Days went by as the Dragneel family tried to adapt to their new surroundings. Learning how to hunt bare handed with very little but Natsu and Nashi's fire magic. Soon enough, it turned into weeks that they had learned. Try as they might, Happy saw that Natsu and Lucy were not the same people that they had been.

He knew when they were trying to put on brave faces for Iggy but more often than not, they hid that pain, letting it out when they thought Iggy was asleep. "So what do we do from here?" "We still need to make sure Iggy gets an education Natsu." "Education?" he asked before a quick swipe came down on the back of his head making him groan.

"Owww!. The hell was that for Luce?" "Because Natsu, you numskull. Of course, she needs an education. She needs to learn how to read and write. Hopefully better then you do. But anyway, she needs this to be able to get by because we aren't always going to be stuck here Natsu"

"We don't know that" "Huh? What do you mean?" she asked him starting to get huffed up. Turning his head, he stood up making her look up at him. " You heard me Luce, we don't know how long we're going to be here" "So! Even if it that's true, Nashi still needs to learn this stuff, we aren't always going to be here! And Mavis forbid it I hope If something happens to us!" Catching his breath in his throat, Natsu's eyes widened waiting for Lucy to finish. Standing there, she paused getting stuck in her own words for a moment before letting out a slow breath.

"I just meant..we want to make sure that she will be alright..if she doesn't have us around. I know Igneel tried to do that for you" "Yeah.. sorry Lucy. Your right and we should"

Taking her in his arms, she laid her head on his chest while he rubbed his arms up and down her back. "Hey you guys okay? I heard your voices getting up so I came to check. Iggy is still playing in the back" Happy had opened the front door to the house to find them hugging.

"We're good Happy. Don't worry about it. Just having a few moments" "Alright, I'm gonna go back inside then" "That's fine Happy, go ahead and go" Natsu urged waving him off without so much as a glance forward. A thought came to him while he walked back inside but dismissed it instead while he shut the door.

As the months went by, Natsu and Lucy slept with one eye always open. Making the other take turns in sleeping for if neither one of them insisted than nobody would get any sleep.

Nashi's dreams of the guild hall and Fairy Tail would cause her to wake up in the middle of the night sometimes. "When do we get to go home mommy?" she would ask while cradled in Lucy's arms. ".. This is our home now baby girl" she answered not knowing how else she could say it.

They had no idea when they would go back to Fairy Tail , if they would ever be able to go back. "Long as that damn cult and its members are still out there, The guild is better off and safer without us there." She thought to herself when she felt Nashi get heavy. Setting her back in her bed, she tucked the covers in around her and blew out the candle for her light.

The following morning, they went out to gather food and supplies since they were running low on food and the means to keep themselves alive.

"Layla" "Yeah..I heard" " , daddy, what is it?" "Quiet Iggy" Going silent immediately , she went to hide behind Happy who had his wings up and ready to go if necessary.

"Come on out you bastards, I can smell you, I know that your there" Coming out from the shadows, men came out in cheap leather material with some weapons holstered on their sides. "Is that?," "No it's not them, I'd know that stench without even thinking about it. These guys aren't them" Taking fighting stances, Natsu and Lucy held dark expressions on their faces while the group before them just sniggered.

"You all seem friendly, heh. Drop what you have and go. Then nothing has to get ugly" "You jerks seem like you have enough already from the clothes you're wearing" "Ooh, Got a mouth on you don't you, I'd like to see how well that mouth is after It's been beat up or given a good time. Whichever is better" A malicious grin appeared on the one who was talking.

Pissed off, she gave Natsu a look who in seconds nodded. Going forward, they launched in the middle of them while Happy guarded Nashi. Separated , Natsu and Lucy were surrounded by them fighting hand to hand.

"Damn it. This isn't the same without my keys" Moving her hands as quick as she could, she went to punch when she felt her leg get kicked out from under her from one of them. "Layla!" Natsu cried unable to move to get to her. Struggling, she continued to fight when she saw one of the guys go for Nashi and Happy was snagged by one of them before he could fly them out. (Think of this in slow motion)

" " Scrambling to her feet, she ran to Nashi unable to see the gun that one of the men pulled out. Jumping in front of Nashi,, she landed when she felt a shot in her leg. "LUCY!" Happy and Natsu shouted.

Raged, Natsu blew fire out at all of them knocking them all down before they took off running when they saw the looks in Natsu's eyes. "I don't fucking think so!" He jumped in the air as they tried firing bullets at him, but they did nothing to him.

Coming down on them, he snapped their necks of the ones he could grab, the others racing to get away. "Natsu!, come on" Fed up, Natsu ran back over and grabbed Lucy screaming in pain as she clutched her leg.

"Hang on baby, hang on" Grabbing Nashi, Happy flew right behind Natsu. Getting back to their base, Natsu laid Lucy down on the ground. "Happy! Get some wood now!" Roaring, Natsu let out a fire as Happy threw the pieces of wood onto the fire. Lucy gritted her teeth crying in pain.

Nashi grabbed her hand squeezing it as hard as she could. Grabbing a knife out of his bag, he sat it down on a rock near the fire. "Happy, put this stick in her mouth" he ordered as Lucy's eyes widened like balloons.

Panicked, she tried to move but Natsu apologetically shook his head no and had Happy and Nashi hold her down. "Luce..Im sorry. This is going to hurt baby" Before she could protest, he dug two fingers into her wounds making her shriek. "Natsu! What are you doing?!" "The bullet has to come out Happy or the wound is going to continue to bleed and she could die!"

Shutting up, Happy didn't say another word and continued to try to hold Lucy from struggling. He had to dig for a few minutes before feeling the bullet and pulling it out. Blood continued to pour out as he grabbed a piece of cloth quick to cover her wound. Sweating with tears and sweat, she let out hard breathes. Comfortingly, he put a hand to her cheek and rubbed it with his thumb.

" ..iss It ddone?" "Still have one more thing to do baby. .Happy, grab a stick, put it in Lucy's mouth" Confused, he didn't question it and put it in Lucy's mouth. "Take a deep breath Luce" Grabbing the knife as it was blazing red, he took a intense deep breath and removed the cloth covering Lucy's wound. Placing the knife on it, Lucy's whole body spasmed as she screamed. Holding it there for a few seconds, he took it off and then hugged Lucy to him rubbing her back up and down. " It's over now Lucy, I promise, You're going to be alright" Her cries lowered to a slow mutter and within minutes, she was asleep.