Summary: For Lucy, starting a new life in Magnolia and going to Fairy Academy isn't easy. So what happens when she meets the secretive Natsu Dragneel who lives a double life after school? And what if his job involves kidnapping girls? Lucy just can't wrap her mind around how the same person could attack her and then save her all on the same night.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima does, obviously. Now story time!

Chapter 2: From the Shadows

-10 minutes before-

Lucy prepared to leave by adjusting the purse strap on her shoulder. She bowed and said her goodbyes to a few people before walking out. The meeting at the courthouse had gone by with relative ease.

Finally! Lucy was another step closer to getting everything legally settled. Even after receiving so much assistance for the past few days she was just glad it was almost over. Most of the terms had been satisfied on her part already. This included a small processing fee and her birth certificate. Oh, and she had to be at least sixteen, but she surpassed that by a good year.

However, she still needed something else too, or it was no deal. To finalize the order the girl merely had to get her father's signature. And to that Lucy released a weary sigh.

Like that was going to happen.

She 'tsked' herself for not expecting as much to be requirement. Of course, changing her name wouldn't be as simple as her strolling into the courthouse with a smile and some cash like she thought. Maybe the fact that she was privileged throughout her life influenced her to think she could get what she wanted now just as easily. Obviously though her expectations were flawed. Not that it mattered now. The issue at hand asked for the signature of someone she hadn't seen months. Or was it a year now? Wow, a year already?

Anyways, for her name to be legally changed from "Heartfilia" to "any-other-possible-name" she needed some jerk's signature? And it wasn't just any jerk's. It was her own father's. Well technically the change called for either parent's signature but seeing as her mother was now an angel, one might say that'd be a hard signature to come by. So the only other option was her father, and that didn't sit so well with her.

Seriously? Come on! He's the whole reason I have to do this!

Lucy scoffed at that courthouse once before continuing on her way. This entire arrangement was only being done to get rid of her father. She wanted him out of her life once and for all. Though she hadn't seen him in a whole year, she was still bound to him by her own name. She would be obliged to return if anyone ever found out she was the missing heiress of the Heartfilia family. But she vowed never to go back. The thought of even stepping on the groomed grass of that estate made her burn inside. Never would she be able to call that glorious mansion her home. It was just a building, nothing more than a place that housed her worse memories.

Nothing could make up for the years of mistreatment. All the lack of love and acknowledgement was scarring. Even if she changed her name now the memories would still be with her forever. But this would be better. A new name would make her uneasy to trace. That was the sole benefit. However it implied that he would ever try looking for her. And as of now she hadn't heard a single report of her missing. The daughter of a wealthy empire vanished? The result was not a single flyer seen anywhere with her name. Because of course at the news of a missing daughter, a loving father's first reaction would be to send fleets of people searching for her. Not her scumbag of a father, though. She bet he didn't so much as lift a finger.

The teen stopped in her tracks and tried to shake those thoughts away. They would just put her in a bad mood. She was tired of crying over everything her father did, or rather what he never did. This wasn't the first time she wanted to change her name. But she was going through with it now. She waited because she always believed somehow, someone would find her and take her back. But no one ever did and that was hard on her for two reasons. She was glad that she was free but now she was alone and had to build her own foundation. And two, because couldn't help but feel a tug of pain at the thought of being unsought for and unwanted.

So she purposely set miles between her and him for a whole year and doubted he would ever be able to locate her again. She traveled as far as her money would take her, which was a considerable ways away. She did that for months, taking refuge in a town before setting off again. And she kept that up until she needed to head out farther away. She could never feel far enough from her father until now. As of last week, Magnolia was her new home. She wanted to permanently stay here for as long as she could. She heard it wasn't uncommon for teens to be living on their own and that there were many jobs that she could apply for. It seemed like the perfect place for her. And the most exciting part was that tomorrow was her first day of school. It was real school, not homeschooling done by her maids in the seclusion of a mansion. It was so incredibly new and different that she figured the cherry on top would be a new name to go along with her new life.

At that moment a nearby standing clock rang and eerie dong, alerting her that it was already seven o'clock. She was so eager to get her name changed that forgot she went to the court house just little before closing time, so it was bound to be the evening now.

It was already beginning to get dark and quiet so the blonde decided to hurry home. On her way to her new apartment she was filled with impatience. She was tired of waiting when a fresh change was just at her fingertips.

She coped with the heartache for years. Until one day she decided a wealthy dad and a huge manor wasn't what she needed. She found an opportunity, took it, and ran away. That was one year ago today. And to celebrate, she decided to erase all attachments to that man. She already knew that there would be no use in trying to cooperate with him for a measly signature. So she would handle that herself. Seeing him mark it all over deals and contracts for years would make imitating it easy. And with that, the first thing she wanted to do when she got to her room was to sign that paper off and get it over with. For all she cared she could use a crayon, or a highlighter, or anything to get that signature done with. All she wanted to do was sign off her father's name and get the heck out of that family as quick as she possibly could-

-Present time-

Without warning, cold hands grabbed Lucy's wrists from behind her. She had no time to react as her arms were yanked behind her with brute strength. She let out a painful cry as her muscles bent almost unnaturally. Wait! What's going on?! She could've sworn her heart skipped a beat.

"Don't scream," a voice growled.

"H-hey! What are you?!-" she began but was interrupted by another wave a pain that she could only describe as her arms threatening to detach. She let out a loud, hoarse scream that lingered in the night air. "Stop! Please!" Her fears grew more and more. It was something she had never felt so strongly before. She could feel shivers going up and down her spine.

Her breathing quickened dangerously and her heartbeat raced. What's going on? What does this person want from me? W-what is he going to do to me? Having someone just suddenly attack her out of nowhere practically scarred the life out of her.

Wait…life?

She went rigid with thoughts of death. N-no. He wouldn't kill me…would he?

Could this person be a murderer? Was this person going to kill her? Were they going to chop her up and throw her in a dumpster somewhere? At that thought Lucy panicked. She couldn't die here. She was about to start a new life here in Magnolia. She was about to be free from her father and now she was going to die? NO! I can't let that happen! I…I have to fight!

With great urgency she tried to pull her weight around, hoping the person would loose their grip. Her movements were extremely limited but she continued to struggle. Instead of releasing her though, he yanked her arms even tighter despite her objecting cries.

The attacker showed no sign of letting go or even easing up on his harmful grip. Who ever it was, they were incredibly strong. They ignored her protests and continued to abuse her weak arms. She cried out in agony as he spent a good minute restraining her.

Finally Lucy heard a noise other than her own tired screams. Up until now the assailant had been dangerously quiet but with a sharp intake of breath he whistled loudly. Lucy twitched as her left ear rang from the high pitched sound.

Before she could blink she got a glimpse of two other men. And to her horror they were heading her way. They were both hooded in black clothes and emerged out of a nearby alley way at the signal. They were on her in a fraction of a second, grasping her body from the first attacker and instantly pushing and pulling her towards the same darkness from which they came.

Even though exhaustion was creeping up on her she tried to slow their efforts as much as possible. She kicked and yelled, refusing to go with them willingly. The kicks were hardly enough to stop their efforts but easily annoyed the two men. Their grips turned iron as they used pressure to try to silence her. She grimaced at the bruising hands and noticed she had done little to slow them down.

Ideas of horrible crimes raced through her head as she was forcefully dragged into the shadows.

Another chapter down with many more to come. Well, probably not for some days so please review and tell me what you think.