Chapter 10

Never Again

It was nearing midnight and Laxus was tired, but he refused to fall asleep. It was dark in the infirmary, with only a few candles lit. Lucy lay on her bed, still fast asleep. Even after her spirit Gemini had transformed into Wendy and healed her, Lucy still remained out cold. Gemini assured all of them that Lucy would be fine and that she just needed rest. Apparently, her Spirit King Armor could be extremely draining.

Everyone else had left hours ago, relieved that Lucy and Wendy were both going to be okay. Laxus was the only one left sitting by the blonde's side now and he honestly preferred it this way. He needed quiet and solidarity to sort out his thoughts and chaotic emotions. At nearly two in the morning, sudden movement caught his attention and his eyes snapped onto Lucy. Her eyes were screwed up in pain and her hand had curled into a fist, desperately clutching the blanket. She whimpered in her sleep but relaxed after a few short moments.

Laxus let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and slumped forward with his head in his hands. After a moment, he moved his chair closer to her bed and gingerly took her slender hand in both of his. Carefully, he lifter her hand and softly brushed his lips across her knuckles. Laxus sighed in content for a second before he looked at her angelic face.

"Damn it, Blondie," he muttered quietly. "Why do you have to make me worry all the time?"

Perhaps it was the late hour and his sleep deprived mind, but slowly his thoughts began to wander as he gazed at the sleeping woman before him.

Laxus looked around the guild hall as chaos ensued. It was another day in Fairy Tail. Natsu and Gray were fighting, Cana was drinking her third barrel of alcohol, Loke was surrounded by his usual crowd of starry-eyed women, and Mira was behind the bar smiling out at everyone. Laxus scoffed at his pathetic guildmates. Idiots – all of them.

Suddenly, the guild doors opened and the lightning dragon slayer's nose was assaulted with the scent of strawberries and fresh paper. It was an odd combination but it worked, somehow. And Laxus couldn't get enough of it. Whose scent was this? Laxus absolutely had to know. He looked up, his eyes seeking out the source of his sudden interest. Laxus' breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat at the sight that met his eyes. She was beautiful. No, that word couldn't justify this woman. She wasn't beautiful. She was much more than that. Her chocolate eyes sparkled with a secret he was dying to know, her golden hair put the sun to shame, and when she smiled all was right in the world. This woman was heaven on Earthland. An angel gracing the world with her presence. For a solid minute, Laxus couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she greeted everyone in the guild. Sweet Mavis, her voice was musical! He vaguely registered the guild return her hello as he watched her approach the request board.

A glint of gold caught his eye and his attention snapped to the belt hanging off her hips. He spotted several gold and silver keys. Gate keys? So, she was a Celestial wizard, then? Well, that made sense, he thought. Of course a woman this divine would use the purest form of Light Magic.

Completely entranced, Laxus slowly made his way to Mira at the bar, not once taking his eyes off the Celestial beauty. He barely noticed the chair that narrowly missed his head as he grabbed a stool at the end of the bar. Laxus made sure not to draw attention to himself as he watched. After a minute or two, the woman's face lit up as she snatched a request off the board and walked over to where Natsu and Gray were still brawling. Laxus couldn't help but watch as her hips swayed temptingly and he gulped. Good God, what was this woman doing to him? He was snapped out of these thoughts when she spoke again.

"Hey, Natsu! Want to go on a mission with me?" she said with a smile.

Instantly, Natsu and Gray stopped throwing their fists at each other and the pink-haired dragon slayer smiled back at her. Laxus frowned as he watched Natsu throw an arm around her shoulders enthusiastically.

"Sure!" he said. "What one did you pick?"

The woman held the request flyer out to him with a grin. Laxus scowled. What the hell was this? Who did Natsu think he was, touching her so nonchalantly? Laxus clenched his jaw as he watched the two of them make to leave the guild with Happy, the flying blue cat.

Mira walked up to him with a smile on her face. "What can I get you, Laxus?"

He ordered his usual pint of beer. "New recruit?" he casually asked the bar maid with a nod to the retreating trio.

