Shackles of Yesterday

Seiyuki Narimaru

A/N: I am in an amazing mood today! I've received a job offer so I am on cloud nine! As a result, I've decided to upload this chapter. I do apologize to you in advance as this isn't a happy chapter, but a necessary one. If you happen to catch any mistakes, please PM me as I've gone over this three time and probably still missed something :)

Chapter Eleven: In This Together

He sat at the table in deep thought. There was no way that email was true. The last sentence rang throughout his mind and he tried to shake the thought away. It just wasn't happening. It was one of his worst fears come true. He sat with his head in his hands, trying to come to terms with what he read. It had to be a lie.

"Make her take a test in front of you, Jellal. You have to make sure she didn't tamper with it." Lucy said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "If it's positive, you need a paternity test."

Erza stiffened slightly, but didn't let it show. The rage boiled inside of her after learning the contents of the email. She wasn't comfortable with Jellal being in the same room as Minerva, but she knew it had to be done. It had to be proven that Minerva didn't tamper with the test. Erza's emotion showed as she mixed the pancake batter with harsh movements. She saw this as Minerva's desperate attempt to reclaim someone she had lost and she wasn't buying it. Her stomach twisted in disgust and she was sure she wasn't the only one.

"I'm sorry to put you in this position," Jellal began, "But Erza, can you pick up a pregnancy test please? I trust you to do it."

The red head stopped mixing and turned to face Jellal. There was a long moment of silence before she finally showed a facial expression. A tight smile had been plastered on her lips and she nodded.

"Sure," she answered.

"If the guys can handle finishing breakfast, I can go with you, Erza." Lucy volunteered.

Jellal and Natsu nodded as Lucy followed after Erza. The blue haired man could see the hurt in Erza's eyes, but she hadn't said anything. They heard the front door close and he sighed. He hated how things were turning upside down so soon after he had finally moved on. It hurt him to see Erza hurting like she was. This was his fault.

Erza combed the shelves for a decent looking test and Lucy reached up to grab one off the top shelf. The blonde examined the back of the box before she slipped it into the basket. Erza looked at her, assuming that the test had been for Minerva. She turned her back and tried to escape the aisle.

"Where are you going, Erza?" She asked. "We have to get a test for her."

"That's not for her?" Erza raised an eyebrow, watching the blonde blush. "Lucy?"

"Well," she began. "As careful as Natsu and I have been, I am actually late."

"I see." Erza said quietly. "Does he know?"

"No." Lucy answered. "I hope it's just the stress that's making me late."

Erza nodded and did not pry any further. If Lucy wanted to tell her anything, she would. The red head grabbed the same pregnancy test Lucy did and placed it into the basket. Recalling her night with Jellal, she made her way towards the condoms. Lucy followed and watched Erza toss a pack into the basket.

"Large?" She teased, changing the subject. "You lucky girl."

Erza cleared her throat as the color rose in her face. She was certainly impressed and he was nothing like the guys in the books Levy loaned her. He was something else and it wasn't a bad thing at all. Her mind wandered as they made their way to the counter and Erza placed her items on the belt. Lucy moved them forward with her own, giving Erza the 'I'm buying this and don't question me' kind of look. Erza collected the bag as Lucy received her change from the clerk. Both women exited the store and it was then that Lucy decided she had been silent about the situation long enough.

"I don't like this," she admitted. "Don't you think this too convenient?"

"Possibly, but no one can be too sure." Erza answered. She recalled her fight with Minerva and the malice the woman had towards her. Minerva came at her with the intent to kill and Erza had never met the woman until that day. She had been away when Minerva visited Fairy Tail with Jellal. When she came back, she heard nothing but depressing stories about the woman. She didn't want anyone to think she had been jealous, but she had been. If only she had said something back then after hearing everything.

"It's about time you guys are back." Natsu said. "Jellal's been burning pancakes."

