Chapter Twenty: Silence

Sorry for the late chapter update, I just finished this, so typos and other grammar error maybe notice there. Willing to wait on your reviews. thank you for always supporting me despite the delay in updates. i'm glad you're all still there.

Mwah! =)

This is a little bit shorter than the others.

"You're alive, Michelle." She whispered and then darkness overtook her.

"How is she?" it was Natsu his face was full of concerned and sorrow while staring at Lucy's motionless state. After the mission was confirmed that it was in fact one of Hades' quarters, they immediately obliterated the place but failed to spot their greatest enemy and worst Lucy made contact with him again.

"Let's wait for the result, Natsu." Erza said consoling her friend and tapped her hands on his shoulder. Natsu wavered and clenched his teeth.

"I shouldn't let her go. I shouldn't let her out of my sight." He said with harshness and full of bitterness in his tone. How many times would he failed to protect her?

He was and always been when it comes to her. He brought her hand to his and kissed it.

"I'm sorry Luce." He said

Earlier

That time when they found her, she was unconscious, he immediately slid her into his arms and made a run to the others. The first one he saw was Levy and Levy almost lost her concentration seeing Lucy.

"W-what happened?" she asked shaken to Natsu.

"We…. We got separated… And… and when I found her she was unconscious and wasn't moving." He asked. Levy stared at him clenching her teeth.

"I will not blame you for this, we need to go for her aid." She said and then they got to the others. Hayato saw them and like levy shock was plastered on his face.

"What happened to her?" he asked grimly throwing death glance at Natsu.

"We have no time for arguing we need to take her now." Levy yelled.

"We have to go to the hospital." Natsu said.

"No, not in the hospital we need to take her to the main mansion of the Hawk talons." Hayato stated holding Lucy's hand, while Natsu was still carrying her. This made the pinkette confused. He was about to asked but chose not to consider the need of the situation.

The car ride was in a complete silence, no one dared to utter a single word. Natsu was still looking anxiously at Lucy's form. It was like she's dead if only not to her, fast beating of heart, and it was not normal.

'Lucy please be safe' he prayed

When they got to the place, the mansion was almost the size of the Fairy Tail's Main house, the grandness of the place. They immediately brought her inside and there they were greeted by the people wearing white that just look like nurses. They followed them and was halted by the other staff.

"Natsu was about to break from their grip when they heard a voice.

"Don't worry yourself too much, we're going to do everything for her to be in line." The voice said, they all turned their heads to the source of the voice and from the top of the stairs there he was. Natsu's eyes widened in surprised. The man has an ash gray hair and lean structure.

"Eleazar?!" he asked incredulously. The man smiled and slowly making his way down to their place.

"Been a while, young Dragneel grandson of my friend Makarov." The man said now standing I front of them.

"H-how come?" he asked still surprised. The man made a fake cough and looked at him intently.

"Yes Natsu, I know what you're thinking and you're right." He said.

"I didn't know." He just said and the older man nodded.

"It's because we never told you even Makarov didn't know that I was there inside your property, only Gildarts knew." He said and that made Natsu looked at him now with a knitted brows, again the man nodded. "You know the reason why Natsu, I believe he and Makarov told you about Lucy's condition, right?" he said raising his right brows and he nodded.

"Grandpa." It was Hayato. The older man looked at his grandson, and nodded.

"I'll do everything." He said and with that he went inside the room where Lucy was. After Eli was gone, Natsu was about to talk to Hayato when he felt a strong fist landed on his right cheek and before he could react he stumbled on the floor holding his face. Everyone was shocked by the sudden outburst from Hayato and he was now being gripped by Capricorn and Kagura.

"Hayato, what are you doing?!" Kagura hissed, his stares were like daggers and he was looking straight Natsu.

"I told you to take care of her just this once, because both of you needed to fix something, but seeing what had happened to her, only proves that you're an unreliable person. You failed again to protect her!" Hayato threw the words that were like knives, Natsu just sat there on the floor, his eyes hidden by his hangs, he didn't talked back knowing that it was true.

Hayato was still struggling to free himself from his comrade's grip, when he calmed down.

"Let me go." He ordered and they obliged. "I will never give her to you. NEVER." And with that he walked out of the room. Natsu stayed in his place not moving.

Erza went to his side and was about to pull him up when he spoke.

