Good evening, it was another awful two weeks. But whatever. I'm headed to speak at the Wisconsin State Anti-Human Trafficking Convention this weekend in the dells. I'm, as always, excited to share my story. Anyways, this chapter hit me in the feels. Like really badly. I kinda hate myself for what I put Gajeel through. But it'll all be worth it in the end. Maybe? I don't I just put it on paper, I'm in no control of this story anymore. LOL. As always lots of love to all of you!

About seven miles away from Rogues team, was Gajeel's team. Gajeel had checked into the inn, which had been paid for by his wife. It was hard that he wasn't going to be in that hotel room with her by his side. Lucy had banned Cana from staying with Gajeel, so she was staying with Yukino and Rufus. This made Gajeel feel better. He really needed his wife, and sadly Lucy would have to do. He really just wanted to cuddle. And he literally couldn't with anyone, but his mate. He chuckled to himself. He couldn't even cuddle with Lily without feeling like he was cheating on his wife. Lily still curled up in his lap, but he remembers how hard that was to overcome. He knew his wife wasn't cuddling with anyone, so he'd just have to suffer too. Which sucked cause they were both cuddlers. He knew she really like cuddling while she was pregnant, his presence always made the babies calm down. It was like they knew his presence when it was there. She was probably getting the shit kick out of her right now.

His phone buzzed, and a picture of Levy from their proposal showed up, signaling that Levy had texted. He opened the text, and smile. She had rolled up her shirt to expose her belly. He loved it. But her caption got to his weak spot. "Kicking like crazy. Smile through the pain. Always in my heart." He read the words over and over again. They were bringing him comfort. And seeing her swollen tummy, made his heart race, and turned him on. It was typical now for that to happen. He thought she was sexy as ever, while pregnant. He sent back, "Sexy as ever. Love you so much. Lucy's good and all but need you. Forever my love." He chuckled.

"Tell her I say hi." A voice from behind him said. He didn't need to turn around to know it was Lucy. It was comforting for her to be here. At least in Shrimp's absence he had a good replacement. He needed Lucy more than ever now, and because she was supper close with Levy it made it easier. And the fact they were both spunky, made him think he'd stay sane.

"Will do." He said. Then sighed. "She's a star right now. She's one of those stars." The sky was darkening, a few stars were visible. Lucy was supposed to be getting ready for bar hopping tonight. "She's out there in space, or whatever. She's not even on this planet. She can't even walk here. She's so far out there. It feels like she's gone. I can't feel our connection." A stray tear fell from his eyes. "I can't feel her, and it sucks. I want to feel her at least with me. I know you guys are having a hard time without your mates, but damn, mines really gone. Like not dead, but I can't feel her. I can't feel anything. My body is numb. I'm numb. It's like I'm a robot. Like nothing is the same."

"That's because nothing is the same." Lucy leaned on the rail overlooking the river, that Gajeel was up against. "She's gone. So far away, that you don't know what you're going to do. You have no idea how to live without her, because from the moment you met her, you've never been apart. If you think about it, it was only a few months after the incident that you asked her to move in. You don't know how to sleep without her. You don't know how to act normal, because you've never had too. You've been alone your whole life, well after your dad left. You didn't get attached to people. Except her. She fucks you up in so many ways, that now that she's not here, it's…exhausting. It's like a constant fight to wake up and pretend to be okay. But you've got to, for her sake. And those little ones. I'm replacement wife. Let me help you."

"And I may not know you well," a soft voice said behind them, "but left me also help you. We all need each other right now." Yukino leaned on the railing on the opposite side of Gajeel. "We've got this." Gajeel felt tears come to his eyes.

"I'm gonna need reminders what I'm fighting for. Just like you guys are. She'll be here. She never leaves my side. It was our promise. It was the promise we made on Tenrou. It was the only promise I've ever made, and it's the most important one I'll ever make." He looked at Lucy. "But you need to be getting ready." Lucy nodded. She squeezed his hand before walking into the inn.

"I mean it Gajeel. I need you just as much." Yukino said.

