BAM!

It was the one sound that escaped from Natsu's end of the line before the next second later the phone officially hung up and cut the two men off from each other. It was also the one sound that quickly put Gray on edge, the one sound to quickly put Gray into quite the panic that had him repeatedly attempt to reach his fiery lover only to fail each and every time with him being sent to voicemail.

We're sorry. The person you are trying to reach is unavailable-

Why? Why was he refusing to answer? Natsu always picked up the phone for him, not missing a single call from him before unless one counted the times because of work, then yes of course, he had and it was understandable. But this wasn't the case. Natsu wasn't supposed to be working, at least not for another week by Erza's orders, unless she demanded it but Natsu said nothing about being ordered to work. This information had managed to put Gray into even more of a panic frenzy after the second attempt and that seemed to lead the rest of his carpool to do the same thing but not without first trying to reason out the situation to the raven haired man and minus the constant frantic attempt to reach the pinkette.

"Maybe he had to go to the bathroom-"

"Did he forgot his keys?"

"Was mad?"

"Impatient?"

"Bet you a couple of brews he was just really hungry and couldn't wait."

The more logical reasons that were thrown at the raven haired man the more he seemed to simmer and calm down, lessening his bone-crushing hold on his phone allowing a sigh to escape past his lips. All this sounded like something Natsu would and could do and it did make him settle slightly until one of the passengers, one who sat next to Gray in the backseat of the car, a buxom beauty with the most luscious curves with wide chocolate brown eyes and blonde pigtails named Lucy, decided to pitch in her thought on the mystery of Natsu's end and that quickly helped remotivate Gray into continuing his crusade of spamming Natsu's phone.

"You... You don't think someone broke into your house... And- And kidnapped Natsu... Do you?"

This put the carpool into quite a disaster.

Gray felt his heart pumping faster and faster, the muscle having a hard time to keep up with the sudden increase of blood flow as it beat itself sgsinst his rib cage in protest as he frantically called Natsu only to be given the same god damned monotonous answer;

We're sorry. The person you are trying to reach is unavailable.

"Bullshit!" Gray roared in frustration. "He's not picking up!"

"Now now," his driver, Loke soothed. His hazel eyes shined with understanding behind his glasses, orange hair swaying in the gentle breeze that entered through the window. "Just keep trying. Keep trying!"

But no matter how he looked at it or how hard he tried and prayed, it seemed that Lucy's theory was right. There was no other given explanation for Natsu's refusal to answer Gray's calls, the proof solidifying a little more as he called Natsu for what must've been the sixth time, instead of the usual 30 seconds of ringing, he was immediately sent to voicemail. Gray placed his hand over his bare chest where his heart was trying to calm it down as the fear slowly but yet, rapidly, started to consume him. His eyes grew wide as a text message from Natsu's phone popped onto his phone.

And it didn't make his situation any better at all.

Impatient, aren't we Fullbuster?

You lost.

This alone just sealed the deal.

"How far are we from town?" He asked, his dark blue eyes shimmering with unseen tears as clutched a small box tightly in his fist. "Please tell me we're close!"

"We're about an hour out," Loke's passenger, Cana Alberona, said. Her dark brown eyes narrowed dangerously as she pushed her brunette hair out of her face. "Look Gray, you need to calm down. Panicking is not going to get us there faster!"

"I know but-"

"Isn't there someone we can contact and send to check in on and help Natsu?" Loke asked.

"Oh! Of course!" Lucy gasped, clapping her hands together at the idea. "How about Mira?"

"She's at a conference with the Boss." Gray sighed.

"Oh! Right... I forgot. Uh- How about Lisanna?"

"She's off for today and at an amusement park with Happy."

"Darn. Um- What about Juvia and your brother, Lyon?"

"Their at a job somewhere in the snowy mountains."

"What about Levy and Gajeel?"

"On their honeymoon. Won't be back until another two weeks."

"Oh... Right... Wendy?"

"She won't get out of school for another two hours." Gray shivered. "And if we tell her, she's gonna turn around and tell HIM..."

"I forgot about HIM," Lucy and the rest of the carpool shivered. "What about Erza and Jellal?"

