Chapter Two

AN:I'd like to make a shout out to celestialmoon163 for talking with me for the last week and helping me realize that my life has some worth to others whether as a ear for them to vent to or for an insider's view on tragic life events. Thank you, my dear, for talking to me over these few days. You are amazing. And thank you for reading each of my FanFictions and helping me to make them perfect. Your support and interest in both myself and my work on here are much appreciated.

Am I the only one interested in this story? I love the idea of Levy being so damaged that she can't even function, Gajeel having a knight in shinning armor complex, and them falling in love despite it all. Anyways, here's chapter two for anyone else who loves this story besides me!

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A Week Later

Levy held a dark green book delicately in the cradle of her lap. The faded worn out cover read Solid Script Magic: A Guide to the Magic of Word in faded old worldly text. The dog-eared pages, yellowed from time, gave off the scent of old ink, sending shivers down her spine. A metallic gray ribbon wrapped gently around the mass of the book, attaching a letter to its cover. In beautiful cursive letters her name danced across the front of the slip of paper, ensuring it found its way to her loving arms.

Finding the book in place of a visitor outside her door earlier that day, Levy smiled, softly placing the heavy item on her bed as she lifted the note from the grasp of the ribbon. Pantherlily let out a soft meow, before laying next to her, as if encouraging the girl to open the slip of paper.

"Levy,

Gajeel has told me of your wish to show gratitude for my part in locking away the scum of a human being that had once lay his disgusting hands upon your beauty in attempts to mar it. I assure you, your thanks is not necessary. All an old man like myself asks is that you enjoy the life you have a new chance at. You live such a sad existence now, my dear, but give it time and things will improve. Gajeel informed me of your love for the written word and I personally can think of no one better to hold this beautifully written circa 1720 guide to enchanted writing. Please take care of both the book I have given you and the life I have saved.

You are a lucky woman. Gajeel rarely gets involved with people. Treasure his interest in you and he will never leave your side. A silent protector and a man who has never understood the beauty around him has given a rose trapped in its own leaves a chance at freedom, use this life to honor not just what I've given you, but what my son has done for you.

Live free, Miss Levy, and when you find the strength to re-enter society, please grace my door and treat my old bones to some pleasant company. Perhaps some ice cream in the garden would do us both a world of good.

Until then, enjoy the book and my son's company. I send my regards that I couldn't be there in person as I have a case involving a small girl not much different from your own to take care of.

Metalicana".

Folding up the slip of paper, Levy smiled. This meant Gajeel had kept his promise and taken her own note of thanks straight to Metalicana. Having thanked the man who saved her life, the blunette felt a pressure being lifted from her shoulders. However, her joy was short lived when her heart throbbed harshly in her chest at the thought of a young girl living through something as horrible as what had happened to her, but it soared high knowing someone out there cared enough to help the poor child.

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Gajeel sat in his father's office watching the clock tick. A blue haired girl roughly ten years old was curled up in a chair across the room, sound asleep. Her hair pulled back in long pigtails, he could see the traces of fading bruises and scarring of recently stitched wounds. The small girl made no noise to indicate she was still breathing, causing worry to wrinkle his brow. Standing quietly, Gajeel made his way to the tiny girl intending to check her pulse.

An ear-splitting scream identical to the once that woke him every morning filled the air. Rushing to her side, Gajeel pulled the child into a hug, whispering comforting words into her ear as he rocked her into calmness. Small arms wrapped around his neck as a warm wetness started to form on his shoulder. He didn't need to see her to know she was crying. His hand rubbed her back, soothing her as she sobbed into him. Anger filled him as he watched fear destroy the rest of yet another girl.

Behind them, a door opened revealing Gajeel's father, Metalicana. The older man, an aged image of his son, wore his black spiked hair short, his piercings were marked by faded and dull silver balls. Red eyes seared into the objects within his line of sight even when the man was happy. A suit and briefcase finished off the image. Having guessed at what had happened just moments before, Metaicana sighed and moved to sit behind his desk, leaving the crying child in his son's care.

"Gajeel," a gruff voice broke the silence that filled the air as the girl's sobs died. "Wendy has been through a lot in her short life. A similar case to that of young Miss Levy, Wendy was beaten nearly to death by her own parents and left for dead. Surviving the attack, the girl is to enter the system once court is over. Sadly, we all know this means she will never have a true home or know love."

"Give me two weeks and I'll have a home for her."

"You do understand that she is a special needs child and can't stay with just anyone, right?" Metalicana knew he was issuing a challenge to his boy, but he knew Gajeel would meet the challenge head on. "What if you fail to find her a home?"

"She'll stay with me. Natsu will be good for her, show her how to laugh again. She'll never have to be scared with a protector like myself, and with Levy next door, the girl will have someone close by who understands her pain." Gajeel looked at the girl still hiding her face in his shoulder, "I'll take her home now if she wants to just stay with me. It's her choice. I don't think makin' her come with me will help her trust me."

"Are you willing to legally adopt her, boy?"

"If that's what she wants."

