"Meredy… is coming here?"

Freed studied her reaction, knowing it was a tossup on how Lucy would react to the news. Erza stood at the front of his living room, her weight shifted to one side as she fidgeted, and Erza never fidgeted.

If that wasn't a telling sign of her discomfort, Freed didn't know what would be.

"Only if you want her to," Erza replied, answering Lucy's question. In the last three days the blonde maiden had gotten a little better, using her whip almost too often throughout the day to fill her endless time. Because of this she'd started eating a little more, though Freed wouldn't call it a healthy amount just yet. At least she was managing to eat more than once a day, and the serving sizes were closer to proper size. Now if only he could keep it that day.

Lucy hesitated, glancing between the pair. Erza came alone today, something she hadn't done since she started staying at Freed's home. He wasn't certain if it was by choice or if Grey finally caved and joined one of the search parties like Natsu.

"When?" she asked, looking between the pair. "How… how will Meredy help?"

"She's one of the few remaining members of the Seven Kin," Erza reasoned, clasping her hands together, "and she has a better understanding of Rustyrose than the rest of us. I asked if she knew why he would join up with the Seis, but she seemed absolutely baffled when I asked."

"Then how would she help?" Freed asked, arching an eyebrow. "You can't just ask her through the lacrima?"

Erza blushed. "Jellal is supposed to stop by for a day or two, and Meredy is coming along. If you aren't up to seeing her that's fine, we can more than handle asking her some questions. I want you to have the option though if you do want to speak with her; Meredy is not as intrusive as Cobra was."

Freed half expected Lucy to flinch at the dragon slayers name but she didn't, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "Cobra wasn't intrusive. He pushed… I showed him what he asked for, even if it wasn't what he wanted."

Glancing at the scarlet haired woman, Freed knew she was just as doubtful as he was about that. It was no secret Cobra pushed Lucy beyond her means, delving into memories she didn't need to relive.

But he wasn't going to correct her, not if she was feeling bold enough to bring the subject up herself.

When Lucy didn't speak again Erza cleared her throat, turning to go. "Jellal and Meredy should arrive the day after tomorrow. Just let me know before then if you want to see her in person." Her expression softening, Erza's arms slowly fell to her sides. "Lucy, she knows you've been through an ordeal. She won't be upset if you don't want to see her. She's only trying to help us understand what Rustyrose's motives may have been."

Nodding, Lucy remained silent. Freed wondered if he made a judgment error letting Erza in, assuming after three good days that Lucy could handle seeing a close friend. She didn't speak again until after Erza said goodbye and left, turning slanted eyes in Freed's direction.

"Why do they all do that?" she asked quietly, her gaze remaining on the door. He sat forward on the sofa, his eyebrows drawing together.

"Do what?"

"Look at me like that!" she cried, her voice rising. "I – I'm trying to get better! Why does everyone look like… why does everyone think I'm still broken?"

Freed paused at her words, surprised by the outburst. Lucy didn't usually raise her voice unless she was terrified, and he hadn't seen her outright scream in quite some time.

He hesitated, thinking back to how Lucy was just this morning, trying her damndest to strengthen herself again. When they spoke he'd been able to pick up on the anguish she was feeling, despite her improvements.

"I need to get stronger," Lucy said, finally resting back against the porch after their short workout. He'd suggested going in twenty minutes before but she wouldn't have it, stretching herself as thin as she could in an effort to get stronger again.

She'd even tried to convince him to duel to work on her combat skills now that she didn't have any spirits to help her out, but he adamantly refused. Right now he wasn't sure it was a good idea to attack her, even if it would help her endurance. If she was still having such vivid nightmares it wouldn't help to start dueling and possible trigger a memory.

Or worse, cause her to become afraid of him.

"We both know that takes time," he reminded, setting the sword down beside him. He'd been practicing beside her, refusing to fight with her. The trees nearest to the house showed the damage her whip left behind, the gashes satisfyingly deep. "It won't happen overnight."

"No," she grumbled, crossing her arms. They'd been resting for a few minutes now, her breathing returning to normal. She hadn't been as guarded that afternoon, her walls coming down a hair as she got the opportunity to exert some energy. "I-I guess not."

