WARNING: Rated MA for Explicit Graphic Depictions of Violence, Graphic Depiction of Rape/Non-Consensual Sex, Graphic Sex, Graphic Physical and Mental Abuse, Mental Instability, Hints and Implications Toward Underage Non-Consensual Sex, and Human Sex Trafficking of Minors. Please read at your own discretion.
Chapter 4
Lucy sought comfort in the thick blanket that was draped over her body. It was almost too melancholy and held a sense of foreboding with the blonde. Even though she was in a different room, on a different bed, Lucy couldn't shake the feeling as if she was back at the brothel once again.
The feeling of the heavy material swathed across her frame while she spoke with the rust-colored haired male brought her back to the days of her forced enslavement. Even though the man standing before her was the very same man that opened up the doorway to her freedom, he was still an undeniable tether- a reminder of her horrific past.
And while Lucy had every reason to thank him, she also had every reason to want him gone. This man- Detective Gildarts- He knew her when she was Ashley of the brothel, he had seen her in what would undoubtedly be the worst chapter of her life. He had witnessed her grovel, trying her hardest to please him in fear of being punished if not. He had seen the desperation and the anguish she had endured.
Even if Grandeeney and Igneel had already seen her file, even if they already knew- Gildarts was the living breathing proof. The man was a walking reminder of everything she wanted to forget and everything she wanted to leave behind in that old rotting brothel.
He had saved her from that life and yet, she couldn't stop the looming weight of the past four years as the memories of that horrid place clutched onto her. Would she be damned to a life of constant fear of her freedom- a basic human right- being stolen from her once again?
"Lucy." The blonde's eyes darted up from the comforter to look into steely blue orbs. The teen wanted so badly for herself to want the large male to leave, but looking into the eyes of her savior she was conflicted, she needed him to stay.
"I promise you will always be safe here. Every single one of these adults and kiddos 'round here is a part of my family, too. You can trust that you are in good hands. Grandeeney and Ingeel are two of my closest and most trusted friends. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be happy here, kid." Lucy felt her body relax and her hold on the blanket loosen. She had no reason not to trust Gildarts, and even though she still felt herself guarded, she found some comfort in his promise.
"Lucy, I am so sorry! I had no idea that I was going to upset you." Honey brown eyes met teary cerulean. Grandeeney moved to place her slinger fingers atop the blonde's hand, the teen jumping slightly from the sudden contact but didn't pull away.
The blonde teen could see that the pale blue-haired woman was distraught, which perplexed her a little since Lucy wasn't used to be people caring about whether or not she was upset.
"It's okay." Lucy forced a smile on her face, she still felt extremely uncomfortable here. All the attention in a new setting was unnerving and unwelcome, and the blonde just felt like she didn't belong here.
Lucy looked around at her surroundings once again. When she had first woke, she had been informed by Grandeeney that this was to be her room. The blonde's inquisitive eyes darted from one side to the other. Even in the foster facility, she hadn't the luxury of receiving her own room.
What was she even supposed to do with all of this space?
"We can go shopping in a bit so you can decorate your room how you want it?" Grandeeney offered when she noticed the blonde looking around the room. Lucy tried and failed to remember her room back at the Heartfilia household, even then she hadn't been allowed to decorate her own room.
"Um.. Okay." The blonde blinked.
So uncomfortable and awkward!
"Okay, kiddo. Igneel and I brought up your stuff while you were out, I guess we will just leave you to it, let Grandeeney know when you want to go shopping, I guess. We will all be downstairs." The blonde just blinked at Gildarts, a slow nod his only answer before her eyes moved to look at the two lone boxes that occupied the corner, the only possessions she owned.
"Is there a bathroom close by?" Lucy practically whispered when she looked at the now retreating adults.
"This is your bathroom, just make sure to lock the other door too since it leads out into the hallway." Grandeeney smiled before walking over to one of the other doors in the room to open it. Lucy's eyes widened at the large restroom.
"Th-thank you." Lucy almost squealed. She had her own bathroom! Her own room was already surprising enough, but this? The blonde moved up out of the bed before bowing to the three adults still lingering at her door. She should at the very least show them proper gratitude.
"You're very welcome. We will be downstairs if you need anything, Lucy." Lucy looked up to see Igneel smirking just as the door to her bedroom sealed closed, leaving her alone in her new room.
