Natsu hummed a happy tune as he left the bathroom and entered his and Gray's shared bedroom, closing the door behind him with a soft click while donned in nothing more then a plush white towel around his waist and his favorite scarf draped on one shoulder while using another plush white towel to dry his sopping pink hair. He trembled and giggled against the closed bedroom door as he thought of the events that were likely going to unfold tonight. It was as if the Gods above were apologizing to him for that one week of torture followed by the one week in the hospital and for adding the three and half months that he was confined to his house.

He was just so excited!

He threw the towel he was using to dry his hair onto the bed before turning around, carefully placing his precious scarf on the dresser drawer and opening the wardrobe searching for the perfect outfit to wear.

Gray said he had to dress 'very nice'.

"Then- What should I wear?"

Natsu frowned as he folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head to one side in a canine manner and tapping a finger to his chin. His eyes roaming over the content of his wardrobe and the clothes that hung in there. What to wear, what to wear...

"Oh!"

Natsu's eyes sparkled as he spotted the perfect shirt, a black long-sleeved, turtle-neck that was only an inch high up his neck. Just enough to barely cover the scar on the right side of his neck. It was a shirt that looked loose-fitting but was actually quite form-fitting with sleeves that hugged his body and would only allow Natsu's fingers to peek out from the cuffs and the hem ended at mid-thigh. In the right light, when he wore it, it was a shirt that screamed 'delicious prey' as Gray called it and it also was shirt that often had said man squirming in his seat. He quickly pulled the shirt off its hanger and held it out for his viewing pleasure. He smiled before nodding. This will do. He threw it onto the bed as he walked to his chest of drawers to pull out a fresh pair of boxers and find the perfect set of pants to go with his shirt.

"This will do."

Natsu pulled off the towel from around his waist and slipped on his boxers, followed by a pair of equally form-fitting dark jeans. Once he zipped and buttoned up his jeans he quickly did a little spin before stopping and admiring his form in the mirror before blushing and giggling while giving his ass a little shake. Yep, he still had it. He turned and pulled the shirt from the bed pulling it over his head, popping his head through the collar, gaze landing upon his reflection in the mirror and he froze;

WHORE

The paper white scarring on his back seemed to lessen whatever excitement Natsu felt previously before as he stared at the reflection in the mirror, his arms going slack. He blinked back tears as Gray's voice suddenly floated through his head;

"It doesn't matter. It's never gonna matter because you know what? Joke's on them! I love you. I will always love you. Let them say what they want! They will never know the real you- The you I know... And love."

Natsu smiled and finished pulling the rest of his shirt down. Gray's right. It doesn't matter, it shouldn't have to matter.

"He loves me," Natsu breathed, smiling at his reflection. He felt a warm swelling in his chest as he said this. "He will always love me."

CREEEEEEEAK

Natsu blinked and turned to look behind him at the bedroom door, knocking his scarf off the dresser top in the process.

"Freed?" He asked, voice barely above a whisper, "Is that you?"

There was no answer.

He stared into the dim space for awhile before shaking his head and turning to look back at his reflection, sighing. It was probably nothing, it was probably the floorboards signaling that Freed probably just walked into the dining room after finding something to munch on and was getting himself ready to study for that test he mentioned. He automatically reached out for his scarf only to find that it wasn't where he left it, his eyes briefly scanning the area on the floor around the drawer, trying to find the scaly-patterned fabric. His eyes glittered upon finding the desired object on the floor barely a couple of inches away from his foot.

"Oh there you are."

Natsu leaned forward, bending at the knees slightly and snatched the scarf from off the ground before standing up and gently fixing it around his neck. He smiled as he nuzzled his face into his scarf, eyes closed as he slowly turned to face back to the mirror. Gray's scent still clung to the fabric, it was rather soothing.

Everything then seemed to proceed in slow motion.

Natsu's opened his eyes, to check his appearance one last time before he joined Freed, when his eyes went wide at the sight of a reflection of a man he hoped to never see again for as long as he lived that stood only a few feet behind him, smiling a rather dangerous smile. Natsu whipped around, opening his mouth in an attempt to scream, yell, something so as to alert Freed, only to have the bastard make dash at him, startling him and forcing his back into the dresser before covering his mouth with a gloved hand, silencing him. Natsu could feel hot tears prickling in the corner of his eyes as that familiar face leaned in closer, sneering at him.

Didn't Gray and the others say they cornered him in a warehouse at Hargeon?

"I missed you."

Natsu trembled as the hot breath ghosted over his face.

He was scared.

"Did you miss me?"

Natsu shut his eyes tightly and shook his head.

