A/N: This is a little short for my liking. But hope you will like it :D No...please love it!

Lucy was weak, she couldn't move. She lost a lot of blood. Her Father decided to give her punishment by giving her ugly scars on her back. It was painful, horrid, and Lucy wondered why she deserved this.

Lucy was back in her room, she did not bother changing or bandaging her back. She didn't care. She wanted to run away. Her Mother had just died a week ago, and her Father...is she really her Father anymore? Lucy couldn't tell if it's really her Father that was walking around...

Then a door opened and a hooded figure came in. Lucy watched as the hooded man closed the door and came closer. She also spotted something shiny...it was a knife.

"Mister...why do you have a knife?" Lucy asked.

"...Your Father had ordered me to punish you some more." The man smirked. The mouth was all Lucy could see, and it made Lucy more afraid.

The hooded man stepped closer and closer, raising the knife toward Lucy. Lucy crawled back...not wanting to get cut again...or die even...

"Now be a good and stay still." The man said before bringing the knife down on Lucy.

In Lucy's panic, she dodged and knocked the man off balanced, causing him to fall on the ground. Lucy saw this as a chance to grab the knife from his loose hand and climb on top of him and stabbed him in the chest as hard as she could.

The man screamed as he punched Lucy in the stomach, knocking her off of him. Lucy managed to embed the knife in the man about 2 inches. But is wasn't enough to kill the man.

"This was my favorite shirt you little bitch." The man growled in a low tone. "I can just say...that I went overboard and killed you on accident..." The man laughed evilly and he held his wound in one hand, and held the knife in the other.

The man lashed at Lucy, while Lucy was running away, anywhere where the man could not reach her. Fortunately, the man was slow, thanks to the wound she gave him. Lucy hoped that she had punctured a lung or something, she wanted this to end.

Lucy was now under a table, and the man was on his knees swiping the bloodied knife everywhere, trying to cut the young blonde.

Lucy looked at the legs of the table she was under...if maybe...Lucy did not have time to think, as the man was getting closer to her. Lucy kicked one of the legs of the table as hard as she could. She kicked couple of time, before the leg finally gave out and broke.

At the same time when the leg gave out, the table lurched forward upon losing one of its three legs. It fell on top of the man's head. The man yelped in pain and took a moment to numb his pain.

Lucy grabbed the broken leg...or a stick now, and tried to hit the man in the head as hard as he could. Lucy then realized that the stick was not enough. She quickly eyed the knife and saw that it had fell on the ground.

Lucy grabbed it immediately, at the same time, the man had gained enough of his bearings and lashed forward as well.

Lucy grabbed  the knife and quickly turned toward the man and pointed it at him. The man continued to lurched forward, unaware of the knife's position. The man was getting closer and closer, wanting to hurt the blonde.

Lucy shrieked as she bolted straight up. She regretted it immediately when her sides was aching in immense pain.

Then a door opened and Erza came running in the room "Lucy! You okay!"

Lucy didn't respond. She didn't register Erza next to her. She was still...too shaken from her dream...that man...those hooded figures from before, it was revenge for Lucy killing their leader...

"Lucy?" Erza cautiously placed her hand on her shoulder, but Lucy instantly swiped it away using her uninjured hand. Lucy was still shaken up...

"Lucy." Erza said again. "I'm sorry."

Lucy looked at Erza in confusion. Why was she apologizing?

"I didn't keep my promise. You're hurt...because I failed to protect you." Erza hanged her head in shame.

Lucy stared at Erza, whose eyes were hiding behind her hair. She sighed and looked away. "No...it wasn't your fault. I...slipped away when you weren't looking. You have nothing to apologize."

Erza looked up at Lucy, who was looking down.

"Erza...were you the one that saved me?" Lucy asked.

"Yes...and Mira"

Lucy looked up in surprise. "Since when did you two become friends?"

Erza chuckled. "It's a long story. I told Mira that you were targeted by dangerous people...and Mira flipped out, afraid that her little sister would also be victims. So we both rushed out to save ya'll. We came just in time." Erza explained.

Lucy sighed...but regretted it again. Her sides hurts. "Thanks."

"Thank Mira too." Erza said. Erza was thankful that Mira came with her. Mira may be obnoxious...and a bitch. But she was dependent when needed. Erza wouldn't know if Lucy would not be here if Mira did not come.

The door opened again and the tiny old man came in. "How's my little brat?"

"She's fine. Just in pain." Erza answered for Lucy.

