Hey everyone!

Wow, I can't believe it...this is the final chapter DX Oh well... I'm considering telling you guys something, but I don't want to get your hopes up... Oh, what the heck? It's in the bottom A/N. :)

Enjoy the final chapter of PotP!

:Pain of the Past:

~Chapter 7~

Lucy groans, rolling over in her infirmary bed. Sunlight streams in through a glass window, covering the room in a beautiful light. Everything around her looked so pristine and pure, as if it were brand new.

Lying in the bed to her right was Natsu. His face had some more color in it, and his breathing was slow and steady. His eyes were closed, and his mouth was in a straight line. Whether or not he was dreaming Lucy couldn't tell, as his expression was completely neutral.

"Lucy!" chirps a cheerful voice from the door. Mirajane smiles as she makes her way over to Lucy's bedside. "I'm so glad you're awake!"

"Hi, Mira," Lucy replies. "Thank you so much for helping us out."

Mira smiles even wider at Lucy's use of 'us'. "Of course! It was very loyal of you to carry him all the way back, by the way. You could've rode the train."

"And give Natsu another thing to worry about?" Lucy says softly. "I couldn't do that to him. Especially with the state he's in right now..." Lucy runs her finger across the pure-white sheets. "That reminds me, Mira. Did Natsu have a friend betray him when he was young?"

Mira looks mystified, "No, not that I can remember. Why?"

"He...he really freaked out when I got all possessed," Lucy admits.

"He really cares about you, Lucy," Mira says softly. "Of course he freaked out. He was scared."

"Natsu? Scared?!" exclaims Lucy. Mira nods slowly.

"Yes...he must've been so scared and worried about you, Lucy..."

Lucy blinks, surprised. "But...then he said something about not wanting to be alone again..."

Mira's eyes widen. "I wasn't the only one who made that connection, then," she says quietly.

"Mira?" asks Lucy. "Are you alright?"

"This whole situation was very similar to something Natsu dealt with a few years ago..." Mira whispers. "But...with Lizanna. She went on a mission she couldn't handle... Natsu wanted to come, but we told him no...to this day he wishes he went against our will. He wishes he could go back and save her..." Mira looks up at Lucy. "And I'm thinking...that maybe, somehow, saving you made him feel better..."

"Maybe..." Lucy says softly, looking at Natsu's sleeping face. "Mira...you said earlier that Natsu felt safe at my house...do you know why?"

"I think so..." Mira replies. "Lucy...I think Natsu gets kind of lonely sometimes...and you are his best friend besides Happy."

Lucy ponders that for a second, "That seems...very...believable, actually." Lucy surprised herself for thinking this. "I mean, he's surrounded by friends at the guild, but once he gets home, it's only him and Happy..."

Mira nods, "Exactly."

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy smiles.

"You're welcome!" Mira replies cheerily, and then she leaves the infirmary.

Lucy watches her leave, and then rolls over to look at her sleeping teammate. 'Poor Natsu...he got himself into this mess because of me...but I suppose...he would've done it no matter what mission...' She smiles. "I can always count on you, Natsu... Thank you..."

Almost as if he heard her, Natsu smiles in his sleep.

It has been four days since the fight against Chimera and Ronon. Natsu still hadn't woken up, but most of his injuries had healed already. Mira sent a letter to Mr. Crawford explaining what happened, and got a letter back that had 80,000J in it. It said,

'Miss Lucy Heartfilia,

Thank you so much for your hard work. Even if you didn't kill it, you got rid of the menace that plagued our forests. So here's the reward, and a little extra to help pay for the medical expenses of Salamander's injuries. I hope you both make a quick, painless recovery.

Thanks Again,

Mr. Devon Crawford'

Lucy smiles from her seat at the bar, setting the letter down on the counter. "That was so nice of him to send money at all!"

Mira laughs, "Well, you did complete the job. Just not in the way he expected."

Suddenly, the door to the infirmary bursts open to reveal a very awake Natsu. "Does somebody have food?! I'm starving over here!"

"NATSU!" screams Lucy, jumping up from her stool and rushing towards him. Sobbing in relief, she throws her arms around him.

Natsu blinks, obviously very confused. But then he laughs, and hugs her back. "Why are you crying, Luce?" he asks. Lucy looks up at him with her watery brown eyes.

"I'm so happy you're okay!"

Natsu laughs again, "Me too!"

Coming out of seemingly nowhere, Happy flies above their heads and sing-songs, "You liiiike each other~"

"SHUT UP YOU STUPID CAT!" Lucy yells, her face burning as she jumps away from Natsu.

Natsu once again ignores Happy, and instead shouts, "Someone give me food!"

"No one's going to just give it to you, you idiot!" a mostly-naked Gray shouts.

"What did you call me?!" Natsu yells, getting in Gray's face.

Everyone in the guild groans. "Here they go again," sighs Wakaba.

"Fire Freak!"