He didn't.

"Oh~ That's a darn shame." He whispered, pressing his body into Natsu's own and grinding his hips against the boy's own. "Guess we'll have to fix that."

He suddenly removed his body off of Natsu's own followed by his hand. The minute he felt the pressure leave, Natsu opened his mouth in attempt to yell or scream only to have it die in his throat and his eyes widen in horror at the sight of a gun pointed right at his face. Jeremy just smirked as his free hand pulled out a small scapel.

"Now let's be a good little boy and get on the bed." He put the scalpel to his lips in a 'quiet' manner. "And no talking, okay?"

Jeremy motioned toward the bed with the gun before he pointed it back at the pinkette's face. Natsu trembled and bit his lip, his body seemed to have frozen and was refusing to obey the command to move. When he finally got the will to move his body, he inched slowly toward the bed, while still facing Jeremy but apparently it wasn't fast enough as Jeremy suddenly moved toward him, gun high above his head that Natsu released a startled cry before cowering just as the sound of broken glass followed behind. His teary eyes looked at those dark endless tunnels that were Jeremy's eyes.

"We haven't got all day, brat," He growled. His anger soon morphed into a sinister smile. "Unless of course- You want me to kill your friend- Freed, was it?"

Natsu could feel his heart stop dead.

He didn't-

"My cohort will be heartbroken if I'm forced to take drastic measures," He sneered. "The Freed brat is just the spare anyhow- And surely you know what happens to the 'spare' in most stories, don't you?"

Natsu whimpered as he hurriedly, trembling, tripping and stumbling toward his and Gray's bed. He didn't want Freed hurt or Twins above, killed, he didn't think Laxus would be very forgiving if Natsu didn't attempt to protect Freed when the green haired male had risked his life to do so for the past almost four months. He sat on the foot of the bed, in a 'W' position, with his arms held close to his body as he wrapped them around himself, hopefully if he did this, Jeremy and his 'cohort' will be convinced into letting Freed go and with his life.

"Lie down, flat, on your stomach."

Natsu shivered, tears slowly starting to spill but he none the less, complied. He had to do this, he had to do it for Freed.

"Ok... Ok... Please..." He turned around slowly and began to lie himself on top of his own bed, head resting on a pillow and his hands clutching both sides tightly. "Please don't hurt Freed."

This was it.

He had no doubt in his mind that Jeremy planned to take him somewhere far away; Somewhere where the pinkette was to never see the light of day again, where he was going to live the remainder of his life, forced to pleasure this man until he grew bored with the pinkette, disposed of him and then burying him beyond sight and memory. He stiffened when the bed suddenly dipped from the weight of someone climbing onto the bed and Natsu trembled the minute Jeremy's warm hands pressed themselves into his lower back and began to crawl up his spine, gentle but menacing. A sob escaped his throat, muffled by the pillow.

He was going to rape him- On his bed, in his own home. With Freed and his 'cohort' within earshot no doubt.

"Please..."

Natsu wondered faintly if Rogue had ever felt this scared and helpless when Montoya first broke into their home 4 years ago and almost attempted to follow through with the same thing.

"You look awfully nice tonight," Jeremy sneered, one hand snaking underneath Natsu's shirt and shuddered before purring at the feeling of the soft and warm flesh the pinkette owned. "Planned on going out somewhere? Or did we know I was coming and we wanted to get ready for my arrival?"

Natsu whimpered before gasping as Jeremy suddenly removed his hands from Natsu's body and snatched both Natsu's wrists earning him a gasp from the pink haired boy and sharply yanked them behind his back before tying them securely with a thick rope. Natsu struggled weakly against him before he let out a startled cry as he was yanked by the back of his collar into an upright position, his back cozening right up into a hard chest.

"Or are we dressed nice because of that bastard, Fullbuster?"

Natsu froze, eyes wide as he turned slowly to face Jeremy. Natsu's reaction clearly didn't seem to please the man as Jeremy's dark eyes suddenly narrowed rather dangerously and his smile disappeared making his face a lot more darker. Natsu trembled.

"You-" His breathing angry and heavy causing Natsu to attempt to shrink away from him. "Little. Whore."

SMACK

Natsu gave a pained cry as the back of his hand made contact with his cheek, the force of which made the poor pinkette fall out of the man's grasp and fall off the bed and landed painfully hard on his side. Natsu bit his lip as he struggled to sit upright despite the pain that ran up his spine and the throbbing, pulsing sting in his cheek. He let out a pained gasped as Jeremy's boot came down hard onto his back, the heel grinding deep into the middle of his back; Keeping him in place.

