"LET ME GO! LET ME GO YOU DIRTY SON OF BITCH!"

Natsu was doing everything in his power to make it as difficult as physically possible for this bastard as there was no way in hell he was going down without a fight.

He was pretty sure it was something Bickslow would have wanted.

Natsu struggled, squirmed and screamed as loud as possible as Jeremy moved farther and farther away from his house, down the road into the dark muggy night drawing closer and closer to a familiar dark gray 4 door 1990 Honda civic. Bickslow's car. Natsu's eyes widen at the sight of the vehicle when craned his head to peek out from behind Jeremy's back and once brain put two and two together. Nor did it help that both his arms and legs were rendered completely useless and it seemed that nearly everyone in their neighborhood was either deaf or they all went on vacation on the very same night.

'Fucking asshole neighbors- The one time a kidnapping happens and when they're needed the most-'

Natsu suddenly flushed a red that could rival Erza's hair and let out a shriek when his ass was either groped or slapped halting all of his movements and silencing Natsu just briefly before he restarted his efforts.

"You just love making things difficult, don't you?"

"Not really," Natsu breathed, panting hard from the exerted energy. "But if it annoys you as well as slow you down, then I guess I can consider it a bonus."

"Such a fiery spirit," Jeremy sighed longingly. "I really am going to enjoy breaking it once and for all. Permanently."

"You'll never break me or my spirit," Natsu seethed. "I'm too strong for whatever you can throw at me!"

"We'll see about that."

Natsu was about to open his mouth and retort only to have it die on the tip of his tongue when he heard the sound of glass smashing and clattering onto the wet cement before the sounds of a car door being opened followed behind it. He gasped as he was thrown bodily into the backseat of Bickslow's car, whose car's interior seemed to belong to that of a college student, with his back pressed into the seats that was slowly starting to sink in and he struggled in order to keep himself from being swallowed up. He glared at Jeremy venomously.

"You won't get away with this!"

"Oh~ But on the contrary Doll face," Jeremy sneered, looming over him making Natsu sink back into the bottomless seats. "I already I have. I got you. All I have to do is take care of Fullbuster."

"Don't you dare touch him!" Natsu warned as a feral snarl ripped itself from his throat. "Don't you dare touch him or I'll- I'll-"

"You'll what? Beat me?" Jeremy threw his head back and let out a laugh causing Natsu to flush and shrink slightly. "Kill me? That's kinda hard to do if you're tied up, helpless, the way you are. Although-"

Jeremy smirked, licking his lips that instantly had Natsu on high alert as he shivered in disgust and quickly lost whatever fire he had originally. "I think I prefer you that way... If I am being honest here..."

Jeremy reached a hand out and roughly gripped Natsu's hip, pulling the pinkette a little toward him earning the man a squeal before pushing his leather clad glove under Natsu's dress shirt, groping and feeling the soft flesh underneath before Natsu regained his senses and began to squirm away, pushing himself deeper and deeper into the seats. Jeremy smirked at the pink haired boy's pathetic attempt to escape his grasp as he slowly crawled up and onto the backseat, up the sweet body before latching his other hand to the seat, right in front of Natsu's face to steady himself as the other continued to move further up Natsu's body. He smirked as he brought his face closer and closer to that terrified angry one.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Natsu screamed. "DON'T COME ANYWHERE NEAR ME! GET AWAY! ST- MMHN!"

Natsu's screaming was silenced as rough lips were pressed against his own. He shuddered and attempted to pull away, pressing himself tightly to the backseat as humanly possible just as he felt Jeremy's tongue swipe at his lower lip, begging for entrance. Natsu gasped in pain as he felt something sharp jab itself harshly into his thumb and index finger from between the seats before jabbing the palm of his hand while Jeremy took advantage of the gasp and entered Natsu's mouth, exploring the caverns while that hand continued to roam over the pinkette's chest as Natsu absentmindedly fiddled with the item that poked him, slicing his index finger in the process.

It felt like glass.

What kind of idiot was Bickslow to keep broken shards of glas-

Natsu blinked and froze when he felt that hand wander back down his chest until the thumb hooked itself to the hem of his jeans, slowly trying to pull them down. Natsu quickly regathered his fighting spirit and he bit down, hard, on Jeremy's tongue who hissed then groaned in pleasure before he pulled back along with both of his hands, sighing in ecstasy just as Natsu's mind began buzzing madly.

