finally getting back to you on chapter 18 lmfao.  too long i took o; to fucking long (gabbie)

same here dude omg... (kels)

Natsu

I felt my body go rigid when the door opened up again and my chest heaved as I attempted to catch my breath.  I had been fighting against my restraints ever since I heard Lucy begin to scream, not stopping until now.

My vision was swimming and my head pounding; the pain was comparable to the pain the stupid ass chair was causing my lower back.

My eyes narrowed in on Juvia as soon as she walked in.  Her clothes were littered with blood and her hair seemed slightly disheveled.  She was a stark contrast compared to Gray, who was as clean and collected as he was when he was last here. 

"You know," Juvia started. "your partner was fun to play with.  Although Juvia thinks she enjoyed it more when Juvia told her every single little thing she planned to do to you."

She walked up to me and booped her finger on my nose as she ended her sentence, and I had to resist the urge to spit on her again.  It wouldn't do me much good, not in my current state anyway. Instead I opted for glowering at her. "And I'm supposed to believe you?" I practically spat back.

She laughed and I grimaced slightly. There was no trace left of the Juvia that I knew, and it was utterly unsettling. "That's really cute that you think Juvia cares about what you believe." I continued to stare at her as she moved to put her hair up as she walked towards me, a smile on her lips.  "That was quite amusing, but Juvia thinks it's time to get serious."

I gasped as I was suddenly doused with water, and not the normal room temp water, but the icy pits of hell cold water. Even though I was a dragon slayer, and a fire one at that, the temperature still came as a shock and left me sputtering.

I could feel my body begin to shake with exhaustion.  I had tired myself considerably just trying to get out of these fucking restraints, which I was just now beginning to regret.  I spit the water that had entered my mouth out and opened my eyes, just in time to see a bat swinging for me.

I cried out in pain as it struck my thigh--not hard enough to break my leg, but hard enough to know there was going to be a massive bruise in only a matter of minutes.  Two more swings at my stomach and my arm and she was done, but I'd rather be struck repeatedly than go through what they had planned next.

The hit to my stomach had left me breathless.  I was coughing up a storm as I tried to gain my breath back when the chair tipped back, my head smacking against the concrete floor.  At this point I wouldn't be surprised if I had brain damage from the amount of trauma my head has taken.

My eyes fluttered as I fought to stay conscious, my surroundings fading in and out of focus.  I didn't even notice when a rag was placed on top of my face.  Well, not until I couldn't breath anyway.  I could feel my body start to convulse as I was denied oxygen.

It was a repeated process of being denied to breathe and being allowed.  I didn't know what to do and I couldn't stop it.  It really was torture, and I found myself wishing to be beaten rather having to simulate drowning over and over and over.

It couldn't have been long--although it felt like an eternity--until it stopped.  I was breathing hard when I heard the door slam open, and that was it.  My ears were ringing the next moment after a gunshot went off, and I flinched thinking it was aimed at me.  But a moment later the rag was ripped from my face--the bright lights in the room blinding me for a second time--and I felt someone untying my restraints I was relieved to figure out that it wasn't.

"Natsu, are you okay?" It was Erza.  They'd come for us, but how?  How did they figure out where we were at?

"No." I stated.  I knew I wasn't okay this time, I could feel it.  It wasn't the fact that I had been assaulted with a baseball bat or had been water boarded and possibly suffered brain damage, but it was the fact that I had been betrayed by people whom I thought were my friends.  It hurt worse than the torture did.  Especially Gray.  I had loved him at one point, but even though I moved on, it still hurt like a son of a bitch.  "But I'll live. I just need to find Lucy."

Erza nodded and helped me up.  I swayed slightly, and questioned if it was physically possible for me to go find Lucy right now, but I was determined.  I needed to see if she was at least some what okay, no matter my injuries.  I was just the most worried about my head.  I had sustained too many injuries there all the while having a concussion.  That couldn't have been good and the raging migraine that continuously pulsed through it confirmed it.  "Thank you." I said before taking off.

I ran into the door as I left the room, stumbling from the pain in my legs.  I winced as I ran, the pain in my head making it feel as if someone were gouging my eyes out.  And to top it all off, I was extremely nauseous, the hit to my gut not making it any better.  I would have thrown up right then and there had I eaten today.