"Guess Montoya was right about you. You are a downright whore," Natsu flinched. "A whore that has no problem spreading his legs to the first person who asks."

Natsu wanted to cry but he froze when Gray's face appeared before him.

Those gentle eyes.

That warm smile.

"It doesn't matter. It's never gonna matter because you know what? I love you. I will always love you."

"It doesn't matter," Natsu repeated softly a smile tugging at his lips.

"What?"

"I said 'It doesn't matter!'," Natsu repeated, turning his head to face Jeremy, eyes full of blazing fire. "Cause you know what? Gray loves me! He will always love me! No matter what YOU say! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU DON'T OWN ME! YOU WILL NEVER KNOW ME LIKE HE DOES!"

Jeremy's eyes narrowed dangerously and he snarled. He stoop down low and grabbed a handful of pink hair and gave it a sharp yank earning him a strangled cry.

"I think another punishment is in order," Jeremy snarled, giving another sharp yank to those pink locks, scalpel flashing barely an inch away from Natsu's left eye, "Once I move you to your new home, I'm going to have to re-educate you while ripping those pretty eyes of yours out won't I?"

"Sez you!" Natsu cried through the pain. "LET ME GO!"

"I'd do what he says Jeremy if I were you," Came a familiar voice that had all movement halt. "Unless you want a literal 'hole in your head'."

Natsu blinked, eyes wide as the golden orbs slowly moved to look to his door and he nearly cried out in relief. In the doorway stood Bickslow with his gun raised and pointing it directly at Jeremy.

Jeremy however, didn't share the same feeling.

"What the hell are you doing?" He growled low in throat, standing up to face the blue-black haired man.

"I'm doing my job," Came the equally low answer as Bickslow glared daggers at Jeremy. Natsu trembled under the look. Not once had the pinkette ever seen Bickslow so mad. "I've had enough with this game. I've played it long enough, it's boring now. Game over."

"So you've never betrayed Fairy Tail after all?" Jeremy growled. "You son of bitch..."

Betray?

What?

Natsu was at a complete loss. For the longest time Natsu had known Bickslow, the man despite his odd and sometimes creepy personality, was very loyal. He would never betray Laxus... Let alone Fairy Tail.

"What can I say?" Bickslow shrugged mockingly, "I like having nice things. I also like playing a good game. And Pinkie Pie's a part of it all. So if I were you, I'd hand him over."

Jerome stood his ground, eyes looking to the sprawled pinkette, to the scalpel in his hand near Natsu's eye and then to the dresser where he left the gun he stole from that green-haired brat while Natsu silently fumed at his savior. He couldn't believe that man would still call him that. He blinked his focus back when Bickslow's green eyes narrowed dangerously into slits.

"Now, let's not play the 'Fool', Jeremy," Bickslow said in hushed tones. "You've seen how fast I move and how good of a shot I am- You'll be dead if you attempt to retrieve Freed baby's weapon or if you attempt to use Pinkie Pie against me... Just submit and hand over Pinkie Pie."

Jeremy snarled at him before he practically threw the boy before Bickslow's feet, halting at Bickslow's next command.

"On your knees, to his side- Right where I can see you and I want you to untie him," His dark green eyes bore into those equally dark eyes, gun held steady. "Pull anything funny- You're dead."

Natsu winced as he felt those hands grabbed a hold of his own roughly and began to untie the coarse rope from around his wrists, in a manner that most would go if they grew frustrated with the tangled-up Christmas lights. Natsu let out a sigh of relief when he felt the last coil of rope fall off his wrists, allowing Natsu to pull his arms out from behind his back and slowly, very slowly lift himself up off the ground, rubbing his wrists. He carefully looked toward Jeremy who was glaring at him like it was his fault.

Natsu gulped.

"Pinkie Pie."

Natsu blinked. Head snapped up to look at Bickslow.

"Pinkie Pie," Bickslow repeated calmly, slowly moving toward him offering him a small smile and an outstretched hand. "Come here. Come to me."

Normally, Natsu would puff up and yell when people gave him or called him 'cutesy' names, but the look in Bickslow's eyes told him that now wasn't the time for it. Natsu slowly reached his own hand out, to take Bickslow's, as he attempted to stand up only to have Jeremy suddenly dashed at Bickslow, knocking the man a few feet back as Jeremy clasped a hand around Bickslow's gun and attempted to wrestle it out of his grip while Natsu was knocked back to the ground. Dark spots invaded the pinkette's vision as his head banged against the bed frame.

"NATSU!" Bickslow cried, eyes never leaving Jeremy as the two men wrestled for the gun. "NATSU! RUN! GET TO FREED!"

