AN: Is there anyone there?

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to nonstopfandoms, who is Bites' 90th reviewer and whose words warmed my heart. Thank you! ❤

Jellal's eyes were fixed on the glass that kept him caged like a bird. His cell was placed on a corner of the underground of Fairy Tail and just a touch on the surface could throw him against the wall made of steel. He sat on what looked like a bed. Jellal didn't know how long he had been there, his mind didn't leave him alone. According to his internal clock, it was still day and he hadn't closed his eyes yet... He felt like his head could burst; his brain was filled with so many unanswered questions that little by little devoured him, doubts and thought that didn't belong to him.

He was a man, he saw him doing so many "unholy" things, things that... Oh, Gods. Jellal rested his head between his hands. He was the author of savaging actions that brought tears to his eyes. It couldn't be him, oh, Gods, it couldn't be him... But it was. Jellal felt used, as if he had just woken from a dream that he couldn't control. It felt like someone was using his body and his mind to accomplish their barbaric wills.

There was a name, though. And a face. Laxus was it. Laxus... A tall and muscular vampire. A figure that held respect wherever he went. A stern gaze, rough and big hands. A husky voice that ordered around and brought chaos to humans but bliss to his clan and those who supported him. A mysterious man, an enigmatic vampire. Jellal remembered him and he was aware of Laxus' rank. Laxus was as old as time, although he couldn't be considered the One. Oh, no. Laxus' strength was that of a lightning but he wasn't the Creator, however, no vampire could deny that too many power was placed in his hands.

Jellal remembered his face perfectly. A scar marked it. A lightning scar on his right eye, a scar that no one really knew how he got it. It was as secret as that man himself. Jellal tried his best to remember more about him. What was the connection between the two of them? But there was something else about Laxus... He was powerful, yes, and as a great vampire he was also gifted. Oh, yes. The lightning. Suddenly, a shock traveled through his body. He froze. Gods, he remembered. It was clear as day and he could still feel it on his skin. Jellal was being used by Laxus. That explained why he didn't react to the ring of that woman: Jellal was used to worse pain and that was Laxus' lightning. In poor words: Jellal had been tortured. More than once, he feared and by nothing else than his lightning.

Jellal couldn't believe what his mind was telling him but when it started to show him what happened, he undestood. For ages Jellal was a slave to Laxus, that was the only plausible explaination. That's why Jellal didn't recognize himself, it wasn't him. He was simply Laxus' puppet. Oh, Mavis. He guessed he had been under Laxus' control for ages; trained and exploited by the powerful vampire to accomplish his devilish actions. But why now? Why on earth did he wake up from this trance now?

Erza Scarlet. That was her name. A bite on her and his entire world turned upside down. Who was she? Well, she had to be someone significant, otherwise any other human would have broken the spell but it was... her. Jellal ran a hand through his hair. Why her? Why? That was the first time he felt something different when he bit on a human. He felt like he was in a movie, a movie that he was part of. He was able to revive a memory that happened a couple of years ago, and that he thought he had forgotten...

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He was in the mountains. A mission brought him there. Two of Laxus' subordinates had left the clan after a rough fight with one of Laxus' bodyguards, Bickslow. No one fought with Laxus' most important men and left, let's say, unharmed. But those two did, or something like that. Laxus sent Jellal to find those two scoundrels and teach them a lesson. They didn't go further so Jellal didn't waste much of his time searching for them, either.

First he heard screams and then he smelled blood. There was blood everywhere and those two vampires were messing around when Jellal found them. Each of them was raping a woman, or that was what seemed before his eyes. One of the women was already dead but the other was fighting. She was no woman, she was a teen. A girl that couldn't have more than seventeen, she looked young and her eyes shone. Gods, how her eyes shone that day.

A simple move was all he had to do to take the vampire away from her and just a neck twist and a little "pull" were enough to decapitate that disgusting piece of trash. His friend came to him and he still had his member out of his pants when Jellal killed him as well. Silence. Jellal loved silence, the only noise was the little sounds the girl was making while she crawled towards the dead body of the other human, her mother. His corrupted heart didn't feel pity towards her, her time would arrive too. Hell, she'd seen too much and Laxus wouldn't like any witness alive to tell the story. But there was something about her. Jellal shook his head. He had a job to do. "You are safe now." His voice was calming. It had to be, he surely couldn't approach her with a 'I-am-going-to-kill-you' tone. "They won't hurt you anymore." He assured her, eyeing the bite on her neck.

