A/n: To give you an idea of the timeline for this story (and so that the timeline favors my characters) this takes place before the Tartaros arc and after the Grand Magic Games. Chapter edited 8/25/18.
It was after dark when Freed finally had a visitor. He could hear the woman outside his door, yelling rather loudly about being locked out of his home. Freed never kept the wards around his abode up for his teammates, but these were special circumstances and he didn't want Lucy startled by people just walking in.
"I swear Freed, you better open this door!" Evergreen yelled, trying to be heard through the heavy wood. "You owe it to us! I know she's in there, there's nowhere else she'd go. Freed, stop ignoring me!"
He couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips as he approached the front door, letting it swing open on its own. He'd passed the guestroom on the way downstairs and saw Lucy actually sleeping somewhat peacefully, so at least his teammate didn't wake her yet with all that irate yelling.
"You don't have to scream so loudly," he reminded, rubbing the side of his head sheepishly as he opened the door. Bickslow was behind Ever, his babies circling lazily around his head. "If I had neighbors, they would have heard you."
"That's the point," she stressed, hands on her hips. She didn't look nearly as upset about being kept out as he expected. Evergreen and Bickslow were at the guild during Lucy's spectacle earlier, so they had to know something was going on. "Now, let us in. I demand an explanation."
"Explanation!" Bickslow's babies hummed, nodding along to her words. His tall companion looked just as interested, removing the shield from his face. He looked troubled, and Freed could tell that he was sensing Lucy's pain.
Freed glanced around. "Did anyone else follow you?"
"Maybe Natsu," Ever grumbled, waving a hand. "But we did warn him following wouldn't do him any good. So long as your wards are in place on one can get in. I told him you might not even let us in." Her eyebrows drew together, irritation shining through. "And by the way - how dare you ward us out too? You've never kept us out before!"
"I rarely have company either," Freed reminded, sharing an amused glance with Bickslow. After so many years of being friends they were well acquainted with Ever's constant need to know everything. "I couldn't just have you two, or Laxus for that matter, barging in here. Lucy's timid enough, she doesn't need some unexpected guests rummaging through the house."
Bickslow nodded, his eyes drooping. "She's in pain, I've been able to feel it since the guild hall. Even before the two of you came in, I knew something was wrong. Her soul is practically screaming. What happened?"
Freed sighed, thinking of the woman upstairs. They couldn't exactly avoid everyone, and in small groups she hopefully wouldn't be overwhelmed by people. Besides, it didn't make sense to ignore his friends and not let them in. It might not be his story to tell, but he wasn't just going to sideswipe his closest companions. If her friends showed up, he wasn't sure he could just turn them away either.
Everyone was worried about her, and rightly so. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how much company she could take. It took her a while to even get comfortable around Wendy yesterday, and she was a little girl.
So long as Lucy didn't come downstairs and literally walk into them, he didn't see why he couldn't invite the pair inside.
Pushing the door open wider, he let Evergreen inside first. "Come inside, and stop being so noisy. I think she's actually getting some sleep."
"So she isn't sleeping usually?" Ever asked, wandering into the house. Freed was usually pretty quiet to begin with, but the air within the structure was stale and solemn, like everything was on hold while waiting to see how Lucy fared. "What would make her stay awake? If I got tortured for days, the first thing I'd want to do is rest."
"Maybe because she was tortured?" Freed stressed, shaking his head. He flinched a little at her blatant choice of words, but it was to be expected. They hadn't waited around to see what Makarov said about the situation to the rest of the guild, but he knew it would be unwise to say too little. There would be questions after Lucy's reaction, and they couldn't just lightly brush it off, especially around their own teams.
Ever scowled, rolling her eyes as she looked away. "Well I'm not saying she isn't justified if she wasn't sleeping, I'm just saying Lucy is known for being, well... victimized. She's even become friends with people who have hurt her in the past. From what I can tell she doesn't usually hold onto those ill feelings for long. What's so different now?"
Freed pursed his lips, trying to figure out how to respond. He didn't know enough about what was going on to justify an answer, and he didn't exactly want to tell anyone his suspicions. If he told people what he thought happened, it would cause an uproar.
And if she wasn't assaulted, he was just creating more drama than necessary. No, he needed to talk with her first and get the real story before jumping to conclusions.
