Hey everyone, I'm back with another chapter!

I am so super stoked by all the favs and follows this has gotten. Thank you all and to think it's not even close to being complete!

The song for this is When the Darkness Comes by Colbie Caillat. The You tube link for the song is watch?v=tV2je_mOUQg I definitely recommend the listen. It's got a haunting melody that truly inspired this chapter.

But, alas…on to the reading. I don't own fairy tail (just the creepy twins), if I did…Earthland would probably be in for all sorts of glorious smut and adventures muwahaha.

A major lemon along with some…disturbing imagery. You've been warned.

Chapter 21

"Underneath the echoes, buried in the shadows"

Ishiko fell back against the bed, her bare skin glistening in the fire light as it hit the thin sheen of sweat that covered her. A satisfied smile spread on her full lips, her chest heaving in her struggle to catch her breath. "Brother dear I do believe you're getting better at this."

The naked male beside her let out a breathy laugh as he turned rolled towards her, his fingers dancing upon her toned, flat stomach. "No love, we've just had more time alone." He pressed his lips against her shoulder as his touch ghosted over her pert breasts. "I really am not looking forward to going home, I've gotten used to sleeping beside you."

She frowned at his pout. She really wasn't ready to go home either but for much different reasons. Here in Magnolia, she was able to catch glimpses of him from time to time. Just the thought of him made her insides clench in desire. Ishiko knew she was playing with fire where her obsession was concerned but the tall, muscle bound blonde stirred her in the most delicious ways. Every time she saw him, she salivated at the thought of his large hands gripping her skin and his hips plowing between her legs. She just knew he was good in bed, he was a dragon slayer after all. The animalistic side of him all but guaranteed that. But that little blonde bitch is in the way.

"-ot go back?"

Iwao's voice brought her back to reality and she glanced over him, making sure to put her guard up. They'd already fought once on the subject. He was jealous and never failed to remind her that the Father would kill her if she so much as thought about touching the man. "What?"

His eyes narrowed, his lips pursing in thought when he realized she'd let her mind wander. "I was saying why don't we just not go back? We could make an excuse to stay one more day I'm sure."

She sighed and rolled, scooting back to press her back against his chest. "No, the father would have our heads if we aren't on the train tomorrow morning. He said he needed to help you find a way around the runes. We've done what we came to do with the others so there's no excuse to be found."

He sighed at her words as his hand cupped her breast, using it as leverage as he thrust his re-hardening cock against her ass. "Fine then how about we use the last bit of time we have left," he breathed as he brushed his lips against the soft skin of her neck.

The woman bit back the moan that threatened to spill out as fingers clamped on her nipple. She hated that her body would so readily respond to his touch but then she knew it was her fault. It wasn't his hand she envisioned on her body. "Tomorrow morning, you've worn me out tonight."

The raven haired man groaned in frustration and rolled away from her, knowing that he'd felt her nipple harden between his fingers. She was purposely rejecting him and he could only imagine her mind was elsewhere. "Whatever Ishiko," he said in a huff as he pulled the covers up over himself. "Night."

"There you were"

She frowned at his childish temper tantrum and moved to sit up on the edge of the bed. "I'm going to take a bath, sweet dreams brother." She pushed up from the bed, giving him once last glance before striding across the room to shut herself in the bathroom. The slick, wet feeling between her legs served to remind her of where her priorities should be.

She filled the tub and set out her towel before lowering herself into the steaming water with a sigh. Leaning against the back of the tub, she let her hands wander over her still flushed skin. Her lust was becoming harder to abate, too often wearing her brother out to the point of exhaustion. Lids heavy with desire closed over her onyx eyes as her fingertips drifted over her core, a soft moan escaping her full lips as those fingers pressed inside of her. A surge ran through her and a name slipped as a whisper into the night air.

She knew it was unfair to the man sleeping in her bed. It wasn't that she didn't love him, she did with all her heart. But a part of her had become obsessed with the slayer, so much so that it wasn't her brother she saw above her when they made love. It was Laxus Dreyer, her father's oldest and favored son.

"Drawn into your mystery"

Lucy leaned back on her hands, pointing her toes as she stretched her legs in front of her. The sun on her bare arms and the portions of her legs that her pale pink sundress didn't cover felt great. She brought a hand up to slide over the round bulge of her stomach and smiled when she felt the subtle bump against her palm. Just like his father.

The sound of laughter pulled her attention across the yard and she smiled as she caught sight of Natsu running with Levy slung over his shoulder, Gajeel and Lisanna hot on their trail. Cobra and Kinana were sitting on the edge of the porch with Sting and Yukino, the four laughing and shouting at the others in merriment.

She chuckled softly and scanned her eyes over the scene until they fell on the couple sitting on the swing, a smile pulling at her lips. The raven haired shadow dragon had his arm slung around the shoulders of a woman. Waves of ruby red locks blocked her face from view as she seemed to cling to his side. He looked happy, a genuine smile settled comfortably on his moving lips and his other hand moving with his speech. She couldn't hear what was being said but it was comical when a gloved hand slapped his chest and his laughter reached her ears.

Thunder sounded in the distance behind her and she turned to find herself standing suddenly at the edge of the lake inlet. Churning, dark clouds were rolling in with an unnatural quickness and with their approach the wind seemed to pick up. A bolt of lightning stretched across the sky, striking a tree across on the opposite bank. She felt her fear rise and she turned back to shout at the others, her heart rising into her throat as the sight of flames engulfing the building in front of her. There on the back lawn, Wendy was bent over the small body of a male. The fire highlighting messy raven locks of hair, matted in sections with a dark liquid and the tracks of tears that streaked down the blunette's face.

"You should run."