"You know I'm a monster, right?" He said softly. "Before anyone gives me any sort of metal, I'm a monster. I hurt Levy in ways that are evil." Yukino chuckled.

"You won't tell them. You didn't even tell Levy, did you?" Gajeel looked at her intently. She couldn't possibly be talking about,

"Your orders were to kill Levy. You got in trouble, because you refused to kill her. You told him that you don't kill. You never will. That's not who you were."

"How do you,"

"I was on an undercover mission in Phantom Lord. I was there, when you got the orders. I was there when you executed them. I was there when you told him to fuck off. I was there for all of it. He publicly disgraced you. Made you look like less of a man, all because you refused to kill Levy. You haven't told anyone, have you?"

"No. It'd only cause problems. I'm still a monster. You were there, it's not like I've never done questionable things. I've just never killed. Or the other thing that I refuse to say."

"You may be a monster. But this monster you, is the softest version of monster Gajeel. You're having babies, Gajeel. I've seen you fall to your knees for these little ones. I've seen you kiss Levy's stomach. I've seen you grow into a man that any woman would have been lucky to have. And Levy is ecstatic to be your mate."

"I-I,"

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone either. It's not my thing to tell, but maybe you and Levy should talk about it. I know you'd never want your kids to think you're a monster, and even tough Levy knows you're not, it might be time to come clean about it."

"How long were you there?" His face fell.

"Long enough to have seen you fall. Long enough to know how conflicted you were with the guild you had called home for so many years. Enough to know that Jose was too hard on you. Made you believe feelings were wrong. Belittled you. Beat you. Told you weren't a man, because you refused to sleep with the whores he threw at you. Enough to know that you were a victim of circumstances. Enough to make me know the kind of man you are."

"I appreciate it, but I'm still,"

"A monster, I get it. Just keep in mind that I know you more than you'd like me too. So, let me be replacement wife number two. We're all going to need each other, and we're the only one's that'll get it." She looked out at the river. "I miss him." She said softly. "It's funny how this all works."

"Hm?"

"I never wanted to fall in love. I have a traumatic past, and every man that was supposed to be there for me left or did awful things to me. I never wanted to be with someone, anyone. I wanted to be alone. But fate, like always, had other ideas. She knew I was going to need someone that I knew would never walk away from me. Someone I could full heartedly rely on. And boy was he not my type!" She chuckled. "I had a thing for bad boys. One's who'd see me across the room, and never say a word. Men who'd cheat and abuse. Men who didn't care if you weren't in the mood. One's who'd just be…mean." She paused. "Then I walked through Sabertooth's door, and Sting greeted me like he had known me my whole life. Things in the guild were rocky, but he saw the light. He saw the good in everything. I remember one night he and I were at the guild late, just the two of us, and I blurted out everything. Everything that had happened to me. It was the night I realized I was in love with him, and it scared me. How could I ever trust a man again? How could he be so different from the rest? How on Earthland was this possible?"

"But the mate connection will do that to ya." Gajeel chuckled.

"See! You felt the same way with Levy! That's why I get you. It's because our emotions surrounding our mate stories are not all happy. They're fucked up and confusing! And sometimes they're still confusing!" She giggled.

"Thank you." He said.

"You needed someone. And I may not be Lucy or Levy, but I've got your back too." They smiled at each other, before heading inside to get ready for the bars. The three needed to be in disguise, because of the fact they well known and being hunted. Lucy was wearing a black long haired wig. Yukino had on a blonde one, and Gajeel had to fit all his hair into a bald cap so he could wear a short haired wig. He refused to cut it when Cancer said it's be easier. He knew his Shrimp loved his hair. She liked pulling it, and he like it getting pulled.

They arrived at their first bar, and Cana and Lucy took a seat at the bar, while Yukino, Rufus, and Gajeel took to a table. For the first hour no one approached the girls, but all the sudden a group of mages came in, and they flocked to Lucy and Cana. Lucy didn't let her uncomfortable shiver show as the men approached them. She wondered how she ever flirted with anyone before Laxus. It all seemed so foreign now. She didn't even want to talk to these guys. Her eyes met Gajeel's and even with no words or actions, his eyes told her to just calm down. There was nothing to worry about.

