Gone For Awhile

The Truth of It

(Lucy's POV)

I opened my eyes to bright sunlight streaming into my apartment through my pink curtains; the birds were chirping away outside. Annoyed, I grabbed my pillow, pulled it over my head, and rolled over.

Bad idea.

As soon as my pillow covered me, nausea assaulted me. I quickly ran to the bathroom and leaned into the toilet. I was practically puking my guts out while holding my hair back to make sure it didn't get caught in the bile coming from my empty stomach.

Suddenly, a hand pushed mone away and held my hair back for me. I took some toilet paper and wiped my mouth, turning slightly to see who was in the bathroom with me. She had long blue hair held by a golden headband and a scowl on her face.

"I swear. You are so pathetic." Aquarius scoffed. She normally wouldn't come to help me unless I summon her, so it was a shock to see her there in my bathroom. "I can't believe you got pregnant. You don't even have a boyfriend!" She started hollering, picking on me like usual.

I stood up from the toilet and pushed past her. I was practically running to the kitchen as she kept talking and nagging about how I was gonna have a kid before her. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the sink tight. Couldn't she see how much this was hurting me? Couldn't she tell how much pain I was in from losing Natsu?

"ENOUGH!" I screamed, making her stop. Aquarius turned to me, a scowl clear across her face.

"What did you say to me?" She asked threateningly. I turned to face her, tears streaming down my determined face. I've had enough.

"I said 'Enough!' Can't you see how I'm hurting? How would you feel if you lost Scorpio? I can't take it! Nobody will even talk about Natsu anymore. They all act like he was never there like they never knew him! I want him back!" I screamed at her, burying my eyes in my fists as the tears flowed once again. "I can't stop crying; I can't even go to the guild. I want Natsu back."

"So? What's stopping you?" Aquarius' cold voice spoke. I looked up with blurry eyes, puzzled. "If you want him back so badly, what's stopping you from going to get him?" I stared at her as if she had just grown two heads.

"He's dead, Aquarius." I wanted to shout at her, but it was more of a whisper. Natsu's been dead for almost two months now.

"Do you really believe that?" She glared. I was dumbfounded. In my heart, I knew it couldn't be true, but my mind remembers. I remember the day we were told. I remember Master holding Natsu's tattered vest and the tears we all shed as a family. I shook my head as I didn't know what to believe, my head or my heart?

"If you don't believe that your boyfriend is dead, then go get him," Aquarius stated, closing her eyes and flipping her hair back. She then glared back at me as if she had just given me an order. A few moments of silence passed by as we stared at each other.

"Well? What're you waiting for?" She hollered angrily. It shocked me so much I practically jumped into motion, running to my closet to change before I ran out the door quickly. Aquarius' spirit disappeared back to the Spirit World before my door closed.

I ran all the way to the guild, but before I reached the doors, I pulled into a side alley and leaned against the wall catching my breath. Now what? My heart was set on what to do, but I needed a plan. I had to find Natsu without anybody knowing, so they don't try to tell me how useless it was. What was the name of that village again? Ocean Village? No. Forest Village? No, that wasn't it. Mountain Village? No! What was it! Maybe if I go in and look at the board, I'll recognize it. If I have a job in that area, nobody will suspect it.

With a plan set in mind, I clench my fist and walk through the giant front doors of the guildhall. The enormous room grew quiet as everybody stared at me like I was a stranger. Ignoring their looks of pity, I walked straight to the giant request board filled to the brim with paper flyers and looked it over. I had to be extra careful. I couldn't take a job that was too dangerous, or the team would end up coming with me.

Happy, Carla and Wendy chose that moment to come over and see how I was doing. I brushed them off, telling them how I need to get out of the house and that I had to pay my rent somehow. I didn't think I was lying to them; I wasn't telling them the whole truth. I'm not particularly eager to lie to my friends. Especially since they've been really supportive ever since...

I turned my attention back to the board and continued scanning. No. No. Not that one. That wasn't it. No. Nuh-uh. Nope. No, not that one. Definitely not that one. No. No. No.

After a few minutes, I finally found it. The village name was what caught my attention. River Village. That was the village! And the job was easy too, with good money. 50,000 jewel. It could go towards my rent. All I had to do was help clear out a canyon where a series of rock slides had occurred. Maybe I'll find Natsu there in the canyon.

With hope in my heart, I grabbed the flyer and had to force myself not to run up to Mira. Mira looked at me, concerned after taking a long look at the flyer I had handed her.

"Are you sure you wanna take a job, Lucy?" She asked me, hinting at my condition. I sweatdropped. I knew I was pregnant but was that really going to stop me from going on a job? I wasn't even that far along.

"I'm sure, Mira," I told her confidently. "It's an easy job. I'll use Virgo and Scorpio to help move the boulders. I won't be doing anything too dangerous. Besides, Loki and all of my other spirits will be with me in case I need them." I explained. Mira sighed, took down her notes, and handed the flyer back to me. When I turned around to leave, I practically rammed into Happy, who had been hovering behind me for I dunno how long.

"Can I come with you, Lu-shee?" Happy asked with a tone of sadness. He did lose his best friend the last time someone went on a solo mission. So, I nodded my head, and away we went.

We stopped and grabbed a few snacks before heading to the train station. According to the map I had of Fiore, the quickest way to the village was to ride the train to Clover Town, then catch a carriage the rest of the way there. Thinking about transportation, there's no way Natsu took the train all the way to the village.

I sighed as we took our seats. The train ride was definitely quieter and easy-going without Natsu getting his motion sickness. I started brushing my fingers on my legs absentmindedly. I was so used to having Natsu lay his head on my lap. I didn't even notice I was doing it until Happy laid his head on my lap and let me pet him to sleep. The rest of the train ride was silent except for Happy's snores. I turned my face to look out the window, my chin resting in the palm of my hand.

No matter what happened, we're coming to find you, Natsu.