The feminine voice at her side pulled her attention and she looked to find a cloaked woman beside her. The hood was pulled low over her face, leaving only a full mouth and delicate chin exposed. "Who are you?" The woman smiled and then suddenly vanished.

"Anything he wants me to be."

"I was just beginning to see your ghost"

The voice sounded from her left and she turned to find the hooded woman straddling the bloody and unconscious body of Laxus. It looked as though his chest had torn to shreds. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out, her body frozen in place. The woman pushed her cloak open to expose her naked body beneath as she grinded her hips against his, a moan slipping from the sadistic smile that adorned the unknown woman's lips. Adding to the horror and fear, she heard him moan in response before his blood coated hands slid up the woman's bare stomach to roughly cup her full, mocha tipped breasts.

"As I said, you should really run."

Lucy gasped and clutched at her midsection when searing hot pain ripped through her. She looked down to see blood running down her legs as a dark red patch spread across her dress. A cry ripped from her lips and she looked up to find the woman and Laxus gone but in its place, a large black wervyn. Its golden eyes fixated on her as a deep growl emanated from the beast, its body crouched in preparation for its attack.

Turning, she fled as fast as her feet would carry her into the woods. Rocks and sticks tore at the bare soles of her feet, her heart pounding in her ears. She could hear the beast screech, the sound of it barreling through the trees behind her telling her it was coming closer. She reached for trees as she passed, trying to propel herself faster forward but it was to no avail. The trees began to thin and she saw the forest line ahead. Tears streaked her face and terror filled every fiber of her being.

She broke free of the tree line but the ground ahead of her dropping off had her stopping. Her feet slid to the edge and she teetered there, her eyes going wide as she took in the night sky that blanketed out before her. The ground seemed to empty off into the void of space and it only took a glance over her shoulder to see the beast was still quickly approaching. She looked back to see lightning streaking up from the void as if it came from the stars that shone brightly against the indigo background and time slow to a crawl.

"You have to trust Lucy. Let it consume you but you've got to complete the process…"

She stole one more glance over her shoulder before fixing her eyes on the sky below her. The constellations began to take shapes, all twelve of the zodiac appearance at once. The lightning streaked up towards her like fingers, beckoning her forward. With a deep breath, she spread her arms and closed her eyes as she let herself fall forward. Over the edge and off into the abyss…

"I'll be here waiting"

Lucy shot up in the bed, a hand shooting up to smother the scream that threatened to fall from her lips. Her chest was heaving and her entire body trembled, her eyes darting frantically around the room in search of the beast from her dream. It was just a dream, just a stupid nightmare. A soft sob escaped her lips as reality set in and she tried in earnest to slow her racing heart. All of it had felt too real. The fear, pain, tears. She lifted a hand to wipe at her cheek only to find them soaked. She'd been crying in her sleep. A glance at the bedside clock said it was only four in the morning and she sighed.

Reaching for the sheet, she pulled it up over her sweat covered body as she laid back against her pillow. The familiar voice from her dream echoed in her head and she turned her head to peer over at the man lying next to her. He was on his back, his chiseled chest exposed with an arm raised and laid over his face as if to shield his eyes from the moon's light. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, his breath even in sleep. There was no blood to be seen. He let out what sounded like a soft moan or groan. The image of that woman riding him flashed in her mind and she sat back up with a huff. It was just a dream. She knew there would be no going back to sleep for her.

Quietly, she slipped from the bed and collected the pieces of her pajamas that were strewn about the room to pull them on. She pulled on her robe to block out the chill that hung in the air and took one last look at Laxus' sleeping form before carefully slipping out of the room. The house was quiet as she padded down the stairs, the wood cool beneath her bare feet. Finally, peace.

The house was rarely silent and in the last two weeks, she'd forgotten what personal space was. Between the Raijinshuu members living there and Laxus, someone was always around. She understood the need but a girl just wanted to be alone sometimes. Turning on the kitchen light, she set about making a pot of tea. Once the kettle was going on the stove, she hopped up on the counter with a tired sigh. She really could have gone for more sleep considering it had been past midnight when she'd gotten to sleep. "Ugh…only four hours," she groaned aloud.

She knew it wouldn't be enough to sustain her throughout the day, not if she was going to have to constantly play referee between her uncompromising mate and the obdurate poison dragon slayer. He seemed to be the only one bucking the whole alpha and tatsu plan. Lucy knew it was because he believed himself to be a loner, never really having anyone to show him love of family before Kinana. She could say much of the same for Laxus though. While all of the slayers were tenacious in their own way, those two took the cake.

"Hoping, praying that this light will guide you home"

"I must admit I am surprised to see you up so early Lucy."

The smooth, almost monotone voice made her jump, shaking her effectively from her thoughts. "KYA! Freed! You scared the crap out of me!"

A slight smile pulled at his lips as he tipped his head, his lean arms clutching a couple of books and note pads. "I sincerely apologize, I did not mean to startle you." He glanced around the kitchen as if looking for someone before he turned back to her. "I'm not interrupting you am I?"

She pushed off of the counter and moved to take out another tea cup from the cupboard. "Not at all, I just couldn't sleep so I figured on some tea. Would you like some?"

Freed moved towards the table and set the arm load he had down before flashing her a small, appreciative smile. "Very much so, thank you."

Lucy watched as he seemed to busy himself, straightening the red smoking jacket style robe and ascot he wore beneath it before he took a seat at the end of the dining table. She really had to wonder if he slept in that insufferable thing. She'd seen him shirtless a few select times at the pool so she knew he had a body worth showing off. So it was perplexing why he insisted on so many layers to cover it. Maybe Mira likes the challenge of tearing through them. She bit her lip to keep from chuckling at her own thoughts and moved towards the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the bay windowed dining area. "Still searching for information on Face…I mean Marux?" She still insisted he be called faceless given he hadn't bothered giving her his name.