"Who are you?" She asked, trying to see his face through his hood. "A friend." He answered, stepping forward. "A friend?" She questioned, returning her eyes to the dead woman. "Can you save her?" He didn't have to reflect on what to answer. "She's dead. There's nothing I can do." The girl started to shake as she cried. "Please... My father's dead... My mom..." She pleaded.

"Shhh..." Jellal tried to calm her, crouching near her. One of his hands was ready to be wrapped around her neck but then he remembered that she was hurt. Wait. Why does that matter? "They are gone but you are alive. Why don't you let me heal that wound on your neck, huh?" Jellal didn't know why he would say such things. A moment he was ready to kill her and the other he wanted to help her? The girl turned her face to him. She blinked a few times and her cheeks redened. She was looking at his tattoo when she asked, her eyes searching his face. "Are you going to kill me?"

Jellal opened his mouth to answer when the girl fainted, falling forward. In an instinctive movement, Jellal grabbed her, not letting her fall. "Hey!" She didn't answer, she seemed dead and for a moment, it concerned him. It was him who was going to kill her! But he felt a relief when a simply touch on her neck told him that she still breathed, weakly, but she was still alive. Jellal didn't know what to do, so he laid her body next to her mother's.

Do it. She won't feel anything. Just twist her neck and be done with it. Her family is dead, do her a favor... Jellal felt like an idiot debating with himself on what do to with the girl. The smell of blood started to become disturbing and he was sure that his eyes at that point were already red. He licked his lips as he eyed the girl's neck. She was bleeding and looked in pain. Jellal held her body like a mother does her baby. He brushed some locks of her hair away from her face. He couldn't deny that she was a pretty young lady and she reminded him of himself. Hell, he didn't want to think about that time. It was a long time ago, anyway... It didn't matter. He could help her, just like he was helped. She could be his.

She started to pant and shake. She was so cold. Jellal imagined she was having some sort of nightmare and he could so easily take her pain away. But he couldn't take his eyes away from her face and that hair. Gods. He loved the color of her hair. However, he couldn't waste his time thinking about her hair. "Kill her..." He whispered. But he couldn't. He didn't have the strength to do so. He simply brought his wrist to his mouth and bit himself, then, he let some drops of his blood fall on her mouth. However, it didn't work as he thought: the blood went anywhere but inside her mouth. Rolling his eyes, he drank his own blood but didn't swallow.

His lips touched hers and slowly his tongue passed through her lips, that way, the blood could flow inside. Jellal's face turned from 'bored' to surprised when he felt her tongue softly brushing against his. His eyes widened. The girl was reacting to the kiss. Jellal retreated once he saw that she swallowed his blood. She still didn't open her eyes but he was sure that his blood was starting to affect her system. He had to go but he couldn't take the girl from his arms, get up and return to Laxus. Only a strong unknown force helped him in that moment. He didn't want to leave the girl and worse was that he didn't undestand why.

As cliché as it could sound, Jellal felt like that girl was somehow connected to him. Something to do with the soulmate crap Evergreen, one of Laxus' bodyguards, was talking about the other day. No, it couldn't be. Struggling, Jellal rested her body next to her mother once again. He had to go. The job was done. He did, however, look over his shoulder when he finished calling an ambulance. For one last time his eyes fixed her form, her face, her hair. Scarlet. A color he wouldn't forget so easily nor would he erase the kiss from his mind.

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There was something new in the air. No, not new. Familiar. When Jellal looked up, a woman stood on the other side of the glass, she was dragging a chair with her. It was her. "You don't look good, Fernandes." The vampire stood, almost hypnotized by the human that was crossing her legs. "You can actually sit, we have a lot to talk about." He didn't move, his eyes searched her face. "It wasn't... me." Erza chuckled as she adjusted her notebook on her lap and scribbled something down. "Now are you going to tell me that someone framed you?"

"It wasn't me." He insisted. "I... I was being controlled," Jellal started to pace around his cell.

