hello, hello! so... I quit my job lol. I'm a huge advocate of mental health and I firmly believe you should put yourself first! if that job is too much for you, or you're spreading yourself too thin, TAKE A BREAK! to them, you are replaceable! Anyway! this chapter should answer a bunch of questions, but as always, drop questions and/or comments and I'll answer them in the next chapter! I'm looking forward to your reviews!

(RAO HYUGA 18) I tried to kind of make it a bit realistic, ya know lol. every relationship has problems, everyone has feelings and emotions and sometimes they let them get the best of them. but that's where character development comes in. I really hope you like this next chapter! let me know what you think!

(GUEST) you know I'm not even sure how the meeting is going to go, to be honest, lol. I usually just go with the flow of the conversation and what sounds best in the moment. that's kind of why this chapter took a bit longer for me to post. I wasn't sure how I was going to start the chapter, which is usually my biggest issue lol. once I get started, I run with it.

Chapter Thirty

"Couldn't sleep?"

A dark-haired, young adult rounded the corner into the small space he and his girlfriend called their own to find her up and scribbling in her notebook; a habit she'd had since the Fallout. He always found it fascinating how she could see into the future, well, not really by choice. Her visions would usually come in waves, usually when something was stirring in the universe. Tonight, she seemed to be a bit more active than usual.

"Yeah," the woman replied, her focus never leaving her almost full page. "The visions just keep coming to me. They won't stop."

The man sat on the small bed next to her wrapping his arm around her shoulders while she wrote in the notebook propped on her knees. From the looks of it, she'd written a lot, and that only meant something was bound to happen soon. "How long ya been at it this time?"

"A few hours," she replied, brushing her dark-violet hair from her face. "I started right after you left for a walk. Did you see anything suspicious while you were out?"

"Nah, it's pretty late, so it's quiet out," he said, resting his head against hers and watching her quickly jot things down. "It's not good for you to be so paranoid all the time."

"I can't help it! When I see something, I write it down, and so far, nothing I've written is good."

"Well, whatcha got so far?" He asked, curious as to what the world was going to throw at them this time.

"So, get this," she said, sitting up and closing the notebook in her lap. "There's this really old demon that lived hundreds of years ago and loved to wreak havoc on the world. But something injured him really bad, like to the point where he had to lay low for a while. From time to time, he'd make an appearance and mess some stuff up, ya know? To let people know he was still around and not to mess with him, but for whatever reason, nobody has seen him in at least forty years."

"I thought you only got visions of the future," the man poked, knowing she was a bookworm and most likely already read about this.

"C'mon, Romeo," she said, playfully swatting his arm. "I know a few things."

"I know," he said with a soft chuckle. "So, what are your visions telling you this time? I'm assuming they're related to the demon you were just talking about."

"Well… I know where he is, and I know where he's been," she said hesitantly. "I got a faint vision of him taking over the body of a human man, but not as a possession."

Romeo scratched his head in confusion. "Wait… then did it take over a dead man?"

"No," she replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess he made some sort of deal with the demon, but the man never held up his end of the deal so the demon made it so he was stuck down in the Underworld."

"What was the deal?"

"I'm not really sure," she explained, opening her notebook up to the freshest pages. "But it involves the same charm the fallen angels are after."

"That same charm they think will send them back to Heaven, right?"

She nodded her head, skimming through her notes. "Mm-hm, but I'm not too sure that's possible. I don't feel anything good when I think about it."

"So, what's the end result of your visions?" He asked, curious what their future had in store for them.

She met his dark eyes, her own brown eyes welling with emotion. "He's coming back."

Two Days Ago

Gray appeared back in the common area of the bunker, irritated beyond belief. What a crappy turn of events! How they gained such a thorn in their side was a question he didn't have an answer to, but he had an idea on how to work around it. 'That idiot is at least useful for something.'

"Oi! Freed!" He shouted, rounding the corner to find a pissed off Salamander raging at anyone listening.

"Gray!" The pink-haired angel barreled toward the ice angel, fire in his dark eyes. "Can you believe this?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Gray replied, his forearm out to stop him from coming any further. He definitely wasn't helping his sour mood. "I know, I get it. I was there."

"That little witch! What business does she have with that goblin?" Salamander collided with Gray's arm, steam practically shooting from his nose as he was pushed to the side.

Gray rolled his eyes as he shoved his comrade out of the way. Why'd he have to be so dramatic? Sure, this was an annoyance, but there were ways to deal with it. "Shut up! I already called the idiot, so he'll be here any minute. I just gotta find Freed."

"Freed?" He snorted. "What's that scrawny douche got to do with this?"