"Seriously? That's the lie you're going with?" The blue haired man questioned. He raised an eyebrow at the accusation and Natsu folded his arms.

"Fine," Natsu admitted. "It was me."

"That's what I thought."

"We would have backed you up, Jellal." Gray voice rang out. "Natsu can't cook. I don't know why he's in the kitchen. He burns everything."

"It tastes better that way!"

"The hell it does! Get him away from the stove before he burns your damn house down!"

Lucy placed her hand on her forehead at the two bickering men and stepped in. "Enough boys. Go have a seat."

Natsu grumbled and mumbled an insult to Gray while Lucy turned her back. The blonde woman looked over her shoulder and flashed a glare at him. "I heard that."

Gray nearly spit out his drink at Lucy's amazing hearing and Natsu stuck his tongue out at him. The two bickered like brothers, but they never seriously hurt each other. It was just trash talk and teasing.

"Gray-sama. Be nice or Juvia won't do that thing you like." The cool voice threatened.

The dark haired man flushed and turned his head away. The words didn't escape Lucy's hearing and she giggled.

"Ooooooo," she teased. "Sounds like someone else got lucky last night. Just throw your sheets in the wash for me. I'm not touching them."

"Damn it," Gray groaned. Juvia knew how to embarrass him with her words, but damn if he didn't admit they turned him on. "No one was as loud as Erza."

Erza's head snapped up and she stopped moving. Her eyes landed on Gray and he never looked her way. She was a lady, damn it!

"What was that?" She asked coolly.

Gray looked at her, prepared to fire back and stopped at the sight of a look that could kill. He cleared his throat and he looked away. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh, Erza," Lucy said quietly. "I have to, um, take care of that thing. Think you and Juvia can handle breakfast?"

"Of course." Erza smiled. "Let me know if you need anything."

Jellal and the others arrived at Fairy Tail a half hour before Minerva was to show. He made sure to keep an eye on Erza as she walked into the entrance ahead of him. He held the door open and followed her in. They grabbed a table and sat down, ordering drinks and waiting for confrontation.

"Not drinking, Lucy?" Juvia asked.

Lucy shook her head. "Not tonight. I took a couple of asprin and can't mix alcohol."

"Are you sure, Lucy?" Erza had asked.

Lucy pointed to the test on the bathroom vanity and smiled lightly. "97% accurate. This is the second test I have taken in the span of two weeks. My cycle is late and I feel like I can't stay out of the bathroom. The trashcan and I have become the best of friends."

Erza sat on the edge of the tub, not sure if she should be happy or sad. Lucy caught the expression on Erza's face and her smile became more positive.

"Natsu and I have talked about what would happen if I did become pregnant. We're both well off so financially we are prepared. We have the necessary room to raise a child and we talked about marriage. While it's unplanned, if it's really positive, we have already decided to keep the baby," she said quietly. "Please don't tell anyone about this. I trust you not to say anything. I'll tell Natsu later tonight once the Minerva issue is figured out."

The red head nodded and held out a trash bag as Lucy wrapped up the stick and shoved it in the bag. She was scared, but the excitement in her began to take over. The little bundle was unplanned, but she was happy it had been discussed beforehand. They both put money away in case of unexpected expenses and budgeted for an unexpected pregnancy. Lucy's smile grew bigger as she clasped her hands together.

"I'm having a baby!" She whispered excitedly. "I have to see a doctor to confirm, but it's a baby!"

Erza's head picked up at the sound of the door and suddenly Fairy Tail had grown quiet. Most of the people were familiar with her face, but not with the two behind her. Whispers raced through the building and gossip broke out among the crowd.

The black haired woman approached the table with her lackeys behind her and she stared at Jellal. "Hello, handsome." She purred. "I missed you more than you could imagine. I can't wait until you're back home with me."

Erza shifted in her chair, closer to Jellal and her chocolate eyes narrowed. Minerva flipped her hair over her shoulder and stared back at the woman.