Mira glanced in the direction he'd indicated and her eyes lit up. "Oh, yes!" she chirped happily. "That's Lucy. She just joined last week. Natsu brought her here, actually." Laxus grunted to show he was listening. So, the angel's name was Lucy, huh? Perfect. "They're partners now. I think she's just what Fairy Tail needs. And aren't they just adorable together?"

Laxus snapped the handle off his mug at her words and shot her a glare as she walked away to tend to someone else.

"I thought you were insane for partnering up with Natsu, you know," Laxus said to Lucy while she slept and he rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand. He snorted in amusement at his own thoughts. "Hell, I bet the whole guild thought you were a little crazy." He was quiet for a moment before his mind drifted to another memory.

Everyone was sitting around, getting bandaged after the dark guild attacked them on Tenrou Island. Laxus was catching up with Gildarts when a peel of laughter caught his attention. Both Laxus' and Gildarts' heads snapped in the direction of the happy sound. It was Lucy, laughing at something Levy had said. All Laxus could do was suck in a sharp breath at the sight of her smile.

What the hell? He hadn't seen this woman in months. How could she still have such an effect on him?

Gildarts chuckled next to him. "Ah, got your eyes on her, have you?"

Laxus quickly looked away from Lucy. His cheeks were slightly pink. "No," he muttered.

Gildarts snorted in clear disbelief. "Sure, whatever you say. But if you did have an interest in her, my advice would be to make a move… before someone else does." Laxus couldn't hide the jealous anger in his eyes when he looked at the man. Gildarts chuckled again and tilted his head at a few others around the blonde woman. "You aren't the only one who can't stop looking at her."

Laxus looked at everyone the older man had indicated and froze. Gildarts was right; Laxus was not the only one admiring the Celestial wizard. Natsu and Gray were smiling openly at her. Bickslow was giving her an appraising look and even Freed had the ghost of a smile on his lips when he glanced at her.

Laxus looked away with a glare. Gildarts smirked before adding, "And from what I hear, she's got a few admirers from Blue Pegasus, too,"

An involuntary growl escaped the dragon slayer's lips as a roar sounded from overhead and a shadow passed over the entire island.

Laxus cringed at the memory of the dragon's attack on Fairy Tail's sacred land. Despite having lost so much time, Laxus was so glad they'd all been frozen for seven years. At least everyone had survived.

"I thought we were all going to die that day on Tenrou Island," Laxus sighed. "Even though we lost seven years, I'm glad we all made it out."

It was the water event at the Grand magic Games. Laxus watched with bated breath as the girls fought with everything they had, He should have been focusing on Juvia as she was his teammate, but Laxus only had eyes for Lucy as she swam about trying to find an opening. The dragon slayer had been worried for Lucy ever since her one-on-one battle with Flare. He knew her confidence was low after that defeat, even though everyone knew that Flare's team had cheated.

All was looking good for Lucy until Minerva launched her attack. The fight seemed to drag on for ages. Minerva was ruthless and brutal as every blow she dealt Lucy rattled the entire crowd. Laxus was so angry at Minerva, it was all he could do to stay put and not strangle her.

Finally, Minerva was done abusing Lucy. Laxus had the sudden urge to run to the fallen woman's side. He frowned. Why would he want to do that? Lucy had her friends to take care of her and worry about her. She didn't need him – someone whom she'd hardly ever exchanged words with. Laxus shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts. No, Lucy didn't need him. He was being ridiculous.

Lucy whimpered again in her sleep and Laxus cringed at the pained look on her beautiful face. Mavis, he hated seeing her in pain.

A memory flashed across his mind. One he'd desperately been trying to forget.

Laxus stood in his grandfather's office, towering over both Makarov and Lucy. He was desperately trying to get Lucy to stay. She couldn't leave Fairy Tail. She just couldn't!

Harsh words were exchanged and tempers were rising. A storm was coming and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

"… quit the guild and abandon her family!"

"Oh, please! Why do you even care, Laxus?" Ouch. That stung. "It's not like my leaving the guild will affect you in any way." You're wrong.

Oh, this was so frustrating! Couldn't she see that he cared? Why was everything a fight with her? They'd actually gotten to know each other quite a bit lately – the Games had brought the whole guild a little closer – but it seemed like all they did was fight. Even their friendly exchanges often involved a few snide comments.

"… Loke did offer to help me train in the Spirit World. If I did decide to do that, I'd be gone longer."

