Waaahhhhh, hello everyone=) Thanks for waiting, sorry I'm late, and also, thanks for answering my shameless plea for reviews ^^; Soooo, here is the next chapter (obviously), hope you all enjoy =D

Natsu POV

I stared at Lucy in remorse. She and Levy were embracing, and Levy was shaking uncontrollably. I swear I could see tears rolling down Lucy's cheeks too. I sighed; Lucy had moved on. There was no us anymore. She was with that blond from Sabertooth. It was really obvious; the way he had stood in front of her protectively had just screamed 'connection'. A stab of pain twisted my heart, and I forced my eyes away from Lucy. I needed to move on, like she had. "Oi, I wanna talk to you." I looked up in brief surprise to see Lucy's new...partner staring at me.

"What?" He cleared his throat, then glanced around.

"Somewhere private." Sighing I numbly stood. I didn't feel energetic at all. I walked up a couple of flights of stairs and turned into an empty hotel hallway. Turning to face him, I cocked an eyebrow. Suddenly, however, I felt myself being slammed against the wall behind me. The breath whooshed out of my lungs, and my eyes narrowed. Grasping his wrists that had grabbed the front of my open shirt, I glared at the guy. Tension pulsed thick between us.

"The hell?"

"You! Natsu Dragneel, unless you've accepted the fact that Lucy is no longer yours, then stay the hell away from her! You've hurt her so much...if you dare try to hurt her even a little bit more, I swear you'll regret it." I relaxed as I realized his intentions; he wanted to keep Lucy safe. I released his wrists, and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"You too! I know I hurt her bad, and I'd give the world to change that...but..." I tried to force down a lump in my throat. After I said this, there would be no going back. I'd have to move on from Lucy. "You have to keep her safe and be there for her! Don't...don't do what I did. Don't hurt her, she doesn't deserve it." My voice lowered in volume at the end, and I looked at the ground, unable to hold the blonde's intense gaze. Releasing his shirt, I finally looked up and met his eye. "Swear you'll be there for her." He nodded tersely, then stepped back. "Good." He eyed me uncertainly, then stuck out his hand. My eyes widened slightly in surprise, then I half-grinned and shook the offered hand. We started back towards the main entry to the hotel.

Lucy POV

I was sitting in between Rogue and Levy, when a blue blur assaulted me. "Lucy!" If I hadn't already been sitting down, I might have struggled to stay standing. Looking down in surprise, I saw a small blue cat hugging my waist tightly.

"Happy? Happy! Oh, it's you!" Scooping him up tightly, I hugged him. He buried his face in my neck and I swear I could hear sobbing coming from him. Another person I'd hurt. Frowning, I shut my eyes tight and hugged Happy harder.

"I-I thought you w-were gone forever, aye! I thought you were never coming b-back!"

"It's ok, it's ok!" I hushed gently, struggling to keep my voice strong. "I'm here now, o-ok? I'm here." He peeked up at me, and the sight of his huge, tear-filled eyes made my heart ache.

"B-but, how long are you here for, neh?" I sighed as I contemplated his question.

"I don't know Happy. Sorry." Not being able to give him a proper answer made me sad, not just for his sake too. Just then, I saw Sting and...Natsu walk into the room together. Huh? Why were they together. Giving Happy to Levy, I caught Sting's eye and beckoned him over. When he arrived, I addressed both him and Rogue.

"Guys, can we talk?" They nodded, and Sting slung an arm around my shoulders and led us to a secluded corner.

"What's wrong?" Sting's eyes searched mine worriedly, and I shook my head helplessly. I felt a little weak emotionally.

"I-I don't know what to do. How long are we staying in Fairy Tail?" We all contemplated this fact, and it surprised me when Fro was the one to break the silence.

"Fro wants to join Fairy Tail! There are other exceeds too!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Eh? Join?" I frowned in contemplation. "D-do you really think we should?" I was filled with doubt.

"Yeah. I like the sound of it." I looked at Lector and tilted my head, thinking.

"Ummm...what about you too?" I asked, addressing Rogue and Sting. I had no idea; I both wanted them to agree and object to the idea of joining Fairy Tail. I was a mass of self-confliction and torment.

"...I wouldn't mind it. The people here are quite strong, they would be good to train with." Stated Rogue. "However, if you want to leave, then let's go." I smiled at his consideration of me and turned to Sting.

"Well? What are we going to do, Sting?" He thought for a second, then replied.

"I'm fine with whatever. It's what you want to do. We'll all support your decision." I looked around at the group and searched everyone's faces. To stay or not to stay? I came to a decision after what seemed like a lifetime of contemplation. Hesitantly, I spoke.

"...we'll join."

xXx

I approached Makarov, who was sitting at the bar, talking to Mirajane. Sting and everyone else were right behind me.

"Ummm...Makarov, no...Master, I-is there anyway that you'd accept us into Fairy Tail?" I hated the quiver in my voice, and I couldn't meet his eye, for some reason. After a second, I realized why. Fear. Fear of rejection. The silence seemed to stretch on forever, and I gripped the hem of my button-down shirt tightly. Please say yes. Please say yes. These words thumped over and over in my head like a mantra. Behind him, I heard Mirajane gasp, but I didn't look away from that spot on the ground. I finally heard him clear his throat in surprise, and looked up desperately to search for an answer in his eyes. Something. Anything. Much to my surprise, the Master's wizened face broke into a toothy smile and he pulled me into a hug.

"Lucy, child, I thought you'd never ask." My mouth dropped open at his warm reply; it was far from what I had expected. I had hoped for a curt nod at the very best. I heard a rustling of fabric and the pat of feet, and I felt myself getting glomped by another set of arms. Seeing a shock of white, I recognized Mirajane. Not being able to hold it in any longer, I cried. I was so happy that they had said yes, and so grateful, like I didn't deserve it. After all, I had left Fairy Tail. Wrapping my own arms around the pair, I stuttered out all I could manage.

"Th-thank you. Thank you."

Yay! There we go! Once again, I'm sorry about the long wait, I know it's an over-used excuse, but I have been really busy TT^TT Forgive me! And I'm sorry, but I'm quite curious, but has anyone cried during this story? I have had reviews saying that people have, and I probably sound quite mean, but those made me happy. Not that you were crying, but that this story was sad enough. Anyways, please leave a review, and stay tuned for the next chapter =]