"My own room.. My own bathroom?" Lucy whispered to herself while her feet met the cold tile of her bathroom. Excited, the blonde moved the shower curtain to look at the white porcelain tub. It wasn't huge but it was the perfect size for her. A giddy delighted smile slipped across the girl's lips.
"Ehh, I don't know, Sting. My dad didn't say what type of trafficking victim. Just that she was a part of a human-trafficking organization." Natsu crossed his arms behind his head while leaning back in his chair, away from his computer. The headset atop his head currently relayed the voices of Sting, Rogue, and Gajeel while their faces lit up on the salmon-haired teen's screen as they played an online game.
"Yeah, well my dad wouldn't go into detail on the subject, just told me that I need to be extra nice and protective, but he says that about all the girls." Natsu observed as the blonde rolled his eyes when his character was shot and forced to re-spawn on the other side of the map.
"Yeah, well my ol' man threatened to smash all my shit if I wasn't nice to her." Natsu snickered when Gajeel groaned. Knowing Metalicana, he would definitely make that threat a reality.
It had already been a good three hours since everyone had left from his house, and his parents were still currently holed up in his newest sibling's room, waiting for her to wake up.
"Okay, enough of this stupid game for today, the lag is ruining my kill death ratio! Just see if you guys can come hang out again or something." Natsu didn't even wait for a reply before leaving the lobby and signing off the network. Not even a two minutes later, his cell phone was lighting up with multiple new text messages.
*NEW TEXT MESSAGE-
Light bulb: be over in a bit
Light bulb: we should srsly get some food, im fuckin starving
*NEW TEXT MESSAGE-
Metal face: My old man aint having it. Maybe later.
*NEW TEXT MESSAGE-
Emo nerd: See you in a few.
Natsu sighed while taking off his headset. Moving around his cluttered disaster of a room, he finally found the charging cable. Once the salmon haired teen was sure he wouldn't come back to a completely dead headset-again, he set off out of his room and down the hallway in search of one of his parents. He would need to ask if he could borrow the truck so he, Sting, and Rogue could go get food.
"Mom? Dad? Can I borrow the truck? The guys and I are hungry and wanna go get some food." Natsu hollered while he took two steps at a time down the staircase. The two adults looked from where they were standing in the kitchen to the loud teen.
"Sure, Natsu. Lucy woke up about 40 minutes ago and your mom is taking her and Wendy out shopping anyways." The onyx eyed male nodded his head before the crimson haired adult tossed him the keys to the SUV. Natsu held up the keychain in confusion while inspecting the dangling girly trinkets that hid the actual vehicle and house keys. He knew he had specifically asked for the truck, not his mom's SUV.
"Dad! Come on, mom's? Seriously? It's so freakin' girly." Igneel burst out in a fit of chuckles at the teen's disgusted look while he held up the comical ball of key chains.
"Sorry, kiddo. It's better if they take the truck. Lucy needs a lot of things, and the SUV might not cut it." An undignified groan fell from the young male's lips at the thought of taking the 'mom car' as the boys have dubbed it.
"Fineeeee. But just for that I am getting an extra extra large order to spite you for the humiliation you're putting me through." Natsu smirked while Igneel's face dropped. The crimson haired man knew that today was going to be expensive and no doubt put a dent in their bank account, but his fiery son just seemed to want to make it even more so.
"Then don't forget to bring me back something too, you brat!" Igneel reached out the ruffle the boys already messed up hair just as the door flung open.
"We're back!~" Sting sang as he opened his arms wide while he entered the threshold to the Dragneel household, only to be drug right back out by a slightly cross Natsu who yelled over his shoulder that they would be back later. Rogue looked at the two adults as they waved before shutting the door to follow the two other teens.
"Not the mom car!" Both Grandeeney and Igneel burst out into laughter when they vaguely heard Sting yell out in disdain.
Lucy sighed, the humidity of the bathroom clung to her body as she rose from the draining bathtub. The blonde couldn't remember the last time she had a bath like that. Where she could completely immerse her body in warm water and completely scrub away the filth from her body. In the facility, all she had was public shower stalls, no tub- and in the brothel, it was even worse. She only got a wet cloth and bucket on most occasions.
The blonde slung her hair over her shoulder, taking the thick wet strands in her hands to twist the excess water out before moving out of the already empty tub and on to the bathroom rug. The blonde shivered slightly, causing her to snatch the towel from the counter so she could wrap her body.