He organized his books and notes in the arrangement he wanted, his fingers tapping at the edge of one when it seemed a hair out of place. To others, it appeared anal retentive but it was just a side effect of his slightly OCD tendencies. He'd had them since he was a child, the need for order and cleanliness all but beaten into him from an early age. "No, we've exhausted all of the books available here on that subject. I am now looking into the sociological and psychological structure of a Tatsu." He looked up from the table as the kettle began to softly whistle. "I am most interested in the inner workings if you will, especially with the Sabretooth slayers returning. You'll all be under one roof so it will be nice to compare notes."

The celestial mage pursed her lips and shrugged before turning to the stove. "Rogue says he's come across some interesting stuff in their library," she said as she carefully prepared two cups. After pouring milk and a cube of sugar in her own, she added two cubes to the other and carried them both to the table. "Of course theirs has about seven years on ours so it's not really surprising. But not sure what you'll learn from this group of misfits. I am pretty sure they broke any mold with our slayers." She took a seat beside him and pulled her feet up to rest on the edge of the chair.

"When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love hidden in the sun…"

The rune mage gave a nod in thanks as he took the cup she offered. "You make a lovely cup of tea," he hummed after taking a sip. He set the cup down and flipped through his growing stack of notes, taking the page he was searching for and handing it to her. "Actually, they are not as randomly chosen as it would seem." He pointed to a section of notes he had and opened one of the books, pulling it towards him. "When they formed a clan outside of their own kind, it would appear that it was natural to represent the elements as a way of balancing and strengthening their ranks. See here?" He held out a book that had a painted representation of a tatsu of mixed origins. "Fire, Ice or Water, Air, Earth were generally the pillars of the group while their ranks typically were filled by those of other elements."

Lucy's eyes scanned over the impeccably written and organized notes before glancing at the book in his hands. "That makes sense really but when considering that, we do not have the four pillars and as far as we know there are no other slayers left." She chewed on her lip as she ran over their list of slayers, her mind putting them into their respective categories. "Natsu is fire, Wendy is Air. Gajeel is steel or iron and iron ore comes from the ground which could be seen as earth. The same could be said of Erik and his poison given poison is traditionally drawn from plants. We are seemingly missing water or ice and if this is accurate, then shouldn't one of them be the Alpha?"

Freed watched as she processed the information, a broad smile settling on his lips as she spoke. He was glad to finally have someone to discuss all of this with. And not just discuss it, but intellectual input into the topic at hand. He loved his teammates but even he was keenly aware that none of them took interest in the pursuit of books like he did. "All very fine points, but think about it this way." He tapped the picture and set the book down in front of her before sifting through his notes again. He pulled the list he'd been creating and handed it to her. "When looking at these books, we have to keep in mind that this references clans or groups of dragons. We are dealing with slayers or dragons made human so it stands to reason tha…"

"That the mates, most of us being mages in our own right, would or could fill in where they are lacking." She completed for him as she read over orderly list he'd created. She could not fathom why she hadn't thought of that first. "Lisanna is a takeover with Kinana learning that as well, their use being animals which is life. Levy is solid script, she can create elements on her own should the need arise. Yuki and I are celestial and our spirits encompass a myriad of elements and magics!"

He let go of a chuckle at her sudden enthusiasm and nodded. "Yes, so in reality the group that you and Laxus are creating is incredibly well fortified. And to answer your other question, think about lightning or electricity. It can spark a fire when it strikes, water is a conductor and can amplify its power, it can charge the very air around it causing the thunder we hear that can shatter glass or shake buildings and the earth is a neutralizing force, grounding it even when scorched. It can manipulate the other elements in a way other forces cannot."

Her mouth opened to speak but nothing came, her eyes blinking as she stared at the rune mage. She had not considered it but his reasoning was incredibly sound. The vision of the lightning from her dream came to mind and it dawned on her. "And the heavens is its origin."

"For when the darkness comes"

Freed's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before he realized the connection she'd made. She was a celestial mage, her magic was that of the stars…of the night sky. There were countless stories of gods that were created to explain where lightning came from, all telling of lightning being the wrath of the sky. He looked at her with a renewed sense of respect for the young woman, she was indeed intelligent. "Lucy, I do believe you've just figured the whys out."

She glanced at the stack of notes he had and gave him a smile, a little shocked at the sound of pride in his voice. It was a comforting thing when she often doubted herself. "May I?" She asked and reached for the stack when he gave a nod. She thumbed through the sheets, her eyebrows rising occasionally as she realized just how thorough he was. "Freed, I do believe you've become one of my best friends. This is all amazing."

The green haired man took a sip of his tea and laughed in his surprise at her words. "Why thank you Lucy. I appreciate you ranking me so high on your list." He paused as his face fell into a more serious expression. "But I really want to thank you for not giving up on him."

The celestial mage blinked at his words before her forehead creased in confusion. "Give up on him who? Laxus? I admit there are times I want to strangle him but give up? Never, I'm not a quitter."

"I think we all have those urges from time to time," he sighed in a dramatic fashion and chuckled when she did the same. "But in all seriousness, he can be difficult and he really did fight himself where you are concerned. He's a good man despite his past indiscretions and deserves a break."

Lucy smiled and nodded in agreement. "He is and I knew what he was doing," she paused to glance at him a moment. "But underneath that hard exterior, he has this amazingly big heart. He loves and cares so fiercely that it takes my breath away at times. Good and bad, I wouldn't have him any other way…he just wouldn't be Laxus if he was any less than exactly who he is."

Freed could not stop himself from matching the serene smile that settled on the blonde's face. He could feel the weight of her emotion in every word and any doubt he may have had was swept away. "In all the years I've called him a friend, I've never seen him as happy or as comfortable as he is with you. You, Lucy Heartfilia, are very good for him."