"It's true, I failed, always. I always let her down."

Remembering those words made his heart ache. Lucy was lying on the infirmary bed when the equipment started to get noisy. This alarmed every person inside the room, Natsu went to Lucy and held her hand that was shaking, and after seconds Lucy started to shake violently like she was being possessed.

"LUCY!" Natsu called loudly while gripping her but she was still shaking and then the nurses went inside and told them to step out of the room. Natsu didn't want to follow but Eli, told him that he have to. He threw a glance to her being attended by the people and clenched his fists.

He had to trust these people, who can helped Lucy. No matter how hard, he had to accept that he can provide no help at all. He stayed outside the room while Erza and the others went to the study hall to wait.

They were in the study hall waiting to be called.

Levy was humming a lullaby, this is to ease the anxiousness that was building inside her, this was far the serious attack happened to Lucy again, she was in that state where she feared that when her sister/best friend will wake up and she's not Lucy at all. She was tapping her fingers against the table and her eyes were staring at the door.

"Oi shrimp stop making noise, you're making us nervous!" Gajeel hissed eyeing her, Levy threw a cold glance at him which made him flinched. She looked at the people around her, the Fairy People. Lucy always talked about them, how she was happy to meet these people and yet she had to leave them.

"Did you know about her… condition?" she asked hesitantly her eyes were on the vase on the center table that gained the attention of the people inside that room. A pregnant silence overtook the whole place, it's like they feared to answer a simple question.

"At first, we didn't know." Erza spoke she was leaning against the backrest of the couch in front of Levy and her arms were crossed over her chest. Levy nodded. "You? Levy, right?" she nodded again. "How did you meet Lucy?" The red-headed woman asked, and Levy knew from the tone of her voice that she demands an answer. She played with the flower in her hands, still not looking at them.

"I met her five years ago, in one of the remote places in the Western Fiore. I was in a mission to kill a certain drug lord there." Levy started now resting her back, her eyes still on the flower. "Our paths crossed and we exchanged into an intense fight, she was rampaging in one of the place there and coincidentally I was also there." Levy smiled at the memory. "After fighting with each other, she lost consciousness, I didn't want to involve myself to someone I rarely know but something inside me encouraged me to help her. I managed to do so and found something and I knew who she was." Levy said. "Or rather what she was." She added and now looking straight to them with the same looked of hostility but immediately that glare died down and was change to softness and sadness.

Erza read those eyes it was just like Lucy.

"Tell us Levy, why do you care so much for Lucy?" she asked. The bluenette looked at them for a time weighing if she's going to tell them something about herself. She sighed that maybe, just maybe she can. But not all.

After a long silence, she uttered those words that made them surprised again. Natsu was about to push open the door when he heard what was conversing among his comrades.

"Because we shared something in common." She just said and Gajeel who was having a bored expression became confused as well as the others.

"What do you mean?" Gajeel asked, and Levy glanced at him, he can see it in her eyes the sadness the same thing happened to him when he lost his father. But her eyes were deeper like it was an infinite abyss.

"What exactly it is?" Gray followed another question.

"Let's just say we have some kind of 'Needs'." She said blurrily but they still couldn't get what she was trying to say, she let a sighed.

"The urge. The need. The hunger." She stopped and gripped the flower till she crumpled it.

"To kill." She said with lash in each word. "No matter how we tried to dodge the fact, but still it hurts like stabbing the chest and deafening when hearing it. Those were the facts, the words that describe the two of us." She said finally looking at them

"Monsters. Demons. Beasts. Your pick" she continued and for once again they saw the gleam in her eyes that matches Lucy's.

"How exactly are you alike?" Natsu finally uttered something and all of the eyes fell on him, the bluenette pose a bitter smile and shook her head.

"I'm not the main course of this dinner. Better not focus your attention to me." And with that she stood up and made her way through the door where natsu was standing, she walked pass him but stopped.

"Never leave her side. It's the least you can do." She said and Natsu stared at her.

"Where am I?" Lucy asked, all she can see was darkness an infinite darkness that surrounds her. Suddenly she heard a loud crying, she couldn't quite comprehend what was happening but someone was crying. Finally it snapped at her, she turned around to find the source of the noise but all she could hear were loud cries.

