Hey guys, Nikki here with a new update! I'm incredibly sorry that I've been so bad with updating this, but life has been a bit hectic. I've been starting driving school and working so my time might be a bit more limited. That doesn't mean I won't update, however! I'll definitely be trying to give you guys great chapters full of lots of drama! Here's the new chapter and I really hope you guys enjoy! Keep on reviewing, I love all the feedback.

DP

The large castle doors opened before the two girls as they stepped down from the carriage, eyes wandering over the castle's impressive exterior. It was a fairly large place, made of mostly marble and stone. The doors were stone with golden plates, heavy as could be. Truthfully, it was very hard to open the things. Lucy Heartfilia had no doubt in her mind that the two figures that just emerged from the castle's depths were something special.

"Welcome, Lady Lucy." A voice boomed and she shivered, a sudden chill running down her spine. Strange... "I see you have brought your guest. You must be Levy." The two girls found themselves face to face with the men who had shown up at her home to invite her here. Gajeel and Makarov, as they had called themselves.

"Yes, I'm Lady Levy McGarden. It's a pleasure." She politely curtsied, a soft smile on her face. Each male took her hand, Makarov placing a very light kiss to it while Gajeel's lips lingered on her skin as he looked up to seek eye contact. Heat flourished on her cheeks and a pretty flush decorated her face as he gently dropped her hand and moved away.

Lucy had, of course, caught the entire interaction and she made a mental note to bother Levy about the exchange later on when they were on their ride home. She flashed the blue haired girl a grin when she glanced her way, taking in the embarrassment that seemed to radiate off Levy in strong waves.

"It's lovely to have you both here," Makarov stepped back, bringing his arms out to present the castle. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, my dears!" Something about the name sent another shiver down Lucy's back, but she did her best to ignore it. There was nothing strange about the place, so why was her body having such a reaction? Clasping her hands together, she faintly noticed how clammy her hands felt. Weird...

"Please, do come in! We have much to discuss and you must be hungry after traveling for so long." They were ushered in, not given a moment to refuse the offer.

The four were seated around a table in a matter of minutes, servants quickly prepping the table for dinner. Small talk was filling the air as they awaited the arrival of the other children, there being two more that had yet to show their faces. Lucy and Levy were welcomed with ease by the two gentlemen, both being more than happy to play the role of hosts for the evening. After all, this was all part of the plan!

Footsteps resounded throughout the castle, two different sets of them. Lucy turned as she heard them, her eyes falling on the door-frame as a petite girl glided into the room. Her steps were light and her dress just barely swept across the floor as she moved. Her dark blue hair flowed from behind her and a gentle smile formed on her lips as she went to take the open seat to Levy's left, the right side being occupied by Gajeel.

"Glad to see you could make it, Wendy!" Makarov grinned, his eyes falling on the youngest of his children. The girl, or Wendy as he had called her, nodded her head before introducing herself to both Levy and Lucy. The introductions were cut short, however, as another person entered the dining room.

Lucy barely managed to contain her gasp as she turned around, her eyes falling on the familiar mess of pink hair. It couldn't be! His gaze on her was almost suffocating, his charcoal eyes practically burning holes in her body. Her cheeks heated up and she quickly looked away, turning back in her chair to look to Makarov.

"Sorry I'm late," The male mumbled, his deep voice sounding as he got closer to the blonde. His father nodded and watched as he took the seat beside Lucy, casting nonchalant glances in her direction as he did so.

"It's quite alright, my boy!" Makarov's grin grew wider at the sight, taking notice of the awkward air that seemed to surround the two teenagers. "Now that everyone is here, I would like to announce something before we begin to eat." His eyes swept over everyone, taking his time as he elongated the pregnant pause.

"I'm very pleased to announce that my son, Natsu, will be asking for Lucy's hand in marriage." Lucy froze, her body going cold as Levy's loud gasp filled the room. That definitely wasn't expected... A few moments passed before the atmosphere in the room went back to a somewhat normal state. Levy, Gajeel, Wendy, and Makarov all carried out most of the conversation as Lucy sat quietly beside Natsu, his hand brushing her arm every once in a while. Each and every touch ignited a fire throughout her body and she thought she was going to go insane if she didn't get out of there.