"I don't know," he replied, dropping his voice as Bickslow took a seat on the sofa. His babies were quieter today, somber from Lucy's radiated pain. He knew they could feel how stressed her soul was, and it couldn't be good for the little spirits. Subconsciously he reached to place his hands in the pockets of his coat before recalling that he still didn't have it, and dropped his hands back to his sides, the movement such a habit it was unconscious at this point. He wondered if anyone even remembered to pick it up. "She won't say. She hasn't even told me who attacked her yet."
"Did she tell her team?" Ever asked curiously, arching a brow.
"No, she didn't really want to talk to anyone. You saw her at the guild hall, she basically folded into herself."
Bickslow nodded, running a hand over his features. "Well, we didn't come here to intrude, even if Ever did start screaming when the wards rejected her." He paused, snickering as the vein above her temple began to bulge with her irritation. "Checking on cosplayer is a bonus, but really we needed to remind you Laxus is supposed to come back tomorrow. He wanted us all to go on a job, remember? Obviously, you aren't going to go now, and you know how he can be."
"Which means he'll be by wanting to know what happened to Lucy," Evergreen finished, pushing her glasses back up her nose. "And he will cause a lot more commotion than either of us did if he can't come in here. He'll want some sort of real answer Freed. I have no idea what you plan on telling him."
Freed grimaced, thinking about the only other time he'd ever locked his team out of his home. Oh, the ranting Laxus went through, completely put off that he didn't want the blond man in his home. Honestly, Laxus threatened to blow his door open if he didn't change his mind and drop the enchantment.
He definitely couldn't do that with Lucy here. He'd spent more than enough time getting the girl to trust him since yesterday, and he didn't want that demolished by his friends ramrod attitude to get into the building as quickly as possible. It didn't matter who it was; if someone tried to barge in here he knew it'd trigger whatever minor progress Lucy made with her fear and shoot her right back to square one where she barely said two words to him.
Laxus really was a good guy, but he had his moments. He knew his teammate even favored the blonde mage, despite his aloof attitude. Something about Lucy just rubbed him the right away and he didn't completely hate her as much as some of the others in the guild. He might sympathize just a little bit and not act like a total jerk when he showed up, and Freed had no doubts that he would show up.
Still, he couldn't just let Laxus waltz in either. There was no telling how Lucy would react, and he'd feel like shit if she panicked again.
"Maybe you can stall him at the guild until I can talk to her?" Freed said hopefully, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Of course, how could he forget that his best friend was returning soon? They had talked about it not even four days ago when he went off of a mission.
"If you think that'll work," Bickslow laughed, wiggling his eyebrows. "With Evergreen fawning over Elfman-"
"I don't fawn-"
"-and his determination to find out the truth, you'll be lucky if we can stall ten minutes," Bickslow finished, winking at Evergreen. Her cheeks were red, hands clenched tight into fists.
"Well if you would ever take your damn eyes off Lisanna we might actually be able to talk to Laxus first!" she screeched, pointing a finger at him.
"Lisanna! Lisanna!" the babies echoed, circling around Bickslow's head.
"T-that's not the point," Bickslow muttered, coughing into his hand. "I-"
He was cut off by a thud upstairs, causing the three individuals to pause and look at the ceiling. Freed's eyes flashed, knowing the wards hadn't been breached. More than likely something internal happened with Lucy, and she was reacting.
Freed didn't glance towards his friends as he made his way towards the stairs, already zoning them out. "You two should go. Laxus is a problem we can deal with tomorrow. He's going to find out something happened anyway, so let's at least try to control his temper until I can tell him... something."
He didn't wait for a response, climbing the stairs two at a time. He could hear the pair downstairs preparing to leave, Bickslow's babies saying something that fell on deaf ears. He really only had eyes for the partially closed door at the end of the hall, concealing the blonde mage.
Knocking just once, he pushed the door open gently and peered inside. "Lucy?"
It only took a moment for him to locate the girl, the shadows of the room momentarily masking her. She'd either fallen or thrown herself out of the bed, the messy and haphazard sheets a good indication and probably the resounding thud they heard downstairs. Now she had stuffed herself between the bookcase and the chair in the room, wedged between the pieces of furniture like her life depended on it.
