Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, all rights go to Hiro Mashima.

Lucy's POV
I limply fell to my knees as I recalled what happened.

If I can't kill you, then I'll make you suffer…

Who was that? It wasn't me. I've always shuddered at the thought of death, but even I knew that torture was worse. And yet, here I was. I held my head in my hands. Maybe, Zeref was right. I wasn't used to evil. Was this what evil did to you? Make you lose control of yourself? I snapped back to reality, though, when I heard Lector and Fro bust in, yelling.

"Where's Rogue?!" Fro shouted, and Lector followed suit, only with his partner's name. Panicking, I scanned the guild hall, and found the gang in a corner, some sprawled over tables while others hung limply on the floor. Ignoring the shouts of the exceeds, I ran over in a hurry, zoning everything out. They had to be okay, there was no way that they'd lose to him… I thought this as I tripped and stumbled over to my friends, glancing worriedly at all of the members. Stopping in front of my closest friends, I then gingerly crouched down, only to be face to face with Natsu. AS worried as I was, I couldn't look at him. He didn't really trust me completely, that's all I knew. Looking over to Gray, I giggled as he mumbled something in his sleep. So they were okay, after all. Happy started to fly in his sleep, and bumped into a wall, and I had to bite my tongue to suppress my laughter. Lector and Fro did the same thing, rolling around on the floor in amusement.

"Hey, Lucy, they're ok, right?" Fro asked, his voice wavering.

"Yeah, they're just fine, don't worry!" I whisper yelled. "And," I added on, winking at Lector, "Nothing can beat the Great Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney!" I joked, and Lector fist pumped the air in agreement.

"Well, that's only obvious. We just wanted to check on them because they haven't come back to the guild, and then we heard that there were a lot of noise reports from the townspeople. Of course that's normal for Fairy Tail, but we felt something was wrong. Anyway, we should go back now. I don't want to leave, but Minerva's scary when she's mad!" Lector half whined and explained. Chuckling, I patted their heads, making the prideful Lector blush, but the welcoming Fro smile. I smiled back, thinking that it was hilarious how these two were so different, just like their slayers. Seeing them out with a few remaining giggles, I went back to the group to watch over them for a while.

I looked at Rogue, and grinned when I saw him clenching the locket he wore on his chest.

FLASHBACK
Ne, Rogue, what's in that locket you always wear?
This? Oh, it's something that Yukino gave me. I have her picture in here, since she's like my girl best friend. I was heartbroken when she temporarily was kicked out of the guild… and that made me realize two things. First, it made me realize how power wasn't everything, as it was in the old Sabertooth. And two, it showed me how important… she is to me.

FLASHBACK

So he did have a thing for her, after all. Sighing, I knew how almost everyone knew that, well maybe except for the two involved themselves. Rogue was like an older brother to me. He was protective and seemingly emotionless, but he was actually warm and kind hearted. It was the truth to say that I trusted him with my life. Then, I turned to Sting's sleeping profile.

He… how do I describe him? Well, he's cocky, war crazy, a playboy, and sometimes a jerk. He's all of that, yet he's also kind, thoughtful, considerate, and gentle. Unlike all of the others, the only people he had were his friends. He didn't have anyone else. That's why I pledged to myself, the day that we officially became friends, that I would always stick by him. Lightly tapping his forehead, I tried to mimic his signature smirk. But that only reminded me of that time that he smiled… I blushed like crazy, realizing that I was officially daydreaming about him. Standing up abruptly, I shook my head. I walked back to Natsu in the end, though. He may not trust me, but I guess I can still trust him. I mean, everyone had their secrets, right? I was doing it again. Doubting him, trying to leave him, then ending coming back to him and trying to get some sort of reason to forgive him. Well, we were best friends, after all. He was my partner, and I was his. There was nothing that could change the fact that we were best friends forever. Smiling and turning around, I went to clean up after the mess that I made during the fight.

Natsu's POV

I woke up groggily, rubbing my eyes. Blinking them to get used to the sudden light of the room, I looked around. I was laying down on an infirmary bed, and when I got up, I saw the other members in the same position. Gingerly stepping forward, I clutched my head in pain as a massive headache suddenly overcame me. Damn… what happened? I asked myself as I walked out of the infirmary and into the hall. When I spotted Lucy, I tried to run over, but then ended up getting another headache and falling down.