"Yes, right. You are not so creative, are you, vampire? I've heard better excuses."

He stopped and stared at her. "You've got to believe me."

"Your word against, hmmm," Erza was flipping through her notebook, "more than a hundred witnesses and victims?" She raised a brow at him and he couldn't help but roll his eyes at her sarcastic question.

"You don't undestand. I... I would never do such things."

"Listen, vampire," Erza said, rubbing her temples, "Drop it. You and I know what you did."

"But it wasn't me!" He cried. Jellal decided to go sit, he had to calm down. Screaming wouldn't take him out of that cell. His eyes glued on the woman. "You would know that I wouldn't be able of such things."

"Would I?"

"I spared your life." Erza narrowed her eyes at him. "I helped you once. Won't you return the favor?"

"Helped me, you say..." Erza was biting the cap of her pen. "I would choose another word, vampire." She turned her gaze to her notebook, biting her lip. Why did he have to bring that up? How long has it been? Ten years? "We aren't here to talk about me or us. It's you under the spotlight, Fernandes. You actually did a lot to reach that place, didn't you? I mean, kidnapping and slavery... Your CV is quite impressive."

"How many times must I tell you-"

"Stop it. Why don't you start by confessing? Free yourself from that burden."

"Confessing what? What I did under someone else's command?" Erza tried to control her will to break her pen in half.

"Under their control or not it was you, Fernandes. You've been recognized, you are going to spend the rest of your life in that cell."

"I'll give you a name."

"A name?"

"Yes." She stared at him, waiting. "Well?"

"One thing for another, Erza."

"It's Miss Scarlet for you, vampire."

"Scarlet... Just like the color of your hair." The smile on his face sent shivers down Erza's spine.

"You are in no position of exchange, Fernandes. Give me the name and perhaps I may talk to my boss and who knows... You could have a blanket."

Jellal tsk-ed, his eyes never leaving her face. "If I'm going to give you the name of one of the most powerful vampires I've ever known, it won't be for some stinky blanket."

"One of the most powerful? I thought you entered in that category."

Jellal signed. "I do. But he's the one behind... those crimes." He closed his eyes. It was so exhausting, if he could show her what really happened...

"What do you want, Fernandes?"

"I want you to give me the change to prove that what I am telling you is true."

"Try to put yourself in my shoes. You would have already killed me, right? What you almost did in that room. Because that's what you do, vampire."

"I didn't kill you. In the past."

Erza furiously rolled her eyes. "Why do you insist on bringing that up?"

"Because I want you to understand."

"I can understand without having to talk about that night. What's there to talk, anyway? That I woke up in a hospital, unconscious? That they took me to a foster family? That I grew up without my parents because you spared my life? Give me the name immediately, vampire, otherwise you can say goodbye to any change of having a more comfortable life in that cold dungeon."

"He works in Crocus. You might have heard of him. He's particularly known because of a scar." He said after signing. Erza was a persistent woman and it would be hard to make her trust him. "A scar?" Erza questioned.

"A lightning-shaped scar across his eye." Erza reflected on his words, it didn't sound so strange after all, she might have read of him somewhere. "Well, vampire... Go on."

He stayed silent, eyes fixed on her face. Erza had to surpress the will to roll her eyes. She wasn't feeling like herself to say the least. Mavis knew how she wanted to talk about that night. She wanted to clarify doubts that had been with her during all those years. She waited so long for that change to talk to him but now she was feeling so uneasy. It wasn't like her. She needed time and she hated to admit that everyone else was right, she needed to rest despite the fully hours she spent at home sleeping the other night. She wasn't feeling completely in charge of the situation and that annoyed her. "That's it, then. I hope you realize the great opportunity you lost not telling me the name." She rose from her seat and didn't bother bringing the chair with her.

"Erza." He called before she could reach the stairs. She looked over her shoulder. "Do you remember it all?"

"It all?" She repeated, raising a brow at his question. He nodded, waiting for her positive answer and wishing that she would recall what happened before he left her next to her mother's body. "No, not at all." She finally said, resuming her walk to the guild. However, the speed of her heart betrayed her and gods, he heard it. Yes, he did feel the way her steady heartbeats started to race inside her chest. He knew she was lying.

