Chapter 9

Gajeel glanced up at the bed to see Levy had dozed off.

He dimmed the lamp to not wake her up and set the book in his hand on the far stack.

So far, there had only been two of the forty-three books that weren't a part of any of the lists.

He had forced himself to set the book he wanted off to the side and finish going through the rest.

He sorted the remaining three books into their proper piles and used his magic to create thin bands to wrap around the neat, orderly stacks. He tucked them back into the bag after securing the lists with them, making marks along one edge of each sheet to be able to tell the stacks apart by touch.

Gajeel finally set the stack for the woman they'd initially taken the mission inside the bag, sans his book.

He tossed the bag onto the bed by Levy's jacket and picked up his book.

The worn leather felt just as it had years ago when Metalicana had shown it to him.

It still held the scent of his foster-father and Gajeel was glad Levy was asleep so she couldn't see the tears that came to his eyes at feeling the familiar pages.

He flipped through the first few and paused on a scribbled page.

He'd gotten his ass beaten for making this scribble, but Metalicana hadn't removed it.

His childish scribble was still there, under his fathers name on the family tree of the Metal Dragons.

He traced his finger over their names.

"Where are you?" He mumbled.

He turned the page and flipped through, taking note of the slight wear on the edges of some pages where a reader had been holding the fragile paper too long.

Gajeel didn't see any more writing in the book up until the last page he remembered having information on it of all the generations.

The book had kept itself magically updated so long as there was a Dragon to claim it.

He stopped on that final page, afraid to turn the next one.

He felt the warmth seep through his shirt back as Levy leaned over him, putting her arms over his shoulders.

She put her hand over his.

"You're not alone anymore." She said quietly.

He let out the breath he'd been unconscious of holding and turned the page.

It was enough to make him lose his breath.

The book had updated itself again.

It showed his life as a child with Metalicana and up to the point his father had disappeared.

Gajeel felt nervous about having Levy read over his shoulder, but he refused to show it.

He turned to the next page, hoping that the book had updated.

Praying that it wasn't going to show Metalicana's death.

"It's nothing bad." Levy whispered.

He opened his eyes and stared down at the page.

It didn't have much. A shortened bit stating that Metalicana was resting and training with the other Dragons. Waiting to fight E.N.D.

Whatever that was.

And it stated that he had joined Phantom Lord for a while after traveling as a mercenary. He watched it shimmer and write a few more things in.

"Gajeel Redfox, Metalicana's son, joins Fairy Tail in effort to band with another Lost Child." Levy said.

"I...I suppose I did a little. I'll admit that knowing Flame Brain is around makes me feel a little less like the last of my kind." Gajeel said.

Levy moved from around him and he looked up at her as she hopped up on the desk beside his boots.

xXx

Levy looked down at Gajeel.

He'd seemed afraid to know what has happened after he'd lost his book.

She couldn't blame him with a book like that.

What if it had told of his father Dragon's death?

She would have been devastated.

"I'll be here for you." Levy said.

She pulled her feet up onto the desk and wrapped her arms around her legs.

He had a soft look as he closed his eyes.

"Thanks Shrimp."

"For what?"

"For tagging along with me this time. I know you're afraid of me still, but it does mean a lot to me." He said.

She smiled as he looked at her.

"I'm not afraid of you."

He gave a huffed laugh.

"I'll let you keep thinking that until it is true." He said. "Now go back to sleep, we're going to have a long day tomorrow. We have to come up with some story to not turn this book in."

She nodded and climbed down to go back to the bed.

He shifted himself in the chair a little and as she was pulling the blankets around her, he was already asleep, holding tight to the book, but looking so relaxed.

It must have been weighing pretty heavily on him to know what had happened to his father.

She closed her eyes, thinking to herself that Gajeel looked pretty handsome when he wasn't scowling at people.

The brooding and maniacal looks were alright, but the scowling just made him look horrible.

It made him seem like someone she knew he was not.

She drifted to sleep, thinking about the day ahead.

xXx

Gajeel woke with a kink in his neck and shoulders.

Sleeping in a chair was his least favorite place to sleep in most cases.

But he didn't have the option of the bed this time. He groaned as he got up. No, but he sure wished he'd had the option of the bed.

Levy was already up and he could hear her in the bathroom.

He reached for his coat and shook it out before pulling it on.

He put the bag holding all the books in his pocket as Levy opened the door.

He picked up his book and held it in his hands.

He had nowhere to put it that could hide it.

"Here." Levy held out her hands.

He hesitated before putting the large book in her hands.

She went to her jacket and pulled out a blue bag.