"Pervy Popsicle!"

"Lava Mouth!"

"Icy Stripper!"

"Ash Head!"

"Snow Queen!"

"COAL FACE!"

"YELLOW SNOW!"

Lucy laughs nervously. "They better not end up brawling..."

Mira sighs, "Well, if they do, we can only hope Gray will go easy on Natsu."

Cana snorts loudly, "I'd bet two-thousand jewel that that'd never happen."

Suddenly, Erza marches over to Natsu and Gray. "This there a problem here?"

The two boys quickly sling their arms arms around each other's shoulders.

"No, we're just grand!" Natsu laughs nervously.

"Nothing like hanging out with my best buddy~" Gray sing-songs, faking a huge smile.

From her seat at the bar, Lucy bursts into a fit of giggles.

Mira giggles too, "Those boys."

Shooting Gray a glare, Natsu walks over to Lucy and Mira. "Do you have food?"

Mira sets a platter covered with food on the bar counter. Natsu leaps onto the stool next to Lucy, and starts chowing down.

"How are you feeling?" Lucy asks him.

"Great!" Natsu exclaims with his mouth full.

"Any pain...?" Lucy asks.

Natsu shakes his head. "No, not much."

A loving smile spreads across Lucy's face. "I'm so glad... I was really worried, you know..."

Natsu finishes chewing, and looks at her. "Why?"

Lucy looks away, a huge blush spreading across her face. "I...I just..." Natsu sat there quietly, waiting for her finish. "I just was," Lucy says finally.

"That's okay," Natsu tells her, ripping off a chunk of bread. "I understand."

Lucy makes a choking sound, her face turning even redder. "Wh-What?!"

"I worry too," Natsu says nonchalantly. "I guess it's normal."

"Y-Yeah," Lucy stammers. 'What was I thinking?' she thinks. 'It's not like he was talking about-'

Her thoughts are rudely interrupted by Erza placing a sword to Lucy's throat. The blonde's eyes widen in fear.

"Erza!" Natsu snarls suddenly. "What are you doing? Let her go!"

"Where. Is. My. CAKE?!" Erza roars.

Lucy trembles in her seat, "I-I don't know..."

Erza sighs, "Sorry, Lucy." Within seconds, her sword is at Natsu's throat instead. "WHERE IS IT?!"

"I don't know!" Natsu squeaks. Lucy giggles: the look on his face is cute and priceless.

In that moment, Lucy realizes that as long as she has Fairy Tail, nothing will ever bring her down. Their strength and heart will continue to inspire her, no matter where she is. Fairy Tail is her home, and her guildmates are her family.

"I don't have to try to prove myself," Lucy says to herself softly. "Because...they already know..."

She smiles at the all her friends around her, feeling content. Finally, her gaze lands on Natsu, who was at last able to convince Erza that he didn't have her cake. When he saw her staring, he grins back at her. Lucy reaches out towards him, and intertwines her fingers with his. Through their joined hands, they said thousands of words that wouldn't mean a thing if said aloud. It was the touch, the contact, the feeling of each other that made them feel safe.

They had been through quite an ordeal together...and this wasn't the first time. But there was something special this time: some deep emotional bond had been formed, bringing them closer still. Lucy had seen Natsu weak, she had seen him cry and scream, she had seen the pain of the past in his eyes... But most of all, Lucy had seen who Natsu was. She now knew this mysterious dragon boy better than she thought she ever would.

One thing was for certain, though. No matter what happened to them as children, no matter what occurred in the past, they lived in the now. They lived together. Lucy looks up into Natsu's dark eyes, and he smiles down at her.

'Don't ever leave me...' Lucy thinks.

"I won't," Natsu whispers, and Lucy realizes she said the last thought out loud. Natsu looks deep in her eyes. "I promise."

Lucy smiles, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "You better keep that promise," she says with a smile.

"Don't worry," Natsu smiles, "I will..." He gazes deep into Lucy's eyes. "I always will..."

ANNND SCENE~

Okay, I promised you some news. So here it is:

There might be a sequel. I'm not sure yet, since I'm freakishly busy right now with school and all my Ninjago fanfics, but I might write one because I feel like we need another fight with Ronon (and MORE NALU). If I did write one, it would be called Fear for the Future, or FftF.

Thanks for reading everyone! I really appreciate it. :)

~ForeverDreamer12, sign-

Natsu: WAIIIT!

Me: Where did you come from? Also, what is it with characters interrupting my signoff on final chapters? *cough cough JAY cough cough*.

Natsu: I just wanted to say something.

Me: What is it?

Natsu: ...

Me: What?

Natsu: LUCY'S A TOTAL LOONY SHE KICKED ME OUT OF HER HOUSE THIS MORNING AND-

Me: You should've known that would happen. Now, please, I'm trying to do something here.

Natsu: BUT-

~ForeverDreamer12, finally signing off! XD