"Hey gorgeous, buy you a drink?" One of the men asked Lucy.

"Yeah, I'd like that." She didn't even feel like herself, she felt dirty and gross. Like she was cheating on Laxus. Her heart was breaking, and she was trying hard to keep her tears at bay. Cana picked up on it, and squeezed her hand softly, with a nod.

For the next couple hours, Lucy and Cana listened to these guys tell stories about being brave mages, which only made them laugh harder. These men were talking themselves up, and it cracked the two girls up. They had beaten all odds as mages, and these little no bodies were trying to convince them that they were big, scary, macho, masculine men. They held it together well, but after two hours they had heard nothing that was of any interest.

"You should come with us tomorrow to Midnight Rift." The guys that had been hitting on Lucy all night said. Both girls eyes widened.

"Yeah? What's there?" Lucy asked with a flirty smile, holding back her gag. Now she needed to play up her flirtiness.

"Only the best food and drink service you can get. The bar's been around for like five hundred years. They've got a special band there tomorrow night for the celebration."

"Celebration?" Cana asked, with her drunkingly intoxicating smile.

"Yeah. Every year they put on a festival about how we slayed the dragons four hundred years ago. It's a fun festival. They teach us about why the dragons had to die, and why the slayer's should as well. It's a city wide thing. Midnight Rift just always has the greatest bands during this event. The city decided to put it on early this year, for whatever reason, it's why we came home so soon. I'm a full-fledged member of the society to bring down the slayer's, just like we did the dragons." Lucy's blood ran could, she felt the needs to throw up.

"Excuse me." She said and headed to the back Gajeel got up and followed her. His own blood cold. He felt sick, so sick. These people didn't even know about the slayers. It made sense though. The last couple of months, most of the mail coming to Fairy Tail was hate letters from people who didn't approve of the slayers. It happened right after the Grand Magic Games. Mira's just kept them to herself. There was too much going on. This secret society wasn't big. He knew that at least, but it didn't make it any less unsettling. They were rounding up support to probably pass laws to make slayers and mates hunted. That's what made him sick. They were in a territory that wasn't safe for them to be recognized at all. He knew he needed to call every group, and Levy. They were in for a huge surprise.

He found Lucy out back throwing up. "You okay?" He asked softly, holding back her hair. He had dealt with a lot of vomit the last six months. The smell didn't even get to him anymore.

"No." She said softly as tears sprung to her eyes. "I just had to flirt with a man who's not my husband. And is in some society that wants said husband killed! I'm not okay! I need my Laxus!" She started to cry, falling to the ground. He held her tightly to him.

"It's okay. I've got you, but you can't let this get to you yet. I know you feel like you've committed the worst crime in the world, but you didn't. We're done for tonight. I'm going to get you all back to the hotel, after we get some pizza, and you can call Laxus to tell him everything. I'll call the rest of the teams and Levy. Just pull yourself together." She nodded. She took a deep breath than stood. She wiped her tears, and walked back in with a new vigor in her step. She would not let this destroy her! She would destroy all of them.

She saw that Cana was still doing her job, and well. She made her way back over, before telling Cana she was tired.

"Kay Princess Tits, let's get you home." Cana said drunkly.

"Yeah." Was all Lucy said. As they turned away the man grabbed her arm.

"Here's my number, in case you decide to join." He winked at her. She was surprised at how well she smiled and said,

"We'll see." She winked, before walking out of the bar.

"You okay?" Cana asked, once they were far enough away from the bar.

"I will be. I just feel like I cheated, and it's killing me. This will be the hardest part for me. The whole being single Lucy again. I-I just want him. I want to go home and flirt with him, and hear his stupid jokes. I wanna giggle in bed, and have him roll his eyes at me. I want to hear him tell me he loves me." She sighed heavily. "I just need to call him tonight. Gajeel said I could, and you guys can start eating the pizza without me." She smiled.