"I'll... Uh... Be right back." She shot out of her chair and hurried out of the nearest door, panic rising in her body. Her feet carried her down different hallways, her mind and body both wandering. She wasn't aware of her surroundings, however, for she was too busy having a bit of an argument with herself to notice.

"How the hell could that happen?!" She growled out, angrily tugging at a curl of blonde hair. She hadn't expected Makarov to just up and announce such a thing, especially without talking about it with her! Sure, he had told her that he planned on them getting married, but it wasn't set in stone! The way he said it... He made it seem as though Natsu was planning on asking tonight. Oh, it was just so damn complicated!

"Damn it!" Lucy snarled as she continued to stomp down the hallway. Just as she went to turn the corner, however, a body collided with her own. She tumbled to the floor, her butt landing with a painful thump.

"Ah, shit! I'm sorry, Miss." An unfamiliar voice sounded and she glanced up just in time to see a hand being offered out to her. Gratefully taking it, she was hauled to her feet. The contact didn't stop, however. Her hand was still firmly grasped in the person's hand and as she looked up, she was met with the face of a handsome man.

"Wandering the castle alone, hm? Pretty dangerous," The deep chuckle that followed the statement caused her to visibly flinch. She was quick to struggle with pulling her hand out of his grasp, but to no avail. In fact, he held on tighter. Her hand ached painfully and she whimpered lightly, her eyes wide with fear. He grabbed for her other hand, quickly taking both wrists and pulling her closer to him.

Her body was pressed up against his, one of his hands beginning to roam her body as he held her hands captive. Whimpers came from her mouth with every movement, for the blonde was too afraid to even move. The energy in her body seemed to completely vanish at his touch and she was left completely defenseless, everything in her seemingly shutting down.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lucy sighed with relief at the familiar voice, some of her fear fading. The guy who had her quickly released her and she stumbled away, rubbing her wrists once she regained her footing. Natsu's body moved in front of her and she smiled, closing her eyes. He was her hero in that moment and she sure was thankful for him.

"Just found a wanderer and wanted to have some fun. Got a problem, Natsu-san?" The blonde male raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowed before they caught sight of Lucy just over Natsu's shoulder. A wicked grin formed on his lips and his tongue ran across them, his gaze completely locked on the girl.

"Yeah, Sting, I do. Don't touch my fiance, got it?" His tone gave little room to defy the statement and Sting turned without another word, leaving the pair alone in the corridor. Her shoulders slumped once he was gone and she leaned up against the wall, feeling nothing but pitiful. She was being taken advantage of and she couldn't do a single thing! What point was there in being a vampire if she couldn't do anything when she needed to?

A gentle touch on her wrist caused her to jump and Lucy looked up from them to see Natsu's worried gaze on her. She shrunk a little under his eyes, biting her lip gingerly. Everything about him just seemed so... concerned.

"Are you ok, Luce?" The nickname caught her attention and she paused, a smile spreading on her pink lips. No one besides Levy had ever given her a nickname...

"I... I am. Thank you for that..." She trailed off, her eyes locking on his. There was just something about those eyes that practically captivated her. They were so intense! For some reason, they fit him too. She didn't know him very well, but those eyes made her feel safe. Perhaps that was why she felt so at ease with him around. That, and he happened to do things for her that she didn't even know were possible. He seemed to ignite a fire inside her that felt as though it could keep burning for the rest of her life.

"It's the least I could do... We're gonna be getting married so I have to protect you from now on," The grin Natsu flashed her caused the fire to flare and she moved closer out of impulse, nodding gently. Maybe being married to him wouldn't be so bad... She didn't need to be protected, however. She could fend for herself.

"You don't need to protect me. I'm a big girl and I certainly don't need a bodyguard." Lucy watched as his eyes narrowed slightly and the grin vanished, instead replaced by an irritated scowl.