"Erza." She smiled. "Did you get my message? I see you're cozying up to Jellal. Already spread your legs for him, I see. I don't blame you. He's amazing in bed. Did you scream?"

Erza stood from her chair, placing her hands on the table. The glasses shook with force as she tried to contain herself. Lucy grabbed her arm before she could make any movements and Erza shook her head.

"Make your visit quick. They," she motioned to the two behind Minerva, "Will stay where they are."

"We'll do no such thing!" One shouted.

Minvera shut him up with a steely glare and he sat in a nearby chair. "Be quiet, Sting. We are visitors. A Queen's job is to listen to her people."

She was asking for a beat down.

"Follow me." Erza said vehemently. "Jellal and I have something for you."

Lucy handed her the plastic bag out of her purse and motioned for Minerva to leave her belongings with her "friends."

"Sorry, you can't take anything with you. Please leave your belongings with your followers." Lucy said coolly.

Minerva smirked, but did as requested. "Aw. She thinks she's people."

Natsu stood up to defend her and Sting challenged him with a glare. The pink haired man didn't back down, but he watched Lucy's face for any sign of change. She simply smiled at him and he sat back down. Erza followed as Jellal led Minerva to the bathroom. As uncomfortable as it would be, he would go in there with her. Jellal held the door open for Minerva and she entered, but he didn't follow her.

"Erza, are you coming in?" He asked.

"I can't," she admitted. "I trust you to go in there."

He stood and watched her facial expression, but it remained unchanged. He knew she was upset, but he didn't know if she was upset with him or the situation.

"I won't pressure you." He said, "But I'll leave the door ajar if you decide."

Erza nodded and he disappeared behind the door. She had the feeling that someone was wrong. Minerva was being too cooperative. Something wasn't right, but she tried to fight the feeling. She knew Jellal had the ability to handle himself, but she had the feeling that he might not have been as strong as she assumed.

Jellal watched her carefully as he removed the box from the bag. His eyes were emotionless and he tried to keep himself sane. Being in the same room as her did nothing for his nerves. Despite his exterior, on the inside he panicked. He was still scared of her no matter how much he tried to tell himself differently. He finally managed to calm himself and looked at her with a hard gaze.

"This is for you." He threw the box to her. "Take this in front of me and we'll see if you're telling the truth."

"Don't get haughty with me, Jellal." She threatened quietly. "You have no idea who you're messing with."

He simply stared at her as she situated herself to take the test. Once she had finished, she placed the stick on a paper towel on the edge of the sink. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands while waiting.

"It looks like you've been enjoying your limited freedom." She sneered over the running water. "Is she enough for you? I know you like wild women. You were quite rough with me on occasion. Does she scream your name? I know you like that, Jellal. There are some things that simply don't change."

Jellal remained quiet, not wanting to talk to her. Even being in the same space as her had made him want to throw up. His skin crawled and he felt disgusting. He wished that Erza had come in, but he knew she was dealing with an internal conflict. This was the longest three minutes of his life. He wished it would just be over so she could get the hell out of his life.

"I see." She said to herself. "You didn't answer my questions so I can only assume I'm correct. "

She walked over to him, closing the distance and smiled. Her hand gripped his crotch and he nearly winced at the feel of her nails. She palmed him roughly and nipped at his neck when he didn't respond.

"I miss this." She punctuated with a squeeze. "It feels so hard in my hands. Is this treatment turning you on, Jellal? How embarrassing. You know what turns me on? The fear in your eyes. I love it. Let me see more."

Jellal felt the cold air around him and he retreated into his mind. Something pulled him away from the present and he shut down completely. He could barely feel her hand closing around his throat. He felt his air supply being cut off, but he couldn't find the energy to fight back. It was as if someone had tied weights to his body to make him immobile. She lifted her skirt to pull out the knife she kept and pressed it against the front of his shirt. The cold metal cut the shirt easily and pierced his skin. She played with him through his pants and squeezed her hand around his throat even tighter. She could feel her nails breaking skin and she bit down on his neck, drawing blood. He suddenly felt weak and couldn't even call for help. A smirk graced her lips as he finally tried to get air and she took the chance to kiss him. She slipped her tongue into his mouth as her hand worked to get his pants undone.

