Ahh, my apologies for not updating for two and a half months! High school was surprisingly overwhelming, but now that a new semester has started, I think I've got it handled (maybe). Hopefully I'll be able to update this and Lost Warrior often!

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~Romeo's POV~

I opened my eyes drowsily, feeling a little cold and fumbling around for my blankets. Not finding them anywhere, I sighed and laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling. That's strange... since when did my ceiling have star decorations on it?

I sat up when I realized I wasn't in my bedroom. I must've fallen asleep while I was out here. Which means... I turned my head and saw her lying in the grass a few feet away from me, still asleep. If I don't get back soon... Dad must be really worried. And I'm sure that Carla... I froze in my thoughts after I realized the overprotective Exceed would be extremely worried and probably even angry.

I looked at her again. She was curled up comfortably on her side, her arms and knees drawn a bit closer to each other. A small smile rested on her face as she slept. She looks so peaceful. I sighed and slowly picked her up. Not too heavy...

All right... which way are the Fairy Hills dorms again?

~Wendy's POV~

I woke up to someone shaking me. "Wendy. Wendy, wake up." A shake. "Wake up. We're here, Wendy. Wake up." Another shake.

I yawned and slowly opened my eyes. "What do you want, Romeo... Wait, Romeo?!" I sat up quickly. "What... what happened to me? Why am I outside?"

He scratched the back of his head and said tensely, "I guess we both dozed off when we were out stargazing, because it was already around midnight when I woke up, which was fifteen minutes ago. I carried you here since you were still asleep."

"O-oh." I nodded and stood up. "I really hope Carla's already asleep. She's going to be furious if she knows I wasn't back."

He stared at me. "Trust me, she already knows. Your lacrima was buzzing the whole time I was carrying you here. My guess is that she's stopped calling you for a minute and has called someone else to get them to start searching for you." He shrugged. "You know better than anyone else. She's one overprotective Exceed."

I laughed lightly. "She just wants to make sure I'm safe, that's all." I stared down at the ground. "You should go too. I bet Macao's worried about you right now."

He nodded. "Yeah, sure. Although I bet he's just drunk and is sleeping peacefully. I'm going to leave before Carla or Erza sees me standing around the girls' dorms. See you." He turned and walked away, his silhouette gradually getting smaller as he went further away.

I smiled and opened the front doors of the Fairy Hills dorm, silently creeping up three flights of stairs and reaching my dorm. I held my breath and turned the knob very, very slowly, trying not to make any sound that would alert Carla. Walking quietly across the floor, tiptoeing to my room, I opened the door to the bedroom and crashed right into her.

"Wendy!" she scolded, turning into her human form and crossing her arms. "Where in the world have you been?"

"U-um, I was outside stargazing...?"

She sighed and sat down on the bed, clearly angry. "If that was the case, then why didn't you return any of the calls I made to you? Look at the time, child. It's already half past midnight. It's too dangerous outside at this time of night. I was worried about you for four hours... When you didn't come back for dinner like you had promised me, I thought something had happened to you. At first I thought you would just be a little late, maybe you got distracted on the way back. I tried calling you and you never picked up, not even once. And do you know how many times I called you? One hundred and forty-seven times, Wendy. One hundred and forty-seven times!!"

I sweatdropped a little. Did she actually count?

"I'm sorry, Carla, I really am. I just fell asleep by the riverbank when I was looking up at the stars and explaining to Romeo how--" I clapped a hand over my mouth. Shoot! I should've left him out of this! Now Carla's gonna turn into her ultra-overprotective Exceed mode.

"Romeo? As in Romeo Conbolt?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "But, Carla, it's not like what you think it is. I just happened to meet him at the riverbank because he was there too and we started talking about things that happened at the guild--"

"Wendy, stop it. You're ranting." She stood up and walked to the other side of the room, staring at herself in the mirror. She sighed and turned to face me again. "Look, child, it's just... I'm just glad nothing happened to you. I don't know what I would do if something had harmed you. I know you think I'm being overprotective, and maybe I am. I admit that. But I just can't bring myself to let you go. Until you find someone who will protect you with their life, I won't let you go. I'll always make sure you're safe."

I looked down at the floor. "I appreciate you thinking of me, Carla," I said softly. "But you have to accept the fact that there is no guarantee for all-around safety. You can't watch over me all the time. I have to learn to grow stronger, strong enough to protect myself and others. And I have to do it myself. I can't grow if I'm being held back all the time."

She looked back at the mirror, this time staring at my reflection. "You've grown so much, Wendy. But I just can't..." Her voice broke a little, but she cleared her throat and kept going. "I just know that I won't ever be able to forgive myself if something happened to you. It'll all happen in an instant. You'll be gone, and I'll be left here, asking myself the same exact question again and again. What if...?"

I trembled, and broke into a run, wrapping my arms around her. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I know how hard it is for you. Just please... please believe in me, Carla. Like I believe in you."

She nodded, still staring at the mirror. Then she whispered, "Let's just go to bed now. It's almost one o'clock."

I let go of her and walked into the bathroom to change into my pajamas, shutting the door and turning the light on. Inside, I stared at myself in the mirror as the lights flickered. What do I see when I look at myself, anyways?

~Carla's POV~

I laid down on our bed, thinking about the brief vision I'd had earlier that evening. I don't know where they were. In some sort of dungeon, I believe.

Wendy was crying, screaming, and lying on the floor in pain. There were two others attacking her... the third was standing behind, watching. Dark, demonic flames surrounded them, eventually engulfing them and destroying the entire place.

I shuddered as I lay down and closed my eyes. Whatever. It doesn't matter. As long as I can be with her, I will protect her.

~Romeo's POV~

I opened the door quietly and closed it behind me, holding the knob and letting go of it slowly so it would not click. Tiptoeing down the empty hall, I peered around and spotted my father, passed out and asleep in the armchair in our living room. I sighed and lit up one of my fists with an orange flame, using it as a light as I looked around the floor for any alcoholic beverages. There's none around here. He's probably just been really tired. I walked past him into his room, picked up a few blankets that were lying on his bed, and went back to my father, tucking the sheets around him so he wouldn't catch a cold.

After making sure he was perfectly warm, I turned down the hall and walked into my own room. I flopped down on the bed and sighed, too tired to get up again and close the door. I rubbed my eyes and pulled the covers over me, not really bothering to take off my coat. I closed my eyes and imagined the starry night behind my closed eyelids. Have an open mind and heart, eh?

I wonder how I can do that...