AN: Sorry this is so so late, and a short chapter none the less. I have a medical thing going on and have been in and out of appointments and on new medications, so I have been exhausted and lacking creative spirit. I will try and get the next chapters out to you guys soon!

Thank you to Ushindeshi, Dark Shining Light, and Ember Reverie for leaving reviews! I love to hear what you guys think and suggestions!

theStarlitarcher

By the time the Lucy, Happy and Natsu arrived at Porlyusica's small hutch, Natsu was exhausted. Panting, he knocked on the door and leaned his shoulder against the side of the frame.

"Go away you pesky humans!"

Natsu felt his chest constrict and his hands shook as he tried to keep them flat against Lucy's thighs. She moaned, her breath coming out uneven and hot against his cheek. Her face was clammy.

The panic in his chest rose.

"It's an emergency. Please. She only has an hour!"

Silence. Then the sharp sounds of the healing mage's shoes clicked across the wooden floor, a bolt squeaked as it was thrown back and Porlyusica opened the door to them.

"Get her in here and on the medical table. Now."

Natsu didn't reply, instead brushing past the cranky old lady to head for the table. He turned his back to the table, bending his knees so that Lucy's bum contacted the flat surface before sliding himself around in her hold, so that he could gently lay her down on her back.

With a raspy yell and a whimper, the blonde woke up. Her hand shot to her side and she moaned. Natsu stared at her, his face drenched in sweat and his blood running cold. Her eyes were blood shot and she looked like she was delirious.

"Natsu?"

"I'm here, Luce."

"Kay…" she hummed. "Please don't go. You're warm."

"And so are you…" he muttered, the back of his hand finding her forehead. She was burning up with fever.

"What happened?" Porlyusica demanded, coming up on the other side of the table with a pair of scissors.

Lucy was going to be furious about her blouse.

"Water dragon slayer." Natsu said. "Wendy couldn't do anything. She said that it was poisoned with some type of flower from her guess… red?"

"Leave. I'm going to need to pull everything off of her."

"Why does that matter?" Natsu said indignantly.

Lucy and him had been in plenty of compromising situations where she almost always ended up half naked, or in the 'Naked-Bell' incident as he liked to call it from the dragon attacks, sometimes even stark naked. He knew he wasn't supposed to see her naked, but what did that matter when he had already had? Comforting her was more important than her decency at this point.

Plus, Lucy had asked him to stay. He couldn't leave her now.

"Natsu, let's go." Happy said.

The exceed's eyes were welled with huge tears, and he looked frightened. Frowning, Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand.

"I'll be back okay? Let Porlyusica take care of you and I'll be right outside."

Lucy nodded, her eyes wet and teary from pain. He felt his heart crumbling inside of his chest, but got up, and brought Happy into his chest, before leaving out the door.

It took hours.

Eventually, he was joined by Erza, who informed him that Calder and the rest of his gang were being transported to the Magic Council head quarters and that everyone else had arrived safely. After that, she remained silent, sliding her back down against the tree he was sitting under to join him.

The red head hummed a small song, picking at the small flowers around them and folding them into a crown.

"This is a lovely spot for a picnic! Maybe we should go back to the guild and then when Lucy is all healed, she can enj—"

"No."

She sent him a death glare, that usually had him chattering in fear. However, he ignored it, his gaze flickering between the door and the ground.

Erza gave him a good punch to the head.

"Don't. Interrupt me. Natsu." she ground out. "I was going to suggest that if Lucy cannot return to the guild hall anytime soon then she would appreciate a nice picnic with flower crowns and—"

"She's coming back to the guild in a little bit." snapped Natsu. "Don't say that kinda crap, Erza!"

This time he was met with an elbow to the gut. Happy snickered.

The door to the hutch opened, and Porlyusica came out looking exhausted. Erza stood, striding up to the lady with an air of confidence.

"How is she?"

"She's going to be okay, but we need to head to the guild. I can't do anything but stabilize her for now. I fear I am missing an ingredient."

The dragon slayer's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. How long did they have before she wouldn't be stable?

"Ingredient?" Erza asked.

