HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I hope you have all been having a good day and hopefully this chapter makes it go even better. Please R&R and I shall see you at the bottom of the page.

POV: Lucy

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

The cold autumn air bites at my face as I stare off up at the empty dark sky. Dark gray clouds shift lazily above blocking out the stars from my view, but I'm not all that bothered. I didn't really come up to my star gazing spot to look for the stars tonight. I'm actually just here to get some time alone so that I can think away from the watchful eyes of my family. Especially from Jellal who has made it his mission to keep an eye on me in case I were to start losing my mind. Other than the constant watching he hasn't told a soul as to what happened that night.

It's been two days since the match at Balsam Village. When we got back to the arena the match was almost over and everyone had been worried because we had been gone for a while. Jellal had told everyone that I had felt a little dizzy and needed to step out a bit, but other than that has told no one of what we saw. No one asked any questions and I took my seat not knowing what to do. I mean, the guys that had just killed my friend were sitting right behind me.

Natsu, without a word, handed me my bag of gummy bears that I had asked from him. He had also gotten me a water bottle and somehow this made me really want to cry. I can't explain why, but I just really wanted to jump over the seat and bury myself in his arms while I cried my lungs out. Instead I took my snacks with a forced smile and allowed myself to go numb for the rest of the night while promising myself that I would try and distance myself from those who could harm me.

Sighing, I watch as a wisp of white vapor leaves my mouth and disappears into the chilly air. I pull my knees closer to me in order to find warmth as I continue to stare out into the distance. My whole body is completely numb from the cold and I somehow doubt that I can even get back up anymore, much less walk back home. I probably should have told someone where I went before I left the house not too long ago.

"You know, you shouldn't be out here all alone," I sit up and turn around at the familiar voice that's coming from the trees, "You'll get sick if you continue to sit out here in the cold."

I watch as Natsu walks towards me slowly with his hands tucked deeply into the pockets of his jacket and his face half hidden beneath his scarf. Even though his face is hidden I can tell that he's a little embarrassed.

"Who says I'm alone," I ask while keeping my eyes on him warily. Does he know?

Natsu makes a small show of looking around the area as he lifts his face from his scarf, "Well I don't see anyone other than you here," he says coyly.

"You're here," I point out making him pause before his signature goofy smile brightens the area around us.

His chuckle rings happily as he says, "You're right, I guess with me here you aren't alone." When he's finally standing next to me he points toward the empty spot beside me and asks, "Is this seat taken," to which I shake my head and scoot a bit so that he can sit down.

"How'd you know I was here," I ask once he's settled down with his legs stretched in front of him while he leans back on his hands.

"I was out walking when I saw you from below the hill," he says without looking at me but instead keeping his gaze out towards the view of the town, "You looked lonely so I thought I'd come give you some company."

I feel my face flare up and my heart stutter at his words and I look away in case he can notice my blush. Hopefully if he does he just thinks that it's because of the cold air around us.

We stay quiet for a few seconds before Natsu breaks the silence again, "So Luce, how come you haven't been coming to school? You seem pretty fine to me."

"My grandfather thinks I should take more rest since my anemia has been acting up a bit."

"Is that bad?" He asks curiously and I shake my head.

"No, I just get really dizzy and feel very faint sometimes. Other times I get really sleepy and I feel very weak," I explain and he nods in understanding, "So how is school?" I ask as I scoot closer to him feeling his warmth radiate off of him like a small furnace, "How is everyone doing?"

"Fine I guess," he says while shrugging his shoulders, "They all miss you and can't wait for you to come back to school. I can't either."

"You can't?" I ask surprised and he nods while scratching his head a bit sheepishly.

"Yeah. I know that we don't talk much at school but it's weird not seeing you there in your seat next to mine. Plus now I have no one to copy from," he admits joyfully.

Blinking, I stare at him not really knowing what to say, "You copy off of my work?" I ask after a few beats of silence and he nods a bit guiltily. Shaking my head I look back forward as I smile knowingly, "Actually, that doesn't surprise me all that much."

"It doesn't?"

"Nope," I say as I stretch my arms out in front of me feeling my bones pop from sitting still for so long, "It actually explains why you're always staring at me during class."

"You noticed that?"

I nod as I wrap my arms around my knees again, "It's kind of hard not to notice," I say while sighing tiredly.

He stays quiet after that but the silence between us isn't at all uncomfortable. In fact, I feel a bit better than I had not just moments ago. I'm still a bit numb, but it's mostly from the cold now, and the tightness in my chest that I had felt earlier has all but vanished. My mood also feels a bit brighter, especially since Natsu is so close that our arms brush against each other from time to time.

This moment is just perfect and it feels like how things had been last year when I actually first met Natsu. Back when we had been this close and conversations were random but comfortable. Back when the bad things had first started happening, but were easy to forget were happening. Back when I was oblivious to everything.

If only we could go back to those easy moments.

"Hey Natsu," I ask and said boy looks at me curiously, "You've never really talked to me before, so why are you talking to me now?" He stays quiet and looks away from me with a deep frown etched on his face, "In fact, you didn't like me all that much on the first day of school, did you?"

Natsu sighs deeply as he ducks his face into his scarf to which he's never seemed to ever take off but yet is always as white as fresh snow, "What did I tell you about asking questions Lucy?" he asks with a serious tone and I blink recalling all of the times he would remind me of the rules, but that was back before I had 'lost' my memory.

