Chapter 42:

"Urggh… where am I?"

I slowly sat up, biting my bottom lip holding in the yelps from my body aching all over. I then began to take in my surroundings noticing that I was in the guild's infirmary, and it looked like Porlyusica must've stepped out for a second since I caught the glimpse of pink hair through the door's tiny window.

I really don't remember anything that had happened before I collapsed it was a completely, blurry fuzz inside my head. All I remember is hearing Angel's shriek of terror, and Sting catching me right before I blacked out. I honestly hope that I didn't worry everyone too much about me not waking up right away as it seems even though I don't know for how long I had blackened out for.

"Oh good, you're awake."

My head then twisted towards the source of the voice as it revealed Porlyusica with a small smile plastered onto her lips. It was really rare to see her with a smile on her face since she'd always be telling us that she hated humans, even though she was one as well. But I guess you can say, after the Grand Magic Games she has loosened up a little bit to all of us.

"Hello Porlyusica, do you know where Sting-"

Porlyusica then broke the sentence with her smacking a vile onto the counter, "Ah, don't be worrying about him right now. He's in perfect condition as Natsu and the rest of your team have taken him out to grab something to dine on. You should've seen the boy wouldn't leave your side for a single second. I was quite surprised that they were even able to drag him out."

"He wouldn't leave-exactly how long have I been out for?"

"Not that long" Porlyusica exclaimed pouring a pink substance into the green liquid inside of the vile, "You completely used up all of your magic energy, even I'm astonished that you're even able to move your muscles freely right now since you really took a beating."

I mouthed the word "Oh" before I stared at the palms of my hands. There were scratches, and bruises here and there but it seemed that the healing process was going smoothly as they were fading away but were visible.

A knock was then heard from the door as my eyes darted up to hear voices coming from outside the door. I raised an eyebrow as I watched Porlyusica let out a breath of annoyance as she began walking towards the handle of the door. I was seriously hoping that was Sting and the others coming back from their outing since I wanted to make sure Sting knew that I was completely fine and awake, and that there was no need for him to worry anymore.

"Lu-chan, you're alright!"

It was Levy along with Gajeel, Laxus, Lisanna, and Mirajane who were trailing right behind her. In a blink of an eye, I was being literally squeezed to death since it had me panting for dear oxygen. My eyes trailed to Levy who was gripping me tightly with glistening smile curled onto her lips.

"I feel like you haven't been awake in forever!" Levy said as she began pinching the side of my cheeks, "And whatever Porlyusica has been giving you is seriously making your cheeks so soft!"

"Shrimp, you shouldn't be molesting bunny girl's cheeks" Gajeel called out pulling out a white chair, as he leaned against it folding his arms, "Can't you tell that she's just woken up, and isn't ready to be dealing with your little gleefulness."

"Don't ruin the moment Gajeel!" Levy retorted back with a quick glare onto her face as it soon shifted back into her smile, "I'm literally close to tears since you're finally awake, you don't know how worried we all were. What even happened to you?"

"I honestly have no idea Levy-chan, all I remember that happened to me was that Sting had caught me for some apparent reason" I said shrugging as I trailed my eyes towards Mirajane who was staring at Laxus with a serious expression onto her face, "Mira, do you have any clue on what happened to me before I collapsed. I try remembering but it's just completely dull, and fuzzy."

"I wish I could give you that information, but I didn't come back until you were finally knocked out" Mirajane frowned, "I think when Sting comes back you should ask him, after all he was there the entire time with you."

"Hey all I know is that Mira over here kicked Racer's ass!" Laxus chuckled wrapping an arm around the white-haired mage's shoulder, "Besides chickie, I don't think it's something to be so completely worked out about. The whole thing is completely over and done with so there's no reason to be worried about something that's done with."

"I guess you're right." I said letting out a deep sigh. I have to admit that what Laxus had just said was completely one-hundred percent true. I was really getting too worked up about this whole collapsing thing when it had already happened. I don't know why I feel such the need to find out what happened to me, maybe it was because I wanted to know what I had done that managed to defeat Angel.

"Natsu was really worried about you too Lucy" Lisanna suddenly said, "He would be trailing back and forth in front of the infirmary door until Porlyusica said that it was alright for you to have some visitors. The whole entire day Erza, Gray, Sting, and Natsu were inside of here waiting for you to wake up."

"The whole guild was worried about your condition" Mirajane added.

