A/N: Here's chapter thirteen. Sorry these recent chapters haven't been very eventful, guys. I'm setting up tons of future events by writing these chapters, so just hang in there! The action will pick back up soon! Well, I guess there's a bit at the end of the chapter... Also, another cliffhanger! Haha, love you guys! ❤ (Please don't kill me c:)

Chapter Thirteen

Gray woke in the morning to find Natsu still asleep. In his bed. Plus, Gray's neck felt like someone had stepped on it. Repeatedly. Maybe with boots on. He groaned and sat up, cracking his neck from side to side with a wince. He straightened and pressed his shoulder-blades together, and his back let out a loud creak in protest.

Judging by how light it was outside, it couldn't have been later then eight AM, so Gray decided to snatch the opportunity and go find Lucy or Erza to ask for advice. He quickly changed out of his clothes and made his way out the door and down the stairs.

In the cafeteria, Gray grabbed a bottled water and an apple before glancing around for a familiar face. Ul was sitting with her friends, Meredy, Juvia, and Yukino, and Lyon was nowhere to be found; probably still asleep. Wendy was sitting with Sherria and Romeo, and Erza was off sitting with Jellal, Millianna, and Kagura. Finally, he spotted Lucy in line waiting for a bagel, so he quickly made his way over to her.

"Hey, Gray," she said as he squeezed in beside her.

"Hey," he said nervously. "I need to talk to you about something."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

Gray nodded. "Although, I'd prefer to, um, do it in a less... public place. It's kind of, er, embarrassing."

Lucy's interest seemed peaked now as she grabbed her bagel and they stepped out of line. 'Fine. Follow me."

They went down a hallway outside the cafeteria and Lucy leaned against the wall. Gray did the same on the opposite wall, and took a deep breath. "I, well, I wanted to, um, well... I like someone," he finished lamely, feeling ridiculous. He still couldn't believe he was doing this...

"Well, you have to tell me who," Lucy said, seeming oddly excited. "I can help if you tell me who!"

Giving her a strange look, Gray shook his head. "Ugh, maybe I shouldn't... I just... This feels stupid..."

Lucy stopped him from walking past her by placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Gray grimaced, knowing that he wasn't getting out of this one. Taking another deep breath to calm himself, Gray turned. His nails bit into his palms as he took another deep breath. "Okay, fine. It's..." He murmured the name, his eyes flicking to the side.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gray growled and drug a hand through his hair. "Natsu," he snapped. "It's Natsu, okay?!"

Lucy held a hand over her mouth to stop a laugh. Gray looked at her, confused. After a second Lucy looked back at him, wearing a straight face. "Sorry, sorry, just remembered something. Anyway, you like Natsu?"

"Um, yes...?" Gray said slowly, still very confused. What the hell... Is she sleep-deprived or something?

"That's... interesting." Lucy held a hand to her lips, seeming to be thinking deeply. "I think I can help you with your little problem."

"How?" Gray asked, slightly worried at the look in the blonde's eyes.

"Just give me a few days."

"Um, okay?" Gray said uncertainly as Lucy turned and literally started skipping down the hallway.

When she was gone, Gray stood there for several seconds, staring at the spot she'd just been. "What... just happened?"

Natsu woke pressed against something soft and smooth that was nowhere near as nice as the couch he had been sleeping on, and for a second, he had no idea where he was. Then he smelled something minty fresh and absolutely fantastic, and an image of navy eyes and raven hair flitted through his mind.

Gray. I'm in Gray's bed. And... I didn't have any nightmares. That thought prompted Natsu to open his eyes and sit up, looking around, shocked. For the first time in days, he wasn't tired at all, and he'd finally gotten a full night's rest.

Stretching his arms above his head, Natsu glanced over to the couch, only to find Gray missing. He sighed and lay back down, snuggling back into the blankets and inhaling Gray's scent.

A while later, the door opened, but Natsu was too tired to look. There was the sound of the door closing, and then something hit the floor; presumably Gray had just kicked his shoes off. Natsu listened as Gray walked closer, his footsteps light against the wood floor. There was pressure on the bed springs, and Gray's voice close to Natsu's ear. "Natsu? You up?"

A hand lightly tapped his shoulder, and Natsu mumbled a quiet, "No."

"Natsu," Gray said again, tapping his shoulder slightly harder this time. "Get up."

"No," Natsu repeated, reaching out a leg to try and kick Gray away. Gray simply grabbed his leg, and proceeded to drag him out of the bed. "OW!" Natsu yowled as his head hit the floor. He sat up and gripped his skull tightly, wincing. "Owwwwwww, Gray, that hurt!"

"It was supposed to," Gray said, flopping down on the bed. "I want my bed back, flame brain."

"Flame brain?" Natsu asked, shooting a glare back at him as he used the bed to haul himself to his feet.

"Because you're so hotheaded," Gray said with a smirk, crossing his legs and reaching for a book on his nightstand.

"Well, ice princess," Natsu retorted, pulling back the blankets on the empty side of the bed and sliding in, "if you're only going to read, I'm going to sleep."