Natsu attempted to only to have his legs give out from under him almost immediately and he collapsed. "I can't! My legs!"

"WILL THEM TO MOVE! YOU HAVE TO RUN!"

Natsu nodded as he managed to bring himself up to his feet stumbling while half-running half-crawling to his bedroom door. Natsu reached a hand out for the doorknob.

"THAT'S IT, PINKIE PIE! GO! GET TO FREED BABY AND GET OUT OF HER-"

BANG

Natsu froze, his eyes wide as he slowly turned and watched as Bickslow and Jeremy were both staring at one another, panting before Bickslow stumbled back, clutching a spot on his chest, right over his heart as dark red liquid seeped through his fingers. Jeremy smirked as Bickslow gave in one last gasp fell to the ground as tears spilled from Natsu's eyes.

Bickslow was dead.

"Bickslow- NO! BICKSLOW!"

Natsu attempted to run to Bickslow, hoping and praying this was all a joke, a charade or better yet, just a terrible nightmare. He choked out a gasp when a strong arm wrapped itself around his throat and yanked him painfully back into Jeremy's chest as the mouth of the gun jabbed itself into the side of his head. Natsu ceased all movement as he stared at the lifeless body of Bickslow.

"You killed him," Natsu breathed. "You killed him."

"Correction," Jeremy breathed low in his ear. "YOU killed him. He needn't have died if you were just a good little boy and did what you were told."

Natsu let out a shaky sob as he hung his head.

He was right.

He killed Bickslow.

Bickslow risked his life to save the pinkette and what did he do? He sat there, froze in fear like some weakling.

How could he face Freed, Laxus and Evergreen now? How could he face all of Fairy Tail now? How would he face Gray?

Natsu was too busy wallowing in grief and misery that he didn't seem to realize he was suddenly placed flat on his stomach, onto the floor. He did winced when his arms were brought once behind his back and those coils of rope tighten themselves back around both his wrists and ankles, connecting the two together, officially hog-tying the poor boy as shuddery hiccup escaped his throat. He did notice, however, when he was suddenly picked up and slung over Jeremy's shoulder; Like the bastard recently hunted him.

That helped motivate Natsu to fight back.

"NO! LET GO OF ME!" Natsu shrieked, squirming, trying to escape. He wasn't about let Bickslow die in vain. "NO! NO! NO!"

"Keep it up boy and your punishment might be worse," Came that low and dangerous voice, Natsu winced when he felt the mouth of the gun jab him hard in the thigh. "And we don't want that, do we baby?"

"Fuck you."

"Fucking you sounds more fun," Jeremy shot back, sneering, "Let's go to our new 'home' shall we?"

"Gray will kill you." Natsu seethed, before squeaking and blushing a bright red as his ass was groped rather harshly.

"Oh~ Like he'll do anything to stop me. If anything, he'll be the one dead," Came the retort. "Once he's dead, you and I will finally create the most beautiful piece of art."

Natsu whimpered.

He didn't like the sound of that.

Jeremy smirked before he strode toward the door and threw it open, with a bang and disappeared into the darkness that was the house with Natsu screaming at him.

Bickslow's eyes shot up and he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. His eyes wandered to the bedroom door before he groaned and stood up. He whipped out his cellphone, dialing a number while rubbing the spot over his heart, smearing more blood over it. He winced.

He knew he was going to get the world's ugliest bruise tomorrow.

He blinked, when he heard the other end being picked up, "Laxus? Yeah, it's me."

He groaned as he began to offhandedly remove his blood-stained shirt. After some difficulty, he managed to remove it, revealing a thin-looking yet heavy duty bullet vest.

"Yeah. He pulled a fast one on me and captured Pinkie Pie and he's heading up toward my car. How far away are you guys?" He waited patiently as he struggled to remove the heavy vest from his body. "Yeah, I'm okay. It hurts like Hell though, the cherry syrup really did the trick. Thankfully, I got a spare in the trunk of my car. Yeah, the one he's gonna steal it. Freed baby and I will meet you around back. Let Fullbuster know he's armed with my gun now."

Bickslow quickly strode toward the dresser to snatch up Freed's gun before turning on his heel and head toward Natsu and Gray's shared closet and pulled out one of Gray's dark blue sweaters. Thank the Twins Dragons above, the guy was roughly his size.

"Tell Fullbuster to wear his bullet proof vest." He said, as he pulled the sweater on and made his way to the stairs. "He is? Neat. Oh, and can you tell Mira thanks for the 'Cherry Sryup' idea? That really was a good idea. It saved my life, it did!"