"Natsu! Don't run, you're not completely ok!" Lucy yelled at me as she hurried to my side. Pulling me up, I gripped onto her, steadying myself. Grabbing her by the shoulders, I hesitantly stood up again.

"Thanks, I owe you big time…!" I trailed off as I finally processed what was going on. Lucy was here. After two weeks. She was back. My eyes widened, for a second, and I then tackled her with a bear hug, sending us both back down to the ground.

"Where were you?! Are you alright?! Why did you take so long?!" I spewed out questions one after another, not giving her a chance to even answer. I only stopped when she slapped her hand over my mouth, and I blushed. She merely sighed.

"Well, im sorry, but traveling all the way to Tenrou, defeating King of the Fire Dragons, then traveling to another island and bumping into Zeref, and then traveling to another island again, and defeating King of Dragons Acnologia, then bumping into Zeref again, can't be done overnight" She explained, rolling her eyes. I stared at her, wide eyed at the information. Then, I whooped in excitement.

"You've done it! WE GOT DRAGONS!" I yelled, but Luce only slapped her hand over my mouth again.

"What do you want to do, wake up all of Fiore?!" She whisper scolded me, and I cringed as I read the watch on her wrist. It was only 7 am.

"Hehe, sorry about that…" I whispered back, shrinking under her glare. As she returned to her usual cheery atmosphere, I watched her in amusement.

"Wow, talk about mood swings. You on your perio-" I was cut off by another death glare, and quickly retreated back into the infirmary, hiding under my covers. I let out the breath I was holding when I heard her footsteps get lighter, and knew that she walked away. Chuckling softly to myself, I readjusted my position in the bed, getting comfortable. You're so weird, Luce.

Rogue's POV
I had a very… embarrassing dream yesterday. Based on he contents of it, I have to suspect that my mate is Yukino. Thinking this as I got up, I recognized myself to be in Fairy Tail's infirmary. It would make sense, after all, I've been getting this strange feeling around her lately. Checking the calendar on the bedside table, I groaned in annoyance. Of course, it just had to be mating season. Let me tell you, I hated mating season. It was as horrible a feeling as being alone and eating cold pizza on Valentines Day. March, of course. I loved the month, hated the season. Did that make any sense? Probably not. Well, I guess it would make sense for her to be my mate… My thoughts trailed off as I walked out of the infirmary, spotting Lucy at the bar.

"Oh, good morning. How come you're still here?" I asked her, sitting on a stool across from her.

"Oh, I was worried about everyone, so I spent the night here, taking care of things" She explained, handing me a cup of coffee.

"I would expect that you like it dark, right?" She joked, and I cracked a smiled as I added only a teaspoon of cream into the brewing liquid.

"Thanks. Coffee's a lifesaver, isn't it?" I reasoned, taking a sip and enjoying the warmth spreading throughout my body. Lucy nodded in agreement as she took her own steaming mug. Immediately waking up from my dazed state, I noticed Lucy giggling to herself.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking around as to what she found so funny.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that, judging from the dragon vibe you're giving off, and this is coming from slayer to slayer, I'm guessing that you're mate is Yukino?" She teased, poking my ribs. I blushed and looked away, but then I realized what she just said.

"Slayer?"

Lucy's POV
Shoot. I forgot that I erased his memories. Before I could come up with some lame excuse, Rogue started again.

"Now that you mention it, I do faintly recall seeing you use some dragon slayer magic before I passed out… Is it true?!" He asked excitedly. I nodded, sprawling out against the bar.

"Yeah, have Ski answer your questions later" I told him, using my new moniker for the dragon's intricate name. He nodded, probably sensing that I wasn't in the mood to answer a million questions per hour. Taking another sip of my coffee, I headed back into the kitchen, taking a bowl and ladle along the way. Going to the pot that I was heating up, I served some red bean porridge that I made to Rogue. I knew the answer, but I asked him anyway what he preferred.

"Do you prefer it sweet?"

"Bitter, please" Listening to his request, I handed his bowl to him as it was.

