed the envelope and held it in her hands. The best education money could buy? And he wanted her to go until she was done with college? She would be gone for six years at the very least…

Six years without Natsu?

She shook her head again. "I don't want to go there," she repeated, still in a whisper. She couldn't gather enough strength to speak any louder.

"You are going. You're leaving in two days."

Her head shot up, but he had his pen out and he was writing. He was done with her. She stood up from her seat and walked out of the room in a daze. She was leaving in two days? She was leaving in two days, across the sea, to another country, to a school that she'd be living in for at least six years.

She somehow made it back to her room, where she immediately crashed onto her bed, holding onto her pillow. She couldn't cry, though. She had cried so much over her mother that there were no tears left for herself. How was she going to break this to Natsu? What he would do when she finally did tell him?

~.~

~There were hours that just went on for days. When alone at last we'd count up all the chances that were lost to us forever.~

He arrived the same time he always did. She wondered if his parents ever wondered why he was never at his own home anymore. Did they ever ask him to stay for dinner? How was school? Was his homework finished? Did he need any help understanding something?

He dropped his bag on the floor next to the balcony doors and made his way to her bed where she lay, her face buried in her pillow. She felt the mattress shift as he took his normal place, laying down next to her, gently reaching his arm over her so he could pull her against him. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, and sighed deeply.

She had to tell him now, before he fell asleep and she'd have to drag this out longer. She just wanted to get it over with.

She sat up, pushing his arm off her. She looked down at him as he smiled up at her.

"So, you missed another food fight," he said. "I totally kicked Gray's ass."

She sighed. "Isn't the point of a food fight to throw food at each other?"

"Well, yeah, but then he gave me a look so I had to teach him a lesson for looking so smug. I threw a potato at him, and it just got better from there."

She chuckled softly. He was such a child most times. She gasped as she felt his fingers brush her hair out of her face.

"Everyone's asking about you still. They all miss you."

The way he said that comment made her heart ache even more. She won't be able to say goodbye to her friends. She forced a smile, but she knew it looked terrible.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up. He scooted back so he was leaning against the headboard. Normally he'd pull her onto his lap, but she moved out of his reach. Of course he'd be able to tell something was wrong, other than the usual she lost her mother and now she's depressed.

Well, there's no other way to sugar coat it...May as well do it quick, like a band-aid.

~There were those empty threats and hollow lies. And whenever you tried to hurt me I just hurt you even worse and so much deeper.~

"I can't go back to Fairy Tail," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"Sure you can." He leaned forward. "I know you're still sad, but as soon as you get back to school and surround yourself with everyone-"

"No, Natsu." She hardened her resolve and looked at him. "I'm switching schools."

He blinked at her for a few seconds, heavy silence engulfing them. Suddenly he burst out laughing.

"Don't joke, Luce." He resumed leaning back, completely relaxed, content that she was telling fibs.

She sighed. "I'm not joking, Natsu. My father signed me up at a private school called Mermaid Heel."

"Okay, great. I'll go with you, then."

"You can't."

"Sure I can."

"No, Na-"

"I'm not going to let you leave just like that."

"Na-"

"I'm going to be by your side forever, remember? You won't last two days without me."

"NATSU!"

He blinked at her, startled by her outburst. Satisfied that she had his full attention, she continued.

"It's an all girls' boarding school, you can't come with me."

"Then I'll still see you every night."

"It's in a different country. I won't be home for awhile."

"That's…" What she had said finally sunk in. She can't leave Fairy Tail. She can't leave him. "That's bullshit."

"Natsu…"

"Why would you want to go some place so far away?"

"I never said I wanted to go."

"If you don't want to go, then why are you?" He pulled his legs in so he was sitting cross legged, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't do anything you don't want to do."

"It's what my father wishes."

"So you're going to just roll over and let him order you around like that?" He jumped off the bed and started pacing. She wasn't sure if he was going to leave her room and search for her father and hit him, or hit something. He looked like a furious caged animal.

"I'm not…" She watched him carefully. She knew he had a temper, but she also knew he'd never hurt her. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't take his anger on her furniture.

"You obviously are if you're going along with this! How long are you going to be gone?"

"Awhile."

"Tell me, Lucy." He stopped and stared at her.

She shrugged. "A couple years. I have to finish high school, and then I have a few more years of college. I'll be home in no time."

He shook his head and resumed pacing. "I don't get it. You don't want to go, but you're letting him force you. I'm not allowed to go because it's an all girls' school. How the hell am I supposed to protect you if we're not even in the same country? How the hell am I supposed to keep my promise to you if I can't be by your side?"

Sighing, she shifted so her legs was dangling off her bed, fully facing him. "It's not just about sending me away. Father is concerned about my education, and, frankly, so am I. How can I expect to follow in his footsteps in the company with a mediocre college education?"

He froze and stared at her. "What? You never wanted to work for him at all in your entire life. What the hell, Lucy?!"

"It's what's best for me."

"Like hell! I won't let you go."

"You're going to."

"No."

"Natsu, I'm going! I want to get a better education, and I can't have that here."

"Who gives a fuck about education when you're surrounded by the people you love and who love you back?"

She quickly shot to her feet, prepared to say hurtful words to him, but she had to do something. It was like telling your favorite pet that you hated them, and then threw rocks to make a point, because you knew they would be better off without you.

"That kind of attitude is why you'll never succeed at anything in life, Natsu. I'm thinking about my future! If I stayed here, I'd lose every chance at working at something meaningful. I'm going to help my future, and I can't stay here with you. Your idiocy is holding me back from my full potential."

Silence fell upon them as they glared at each other. The atmosphere turned heavy, and Lucy wanted to crumble under the weight. Everything she said stabbed her heart a thousand times over, and his expression was the final blow, shattering her heart in pieces.

He scoffed and ran his hands through his hair. "Wow," he finally said. "To say those things...I know you don't mean them." He held his hand up, cutting her off. "But if you're willing to say them, you must really want to piss me off even more." He walked to the balcony, grabbing his backpack. He sat on the railing, but before jumping off, he turned back to her. "I wish you luck, Lucy." With that, he jumped down to the ledge just beneath the patio, and climbed down.

She stormed to her balcony and slammed the doors shut, more out of anger towards herself than towards him. She leaned against the glass doors, her forehead pressed against the cold glass. No, she didn't mean a word of it, but she had to say something to get him to let her go. It was time for her to grow up.

Besides, people never really stayed together forever. Something always eventually happens, and they're pulled apart from each other. For her parents it was her mother's death. For her and Natsu, it was this.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered before her knees gave out, and she fell to the floor.

~.~

AN: Thank you for the support...here's the next chapter. I know, I suck, and for some reason I just can't let go of the drama. ;_; I'm so sorry, don't be mad. I really didn't want Lucy to be mean, but, come on...she just lost her mom, her dad is sending her away...she's under a lot of stress right now. I'll post the next chapter in a few days. I've started re-watching the anime after the latest manga update...I'm still not over the shock - I'll start giggling randomly at work and get weird looks..."Eh, sorry. I'm just thinking about something totally amazing!" Well, I'll see you guys soon. :)