The pinkette had a plan.

"You're right... Shouldn't get too distracted," Jeremy sighed while Natsu glared darkly, still fiddling with the mystery sharp object behind his back. If only he can get a good grip on it. "We should get home, first before either Fullbuster shows up with his crew or you tempt me any further with those pretty eyes."

Natsu snarled as the car door was slammed shut, concealing Jeremy from his line of sight before his eyes went to, despite the awkward angle, quickly looked behind him before looking up just as Jeremy opened the door to the driver's side, yanking out the underside of the steering wheel and fiddled with the wires until the car's engine roared to life and settled himself in the driver's seat just as the sound of sirens pierced the night air. He finally grabbed a hold of it and confirmed that it was indeed a glass shard.

'FINALLY...'

He began to slowly saw the sharp shard through the ropes in a wrapped around his hand with extreme difficulty due to the angle and the placement of his hands, earning him Twin Dragons above knows how many cuts, bleeding to where it seemed to be difficult to hold on to the shard of glass just as the car began to move. He still struggled and muttered obscenities at the back of Jeremy's head, while the man just laughed at Natsu's attempts to sound threatening, so as not to make it too suspicious. Natsu almost let loose a cheer from his mouth when he felt the ropes around his wrists becoming relaxed and he was able to easily wiggled his hands free before starting to work on the knots around his ankles from behind his back, shifting his feet closer to his hands.

"Where are you taking me?" Natsu asked. Nothing suspicious really as it was just to keep the bastard distracted and they have been driving for like what? 5 minutes?

"I told you brat, home."

"Where are you taking me?" Natsu repeated with a little more venom while adding a little fear into his voice. He had to make this part believable. "If it's m-my new home then s-shouldn't I know what it is?"

"Curious little thing, aren't you?" Jeremy sneered from the rear view mirror before returning his attention to the road. "I can promise you it'll be a home you'll be most familiar with, happy?"

"Bastard."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Natsu breathed in relief as he finally released his legs, never before had the pinkette been so glad for a dark street and and an equally dark car. He slowly reached a hand out toward the car door, eyes never leaving the back of Jeremy's head, latching onto it before pulling himself bodily carefully and quietly toward it.

"Why is this asshole riding so fucking close on my ass?" Jeremy asked making Natsu freeze in place. "Fucking prick. Get off my ass!"

Natsu took a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he pulled the upper half of his body up slightly, arching his back up as he pressed himself against the car door. He wrapped his hand around the door latch, steeling himself and taking another deep breath, closing his eyes tightly. The minute the bastard stopped at a light or sign, Natsu planned to smash his head in with the car door then make a run for it, he could feel the car slowing down to a stop as they reached a red light. Just a few more-

CRASH

Natsu suddenly jolted, nearly losing his grip on the car door and banging his head against the door as he was thrown bodily into the back of the driver's side and back when the other car decided then and there to ram into the back end of Bickslow's car, causing the bastard in the driver seat to curse and began unbuckling his seat belt rather harshly.

"You are to lie low and don't you dare make one sound," Jeremy snarled not sparing Natsu a glance as he reached for Bickslow's gun. "You make one sound, one, I'll not only kill this guy but I'll kill that Freed kid and anyone else you hold dear... Got it?"

"G-got it," Natsu whimpered, while his grip on the door tighten. He had to make this as convincing as possible. "I'll be a good boy. I promise. Just- Just don't hurt Freed. Don't hurt any of them. P-Please."

"Good boy." Jeremy threw his car door open and swung his legs out, quickly stashing Bickslow's gun in his belt behind his back and quickly made to stand. "Who the fuck do you-"

BAM

Natsu quickly took his chance and prayed that the other driver would forgive him for this cowardly act as he pushed all his weight against the door and flung it open as hard and fast as possible, smashing right into Jeremy's face. Jeremy let out a pained cry before he toppled back and smashed the back of his head into the open driver door. Natsu quickly pulled himself up and threw himself from the car, landing hard onto his stomach on the wet concrete and he scrambled to get back onto his feet, ready to make a dash for it to Sting's and Rogue's. Thankfully their house was just right around the corner! He barely took a step from the car when he heard a familiar voice call to him.

