Change of Fate

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 5

Once Grace found her way back to the ruined guild, Master Makarov waved her over to him. "I think you and I have some things to discuss. Don't we?"

From the look in his eyes, he found a bit of sugar to use to trap something. She grumbled softly, "What did Natsu say to you?"

He leaned near her ear, "Is it true that Black Steel Gajeel called you his mate?"

Grace gulped, feeling the pain that she felt in her head. 'What does this little mizer have planned?' She glanced around and gave a harsh glare towards the fire slayer in the room. "NATSU, IF YOU GET MY SISTER MAD ENOUGH TO SKIN YOU. I'LL HELP!"

The elder man chuckled, it was enough for her to realize that Natsu had told the truth without her saying so. She knew she was doomed. "I'm going to need your help. I would like to see this man come to our side. It wouldn't be wise to let a misguided man wander the world without the help of his own."

"I don't agree with this, sir." Her eyes found them into his own, hoping to see something other than his detached look he was given her. "I will not allow myself to be used to pawn someone in."

Makarov tilted his head for a moment, he waved across the room. "This would have been better if he were on our side, something this wouldn't happen again." He gave her a smile. "Plus, wouldn't it be nice to be chased by a man who was part of our guild?"

"And here I thought you wanted me to be with your grandson." She got what she wanted, seeing him spitting out his drink in shock. It was enough to cause some laughter out of her lips. "Good to know that wasn't part of your other plans. Good to know," she smiled with warmth in her eyes.

"Ooh, child." The man started the chuckle, knowing he had been had. "I wouldn't think of doing something like that. Not even if I want to see him squirm." His eyes sparkled with warmth. "Even I know the importance of a mate to a Dragon Slayer and won't use said mate to track another." He shivered. "That would be a nightmare."

"I must let you know. Laxus had tried to make me make a deal with him to get me and Lucy to sleep with him if he came to help with Phantom Lord."

Makarov growled, "That boy!" He gave Grace a meaningful look. "When he comes back, I'll tell him that you're spoken for and make it be drilled into his head."

Grace nodded, "Then I'll go with you." She glanced around. "When do we leave?"

"Now, child." Together the two had gotten upon their feet and left the guild. Knowing that Gajeel would be across the water, within the bay. When they found the man that they were looking for, sitting among the rubble. Eating metal that he could find. "My boy, may I talk to you?"

Gajeel glanced towards the short older man. But smelled the air and knew that his mate was there and knew to be a bit nice to the man before him. "What do you want, old man?"

"I'm here to offer you a new opportunity." The man climbed over the rumble to where he could stand near him. "Granted darkness seems to have overpowered your life at the moment, but I'm reaching out to guide you back to light."

"You don't understand," Gajeel glanced towards the shadows in front of him, knowing she wasn't there. "All I've ever known is the darkness. I wouldn't know what to do about being in the light." He took a deep breath. "I'm just a lost cause." He heard a soft growl from his mate, which he found surprising but didn't have the energy to fight her.

"That's why I'm here, to teach you that even you can walk into the light." He glanced over his shoulder to Grace, who stood not that far off from him. "There is someone who is in the light, someone who will help you."

"She doesn't want to be my mate . . . nor do I want her to be used in this way."

"Agreed," was the only answer the two males heard from her.

"But my boy, she would see you differently. Sure it might not be easy but if you're around enough to get her to date you, then she'll think about it." The elder man smiled. "You see my boy," he leaned in to whisper. "You have gotten her attention, all you have to do is keep it on you."

"Will this help," Gajeel asked. "Will me working for you, help me to get her to notice me more?"

"It sure wouldn't hurt," Makarov spoke with knowledge of such things in his eyes.

Gajeel turned to see the light flooding the room around him, bringing his mate under a new glow. Seeing for himself that she would never thrive in the darkness of the world. The light was the only way he would ever see her and he needed to take the first steps to do so. So he reached for the man's hand, "Okay."