Freed paused, turning towards her with a quirked eyebrow. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Stutter," he answered, tilting his head. "You don't need to. Stuttering is a form of unease when you're afraid, but there's nothing to be afraid of right now. No one is going to hurt you here."

"You keep saying that," she whispered, her eyes shifting away from him. "But the moment I leave your house I leave the security of the runes. We've seen what happens when I go out. They were in my house. They touched my things." Her eyes watered, clenching on the whip in her hands. "They took my letters… and destroyed them."

"I know they were important to you," he agreed, still in the dark about why those were so significant. "Gray brought some of your things by yesterday, including every piece of the letters he could find."

Lucy nodded, but he could tell it didn't calm her down. "I need to be strong, Freed. Without my spirits I only have hand-to-hand options. I wish I had my other whip, but this one will do. I just… have to get stronger. I got winded after five minutes this morning. Five minutes! How will I manage to fight them?"

Biting his tongue, Freed resisted the urge to fight that idea. He hadn't figured out how he might manage it, but if he could he wanted to keep her from fighting the Seis. If Rustyrose had ideas of his own for Lucy that would be problem enough; he wasn't certain having her there in the line of fire was a good idea.

He was also painfully aware that there was no way to keep her from doing so. She would go and fight for her friends, and he'd only be hurting her if he told her to stay. She deserved the right to face her demons.

He just didn't want her to have to.

"You're not broken," he replied, studying her face. Her chin had dropped down again, stray, sticky strands of hair clinging to her cheek. Absentmindedly he reached out and brushed them back, stilling when her head jerked up to meet his gaze. Swallowing, he continued, "They couldn't possibly break you."

"Don't lie," she whispered, feeling the tears pricking her eyes. "You saw me. You know they broke me."

"But not your spirit," Freed countered, his fingers moving to rest gently against the side of her face, and she leaned into his touch. "Or your faith. Your connections with your friends are still strong. There's still time. You don't need to push this hard. You may have been badly abused, but you're not beaten, Lucy."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Yes I do," she cried, a tear dancing down her face. "I have to push! I – I can barely sleep, I see their faces when I close my eyes. I can't fight off the memories –"

Lucy cut herself off, and Freed found himself disappointed. Even though Cobra came over last week, there were still a lot of holes in Lucy's story that he didn't understand. She was keeping pieces of the puzzle to herself; something she was justified in doing, but it made it hard to determine what she was hiding. He wanted to help, but he didn't know what else to do without the missing pieces.

And when she came into his room and started talking about touching herself? The idea was so bizarre he still hadn't figured that one out, but he figured there had to be some underlying implications he was missing.

Tilting his head towards the house, he let his thumb rub against the skin of her cheek. "We should go in. We can make something for dinner soon, and you need to rest."

"But-"

"And we'll pick up again tomorrow," he continued, already getting up. "Come on, you really should eat something."

Lucy accepted his hand when he offered it, letting the green haired man pull her to her feet, her whip clenched tight in her hand. Only when they entered the house did her grip relax, her shoulders visibly dropping as she set the weapon aside in the living room.

Freed silently observed her, the way her demeanor immediately changed upon entering. If nothing else, he'd managed to make a sort of sanctuary here in his home for her. It made him feel better knowing he'd provided some sort of comfort.

When Freed awoke that night, it was to the sounds of screams once again, just as it had been every other night. He jerked awake in his bed, the door already open for both of their rooms. At some point she'd started leaving the door open so they could try talking until they passed out, and now it just made it an easy pathway for him to reach her quickly.

As he expected, she was soaked in sweat when he got in there, her hands fisted into the pillows above her. The same thing kept happening over the past few nights, her cries escalating the longer she was trapped in her nightmare.

Despite himself, Freed found his chest hurting at the sight. He'd always found it painful when Lucy was hurt in the past, but this was different. Lately he'd noticed he seemed to be suffering with her whenever she was in pain.

"Lucy," he said, speaking a little louder than he normally would. He pressed one of his hands over her own, the muscles not easing up. "It's Freed. Come on, come back to me. It's another nightmare."