"NATSU!"

Natsu turned around and cried in relief. From out of the driver's side of the car that rear ended them, was Gray.

"GRAY!"

Natsu quickly changed his track, aiming instead for Gray just as police sirens pierced the still night air and the others were beginning to close in on them and their location. In five easy strides he was in Gray's arms, face full of tears, half-laughing half-sobbing while Gray simply held him, tears on his own face as he rocked the pinkette back-in-forth gently whispering sweet words of comfort. It was over.

Natsu was safe.

It didn't last long as Natsu hoped.

"You little BITCH!"

Natsu gasped when Gray suddenly pushed him away from him and into the car raising the arm holding his gun just as a gunshot rang through the night air while Natsu's head banged against the car side. Gray let out a pained cry, dropping his weapon, clutching his shoulder tightly, the one part of the body not protected by the his bullet-proof vest and fell to his knees just as blood began seeping through his clothes and his fingers.

"Gray?"

Gray turned to look into the horrified face of his pink haired lover, his vision blurring before slumping onto the ground onto his side then rolling onto his back while Natsu was forced to watch on just as both Laxus, Freed and few others began to appear. Natsu turned slowly to look at Jeremy, tears spilling in large torrents on his face.

"Oh god!" Freed gasped as he slid onto his knees in front of the now shaking ravenette. "Oh Twins above! Laxus, Gray's been shot."

"We have a man down!" Laxus roared, turning to look behind him. "GET ME AN AMBULANCE!"

"You killed him," Natsu whispered, eyes never leaving Jeremy's laughing face. First Bickslow and now Gray. His anger suddenly boiled over, taking complete control. "YOU KILLED HIM!"

"NATSU! NO!"

Natsu didn't hear Freed's cries as he dashed back at Jeremy, anger and revenge taking complete control of his body and movements. He latched his hands onto the arm that held the weapon that hurt his Gray, the man he loved, trying to pry it out of the bastard's hands while aiming a few well-placed blows on that hideous face as they continued to struggle.

Meanwhile, Gray was having his own struggles.

"Laxus! Help me get his vest off," Freed said as he clawed desperately at the thick vest. "I need to stop the bleeding!"

"Shit!"

Laxus fell to his knees alongside Freed, gingerly lifting the raven haired man without any further damage to Gray as Freed quickly worked to get the vest and his shirt off. Gray could feel his life slipping from him as his vision became more clouded. He grimaced in pain as he felt himself being lifted slightly and his vest and shirt were pulled from his body. He could hear Natsu still fighting with Jeremy, anger evident in their brawl.

"Oh gods, he must've hit an artery!" Freed's voice sounded so far away. "He's losing blood rapidly! Hand me his shirt! Quick!"

"Shirt."

He could barely feel the feeling of cloth being applied onto his wound, pressure baring upon it earning them a strangled hissing sound from Gray.

"It's seeping through!" Freed was starting to sound really scared. Panicking even. "Oh Lord! Uh- Uhh- !"

BANG

"NATSU!"

THUD

Gray froze upon the sound of a gunshot followed by the sounds of a body falling to the ground and panic in Freed's voice as he called out his lover's name. He could feel hot tears brimming and sliding down his face into the pavement as a sob ripped itself from his throat. His wound completely ignored.

Natsu was dead.

The bastard shot him in cold blood.

"No... No... Natsu..."

Gray turned his head to one side as the tears came down thicker and heavier while feeling his own life slipping. If he was lucky, both Freed and the soon arriving paramedics will fail saving him and he could join Natsu in death. He did promised him they'd be together. Forever and after.

"Gray! GRAY!"

Gray froze and slowly turned his head to face the sound of that familiar voice.

Was Natsu haunting him or did he truly die?

His theories were blown from the surface as he can face to face with Natsu, whose face had a light spray of blood on his jaw and he quickly fell to his knees and grabbed ahold of Gray's arm, minding the bullet wound. Pressing the back of his hand to his cheek, tears in his eyes just as another set of sirens pierced the air.

"It's okay Gray. I'm right here. See?" Natsu smiled as his lip trembled. He was trying to hold back a sob. "I'm okay. You're gonna be okay too. Right, Freed?"