Once Lisanna and Mirajane told me that, I felt a huge wave of guilt course through my veins. I literally must've worried them to the maximum if they had even stayed in here waiting for me to just show a single sign of me waking up. Even if it was a little muffle sound, or single inch they were waiting for any of that. And not only was it just Sting, and the rest of the team, it was also the entire population of our guild that was worried about me. I felt completely selfish that most of them put their entire attention towards me getting better than doing more important things than that. All I could completely say is that I have such the most loving and caring guild ever, I honestly had to thank later every single one of my friends here for all the trouble that I've put them through when it came to making sure I was well.

I rubbed the back of my head, as a smile appeared onto my lips, "Thank you guys I honestly don't know what would've happened to me without you guys here-"

"Kid you shouldn't be thanking us" Laxus said with a grin plastered onto his face, "You should be thanking your boyfriend of yours, since he was the one that literally carried you on his back all the way here at full maximum speed."

"He freaking almost knocked me over for that" Gajeel groaned while putting a fist into the air, "Remind me later to get the bastard back for that even though I'm glad that it was for the sake of your living bunny girl. I just need to spar with him one time for that."

"Gajeel you're ruining the moment again!" Levy said climbing off of the bed, smacking Gajeel in the back of the head, "Let Lu-chan enjoy the moment that my Rogue's best friend was the one that made it possible for her to survive."

Gajeel let out an irritated groan while he rolled his eyes at Levy's lovey comment about the Shadow Dragon Slayer. There were times where Gajeel just wanted to shove a piece of iron into his ears, so that the bleeding would prevent himself from hearing anymore of Levy's little love comments about Ryos.

"Here drink this up" Porlyusica said popping herself into the conversation, holding a vile that contained a pinkish-greenish liquid, "It'll help with the process of yourself gaining your complete magical energy back since you're going to need it for when you're able to go back on your jobs."

I scrunched up my face due to the scent the watery, liquid was giving off, and it wasn't a pleasant smell. I gulped slowly before raising the vile to my lips, as I poured it into my mouth. It had such a sour and bitter taste to it that if I didn't gulp it in one swallow, I would've literally choked in horror of its burning sensation.

"Is it really that gross since you have such a sour expression?" Levy asked raising an eyebrow as she examined the little drops that were left in the vile.

I nodded my head with the same, sour expression I had on when I swallowed the substance. I really needed to remind myself next time not to do anything that drained my magical energy completely just so that I would never have to endure the taste of that again.

Before Levy could respond back, my attention was then drawn to the door that slowly opened. My eyes widened as it was Sting who was still gripping the handle of the door with the same astonished face that would've perfectly matched mine. He began to dash towards me, literally forgetting that his grip was still on the handle as the door was ripped off of the wall. Once he had done that, he just threw the piece of wood to the side and continued dashing towards me.

"Luce you're finally awake!" Natsu said with his toothy grin curled onto his lips.

"I'm full of happiness that you've finally awoken from your slumber" Erza said with a smile placing her hands on her hips, "And Sting next time, please remember that you were still holding onto the door."

"Looks like Team Natsu will finally be complete again" Gray said folding his arms with his smirk.

"I have a lump in my throat, I'm seriously going to cry since you're finally awake" Wendy said placing a hand against her chest with the brightest smile I have ever since her shine.

"I guess you could say this was all thanks to Sting" Rogue said with a smile before taking a seat next to Levy, clutching her hand tightly in his.

Suddenly I was then picked up by the waist, and soon smashed into a warm embrace. My head was against his chest, and I could hear his heart beating rapidly. I then trailed my eyes towards his face that was peering down at me with not his same usual grin, but an actual real smile.

"I've missed you blondie" Sting said clutching his grip around me tighter, "I honestly thought I was going to lose you there when you had collapsed on me. You have no complete idea on how life would've been if you had just left me there and then."

"I'm sorry that I put you through all the worrying, and I've missed you too!" I said not even noticing that tears began prickling through the side of my eyes, "Thank you so much, for what you did that was possible for me to be alive right now. I love you Sting, I honestly do with all my heart."

A wider smile appeared on Sting's lips as he then leaned in placing his soft, warm lips against mine as we shared a passionate kiss. A rush of happiness spread throughout me since it felt like awhile since we've had a kiss like that. And words couldn't explain the way I was feeling right now that I was again his arms.

"Welcome back, blondie"