A/N: So here is chappy 4. It is a little more...heated than previous ones, so be warned. But I like the way it turned out. Thank you guys for the reviews and I really look forward to reading the ones for these upcoming chapters. Please tell me what you think. I love hearing from you guys; it makes my dull existence so much better and inspires me to write faster.

A/N: Unfortunately, I do not own Fairy Tail. But if I did, I would lock Gray and Juvia in a room together until he sees her awesomeness.

Enjoy!

Lucy's head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. She slowly stretched out her arms, clenching and unclenching her hands into fists. She stretched out her legs and wiggled her toes. Her limbs were inact. As her eyes fluttered open, a burst of pain from her stomach made her wince. The memories came rushing back and her heart began to pound against her chest. Her eyes snapped open.

Lucy was in an unfamiliar room. It was dark and the walls were made of uneven stone. The floor was smooth rock. She was lying on a stiff, cold bed, covered with a threadbare, dingy, white blanket. She flung it off and slowly got to her feet. Rusty metal bars separated her from the hall that lead through a hall and to a door.

"Oh, I see. You're up." The voice was smooth, pointed, and worst of all, unfamiliar. Her spine stiffened. Shuffling footsteps became louder as the stranger approached. She could barely make out his face in the darkness, but she saw that his eyes were a deep evergreen.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked, sounding much more confident than she felt. She wrapped her hands around the bars, her captor just out of arm's reach. He smirked.

"It's no use, Princess," he taunted. "You're not leaving here. At least, until we take you back."

"Take me back where?" But a sinking felling told Lucy she already knew the answer.

His smile widened wickedly. "Why, to your adoring husband, of course. You'll be worth a pretty penny. Or, if he decides he's moved on, we can always sell you as a slave. A cute girl like you would fetch a high price."

"No!" Lucy screamed, her voice echoing loudly, making her flinch. "Y-you can't bring me back there."

"Oh? And why is that, Princess?"

"Because I don't belong there. How much would it take for you to let me go?"

"More than you've got, mage."

Lucy's knees became weak and she sank to the uneven ground. Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, blearing her vision. But she would not cry. She would not give him the satisfaction. But, in spite of herself, she began to tremble. Anger and pain and dread mingled within her. But as quickly as she fell, an idea hatched in her brain. As slowly as she could, Lucy reached down to her jeans pocket, feeling for her celestial keys. I could call Taurus. But, Lucy realized with a jolt of shock, they were gone.

"Don't even think about it. We've taken your keys. But don't worry; it you be good and don't cause a lot of trouble, we'll give them back after Fullbuster pays to get you back."

As his retreating footsteps faded away, Lucy laid down on her "bed" and stared up at the ceiling. She imagined Gray's happiness at her return, Natsu's reaction when he heard she had reunited with Gray. He would think she abandoned him, she thought dryly. The thought sent a coldness through her body. Lucy shuddered. Natsu would hate her for the rest of her life. And after she was sent back, there was no way she would ever get the chance to run again. Gray would make sure of that.

In the darkness, Lucy had no idea what time it was, or how long she spent lying there. Hours? Minutes? There was no way to tell in the permanent blackness. But there were two voices that were getting louder, a sign that people were approaching. She sat upright and listened until the voices went silent.

"Hello again, Princess." That voice obviously belonged to the guy who spoke to her before.

"Let me go!" Lucy snapped. "I'll get you money, treasure, whatever you want. Please, just don't send me back there."

"Anything?" This voice was unfamiliar and sent chills down the celestial mage's spine. Lucy decided not to answer the question. "Well, with a generous offer like that, how can I refuse?"

The door creaked open and footsteps approached. A man in a stained wifebeater and loose blue jeans stopped at the side of her bed. He leaned down and grabbed both of Lucy's wrists, pinning them behind her head. He slowly raised himself up, placing both knees on either side of her body. Lucy went to scream, but he covered her mouth with his beefy hand. She could feel his hot breath on her neck as he whispered, "Now, you're not going to make any noise down here, are you? It's pointless; nobody will hear."

Lucy didn't respond, but he seemed to take that as an affirmative because he slowly moved his hand. His fingers trailed down her neck and lingered as it travelled down her chest and stomach. His thumb rubbed tiny circles on her inner thigh. "Are you sure you're willing to give anything for your freedom?"

Lucy then realized something. If she said yes, they still would not let her go. They were thieves and would do anything to deceive her. She would have a better chance if she agreed to go back to the kingdom. "No. Now get off of me," she ordered vehemently.

The man began to get up, but not without first grabbing her breast with one of her hands. Pervert, she thought as he exited the cell. Lucy was fairly surprised that he had let her go. Just like that. He had her pinned, free to do as he pleased to her. "Get her ready, Percy. Then we're off," he ordered as he walked away. Percy, the man whom she met before, held out his hand.