"Lu, he loves you more and more every day. Bickslow was telling me all of what Laxus has said about you in the past few months, and holy shit does that man adore you. He loves you in a way all girls dream of. He'd give anything for you. You ask you receive. He understands that this is a shitty situation, but he also knows you can handle it. We can handle this."

"You fell for him, didn't you?"

"Who Laxus?"

"NO!" Lucy giggled. "Bickslow, but you're too scared to tell him."

"Let's not dissect that right now. I don't know that I'm in love with him, I just like the way he makes me feel."

"You should tell him that. See where it goes. You could be the next Laxus and Lucy." They both giggled.

Everyone made it back to the hotel safely, and Lucy immediately excused herself. She shot Laxus a text to see if he was free, to which he said yes.

"L-Laxus." She couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Baby what's wrong?! Are you hurt?!" He was concerned, and panicked.

"I'm s-sorry. Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel like I cheated on you." She started to cry hard. "I had to flirt with another guy, and it almost killed me. I want to flirt with you, and you only!"

"Oh my God, baby, chill. I don't think you cheated on me. You only flirted with this guy, and you did it to save our asses. You're more than okay. We're fine. I'm fine. You're fine. It's all okay. Just stay strong."

"But he, but he, he asked me on a date to a festival that's all about killing us!" She sobbed. She felt like shit.

"You're going right?"

"NO! I'm not going on any dates that aren't with my husband!" She said defensively.

"You're going." He said plainly.

"What?! No!"

"Baby, think of everything you could learn at this thing you need to go. You need to do this for us." Even she knew he hated this idea.

"Laxus, I don't want to."

"But you need to."

"The only thing I really need is to cuddle." They both chuckled. "Okay I'll go."

"Nothing to slutty, and take a finger if he gets handsy."

"I promise he won't touch me at all." She paused realizing they needed to hang up. "I hope you know how bad I miss you, and want to be with you. I'm gonna go tomorrow, and do a job, but that's all this is, a job. You are my forever. I love you Laxus Dreyar."

"I love you too, Lucy Dreyar." They hung up, and Lucy wiped her tears. Then walked to the other hotel room, where she sat down with her friends.

"He says I have too." She chuckled taking a slice of pizza. "But I don't want too."

"He's right though Bunny. It's a great opportunity for us. We need to go. You and Cana need to go, we'll follow." Gajeel said. "He understands."

"Yeah. That's what's scary. Had this been anything else, a job request, a dare, any of that it'd be a hard no, but because this is life and death, it's all okay. I hate this." She took a bite, and smiled. "Whoever said that time apart from your husband was a good thing, was a liar. A big-fat-fucking-liar." They all laughed.

"We've got this! I've got ya!" Cana said.

"I have to text him now, don't I?" Lucy groaned.

"I'll do it for ya. I'm good at flirty texting." They ate, and then all headed to bed. Gajeel was in one bed, Lucy in the other.

"This bites!" Lucy groaned.

"You're telling me!" Gajeel growled. He was going to get ahold of everyone tomorrow, but sent his mate a sweet small text.

Levy was lying in bed, wide awake. The babies were calm for once. It seemed like it'd be the perfect night to be cuddled with her husband, but instead she was a dimension away. She hated this, but at least she had the kiddos to help her. Her mind was racing with everything that could possibly help them. Why did the name Ava Reed ring a bell? How could she know her, from more than just the bar. That's when it hit her. She sprung up, well the best she could at six months with twins. Ran down the hall, into the study where she was all set up.

"Levy, what is wrong?" Loke said from the door. He had heard her almost jump out of bed.

"I knew I knew her from somewhere! I knew it! Get out! I've got work to do."

"Levy, you need to sleep. They need you alert tomorrow. Gajeel's team caught wiff of something, they need you alert tomorrow." She was conflicted with herself, until baby b kicked her.

"Damnit!" She yelled. "I disrupted them. Now they're mad." Loke chuckled.

"Yeah, you scared me too. Now, I'll get you some calming tea, while you write yourself a reminder, but then it's off to bed." She rolled her eyes.

"Okay dad." He could only chuckle, while he left the room.