She twisted, lost in the dream. He had faith that Midnight couldn't penetrate his wards, and she should only be suffering at the hand of her memories. Shaking her shoulder, he tried again, "Lucy-"

"Please!" she screamed, causing his heart to clench. "Please! P-please don't… don't make me t-t-"

She dissolved into sobs again, but Freed's fingers froze their movements, his mind going blank for a moment. She hadn't said anything like that before. What was she hinting at?

His hand stiffened on her shoulder when she spoke again, "No… no! I can't I don't I – I don't touch-"

Freed's eyes widened as she spoke, giving her shoulder another firm shake as he called out her name, managing to dislodge her from the dream. Her eyes flew open in the dark, a scream ripping out of her throat at the same time.

"Shh," he said, attempting to brush her hair out of her face, "Lucy, Lucy it's okay. You're here with me, no one else is here. Remember?"

For a moment she didn't respond, her eyes dancing around the room as though she could pick out his lie. When her breathing began to even out she swallowed, managing to speak. "F-Freed."

Giving her a smile, he let go of her shoulder. "I told you I wouldn't let something else happen."

That sent Lucy over the edge, and as he expected she dissolved into tears, her cries echoing around the room. He shifted onto the bed, adjusting Lucy so she could lean against him and seek comfort if she wanted. She didn't object, throwing her arms around his shoulders to cry into his chest.

He let his hand trail up and down her back, hoping it would soothe her. "It's okay now," he said, keeping his voice low again now that she was awake. "It's okay, nothing-"

"T-they made me t-touch myself," she spit out, silencing Freed instantly. His hand clamped down on her back, fingers knotting into her shirt.

"What?" he asked, his voice more of a growl. She clung tighter to him, and he wondered if it was due to his voice or what she admitted. He couldn't believe his ears.

No fucking way. The other day when she started going on a tangent –

He wanted to bang his head against something, or at the very least let her do it. She'd joked with him about it, like this wasn't something that was traumatic for her. Hell, he hadn't even considered –

Freed loosened his hold on her back, afraid he might lose control if he dug into the sleepshirt too hard. Smoothing his hand down her back rigidly, he blinked. He could feel his magic building, begging for the release he couldn't – wouldn't – give here.

"I-it was something t-they wanted," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the silent room. "They wanted t-to see."

"Lucy-"

"'Show them something good'. That's what Midnight said." She pulled back a hair, meeting his eyes in the dark. "I-I didn't. I d-didn't show t-them anything good."

Controlling his breathing, Freed reminded himself to not go off on her. He needed to take a step back before it got any worse. "You didn't have to," he growled, thinking of how frightened she must've been.

That's what she kept from him the other day? He'd assumed if something happened it would involve those monsters touching her, but he hadn't considered the idea that it was just as dehumanizing to make Lucy an active participant.

"You don't have to tell me," he said quietly, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Really. You can tell me as little or as much as you need to."

Only, if she told him too much, he'd fly off the handle.

She pursed her lips, eyes shifting away. She was still shaking in his grip, her fear magnified by the tremor in her hands. "I-it was Rusty's idea but they all agreed."

That wasn't as surprising as it should've been. Considering what else he'd seen and heard about the Arc of Embodiment mage, Freed knew he took whatever he wanted and didn't care. Clearly Lucy fit into that category.

She sputtered, one hand coming to clench the front of his shirt. He realized she was coming unhinged, sharing things she may not be ready to but were tumbling out anyway. "They watched, Rusty and Racer. Midnight did after the first day."

Freed's grip on her tightened, disturbed by the sudden calm of her voice.

"T-they laughed at first," she continued, her cheeks dampening once more. "B-because I didn't know how to do it." Shaking, the hand holding the front of his shirt tightened. "R-Rusty grabbed my hand and s-showed me."

That settled it.

Prying her hand off of his shirt he kissed the knuckles, willing himself to step away from her. He needed space for a second or he might accidently hurt her. He had to do something.