"If you didn't know already, he's actually useful when it comes to warding things," Gray explained condescendingly as he walked through the corridor. This place used to be a lot livelier. What happened? "Also, he's the only one who came in contact with her and lived."

"Oh, yeah," Salamander said, putting a thumb and index finger to his chin. "We were so close to getting her when she was a human until he slipped up and told her the truth."

"He's weak," Gray shrugged. "We're just lucky she decided to let him live."

"Well, why do we need him?" The fire angel asked curiously. "You know she's gonna kill him immediately if she sees him."

"Not necessarily, but that's what the idiot is for," Gray said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Everything will fall into place, I'm sure of it."

"Why do I keep hearing my name?"

A tall, slender man with dark-blue eyes and long green hair pulled into a ponytail came from around the corner behind them. He had on his usual attire, a knee-length red coat with yellow buttons and a black belt around the center paired with light-colored pants that he kept tucked into black boots.

"Just the man I wanted to see," the dark-haired angel greeted as Freed approached the two.

"Why ya gotta dress like that all the time?" Salamander egged, feeling particularly antagonistic. "Get with the times, loser!"

"Shut it, Salamander," Gray chided.

"Yeah," Freed agreed. "I happen to like the way I dress, thank you very much."

"Anyway," the ice angel said, a more serious aura now present. "We've got a problem, and I know you can help."

"Ugh, is it Laxus again? I don't wish to fight against him. He is my friend."

"No." Gray sighed. "Well, kinda, yeah. He's a part of it, but not really why I need you. I need you to completely mask someone's energy, and then possibly something else after that, I'm not sure yet."

"Laxus?" Salamander asked quizzically. "What's that asshole got to do with this?"

"Use your brain, Salamander!" The ice angel threw his hands up in frustration. How could this dumbass ever be the leader of anything? "We were told that Laxus is looking for the goblin who has the talisman, but what Laxus doesn't know is the fact that the goblin is most likely looking for him because someone decided to put a hit out on him."

"What makes you so sure that's the goblin who's gonna take the kill?" The pink-haired angel tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"As far as I know, that goblin is the only one in the Spirit World strong enough to kill a Fallen," Gray said, pinching his brow. "I underestimated his powers. No one should be able to break my chains, let alone Freed's warding. But the way I have things planned out, it shouldn't be a problem."

"What's your point, anyway?"

"My point is Laxus isn't traveling alone."

Salamander's eyes widened after a few seconds of thought. "Lucy…"

"Exactly," Gray said, relieved that he understood that much. "Even though she and that goblin have it out for all of us, I'm not even sure he's gonna go through with the kill."

"…because Lucy's gonna stop them from doing anything, I get it now!"

Freed barely understood anything happening, and he was sure the ignorance showed on his face. "I'm sorry, what's happening here?"

"Your ex-girlfriend is back," Gray said nonchalantly.

"My ex… oh! You mean Levy?"

"Yup," Salamander said, resting his hands behind his head. "Only she's a freakin' angel now."

"W-What…?" The green-haired angel grew red, as his own memories of Levy came back to his mind. Even though he had impure intentions, he still grew to love her in the end. How could he not? She was beautiful and intelligent; it made sense that she'd be reborn as an angel… but with the things she did while she was human… "How is that possible?"

"Yeah, it's a real pain in the ass," Gray sighed. "Guaranteed Laxus is headed to those mountains if he's not already there, and once those two women see each other, things are gonna be tense, but I think Lucy will convince them both that they're on the good side. Then, either one of two things will happen. They'll either be all buddy-buddy, or the two pairs will go their separate ways."

"There's no telling what Laxus has planned if he gets his hands on the talisman," Salamander offered. "Once he gets to it before we do, we're screwed."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Gray countered. "I don't think two beings that want to kill all fallen angels would be so willing to give the talisman up to one so easily. My only question is do you think the goblin actually gave it to Metalicana?"

"As long as that witch is with him, she would never let that happen, so I doubt it," Salamander stated confidently.

"Excuse me," Freed interjected in Levy's defense. "She may be damaged, but she's definitely no witch! I'd like it if you refrained from calling her names, please."

"Are you on our side or what?!" Gray was fed up. He always thought Freed was on the soft side, but since he was basically Laxus' lap dog, he just ignored it. "Or you gonna abandon us like the rest of your little 'Thunder Legion' group?"

"I had no control over Bickslow, and Ever? I haven't the slightest idea why she ran off to be with a creature from the Spirit World." Freed sometimes wondered why he stuck around this group of low lives. Maybe because it was familiar, and they were all he had left, but without the immediate gang, things were a lot lackluster. Though, he did want to get back to Heaven, which was why he was a part of the Fallout a decade ago.