"If you don't need a bodyguard then why did I just have to save you, huh? You're pretty helpless."

His words seemed to strike a nerve within the girl, for she growled and shoved a finger into his chest. Her gaze was hot and her features were nothing but angry.

"I didn't ask you to save me and I am certainly not helpless!" Her voice grew in volume as she spoke, her words filling the hallway with ease. The pink haired male merely frowned at her before pausing, turning his head to look down the other hallway. Something was coming and he growled, turning back to the girl before him. They certainly weren't finished with this conversation and someone was coming so... Where could they hide? His eyes scanned the hallway and they fell on a wooden door a few feet away from Lucy's body. Perfect. He brushed past her and pulled her gently by the wrist, slipping into the room and locking the door behind them.

He waited then, holding Lucy close to his body as he held a hand over her mouth. Natsu was careful to not apply too much pressure to her face, but just enough so she wouldn't make a lot of noise. The footsteps came and went after a few minutes of silence within the room. He listened to make sure they were long gone before releasing his future fiance and moving into the room. It was a bedroom from the look of things, what with a bed being in the center of the room.

"What the hell?" Lucy growled out and he turned to face her, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"I... didn't want people to hear us."

He watched her face turn red and concern shot up within him. Was she supposed to be that red? It worried him and so he stepped closer, easily removing the distance between them as he pressed a hand to her forehead. Why did she feel so hot? Did she have a fever? His eyes found hers and they looked at each other for a few moments before his hand fell from her face.

The blonde went to open her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as he drew his face closer. His hands found their way onto both sides of her face and he felt her hands on his neck. A certain pull brought them closer until their lips lingered before each other, a silence filling the very small distance between their lips. Her eyes fluttered shut then and she took the plunge, her lips quickly finding his.

A spark was created once their lips touched and their kisses grew feverish, her hands gripping his hair as he pressed himself into her. His hands roamed her body and she moaned into his mouth as her back was pressed into the wall behind her. Their lips moved in sync with each other, as if they were made for each other. His lips left hers, however, and quickly latched onto her jawline. He sucked, nibbled, and licked at her neck, leaving multiple marks as he went.

Lucy moaned at his movements, her back arching. Everything was on fire and her body felt so right being pressed into his. It was as if they were meant to be doing this, to be exploring each other with so much passion.

"Luce..." Natsu mumbled against her neck, pulling away so he could look at her. The blonde was a sight to see, what with her messy curls and plump, bruised lips. Her neck had a few marks on it, but her hair hid them easily. She was panting heavily, her eyes half-lidded with lust. He grinned and she returned it, slumping slightly against the wall as his hands gripped her waist. Their foreheads were resting against each other as they struggled to control both themselves and their heart rates.

"I..." Lucy's voice died in her throat as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Compared to their fiery kisses from before, it was a much more loving kiss and both savored it before pulling away. She closed her eyes and resumed resting her forehead against his until he moved away, causing her to reopen her eyes and raise an eyebrow.

"Your nose..." His eyes were slightly wide at the sight of blood dripping from both nostrils and she reached up to wipe at it. The blood kept coming and she whimpered, eyes wide. This had never happened to her before. Besides, wasn't she technically dead?! How was she bleeding uncontrollably from her nose?

"Natsu, how do I stop it? I... Help." She mumbled, trying her hardest to stop the blood. She ripped a long strip of fabric from her dress and attempted to catch the blood that way but to no avail. He stepped closer and held the fabric to her nose, tilting her head backwards a bit. She felt some of the blood run down her throat and she moved away, coughing. It turned into a coughing fit and she struggled to catch her breath between coughs. They grew in intensity and as the current one racked her body, she doubled over, blood coming up from her throat. She coughed it up onto the stone ground, the blood splashing easily.

"Lucy!"

All she heard was Natsu's worried voice before her vision blurred and everything went black...

DP

Bit of a cliffhanger. R&R, please! See you guys next update~