Once the two men made their way down from the rubble towards the woman, who was waiting for the two. Gajeel came up to her, reaching out to placed his hands in her own. "May I have a date this weekend," he gave her a wishful smile.

Grace gave him a smile that he hadn't believed, not after what he had done to her sister and friend. She walked closer to him, leaning into him and gave him a peck upon the edge of his lips. When she stepped away, she enjoyed seeing the flash of desire there. "Saturday night, we'll meet up at the cafe' in town."

Gajeel didn't care if he sounded like a lost puppy dog at that point. "If I had known that she was in your guild, I would have joined a long time ago."

Makarov chuckled softly, "Sadly she hasn't joined yet." Causing Gajeel to look him with worry in his eyes. Fairy Tail's master sighed, "She's afraid because of her magic that the council would come in and take her away."

Gajeel looked into her blue-green eyes. "What magic?"

"Druid magic," she sighed in defeat. It was that moment she felt something warm in her pocket and took out a crystal in her hand and saw Lucy. "Lucy?"

"Sis," she glanced around where she was. "I'm heading home to face him and I need you there!"

"To do what exactly?"

Lucy gave her a hard look, "To tell him that this must stop! You and I are not his puppets. We have the power to find whoever we're met to marry. NOT HIM!"

"Okay," gasped Grace with worry in her eyes. "Where should I meet you."

"Train station, in thirty minutes."

"Okay, be there." Grace put the crystal thing back into her pocket and glanced at the two men before. "I got to go."

"I heard," the master smiled. "Give Jude one hell of a debate. Your mother would be proud, of both of you."

Grace gave the man a smile that warmed Gajeel's heart than anything before. "Thank you, sir." She turned from them and made her way to her sister. Then she heard Makarov say, "Go with them Gajeel, they're going to need muscle for backup if things go bad."

Grace sighed, "That man." She kept on her walking, "Who's worse in all of this? Mira or HIM or even father?"

After a while; Grace found her sister at the train station, with her shadow behind her. Lucy gave Grace a worried look, it wasn't because of what was done in the last some hours. It was more because she wanted to know that Grace knew that her stocker of a mate was following her.

She leaned in to give her sister a hiss, "Thank your master. He is part of your guild as my personal shadow for the trip home."

Lucy huffed; crossing her arms across her chest, "I will take Mira's matchmaking any day."

The two girls found a private compartment, along with Gajeel when he joined them. He sat next to a window before grabbing Grace to place into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. Grace found it odd that she found comfort in his arms, then she did while she slept on the couch with Natsu and Gray. She found that her tension was gone, just by her being in his arms.

Lucy smiled after seeing her sister with a look that she hadn't seen in an age, peace. The kind that a sense of home would give anyone. Belonged for being who you were than what others see you be. It was enough to show that her hope for finding someone like that for her.

Gajeel glanced towards Lucy, smirking. "Watch it Bunny, or I will tell Salamander how much of his rescuing has affected you."

Lucy gave the rugged Dragon Slayer a glare, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Grace shook her head, smiling. She turned towards the man, who had her in his arms. "Don't bother Gajeel, neither one of them know."

Gajeel started laughing hard, causing Grace to giggle in his lap. "Ooh wow! Do I need to have a dragon talk with the dense fire-brain?" He shook his head, smiling like a loon. "Wow, his dragon really didn't tell him much about mating."

This caused Lucy to look at him with bright eyes, seeing that she did not know what was going on. "Can you please share what you two know?"

Grace sighed, giving her sister a small smile. "You and Natsu love each other but neither one of you will admit it." She leaned her head, where it was on Gajeel's collar bone, under his chin. "He's too focused on saving his friends and the world to notice." Her eyes water. ". . . and my sister too independent to notice her heart."

"Whatever," Lucy waved Grace from her rattled thoughts.

"I see what you mean," whispered Gajeel in Grace's ear. "Poor Natsu and Lucy for not noticing."