As I was beginning to reach my limit, I found the door.  It was right down the hall from me--and I was already reaching my breaking point.  That was seriously sad, although expected--and I could see Lucy's prone figure practically hog tied to one of those shitty chairs through a small window in the door.  I felt my stomach lurch and my heart pound as I burst through the door, my chest heaving as anxiety raced through me.  She was injured far worse than I was.  Her shirt was dyed red from blood on the chest, and there were multiple knives embedded in her.  "Oh my God." I heaved as I rushed towards her and began to remove that ridiculous fork from her neck and untie her.  "Sorry, I'm sorry it hurts Luce," I murmured when I saw her scrunch her face up in pain.  I was working to remove the fork, and since it was made from both Gray's and Juvia's magic, it had to be melted.

"We..we have to get Juv-via and Gray!" She exclaimed and attempted to get off of the chair.  However she didn't get very far and fell into me, the both of us wincing on impact.  I wrapped my arms around her in a hug, happy to see that she was at least some what okay.

"Erza and the others are already working on them,"  I knew I had to sound pained when she looked up at me with sympathy.  I honestly wish it had been anybody else but them, but it is what it is and I can't change the past.  What I can do instead is just try and move on and hope for the best.

"So you know..."

"That they're traitors? Yeah," But as much as it pained me, they were traitors and I wasn't exactly happy about that.  In fact I was pissed, and it showed.

"I'm sorry," She said and sighed softly.

She closed her eyes as I brushed her unruly hair out of her face. "Sh, you have nothing to apologize for." She slowly moved away from me, but my eyes were glued to her face.  Even though she looked like a bloody mess and that cut on her face would probably scar, she was still the most beautiful girl I've ever had the privilege to gaze at.  I moved forward slightly on instinct, our noses and lips almost bushing, but I stopped and pulled away.  "We should get going, you need medical attention,"  I sighed to myself for dicking out, but it was true.  She wouldn't last long without the attention.

"You should get looked at too," I smiled slightly as I caught her looking me up and down.  Most of the cuts weren't from the last torture session, but they were still pretty fresh all together.  Though I wasn't as physically injured as I was mentally and internally.  I'd have to get Wendy to check me out after Luce.

"Don't worry about me. Do you think you can stand?"

"I don't know, maybe" Her voice was unsure, but I helped her up nonetheless.  Her tumble from the chair had knocked us both to the floor, and once we were upright I pulled out a set of keys from my back pocket.

"Gray 'dropped' these," I  winked.  I had actually found them on the floor in the hallway.  I know for a fact that Gray had been holding onto them, he had showed me earlier, but why would he just drop them for someone to conveniently find?

I stepped back after handing her her keys, her smile contagious.  But her face quickly shifted from ecstatic to confusion as she looked at something lying on the ground, and my face quickly paled.  Shit.

"Why the fuck is that here?!" She exclaimed.

"This isn't what it looks like.." I tried to defend myself, but I was never a good liar.  I could feel my self start to sweat and I was looking everywhere but her. 

"Then what is it like, exactly?" Her eyes narrowed as she questioned me, and I felt as if I could just die right now.

"It was out or something when they took you, from your shower I guess! I just...grabbed them," The jig was up.  I practically had guilt tattooed across my forehead.

"What the fuck Natsu! You took them? You should have just left them. I can't believe you've seen my underwear!" She fumed, her face now bright red.  But jokes on me because I could not for the life of me tell if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"It's not like I've seen you in them, I just held them!" I argued.  But I really wish I did and more, but that wasn't very appropriate at the moment.

"That's just as bad!" She wailed and I internally cried. "Besides I didn't leave them out after my shower, so they had to dig to find them or something," She ran her hand through her hair as I felt my face turn red, the guilty tattoo turning into a neon sign. Shit!

"You didn't," She muttered as the realization dawned on her.

"I was looking around your place just a bit while you showered! I didn't mean to, okay?" Even I didn't believe myself, but I had nothing else to say.  I had been caught red handed and there was no going back now.  I was screwed and I could tell she wasn't about to forget about this either.  Just my fucking luck.

"This is great, now you've seen my underwear and have that visual; you're my partner! We work together and you've seen that--oh shit..."

"Luce," My voice was lightly strained as I thought of what to say, knowing whatever I'd say would be moot point.

"What?"

I took a step towards her and leaned in to whisper in towards her ear, "At least I didn't see you naked, right?" I murmur and she went rigid.  My chest was now pounding.  I'd almost want to be tortured again instead of have to go through with this conversation.  Hell, this conversation itself was torture!