"Thanks, Lucy" I looked at him with a smile. It was small moments like these, these moments that I spent with my friends, that I loved most. Shaking my head indicating that it was no big deal, I heard someone else get up, and wih my heightened senses, heard Wendy yawning. Well, she was an early riser. As she walked into view, she greeted us cheerily. Then, she spotted Rogue's bowl.

"Red bean porridge!" She exclaimed, though softly, considerate of the fact that others were sleeping.

"Yup, do you want some? I bet you want it sweet, right?" I guessed, taking in the fact that Wendy, though powerful, was still only a child.

"Yes, please!" she said as she hopped onto a stool next to Rogue. Serving another bowl, I took a tablespoon of honey and drizzled it over the steaming porridge, then folded it in to add subtle sweetness. Wendy watched in awe at my skilled mannerisms, and squealed in delight as the bowl was placed before her.

"I humbly accept this food!" She said excitedly, and began to dig in. Smiling, she turned to the male beside her.

"Ne, Rogue- san, it's very delicious, right?" Wendy questioned, her eyes sparkling. Rogue smiled once again at the young mage, and nodded.

"It is, thanks again, Lucy" He replied, and I blushed in protest. Taking my turn at modesty, I denied it, and went back into the kitchen to get something to snack on for the side. Spotting some rice flour, I smiled as I began to prepare some rice cake.

Sting's POV

I walked sleepily to the bar, sitting down beside everyone else. It seemed that the whole guild was awake, and was eating some sort of porridge.

"Good morning, Sting" Erza said, acknowledging my presence. I nodded in response, and stretched out my neck, tired. Then, I spotted Lucy wide awake, serving everyone the porridge while chatting with Mira who was, for once, relaxing and sitting down at the bar, having a bowl of porridge for herself. Spotting me, Lucy walked over, holding a tray of some freshly cooked, sticky rice cakes.

"Morning! Here, you can eat some of this while I go get you a bowl. You like it sweet, right?" She asked, apparently referring to the porridge. I nodded, and took some rice cake, popping it into my mouth. It was delicious. I saw Erza sneakily steal a few from me, and Natsu and Gray were trying to corner me not-so-subtly. I laughed at their antics, and Lucy came out with a bowl. She also had many other bottles.

"Hm… honey would make it too sweet for you, so… lets see… sugar would be alright, but that doesn't seem to suit you. Maybe… oh, I know! What about agave nectar!" She exclaimed with enthusiasm, and took the cork off of a bottle with a satisfying pop! She poured some over my bowl, and folded it into the hot mixture. Handing it to me, I accepted it with thanks and slight curiosity. I didn't know much, but I sure as hell knew that agave nectar is not normal, at least not in my book. I've never even heard of it. Gingerly dipping my spoon into the porridge, I took a bite, and I savored the perfect sweetness. It was neither too sweet nor too bitter, and I took another, this time eager, bite.

"Thanks, Lucy" I smiled at her, earning a blush. Switching to my usual smirk to hide the faint blush tinting my own cheeks, I turned away and continued to shove food into my mouth. I stole glances at her, though, as she served others, using different bottles for different people. I just straight up snorted, though, when I saw her sigh, and then dump about a pound of sugar, followed by twice the amount of hot sauce, into Natsu's, what, 32nd bowl? Everyone else chuckled at the seemingly horrifying combination of sugar and hot sauce, and I let my smile remain this time, loving this warm feeling bubbling up inside of me. Finishing up my bowl along with Rogue, I got seconds, still laughing with everyone in Fairy Tail.

Lucy's POV

I started to clean up, collecting everyone's dishes. Mira had insisted on helping, but I strictly refused her offer, knowing how hard she worked herself everyday. Besides, I liked it like this. This way, everything felt normal. It was as if I was just Lucy, and everyone else was just Fairy Tail, my home. Even Sting and Rogue felt like family to me. This way, it felt as if everything in the world was right, as if there was no Kukyo, no Zeref, no anything to hurt us. Right here, right now, I wished for the second time that time would just stop here, that I could just live forever, and relish the moments that I had with my friends, not aware of the time slipping past my fingers. I wish that I could live forever so that I could always be with my friends, never being afraid of losing them. Be careful what you wish for. A strange voice echoed throughout my head. I shook it off, though, and continued to clean the dishes, feeling ice blue eyes pierce my back. Not even having to look at him, I retorted, "If all you're gonna do is stare, then you could at least help out" I heard a chuckle in reply, and grinned to myself as I heard the nearing footsteps.