After an hour or so, the three found themselves exiting the train. They followed the road until it leads down to where it became a dead end at some estate looking place. They found themselves at one of the many house looking building's doorsteps. Where they were greeted by the maid staff.

Gajeel knew that their father was a rich man, but he had no idea how much money was in property that he held. He followed the two girls until he was told to stay in the hallway, as they walked into their old bedroom. After a bit of waiting, they walked out in Victorian looking ballgowns. Causing the man to have his jaw hit the floor and his eye popping out of his skull.

Grace gave a small smile before giving him a small peck on his cheek, before leading the group of three down the hall. Gajeel knew from that moment on, he was going to work hard for the woman that he saw as a vision. The kind that he wants men to see was his. He followed them to their old man's study, where he stood inside with them but by the door. He knew that they need to stand up to him before he stepped in.

Lucy and Grace walked towards the man, who stood at the window looking out to his massive estate. "Good, the two of you have come home." He turned to where he could see them from the reflections of the window. "I hope the two of you had your fun because I have a couple men in mind for your marriages."

"No father," the two of them said together, causing the man to turn to them with anger in his eyes. Grace went on to say, "We had enough of this power struggle, father!"

Gajeel could see that his woman would have died from her father's eyes alone if looks would have killed that was. He was proud of the power that she had behind her voice, not enough to be dominant but enough to show that she had power.

Lucy seemed to have found her voice too, "Father, we aren't your puppets." Her stance showed that she really had enough. "You sent people to destroy a guild that has become more of a family than you have!" She glanced towards Grace, knowing that she was not alone. "We have found people that love us for being who we are and not because of you."

The two girls grabbed at their dresses. Ripped them apart to show their father that they mean what they were saying. "It was never about the money father!" Gajeel could not believe that they stood in their undergarments. But still covered a good amount of flesh. "Mother would have wanted us to marry for love," they spoke again in unison voice. He had to wonder if they had planned it that way.

"Layla," Jude gasped. Gajeel could see the haunted look in his eyes. Jude closed his eyes, "Is there something you need, since you're here?"

The two girls were about to say 'nothing,' but Gajeel stepped forward. Causing everyone to look towards him. Jude gave the man a flash of anger before his business look came across his face.

Gajeel's ruffed sounded voice spoke, "You know about Grace's unusual magic?" When the man nodded, Gajeel went on to say, "Then can you please write a letter on the behalf of your daughter. Then send it to Fairy Tail. Stating that she was part of an experiment that had gone wrong. Something to show the council for allowing her to join the guild."

Jude sighed and went to his desk and brought out a file and shove it into Gajeel's hands. "Everything that's in there is documents for Grace's survival in this wretched world!" His eyes flash in anger and hate. "It's enough to show any law enforcement that she was indeed what you've said." He turned his eyes towards Grace with sadness. "You're not any daughter of ours, but someone who we had adopted to save from those hateful scientists."

"What?!" The two Heartfilia girls gasped at the man before them.

"We did a blood adoption, meaning we did an exchange of blood to make you into our daughter." He glanced towards the window once more. "Layla found you wandering through the woods, with those monsters following you. She called her spirits to deal with them, only to find that it had cast her life in doing so."

"No, please." Grace shook her head, "Hate me but don't tell me any lies!" Tears flowing out of her eyes, hoping against hope that shown within them.

Jude turned to her, "Like I had raised you, Grace. No lies," his eyes turned to Lucy. "Except we lied that Grace was even your sister. It was your mother's dying wish, for Grace to be your sister."

Gajeel wrapped his arms around Grace. Seeing the hurt and the pain and then allowed Lucy to wrap her own arms around Grace. He knew that he would have to share Grace in these times. When the two needed one another.

"The lawyers and judges were on our side, closing down the testings and allow Grace to be our daughter." He glanced the rugged boy a look. "I trust my daughters into your hands, knowing that I have lost them forever."

Gajeel nodded, he was never one for words but lead the two out of the man's study to their old room. Where the two changed clothes before the left the house. Once outside, they stopped at a grave that he knew to be their mother.