"Nobody told you to cast Laxus out," he continued defensively.

"Laxus left on his own free will, and he took that human girl with him," Gray explained.

"Yeah, don't be dumb," Salamander chimed in. "You know he most likely reunited with Bickslow. It wouldn't surprise me if you were just as traitorous."

"So, are you in or out?" Gray honestly hoped he was in because a lot of his plan relied on his powers, and he wasn't sure he had time to come up with a different plan. "Don't be like them, Freed. We could really use your help."

"I didn't come this far just to chicken out," the green-haired angel said forlornly. "I am a man of my word."

"Good," Gray sighed a silent breath of relief. "Then we gotta act fast. Now, we're just waiting on—"

"Sorry guys, I got here as fast as I could," a voice came from behind the three angels, getting closer as they turned around.

"Yikes, what happened to you?" Freed asked curiously.

"I had a run-in with Laxus a few days ago and he left me in pretty bad shape," the man said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Not showing the will and might of a lion, are we now, Leo?" Gray teased.

"Yeah, whatever plan you have, I'm not sure I can be part of," Leo said timidly. "He'll kill me if I show up anywhere near them again."

"Yeah, I guess your odds are kinda against you with there being only one person out of the four who actually doesn't despise your presence," the ice angel said coolly. "But that's where Freed comes in."

"There's two more now?"

"Believe it or not, you actually helped us by putting that hit out on Laxus," Salamander stated. "Even if it was a dumb idea."

"Yeah," Gray agreed. "By doing that, you actually brought the talisman to Laxus and the human girl, which makes our lives easier."

"And the best part about it," the fire angel bounced off his comrade's thought. "We already know exactly where they are."

"So, all you two have to do," Gray said, motioning to Freed and Leo. "...is exactly what I tell you. The smallest mistake could blow this whole plan, so I need one hundred percent cooperation from both of you. Got it?"

"I just had them not too long ago," Laxus said with a sigh as he peered into the distance. "Where did they go?"

It was as if they vanished. He and Lucy had a pretty good trail on them and just as they were starting to close the gap between them, they disappeared. But why? He was so close! He was so close to his goal, yet so far away! He began doubting his luck again as the hairs on the back of his neck stood. "What the…"

He glanced over at Lucy, whose attention was focused on something several yards behind them. Why was he getting this weird feeling? He turned, facing the direction they came from to be met with a glare so menacing, it almost made him question his will to continue with his plan.

"No way…" His jaw dropped, her being the absolute last person he'd expect to see. Was she really reborn into an angel? He looked over at Lucy, who was equally as astounded and near tears.

"L-Levy…?" On no will of her own, tears began to fall freely. Her best friend, whom she betrayed so easily… and for so long… Suddenly, she was wracked with so much guilt, she began to tremble. She never thought she'd see the day where she'd be reunited with her, and she dreamed of the ways she would apologize, but now that she'd have the opportunity… she wasn't sure if she could.

"Lu…" So much was happening in such a short amount of time. He saw the surge of emotion that coursed through her and wanted nothing more than to comfort her and help her, but this was something he wasn't certain he could help with.

"She's… the angel that attacked you…?" The blonde asked, her voice small.

"Um, yeah," Laxus replied, just as confused and speechless as she was.

It made sense to Lucy now as to why Laxus was attacked. Levy detested all fallen angels, and it was nobody's fault but her own. She'd betrayed her only friend, her family by luring her into trap after trap, each one she got out of, but not without a fight. It was her fault Levy had to fight. It was her fault Levy had to die. How could she face her with confidence?

"Lax…" Lucy's gaze never left Levy, and she wondered if that was the goblin standing so closely behind her. Was she really trying to get the talisman back? Why? "I think… it would be best if I spoke to her first."

"What?" Was she crazy? Yeah, she was human, but he marked her. She was walking around with his energy and trying to approach two beings that hated his very existence. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to do that. "You don't know if that goblin is aggressive or not!"

'So, that is the goblin.' She took a small step forward. "…she wouldn't let him do anything to me. We were best friends, and I'm sure she has a lot to say."

Lucy wasn't even sure if Levy knew the truth, but the way she was glaring at them… Why was she angry? "I can probably convince her that we're the good guys after talking to her for a bit…"

"Yeah," Laxus said, running a hand through his hair. "That should quell some of their aggression."

'I knew this day would come soon.' He sighed, knowing he finally had to tell her the real issue with the talisman. The only problem with that was the fact that it required him to open up emotionally… which was hard for him to do.