Erza went straight to Levy's floor. She had things to ask her friend. "Erza-chan!" Levy was surprised to see her red-haired friend there. "I thought you wouldn't be back until-"

"Yes," Erza smiled at her. "I am well-rested now and ready to work." She winked at her. "Can you help me with some things?"

"Sure, what's is it?" Levy smiled at her friend and when Erza told her that she wanted to have some information about a vampire, Levy was back at her computer and ready to start typing.

"Have you heard of a vampire with a scar?"

"A scar? Well, you will need to be more especific..." Levy said, scrolling through her database. When she typed 'scar' in the search tag, a lot of items showed up. "A lighting scar."

"Lightning scar?" Levy asked with a surprised tone. "Why didn't you tell me earlier!" But she didn't type anymore. She asked Erza to sit down. "His name is Laxus Dreyar. I read about him in a book years ago."

"In a book?"

"Yes. The guy is super old, I believe he was amoung the Ones."

"The Ones, huh?"

Levy nodded. "He's strong and what I read about him still gives me goosebumps; everyone who has ever challenged him, well... no one lives to tell the story. He has some sort of bodyguards that follow him wherever he goes and they go by the name of the Thunder God Tribe." Erza couldn't help but raise a brow at the title. "It's not a coincidence that his scar has this form."

"You are right, but what's more intriguing is that it is part of his, er, power."

"You mean?"

"Old books tell that he's capable of using the natural phenomenon to his purposes." Then she resumed her typing. "Here." Her computer gave them a drawing of his face. "That's what witnesses have claimed he looks like." Erza's eyes fixed his face and her thoughts went to Jellal.

"Is he able to control people with that skill?" Erza didn't know how to put that into words.

"His lightnings work like shock, I suppose." Levy's eyes searched Erza's face.

"Is it true that he works in Crocus?" Levy didn't have to look for that information to answer. "Yes, he does. The capital is the greatest place to act, actually. The authority there isn't the best and that is where it's said that he has his base. Why you ask?"

"Something to do with Jellal Fernandes." The bluenette girl nodded. "I am so glad we finally have him behind bars." Erza smiled at her friend. After thanking her for the time and info they gathered, Erza went back to Jellal.

Apparentely, he'd been waiting. "Missed me, vampire?" Erza took her seat in front of his cell. "The man you were talking about is Laxus Dreyar, isn't he?" The vampire didn't move. "Humm, humm..." Erza scribbled on her notebook. "So. The guy thinks he's a god or what?"

"He acts like one, perhaps he really is."

"Why did you mention him? What is he to you?" Erza asked.

"He's the one responsable for my... crimes." Erza couldn't help but smile at his confession. "That's a great step, Fernandes. Admitting it and taking it off your shoulders. Don't you feel lighter?"

"It doesn't matter. I am a sinner either way." Erza said nothing. "He's been using his lightnings against my will and did so for longer than I can recall."

"So that's what you meant by being controlled." Jellal nodded and seeing that Erza didn't open her mouth to talk, he looked confused. "What do you want me to say?"

"You wanted me to understand, try me." Jellal couldn't believe that Erza was giving him a chance. "But don't you think that what you've done will be forgotten or forgiven. I will never forgive you for torturing my friend. Keep that in mind."

"Laxus is the one we call the 'Boss'. He's the master of his clan. I did what I did under his command but also under his spell, if you want to put it like that. He's been using me for his diabolic deeds. Perhaps I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it was you who brought me back to reality, Scarlet." She blinked at him. "When I bit you," Jellal couldn't help but feel his cheek hot, "I felt like the spell I was under broke." Erza had to give him credits, the whole subject was starting to amuse her.

"Me?" She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes. You." Jellal tried to be as serious as he could. She had to believe him... "Don't tell me you didn't feel the same. I went back to that scene, to that moment where we... met."

"I guess it's useless denying it, Fernandes", Erza breathed out. "You were there, I recall your face now. You said you couldn't save my mother but you could help me, wasn't it like that?" Jellal nodded.

"You have my blood running through your veins." That was enough to make her eyes widen. Gods, she wished he wouldn't bring that up.

"I could sue you for child abuse." She smiled at him, waiting for his reaction.