Laxus did not like the sound of that. "How much longer?"

Her response caused another tidal wave of angry words to fall from his mouth. Inside, he was panicking – Lucy couldn't leave for years! Before he knew it, Lucy was invading his personal space and giving him the lecture of a lifetime.

"First of all," she said in a low hiss. "What I do with my life is none of your goddamn business. If I want to go off and train, I fucking will and there's nothing you, or anyone else, can do to stop me." Laxus fought to hide his shock. He'd never heard her curse like that before. "I refuse to be controlled – that's why I ran away from home in the first place. Second, you have no idea why I've decided to do this. You haven't got a clue what I've been through." Oh, Mavis. What did she mean by that? Was there something she was hiding from everyone? Laxus started to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as she poked him roughly in the chest "I need space and time away and you will fucking respect that. Thirdly, how dare you suggest that I'm some heartless bitch who would just abandon everyone she loves and cares for!" What? No! He wasn't trying to imply that at all! "Fairy Tail is my home and all of you are my family. I finally found a place where I feel like I belong. I would never give that up without a fight. This wasn't an easy decision for me and I don't appreciate you thinking so little of me and making this harder."

A thousand things flew through his mind. Why couldn't he ever seem to say the right thing when it came to Lucy? Everything always came out so angry or demanding. He never meant it how it sounded but he had no idea how to explain that to her. Why was it so damn difficult to express his thoughts and feelings to this woman?

All frustration left him when Lucy began to explain what pushed her into deciding to leave the guild.

"Last week, we went on an S-Class mission with Erza," Laxus didn't like how she was avoiding their eyes. This couldn't be good. Dread filled him even more. "We were supposed to take out a small dark guild. We were told there were only ten members but when we got there, there were over thirty of them. They ambushed us. We were doing fine at first, then… I messed up." Laxus had to suppress a nervous gulp. "One of the mages could manipulate your thoughts. He tricked me into thinking I was fighting next to Gray when it was really him. He knocked me out when I turned away to go after someone else. I woke up in a nearby cave a few hours later. There were only three of them left but they still took me hostage. I… I couldn't move. They had me hanging from some chains and they'd taken my keys and put a spell on them so my spirits couldn't break through their gates."

Laxus cringed at the sound of fear in her voice. What happened to her? Did he even want to know?

Lucy began to remove her jacket which confused both Laxus and his grandfather. "They tortured me for hours," she whispered.

When Lucy turned to show them her back, Laxus could feel the color drain from his face. Sweet Mavis! Those marks looked fresh and extremely excruciating. Why would someone do this to her? Rage filled him. Who would dare cause his Lucy such pain?! Wait… his Lucy? Since when was she his? Lost in thought, Laxus missed some of what she said next. "… I asked them not to tell anyone."

"Dear child, you have to go to Wendy, immediately!"

Yes! She should see Wendy! Laxus had half a mind to go grab the little dragon slayer right now-

"I already did. It seems that the whip wasn't just cursed. It was dipped in poison, too. Wendy healed me the best she could."

What? Wendy already tried to heal her? And she couldn't? What kind of poison would prevent wounds from closing? Who the hell would use such a thing on another human being? The more the thought about it, the angrier he became. He was angry at the ones who tortured Lucy, he was angry at her team for not telling anyone, and he was angry with her for thinking she had to keep her pain to herself.

"You can't do this, Blondie! Fairy Tail needs you! Have you even told your team about this? Stop this bull shit! If you really want to get stronger, I'll train you myself!" Please, don't leave! "You're not the only person this decision affects! Quit being selfish and-"

SMACK! Laxus probably should have expected the slap that followed, but he hadn't. Instead, he was shocked into silence as she shook with her own rage. His breath caught. Even when livid, she was stunning.

"How dare you call me selfish!" Shit. Again, he'd said something he didn't mean. "I would do anything to protect my friends and family. I would die if it meant I could protect Fairy Tail! Hell, I have died before to save all of Fiore!" What did that mean? When had she died before? "So don't you ever call me selfish again, Laxus Dreyar!"