"Freed what have I told you about trying to recruit others for your Laxus Groupie club?"

Laxus grinned as they both jumped at his voice and looked up as if being caught stealing cookies from the jar. He pushed off of the door jam and walked over to stand behind Lucy, his hands coming to rest on her shoulder. "What are you two doing up so early anyway?"

The green haired mage blushed and stuttered. "I-I-I wasn't…there isn't a groupie club!"

Lucy laughed and tilted her head back, smiling when he leaned over to press his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. "I couldn't sleep so I came down for tea, what are you doing up?"

"The cold spot where my woman should be woke me up," he said with a pointed look her way as he took a seat. He wouldn't tell her that he'd woken in a panic only to find her not there. He could still picture the horror on her face, see her going over the edge of the cliff. He fought the shudder that crept up his spine and forced a smile. "And you do realize he actually does have a Laxus fan club, he gets all kinds of letters from fan girls."

The man in question turned several shades of red. "Not fair Laxus. That was Bickslow that started that as a joke!" He looked at Lucy with an earnest expression. "He used my address as the headquarters and I've yet to be able to quell the flow of mail. It's horrible, sometimes I come back from a mission to find letters piled knee high."

Lucy let out a laugh as she glanced over at the blonde male. "Oh you really must share some of these letters," she said as a wicked gleam set in her eyes. "But first it seems someone really needs a little pay back."

"Who's getting payback?"

All heads turned to find Evergreen stumbling into the kitchen, rubbing at her eyes before she slipped her glasses on. "You guys are noisy, you know that? I'll never get any beauty sleep here."

Laxus quirked a brow as she moved around to sit on the other side of the table. "Well if you weren't out screwing Elfman until twelve and one o'clock in the morning you'd get plenty."

Lucy kicked at Laxus' shin. "Oh like you are one to talk he who keeps his mate up just as late."

Freed reached up and covered his ears. "Ok ok, I really don't want to hear about the sexual habits of my teammates."

Ever pulled her green silk robe tighter around her and leaned back in her chair, giving a shrug of her shoulder. "Could be worse, it could be Bicks telling us all about his and Cana's exploits. I've heard WAY too much about their kinky crap."

The group gave a collective shiver and laughed.

"Yea no kidding, Cana isn't exactly bashful about telling me stories," Lucy paused as her face scrunched up as if she'd sucked on a lemon when a certain story popped into her head. "I really didn't need to know what A to M was."

The green haired mage blinked and looked at the three before his questioning gaze settled on Lucy. "I am afraid I don't know what that is. Is it code?"

Laxus bust out laughing as the two women struggled to speak, their jaws flapping in the wind. "Yea Freed, it's code alright. You should ask Mira if she's into it."

"Now the door is open…"

Lucy's brain finally caught up from its lapse, having been unsure of how to properly explain it. She pushed up from the table and slapped Laxus in the arm. "Do NOT ask Mira if she's into that Freed, she's liable to slap you. It's a sexual thing," she said as she moved further into the kitchen. She looked at the clock and was surprised to see it was already half past six. "But on that note I guess I should make breakfast."

Ever glared at the lightning dragon slayer before getting up to follow Lucy into the kitchen. "Lu, you and Laxus have been cooking breakfast and dinner for us almost every day. How about you let me handle it today?"

Lucy looked at her in surprise before glancing at the others. "You sure Ever? I really don't mind."

The brunette shooed her from the kitchen with a wave of her hand before she started pulling out pans. "Of course, we should all really take turns if we'll be living together." She glanced back at the celestial mage who was still looking undecided. "Go on and take a shower."

"O-ok," the blonde stammered before giving a wave to the men. "I shall return."

Laxus' smile faltered as he watched his blonde bombshell of a mate walk out of the kitchen. She had come to mean the world to him and while he couldn't fathom what sparked the images in his sleep, her leaving scared him more than he could admit. "Well…then…" He paused and pushed up from the table. "I guess I'll go get dressed myself."

Freed watched the blonde male all but run out of the kitchen and looked up to see Ever snickering. He felt his cheeks heat up with the realization what the man intended. Without another word, he stuck his nose in his books to pretend reading as he tossed over what A to M was. I'm certainly not asking Bicks if it is that bad.

"The world I knew is broken, there's no return"

Lucy checked the water temperature and hung a towel on the bar before stepping into the large stone tiled shower. The floor felt cold beneath her feet but she sighed as the heat of the water washed away the chill on her skin. With a sigh, she turned her face up to the stream of water and just enjoyed the feel. She missed her tub. Laxus didn't have a tub, just a double shower and she missed being able to fully immerse herself in the water.

Her dream was still scratching at the edges of her mind despite the repetitive mantra she chanted in her head. It was incredibly random, she hadn't had any bad dreams in months. The last having been after the games and the eclipse gate. Even then, they hadn't felt that real. She could still feel the vestiges of her fear lingering, could feel the pain that she'd experienced. It had started so peaceful, happy.

A hand slid down unconsciously and she felt tears sting at her eyes as her palm brushed over her flat stomach. Her mind could so easily recall the feel of a baby's kick and then the blood, the pain and then it was all gone. It shouldn't bother her and perhaps it was all of the conversations she'd had with Kinana about her loss that sparked it.

The sound of the shower door opening had her pulling back to quickly wipe at her face.

"Relax beautiful," Laxus said as he moved up behind her. "It's just me." He pulled her warm wet body against him and dipped his head to brush his nose against her ear. Even wet, she smelled like candy and sin. He felt her shiver against him and frowned, it wasn't the typical shiver she gave when he touched her and she'd seemed fine downstairs. "What's wrong?"

She turned herself around and buried her face in his chest, her arms slipping around his waist in seek of comfort. "Nothing, just want to be close."