He knew the Seis messed with her, destroyed her psyche. He hadn't realized they took some innocent from her, rape or not. If she hadn't touched herself before, there was no reason for someone else to step in and – and –

He lost it, spinning away from Lucy and towards the window. Holding out his hand, he felt the magic within surging forward, unable to hold back any longer. He'd prefer a target, but if this allowed some of his pent up anger to dissipate he'd take it. "Dark Écriture: Darkness Shadow."

Freed watched, with no amount of satisfaction, as the window blew out and the tornado-like storm of his magic brewed at the outskirts of his property, successfully destroying a large section of trees in the distance.

It did not to curb his anguish for the girl behind him, but at least it scratched at the overwhelming power ebbing up inside. He'd have to do something more consistent than that, but it was a start.

When he turned back he expected to find Lucy in a mixture or horror and tears, but instead she was only crying. She appeared no more upset than a moment ago when he stepped away, like his sudden loss of control had no effect on her.

Her eyes met his, and she picked up like nothing happened. "H-he said I got a little better."

Freed's eyes widened, ignoring the breeze now entering through the gaping window. Approaching her again he fell on his knees beside the bed, grasping both her hands. "It doesn't matter what he said Lucy, it should never have happened."

Her lip trembled. "Do you still think I'm not broken?"

He scowled, reaching out to push her hair back again. The wind somewhat deterred that, but it did nothing to stop him from repeating the action. "As I told you before, nothing they did broke you. Even that."

"I-I'm being a baby about it," she whispered, looking away, "I… they didn't really touch me-"

"It doesn't matter," Freed seethed, his tone lowering. "It doesn't fucking matter Lucy. If they did anything to you without your permission it's not your fault, do you understand me?"

She pressed her lips together, refusing to say anything else. When she didn't speak again he sighed, glancing around. Giving her a minute wouldn't hurt and besides, he needed to figure out what to do with the gaping hole in the wall. She'd get cold in here.

"We should go downstairs to sleep," he said, barely controlling his tone. He didn't want to upset her again. "Give me a second-"

"I-if you're worried about me being cold," she said, interrupting him, "we… we could s-sleep in your room… if you wanted."

He stared at her, unable to figure out what to say first. With a suggestion like that she had to be basing it off of the triggered feelings the memory had to bring back. "I'm not going to make you sleep in my room, Lucy."

"I'm offering," she whispered, glancing at the hole in the wall. "I-I'll be safe in there tonight. You… you wouldn't hurt me. You won't make me do those things."

Freed felt his heart melt at her words, surprised she had so much belief in him. "If you're sure. We can change the plan anytime, I promise."

Lucy nodded, slowly getting up out of the bed. Freed focused on the wall, making sure to encrypt the gaping space tenfold just in case someone was watching. Ignoring the issue and giving someone the chance to break through the hole would be foolish. He wouldn't risk it.

When he turned back Lucy was gone. Glancing around he noticed her inside his bedroom, staring uncertainly at the bed. She had turned on his light since entering, rubbing her arm uncertainly.

Taking a deep breath he joined her in the room, wondering how badly this idea could blow up in his face. He stood beside her for a couple moments before speaking. "I'll sleep on top of the blankets, and I'll be on this side since its closest to the window."

She nodded absentmindedly, taking no notice of him. All the times they'd spent talking in the night they'd never been bold enough to sleep in the same space, on the same bed. Freed refused to offer, just in case. Now he didn't know what to do.

Silently Lucy sank into the bed, her body rigid as she sat down. Her fingers managed to grasp the top of the covers, pulling them tight over herself as she laid down like a board. She didn't look at him, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Biting his lip, Freed remained where he was. "We don't have to sleep in here. I'm sorry I blew out the window-"

Lucy silenced him, turning her head as she reached towards him. "Please… I want to be in here. You won't hurt me."

Giving him, he slipped in beside her, watching somewhat amused when she tried to tug the blankets out from under him. "Lucy-"

"I know you won't do anything," she continued, her actions never ceasing. "Sleep like normal. Please. Pretend like… like this is normal."

Freed sighed, getting up once more to readjust the covers. When he slipped back in and got comfortable she surprised him again, shifting closer so she was pressed into his side.