"Yes. I bought her about a week, but I need the stem from the flower she was poisoned with to make sure the antidote works and spreads throughout the body. Only had enough to stop it from reaching her heart. Wendy will be able to heal the damage, but not stop it. She cannot heal until the spreading stops."

"What flower was it?" Natsu asked Porlyusica. His eyes glinted with a steadiness that she did not often see in the fire dragon slayer.

"A fire lily."

Natsu almost laughed at the irony.

"There were a bunch of those near our last job, right?" Happy said.

"You're right, Happy." Erza said, placing a closed fist into her palm. "It would only take us two days to get there and back. Let's go then!"

"Aye sir!"

"Wait, you're coming with us?" Natsu said.

Suddenly, he could feel his knees knocking together in fear.

"Is there a problem with that?"

"N-No." Natsu said. "Of course not. But I wanna say bye to Lucy first."

Erza's face lit up with an evil smirk.

"Of course Natsu. I'll stay here and talk to Porlyusica about proper transportation of the flower. You go and enjoy some quality time with dear Lucy."

"Uh… okay…" he said.
He moved away from Erza as she got a twinkle in her eyes he did not like and practically scrambled into Porlyusica's house.

When he entered, he was hit with the stuffy scent of sweat and something particular to illness. It felt heavy in his nose and he wrinkled it slightly.

Lucy was laid out on the bed by the wall. Her skin had a little color returning, but her hair was frizzed and knotted on the pillow, pieces clinging onto her forehead. She the back of her left hand over her eyes, the right clenched into the comforter.

The floorboard creaked under Natsu's foot, and she jumped slightly before smiling at him.

"Hey." she said hoarsely. "Thanks for getting me here."

"I don't think you need to thank me for saving your life." He said with a smile, glad to hear her voice. "It's what friends do, right?"

She frowned at him, eyes shifting to stare at the wall sadly. Natsu tilted his head to the side, wondering what was wrong. Before he could ask however, she turned back to him with a large smile.

"Yeah. Thank you, Natsu."

"Uhm… yeah. Anything for you." he replied, confused by her sudden flip flop in emotions. Was it the poison still in her system?

She blinked and then smiled even brighter. Natsu had half a mind to take a step back. She was acting out of it.

"Anything?"

Maybe he really should go back so him and Erza could leave…

"Uh… yeah…"

"Come here a sec?" she asked, offering her right hand to him.

Her guild mark was a bright contrast to her pale skin. He could remember the moment she showed it to him as clear as day. She had been so happy…

And then the memory shifted. The hand was gone, instead replaced by a large bandaged lump as the girl in front of him bled out on the cold floor of the palace…

Future Rouge had managed to hit her right where his Lucy was poisoned at…

"Natsu? Natsu!"

He shuddered and looked down to find Lucy raising an eyebrow at him. Smiling at her, he moved closer to the bed and knelt beside it.

"You spaced out kind of hard there." she said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. What did you need again?" he replied, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at her.

"You're leaving right? Porlyusica said she needed the flower."

"Yeah."

"Okay. Come closer."

He made a face at her. Was she going to pull on his ear or something? This seemed like a trap to him.

However, he did as she asked.

No sooner had he leaned closer to her, Lucy sat up slightly, and brushed her cheek along his own. Natsu froze, feeling his entire body light up with heat. Or maybe it was just his face? He wasn't sure.

Before he could say anything or prepare for her to pinch his cheek or ear, or grab his hair, he felt the soft caress of her breath against his reddened cheek, and then she pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Thank you. For everything. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was taking Happy with me, or where I was going. Be safe, okay?"

Natsu just slowly nodded his head at her request. When she leaned back, he noticed her face was a deep red and she practically steaming out the ears.

"Natsu!" Erza called. "We need to go now!"

"C-coming!"

He looked at Lucy one last time, taking in her tomatoed face and the duck of her chin into her shoulder away from him. He grinned.

"Anytime, Lucy." He said and bent down to press a kiss to her forehead.

Then he skittered out the door, leaving behind an open mouthed celestial mage behind him.