He looked down at the top of her head and felt her squeeze herself against him as if he might disappear. "Static, I love you but you suck at acting."

A chuckle escaped her lips and she sniffled before tilting to peer up at him. He really was beautiful in her eyes. I wonder if it would have looked like him. The thought hit her like a sledgehammer and a shake of her head did nothing to take away the heavy feel of it. "Really babe…just a bad dream," she said as she hid her face in his chest again. "But I'm ok now so no worries."

"Hmmm, a bad dream huh?" He queried as he pulled back from her grasp to turn her against the wall. He chuckled when she hissed as the smooth cold stone made contact with her skin. His fingers tilted her face up as his head dipped, his teeth scraping against her pouty bottom lip before he sucked it into his mouth. "I'll just have to give you something better to think about." And get rid of the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Now my heart is not scared"

Lucy softly moaned when his tongue slid into her mouth, her own tongue wantonly stroking it. Her hands came up to slide over the wet contours of his stomach and chest, loving the way the muscles tensed beneath her touch. She molded her mouth to his, letting his tongue guide hers in a dance that only they knew.

He growled when she slid a leg up the side of his and he hooked a hand under it, lifting as he pressed her harder against the wall. He swallowed the whimper she let out as his already hard length slipped between her thighs to brush against her apex and he fought the urge to bury himself deep inside of her. He broke away from her tempting mouth and kissed over her chin, nipping at the sensitive skin of her throat as his fingers ghosted over the skin of her leg.

"I miss being able to touch you whenever I want," He whispered against her.

She shuddered against him with a gasp as the tips of his fingers lightly brushed over the outer lips of her sex and she arched her hips into him. Her fingers dug into the wet spikes of his hair and she tried in vain to pull him closer, to lift herself higher as the fingers on her other hand dug into his shoulder. Desperation to fill the emptiness her dream left behind drove her, needing to feel more of him.

"Then show me. Please show me how much you miss it," She moaned as her head fell back against the wall, giving his mouth better access.

His cock twitched at her challenge and he grinned against her skin. His other hand dipped down to carefully grip her water slicked ass, lifting her to the tips of her toes as his other fingers played along the length of her smooth slit. He loved the fact that she shaved, her skin becoming slick with her arousal. A finger dipped between her folds and she let out a guttural moan as he made contact with the hardened bundle of nerves.

She felt her muscle contract with every pass his calloused fingers made over her clit and tried to arch into his touch. His movements were slow and deliberate, drawing out her mewls of pleasure as she clutched her body to his. A jolt speared through her as she felt his magic pass over her flesh, the water amplifying the tingling sensation.

"Oh god…fuck," she gasped as her eyes shot open to see him watching her intently.

He grinned as he watched her face contort in pleasure when his fingers dipped, his middle finger sliding inside her welcoming heat. She was beautiful, but even more so with the drops of water on her skin, her hair wet, lips parted and her eyes glossed over in passion. Her body gripped at his finger as it stroked her and his body twitched in jealousy. He watched her struggle to keep her eyes open as he stroked the fire he felt building inside of her.

"God I love you," he growled as her fingernails dug into his flesh.

"I love you t-ahhh" She cried out as he slid another finger inside of her. Her fingers in his hair curled as she pulled his mouth to hers, tasting his moan as his strokes came faster. She sucked on his tongue in time to his fingers, whimpering when she felt his magic charge again. Her stomach coiled in anticipation and a cry ripped from her lips as the jolt came again.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his gaze trained on her face as he felt her body begin to tighten and quiver around him. He could see her beginning to come undone, hear how her pants quickened and her moans rising an octave. He curled his fingers a little and heard the catch in her breath as her eyes squeezed shut.

"Open your eyes baby. Let me see you," he said as his hold on her ass tightened.

She felt herself teetering on the edge but forced her eyes to open. The moment her eyes met his desire darkened stormy blues, she felt a familiar tingle. A small electric jolt surged, hitting that sensitive spot inside and her scream echoed off the shower walls as her orgasm ripped through her. The tension in her muscles gave way to full body convulsions. Before her mind could process, his fingers withdrew and he dipped to hook his arms under her legs.

"Just knowing that you're out there, watching me…"

He couldn't wait for her to come down, his need for her took over as he lined himself up. With a snap of his hips, he pulled her body down and let go of a growl as her body molded around his intrusion. Her body's tight grip never ceased to amaze him, pushing him to the brink of insanity. His fingers dug into the meaty flesh of her ass as he lost himself inside of her, pushing and pulling her willing body as his thrusts slammed into her. Her moans and cries filled his ears, his name falling from her mouth over and over. The thought flashed in his head that the house wasn't empty but he couldn't care less what was heard, she was his to claim and this was his home.

She buried her fingers into his hair as he drove himself into her over and over again, each thrust driving her further up the wall against her back. The fact that the water had long gone cold was lost on her under the heat of his gaze. Her muscles cried for a break under his relentless attack but she lacked the power or will to deny him, or the beast that flashed in his eyes. Let it consume you…complete the process. The familiar voice echoed in her mind and she found herself betraying the strain her body felt as she tightened her hold. Pulling herself up against him, she crushed her mouth to his. Her tongue swept over his bottom lip before she sucked it between her own, her teeth scraping before she bit down.

The taste of metal filled Laxus' mouth before the smell of blood reached his nose and he pulled back, a growl rumbling up from his chest as something else seemed to take control. In one swift motion he pulled her up, her whimper at the loss making his insides quake as he set her on her feet and spun her to face the wall. Bending her over at the waist, he kicked at her feet to widen her stance as he brushed the tip of his cock against her. He grinned when she gave a delightful shudder and pushed against the wall to press back into him.

"Mine," he growled before burying himself inside of her hot depths again.