"Yeah, whatever" Sting said grumpily as he began to take a clean dish and dry it off.

"Hey! Don't take the easy job!" I whined, while Sting stuck out his tongue in response. I pouted, but giggled a bit. Nothing lasts forever. There was that voice again. I ignored it, though, continuing to bicker with Sting, enjoying myself.

Sting's POV
As we finished up the dishes, I stared at her for a second, then felt a throbbing in my chest. Shoot, mating season… I hurriedly checked the calendar, only to prove my suspicions correct. Lucy, was she…? I snapped back to reality as I saw her talk to Natsu. Of course, she was his. I face palmed myself, scared of the fact that she might be my mate, but would choose Natsu over me. I could only have one mate, so if she… I shivered at the thought of being alone for the rest of my life, and I stood there, frozen, staring into space. Lucy walked over and snapped in front of my face, though, making me come to terms with myself.

"Snap out of it! You're so silly sometimes, you know?" She pointed out, and I laughed nervously.

"How dare you call me silly, Blondie..." I shot back, hoping to cover up my dark thoughts.

Lucy's POV
I looked at him. He seemed worried about something…No, worried wasn't the word for it. More like, scared. I knew the feeling of being scared, I've been feeling it since I was born. When I was a kid, fear of losing mother, fear of being used,fear of being controlled. When I ran away, I had the fear of being found, fear of making the wrong choices, fear of that pain I felt when I was little. When I joined Fairy Tail, I had the fear of losing my friends, fear of hurting my friends, fear of being hurt. When I left for three months, I had the fear of losing Natsu, fear of emptiness, fear of heartbreak. And now, I had a fear that I couldn't identify, something else lingering at the back of my mind. Sympathizing with the fellow slayer, I hugged him, surprising both him and myself. Immediately, though, my body started to react.

My chest started to throb, and I felt his heartbeat start to beat in time with mine. Symptoms… We pulled away from each other, faces beet red in understanding. I asked him for the date.
"M-march… That means it's…" He trailed off, and I went to finish his sentence.

"Mating season… so does that mean that just now was…?" My question was interrupted with a squeal, and our heads turned to look at a crazed Mira.

"OMG! Blonde blue eyed babies! Blonde brown eyed babies! Or dirty blonde green-eyed babies! Brown- brown eyed babies!" Mira squealed the same way she did… when Sting first busted into the guild that day. I could sense that Sting was thinking about the same thing, cause he turned to look at me, a small smile gracing his lips once again. Man, did I love that smile. But still, it seemed like such a long time ago where he swept me up into his arms and declared that I was his idol.

"Hey, it's been a long time, right?" Sting pointed out, voicing my thoughts aloud. I nodded, but then I was swept into his arms, just like the way he did in my memories: bridal style.

"THIS is what you meant by it's been a long time?" I questioned, my face red. Ignoring the continuous squeals from Mira, and the stares from a few in the guild, Sting replied cheerfully, yet maliciously, with a "Yup", popping the p. He ran out the doors, leaving everyone dazed.

Rogue's POV

I watched the sight with amusement, recalling old memories about the time where I spotted Sting run into the guild with Lucy in his arms. Sipping some tea, I chuckled as he ran out. And there was a time where I thought she was my mate, as well. Oh, but those do make a cute couple. Still chuckling to myself, I watched his retreating figure with fondness. You have someone, now…

Natsu's POV

Even though I had to admit that I was a tad bit jealous, I couldn't help but smile at the sight. I mean, Lucy looked so happy when she was with him. And that was the one thing that I couldn't dare take away from her, even if it displeased me, since I refuse to admit that I was jealous for the second time. I had a strong sense that she was his mate, but what freaked me out was that she wasn't mine. I looked around the guild hall. It had to be someone from Fairy Tail, right? Then, my eyes settled on a distressed Lisanna. Oh… maybe she was it, after all… Had I left her too soon? Wait… what am I even talking about? Confusing myself, the only piece of information that I was able to derive from my little internal conversation was the fact that my relationship with Lisanna wasn't quite over, yet. This was… unprecedented.