Chapter 38

Lucy's P.O.V.

A series of events happened after I screamed: I heard four boyish screams echo mine, and then suddenly Noah and Bane burst into the room, knocking the two men in scrubs out with metal pipes. Slade turned, and was about to advance when Chase ran in, followed by Zeke. They wasted no time in trying to pin Slade to the wall. Key word: try. In a flash, he had a scalpel held over my exposed stomach. My heart raced wildly, my eyes widening.

"Don't-" I shrieked, tears cascading down my face. Bane let out a low growl, while Noah, Zeke, and Chase froze on the spot.

"That's right!" Slade chuckled darkly. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to Natsu's baby now, would we?" I whimpered as the scalpel kissed my flesh, making a small line of blood appear instantly. The boys looked shocked, to say the least.

"You're pregnant, Luce?" Noah asked in a voice barely above a whisper. I started to cry harder as I nodded.

"I- I didn't k-know and I just f-found out," I stuttered. Slade looked down at me.

"Don't worry," He said dismissively. "I'll get rid of that thing for you-"

"Stay away from me," I was surprised as the words came from my mouth. Clearly, it surprised Slade too, because he moved away a little, before shaking his head and stepping back over to me.

"WHAT did you just say?"

"Leave my baby alone," I spat at him as he inched his hand towards my stomach.

"It isn't yours, Lucy." He spoke in a cold voice.

"It is, though."

"It's not-"

"What do you want from me, huh? Why did you have to take me?"

"I love you." He spoke. I almost started gagging. This-this man, this thing, he didn't know me.

"You don't know what love is, you psychotic freak." I growled. His face went blank of all emotion, and then suddenly guards were in the room, knocking out each and every one of the boys. My heart tightened, threatening to burst from my chest and run away. I knew in that moment that I had went too far. Why hadn't I just kept my mouth shut? Slade's eyes- the cold and calculating ones that I never wanted to get to know- now turned on me, as he twirled the scalpel around and around in his fingers. Walking slowly, like a predator stalking his prey, he approached me.

"Please, I take it back. Don't-" I started to beg, realizing he meant to kill my child.

"Shut up, Fairy." he spoke in a clipped tone. Then, in a quick movement, he drove it into my stomach. An overwhelming pain spread throughout me, and I let out a blood-curdling scream before passing out.

Natsu's P.O.V.

I stood outside of the gray compound that Bane had once described to me- walls being the only thing that was keeping me away from Lucy. The place was out of the way- you'd never find it unless you knew it was here. But I did. And so now, I stood in front of a grand army. Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Saber Tooth, and most of Fairy Tail were armed and ready for the rescue mission. I should backtrack and explain. Not long after I'd went into the bathroom, I calmed down. However, when I walked outside, my friends were gone- along with Lucy. I immediately knew something was going to happen, something bad. I'd ran from the cottage out into the rain, straight into Gray and Juvia, faces full of panic.

"We- we were scared and we didn't really want Lucy to go but now she's ran off to surrender herself to Slade and he's going to kill her Natsu we have to stop him-" They said all at once, in perfect sync. I felt my hands ball into fists.

"What in the HADES are you talking about?!" Gray's eyes met mine.

"Lucy. She's given herself over to Slade." I cannot explain what went through my mind at that moment: it was a blur of rage, pain, everything. Then I was running with them hot on my heels towards the guild. Magically- don't ask me how- we ended up there in three hours. I burst into the guild hall, and started screaming for every wizard I could get to come help me save Lucy. Erza, Wendy, Carla, Elfman, Mira, Gildarts, Gajeel (who insisted Levy stay with the baby), Jet, Droy, Jellal, Lily, Master, Laxus, Bickslow, Evergreen, Freed, Nab, Reedus, Macao, Romeo, Wakaba, Bisca, Al, Max, Warren, Mikuni, and Laki immediately stood and rushed towards the door. Levy held Tomoya in one arm, scooping up Asuka on the other, and then she was off towards her and Gajeel's house. The rest of us- along with the others I've already mentioned- arrived here. I sniffed the air and felt my insides come to a slow boil as I smelled Lucy's blood. Not a minute later, her scream filled the air.

"NOW." I managed to scream before I hurtled towards the building. My friends and family's battle cries echoed my own, and then there were hundreds of feet slapping against the pavement as we rushed towards the compound. It didn't take us any time at all to dispatch every guard and dark wizard we came across. Suddenly, I jeered left upon sensing the boys. I knew I had to free them. Gray, Elfman, Gajeel, and Laxus ran with me, while the others rushed straight ahead, taking out more enemies. The five of us came to a long narrow hallway with cells in it- and in the main back against the wall was Bane, Noah, Zeke, and Chase- chained and bloody. I skidded to a stop in front of them, and Gajeel easily took care of their chains, ripping the metal off with ease. The four of them basically collapsed. Gray caught Noah, Elfman slung Chase over one shoulder, Zeke over the other, and Laxus dove for Bane. Gajeel and I prepared ourselves to fight any other bad guys as we made our way back to the group.

"Where's Lucy?" Gray asked, when I didn't. Why hadn't I asked that?

"She..." I watched as Bane struggled to lift his head and look at me. His eyes were devoid of anger, just unending terror and sadness, torture. What things had he seen in here, in this short period of time?