"Yours," she cried out as the force of his thrust pushed her onto her toe tips. She'd only thought he was relentless before, but his movements were primal now. She felt nails dig into her flesh as he gripped her hip and a steady charge seemed to blanket the air. She could only claw at the wet tiles as his hips snapped against hers almost painfully. Fear registered in the deepest recesses of her mind but her body ignored it as instinct took over. She pushed back to meet his thrusts and found pleas for more falling from her lips as the coil in the pit of her stomach winding tighter.

He felt the familiar tingle travel the length of his spine, settling in and causing his balls to tighten as her voice spurred him on. Her name was like a prayer from his lips as he pulled the wet strands of her hair away from her neck, exposing the flesh he was seeking. His fingers traveled up the length of her sides and the smell of blood faintly stained the air he struggled to breathe in. He heard her cry out as his hands slid under and pulled her back against him.

"So believe…"

Tremors racked her frame as she felt his thrust become more urgent, propelling them both towards an earth shattering ending. Her breath caught when she felt his breath, hot against her the back of her neck and she let her head fall forward as if to bare herself to him. Her mind didn't register the sting of the water as it fell on her skin or the pain as his fingers dug into her breasts, only the need to be one with him.

"Cum with me Laxus, take me over the edge with you."

Her lust drunk words pulled deep and his tongue swept over his teeth before his lips pulled back. His hips snapped against hers as the chord inside of him broke. He felt the rush pulsing up the length of his shaft and he pulled her back against him. His teeth sank into her flesh as his cock erupted inside of her, taking his breath and control with it.

Lucy felt the scream rip from her mouth before the sound reached her ears as searing pain spread from her neck down the length of her spine. It set her over the edge, lights exploding behind her eyelids as every nerve ending in her body seemed to fire at once.

Slowly the earth seemed to right itself on its axis and Laxus tightened his hold on her as he felt her start to slip. Gently he licked at her blood stained skin, little arcs of electricity sparking between the marked flesh and his tongue. The feeling was unique, comforting in a way he could not explain. It made him happy to know she carried a little more of him with her now, the teeth marks on her neck reminding him that soon they'd be fully connected. He felt her shiver against him and realized the heat had long run out in the water.

She felt the chill return as her racing heart began to slow, the comfort of his arms doing little to warm her under the spray of cold water. A groan escaped her lips when he slowly pulled out of her and she felt her knees try to give under her own weight. The squeaking of the knob heralding the water cutting off and she sighed with a smile as warmth wrapped around her in the form of a soft terrycloth towel.

"I love you," She whispered when he lifted her and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"I love you more," he smiled against her temple as he carried her to the sink.

"I love you the most," she chuckled as he grabbed another towel and began roughly drying her hair as one would do with a child.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled as he draped the towel over her head. "If you say so Static," he whispered before kissing the tip of her nose. "If you say so."

"I'll be here waiting"

"I was fixing to send Freed up with a search party for you guys."

Lucy saw the green haired mage blush as he was clearing his books and chuckled. "Yea, took a little longer to get cleaned up than I planned." She moved to grab the plate of bacon from beside Ever and winced when her t-shirt covered side brushed the counter.

The brunette let out a laugh and turned, a finely manicured brow arching as she took in the longer than usual red t-shirt, skinny jeans and combat boots that the celestial mage was wearing. "Yea, something tells me you'll need another shower to fully wash off the last."

"And a full set of bandages," Laxus mumbled as he walked into the kitchen. He pulled on the black t-shirt in his hands and shot an apologetic look to the blonde before taking the plate of bacon she had. "Where's Bicks? Figured he'd be down already."

Ever handed Lucy a plate of eggs and grabbed the platter of pancakes, following the woman over to the table. "Still sleeping, not sure how though with the bear that was killing that poor girl upstairs."

"Said girl is NOT dead thanks," Lucy deadpanned.

Laxus laughed and moved to press his lips against the blonde's temple. "And it wasn't a bear Ever. It was a dragon, get it right." He jumped away as the celestial mage swung at him and gave her a wink.

"I would have to agree, it definitely sounded like a dragon," Freed said as he walked back into the kitchen sans his books that he placed in the living room. "But should I go wake Bickslow?"

Lucy turned and opened her mouth to say yes but quickly shut it as she caught sight of a marker on the counter. A mischievous grin pulled at her lips as she recalled their conversation from earlier. Ohhhh let the punishment begin. "No thank you Freed, I will handle it."

The two men narrowed her eyes and Ever grinned as she followed Lucy's line of sight to the marker. Yes! Someone as cruel as I am! "Oooh art time?" She cooed.

"Hoping, praying that this light will guide you home"

The celestial mage brushed past them as her fingers came to rest on her keys. She gave the three that followed a smile before pulling her keys out, Virgo's key nestled between her fingers. "Open gate of the Maiden, Virgo!"

A doorbell sounded and a pink cloud billowed up from the floor before the pink haired mage sprung up seemingly from nowhere. "Punishment time Princess?" She asked as she stuck her fist out and flipped it over, her fingers uncurling to reveal a small marker laying on her upturned palm.

The three blinked at the spirit before their eyes drifted down to her hand. "Wait, how?" Laxus questioned.

Lucy gave her spirit a broad smile as she reached for the item the pinkette offered. "Actually yes Virgo, but not for you this time." The woman gave her a pout and she chuckled. "Another time but this is the same as before right?" She asked as she looked over the marker.

The pinkette nodded. "Yes Princess, it's the same one that you used on Natsu and Gray."

The celestial mage smiled and bowed in thanks. "Thank you Virgo, you may return." Once the maid disappeared, she turned to find Laxus, Freed and Ever staring at her in confusion.

"Do I even want to know what you did to those two idiots?" Laxus asked, a touch of jealousy evident in his voice.