"Go sleep on the couch," Gray said, swatting Natsu away. Natsu shook his head and pulled the covers up to his neck, turning so his back faced Gray—because no way in hell could he face him at such close proximity. "No. Your bed is comfortable. And it smells really good." He mumbled the last part, and he was sure Gray hadn't heard it.

"What?" Gray asked, confirming his suspicions.

"Nothing," Natsu said, closing his eyes with a slight smile.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and Natsu found himself asleep within minutes.

A sharp tap made Gray jerk awake, the book that had been resting on his chest tumbling to the ground. He realized he must've fallen asleep reading, and glanced out the window to estimate the time. It was dark, and Gray did a double-take. What? I started reading at, like, ten or eleven... How on earth did I sleep for so long?

Then the sound which had woken Gray came again; a rapping at the door. Sighing, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and made his way over to the door, opening it and squinting out at the two people that stood in the hallway. He had to rub his eyes to see them clearly, and when he did, he grew annoyed. "Lucy, Erza, what the hell are you doing here? I was asle—"

Lucy gripped his shoulders tightly, stopping Gray in his tracks. The panicked look on her face sent shivers down his spine. Something had happened.

"Gray, you have to get up and come help!"

"Help... with what?" Gray asked, gulping. He'd never seen his friend like this, and it scared him.

"Ly— Lyon, and— and Mi—" Lucy broke down into sobs, and Erza patted her on the back and stepped forward to explain in her place. "Michelle, Lyon, and a few others were out on patrol, and someone attacked them."

"Zs?" Gray asked, immediately alert, worry filling him at the mention of his brother. But Erza shook her head, her face grave. "No. It was a group of people. They snatched them all and left us... Well, you should really come and see it for yourself. It's... unpleasant."

"Give me three seconds," Gray said gravely, and Erza nodded before he closed the door and spun on his heel, frantically gathering his shoes and pulling them on as he headed towards the bed, where Natsu was still asleep. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him roughly, and the boy looked up at him sleepily. "Natsu, get up. It's an emergency."

That was all it took to wake him up, and soon Natsu was dressed and ready beside Gray. They quickly left the apartment, and followed Erza and a prone Lucy down the stairs and towards the lobby. The halls, which were normally quiet at this time of night, were abuzz with people, rushing past each other and talking in low, tense voices.

When they reached the lobby, Erza made a beeline for the large table set up in the center that was usually used for strategizing and planning for raids. Makarov, Loke, Jellal, and Ultear were already gathered around the table, and looks of relief crossed their faces when Gray and Natsu arrived.

"Thank God you two are here. Natsu, I need you in the infirmary now," Makarov ordered, and Loke started tugging him away. Natsu gave Gray a confused look before turning and disappearing in the masses of people.

"To brief you quickly, Gray, I sent out the usual night patrol about two hours ago, consisting of Lyon, Michelle, Sorano, Sting, and Rogue. As you know, circling the block only takes about thirty minutes, so of course I got worried when they hadn't returned after an hour. So I sent out Erza, Jellal, and Juvia to check it out. They reported back, and apparently a group of people kidnapped four of them. Our team arrived just in time to see them running, and they could do nothing because the enemy had heavy artillery."

"Wait," Gray said, frowning. "Four?"

Makarov's mouth formed into a grim line. "Yes, four. The fifth—Sorano—was left behind."

"But why would they do that?" Gray asked, frowning. "What was the aim of their attack, anyway?"

"That's what I was getting to," Makarov said, pointing to a spot on the map that was glued to the tabletop. "This here is the Outpost"—he pointed to a spot on the map—"and this"—he moved his finger west about three inches—"is where our territory ends. We haven't been able to access these three blocks because of the heavy Z population there, so obviously we don't know what's over there."

"And?" Gray asked, not quite getting the point he was making.

"And that warehouse where you and Natsu were ambushed?" Makarov slid his finger to the left and tapped it against a little building on the map. "That's right on the edge of that uncharted territory."

Gray's face paled. "So, you think it was them again?"

Makarov nodded. "That's exactly what I think. That's why I wanted to talk to you. You're more familiar with them than any of us. Do you have any idea what their motives are?"

"Well, I only overheard a bit of the conversation, but... they knew we were coming. It was only by the skin of our teeth that they didn't catch us. And they were... torturing Natsu, so I'd wager a guess they want information."

"But on what?" Makarov stressed.

Gray looked up at him. "The Outpost. And not only that; they have an immense supply of guns."

Makarov growled. "Dammit. They were probably luring hunters in to get information. It was pure unluckiness that they grabbed Natsu. I'm guessing they didn't know he had just arrived, and didn't know any of our secrets. But Lyon, Michelle, Sting, and Rogue..."

Erza cursed. "If they're planning on torturing them, we have to send out a rescue party now, before they can get any information."

Suddenly, there was a shout from the door, and the six of them shared a look before a shout rang out.

"It's Sting! We found Sting!"