Stepping cautiously into the room he got a better look at Lucy than just her toes and the top of her head, which poked out from her hiding place. She was shaking in the crevice she'd stuffed herself into, hands placed securely atop her head like she believed it would save her.
Distantly he heard the door downstairs close, realizing the rest of his team had departed. At least they didn't make a scene and come upstairs, the one thing he was grateful for right now. He didn't think Lucy could handle anything else.
As he moved closer the girl refused to look up, shrinking further into herself. A sinking feeling resonated in his chest, poor Lucy not even realizing who would be approaching her. Momentarily he wondered if she even recalled where she was before he crouched before her, placing a gentle hand on her head.
She jolted, whipping her head up immediately, arms shooting out to defend herself. She managed to scratch at her wrist with her broken nails, the weak defense not even enough to draw thin lines of blood. He didn't take his hand away for a moment, both surprised and saddened by he feeble attempt. That would never protect her against the man that did this. Lucy stopped waving her arms when she noticed Freed, hands flying up in front of her face a moment while she took several deep breaths, attempting to calm her raging breathing.
Freed didn't move, studying her red-rimmed eyes intently. Obviously she'd been crying again, but whether it took place during her nap or after he couldn't be sure. When she finally accepted that she was no longer in danger and let her arms slowly droop he scooted back, taking his hand off her head as he moved back about a foot, sitting on the floor in front of her.
Her dark eyes danced over him, looking for something he couldn't place. Her hands clenched together before speaking again, her voice barely above a squeak. "I... I forgot I was here."
He didn't ask where she thought she was, reading the expression in her eyes. Even if he asked, she wouldn't answer. "You haven't gone anywhere," he replied smoothly. "You fell asleep a few hours ago, and I figured the rest would do you good."
Lucy flinched a little, seeming to disagree. Wrapping her arms loosely around her knees she looked away, staring at nothing in particular. "Sleep is the worst place to be."
"Why would you say that?" he asked with a frown, not understanding. Even if her mind could re-imagine everything that happened, none of it was presently real. "Dreams are something that we ourselves create. There is nothing that can truly harm us while we are in them."
"Unless they are nightmares," she muttered, eyes staring away. "All I've had for a week is nightmares... they won't end."
Freed pursed his lips, studying the girl in front of him. She looked better than before with the wounds cleaned and sleep finally relieving some of the bags beneath her eyes, but her eyes themselves looked haunted, like she still thought she was trapped back in the dream.
No, not a dream she'd said. A nightmare.
What really bothered him was the redness of her wrists and arms, like she'd been scratching the skin raw again. He didn't see any blood smears, but that didn't mean they weren't there. After all, she did manage to draw the tiniest bit of blood from him moments ago. Deciding to let his inspection go for the time being he smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
She was terrified right now of whatever she'd dreamed. Getting her to talk in this moment would be difficult.
"Let's go downstairs," he said, standing slowly enough to not startle her. He extended his hand, and after several moments of hesitation she took it, letting him pull her up. Her eyes locked on the scratches she left for a moment, and he sincerely hoped she didn't start feeling guilty about that. "I'll order something for dinner."
"Oh, you don't need to do that, Freed," she said immediately, retracting her hand to awkwardly rub her head. "I'm not hungry."
He rolled his eyes, beckoning her to follow him. "I don't care if you're hungry, you may not want to eat but you need to. It's important for your recovery. Who knows, maybe you will feel inspired after eating something delicious and you'll tell me what happened."
She looked away, eyes searching for anywhere else but him. On that note, he assumed she wouldn't tell him no matter what they ate that night.
Lucy actually ate more than Freed expected. After all her complaining about food she managed to down a good amount, almost more than he did.
He wondered if she would get sick from that, and decided to try and watch her tonight. After all, she didn't need to throw up after actually eating something so ravenously. Apparently the hunger finally won out.
Sitting in his living room now, the meal passed in mostly silence. No matter how he tried to lure her into conversation, even about topics that had nothing to do with the past week, she kept freezing up and saying so very little.
He didn't expect her to give a play by play of her experience but damn, didn't she want to talk about anything?
Freed practically gave up after that, letting the silence loom over them as they finished eating. Lucy seemed content with that, leaning back hesitantly in the chair she'd sat in, staring out the window at the darkened sky.
