Okay okay, you can put the pitch forks down now, just don't hurt me!

Lucy's POV

When I walked inside my apartment, locking the door behind me, I felt a bit of relief that Natsu said that we could stay friends. It was probably best for things to stay the way they are. So why did these tears began welling up?

I leaned back against the door and slid down until I sat the ground. I hid my face inside my hands as the tears leaked through. I thought he said he loved me. Why did he change his mind all of a sudden. After I took so much time thinking it over and finally admitted to myself that I loved him too, he had to do that to me? "Baka..." I sobbed.

I pushed myself up and crawled under the covers of my bed. I kept wailing until I finally cried myself to sleep.

******************

The next morning, I didn't smile until I walked through the guild hall doors. I wouldn't want to change the atmosphere of the guild by my gloominess. Hopefully no one would notice the grey circles under my eyes from draining my tear glands last night. Everyone appeared to be carrying on with their lives as usual. Wakaba smoking his pipe , Canna drinking her booze, and Mira serving her delicious cooking. The only thing that was missing was Natsu and Grey having a fuse. Natsu wasn't here.

I could see Grey sitting at a table next to Juvia from afar as she drooled over him.

I scanned the place in a 360 degree circumference, but there was still no sign of Natsu. When Mirajane came by I turned to her. "Ohayo, Mira-san." I greeted, pulling off a fake smile.

"Ohayo, Lucy." She greeted back with her beautiful, genuine smile that no one gets tired of. Why couldn't I do something as easy as that today?

"Unno, have you seen Natsu?" I asked her.

"Sorry, I'm afraid he hasn't been here at all this morning," she apologized.

"Oh, that's okay..." I said half disappointed, but also half relieved. I wasn't exactly sure how I was suppose to face him after what happened yesterday, but I was still sad that he wasn't here. Did he not want to see me? Was he trying to avoid me?

I shook all the uncertainty out of my head and just marched straight to the request board. Hopefully work would get my mind out of this. Plus I needed to pay my rent soon, so I had to get started on work, even if Natsu wasn't with me.

Standing in front of the request board, I analyzed each and every request flyer, one by one. I wanted to take a job that could pay well and would be easy to do without Natsu.

I finally found the perfect job when it came down to the last job request.

The ports of our town are being overran by the Crackernackle. Please get rid of it so that we may get our economy back on track.

Location: Hargion
Client: the mayor
Reward: 4,000 Jewel

It sounded easy enough.

"Hey Mira, I think I'll take this one with Erza and Wendy," I said, waving the flyer at her.

"Oh, Erza and Wendy already left for a mission early this morning," Mira replied.

"What? Already?" And they didn't even invite me? I was shocked about it at first, but no matter. With my golden zodiac keys, I can get rid of that monster without my teammates' help. Not even Natsu's. "That's fine, I'll just do it on my own then," I lightly giggled.

"Are you sure, Lucy? It's very unlike you to take jobs alone, especially when they have to do with monsters."

"I'll be fine. Besides, how bad could a Crackernackle be?"

"Oh, they're not that bad," Levy intervened when she walked by with her book in her hand, overhearing our conversation. "They're level A monsters, nothing more than you can handle, Lu-chan." She gave me a wink, then proceeded with her book.

"Well, if it's that easy, then I guess you can handle it on your own," Mira said, taking the paper from my hand and as she reconsidered.

"Of course I can. I'm Lucy Heartfillia. Nothing can hold me down."