"Mommy!... Mommy help us!... Mommy!" her heart stopped and dread was written on her faced, those were the voices of her children.

"Nashi….. Aki….. Haru!" she called back but the noise were just getting louder and a Laughed was heard.

She knew who that laugh belongs to and when she gazed she saw the huge image of Hades, in his hands were her children and he was slowly squeezing them.

"Mo..mmy!" Nashi weakly called extending her little hand, ad was gasping for air. She tried to run through them and extended her hand but for some reason she couldn't reach them and a voice came behind her.

"Nee-chan." It was small and in front of her appeared Michelle when she was little.

"Michelle" she said but her attention was back to her children, she was about to run when her hand was grabbed by her sister. She looked back at michelle and saw her shedding tears. No, not tears, blood, coming from her eyes.

"Help me, nee-chan." She said and the look of horror overtook Lucy's face when suddenly a large hand gripped her sister's body and in just a snapped she was smashed by that large hand.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!" she shouted and darkness overtook everything.

Her eyes fluttered open, she saw the white ceiling, and then her eyes fell on someone beside her. A tuft of pink hair was resting beside her, she couldn't help but ran her fingers through that hair, and a groan was heard, she immediately retracted her hand, slowly the one who owned the pink haired lifted his head and their eyes met.

"Luce." Natsu muttered, clutching her hand without her noticing.

"Nat-"

"I'm sorry." He muffled, bowing his head and Lucy felt him quivered. She couldn't understand but this scene made her heart melt. "I still failed to protect you." He said while sandwiching her hand between his and lead it to his lips and she felt something wet against her hand.

'Natsu is crying.' She thought stunned.

Her hand moved and rested her palm to his cheek. He looked at her, longing was visible to his eyes. She couldn't help but curve her lips displaying a small smile.

"It's not your fault. It was all me." She said looking at him, Natsu gently put his hand to her cheek and leaned to her, instead of kissing her lips his lips made its way to her forehead, a sweet gesture he always shows when he was worried and relieved. Resting his forehead against her.

"Please don't walk away from me, Luce." He whispered to her. She didn't answer him. They just stayed like that for several minutes, before hearing the door opened. They both separated from each other when the door finally revealing Hayato, his face was full of worry at the same time relief.

"Lucy." He called walking towards the bed and kneeled beside her. He held her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked and she just nodded and smiled. Natsu watch the scene with an aching heart. He chose to walk out of the room, due to that he couldn't stand the scene in front of him. Though they made an agreement, still it hurts to see Lucy relying to others than to him. Lucy watch Natsu walking out of the room, she didn't want him to leave and then felt something squeeze her hand and gazed at Hayato.

Eli was in his office studying Lucy's condition. He was already getting frustrated, as time goes by the poison inside her body is keep on spreading. All he did the past years is to prevent the poison from touching her brain, just for her not to be overtaken by her dormant side. If it comes to the worse case. She might not be able to regain herself.

"Jude, what should I do?!" he asked while resting his face on both his hands.

"I want to save Lucy from this hell made by Praecht." He muttered in a frustrated tone.

Levy was sitting beside the pool at the back of the mansion, her thoughts were occupied until she felt someone beside her and turned her gaze to the dark haired pierced guy, who was also looking at the pool.

Her eyes roamed through his face and body and smirked. The action didn't go unnoticed by Gajeel.

"What are ya smilin' at? Got a problem?" he said with a slight scowl on his face, and shook her head.

"Nothin'" she just said and laughed a bit, a nerve ticked on Gajeel's forehead. This shrimp was pissing him off.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" he growled,. Levy looked at him which earned him a slight blush, her stare was intense unlike the other girls, and this girl has no fear at all, as he looked at her eyes. He had glimpse of a slight sadness that was covered by coldness. He was cut by his trail of thoughts when levy spoke.

"Are you interested in me?" she casually asked. His brow raised.

"Are you out of your freaking mind? Who do you think you are, shrimp!?" he snapped, which made her chuckled again.

Seriously this midget was making fun of him. After Levy chuckled and shook her head.

"You know, you're not the first person who told me that. But guess what?" she stopped and almost in a whisper she said. "He was wrong, I already saw that look numerous times. I can easily know if a guy was interested in me. But I can't." She said looking back at the pool.

Gajeel became interested in her talk and rested his elbows on his lap with his hands intertwining with each other.