"You like doing that to me, don't you?" She scowled slightly and I began to laugh as I took a step back again.  I was still shaken from the conversation, but at least it was a nice reprieve from what had happened to us today.  Even though I was positive the memories would haunt us forever.

"You mean getting close to you and messing with you?" I raised an eyebrow and leaned down to pick up the underwear, which she immediately made a grab for, but I stuffed it in my back pocket before she could grab it, making her gasp.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" She exclaimed in shock over the panties, but I only grabbed hold of her waist and turned her to the door instead.

"I'm your partner, I'm gonna see this kind of thing at some point...right?" I laughed again and we began to walk.  She leaned on me as she walked, her wounds giving her a severe limp.

It was a long walk, and by the time we reached the rescue group, I could tell that she was beginning to fade.  She was mostly leaning on me as she walked, and by the time we reached the rescue group at the other end of the hall, she was all but done.  I had been adamant about not taking the blades out, she'd only bleed out faster that way.  But there was no helping the steady flow of blood that came out from the fork wounds and her breast.  They were the injuries that were bleeding the most and that needed immediate treatment.

It was like time stopped when I saw her begin to collapse.  My body was moving before my mind could catch up to what was happening and grunted as her body fell into mine.  My vision blurred and I could feel her begin to slip from my grasp.  This wasn't good, she needed to get to a hospital, and fast.

"How about you stop gawking and help get her to a hospital." I said through clenched teeth.  Then time began to slowly tick again as everyone finally began to seem aware.

I sighed to myself as Erza's voice boomed out commands and Lucy was taken from my arms.  It was then I felt I could relax.  All of my strength seemed to leave me in that instant, my knees buckling and my body rushing toward the floor for what felt like the hundredth time today.

When I woke up again I had bandages wrapped around my head and I had an IV tube sticking out of my arm.  I groaned as I attempted to sit up, my body stiff and sore all over.  "Hey, you should take it easy."

I looked to my left, not surprised to see Erza sitting on a small couch.  I stopped moving and lied back down.  "How long was I out?"

"Not long.  How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Erza chuckled lightly, but there didn't seem to be any humor in it.  "Gray and Juvia were traitors." I said after a lengthy silence.  I didn't want to say it out loud, but it was something that she deserved to know.  Like me, she had grown up with Gray, we had all been members of Fairy Tail since we were children; Gray's betrayal had hurt me deep. 

I heard Erza release a long sigh, and I moved my head to look her in the eye.  "We were supposed to have a meeting about that once you and Lucy were able to listen in."  I could see her hurt, but she still hid it well.  Some things never change I suppose.

"How's Lucy?  Is she gonna be okay?"

"Well... I suppose she's been better." I closed my eyes as my head and chest began to throb.  There was no reason for Erza to dodge my question unless something had happened.  "She's in the room next door, but she's still asleep.  She was in pretty bad shape you know..."

"Yeah.  They really did a number on her didn't they..." My voice cracked as my throat began to close and my eyes sting.  I could feel the onslaught of tears and I didn't try to hold them back.  "Are you sure she's alright Erza?" It came out in only a whisper.  If I had spoken any louder than I might have burst into a full on sob right then and there.  It's not as if I hadn't shed tears in front of Erza before, but this time felt different.  I would rather do it in private.

I watched as she stood up and walked towards the door.  "I honestly don't know.  She might be okay now physically, but mentally is an entirely different situation..."  She opened the door.  "You did well.  So just rest now."

I let what she said sink in as she left.  Once the door clicked shut I was alone, and that was when I finally allowed the tears to flow freely.  "Fuck!" If only I had been more vigilant than this wouldn't have happened!  Fuck it all!

I wasn't sure how much time had passed since I had stopped crying, but it was now dark outside and a nurse had come in and out a couple of times.  My mind raced as I lie in my room alone.  I thought of Gray and I thought of Lucy, but I also thought about the situation.  I had decided to put all of my anger on Jude--he was the source of all this pain.  If he hadn't been scheming like he had then none of this would have happened.  He was the reason Gray had done what he did, he was the reason Lucy was hurting, he was the reason I was hurting.  It was all Jude's fault and it was then that my resolve to to take him down hardened. 

I was going to put a stop to him whether it killed me or not.