"That's good news." Makarov said as he walked to the bed where Lucy and Erza was. "Lucy...those men that ambushed you and the others...I was told that you knew them...or that they knew you." Makarov said, it was a question, and Lucy knew it, but feigned ignorance. She did not want to talk about it.

"What are you talking about, Master?" Erza asked in confusion.

"Lisanna and Levy said that Lucy knew the men that ambushed them. Though their face were covered, Lucy still knew them." Makarov explained.

Erza understood and looked at Lucy for answers.

Lucy looked down on the bed and begun to tremble. "They were hired...by my Father...after my Mother died." Lucy tried her hardest to not say too much.

Makarov knew that there was more to this, considering Lucy's condition. Erza thought the same.

"In any case, you are being targeted, and I will not allow it anymore. Erza, can you be Lucy's bodyguard 24/7?" Makarov said in the serious tone.

Erza and Lucy looked at the tiny old man.

"Gladly, Master." Erza smiled.

Makarov sighed. "Glad to see you are okay little brat." Makarov walked out of the room, leaving the girls some privacy.

"Lucy...I forgot to ask you this...but your Mother used to come here...what was her name?" Erza asked, looking at Lucy.

Lucy smiled sadly, still missing her Mother. "Layla...Layla Heartfilia."

Erza recognized the name...Heartfilia...just where had Erza recognized the name? Erza doesn't remember any Layla Heartfilia in the guild...

"Why did she leave?"

"She married my Father, Jude Kogane. Mother decided to quit the guild and go with my Father." Lucy said...still harboring ill feeling towards her Father. She wondered what her Mother had seen in her Father...

"Lucy...if you ever want to talk...I will be there to listen. If you ever want to cry, I'll be the shoulder that you can lean on. I won't leave you, or hurt you..." Erza declared, seeing that Lucy was depressed and sad.

Lucy smiled. "You said that thousands of times Erza."

"Then why won't you rely on me more?"

Lucy looked down. "...I'm...still..."

Erza looked at Lucy and could tell that she was hesitating. "It's okay Lucy. Tell me when you are ready."

Lucy smiled, but then it faltered as a thought dawned on her. "Come to think of it...where am I?"

Erza laughed, thinking how her reaction was slow. "At the guild's infirmary. You've been out for 3 days."

"What happened to those guys?" Lucy asked.

"The people that ambushed ya'll? Locked up." Erza said with little venom in it.

"I see...when can I leave the infirmary?" Lucy asked.

"Well, Porlyusica said that you can leave when you wake up. But you need crutches. Your left leg is broken, and your right arm is fractured. So I have to help you."

"Porlyusica?" Lucy wondered.

"Ah...she is like our doctor...but she's...difficult...it's hard to explain." Erza tried to explain.

Lucy understood. "Then...can we leave now?"

"Hmm? Oh...yes...but I think you should rest a little more. You lost a lot of blood. There was a knife inside of you..."

"...Knife?" Lucy looked at Erza.

"...yes...I didn't noticed it before...but..." Erza trailed off...

Lucy sighed...maybe that was why her sides hurts so much. "How's Lisanna and Levy?" Lucy wondered if they were alright.

"They are fine. They want to see you...but I didn't know if...you wanted company."

"How thoughtful." Lucy was touched.

"Do you want to see them?" Erza asked.

"Sure."

"I'll be back quickly."

Erza left the room, leaving Lucy to be alone in the room. The silence only lasted for a few moments when Levy and Lisanna barged into the room screaming "Lucy!"

Lucy smiled. "Hey guys."

"Are you okay Lucy?" Levy cried.

"Yes." Lucy answered.

"I'm so glad." Lisanna sniffed.

"So tell me. Who was those guys?" Levy asked.

"That is none of your concern." Erza, who came out of nowhere and spoke in a low tone.

Lisanna and Levy turned to Erza. "What do you mean?"

"What I  mean is that Lucy will not be talking about it." Erza said.

Lucy, on the other hand, was thinking about those guys. She knew that they hated her. She had killed their leader months ago. They tried to torture when they were allowed. They knew her weaknesses, they knew her fears, and they knew how to traumatize her. It was only luck that she was able to run away...and met Erza...

Maybe Erza was right. If Lucy had more friends...then maybe they could help her...protect her...but Lucy...felt weak. Lucy felt like she needed to become stronger, so she won't be protected all the time...but she can still rely in them...would that be okay?

A/N: I know...too short. But I'll have another chapter up in a minute. Kogane was suggested by one of my readers on FF.net and decided to use it as Jude's last name....since we really don't know his last name.

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