AN/: this is a teeny tiny chapter, but it's better than nothing, right? I feel bad for not updating anything in like forever! I've been busy, and being a lazy person with a busy schedule is never a good thing. Anyways, I hope it's at least a good short chapter. I'm trying to write the next chapter of TDM as well, so bear with me on that. I'm hoping to go on an updating spree of sorts. :3 stay interested for me? I hope that people are still hanging on. I've gotten lots of fan-mail recently... yes... fan-mail through ... O.O I honestly couldn't believe it! I only get a few messages, but still it blows my mind. Anyways, I'll continue with that after this tiny chapter. ENJOY!

She was starting to hear sounds again. Light was filtering through her eyelids and irritated her to no end. She felt a burn in her muscles as she moved them the slightest bit to see if they were still attached to her body. She groaned, sitting up ever so slowly.

"Well, it looks like you've finally woken up," Hime said smugly. If you could ever hear a smirk, that would be the time. Lucy opened her eyes cautiously that perfect smirk indeed gracing the mysterious woman's face. Lucy still had no idea why that Hime girl, whoever she was, thought it was perfectly fine to just insert herself in Lucy's life.

"Why are you still here?" Lucy asked coldly. She glared and the woman with long, blonde hair, much like her own. "I thought I told you to leave me alone." Hime snickered as Lucy began to push herself to her feet grimacing at the soreness of her body.

"Have you learned nothing?" she asked with amusement ringing in her voice. "You'll die without me around," she finished planting her hands on her hips in that cocky manner that Lucy simply couldn't stand.

"Let me die!" Lucy spat at her, words cold and venomous. Hime chuckled darkly with more amusement shining in her eyes.

"What about your friends?" she asked. The words stuck a cord with Lucy. That bitch would leave her friends out of it! "Do you really want to hurt them because of one selfish decision?" She held a smug grin firm on her lips. "Won't your real death hurt them more than knowing that you can die as many times as you'd like?"

"But you said I'd have to leave them behind!" Lucy shouted. She was clenching her teeth and fists as she spoke. Tears were pricking at her eyes and it frustrated her. Hime sighed heavily and flipped her hair.

"Fine! How about we make a deal instead? You can continue to live here with your friends but when I require your assistance you come with me. Think of it as a job request that you'll have to take," she suggested with an uninterested tone, picking up a picture frame from Lucy's table and setting it back down with a bored expression.

Lucy folded her arms over her chest. Her face was twisted into a look of contemplation and she tapped her fingers on her arms, absentmindedly tapping her foot on the ground. It wasn't too bad of an idea, but she was still very skeptical about Hime in general. Who was she exactly? But, she didn't want to hurt her friends.

Before she opened her mouth to speak a memory flashed through Lucy's mind. It was Natsu, the fear he practically never showed was so plainly evident on his face. It was because of her. She had caused him to be like that and she never wanted him to be that way again. Natsu being scared? That just didn't suit him.

"Okay, it's a deal!" Lucy said with determination nodding to herself as if to solidify her resolve. Hime smiled pleasantly at her.

"What a fine decision."

END NOTE: thanks for reading this puny thing! XD I hope it was at least somewhat enjoyable. Anyways, thank you to all of you who have become devoted readers and even real fans! I can't tell you how giddy and happy I feel when I think about the fact that I actually have FANS! I actually want to be a professional writer in terms of my career. I'm writing two books at the moment, as most of my long-time readers know. :) You'll be happy to know that I've gotten more completed with one of them. I'm almost done with ch. 6! The story itself is, if I may be so bold, freakin AWESOME!

I'd like to take a moment to make some comments and statements that are outside of the world of fanfiction for the most part. I would like to ask that all of my current fans do the best they can to spread the word about me and my talent that you all claim I have. If I'm going to be a successful writer then I'm going to need a huge following! Also, thank you for all your support! I truly understand why famous people always say such heartwarming things to their fans. It's because, honestly, the fans are everything that make doing what they do enjoyable. I love being able to make you guys smile, laugh, cry, and do all sorts of things. So, until I can do that again, PIE FOR NOW~~

~Alice-chan!