"Let's go, m'lady." Lucy walked out of the cage, slapping his hand away as she did so.

Over the course of about an hour, Lucy was given a hot shower, her hair being elegantly curled and left to hang loose around her shoulders. She wore no makeup and a simple light pink empire dress that fell mid-thigh. They wanted her to look presentable for the big reveal. Percy had admired her appearance and led her through a series of corridors in the huge building they were in and finally to a black carriage. He ushered her inside, where the perv sat with a creepy grin. He gave her a once-over as Percy entered.

Goodbye, Natsu. I'm sorry.

~o Meanwhile… o~

Natsu turned the knob and entered the apartment greeted with silence. "Luce? You here?" he called. But there was no response. He yelled again, but there was nothing but the silence. She must have gone out for something, he concluded with a shrug. Natsu yawned, exhausted, and decided to take a nap. He flung off his vest and scarf and jumped onto the bed, passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

It was four hours since Natsu fell asleep. And still, Lucy was not home. Now, it was weird. It was odd for her to go out for this long, at least without her telling him. An unsettling feeling made him nervous; what if something happened to her? His blood boiled at the thought. But an even worse thought crossed his mind.

What if she went back to Gray?

He had wanted to dismiss the thought as soon as he thought it, but it nagged at the back of his mind and refused to leave him alone. Gray was a prince; he had power, endless wealth, and he was a nice looking man. He wouldn't blame Lucy for leaving. Gray could give her everything she deserved. After all, who chooses being a poor mage over being royalty? The more Natsu thought about it, the more ridiculous that sounded. But, he wished he knew for sure. Lucy had left no indication of leaving; all her clothes were still around, there was no note, and everything was just the same as when they had left for the guild that morning. But, she would have all new clothes in the castle. Lucy would have no need for any of her things here.

Bolting upright, Natsu began to sprint through the room, throwing on his signature vest and scarf as he ran like a mad man through the halls of the apartment.

"Celine's gone!" he announced as soon as he raced through the guild's doors. Most of the members were still around and sported shocked, sad looks.

"Celine is gone. Juvia does not understand. Why did she leave?"

"Oh no!" Marajane dropped the bottle of beer she was about to had Canna, earning her a string of curses from the brunette.

"I came home and she was gone. She never told me. Why didn't she tell me? Maybe I could have done something." His voice cracked, much to his dismay.

A hand landed gently on his shoulder. Natsu turned to see Erza looking down on him with sympathetic eyes. "I am sorry, Natsu."

Natsu nodded, an acknowledgement of the apology. "Thank you. But I wish I knew what happened."

"Did Natsu consider that maybe Celine did not leave willingly?" Juvia asked hesitantly, not wanting to cause the dragon slayer any more pain.

"But why would anybody take Lucy?" Mirajane countered.

Natsu knew. He knew exactly why someone would want Lucy. But he couldn't say anything. "I don't know," he lied. "But that is a possibility. Maybe we should ask around, see what people around town might have seen."

"That's right," Makarov chimed as he appeared on the second floor rail. "We won't lose Celine without a fight. Now, I want everyone to ask around and get as much information as you can, okay?"

"Right!" the members chimed, their faces set with determination.

As everybody began to leave the guild, Makarov approached Natsu with grave eyes. "I think you should stay home. In case she were to come back. We'll come and find you if we find out anything."

"Thanks, Gramps," Natsu said with a sad smile. He began to make his way back home, the faint hope being overrun by the haunting thoughts swirling in the mage's mind.

Maybe it would be better for Lucy to go back to Fullbuster. He would be able to provide for her and give her a better life than Natsu ever could. Natsu was a hot-headed, overzealous, stubborn man. He wasn't the most charming and usually said the first thing that came to his mind. Lucy deserved the life that Gray could give her. But even so, he would like to know if she did go back to him. If he didn't, the curiosity would kill him. With a dejected sigh, Natsu took a seat on the window sill and watched as the sun began to dip below the houses of Magnolia.

A loud knock at the door made him jump, jerking him back from his self-loathing. He shuffled to the door after calling out for the visitor to hang on. As he undid the latch, a small glimmer of hope allowed itself to grow in his heart. But it was quickly extinguished when he saw Makao's son, Romeo, standing before him.

"Hey, Romeo. What's up? What are you doing here?" The little boy was like a young Gray; both had mussed dark hair (though Romeo's was dark purple and Gray's was dark blue), blue eyes, and similar builds. He stepped inside without a word and turned to face Natsu with wide, ravenous eyes.

"I'm here because I know what happened to Celine."

Yep. So there is kind of a crisis with Natsu wondering if he is good enough for Lucy. I wanted to expand more on what he thinks of Lucy's decision to leave with him. Obviously, he is having second thoughts. If you liked the chapter or the story in general, please drop a review.

Love ya guys. Until next chapter!