"Natsu. I'm so sorry, about your baby." I stopped walking, as did the rest of the guys. Bane cast his eyes down to the floor. Baby. He'd said...baby. Your baby. At first, I was overwhelmed by happiness- then, I thought of what was attached to those words: I'm so sorry, about your baby. I think he noticed my silence, because he straightened a bit, wincing. "I'm going to guess Lucy hasn't told you yet." No, no she hasn't. Gajeel's face was full of sympathy for me, Gray's filled with horror.

"No. What about my baby?"

"Slade.." That's all I needed to hear. I thought about how scared my poor mate must have felt, alone, finding out she was pregnant and not even being able to fully enjoy it. And now, Slade might have murdered my unborn child, one that I did not know existed until 51 seconds ago. It was unbearable. I took several blind turns, knocked out several people, until I smelled Lucy's scent stronger- much MUCH stronger than before. I let my eyes move to the left- and saw I was standing at a door. Without a second thought, I kicked it open. I could already hear the rest of our ''army'' approaching rapidly down the labyrinth-like hallways that would no doubt lead them to where I was. Once the door was no longer in my way, I was welcomed with a nightmare I wanted to wake up from. The room was white. Well, it would have been, if not for the blood splatters. And on a small white twin metal bed, tied down, was Lucy, pale as the walls were. Over her stood a dark figure, hand bloody and holding a small instrument- I think it was a scalpel. He was slicing her stomach vertically, humming a song under his breath. All the air left me, as I threw myself at him and brought the monster who'd taken Lucy down to the floor. I let my anger resolve itself as I beat the figure- who was a man I assumed to be Slade- even as the doorway flooded with my allies. Gasps went through the crowd and then Wendy was shoving her way through accompanied by Mira. I was pulled off of the man by Gildarts and Gajeel, who held me tightly even as I fought to get back and beat this monster. They brought me towards the door, until I remembered the big issue: Lucy. I twisted out of their grips and ran to the bed, the foot of it. In a swift motion, I ripped the bonds off of her wrists and ankles, leaping gracefully from side to side. I watched as Wendy placed her hands to Lucy's stomach- to where our baby was. I moved my face close to Lucy's- she was pale, and her breathing was so shallow and forced. I took her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Luce, it's going to be alright. You're going to be alright, and we're gonna go back home to the guild, and do a bunch of jobs, and annoy the crap out of Happy." I spoke softly. Mira smiled sadly at me as she stroked my mate's hair softly. Tears were in Mira's eyes.

"She looks like she's just sleeping...I can almost believe it if I don't look down..." I looked down, and watched in amazement as Wendy's hands glowed just as they always did, and closed the wound. She gasped, her head shooting up.

"It-it's alive!" Wendy practically screamed. People asked what she meant from the doorway. I nearly sunk to my knees. She had to mean...didn't she?

"Natsu and Lucy's baby- it's alive." Wendy said, tears clouding her vision as she smiled. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding, and kissed Lucy softly.

"Did you hear that Luce? The baby's alive." I expected her to wearily open her eyes- to smile. Even just a little bit. But she didn't. I let my eyes flicker up to Wendy.

"Why isn't she opening her eyes?" Wendy's tears finally spilled down over her cheeks.

"The....the damage wasn't done to the baby. Just Lucy. It somehow didn't penetrate the womb, but her internal organs are in shreds." I felt my knees finally give way, and I collapsed.

"What- what does that mean for her? She-she'll be alright. She HAS to be alright."

"Natsu, she's bleeding out from the inside." Wendy said gently. "I doubt there's anything I can-" Lucy arched her back and gasped, eyes flying open. I automatically put and arm beneath her back.

"Hey, hey, hey. I got ya." I said, stroking her face. Slowly, through a fit of coughing, she managed to turn her head and look at me.

"Na-tsu?" I nodded vigorously, hugging her to my chest.

"Yes, its me."

"You're here."

"I'm here-" Wendy let out another gasp, which made me question if everything in our lives were surprises.

"What? What now?" I asked.

"She's healed herself somehow. I've never seen anything like it, except for..."

"For Dragon slayers." I finished for her, realizing where she was going. Wendy nodded, and patted Lucy's stomach.

"Looks like it's taking after his daddy."

"And mommy. Lucy learned Celestial dragon slaying magic," I reminded her. Nodding, Wendy moved backward a little and moved towards the door, accompanied by Mira. I noticed for the first time that Slade was pinned to the wall by Wakaba and Macao while Romeo repeatedly punched him in the stomach.

"Don't." Romeo said, "Hurt Lucy." And landed another blow, this one below the belt.

"Natsu, we need to get out of here." Gray spoke from the door. He looked like he was in a lot of pain as his eyes landed on Lucy, who still wasn't breathing all that well. I nodded at him, and mouthed "we'll talk later'' before picking Lucy up bridal style and cradling her to my chest like she was made of glass, as if she would shatter any moment now. Her eyes fluttered shut, her head nuzzling almost absentmindedly into my neck.

"Don't worry, love. Rest now, and when you wake, we'll be home." I whispered in her ear.

"I love you, Natsu." She whispered, and then she was out like a light once again. Shifting her to where she was even closer to me, I carried her out of the doorway, a sea of our friends and family surrounding us. I heard a few of them start humming until a slow realization settled over me: They were humming 'Just hold on we're going home'.