He kept his hands where they were, unsure what exactly she wanted. Whatever Lucy felt comfortable with was what mattered, but they hadn't gotten this physically close before sleeping, and anything he did could trigger something for her.

"Freed," she said quietly, one hand coming to grasp the fabric over his stomach, "please… just hold me."

He didn't have to be told twice, accustomed to how to do that at least. She fit easily into his hold, her head pressed into his shoulder. He could feel her softly crying, but she wasn't shaking anymore, and the stutter was all but gone.

"Whatever you need," he whispered, resting his head back into the pillows. "I'll be here."

She blinked, slowly coming back into awareness. The harsh rays of afternoon light drifted in through the window, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she did she noticed the stock of green hair to one side of her vision, and slowly tilted her head up.

Freed. Of course he was still asleep. She'd interrupted his sleep pattern again, and no doubt he would remain passed out unless she woke him. But he could stay asleep a while longer. He deserved it.

Besides, she knew she remained asleep for the rest of last night, something she'd rarely been able to achieve. Maybe cuddling up to him was overkill, but it let her mind rest peacefully. No matter what, she knew Freed wouldn't let any harm come to her.

And sleeping in his arms was surprisingly soothing. He'd even stroked her hair last night while she drifted off, something she wasn't sure he was even conscious of doing. Whatever the reason, she wasn't going to argue.

It actually felt… nice.

She tried to cuddle closer to him but was interrupted by a buzzing, glancing over the sleeping man to spy a lacrima going off on the bedside table. Freed received plenty of messages throughout the day on it, most of them pertaining to her.

It couldn't hurt for her to answer, especially with the likelihood of it being about her. Reaching across Freed she did her best not to wake him, scooting back to the other side of the bed as the lacrima buzzed. She wasn't entirely sure how it would go if someone saw them sharing a bed.

Lucy cleared her throat when she answered, hoping she didn't look too appalling. "Hello?"

"Lucy!" the white haired mage squealed, startling her. She nearly dropped the lacrima, waking up Freed in the process. He bolted up, almost causing her to drop it a second time.

"Lucy?"

Freed gave her a look as she adjusted the lacrima again, smiling down at the bubbly girl. "Yukino, hi! I wasn't expecting to hear from you."

"I should've gotten ahold of you sooner," the celestial mage agreed, her smile breaking. "If I had known… oh god Lucy, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay," she interrupted, hoping to avoid thinking about her experience yet again. Freed rubbed the sleep from his eyes before leaning closer, letting Yukino know someone else was there. "Really, people have to stop feeling bad. It's no one else's fault."

Yukino blinked, looking between the pair curiously. "You must be Freed. Natsu said Lucy was with you."

"You've seen Natsu?" she gasped, gripping the lacrima tighter.

"Salamander stopped by early this morning saying Yukino needed to talk to her spirits," a voice said, carrying over the message. A moment later the white haired girl was surrounded by the twin dragon slayers, who were curiously looking at the duo. Sting arched an eyebrow when he continued, "he said it was extremely important."

Spirits.

Lucy's grasp on the lacrima tightened until her knuckles were nearly white, and Freed ended up gently sliding it out of her grip. The trio on the other side watched silently, like they were prepared to witness the interaction.

Her mouth felt dry when she finally spoke. "Did you talk to them?"

"Yes, Libra and Pisces spoke with the others," she agreed, and Lucy's shoulders sagged in relief. For the first time in twelve days since Freed found her she had actual news on her friends. "They aren't hurt Lucy; they are safe."

She sagged in relief, her eyes pricking with joyful tears. "Oh thank god."

"But their confused," Yukino went on, frowning. "Loke wanted to come out and speak with me, but Natsu said any interaction with our world might be dangerous. Why do they need to remain in the spirit world?"

Lucy's eyes widened a little. Natsu was really listening if he picked up on that, and he'd taken initiative to go off on his own and seek out one of the only other celestial mages they knew. "I-it's hard to explain-"

"Natsu kind of explained it," Rogue interrupted, shrugging. "Yukino sent Libra to tell your friends to not exit their keys for any reason, and to tell them you're working on getting them back."