"He's losing too much blood, Natsu," Freed whispered. "I don't think I can save him. We can only hope the Paramedics will succeed where I've failed."

"No. He's going to be okay," Natsu declared. "You'll be okay, won't you?"

Gray chuckled as his hand weakly squeezed Natsu's own. "I am... Now... You're alive... That's- That's all that matters... To me..."

He took a deep breath. "You're here... You're okay."

"Save your strength," Natsu whispered, voice quivering as he stroked Gray's hand just as the paramedics arrived. "You need to rest. I bet those doctors are gonna torture you just like me."

Natsu laughed weakly as Gray joined him.

"I... I bet." Gray grinned. "I guess... I guess that's- That's what I get... For- For doubting you... Huh?"

Natsu chuckled weakly as tears slipped and fell down as a paramedic came to Natsu's level with his medical bag.

"Sir, I need you stand back."

"I can't," Natsu's voice started sounding far away, filtered. "I won't... Please. He needs me."

"Sir-"

"Please..."

"Very well, just stay out of the way, okay?"

"Yes... Thank you." Natsu smiled. "Hear that, Gray? I'm not leaving you. Gray?"

"Natsu... Thank you... Thank you so much... I... I love you... I love you so much..."

Gray's vision grew faded, clouded as the colors began to meld into grey and black as he was being hooked up to various tubes. His breathing became forced, labored and shaky, he could feel his very heart slowing to a stop as Natsu's panicked voice began to fade.

"Gray?" Natsu was starting to become alarmed. "GRAY?"

"I'm losing him! Get me a torque!"

"GRAY?! NO!" Natsu's was in tears as he clung to Gray's hand tighter. "STAY WITH ME! DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!"

His eyelids were becoming heavy. He couldn't stay conscious any longer.

"Stay with us kid! Shit! Get me a stretcher! We need to get him to the hospital! STAT!"

"GRAY?!"

The last thing Gray saw was Natsu's tear-streaked heart-broken face before the darkness cconsumed him and everything went silent.

"... Let's see... You. Shall... Cut him?"

"Please... Don't think..."

Gray groaned, turning his head to one side his eyes clenching. The voices sounded so far away and they were coming through some unseen filter, but at the same time, they sounded so close. Right in his ear causing his brain to throb painfully with every word his brain was able to capture. He slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with a bright light that blinded him, causing Gray to shut his eyes in pain before attempting to open them once more and try and get an understanding of where he was before his eyes widen.

He was in a morgue.

Panic began to flare up in the pit of his stomach as he realized not only whose morgue this was but that he was also lying on top of an autopsy table, head elevated slightly and naked save for the white sheet that covered the lower half of his body down to mid-thigh. He wasn't dead. He tried to sit up, move his arm, something so as to grab something more decent and get out of here only to find to his horror, that he couldn't move. It was if his whole body was dead.

No! He wasn't dead!

He wanted to scream or call out, grab someone's attention, letting them know that he was amongst the living still only to find that he couldn't move his mouth. He couldn't speak. Fear started to overcome him, he wanted to cry but like with his body and voice, he couldn't.

"Dumbasses." Came a familiar voice that had the feeling of ice drip down the length of Gray's spine. "If they knew what killed him and who as well as why, then why the fuck send him to me for autopsy?"

It couldn't be...

Gray looked over and gulped.

It was.

There stood, leaning over him with folded arms and a scowl painted on his face was a man who looked exactly like Owen but with some minor differences that made him very different from the sunny, happy-go-lucky hippie. He had a similar jaw-length choppy hair that was silver with frost-blue streaks that too ended in a side fringe that covered the right half of his face with a lock of hair that too reached to his chest and was wrapped up in string though it was only one color; dark blue. Nothing special. His skin was pale, like snow and his only visible eye was dark green in color and looked rather annoyed, perhaps angry even and unlike Owen, he wore his glasses over his eyes. Like Owen, he too didn't wear traditional work attire, rather he wore a long-sleeved striped shirt that was black and dark purple that hugged his body and had sleeves where his fingers barely peeked over the cuff, form-fitting black jeans that sported a white belt and knee-high white laced up boots. The one thing that made the man stand out more was like Natsu, he too wore a scarf year round, but unlike Natsu's, his was a blush baby pink that had it reach his mid-calf.