He will crumble.

Erza felt like she had been standing for at least ten minutes before she gathered herself enough to go into the bathroom. The sight she stumbled on made her eyes darken in rage. Minvera had a hand around Jellal's throat and the other in his pants. She could see the blood dripping from a wound on his chest and she could only stare in horror. He wasn't moving and she saw nothing but red.

"Get your hands off of him!" She yelled.

Minerva grinned and stepped back from Jellal. She lifted her hand to her mouth and licked the clear liquid from her fingers. Erza spun towards him and stepped over before he slouched against the wall with a glassed look in his eyes. He looked just like he did when confronted at the hotel and it hurt her. He looked defenseless. Erza stood as if she were ready to attack and Minvera smiled.

"Don't even try it," she sneered, holding the knife to her own throat. "I'll have you arrested for assault. I can easily play victim, sweetheart. Don't cross me."

Erza's eyes flickered and her hands clenched at her sides. She had never felt so helpless. The master manipulator had made it impossible to do anything.

"Here's your test." Minvera said as she held it close enough for Erza to read the positive symbol. "I've already seen a doctor and can give you those results, too. I'm seven weeks pregnant. I want the father of my child to come home."

"Over my dead body." Erza said, holding him closer. He still wasn't moving and if she hadn't been sure he was breathing, she would think he was dead. "You'll get a paternity test. I don't believe for one moment that he fathered that thing inside of you."

Minerva sauntered over to her and lifted her chin with her sticky fingers. A smirk graced her lips and she leaned in close to Erza. "Over your dead body, you say? I like the sound of that."

She dropped her hand and stood back up, laughing. As she turned to leave the room, she waved her hand. "I'll take your little test. When the results come back with Jellal as the father, I will take everything he has. I'll love his child support if I can't have him physically."

Once Minerva disappeared from her sight, Erza straightened Jellal's pants and looked at the man. His comatose state nearly worried her until she felt a grip from his hand. It squeezed her wrist and she tried pulling away, but she realized what was going on.

"Jellal," she whispered. "It's me. It's Erza."

"I'm sorry," he croaked. "I didn't mean to make you angry. Please don't hurt me. I'll do anything. Please stop."

"Erza what happened!?" A female voice cried out.

Erza turned to see Lucy standing in the doorway. Her hand covered her mouth as if she had stepped into a crime scene, but she composed herself as best as she could. The blonde rushed to get a wet paper towel and handed it to Erza. She watched her clean the scratches around his throat and felt tears pooling around her eyes. His shirt had been torn and his hair was a tousled mess.

"This is my fault," Erza whispered. "I should have been in here with him!"

"Erza, let's all go back to my place." Lucy offered. "We can figure out our next step and keep him safe there."

Erza never turned to face Lucy for fear that her emotions would overwhelm her. Everything felt as if it was bubbling to the surface and her hands shook. She felt so vulnerable and she hated for anyone to see her like this.

"Can you grab the guys to help carry him? He's completely out of it."

"Of course, Erza. I'll be right back."

She heard the sound of Lucy's feet as the woman exited the bathroom. Erza sighed and placed her forehead against Jellal's in a silent plea. She had a feeling something like this would happen, but she couldn't be in the same room as her. She let her feelings get in the way. What kind of bodyguard was she if her emotions clouded her this easily? She felt a sudden wave of nausea hit her and fought the urge to throw up.

"Fuck!" A voice echoed through the bathroom. "Gajeel, help me get him up!"

Erza turned to find Natsu and Gajeel walking through the bathroom. She slowly moved out of the way and watched them hoist Jellal up. He looked so helpless.

