Camp Fairy: Beginnings

Too late

*February 14th; Valentine's Day*
{LUCY'S POV}
I'm on my way to the kitchen to try eating fire again—sue me, I'm curious!—when my water breaks. It's unexpected, to say the least. I'm alone, since Natsu's mom is taking Wendy to her classmate Romeo's house to do homework together.

At first, I think I've peed myself. I can't see below my swollen belly after all. Then the first contraction comes, and I realize what's happening.

I call Lisanna as another contraction racks my body. I curse like a sailor while she sends an ambulance over to the Dragneel residence.

I'm brought to a hospital and Lisanna is there. She already offered to deliver my baby, and I accepted. A friendly face is always pleasant when pushing a small human out of your privates.

She measures my dilation and a few other things I'm in too much pain to care about.

In a break between contractions, Lisanna leaves for a moment and comes back, ashen-faced.

"What?" I pant.

Lisanna shakily reminds me how to breathe. While I hee hee hoo hoo, she tells me why she left. "Natsu was making a fuss in the waiting room."

I look at the door hopefully. "Where is he? Why isn't he in here? Don't tell me he got arrested!"

Lisanna bites her lip. She hangs her head. "He didn't get arrested. He got cold feet."

All the happiness leaves my body. Pain racks through my body as my uterus contracts. Lisanna rushes over and grabs my hand supportively. I squeeze it hard, thankful for her support.

"What do you mean?" I gasp after it's over. Lisanna notes the time and duration of my contraction. She turns back to me, tears pricking her eyes.

"He doesn't care about you, Lucy. He... he wants to take full custody of your child. He could do it too. The Dragneels have plenty of money for lawyers, and Natsu only let you stay in his house so he build a custody case against you."

"I don't believe you!" I scream in agony, both from my contractions and my broken heart.

"I didn't want to believe it either! I thought Natsu was better than this, since he and I have been friends for so long. But that's how I know he was dead serious." Lisanna grips my shoulders frantically. "Natsu has stooped to the lowest low! He's going to steal your baby! You'll never see him or her again outside of this room!"

"No! No! Why? Was it all a lie, Natsu?" I sob. Lisanna wraps her arms around me comfortingly. I bawl into the crook of her neck.

A nurse comes by and asks if there's anyone I'd like to be with me for the delivery. I'm a lone teen giving birth after all. Luckily Lisanna thought ahead and said I was 18 so I don't need any guardian.

I refuse the nurse adamantly. Natsu doesn't want me to see my baby? Well I won't let him see his baby! I'll take them and disappear. I'll make money writing books, and use my pen name Hartman in public so he can't find us, just like Lisanna suggests.

I push hard, and feel like something has left me. I hear an infantile cry.

"Are they out?" I ask.

"No." Lisanna spins. "That was just a huge contraction. But I can see the head! Keep pushing!"

She hurries to the door and pushes something into the arms of the helpful nurse before rushing back to me. About ten minutes later, my beautiful baby girl stares up at me with huge onyx eyes.

I look at the tuft of salmon hair on my sweet baby angel's head. Just like his.

Tears fall from my eyes. "Nashi."

He made me love him, damn it! As much as I want to, I can't truly hate Natsu. I can't believe that all of our time together was a lie.

"Maybe you could talk it out. Give him a chance?" Lisanna asks.

I grip my daughter firmly to my chest and shake my head. Even though it hurts like I'm tearing my heart out of my chest, I have to stay away from him.

Lisanna sighs and leaves, pulling her phone out.

{NATSU'S POV}
Where is she? Where is Lucy?!

The entire house is ransacked as if a cyclone came through, but Lucy is nowhere to be found. A pregnant woman can't just disappear!

Was she kidnapped?!

I've dialed 9-1 when Lisanna calls. I feel an icy stab of fear. Did something happen to our baby?

I answer on the first ring. "What happened?"

Lisanna is crying. "Natsu! You have to hurry! Lucy—it's not good, there's too much blood!"

The connection gets cut.

My worst fear has come true. Lucy went into labor and something went wrong. I have to get to her. I have to be by her side.

I drive like a madman to the hospital. I call Mom and Dad on the way. They both agree to meet me there. Wendy will just have to spend the night at the Conbolt's house.

I bolt into the delivery ward. Some nurses try to stop me, but Lisanna rushes forward and shoos them all away. She holds a tiny blue bundle.

Tears streak down her cheeks, smearing her mascara. Lisanna trembles, her complexion too pale. "I told them to call you since I was busy, but no one did. It was a hard delivery. We, we couldn't stop the postpartum hemorrhage. She lost too much blood and went into shock, then code blue."

With every word out of Lisanna's mouth, another piece of my world falls into oblivion.

A tear streaks down my face. "Lucy's gone?"

"I managed to save the baby." Lisanna hands me the little blue bundle, revealing a blond-haired baby sleeping peacefully inside. She doesn't even need to tell me the gender of my child. He's just like her.

"Luke." I coo.

Grief overwhelms me and I fall to my knees, curling my body protectively around the only remnant of the girl I love.

Lucy's dead. I was too late.

"You should go." Lisanna says, looking anxiously at one of the closed doors behind her.

"Her body." I murmur, fearing what I'd find beyond that closed door.

"I can't show you. Hospital policy. I'm sorry." Lisanna sniffles. "Go. I'll take care of the rest."

My body feels numb. I'm barely conscious of leaving the hospital. My mom and dad supporting me to the car. Wendy's tears when she learns.

Luke is the one who rescues me. I was too late for Lucy. I have to care for our son right.
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And so, parent was separated from parent and twin was separated from twin.

Like that, 15 years passed...