"So you do remember." Erza felt embarrassed but she couldn't hide it anymore. She blushed everytime she recalled that her first kiss was with a vampire. If that was a kiss, anyway... By now it was impossible to hide the red on her cheeks.

"Do you know what it means, Erza?" He took a step forward and Erza felt uneasy on her chair, as if he could break the glass and jump on her again. "When a vampire blood runs in your veins that means that you are his."

"I guess you'll have to be clearer, vampire, as I don't recall belonging to no one, especially you."

"It's not me who decided. Once blood finds blood, it's inevitable." He couldn't help but smile at her.

"And that's the reason why I should free you?"

"I am not sure but if I could give you a bit of my blood you would be able to understand what I've been through and believe me."

"You are saying that I could revive your experience?"

"As I said, I am not sure. I've heard that once a connection has been created between a human and a vampire, the blood will give you what you want to know."

Erza stared at him, not knowing what to say next. She couldn't help but think if it was one of his plans to get away. But he did seem different and he'd been like that since that time when she came back to consciousness and FT brought him in. She didn't know how to feel. His words played inside her head. Blood finds blood... It was so confusing and actually insane. She was there to talk about his crimes and once again the subject was them. He claimed he'd been used by Laxus. What if he wasn't lying? After all, he had nothing else to lose if he told her the truth. She had to think but all that new topic of Laxus Dreyar was also so curious...

"I appreciate your honesty and I might take your words into consideration." Erza was back on her feet but this time when he desperately called her name, she didn't turn away.

She went to Makarov's office. "Come in."

"We've got a name and a place." She said, standing in front of his desk. "Jellal was working for a powerful vampire called Laxus Dreyar."

"Dreyar?" Makarov blinked at the surname that was just like his own.

Erza nodded. "We can find him in Crocus."

"We?" The master raised a brow. "Crocus is not part of our district, Erza."

"But what if-"

"Whatever Fernandes told you, our job is done." Erza blinked. "Crocus is not our problem."

"But he's powerful, master."

"I'll send a message to one of the associations in Crocus. They will be warned, my child." Erza nodded at the old man. The man was typing something on his computer.

"What else did you got from Jellal?"

"That was all. What will be of him, master?" Erza wanted to know, curiosity tingling her skin.

"Eternal prison." He smiled. Before Erza could excuse herself and leave, Makarov said. "I believe you have some accumulated vacations."

"I do." Erza answered, imagining what would come next. "I am fine."

"If you say so... I just want you to know that you can leave and return when you are feeling better."

"Thank you, boss."

On her way to her own office, Erza bumbed into Lucy. "Hey, have you seen Juvia?" And there she was. Juvia was getting out of the elevator and seeing her friends united, she joined them. "Hello, Erza-san." She smiled at her.

"I... I will pretend you didn't vanish, Juvia." Erza winked, not really wanting to think about the problems of her colleagues. If Juvia was back, that was all that mattered. It wasn't Erza's business anymore. Erza closed the door of her office and went to her chair.

She didn't like the way she was feeling. Actually, it wasn't a bad feeling, it was just something that was bothering her. Jellal's words wouldn't leave her mind. Blood finds blood... It was so bizzare but a funny sensation was creeping under her skin. If he insisted that they had a connection, she wanted to confirm that what he said was true.

AN: Well, that took me a while, I know. I've been so, so busy with school: certificates, exams, open days... I even deactivated my tumblr. But I am happy to say that I did both the French and German certificates and I passed both of them! I am so relieved and happy! I swear, once the German test was over I ran back home and couldn't stop dancing around the house! The following day, I was told the results and I got the highest level (C1) that the certificate offers! It was so worth it, all the sweat and tears... I am so proud of myself, especially because I didn't wake up so well that morning (the worst back pain ever) but I went there anyway, faced the obstacles and did my best. Work hard, everyone! I believe in you! ❤_❤

Anyway! Thoughts on the chapter? I particularly like Jerza chapters, they are so exciting! I love Laxus, by the way. Unfortunately, there isn't much room for him in this fic... I just wanted to make him part of it because he's one of my fav characters (btw, he is nothing related to Makarov in this fic!). Hope you guys enjoyed it and please, let me know! ❤

Cellas.