"Let's go through the back." Gray suggested. "It'll stop people from getting curious."

Erza stood silently and walked out of the bathroom with the group following her. There was nothing she could say to make the situation better and she blamed herself for what happened. She wasn't the type to beat herself up over a situation, but it happened to someone she held dear to her. As they exited the building, they made sure that no one had been watching them. It would be difficult to explain the situation and Jellal was not fully conscious.

Jellal opened his eyes to the sounds of shouting and harsh whispers, but couldn't figure out what happened. It felt like he had woken up from the worst nightmare he had ever had. Something didn't feel right about that nightmare. He rubbed his neck and felt numerous scratches. His eyes widened and he nearly jumped up to look in the mirror. There was a bruise on his neck and he could see the scratches. There were bandages on his chest and he could only assume that he had been cut. He did feel a stinging sensation That wasn't a nightmare.

It was very real.

He opened the door and stopped at the top of the steps, listening to the conversation. He didn't have to eavesdrop, but he couldn't gather the courage to go downstairs. Not like this.

"That bitch." Natsu snarled. "I can't believe she did that!"

"Calm down, Natsu." Lucy said. "We don't want to wake Jellal."

"It's okay." He called from the top of the stairs. "I'm awake."

They turned to see Jellal descending the stairs and Erza looked away from him. She couldn't face him and stood up to go into the kitchen. Lucy tried to call out to her, but to no avail. Jellal saw the tears in her eyes and went after her. Levy stood up to go after her, but Gajeel grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"Let 'em have a moment alone, Shrimp."

Levy nodded slowly and sat back down. Seeing her friends like this made her want to cry. She thought Jellal would be able to start over, but the past had a funny way of showing its face when unwanted. The room remained quiet until Gray decided to make conversation. It was nothing important, just small talk so that it didn't seem like they were eavesdropping.

Erza heard the footsteps, but refused to turn around. She felt as if she had let a friend down when he needed her the most. She sighed inwardly and tried her hardest not to cry. She felt she had cried enough in her life and she ran out of tears to shed. When a hand touched her shoulder, she nearly cringed. The behavior was completely unlike her.

"How can you rely on me when I am unable to know that something's wrong?" She asked quietly.

"Rely on you?" He asked. "Erza, I don't want to rely on you. I'm not dependent. Don't beat yourself up over this."

"Everyone relies on me. If I can't protect you, then what good am I?" Her tears slipped out and she sniffled.

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "You can't take everyone's problems as your own. Let someone help you for once."

She turned to face him with shining eyes and buried her face into his chest. The feeling of not being able to protect him ate away at her and she couldn't help it. He held her and let her cry, staying silent.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help. I never should have let you go in there alone. Will you forgive me for that?"

"There's nothing to forgive." He finally said.

Jellal took her hand and guided her back into the living room with the rest of the group. She sat next to Lucy while he sat with the guys. He leaned forward and broke the tension.

"I hate to ask this, but does anyone know where I would be able to get a paternity test done?" He asked. "I want this to be over with and I want her out of my life."

"I'll ask my sister." Gray said. "Ultear works at a hospital so she'd be able to ask. We'll help you figure this out."

"Thanks, Gray. I appreciate that."

"It's been quite the eventful night. How about we just order a couple of pizza's and head to sleep? Gray can call his sister and hopefully we can get this dealt with before the end of the week." Lucy suggested.

Gray nodded and proceeded to take out his cell phone. As she was likely working, he sent her a quick text to call him as soon as possible. Natsu had left the room to order the pizzas and things finally looked like they were calming down. He watched as Erza had moved next to Jellal and he had put his arm around her shoulder. This was going to be a tough week, but they'd help him through it.

"I'm going to make a drink!" Natsu called out from the kitchen. "Anyone want anything?"

As if they were the magic words, the living room was suddenly vacated aside from Lucy. The blonde unconsciously placed a hand against her stomach and smiled. She would tell Natsu, but would keep it a secret from everyone else until things had settled down and that woman was gone. She had already told Erza, but knew the red head wouldn't say anything.