"They are at a job somewhere in the desert lands for the Council, and won't be back another two weeks," Gray was slowly starting to grow irritated. "And there's no way in hell am I gonna tell Erza about this! Do you have any idea what she could possibly do to me if something did happen to Natsu? Her 'little bundle of joy'? She's worse then HIM."

"R-right," Lucy gulped. There was no arguing that. "How about Laxus and Freed?"

"They're on vacation first of all and second of all, what in any god's name makes you think that Laxus would even give a rat's ass? Yes! Freed maybe."

"It was just an idea," Lucy huffed, crossing her arms "OH! How about-"

"Lucy, the entire Fairy Tail is either out on a mission or on a vacation and won't be home till either later tonight, tomorrow morning or sometime between to a week or two from now."

"I-I-I..." Tears began to bubble in those brown orbs. "I'm sorry. I-I-I just-"

"Gray, calm the fuck down!" Cana growled, turning around in her seat once again to glare at the dark haired man. "Don't lose your temper with Lucy. She's only trying to help."

Gray sighed heavily, before running a hand through his dark hair and turning to a teary eyed Lucy. "Sorry for yelling at you, Lucy."

"I-it's okay." She smiled weakly, as she wiped her eyes.

"Wait!" Loke blinked, eyes widen behind his glasses in sudden realization making everyone turn their attention to him. "What about Sting?"

"Wha-" Gray's eyes suddenly shot up staring into Loke's reflection in the mirror.

He just did not suggest what he thought he said...

"What about Sting? You know Sting Eucliffe- Natsu's foster brother," Loke repeated. "Doesn't the guy and his husband Rogue and the kids, Frosch and Lector, live like two or three blocks away from you guys?"

"YES! BUT ARE YOU NUCKING FUTS?!" Gray cried. He could literally feel the ghost of Death's breath at the back of his neck. He shivered. "There is defiantly no way in any reincarnation of Hell, am I going to call him! He's worse then Erza and HIM combined!"

"Look, he's our best and only shot," Loke sighed. "If Natsu is truly in trouble, then he's going to need help and this is only way to save him and save him now."

"I know that! But do you have any idea what he's going to do to me?" Gray asked. "If Erza, by an insane amount of luck, followed by You-Know-Who fails to kill me, he most certainly will."

"Or he'll double team with the two of them and they can kill you with no problem." Cana hummed, finger tapping her chin in thought.

"Not. Helping." Gray hissed.

"Gray."

His eyes widen slightly as he turned to look at Lucy, whose eyes were wide and shimmered with tears. She placed a dainty hand over his own as her entire body seemed to tremble with suppressed sobs.

"Please." Her voice barely above a whisper. "Please Gray... Just call him."

Gray heaved a deep sigh, briefly looking to see out the rain covered window before turning back to face Lucy and gathered her into a tight hug. She let out a soft sob into his bare chest. It seemed that his shirt disappeared somehow during the whole frenzy.

"I'll call him, okay?"

"Thank you."

Gray pulled his phone out and raised it to eye level as he pulled up the list of contacts, selecting and dialing Sting's number as he brought it to his ear. He mentally prepared himself for the onslaught of death threats that he knew would be aimed his way as well as the one death threat that might very well follow though. He gulped as he heard the phone being picked up from the other end after about 2 rings and an agitated voice answered.

"What the hell do you want Fullbuster?"

24 years was a long life... Right?

Hi. Your phone is ringing.

He growled low and deep in his throat as his cellular device decided to suddenly come to life in his dark room and blare its god forsaken annoying ringtone voice at him. His squeezed his eyes tighter, pulling his comforter over his head trying to block it out and remain in his Dreamland with rather poor results, before his sapphire blue eyes snapped open and turned to glare at his bedside table. Why the fuck did he pick out that ringtone?

Oh right, he didn't. Natsu did. Cause that flame brained brother of his decided to be a funny little prick and screwed with his list of ringtones the other day when he last visited with Happy, Wendy and Charle. And why did it have to be 'My Little Pony'?

Are you going to answer it?

'Probably because of Wendy,' he sighed in thought.