Just then a small voice piped up, "will I be safe, Mr. Metalicana?" The girl looked up at the man behind the desk.

"My dear, Gajeel would never allow you to get hurt again if he could help it. You'd be safe with my son than with anyone else."

"Then, can I stay with you, Mr. Gajeel?" The girl turned her brown eyes to the man still holding her. Her earthy orbs voicing an otherwise silent plea.

"On two conditions. One, ya'll try yer hardest to smile everyday." The girl nodded, vigorously, accepting that condition. "And, two, ya'll go to a shrink after school on Thursdays until I say otherwise. Ya can also go next door to Levy if you need to talk on a day you don't see yer shrink. Sound like a deal, Pipsqueak?"

"I'll do it." The girl said with a determined look.

-o0o0o0o0o0o-

Levy woke up a little past one in the morning. Her alarm clock's flash filled the room, bathing it in a red glow. The blunette reached for her lamp, only to feel a hand close around her wrist. A scream filled the air just before a sharp pain burst against her cheek. A rough hand clamped down on her mouth as she struggled, fighting both her attacker and her memories. Flashes of the past battled with those of the present making her body crawl with anxiety and fear. Her hand struck the wall, the sound echoing throughout the small room.

Pantherlily, frightened by the sudden commotion, sprang from the bed to scratch at the door. Levy continues to strike the wall as her attacker ripped her shirt off, exposing her bare chest. A rough hand groped her as the other muffled her screams. The hand slid from her breast to her hip, fingers digging into her flesh. Trying to free herself, Levy lifted her hips, forcing the attacking body up and forward before throwing her upper body forward. Her head connected with that of her attacker sending him backwards enough to free her mouth. Her voice filled the air as she screamed as loud as possible, leaving her throat burning as the hand found it's grip again.

The blunette continued to fight as the man attacking her tore her small lace panties from her body. Tears filled her eyes as the man ran his finger over the core of her body. Her fist struck the wall again as she fought even harder. The man slid his finger inside her, her screams of protest muffled as he began a slow thrusting motion with his hand. Levy fought and screamed trying to free herself. She felt fear and disgust fill her as the man's hand left her soft folds to remove his pants.

Suddenly, Levy heard the front door of her apartment open. She bit down on her attacker's hand, freeing her lips once again to open her vocal cords and scream. Her door flew open, light filled the room, illuminating her attacker as he pulled his arm back to strike her a second time. A large shadow filled the doorway, quickly closing in on the scene. The man was lifted from her body and tossed against the wall. Books fell to the floor, shelves came free from the walls falling along with the limp man to the floor.

Gajeel saw red at the sight of the terrified woman before him. Levy lay shaking in her bed, clothes in shreds upon her bedroom floor, tears streaming down her cheeks. He quickly made his way to her side, pulling his shirt from his body and handing it to her. He gave her a small nod before turning his back to her. The disgusting man he'd pulled from her body lay in a heap on the floor across the room.

Gajeel made his way over to the man and, wanting to get him away from the girl as soon as possible, threw him over his shoulder and exited the room. Once in the living room, he called the cops. It would take them roughly twenty minutes to get to the apartment and he didn't feel like fighting with the human trash again, so he used a belt he found on the couch to tie him up. Once he was secured, Gajeel made his way back to Levy's room to check on her.

Levy stood with her back to him as he entered the room. Her big brown eyes gazed out of the window, down into the yard below. His shirt hung from her small frame like a dress, resting its hem just above her knees. Gajeel felt something unknown blossom inside him at the sight of her in his shirt. It wasn't lust. He knew the white hot burn of that need way too well. This was more of a gentle warmth wrapping around his heart. It was a soft feeling.

"Ya okay, Shrimp?" Gajeel moved to stand next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She was shaking and he knew without a doubt she was crying.

"I thought I'd be okay tonight. Lu went to stay with Lisanna for the night. Bad break up, She needed a friend. I told her I could handle it. First night since the incident I was alone and I get attacked. Why am I so damaged?"

"Shrimp," Gajeel pulled her into his arms, her body shaking even more than before as her sobs filled the room. A chorus of footsteps made them turn towards the hallway. A blue haired child and a pink headed man stood watching them as cops filed into the area asking questions and taking down statements.

A large man appeared in the entrance to the apartment just as Gajeel and Levy were coming into the living room to give statements. The small blunette left the pink haired man's side in a run to jump into the new comer's arms, "Metalicana!"

Gajeel looked up at his father as his newly adopted daughter wrapped her arms around his neck. Natsu clapped his hand down on his shoulder, nodding towards Levy when the boy looked over at him. The tiny woman stood motionless, staring at the man in the doorway, at the man who'd saved her life in the past, before turning towards the man who'd saved her life just moments ago. The blood drained from her face, her eyes rolled back into her head as her body went limp. Gajeel snagged her waist, pulling her up into his arms before she could hit the ground as her consciousness faded.