Lucy turned to Grace, who was wrapped in Gajeel's arms. "Grace," she called with calmness in her voice. "You will always be my sister."

Grace laughed, even with the tears leaking out of her eyes. "Good, because I don't know who I am if I wasn't."

The two girls wrapped themselves in a hug, with Gajeel still holding onto Grace. He could see that she was trying to hold herself up for Lucy but knew that she was breaking her heart. He knew that she was lost and confused. Gajeel could see that she would need him more than anything. Lucy had her friends but Grace no one else, he was just happy to be the one to be there for her.

"LUCY, GRACE," causing the two to look at the group of three making their way to them. "And Gajeel," growled Natsu softly, it was enough to say that he was not threatening the guy. "What's going on?"

"They said goodbye to their old man," stated Gajeel, holding up file. "Along with some paperwork to prove that Grace can join our guild."

"Our guild," stuttered Gray, glancing towards Natsu. "Did I miss something?"

"Grace is his mate," stated Natsu with a calmness that nearly scared the rest of his team. "It makes sense that he would join us, just so he could be with her."

"Mate," asked Erza with the new knowledge in her eyes. "Is that why you stopped fighting. Because Grace came crashing in and prevented you from damaging Lucy and Natsu?"

Gajeel sighed, keeping his hold on Grace. He gave a smile towards the three in front of them. "Yeah, she was the reason I stopped."

Gray glanced towards Natsu, "Do you know who your mate is, I would like to find out to stop you from harming people?"

Natsu shrugged, "From the talk, we had earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if Lucy was my mate." This brought a smile to the faces of Grace and Gajeel, who knew it was true. "She's the only one to stop me, other than Erza scaring me to listen."

Lucy glanced down, in a way that made everyone to believe that she was cute. "We should head home." She leads everyone towards the station.

"Speaking of home," stated Natsu.

Grace laughed, thinking of a cute puppy for a moment. "Don't worry Natsu, you're stuck with us at Fairy Tail." Causing the said man to jump in joy before rushing into Grace's arms. "I get to have my sister, along with Lucy again!"

Gajeel growled, "That's all you are to Grace, nothing more than a pain in the ass brother?"

Natsu jumped out Grace's arms, saluting Gajeel. "Aye, sir."

Grace stopped with her tears and laughed, it caused many their group, including Gajeel to join her. She wiggled out of his arms and wrapped an arm around Lucy, leaning into her with a warm smile across her lips. "Come on sis, let's let the sun set on this day and forget it ever happened."

"Deal," shouted Lucy with glee across her eyes.

The two Heartfilia girls ran towards the station. Along with their friends following them a leisurely pace. Enjoying the side of the girls that none had ever seen before. Sisters doing something that they may not have done in ages. Taking the time to spend with one another as if time had never passed them by.

Erza turned towards Gajeel after the girls were far in the distance. "What happened in there?"

"Their father told them that Grace wasn't Lucy's sister." Causing everyone to look at him with worry. "Don't worry, Lucy told Grace that she will always be her sister." He sighed, "Grace was adopted after their mother found her, running away from a test lab." He waved the file in the air. "This proves that her power came from those tests and will allow us to keep her as part of the guild."

"I guess that's good," Erza glanced towards the girls. "I can't imagine something like that. I'm surprised that they're acting like this."

"What," asked Gray with raise eyebrows. "Sisters, who want to relive their childhood together. Or the lack of one." He glanced around. "This is a big estate, I could never imagine growing up here."

"You have a point about their childhood, Gray." Erza sighed, allowing the girls the moment that they were having. "It would be good for them to have this moment. Knowing that the darkness awaits them."

Gajeel hissed, "Don't do this. Please don't take the light from their eyes, it would just kill me if I see that in Grace's."

Natsu closed his eyes, "Same with Lucy."

The group found their way back to the station, heading back to Magnolia. Everyone sat in their seats with a new outlook in life. Enough to bring the odd group together to a deep understanding for one another.