Hair still slightly dripping, the teen opened the door back into her room. The cool air ghosted across her skin causing gooseflesh to rise from the loss of the warm humidity. Lucy moved to crouch next to one of the boxes that occupied a corner of the room before taking out a very plain faded pink sundress.
The blonde wasn't really sure where most of her clothes that were provided for her had come from, but she had been grateful just to have something that fit her semi-decently, nonetheless.
Once the blonde had the dress placed over her body, she used the towel to dry her long tangled hair. Once it was only just a little less than damp, Lucy reached into the other box to pull out her brush. She didn't care much to look in the mirror so she knelt on the floor to brush out her long blonde tresses in silence.
The semi-damp hair slipped through her fingers as she slowly brushed out all the tangles, her mind wandering the longer she focused on the golden blonde tresses as it faded into pale blonde the further down she drew the brush.
Could she really believe that she's safe here? Lucy watched the last of the pale ends of her hair slip from her grasp while she moved the brush into her lap.
As much as she wanted to believe it to be true, it was just so damn hard. Once you have had your life- your very freedom of choice taken from you, it's so hard to believe that it couldn't- that it won't- happen again.
All it would take is for her to trust in the wrong person, and she could be put right back into servicing people. So how could she know? How could she trust when the person she had thought she could rely on the most had cast her to the wolves like she wasn't even of his own flesh and blood.
The thought of her father had the teen gripping the handle of the brush harder. Not once did she mention who her father was, or her true last name. They must have thought since she never spoke of it that she was always a wayward child that had easily slipped through the crack of the system and fallen into the wrong hands.
Lucy didn't care. If they knew who she was, they would try to send her back, and why would she want to go back to a father that had sold her in the first place? So he could do it again? No thanks. Lucy would much rather just stay Lucy than ever go back to being a Heartiflia.
Lucy shook her head, a bittersweet chuckle piercing the otherwise silent room. She wasn't just Lucy anymore, either though. Was she?
She was Lucy Dragneel. That was her last name, and this was her home. The blonde would much rather spend uncomfortable and uncertain days in this house under that name, than have anyone figure out who her biological family was.
Lucy sighed, relieving the tension in her shoulders and loosening her grasp on the already old and partially broken brush within her hand. The teen deposited the brush back into the cardboard box before standing. Taking a glance around the unfamiliar room, Lucy contemplated what she should do next.
Moving to one of the windows, the blonde pulled the dark curtains apart, letting in harsh sunlight. Lucy blinked, trying to adjust to the brightness. By the looks of the sun high up in the sky, the teen was certain it couldn't be any later than slightly afternoon, maybe even around two p.m.
From her spot at the window, Lucy observed as three boys around her age opened the doors to the SUV that had transported her to her new home. The curious teen moved her face closer to the window, watching as they started to disappear one by one inside the vehicle, hidden by the dark tinted windows.
Honey brown orbs widened when her gaze was returned by a pair of confused crimson orbs that had locked on to her, the startled female teen quickly drew the curtains to a close. She hadn't been expecting one of the teenagers to turn his attention to her.
Teenage boys…?
Lucy sighed. Were they a part of her new family? In the foster care facility she was held in, Lucy was one of the oldest, and the oldest boy she could recall was only nine. Thinking back, Lucy had honestly never had any type of acquaintanceship or even interacted with any males of an equivalent age throughout her life. The blonde teen didn't know what she should expect.
Peeking once more out the window, Lucy let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The SUV was gone, and with it that boy with the perplexing scarlet eyes. Closing the curtains once more, Lucy looked towards the other door.
Taking a chance, the blonde moved to the entryway that the adults had used earlier to leave the room. Her hand shook slightly while she reached out to place her palm on the silver doorknob. A shaky exhale leaving her mouth just as she twisted the metal, the door released from its frame with a soft click.
The door was not locked- she wasn't a prisoner in this room.
Given her past, the blonde was slightly startled when the door actually opened. Confinement was an old friend that she couldn't seem to get away from, she had never known true freedom. She had never been able to freely walk as her own person. The blonde sniffled while she quickly brought her hand up to wipe away a few stray tears that had started to fall from her glittering honey orbs.
Peeking into the hallway, Lucy took note of the other doors close to her own before walking out of the room, choosing to leave the door slightly ajar just in case she needed to make a quick dash back for whatever her reason may be.
I know, I know! It's short. I'm working on the next chapter now, though! It should be pretty eventful! :D