-o0o0o0o0o0o-

Levy's eyes felt heavy as she tried to open them. The shrieking inside her head got louder with each second she became more awake. Her eyes drifted open and she pulled herself into a sitting position as heavy footsteps passed the door of her room. Her hand reached out for the lamp beside her. Discovering an unknown room as the light overtook the darkness, fear filled her body. Her mind suddenly realized the screaming wasn't inside her head, but coming from a different room in the apartment.

Getting up, the blunette left the unknown room for an even less known hallway and followed the footsteps to another room. She slowly opened the door to find blurs of blue, pink, and black. A blue headed child screaming and fighting as a pink haired man tried to hold her down. The black headed man sat calmly talking to the child. "Wendy, its okay. Just breathe. Yer okay. It's us. Gajeel and Natsu."

"Gajeel?" A tiny voice spoke out towards the darkness as the screams came to an end. Sobs broke free from the child as she clung desperately to him.

Natsu looked away, towards the door only to see Levy standing there, "Gajeel."

Gajeel looked up, seeing a shadow in a doorway. He saw Levy in his tee-shirt, hair a mess, eyes filled with tears. He handed the child to Natsu who began to rock the crying thing into calmness. Gajeel walked towards Levy slowly, scared to upset or frighten her. She stood watching the child. Knowing shining bright in her eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks. She knew the signs, knew how it effected the mind even in sleep. Her heart was breaking for the girl.

"Gajeel," Levy's voice shook as pain filled her. "Who is she?"

"My daughter. I adopted her yesterday after Metalicana sentenced her parents to twenty years in prison for severe child abuse and neglect." Gajeel whispered.

Levy nodded and moved forward. She slowly walked towards the child who had her face hidden in Natsu's shoulder. She bent down beside the small blunette. Gently, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. The girl looked up at her and Levy held her arms out. The child slid into her arms and both began to cry. Levy's soft voice filled the room in a gentle song.

Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay
Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay

Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go

May you sail far to the far fields of fortune
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet
And may you need never to banish misfortune
May you find kindness in all that you meet

May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

May you bring love and may you bring happiness
Be loved in return to the end of your days
Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you
I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay

May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay

Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay
Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay
Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay
Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay
Loo-li, lai-lay

Levy's voice faded into the darkness as she gently lay Wendy's head back down on her pillow, tucking the child back into her bed.

"Where did ya learn to sing like that?" Gajeel whispered as she stood, meeting his gaze as Natsu softly snored from his place slumped against the wall and Wendy slept calmly on her bed. "What is that, anyways? I've never heard anythin' like it."

"My mother taught it to me. She'd sing it every night before I went to bed. Its an Irish lullaby."

Gajeel nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they left the room, heading towards the living room. He turned on the light and put on a movie before heading into the kitchen to make them some hot chocolate. As David Bowie's voice filled the room warning Sara that she had but thirteen hours to save her baby brother before he became a goblin forever, Levy let out a small giggle and curled up on her side of the love seat. He handed her a cup and took his seat next to her, dropping a couple marshmallows into his cup.

"What?" He asked, her laugh making him smile.

"The Labyrinth, its my favorite movie," she laughed some more. "I love that Sara is willing to give up everything to save her brother and that she makes friends along the way. I think its beautiful that Bowie's character is willing to do all this for her. His love for Sara is amazing."

"Shrimp, that ain't love." Gajeel looked over at Levy, seeing her heart for the first time. She believed a man who forced the one he claimed to love to run and jump through hoops for her loved ones or forget they existed to have the life he thought was perfect for her truly loved her. That wasn't love, that was abuse.

"What do you mean?" She turned her large brown eyes upon him, searching his eyes.

"Shorty, that ain't love, that's abuse. A man who truly loves his girl would walk beside her, lend her his strength, give everything to see her smile just once. A man in love will break his own heart before he'd ever hurt his love. He'd do anything for her. Once a man falls in love, the being who holds his heart, the one who brightens his world, his sun and moon, that being controls his whole world." His eyes bore through her, his words burn themselves across her heart, she could tell he spoke from experience. He had loved before, and something happened.

"Gajeel?"

"Look Shorty, I know you can see I've been there, but can we not talk about her, please?" His voice broke, tearing at her heart, "its not something I want to talk about."

"Okay, so what is a real love story than? Name a movie that portrays one." She changed the topic in hopes the pain inside his voice would go away.

"How 'bout we watch Beauty and the Beast?" He laughed.

"A Disney movie?" Confusion filled her eyes.

"Yep." A smirk spread over his lips as he changed the movie.

-o0o0o0o0o0o-

AN: I wanted to bring Wendy in, but I was hoping her part in this story would be a bright one. Sadly I had to hurt her again for the story to play out right. Don't worry her situation improves a lot and she will end up happy and perfectly sound.

Secondly, I wanted Gajeel to know love and have lost love before meeting our lovely Levy. I felt the pain would explain his gruff, rough around the edges, bad boy ways.

The movie reference to Beauty and the Beast is for a reason. I see Levy and Gajeel as Beauty and the Beast. There are just too many likenesses to argue it.

The song is Sleepsong by Secret Garden. They're a Celtic band I found while messing around on YouTube.

Please read and review. Lots of love. 3