"Thanks," she said quietly, refusing to look at him. "For not letting everyone barge in I mean. I know I was... panicking, but I heard Evergreen and Bickslow here."
He smiled, fighting his patience. Freed usually didn't mind slow and easy going situations, but not knowing what to do with the blonde irked him. Without her feeling comfortable enough to open up he wasn't too sure what to do when talking to her, and he never knew what set her off.
Who knows, maybe his friends set her off earlier.
"They understand," he replied, studying her. "Like everyone else at the guild. They just want you to feel better. I'm surprised Natsu and the others haven't barged in yet, but if you want my opinion they are probably hanging out nearby watching the house to make sure no one dangerous can approach."
Lucy dropped her head, letting the spoon she'd been holding slip back onto the table. "I don't want them wasting their time doing that. They could be doing... anything else."
"I don't know if they are or not, Lucy. That's the only reason I can assume as to why they haven't broken down my door yet. Your friends aren't exactly controllable."
"No, they definitely aren't," she mused, a smile briefly dancing across her lips before it slipped off again, and she pushed the empty dish away to hug her torso once more.
"I assume they will show up tomorrow," he continued, glancing out the window behind her. He hadn't seen any magic outside, but he could almost feel other people around the building. If Erza was with the group, and he had no doubt that she was, she'd reason that his home was warded or Master would not have allowed Lucy to leave the guild. "I just hope they don't destroy the whole house when they do."
"I'll make sure they don't," she replied quietly, forcing a smile this time. He wasn't sure that was true when she couldn't even handle him gently touching her head, much less trying to blow a building to pieces. He suppressed a sigh. Eating only seemed to be doing her so much good. Emotionally she was still stretched too thin and worrying herself too much.
And despite knowing that she would ignore him, Freed decided to try and pick her brain again.
Folding his hands beneath his chin, he studied the girl intently. They hadn't thought to stop by her own apartment, needing to get her someplace she felt secure. Without the luxuries of her own clothes he didn't have anything she could change into, and he didn't know if offering up something from his closet would be appreciated or frightening.
He guessed it depended on what happened to her. After all, she could stay in what she was wearing if she felt more comfortable.
As if reading his mind, Lucy lifted her gaze and met his eyes for the first time all day. "I don't want anyone going to look for him. I know we've faced him before but... he's too strong now."
Interested, Freed leaned forward in his seat. She'd actually said something about the person who attacked her without needing prompting. It was broad, but it was a start. "Who faced him?"
Lucy smiled slightly, eyes dropping down to her lap. "Natsu of course. Erza faced him once, and I think Gajeel's fought him too. He's such a different person now though I don't know if the outcomes would be the same." Her eyes dropped, the thought saddening her. "How could they possibly win now?"
Despite being frustrated he pushed down his feelings, glad she was opening up even a little. Her team fought too many enemies to keep track of, and Freed didn't feel like he was actually getting any closer to an actual answer. "What's changed then?"
Her hands seemed to clench against the wood of the table, shoulders tightening at his question. "Everything. Everything's changed, he's not even himself anymore."
"Who-"
"How can he be himself?" she continued, rattling on like he wasn't there. "He's not even with his team anymore... but how could he be? They've disbanded, they only have certain members together still, and e-even then I don't know if they believe him. Even Cobra isn't really a member anymore..."
Freed stiffened, trying to place the name. Oh yes, the Dragon Slayer from the Oracion Seis. He hadn't heard much from him in months... not that he knew much to begin with. But it didn't seem like Lucy was talking about him.
Scowling, he tried thinking a little harder. If he knew more about the Seis, that might actually help him out.
"Is it someone from the Oracion Seis?" he asked aloud, recalling that there were slightly different members in the original group and the reformed. He didn't do a lot of battle with the first group, and the second time around he was partnered with Gray in a not-so-perfect duo combination...
Lucy flinched when he said that, letting go of the table to stand up. Freed knew without a doubt that none of the members of the Oracion Seis knew rune magic the last time they did battle. Either a member knew something new, or there was an outside player helping out whoever attacked her.
He just didn't understand why. Lucy mentioned other members of her team fighting whoever attacked her, not specifically her herself. So why bother going after her and her keys?