The months that followed left Laxus feeling empty. He was hallow. Without Lucy around, he found little reason to be happy. Life was dull without the Celestial mage just across the guild hall. It wasn't just Laxus, either. Everyone felt the change and no one liked it much. They needed Lucy. For Laxus, it was a little more complicated. Sure, he needed Lucy's smile to light up the world around him just like the rest of the guild did, but after she'd been gone for a few months, he'd realized something. There was a reason he felt like he needed her like oxygen; he was in love with her. He wasn't just attracted to her flawless beauty like he'd originally thought. He was actually in love with her. It took losing her to realize that. Laxus knew he would sacrifice anything for her, he would do anything to protect her, and he would even die for her – but she was gone now.

When Lucy suddenly stopped sending letters to the guild, Laxus knew something was wrong. He couldn't help the dread that filled him when no one – not even her team – had heard from her in weeks. Makarov had had to stop him several times from going off to find her himself. Sweet Mavis, he prayed she was all right. If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. If only she'd come back, he could protect her and make sure she was okay. He'd even confess his feelings to her if he could only see her once more. He thought to himself every night, 'please, god let her come home.'

Quietly, Laxus asked the sleeping woman something he'd been thinking about since she'd first left. "Do they still hurt, Lucy?" he whispered. "The marks on your back. I know you said they can't be healed. They still looked fresh to me. Do they still hurt, too?" Oh, how he hoped they no longer troubled her.

When Lucy's name was announced followed by Violet's, all Laxus wanted to do was grab Lucy and lightning teleport them away. He had a bad feeling about this battle and he wasn't willing to risk losing Lucy. Again.

"Hiding behind your spirits already, Lucy?" Lucy glared but kept quiet. "Oh? Nothing to say today, I see. Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to have a nice little chat before I destroyed you. Tell me, how is the little dragon slayer doing?"

Laxus' eyes widened and he let out a growl. So, the woman who wanted his mate dead is also the one who attacked little Wendy? Wait, did he just say mate? What? Laxus shook his head and watched Lucy throw herself into the fight angrily. Laxus was relieved to see Lucy holding her own against Violet so far. Unfortunately, that still didn't stop the worry from getting to him. After a little while, Laxus watched Lucy get flung into the wall near them and he growled at Violet out of reflex.

"Be careful, Lucy!" Laxus heard Freed shout at her. "She's using Darkness Magic. It's much like my own. You must take caution, it's very dangerous!"

Oh, no. That's not good.

Lucy seemed to take Freed's warning to heart because she and Loke formulated some kind of plan that he could barely hear over the crowd.

"I was thinking the exact same thing, Loke. You can go now. I'll be fine."

What the hell was she thinking, sending Loke back to the Spirit World? Apparently Violet was thinking the same thing. "Sending your spirit away to cast a spell? Are you that desperate, Lucy? You know you don't stand a chance without one of your spirits to hide behind."

Laxus felt that Lucy's answering smile was rather smug. 'Please, don't do anything stupid.'

"No, I'm not desperate, but I'm definitely not playing around with you anymore." Playing around? Had Lucy been baiting Violet this whole time? What did she have up her sleeve? "Celestial Elixir: Lunation!"

Laxus was impressed with her spell and glad to see that she no longer had any injuries.

"… it can't fix everything." Laxus heard everyone gasp in shock but he cringed. Mavis, he'd hoped those marks would have healed more. It'd been over a year now and they were still red and angry looking.

Lucy's strength impressed Laxus as she launched herself into the air. "I've learned a few new tricks, Violet. Let's see if you can keep up!" Don't taunt her! "Star Dress! Taurus Form!"

Laxus was in awe at the sight that now greeted him. Lucy was standing in an entirely new outfit with a terrifying looking axe slung over her shoulder like it was nothing. Is this what she learned while she was gone? What kind of Celestial magic was this? And holy shit, the magic energy she was now giving off was dramatically different from what she usually gave off. Was this really Lucy? Good God, did she just cause an earthquake with that axe?

The next form she took shocked Laxus even more. She looked lethal in this form and he couldn't help but think she also looked extremely sexy. Where the hell did she learn this? The fight went on and Laxus' jaw dropped when he saw her transform again. This time she held twin swords and fought with them like it was nothing. She was amazing! Where had she learned to handle swords like that? If she'd shown him this new magic before, he might not have followed her on that job. It was clear she didn't need his protection. Lucy was a master all on her own.