Her lip trembled, surprised how much Natsu managed to handle. With the way he was the last time they talked, she assumed he'd gone to kill Midnight and the others himself. At least now she knew that her friends wouldn't do something irrational and try to help her. "C-could Libra send another message?"

Yukino brightened, nodding her head vigorously. "Of course! Natsu told us who to call in case you wanted to do something like that."

"Tell them I'm safe," she whispered, thinking back to the last time she'd seen her spirits. They knew she was being tortured, her magic repressed. They had to be worried.

"Natsu said something like that, but I knew you'd want to tell them," she agreed, giving the pair a bright smile. "Libra said they are all pretty torn up about whatever happened, but so long as you're with your guild you're safe."

Lucy nodded, looking towards Freed. "Yeah."

Clearing his throat, he spoke for the first time. "Libra wouldn't be able to ask where they are, would she? They don't happen to know anything about that?"

"She tried that," Sting replied, glancing away. "They didn't know. They were going to try to figure it out and if they found out something they are supposed to let Yukino and Libra know."

"If I find out anything else I'll be in contact," Yukino agreed, smiling again. "I know how to reach you now, and I have no problem communicating between you and your spirits, Lucy."

Blinking, she felt the beginning of her tears. They slipped past her eyelids, leaving little trails down her cheeks. On the lacrima screen she watched three sets of eyes following their path, the trio barely aware of what actually happened. From the way they were acting, there was no way they could know everything.

Natsu wouldn't tell them about all her demons, no matter how he felt.

Her hands clasped together, glad that Freed was now holding the device. "L-let them know I love them, and I miss them all! I'm going to find them. We'll be together again soon."

Yukino smiled, sharing a knowing look between herself, Sting, and Rogue. "Of course."

"If there's anything else Sabertooth can do let us know," Rogue continued. "Sting is the master now; it shouldn't be hard to convince him to help."

"Thank you," she said quietly, watching the trio on the screen. Maybe she should've called Yukino herself earlier, but the fear of what she might learn was too overpowering. If her spirits were okay, just confused and angry, then the Seis's plans had failed thus far, and they still had time. "Thank you for checking on them."

"Anytime," Yukino replied, looking between the pair. "Take care, Lucy."

The screen faded, and so did the three Sabers. Once the screen went black Freed set it aside, focusing on Lucy. She didn't give him time to question her, turning her watery eyes towards his. "They are okay. They couldn't lie to another spirit, and Libra wouldn't lie to Yukino."

Freed gave her a smile, setting aside the lacrima. "They aren't in any danger because they are smart enough to know something's wrong. If she told them you are safe they will feel less compelled to open their gates and search for you."

Lucy's smile widened, feeling real joy for the first time in over two weeks. "Their plan is failing; they don't have what they need."

"And they won't," he agreed, absentmindedly brushing back her hair. Lucy found herself leaning into the touch, finding comfort from the gesture. "They won't ever be able to torture you again, and it's the only method they had to sever the contracts."

"I need to find them," she continued, feeling rejuvenated. From the expression on Freed's face she could tell that was not what he meant. "I can still save them!"

He caught her arm when she tried hopping out of bed, successfully pulling her down beside him once more. "We will save them, all of us. You won't do this alone."

Lucy huffed, hopping up once more. She wrapped her hands around Freed's forearms, dragging him up with her. "I know that. But I need to practice! I feel better knowing they are safe, but it only fuels me. I have to get strong Freed; I have to save them."

Smirking, he crossed his arms. "I wasn't saying you wouldn't."

She nodded, turning to drag him towards the hall despite the fact that they were still wearing pajamas. "Come on then, we have to practice!"

A/n: Hello, hello! I know it's almost been two months… I got stuck on how I wanted to proceed with this story. I knew what I wanted to write but everything sucked, so I held off on updating. But here we are and hopefully it makes up for the delay! Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts!

Also, I want to let all of my readers know I have officially signed with a self-publishing company to help produce my first original novel, which I'm hoping to publish in June 2019 (tentatively). So if you're interested please keep me in mind! My understanding is the book should be available worldwide, so I will be delegating a lot more time to that than anything else. If you're interested in seeing my original work stay tuned and I will keep everyone informed! Until next time.