The celestial mage rolled her eyes and moved towards the stairs. "Get your mind out of the gutter Spark Plug," she said as she paused to look back. "This is special ink, you can choose who sees it and who doesn't. The two idiots, as you so aptly called them, had just destroyed a village. So the morning we were to leave, while they slept I wrote 'I love Ice Queen's prick' on Natsu's forehead and 'I love Ash Breath's mouth.' The train ride home was quite entertaining." She gave them a grin before dashing up the stairs.

Ever grinned and dashed to follow. "Lu I love your mind," she giggled. "I can tell we are going to be the best of friends."

Freed stared at the spot where the woman had been before reaching up to tap the arm of the dragon slayer. "Laxus, please remind me to never anger her."

The man in question grinned and threw and arm around the rune mage's shoulder, giving a squeeze before withdrawing. "I am afraid you're on your own there man. I'm lucky when I can spare myself from her wrath," he laughed as he climbed the stairs.

"When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love hidden in the sun"

Lucy stopped outside the room that Laxus had put the two men in and paused as she reached for the knob. She glanced at Ever and scrunched her face up. "Do we know if he sleeps commando or…"

The brunette blinked before the color drained from her face at the thought of seeing Bickslow naked. "Um…I…well…I don't know." She looked behind her to see the two men coming up. "Freed, is Bicks naked or did he have the decency to wear clothes?"

Laxus saw the man pause and sighed as he reached for the marker. "I will do it," he said as he gave his mate a pointed look. "YOU aren't going in if there's a chance he's naked."

The blonde stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and grabbed to take the marker back, scowling as he pulled it out of reach. "But I wanted to draw pretty pictures!"

He smirked and leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "Tell me what you wanted to draw and I will handle it."

Before she could answer, Ever quickly interjected. "Penis, draw a penis on his face."

Lucy bust out laughing and nodded. "Aiming at his mouth! Imagine what it will look like when he sticks out his tongue."

Freed face palmed, refusing to even contemplate the mental imagery. "Ok, I am just going to go eat while you three decorate that poor guy in there."

Laxus blinked as he looked between the two women. "Yea ok you two are never getting this pen back, like never ever." He pushed between them and paused as he looked back to see Freed retreating back down the stairs. A grin pulled at his mouth as an idea popped into his head. "You two go back down and we'll be down in a moment."

Both women narrowed their eyes at him but turned and did as told, making their way back down to the kitchen.

"I hope he realizes I AM getting that back," Lucy said as she opened the fridge to pull out the milk and juice. "I don't need him writing crap on me in my sleep because he would. I'd wake up with 'mine' written all over just so he could prove a point."

Ever laughed as she set the table. "Sadly I have to agree with you."

Freed shook his head as he moved to take his seat. "Lucy, I doubt he would do…" He paused as he realized what the man in question was doing as they spoke. "I withdraw that, he would Lucy. I'm sorry."

"For when the darkness comes"

Lucy opened her mouth to reply but quickly shut it as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked over to see Laxus approaching with a broad grin and she shook her head before moving to take her seat. Movement caught her eye and she looked up. "Bicks so hap…" Her words trailed off as she took in her mate's handy work and laughter bubbled to the surface before she could stop it.

Bickslow rubbed at his eyes before pausing, a brow arching as he moved his hands to peer questioningly at the woman. "What the hell is she laughing at?" He questioned as he looked to the others who were now seeming to busy themselves with food on the table, with the exception of Freed. The rune mage was staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth as if he were trying to catch flies. "What?"

Freed blinked as he took in the phallic image drawn on one side, the crude thing drawn so that it looked as if it were dropping something into the man's mouth. The other side had the words "I love A2M" on the other. "Ok what exactly is this A to M?" He questioned without thinking.

The seith mage blinked at the question before his attention was pulled to Ever who was suddenly choking. He quickly moved over to rub at her back as he stared at the rune mage. "What the hell Freed? Why would…that's a question you need to ask in private! Not at the kitchen table!"

Freed opened his mouth to respond but Laxus quickly cut him off. "Ok ok, just sit and eat Bicks. You guys still need to dress so we can head to the guild."

Lucy moved a couple of pancakes onto her plate, resisting the desire to look up at the blue/black haired man across from her. "I know Freed won't but why not dress casual today Bicks? We've got the team from Sabretooth coming in and I am sure Cana would appreciate seeing you in jeans for a change."

Laxus fought the grin and laugh that wanted to pop up, nodding and adopting his usual nonchalant expression. "She's got a point, no need to put on all that armor when I'm sure she'll want to pull you into a broom closet at some point."

Bickslow looked around the table and shook his head. "What the fuck? I sleep in and you guys decide it was fuck with Bickslow day or something?"

Ever picked up a piece of her bacon and gave him a smile before taking a bite. "No! Why would we waste time on that?" She gave a shrug of her shoulder and turned her attention back to her place. "Always thinking it's all about you, psh. And we were just trying to be nice."

"Be here waiting"

The rest of the meal was peaceful, the art work ignored as the team reminisced over missions. If she'd had any doubts in the Raijinshou's loyalty and respect for Laxus, it was easily wiped away. She laughed and enjoyed listening to the stories they shared. She could easily see the love that they held for her mate and watching him interact, she knew that the feelings went both ways.

She and Laxus took clean up duty while the others disappeared to their rooms to get washed up and changed. The mood was light and they joked as moved about.

"I was thinking," Laxus said as he came up behind the celestial mage who was putting the last of the glasses away.

"That could be dangerous," She chuckled as she shut the cupboard door and twisted in his arms, slipping her own around his waist.