"Lu, before you go," he muttered, turning to face her. "I gotta tell you some stuff."

She tore her eyes away from the sight before her and focused on the angel next to her. Why did he have such a serious look on his face? "What is it, Lax?"

"So, a few things," he said, sheepishly looking away. "I would be kinda careful approaching them. I, uh, sort of gave you a little bit of my energy."

So, that's how his reaper friend knew they were together! Not that she really minded, especially if that meant he'd be able to find her easier whenever they got separated, but that did raise a huge problem. How would Levy react when she noticed? Maybe she already noticed, and that's why she looked so angry. Either way, she'd still have to face her.

"Also," he continued, not wanting her to say anything yet that would break his train of thought. He already gained the courage to start, now he had to finish. "When Leo told you that I didn't need your help with the talisman, he was right."

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. How was she supposed to feel about that? She was under the assumption that he needed her help to connect with the Spirit World to try and stop Salamander… but…

"I only told you that because I wanted you out of that environment," he explained, knowing she hated when he read her mind, but he wanted her to at least understand this much. "…and because at the time… I, uh… I already knew about my feelings for you."

She was at a loss for words. So much was happening at once, it was hard to wrap her mind around everything. He'd already liked her? During their first intimate encounter, he said he'd been watching her since she first showed up at the bunker, but she didn't get the opportunity to think into it a little more. "So… you just wanted me around?"

He nodded his head and met her brown eyes with his blue. Why was this so hard for him? She didn't seem offended, but to be fair, there was a lot happening. "I'm sorry, Lu. Please don't be mad at me."

"I… I'm not mad." Her voice was small, but she spoke the truth. She wasn't mad, but she was annoyed? Confused? Flattered? It all made sense. His aggression toward Loke, why he was so protective, certain things he does that come off wrong but turn out to have a deeper meaning to them. She was grateful. Grateful for him getting her out of there. She wouldn't have been able to get out of that bunker on her own, and there's no telling what dangerous quest Salamander would have sent her on. She wasn't sure how, but she'd have to make it up to him for rescuing her from that God awful place.

"I guess my only question is," she pondered, her focus returning to the angel and goblin ahead. "What's the real issue with the talisman, then?"

"Hey, Shorty," Gajeel said, following closely behind his petite angel. "After this job, we should go back ta my place, whaddya say?"

Of course, he'd say something like that, and to be honest? She wasn't against the idea. They both had a lot of pent-up stress and anger they would most likely benefit from expelling. But why would she give him the satisfaction? She could practically hear the smirk in his voice. She put the most innocent smile she could muster on her face then looked back at him. "No, thanks."

"Gihi! I had a feelin' that was gonna come outta yer mouth," he laughed loudly, dropping a hand on her shoulder. "I was kiddin' anyway. I just wanna stop by Lily's fer a bit. I usually go ta his bar after I take a job."

"It'll be easy to do, with my help and all," Levy said smugly.

"Excuse me, short stuff," he complained playfully as he grabbed her by the arm. "He's my kill, not yers. I've been itchin' ta get my hands on one of those assholes and yer not gonna swoop in an' take that from me!"

"Well, what about me?" She asked, facing him and placing a hand on her hip. "I hate them just as much as you do, if not more! Besides, I'd do a better job of it anyway!"

"Oh, yeah?" Gajeel grinned; he loved a challenge, and he was sure she knew that by now. "I find that hard ta believe."

"Well, now I have to prove it to you," she poked at his chest, trying to ignore how firm it felt. "After all, I did get a pretty good head start on him last night."

His eyes nearly turned into saucers as his hand found her arm again. "What the hell d'ya mean by that?!"

"Oh, calm down," the blue-haired angel swatted his hand away. "I didn't mean it like that, I meant I ran into him last night and injected him with some tranquilizer!"

"Last night? When an' where did this happen?"

"Well, last night after I had some time to think, I came back to try and find you, but after so long I felt someone following me," she explained, straightening his jacket. "I snuck up behind him and had him pinned with my special blade. I even added a little extra because he was bigger than I anticipated."

"I like that ya came lookin' fer me," he said, fiddling with a lock of her hair. "But if ya ran inta him last night, why didn't ya just kill him? Did ya know who he was?"

"No, that's why I almost killed him, but something stopped me," Levy trailed off, remembering the details of the previous night vividly. "A voice."

"A witness," the goblin chuckled, knowing the feeling all too well. In his line of work, he had to be mindful of his surroundings and be careful not to leave any loose ends.

"Well, kinda, but not really." Her eyes fixated on the snow beneath her feet. "The voice was eerily similar to Lucy's… the only friend I had before I died. She called his name and it freaked me out, so I just disappeared."