"Why?" he asked and the bluenette stared at him again.

"Let's just say, the situation was quite complicated. I'm not a normal woman if you ask, I told all of you already, me and Lucy are the same. So if you wanted to pursue me. Be prepare, and there is no guaranteed future for us. Especially for you if you wanted me. You might ended up being broken or me shattered." She stated and smiled half-heartedly. Better to tell him that because she doesn't want to experience the same heart ache when someone she loved so dear left her, because of circumstances and she let that happen knowing that it was for the best.

She stood up and about to leave when a hand grabbed her wrist and looked at Gajeel, his eyes showed persistence.

"You got me there. But don't assume anything shrimp." He just said and let her go and she smiled then left.

Gajeel was left there standing, he felt the adrenaline flowed to his veins.

She's interesting and quite the challenge and maybe this is what he was looking for. Someone who can match him.

Lucy was still on the bed and Hayato was there on her side reading a book. She couldn't help but wait for Natsu to appear in front of her. That time his eyes showed vulnerability and thought himself as a failure. Maybe he was regretful about what happened to them. She was in the midst of her thoughts when the door opened emerging Eli followed by Natsu.

"Eli." She said and Eli went to her side and held her hand

"Lucy, I have a proposal." He began and looked both to Lucy and Hayato and finally to Natsu.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We need you to stay close and I propose that you return to Fairy Tail." He stated that made Lucy's mouth agaped and Natsu's eyes widened in surprised.

"I-I don't understand. Why?" she asked adjusting her sit on the bed, while Hayato snapped.

"Grandpa, I can protect Lucy here. No need for her to return to Fairy Tail!" He yelled angrily, but Eli remained calm.

"We have to, I need also to go to Hearfilia's residence, to find something related to Project Iris." He said.

"To our house?" Lucy said and Eli nodded.

"Your father entrusted something to me, no one knew about it. I want to help and save you Lucy that is why we need you to go back."

"This is bullshit!" Hayato hissed throwing the book he was reading and stared at his grandfather, Eli on the other hand sighed.

"I know this is hard Hayato. But we need to, you can still visit Lucy, the important thing is that Hades wo't touch her."

"Don't worry, we can protect lucy and ou- .. Her… children there. No need for you to worry, Hayato." Natsu said sternly to Hayato. The bluenette guy matched his intense gaze.

"You better be. You already let her unprotected. How can I just allow you to –" he was cut by Lucy.

"Hayato, it's alright. The people there are nice." She said and held his hand, which Natsu notice and again the familiar ache.

"Fine." He just said and left and followed by Eli, they will be having a small talk. That left Lucy and Natsu alone.

A pregnant silence occupied the four corners of the room, Natsu stayed standing near the edge of Lucy's bed.

"Don't worry Lucy, trust me again. I will not let anything bad happen to you and to our children." He said and Lucy stared at him. For the first time she smiled, she still couldn't believe that after all those years, she still love this man.

"I know." She said. "Don't blame yourself. Sorry of what I've said at the hotel. I was just emotional that I couldn't control myself." She continued not looking at him.

"It's not your fault, serves me right. I deserve those." He replied and went to sit beside her to grasp her hand which she didn't protest.

"It's been a long time Lucy, since we've talk like this." He said and that earned a chuckle from the blonde.

"Yeah. Many things happened. Sometimes I couldn't grasp the situation, I'm just thankful that the kids are there to keep me on track." She said smiling while thinking of her children.

"Lucy, I will not resist on you introducing me to our kids as their father. But let me meet them.' He said with a slight sadness in his voice, which made her heart melt. She thought herself as a bad mother to her kids not meeting him as their father. Without second thoughts she blurted out those words.

"I will introduce you to them." She said and Natsu stared at her shocked.

"R-really?" he said and she nodded.

"But slowly. I don't want them to be overwhelmed, anyway it's your right. Partly, I thank you for giving them to me." She smiled and Natsu hugged her immediately that she had no time reacting nor complained anyways she missed the warm hugs from him and felt his lips touched her neck which made her shiver down her spine.

"Thank you." He whispered in her ear and she smiled enjoying the warm feeling.

Again a big thank you!

Well chapters are still on going. I'll update Can't hurry love next.

Till next chapter

jamneechan