He smiled as he pulled her close, burying his nose into the messy bun she had pulled her hair into. She was one of the few he knew who could make casual look good. "Yea yea shut it Static," he chuckled as he pulled back enough to see her face. "We don't know how long this will last although it's been quiet but…" He paused as he saw her forehead crease. "I was thinking your apartment is kind of being unused and just draining money so why not give up the lease and move in…permanently?"

Lucy's forehead relaxed as her eyes widened in shock. She'd been worried when he started, unsure of where he was going but then he dropped the unexpected. After this was over hadn't really been a thought, just assuming in part that she would just go back to the solitary place she'd called home since joining the guild. "I…well…I uh…wow." It was all she could manage.

"Hoping, praying that this light will guide you home"

Laxus felt his chest tighten and moved to pull away, feeling rejection kick him in the stomach. "I'm sorry, I should have saved tha…"

She cut him off as she hooked her fingers into his belt loop and pulled him back. "Stop," she said as she reached up to cup his cheek to turn his face back to look at her. "You kind of took me by surprise on that so give me a chance to process ok?" She saw him eye her warily and slipped her arms back around his waist. "I will admit I hadn't even thought about it, irresponsible of me perhaps given we aren't allowed on missions. But more importantly, it's because I've just been comfortable…not really thinking about the whole 'afterwards' thing."

He sighed and gave a nod but still held himself back a little, she hadn't answered one way or the other. Not that he could blame her, under her clothes she sported wraps that covered the myriad of scratches he'd inadvertently left all over her torso. He'd been appalled at himself when her towel was removed, the fabric stained with blood and her perfect skin littered with what could only be claw marks. She looked like a wervyn had gotten ahold of her. "Lucy I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to hurt you like that."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Laxus you asking me to move in didn't hur…" she paused as his face fell into "Really?" look and it dawned on her. "Oh! Baby I told you, there's nothing to apologize for. It's not the first time you've left marks and it won't be the last," She said before giving him a wink. "At least it better not be. I happen to be a huge fan of you going all dragon on my ass."

A breathy chuckle forced its way out and he grinned as he lifted her to sit on the counter, he head dipping to nuzzle into the crook of her neck. She was safety and home. "Well that's a good thing given you definitely have a talent for bringing out the dragon in me."

"When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love hidden in the sun"

She brought a hand up, her fingers sliding into the soft blonde spikes of his hair and smiled when he sighed contentedly against her skin. "That's because I loooooooove your dragon." She mimicked her favorite blue exceed and giggled when fingers poked at her ribs. "Ok ok but I do. I love everything about you. I'm in love with all of you Laxus and to answer your question," she paused to nuzzle her cheek against his. "I didn't really think about it because I don't want to imagine ever going back to sleeping without you or waking up in a bed without you beside me. Here, with you is my permanent home."

Laxus let go of the breath he hadn't realized he'd been hold and he pulled back to bring his hands to her face, his thumbs brushing across her cheeks. The weight that he'd woken up with lifted with her words and a flood of emotions caught in his throat in the wake. He never once thought that redemption could come in the form of honey blonde hair, shining brown eyes, golden sun-kissed skin, full pink pouty lips and a heart of fire yet here it was. Her light chased the darkness he'd lived with for years away.

"I promise you'll never find out," he said as he leaned in to brush his lips against hers. "And I've told you, I've got a lifetime to spend proving it."

"Awwwww this is the best chick flick ever, I need some popcorn."

Lucy sniffled and blinked at the tears that stung her eyes. A hand dropped, her fingers tapping against the counter top until they made contact with something plastic. "We're making them all wear bells," she sighed as she cleared her throat. "Bicks stop being a dick," she said as she pulled back a little from the comfort of the dragon slayer's embrace and chucked the object she'd found at the seith mage.

Laxus laughed at the pout the man gave her as he dodged the spatula. "From what I've heard he likes the dick," he smirked as he admired his handy art work again.

"Oh screw you guys," The seith mage pouted. "We're heading out, you two coming?"

The celestial mage smiled and quickly pressed a chaste kiss on the dragon slayer's lips before sliding off of the counter. "Yea we're coming dick man," she said as she moved to follow him out of the kitchen. A giggle bubbled up but she bit it back as she realized he'd done as asked, wearing a t-shirt and jeans with glasses to cover his figure eight eyes. Ohhhh this is going to be funny as hell.

The group filed out of the house, their eyes scanning the surrounding area as they moved off of the porch.

"Wow there's a chill to the air this morning," Ever commented as she closed her fan and shivered. "Kind of nice though, this summer was too warm."

"For when the darkness comes"

Lucy stepped off of the porch and shivered as the chill brought goose bumps to her skin. Her forehead creased as she glanced up when movement caught her eye. Hanging from a tree, a single orange leaf swayed in the morning breeze before letting go to float down to the ground. First sign of fall. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she recalled that it had been spring in her dream.

Laxus made sure the door was locked before he stepped off of the porch and saw her standing there as if frozen. His nose sniffed at the air and his brow furrowed when nothing seemed to be out of place. "You ok?" He asked as he slipped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side.

She blinked and shook her head before looking up to give him a forced smile. "Yea, I'm great." She slid an arm around him and urged them forward. "Come on, they aren't waiting on us."

He studied her a moment, knowing her well enough to know she was hiding something. "Yea." He was unconvinced but knew he'd get it out of her sooner or later. His eyes scanned the area before falling on the solitary splash of color on the ground. His jaw clenched as they moved forward, his arm tightening around her.

The longest chapter yet! I have to admit that despite all the bumps, this was by far the most fun chapter to write. It was kind of nice to be able to use the awesome personalities of the Raijinshou to my advantage. I just hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

A huge thanks to my girls in the Crack Fanfic Liberation Army and to those who have reviewed. The suggestions and thoughts help me in ways I will never be able to explain.

Please R & R!

Hugs!

Princess Nana