"How unlikely would that be?"

"I mean, very… right?" Her honey eyes gazed into his garnet, looking for answers she knew he didn't have. "There's no way…"

"Well, however it turns out, I'll be right here by yer side," he said, rubbing the sides of her arms. "Right after I deal with our fallen angel down there. An' it looks like it's the same one I saw a few weeks ago right before I got taken."

Levy saw his attention shift to a different direction a few yards away from them and followed his line of sight, a pit forming in the center of her stomach shortly after.

"He's with the same human he was with then, too." Gajeel continued, mumbling to himself in the background. "Is that yer girl?"

Levy couldn't fix the scowl on her face even if she tried. It was Lucy… and not only was she traveling with a Fallen, but she also apparently decided to go and get herself marked by one? Why was she so quick to pair up with the enemy? She of all people should know why they're bad beings. It quickly explained why she felt a similar, smaller presence along with his.

"They're givin' off similar energy," the goblin said, cracking his knuckles. "I can just take 'em both down."

"Don't." She held out her arm, stopping him from moving forward or doing anything. It didn't look like they'd been noticed just yet, which was good because it gave her an out. She could just disappear as if she never saw a thing. She'd avoid a huge talk or argument or whatever may result from their reunion.

"Hey," Levy turned around and put her hands on his shoulders to try and push him in the opposite direction. "Let's just go, okay? We can leave this one be."

Gajeel found her a bit easy to read, and from the looks of it, her hunch was right. By some crazy turn of events, it turned out to be her friend, and it overwhelmed her… she wanted to run away again. He couldn't let her do that.

"Woah, woah, Lev," he said, grabbing her wrists. He saw the tears welling in her eyes and just wanted to take her away from there, but he knew that wouldn't bring her peace of mind. "Talk ta me, tell me what's goin' on."

"I can't do it," she buried herself into his chest, trying to hide herself from the world. "I can't face her! Why is she with him? Why does she reek of his energy?"

"Levy, look at me." Gajeel successfully peeled his blue-haired fairy from his body and had her face in his hands. Her large caramel eyes moist with salty tears that were threatening to fall pulling at his heartstrings. "Don't run from it. It won't bring ya any closure."

She closed her eyes and the tears finally fell, only to be wiped away by his thumbs. "I know it's hard but take it from me. The sooner ya get these answers, the better. There's no use in torturin' yerself when the answers are right there."

"I don't know if I can handle it." Her voice was just above a broken whisper speaking the truth that was on her mind. She wasn't sure if she could take finding out that her closest and only friend sided with the Fallen. She'd already been through so much; she was already so weak…

"I'll be right here," Gajeel said, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I won't leave ya, an' I won't do anythin' ya don't tell me ta do. The moment ya can't take it an' ya wanna leave, we'll go. I'll even let ya take us somewhere."

"Why are you so adamant about me doing this? What if I learn something I don't want to learn?"

"'Cuz ya helped me," he said with a sigh. "Ya helped me get the closure I needed, and even though it wasn't the answer I wanted… I feel better now, knowin' the truth. I'm not gonna be in my own head constantly drivin' myself crazy wonderin' what's what. I can relax now, an' I only want the same fer my tiny angel."

Levy pulled away and wiped her face with her sleeve. She supposed she could be strong one last time as long as he was with her. "I'm… not gonna know what to say to her."

"That's fine," Gajeel said, brushing stray locks of hair behind her ear. "Somethin' will come up an' the conversation will flow naturally. Just trust me. This'll all be over soon."

He was right. She could do this. She could be strong again. He kissed her forehead so easily as if he'd done it on a regular basis, and she accepted it. It fueled her. It gave her the confidence and strength to take on any problem. She turned back around and faced Lucy and the Fallen, that glare taking place on her face yet again.

At that point, she'd been noticed, and the two stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. There was no doubt about it; Lucy and that fallen angel were a unit. From a distance, she could see how close they were, as if it'd been long overdue. Just the thought of it made Levy sick to her stomach. There was almost nothing she could say to convince her that being with the enemy like this was alright, but she was curious as to what her excuse would be.

She heard Gajeel light a cigarette, giving her a little more comfort knowing he was right next to her and would be as she needed it. "Gajeel."

"Shorty."

"After this, I'll go back to your place with you, if you want."

He almost choked on his smoke! How could she say that with such a straight face? Did that mean what he thought it meant, or was he putting too much thought into it? Was she screwing with him? She looked back at him with a soft smile, not clarifying anything at all!

"Ya mean it?"