Apparently, she was a huge fan of it or some bullshit. He groaned as he reached out for his phone, patting the surface, looking for it until his fingers brushed it and closed around the rectangular device when he suddenly felt his partner shift in the bed, stirring slightly as he whined.

"Who in the world is trying to reach you, Sting?"

Cause if you don't answer soon I'm going to get kinda of annoyed. And we know we don't like it when I get annoyed-

"That's what I'd like to know."

The man, Sting, groggily rose himself to a sitting position, swinging his legs over the bed and unto the floor, allowing the bed sheets and comforter to slip off his body, exposing his slim yet muscular torso while the lower half of him wore striped pajama bottoms. He blinked his eyes several times as he glanced down at his cellphone as he ran his hand through his spiky blonde hair that gave the impression he just woke up, which funny enough, he did as his mind tried to catch up with the rest of him. His sapphire blue eyes narrowed.

So please hurry up and get to your phone-

It was that Fullbuster bastard.

The very same little prick who had the audacity to think he was perfect boyfriend material and steal his precious baby brother away from him. He swiped at the green circle with his thumb. "What the hell do you want?"

"Sting. It's me, Gray."

"Oh no- You don't say- I could not have figured. This better be damn good, Fullbuster." Sting huffed at the obvious declaration of identity, trying to keep his threatening voice low so as to allow his love to sleep. "Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?"

"It's two in the afternoon."

"It's too early for me, dumbass," Sting growled before he blinked. Was it just him or did it sound like someone was crying on the other end? "Why are you calling me?"

"I..."

There was a pause.

"Well?"

"I need..."

Another pause.

"Oh for the love of-" Sting growled, his temper flaring. "Just spit it out! I don't have all day!"

Gray sighed in defeat. "I need your help."

"My help?" Sting smirked. This could be interesting. "You- The fabled 'Ice Demon' of Fairy Tail- Need my help? And with what, pray tell?"

"Can you go to our house and check up on Natsu for me?"

"What? Why?"

"We- That's to say- I..." There was a deep sigh. "I think he's in trouble."

"Oh? If you think my precious brother is in trouble-" Sting could feel his anger rise as he stood up. He knew it, he just knew it. This bastard could not be trusted! "Then where the hell are you, you prick?"

"Stuck in traffic 30 miles outside of Magnolia." There was a soft shudder in his voice. "Please Sting..."

Sting blinked at the tone in Gray's voice before he quickly made his way to his closet and stripped out of his nightwear, looking frantically looked for something to wear as he grabbed a gray tee shirt. This wasn't boding well.

"Fill me in. What do you know?"

Gray began to fill in the blonde man with everything he knew, starting from the first noise he heard that put him on alert down to the anonymous text. Sting listened carefully as he pulled on a grey tee shirt and faded jeans.

"You better not be joking, Fullbuster." Sting said after Gray finished and he finished dressing. "If you are, I swear to god..."

"It's a chance I'm willing to take."

Sting sighed before he walked to the other side of his bed. If there was one thing he knew about Gray, it was he wasn't the type to joke, even in situations like those. Shaking the body underneath the covers, before he hung up. "Very well, I'll talk to you later. Rogue. ROGUE! BABY, WAKE UP!"

"Wha-" The second body, known as Rogue, suddenly sat up in alarm allowing the covers to be thrown off his body revealing a slim young man wearing too large of a button up shirt with choppy black hair that covered half his face with a visible tired red eye and a scar across the bridge of his nose. "Huh? Why?"

"We need to get to Natsu and Gray's house."

"Again... Why?"

"I'll explain on the way, let's go."

"What about Lector and-" He gave a large yawn that had Sting coo over it. "And Frosch?"

"They'll be fine." Sting replied, yanking the dark haired man onto his bare and unsteady legs. He threw a couple articles of clothes at him. "I'll leave them a note. Let's go!"

"I'm going I'm going..." Rogue yawned again, pulling the the pants up his trembling sore legs. "Jeez."

After several tension filled minutes that involved Rogue's constant struggle to awaken and dress himself properly and Sting's sad excuse of writing a hurried note that didn't make any sense, not even to Sting himself, they were on their way to Natsu and Gray's house through the now down pouring rain. Sting speed walked, not caring on how soaked he was rapidly getting as Rogue struggled to keep up.