It was Hayden Lane. Owen's younger twin brother and the guardian of Natsu, Sting, Rogue, Wendy, Gajeel, Lector, Carla, Happy and Frosch.

Gray's nightmare.

"You don't have to," Came a teary voice that had Gray gasp. "I can't- I don't-"

Right behind Hayden stepped out Natsu, who was in tears as he looked in Gray's direction. He trembled as he continued to stare before a sob escaped his throat and he placed his head in his hands. Gray was lost.

'Didn't he see that I'm still alive? I was looking right at him!'

"It's all my fault," Natsu sobbed, "If I just- If only-"

"It wasn't your fault," sighed Hayden, eyes softening as he turned to look at the distraught pinkette. "Things happen that are outside our control-"

"Gray died because of me," Natsu wailed, looking at Hayden. Gray could feel his heart breaking at that tortured face. "He died protecting me! Because I was an idiot! I should've been the one to protect him! But I didn't! I was a coward and now he's dead! Dead because of me!"

'But I'm not dead!' Gray desperately wanted to scream. 'I'm okay Natsu! Really! Look at me, please!'

"You're not an idiot or a coward," Hayden sighed, pulling the pinkette into a hug. "If anything, you were just scared. You wanted to feel safe and Gray was your safe haven. The person you went to when you were scared. That's understandable."

"And it killed him," Natsu all but screamed burying his face once more in his hands and pulling away from the silver-haired man. "I killed him."

'I'm not DEAD!'

Hayden didn't respond as he turned his attention back to Gray's 'dead' body before his hand reached out for something on a table that Gray had realized was right near his head. Gray gulped when a scalpel came into his line of vision and flashed under the light.

He couldn't be serious...

"Do you- Do you really have to cut him open?" Natsu quietly through shuddery breathes.

"You don't have to stay here," Hayden answered not looking in the pinkette's direction. "It's part my job. You know that. Granted, it's not pleasant, but it must be done. The dumbasses on the council wanted a full report."

Natsu choked back a few sobs as the scalpel came closer and closer to the top of Gray's collarbone. Gray was screaming, trying to get their attention. He didn't understand how they couldn't see that he was still alive and not dead. He closed his eyes tightly just as the knife came down into his skin and began sliding down to his navel. He blinked.

There was no pain.

But... Why?

The scalpel slid down easily, cutting both Gray's pale skin and his train thought with ease before Hayden removed the small knife and slid on some latex gloves before he opened the wound farther and expose Gray's chest cavity to the viewing public. Natsu flinched and clenched his eyes tighter at the sounds.

"Seems normal," Hayden nodded, ignoring Natsu's distress and Gray's disgust. "It seems that the bullet just hit the junction between the shoulder and arm, hitting a large bundle of blood vessels so close to the heart. Poor bastard bled to death."

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Hayden sighed in annoyance, still not looking over toward the pinkette. "I told you, brat- It wasn't your fault."

Natsu hiccuped.

"Now, to remove your rib cage..."

If Gray could feel any feeling in his heart or blood veins, he was pretty sure he would have defiantly felt it freeze as panic and fear began to entire his brain. He couldn't seriously be serious! If only he could move. Or speak.

'I'M NOT DEAD! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE ME?!'

Hayden moved away from Gray's body, toward another table with a large sink and pulled out a small hand-held saw. He walked back toward Gray as he threw on an apron covered in faded bloodstains. Gray wanted to scream as that saw suddenly came to life and was coming closer and closer to his exposed ribs.

'No no no! I'm alive! I'm alive!' Gray screamed in his head. 'You'll really kill me if you cut out my ribs! Why can't you hear me?!'

"No- I can't-" Natsu gasped as he took a step back. "No... No..."

Natsu quickly turned on his heel and ran as Hayden watched him with a solemn expression and a sigh before turning back to Gray. He brought the saw down on his ribs and began sawing through them. Granted, Gray didn't feel a thing but that didn't stop the raven from screaming obscenities at the silver-haired male.

"You broke his heart... Poor kid," Hayden said as he switched the saw off. "Here I was, under the impression that you were going to be with him forever."