Gajeel watched her open the bag and shove the book inside. It disappeared into the fabric.

"That's the same as this bag isn't it?" He frowned.

She smiled up at him.

"Yeah, I earned it a while ago and best part is that just about anything fits. It can actually fit everything I travel with." She said. "They won't be able to get it from here without knowing which book it is."

Gajeel nodded in awe.

They checked out easily enough and the man seemed very excited to see them that morning.

"You will tell the other members about this place right. I'm really hoping to get as many signatures as possible."

"Sure." Gajeel said.

He walked with Levy back to the house and knocked on the door.

xXx

Levy could tell the butler was looking at them both differently.

Almost a year of break-ins and stealing of valuable books from the city and a nearby town and the two of them finish up in less than hours.

It did seem a little too real to believe.

But as the Mistress of the house stared at them and the stack of books Gajeel pulled from the bag and unbanded, she found that people should never expect the worst from Fairy Tail Mages.

Natsu and crew were an exception, not the norm. Erza seemed to manage just fine in her lack of serious damage. Same with Laxus and his group. And even Shadowgear did no damage most days.

The Mistress went through each book to ensure that they were there.

"One is missing. Where was my dragon book?" She looked at them both.

Levy sighed and pulled out her bag and took out the book.

She held it in her hands and glanced at Gajeel.

He looked hurt.

He should learn to trust her.

"With all respect, we can't give this one to you."

The woman looked ready to pitch a fit and Levy had to speak first.

"If you just take a look inside, you'll know it isn't yours anymore."

"I found it in the woods when I was traveling, therefore it is mine." The woman held out her hand for it.

Levy flipped it open to the family tree page.

"This is the real owner." Levy pointed at the name below Metalicana's.

"He lost it."

Levy flipped through to the newest entry.

"He never had a chance to get it. His Dragon left so suddenly and wasn't able to pass it down to him." Levy said. The woman hesitated and lowered her hand as she read the newest entries.

"These weren't there before...but they're in the same script. You did this?"

"No. It's a self updating book." Gajeel said. "It's been in my family for generations. Metalicana left before I could get it from him."

The woman looked up at him.

"So you are a Metal Dragon?" She huffed. "You don't look like one."

"I'm a Slayer. Metalicana was my adoptive father. He raised me as his own and used to say that he'd give me this book when I came of age. Then he disappeared before I did and the book was lost." Gajeel said.

Levy could tell he was holding back from being annoyed.

"Well, I can't prove that this book isn't yours, but you can't prove it is either."

"Then how about a trade?" Levy spoke up.

They looked at her.

"You keep the reward money and the reward that will surely be handed out for the rest of the books being returned, and give us this book. It really means a lot to us to not lose it this time." Levy said.

The woman sighed.

"Alright."

Gajeel grinned at Levy and she watched him pull the rest of the books from the bag and place the stacks on the table.

He placed the list for each on top and the paper that held the names of the owners.

"Thank you." Levy said as he held the book in his hands again.

He walked out, staring at it.

Levy walked beside him.

"You could have just gave her the book you know, and kept the money."

"Yes, but that would mean you'd just steal it back and it's better if she doesn't send another Fairy Tail Mage after it."

"True."

They made their way to the train station and got tickets.

xXx

Gajeel sat beside the little bookworm and sighed.

She looked at him.

"Thanks again."

"Better quit thanking me or you'll lose your reputation as a cruel bastard." She said with a laugh.

He could tell she was less afraid of him though, and that did make him happier.

"Yeah. Guess we'll have to go back to the way we were, otherwise your lapdogs will have a conniption fit."

"They'll get over it." She leaned against him.

Gajeel felt more at peace as he fingered the book in his bag.

"Besides, I knew you were nice to some people. Juvia wouldn't speak so highly about you if you were mean to her too."

He snorted.

"As lovesick as that woman is for friends I could probably beat her and then give her a cookie and she'd still say nice things about me."

"But you wouldn't." Levy said.

"Give her a cookie? Not a chance."

She shoved at his arm and Gajeel laughed.

"No, I do seem to have a thing for blue hair. The only friends I have are blue haired."

He listened to her hum as she leaned against him again.

Her sleight weight felt good against his arm.

In the past few days, it had felt good to be less cruel.

Granted, when some punk from a Dark Guild had dissed Fairy Tail in front of him and called him a pansy for joining it, he'd felt immense pleasure in breaking the man in both arms and a leg.

He could still be a cruel bastard when he wanted to be.

He looked down at the little blue head against his arm.

He just didn't want to be as often anymore.