"Hey Lucy, would you like something to drink?" Erza called out.

"Just water please! I still have that headache." Lucy lied.

Erza came out with their beverages and sat next to Lucy. She handed her the water and sipped her own drink. Erza finally sighed and sat back as if she had been holding in air.

"Erza, he loves you. You know that right?" The blonde asked quietly. "I saw the hurt in his eyes as you left to go into the kitchen. Don't worry about that woman. We're all confident that she's lying."

"You're right, Lucy." She smiled. "I shouldn't be so irrational."

Everyone began to come back into the living room as Lucy switched on a movie. A comedy was needed after a stressful and eventful day. Natsu and Gray fought over a movie while Juvia stared at her beloved. Gray raised his fist, but his hands suddenly went to the bottom of his shirt.

"It's hot!"

"Take your shirt off, Gray-sama!" She pleaded.

"You better keep those clothes on, stripper boy." Gajeel threatened.

"Why do you have the heat on!?" Gray exclaimed. "It's the middle of summer!"

"The heat isn't on, you idiot! Have some damn self control!" Natsu roared.

"Behave yourselves!" A stern voice called out. The paper fan was out and ready to deal punishment. Erza stood over the men on the floor and glared at them. The scene changed from them fighting, to them kneeling before her.

"We're sorry!"

The women chuckled before settling next to their men as the movie started. Jellal wrapped his arm around Erza's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Having her near made it feel like he could conquer anything. His body suffered physical harm and his mind suffered emotionally, but with her around, it was like it never happened.

He couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. It seemed like yesterday that he had been trying to figure out what to do about the paternity test. Today, here he was, in the doctor's office awaiting the results. It was like someone had chained him to cannonballs and pushed him into the ocean. His palms were sweaty and he could hardly breathe properly. Erza had sat beside him, holding his hand in encouragement. It had certainly been a long two weeks, but this could finally be over.

"Don't worry, Jellal," she said softly. "I'll help you get through this."

Before he could answer her, the door had opened and the doctor came through. Gray's sister, Ultear had done the tests and she held the envelope in her hands as she took her seat. Minerva trailed behind the woman and sat in the chair next to Jellal. She looked pleased with herself and her eyes held a hint of amusement.

"Now that everyone's here, let's go through a couple of details." Ultear said, setting the envelope down. "First, these results are for Jellal Fernandes and Minerva Orlando. You have a third party here in the form of Erza Scarlet. Your permission must be gathered in order to announce these results in her presence. Do either of you have any objections to her being in the room?"

"No," Jellal whispered firmly.

"Ha!" Minerva scoffed. "It doesn't matter to me if she's here or not. Let's get on with it."

Ultear nodded and opened the envelope. She pulled out the paper and placed it on top of the envelope, her facial expression unreadable. She maintained her mask as she opened her mouth to speak. Jellal gripped Erza's hand and closed his eyes.

"As written here, the DNA of Jellal Fernandes is not excluded as the biological father of Minerva Orlando's unborn child. The test is a 99.99% match. He is the father."

Jellal froze at the statement and he felt his heart in his throat. The color drained from his face as he struggled to come to terms with the results given. Erza's grip on his hand loosened and she closed her eyes. She felt the tears and fought with herself to keep them down. This was impossible. Two whole weeks and this was the result. She composed herself quickly and left the room. This wasn't what she had imagined. She knew there could have been a chance, but she didn't want it to turn out this way. The last thing she heard was the sound of Minerva's laugh as she tried to get out of the building as quickly as possible. She nearly raced by Gray and the others, not meeting their eye contact. They knew something was wrong and it was evident in Jellal's face when he emerged from the room with a smiling Minerva behind him.

"I'm the father," he admitted quietly.

Fuck.

A/N: So. Um.

I'm sorry!