"And you're sure that this isn't a hoax?" Rogue asked as they turned another corner, twirling the umbrella on his shoulder as he jogged to keep up with the blonde. "Sure, there's no question about the text, but you and I both know it could still very well be questioned."

"How the hell could it be questioned?" Sting asked as he pressed forward, making it very difficult for Rogue to keep up.

"How do you know Natsu wasn't just mad?"

"Mad?" Sting asked, slowing his pace and looked over his shoulder. "Mad how?"

"Well, let's think about," Rogue explained calmly. "I've known Natsu and Gray just as long as you have since we were kids. Those two have been fighting and quarreling amongst each other like an old married couple. You and I both know Natsu has always possessed a rather fiery-"

"Don't mention that word!" Sting growled, his pace regaining itself.

"What word?" Rogue blinked.

"The M-word..." He growled, his temper flaring. It just made sick to the stomach at the mere thought of Gray one day, hitting that step in the relationship. He was already having a hard time just accepting their current status.

"Married?"

"YES! THAT ONE!" Sting roared through gritted teeth. "Don't ever mention it in my presence."

"Whatever." Rogue sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now back to what I was explaining. First,-"

Sting rolled his eyes. There was just no reasoning with the dark haired male when it came to questionable acts or when it came down to Gray and Natsu, what with his extensive and flawless logic that always ended with Sting being labeled as an insecure overprotective older brother. His eyes widen as he and Rogue approached the driveway and he halted suddenly and threw his arm out and caught the smaller male in the chest.

"Ow." He groaned, quickly grabbing Sting's arm to steady himself while juggling his umbrella. "Would it kill you to give me a little warning?" He blinked. "Wait... I thought Gray was carpooling to and from his mission this week."

Sting's eyes narrowed. "He is. Their using Loke's car."

"Then where's his truck?" Rogue asked as he maneuvered around Sting to study the spot devoid of rain that once held said vehicle. "Maybe Natsu went somewhere. I'm beginning to think this is just a false alarm..."

"Perhaps but I don't know," Sting breathed before he followed Rogue up the driveway, breaking off toward the front door before both men paused. "What the hell happened here?"

The front door was completely torn off its hinges, leaving only less then half of the door on its frame swinging weakly on a non existent breeze. The rest of the door found on the other side of the hallway, leaving a trail of splintered pieces in its wake. The rest of the house, on the first floor at least, was no better as it seemed a tornado tore through it.

"This could not have been made by one of Natsu's temper tantrums," Sting whispered in hushed tones, as he moved forward slowly, entering the kitchen. "He would never go out of his way to destroy his house if that's the case..."

"You're right." Rogue replied, eyes narrowed as he moved down the stairs and slowly toward the living room. "This was all an act of violence. An act of defense is evident here too. He clearly was fighting something-"

"Or someone," Sting growled, picking up a frying pan and examined it carefully before tossing it back onto the ground with a loud 'clang' as his eyes roamed over the rest of the room. Anger boiling deep in his blood.

Some low life- Some low behind low form of life, broke into his brother's home, attacked him, stole their truck and kidnapped him. The filthy scum. Sting swore that the minute he found this fucker, there would be no mercy. There was only going to be hell. He paused in his train of thought upon hearing his husband let out a small gasp.

"Rogue! Rogue- Baby! Is something wrong?" He began to make his way to the dark haired man.

"I think you and Gray were right-"

"What? Why?"

Rogue didn't answer as Sting made his way into the living room. The living room was a total disaster, papers and magazines as well as picture frames were all over the place, lamps were knocked over or off the tables leaving only one lamp on and what the light was shining on the wall above the fireplace and what was on that wall was what made Sting feel fear consuming him. Rogue backed away until he was shoulder to shoulder with the blonde man.

"No..." Sting could feel his legs give out from under him, as tears threatened to spill. "No..."

Right where the group portrait used to be was a large kitchen knife that was stabbed into the wall and held fast between the two surfaces was a familiar looking scale patterned scarf. But what scared the two men most was the message that was written right above the scarf in what was no doubt blood.

He was never yours to begin with, Fullbuster.