'I WAS until YOU sawed me apart asshole!'

Hayden sighed once more before reaching a hand out a brushed the strands of hair from Gray's face. Gray blinked in surprise.

He actually... Felt that...

"Did you truly love him?" Hayden asked, resting his head in his hand as he regarded Gray with a rather perplexed expression. "Like you said you did..."

'Course I did- I mean DO! I do!' Gray raged. 'I'm not dead!'

"Did you truly have to die? Just to prove it?"

'I- Wha-'

"You always were an idiot," Hayden hummed that had Gray bristle. He never understood why this bastard hated him so much... And here, Gray thought he only had to deal with Sting. "He doesn't deserve this pain..."

'No... No, he doesn't.' Gray whispered.

"If only you could wake up..." Hayden mused, his voice sounding distant. Faded. "Just wake up..."

Wake up.

'What?' Gray was lost. Did Hayden- Did Hayden wish for him to- Wake up? Why did he suddenly sound like- Natsu?

Please wake up...

'But I am awake.' Gray argued. 'I'm awake on a fucking table being dissected like some high school science project!'

I want you back...

'Natsu?'

He felt something warm wrap itself around his hand and squeezed. Gray looked to see what it was. There was nothing.

"Poor thing's gonna blame himself til he too ends up in my morgue," Hayden's faint voice whispered. "... But you'll convince him otherwise, yes?"

'Wha- How-?'

"Please tell him it wasn't his fault..."

Wake up...

Wake up...

Gray groaned as his eyes fluttered open and began to look around before he relaxed and sighed.

He was in the hospital, not in Hayden's morgue. Thank the Twins above all of that was just a dream. A really bad dream, a nightmare to be accurate. He looked to his right and judging by the sky outside his window. It was night.

How long had he been out?

His whole body felt heavy, like it was made of lead and with some difficultly, he managed to get himself into a sitting position. He winced at the sudden feeling of a stinging tenderness awaken in his shoulder. He immediately went to reach for it only to find he couldn't move his hand. He quickly looked to his left in alarm before his expression changed and he felt his heart melt at the sight that awaited him.

Holding his hand tightly in his own, while sleeping, was Natsu.

"Please..." Natsu whispered sleepily, tears sparkling in his closed eyelids. "Please come back... I love you..."

Gray smiled gently before he reached his hand out, while wincing in pain, and began to gently shake Natsu.

"Natsu. Natsu."

"Mhmmm..."

Natsu began to shift before sitting himself upright with a large child-like yawn, rubbing his doe-like eyes with one hand while the other still clung to Gray's. He blinked several times as his tired golden eyes landed upon Gray, who smiled and chuckled at the display of cute antics before the pinkette's mind finally decided to catch up with the rest of him. Natsu blinked several more times before a large smile split across his face and tears began to pool in his eyes before spilling as he pulled the surprised raven-haired man into a tight hug while being mindful of Gray's shoulder.

"Gray! You're okay!" Natsu cried, nuzzling his face into Gray's neck. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't- I should've- It's all my fault!"

"Hey hey hey. It's okay," Gray smiled, placing the side of his head on top of Natsu's. "I'm okay now. Don't beat yourself up."

Gray blinked.

Didn't- Didn't Hayden say something similar in his dream?

Was it even a dream?

He quickly pulled away from his pinkette, who blinked startled, as he quickly reached for the collar of his hospital gown and pulled at it to look down at his chest. He sighed in relief to find no incision on his body or any sign that his body had been cut open like a frog. He quickly pulled Natsu back into a tight hug, though only briefly before the pinkette squirmed out of his grasp and regarded the man with concerned curiosity.

"Gray? What was wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"You looked scared about something," Natsu elaborated, fiddling with his fingers.

"How long was I out?" Gray countered.

"Uh- A week," Natsu mumbled before biting his lip and looking away as tears began to reappear. "You lost alot of blood, the doctors, Owen even, didn't think you were going to make it when you first arrived to the first night. You flat lined at least three times..."

He sniffled. "I thought you were going to die..."

"Oh." Gray frowned before he pulled Natsu into another hug. "Oh baby. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"It's okay." Natsu beamed wiping his eyes. "You're okay and you're alive and that's all that matters. But-"

"But-?"