Laxus clenched his fists when Violet managed to steal Lucy's whip and wrapped it around her neck. He held his breath, listening to everything Violet said to her.

Freed, Gray, and Gildarts had to hold him back when Violet started yanking Lucy around like a rag doll. Every time she hit the ground and the sickening crunch met his ears, Laxus saw red. He had to get to Lucy. Violet was going to die by his hand and that's all there was to it! Damn it! Why wouldn't they let him help her?

Violet must have said something to motivate Lucy because she somehow found the strength to yank the whip out of Violet's hand to free herself. Laxus struggled against the men's hold even more. He could sense that her magic was almost out.

"Star Armor! Celestial Spirit King!"

The next thing Laxus knew, Lucy was standing before them in magnificent armor. Her eyes were glowing and she gave off so much magic energy it nearly knocked the wind out of Laxus' lungs. What the hell was this? It was enough to get Laxus to pause in his struggle against his teammates.

"With all the force of the Universe, I cast my judgment!" Lucy declared in a God-like voice. "My righteousness shall rain down from the Heavens and bring justice! Shower of the Stars: Meteor Shower!"

Laxus sucked in a sharp breath as Lucy's spell hit Violet. He'd never seen anything like that before.

Slowly, Lucy changed back to her normal self and panic overtook Laxus this time. She didn't look good at all. He had to help her! This time, no one stopped him as he ran to her aid. Before he could reach her, however, Loke reappeared and caught her in his arms. Laxus didn't care though. He was going to help her, no matter what.

"Lucy, you promised you wouldn't use that armor."

"I know, I'm sorry, Loke, but I had no choice. She was going for the kill."

Laxus watched the lion nuzzle her cheek and he briefly had to look away from this show of affection. It hurt too much. "I know. Get some rest, Princess. I'll send for Gemini to heal you."

"Thank you."

Laxus snapped out of his thoughts when Lucy gave a jolt in her sleep. Worriedly, he looked at her face to see it screwed up in pain and fear. Oh, no. What was she dreaming about? Was it a nightmare? Lucy surprised Laxus when she gripped his hand firmly. Something warm erupted in Laxus' chest at the action. With a small smile, he squeezed her hand gently in return.

"It's okay, Lucy," he said in an affectionate whisper. "I'm here with you. You're safe." Tenderly, he lifted a hand to her cheek and brushed a few stray hairs from her face. For a moment, all was perfect in his world. He was finally able to touch the woman he loved in the adoring way he'd desired for so long and she wasn't pushing him away with her words. Mavis! Laxus knew he would never want another woman the way he wanted Lucy. No one else could possibly compare to her. He couldn't live with himself if something more were to happen to her. Laxus had never been so devoted. It didn't take much for Laxus to conclude that he wouldn't let her go through that again. Never again. Not if he could help it.

Then the world came crashing down around him at Lucy's muttered words as she spoke in her sleep.

"No… please… don't want to… can't leave. Please, save me… Freed…"

A lump formed in Laxus' throat and water pricked at the corners of his eyes. Those words were worse than a death sentence. Of course Lucy wouldn't love him back, but did she have to want his best friend? Laxus took a deep breath and gently kissed Lucy's forehead before he stood to leave the infirmary. If Lucy was truly happy with Freed, he would let them be. He didn't have the heart to make Lucy unhappy. Hell, if Freed truly cared for her, he wouldn't stand in his way. He was his best friend after all, and he wanted nothing but the best for him.

This changed nothing, however. Laxus was determined to protect Lucy no matter what. Even if she loved another.

A/N: It took me forever to get my mind around this chapter! I'm sorry it took me a while, guys. For some reason I was having the hardest time writing in his pov (sort of). I just couldn't put my finger on how I wanted to go about it and then the flashbacks! Ugh, those sent me in for a tizzy. But, oh well. It's done now and I hope you all enjoy it. I wanted to show Laxus softening up a bit and you get to see more of his thoughts and how he realized he loved her. Anywho, I need to be getting to sleep now. Work 12 hours tomorrow, like usual.

P.S.: Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, I truly appreciate it and I hope you don't hate me after this chapter.

~Andromeda