Evergreen's tactless words from earlier came to mind, but he quickly disregard them. He'd seen Lucy in battle a few times, and when push came to shove she could be a formidable partner and not play the part of a victim.
She wouldn't survive in Natsu's team anyway if she couldn't hold her own.
Trying to refocus on the girl in front of him, he realized she'd moved away from the table and was standing by one of the windows in his living room, looking at the drapes like she could actually see through them. She was shaking, the action barely notifiable but he'd gotten used to her fried nerves by now. He stood and approached the blonde, stopping a few feet away when she turned to him.
"Your runes are powerful... no one can get inside?"
Freed smiled slightly, glad she could at least sense the magic around them. Maybe it would make her feel a little bit better. "No, and even if they did get inside the runes would let us know the moment anyone tried to enter. We would be safely away before anyone could harm you, Lucy."
She bit her lip, reaching out to tap the barrier of magic lining the walls. He couldn't just let her wander off if she got inspired to run. The magic would keep her inside the house tonight too, just like it ensured she stayed in the room last night at the hotel. Letting her wander off when she was in great distress would be a serious mistake, one no one would let him forget.
"He can still get inside," she said quietly, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter how far we go, he can still find me. He just doesn't know where this house is yet. I'll have to leave when he figures it out or your home won't be safe anymore either."
Freed arched an eyebrow, wondering what kind of threats someone had to make to cause Lucy to believe she had to run before trouble even arrived. Recalling the marks he'd seen on her the day before, he decided to not go down that path. "You don't need to worry Lucy, I can more than handle an attack, and so can you. We won't be found, but even if we were there's nothing to fear."
"You don't know that," she said, her voice pitching a little higher with panic at the very idea.
"I do," he countered, stepping forward to gently touch her arm. She stiffened a moment under his grip before relaxing, her eyes still weary. "Tell me who attacked you. If you don't I'll have to find out from your teammates who they've fought before from the Oracion Seis, and you know they will immediately take off to fight him."
Eyes widening, she reached out and grasped his shirt. "You can't do that! He's stronger than before..."
Reaching up he gently removed her hand from his shirt, smoothing out her fingers until the tension left her hand. "Then tell me who it is so no one can be caught off guard. If you keep this a secret Lucy, even if you are scared of the person who attacked you, then he could show up and cause problems with your friends. You think he's holding a grudge with them? It'll be worse if they aren't prepared."
She nodded, the action jerky as she pulled out of his grip and fell on the couch, grabbing her head. She took several breaths before looking at him again, the stress in her face an indicator of how troubled she was.
"He can see into my nightmares," she muttered, holding his gaze. "The less I sleep the safer I'll be. When I sleep... he can play with my head. He'll trick me. He will find out where I am and come back." She laughed humorlessly, shoving her hair back as she held Freed's gaze. "He would do that w-when I passed out from the torture. He couldn't let me rest... why would he when he could continue mentally attacking me too? Do you understand now? I'll never escape him."
"I don't," he replied, moving to sit beside her. "Someone who can control nightmares should not also be a master of rune magic. Are you sure only one person attacked you?"
She didn't flinch this time, holding his gaze. "Midnight doesn't need to be a master. He can always find someone to aid his cause, who wants revenge. That's why Cobra left after the Neo-Oracion Seis stint and his time in prison. He's lost people but it doesn't matter! He always has someone who's willing to listen because he's Brain's son."
Freed nodded along, trying to keep track of all the names she was saying. He didn't recall fighting a Midnight before, but the name was vaguely familiar. Brain? He had no idea who on earth she was talking about, but it was enough to cause the girl to tremble at the mere mention of his name.
Whoever Midnight was, and whatever reason he had for taking her keys, was enough for Freed to hate him. If that was all he'd wanted, keeping the girl locked up and torturing her was overkill.
There was definitely more she was avoiding saying, but he couldn't push her. She already appeared to be on the brink of panicking, and he didn't want her freaking out. He had a feeling Natsu was lingering nearly, and the last thing he wanted was an irate dragon slayer trying to break in because his friend was hurting. That would just freak her out even more.