Natsu blushed. "Why did you just check yourself out?"

"Oh- That," Gray chuckled, before leaning back into his pillows. "I had the most god-awful nightmare... And yet- It felt so real though."

"You... You wanna talk about it?" Natsu asked, leaning forward slightly.

"You're gonna laugh at me and call me a baby," Gray said.

"Nuh uh."

"Uh huh."

"No I won't," Natsu said firmly. "Will you please tell me?"

"Fine- But don't you dare laugh!" Natsu nodded his head rapidly. "I had this dream where I was in a morgue. I thought I died. But I kept telling myself that I wasn't but I was lying there. On his table..."

Natsu sucked in a shaky breath.

"You were there, crying over me and so was Hayden- He wasn't crying but he did look- solemn. Normally, the guy looks like he hates everyone and everything... And he was about to cut me open." Natsu flinched but Gray pressed on. "The both of you were talking... You were blaming yourself for my 'death' and Hayden kept saying it wasn't your fault, I wanted to scream, cry something so as to show you I was okay. But I couldn't. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak."

Gray took a deep breath, deciding to skip over the part where Hayden did cut him open.

"Then I heard your voice..." Natsu perked slightly. "For a minute, I thought Hayden stole your voice, cause it was coming from his mouth but... Stupid, right?"

Natsu rapidly shook his head.

"But I heard you... You were telling me to 'wake up' and that you were 'sorry'. Hayden gave me a rather strange piece of wisdom and then I woke up."

"What did Hayden tell you?" Natsu's eyes were wide.

"He told me to tell you 'it wasn't your fault' and to I had to 'convince you' otherwise." Gray replied, fixing the pinkette with a rather perplexed look. "Weird, huh?"

"See? Hayden does likes you," Natsu suddenly beamed. "And you thought he hated you..."

"I think you missed the point Flame brain," Gray sighed. Although, if he did think about it, Hayden did seem to if he left with a message that involved looking out for Natsu. "Maybe you do have a point..."

"Damn right I do," Natsu huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I seriously don't understand why you make Hayden sound like a bad guy... He never hated you..."

"That's cause HE likes you," Gray retorted. "You're probably the only person, besides Owen to ever stand up to him..."

"Whatever..."

Gray blinked as a sudden thought occurred to him causing him to jack-knife in his bed. "Natsu?"

"Huh?"

"What happened to Jeremy?"

Natsu bit his lip and hung his head. "He's... He's dead."

"Dead?" Gray repeated. "How-?"

"It was an accident," Natsu defended, looking back up tears sparkling in his eyes and hands raised. "I-I-I don't know what happened! A-After he shot you, I was just so angry and upset! And I admit, I wasn't thinking clearly. He already killed Bickslow and I-I- I thought I was going to lose you too. So I charged at him and attempted to wrestle the gun out of his hand to fight him, hand to hand- and it suddenly went off. I felt a gentle mist of blood and the next thing I knew, he took a step back, looking at me like he couldn't believe me and was holding his stomach and he then suddenly dropped to the ground; Dead."

"Did they charge you?" Gray asked. "The Council?"

"No." Natsu shook his head. "They did have me handle in for questioning slash interrogation though Freed and Erza quickly came to my defense and talked the Council out of it, saying that I was really the victim out of all of this and that I killed him in self-defense and they also argued that he was already given a death sentence prior to his escape and that it was their fault he escaped in the first place so they don't why the Council suddenly cared if he survived or not."

"Bet they didn't like that..."

"They didn't, but they dropped the charges anyway so all's good... Right?"

"Right..." Gray agreed, lying back down before he sat up once more. "Natsu- What happened to my clothes?"

"Your clothes?"

"The ones I wore when I got shot that night," Gray answered, looking positively alarmed now. "Where are they?"

"The doctors took them off you and were going to throw them away-"

"Were?"

"Freed came in and claimed them." Natsu explained hurriedly, shrinking slightly. "He has them and said he was going to hold on to them. I didn't know why he wanted them but-"

"But?"

"He said if you woke up and want them back, to call him."

Gray grinned, confusing the poor pinkette even more. "Then let's call him up."

"Gray?"

"Babe, trust me," Gray chuckled. "I need you to call up Freed. It's a 'now or never' situation."