"When have these symptoms begun to show?" Porlyusica asked, glowering suspiciously from her perch on a single stool, across from where I sat on the infirmary bed.

I wring my fingers on the hem of my shirt, harshly gnawing at my bottom lip. Dread clawed at my throat and my emotions threatened tears and a lump that stuck in my windpipe.

"Well?" The bitter woman impatiently jabbed at me.

I inhale and exhale deeply, trying to recall when said symptoms began, "Just about a few weeks ago", I finally answer the magic medical practitioner.

"I see, " She mumbled, but loud enough for me to hear her.

"Nausea, fatigue, tender breasts, shortness of breath, late period", The woman listed off from the paper she recorded my symptoms on.

At first, when I came, she yelled at me to leave, also shouting curses about humans. I begged her to help me. I wanted to know for sure. I hoped that I wasn't, but there was a very big loop that I was. She gave in and told me to leave her after she looked over me and confirmed my condition.

"Well, Girl, " The old woman spoke up, setting her clipboard on one of the counters, "You have all the symptoms of pregnancy."

My heart lurched painfully in my chest. No, please, no. Anything but this.

Porlyusica glanced at me, frowning with concern, even if she wouldn't ever admit caring for a human, I could still see through my terror. It was a flame being wildly fanned with gasoline, burning and crackling into a giant, roaring fire.

"I can give you a urination test if you want, but I doubt it will be negative, as you have had these symptoms for five weeks", The woman turned back to her vials and shuffled the glasses around.

"No, no, " I slowly slide from the bed and onto my feet, feeling gravity take hold of my limbs the very second, "Thank you, Porlyusica, but I'll be off now, I don't want to waste any more of your time than I have to." I didn't need the urine test if these symptoms have been ongoing.

"Just come to me if you begin to feel unstable, Girl", Porlyusica said, causing me to pause, but I nod instead of speaking.

"Thank you, Porlyusica," I say to the old woman.

She responds with a loud grunt of, "Whatever! Just get out of my house, human!"

I held in my chuckle, turning toward the door, and exit the treehouse cottage.

.

.

.

I enter my apartment in silence. I lock my door behind me and kick my shoes off. I never realized how they had been aching until recently. My breaths were normally calm and shallow, but, now they are exhausted as if I attempted to run around Magnolia in one night.

For the first time, I felt the deafening silence comforting. I'm just so tired of people's voices these days. I can't take refuge at the guild, as they are still celebrating Lisanna and Natsu's engagement. Cold ran through me, searing like acid, but icy cold. It pooled in the pit of my stomach and I began to feel sick.

I felt like my knees would give out at any second, so I hurried over to my favorite recliner, but I never made it. I collapsed beside it, breaking. Sobs coursed through my body and the acidic hot tears left my eyes. Why did this happen to me? Why?

"Lucy, " warm arms embrace me slowly, "Everything will be alright, I promise." Loke?

He shifts me into his chest. I sling my arms around his torso and squeeze him as my life depended on it. I sob and hiccup.

"Loke--!" The spirit tries to soothe me by rubbing my back in comfort, "I...I...I-!" I couldn't even speak.

"Shhh." He smoothed my hair with a soft stroke, "Please calm yourself, Lucy, and then tell me what's happened."

I lean back a little, taking deep breaths, forcing myself to calm down. My body heated with anxiety and I trembled with fear. Fear of what Loke would think of me if I told him.

"I...I...I'm, " I cracked a little, and my tone wasn't ashamed of hiding it, "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Loke breathed in disbelief. Not only did I sense his confusion, but I felt anger emit out from him, "Who..?"

"Please don't tell anyone, Loke! I...I don't think I'll be able to handle it", I know he wasn't asking about that, but I'm ashamed of how this baby was conceived.

"Please, Lucy, please tell me. I wanna help, but I can't if you don't tell me." he hugged tighter.

"I don't know if you can help, " I pull away from Loke, he is staring at me with extreme concern, "I know I can trust you, but if I tell you, you can't go off and cause chaos."

Loke nods slowly as if telling me to continue.

I breathe deeply once more, "The baby's father is Natsu."

"What!?" Loke bursts, "I don't understand! Aren't he and Lisanna engaged?" He let me go and stood, pacing between my living room furniture.

"It's not what you think!" I scramble to my feet as well, "Please don't mistake me for that kind of woman, " I glance at the floor, "There's something I haven't told you..."

Loke immediately stops his pacing and turns to me with a grim expression, "I know you're not that kind of woman, but go on, " he says, "Tell me."

I bite my bottom lip harshly, "Last month...before their engagement, Natsu and Lisanna had a big fight, " I emphasize the word 'big', "I don't know what all happened, but Natsu came to my apartment and confided in me. I don't know where he was trying to get at and told him to just spit it out."

"And then what?" Loke darkly asked, his eyes hardening behind his tinted glasses.

"I don't know. It happened all so quickly. I tried to get him to leave...but he wouldn't, " I cover my face with my hands as the tears work their horrendous magic, "He hurt me, Loke...he...he...!" my throat painfully throbs with that sore lump again as the memories recoil within my mind.

I dropped to the floor again, shaking uncontrollably, "I don't want anyone to know!"

"Lucy, I..." Loke sighed in defeat, crouching down in front of me, placing his hand on my shoulder, "You're my friend, Lucy. This cannot go unsaid! Rape isn't--"

I squeeze my eyes shut. I really wanted to scream and yell, but what good would it do? Loke is naturally a stubborn man.

"Who would you tell? Natsu isn't the person we used to know!" I say, finding the courage to look my friend in the eye, "He's cunning and vicious, but he acts naïve, innocent, and dumb. He uses that against us. He's smarter than meets the eye." I released my anger and anxiousness out in what felt like a single breath, "He knows how to manipulate, make fear, and obviously, he can use force to get what he wants."

Loke stared intensely at me for long, intense minutes, before grimacing with a stone-like expression, "I cannot promise I won't confront Natsu, and I won't promise I won't do anything reckless. As your spirit and your friend, I am obliged by our contract to protect you. What he did, " Anger burned brightly in his eyes, "What he made you do, I can't promise tranquility."

I could see it. How could I be such a fool? Here he was, my friend and spirit offering his utmost sincere help, and I am rejecting that help.

"I need to think things over." I feel myself say, "I wanna rest for a while."

Loke helps me to my feet and leads me over to my bed.

"Sleep for now. I'll hold the fort down until you wake up."

He tucks me under my comforter like a parent would their hyperactive child at bedtime. I'm going to be a parent. Thump. There it was. The terrified flare rising and pulsating in my chest. I watch Loke straighten out his coat jacket and I hear him crack his knuckles.

"I'll be back, Lucy, you just rest." His body glows and fades from my eyes, leaving me alone in my apartment.

What am I gonna do now?