Instead he reached over, awkwardly wrapping an arm around her hsoulders in a half-hug. Comforting people really wasn't something that he was good with, but it didn't matter. Lucy practically threw herself into his arms, shaking but thankfully not sobbing.
He could handle that.
Adjusting so he could pat her back as she shook, he glanced towards the window. Now he had a name, albeit a foe he had never personally faced, but a name nonetheless. It might sate the anger of the other guild members to have a target to go after, even if Lucy didn't want to trouble them. Anything would be better than sitting around waiting for her to get better.
If her attacker was dealt with, no more problems, right?
Lucy fell asleep shortly thereafter, her body still in the recovery phase of her experience. He let her sleep on the couch, deciding there was no harm in it. Any sleep was good for her right now. Freed waited until he was absolutely certain she was out before walking onto the porch of his house. He couldn't soothe a nightmare right off the bat, and he didn't know if he'd be all that good at it.
Besides, he had a message to deliver.
As he had expected, Natsu popped up almost immediately when the door closed, jumping rather quietly onto the porch as Erza and Gray emerged from the tress. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants Freed took in the slayers anxious expression, one he wasn't used to associating with the salmon haired man.
"How is Lucy?" he asked, barely stopping his jump before asking the question. "Is she okay? I haven't heard her screaming or anything, but her scent is still faint..."
Freed understood. She'd been attacked and slathered up with healing magic, she hadn't had a shower since arriving and was in a space predominantly dominated by him. Of course her scent was weak here.
"She's holding on," he assured, glancing at her teammates anxious faces. Despite how much trouble they could cause it was endearing to see how much they cared. "She's resting now, but I don't know for how long. She said her attacker can find her in her dreams."
"How is that possible?" Gray asked, rubbing his head. For once he had all his clothes on, and Freed hoped things could stay that way.
Shrugging, he looked at each of his guild members in turn. "I'm not very familiar with this type of magic, but she said some of you have fought this man before. Midnight? I don't know anything about him-"
"Of course," Erza interrupted, crossing her arms. Freed almost took a step back when she started radiating power, but held his ground. "He can cause you to see illusions like a nightmare. I suppose it would make sense that he can enter your mind and make those nightmares seem real, but that is very advanced magic and not something he pocessed the last time we fought..."
"You mean that creeps the one who hurt Luce?" Natsu seethed, the same overwhelming power jumping off of him. Freed felt like he was slowly being chased off his porch. "How dare he-"
"I don't know if he's the only one, or if he's simply learned new magic," Freed interjected before Natsu went off on a rampage. "If his magic is stronger it's possible he's learned other types too. The runes I found Lucy trapped in isn't something an amatuer could create. But aside from myself and Levy, I'm not familiar with other mages who use this type of magic."
Erza nodded, thinking over his words, but Freed could feel the anger radiating off Natsu and wondered if he would be able to hold it together. Gray seemed slightly more level headed, but still just as angry. He knew telling her team was a gamble, but out of everyone he assumed they would have the best impression of this Midnight fellow and would know what to do.
He hoped so anyway.
"We'll start searching right away," Erza said, her tone much deadlier than before. She reached out, clasping both men's shoulders in a death grip. "Come on boys, we know exactly who to go after. We'll tell the guild in the morning, and there will be no chance he will ever touch Lucy again."
Gray nodded, the same anger present in his eyes but he at least seemed more appeased. The pair turned to go but Natsu remained, looking uncertain as he stood there.
After a moment he shrugged something off his back, and Freed realized he'd been carrying a pack. Handing it over he glanced towards the upstairs, and he knew the slayer was searching for Lucy. "Give this to her. It's some stuff from her apartment I thought she'd want."
Freed smiled faintly, surprised by how kind the man could be. Usually he only got to see Natsu's wild or angry side, so seeing something so kind from him was a nice change. He hesitated another moment before turning to follow his friends, looking like the action nearly killed him.
Considering how close the two were, Freed imagined it did kill him inside, just a little.
Gripping the bag he turned back towards the house, steeling himself. What was he supposed to do exactly if she awoke from a nightmare, and how was he supposed to tell if she was suffering from one in a different room?
Reaching towards his head, he suppressed the urge to groan. Maybe there was a reason she hadn't slept much in the hotel after all.
A/n: Thanks for following along with the story and let me know your thoughts.