"What about asking questions," I ask hoping that he didn't notice my small hesitation, "Up until now you've never said a word to me."

Looking at me, he blinks a few times before a panicked look crosses his face, "Sorry, I got you confused with somebody else," he quickly apologizes as he starts to get up, "Man is it cold, you wanna go back to Fairy Hills?" he asks with a cheery smile while offering me his hand.

"Umm, sure," I say as I take his hand and allow him to help me stand up off the cold ground.

I dust off the grass and brown leaves from my pants before blowing warm air onto my hands that are popsicles by now. I shiver a bit when a small gust of air passes by us as I wrap my arms tightly around me so that I can retain some warmth. How did it get so cold so fast?

"Are you cold?" Natsu asks as he watches me closely.

"Just a little," I admit while hiding my hands under my armpits. I really should have brought some gloves and a scarf with me when I left the house earlier.

Without warning, I feel something warm wrap around my face and when I look up I notice Natsu wrapping his scarf around me. I'm a bit taken aback at his kind gesture, but I don't really know how to react. Instead I just stand there staring at him confused.

"There, now you won't be so cold," he says with a large smile. He then takes my cold hand in his and winces a bit, "Geeze Lucy, you're even colder than that ice prick Gray."

I giggle feeling my face burn up when his hand tightens against mine and I'm so thankful that his scarf is covering my face. I'm also glad that it's dark enough that he can't tell whether I'm blushing form embarrassment or from the cold.

Natsu then leads me away from the leafless trees towards home. All the while I'm thinking that this is all just a dream and I can't help but breathe in Natsu's scent from incredibly warm scarf. His smells like spice and campfire, both smells that is eerily familiar from somewhere that I can't put my finger on. The smell envelops me leaving me in a state of bliss and wishing that this walk never ends. His warm hand also holds onto me warming my hand enough that I can finally feel the numbness disappear.

Sadly, we get home far faster than I thought we would. Natsu walks me all the way towards the front door of my house and stops me before I go inside, "Hey Lucy," I turn to look at him as he shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot, "What do you think if we became, friends?"

Once again he throws me off guard. I don't know what to say to him. Of course I want to be friends with him, Hell, I want to be more than friends! Even then I know we can't be because of the risk of finding out the truth about me. Hadn't I made my choice that I would stay away from him after what I saw with Erza? The last thing I would want is for him to lose me again, or the other way around.

Besides, we were supposed to be avoiding each other. He wasn't supposed to be getting anywhere near me in case I accidentally remembered something, which already happened without his knowledge, and I was supposed to stay away in case he realized what I was. We were supposed to be following the rules…

Then again, when have we ever really followed the rules?

Leaning up, I kiss Natsu's warm cheek causing the boy to stiffen a bit shocked at my bold move. Even I'm surprised at what I just did, but I do everything I can to keep it from showing, "I'd love to," I say before turning on my heel and rushing into the house before he can say anything else.

So I had an idea as to how I wanted this chapter to go and originally it wasn't supposed to be a Nalu chapter, but somehow my fingers just started typing and this came out. It could be due to the fact that we are a few chapters away from the ending and I want to add as many Nalu moments as I can. Is the ending going to be sad or happy? Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.

Shout outs

Great thanks to all of my Fantastic Favorites...

- LightningLover7

- lucyheartfilia226

- Tana - vermillion

- XxFairy - chanxX

- NasheiDragoneel

- ItsJewel - chan

To all of my Fabulous Followers...

- lucyheartfilia226

- Tana - vermillion

- XxFairy - chanxX

- NasheiDragoneel

- Lily. Faerie

- ItsJewel - chan

- econnaughton

- zkorage

And to all of my Fantabulous Reviewers...

- Snavej = I want them to live happily ever also... but I guess we'll both have to see where my twisted mind leads us.

- iamthewerepire = He won't tell anyone, especially since he's just watching her right now to make sure that she doesn't go crazy. Besides, he'd get into so much trouble if he told Makarov of what he let Lucy see, but I guess we'll see what happens from here.

- Guest = Yes, Another fans unite!

- blazingpyro606 = I don't know, I guess it depends on what is going through his mind at the time. But yes, imagining him shooting Lucy does hurt.

- BeastlyTick 59 = Well I notice you beast, even though I don't really know who you are, but I notice you.

- MeGustaZeref = I don't know. I guess we'll see.

- Splendora Lopez = Yeah it was pretty emotional. I cried a little when I was writing it, but I'm glad you liked it and it makes me so happy to hear that you get excited when I update.

- ScarletRoseAngel = I totally did not notice that almost a year has passed since I first started writing this story. I actually got the idea for this story from watching the anime 'Another' and from there I started wondering what it would be like if Lucy lived in a similar situation where there were so many rules that she had to follow. From there this story began and flourished into something that I just absolutely love. Of course, the story has drifted off the original course I had been going on, but I think it's for the best because then we would all be having an unsatisfying ending.

- animelover58 = Don't die just yet, there is still much more that needs to be uncovered. Too many secrets that still need to be brought out into the light like the way Lucy died...

Well that's all the shout outs for today.

If you are enjoying my story so far please follow, favorite, and review - remember, reviews are a writers candy - and if you have any questions or ideas you'd like to see put in the story you can also PM me and I'll gladly add it in.

Until next time my lovelies.