Fairy Tail (c) Mashima Hiro and used for entertainment only. Please see additional disclaimers in Chapter 1.
Go on with our lives and lose those things behind.
Wrapped around in lies, we stand there voiceless.
We want to live our lives, until we find a way.
Searching for the light for eternity.
"Fukai Mori" Do As Infinity
Perhaps it was the fact that it was approaching the weekend, or perhaps because it was now well into the evening, but when Lucy and Natsu arrived at the clinic-but-really-a-bar there was rowdy noise and music blaring from inside. Every so often, someone would stumble out the front door and the noise would increase, along with a spill of bright light, then the doors would swing shut and things would become muted again. Lucy found it hard to believe that this place, on this street, wasn't a target for criminals but perhaps the clinic's good deeds meant more here than she realized.
"C'mon, Luce." Natsu beckoned her from the half open door. With a nervous gulp Lucy shouldered her overnight bag and purse. What had she been thinking? All she wanted to do was go to a comfy hotel room, order room service and soak in a bath for about a hundred years. Yet, it disgusted her to use her father's money that way. So instead she had called upon a virtual stranger for help. Stupid, Lucy!
She walked hesitantly through the door that Natsu had already let swing nearly closed. What had previously been raucous noise silenced in an alarming tidal wave fashion from where she stood at the front of the room. Embarrassment flushed from her toes to her hairline as she saw multiple faces looking at her. Most, if not all, were decidedly unfriendly. Natsu, that right bastard, had melted into the crowd. Angry and self-conscious, Lucy made a turn towards the door when she heard a gasp from the back of the room.
"Oh! Lucy! You've come back!"
Turning around again, Lucy saw the woman called Mirajane at the back, behind the bar. Natsu sat on a stool in front of her, talking animatedly to another girl with red hair. Mirajane waved enthusiastically and Lucy began to pick her way in that direction. She flinched at the multitude of harsh stares she received.
"When Natsu told us about following you home I thought, 'Oh god, now he's done it', but here you are! I am so relieved."
"Ha, ha, yeah, well…" Lucy shuffled nervously. Mirajane smiled and pushed a drink towards her.
"This is just water, but we have several beers on tap, and a full selection of liquors." Mirajane's smile remained benign and Lucy felt herself relax just a touch.
"Ah, water is fine for now. What happened to being a clinic?"
"We are a clinic, of course! But we're also a bar and a couple of other things when the need arises."
"Um, sure. So, this place is called…"
Mirajane's mouth was half open when the red-head interrupted. "Never mind that. You're Lucy, I assume. Natsu says you need a place to spend a couple of days."
Lucy flinched again. Unlike Mirajane's soft demeanor this woman seemed hard and unfriendly. Lucy really didn't want to stay with her but did she have any other options? Before she could speak, however, the woman went on. "My boyfriend has been staying at my place, so I don't have the spare room, but I think Levy does. She's not here right now, so I've sent her a text."
"Haa…" Lucy replied weakly. She was getting shuffled around like an unwanted gift, and once again the urge to turn tail and run was strong. Would it really be so bad, if she went to her father? He would certainly help her, wouldn't he? Her father could not possibly know what kind of man Eli was; could not possibly know what he had done to her.
No. Those were the type of passive thoughts that had allowed her father and Eli to control her for so long. It was time for her to find her own path and somehow, deep in her core, Lucy felt that this place could help her. Soon, she found herself sipping her water and listening to the carousing that was going on around her. Although Lucy felt distinctly uncomfortable, there was a strange sense of camaraderie that made her feel… at home. The conflicting sensations were enough to keep a constant heat creeping up the back of her neck, made worse whenever she felt a pair of eyes fall on her and linger. Only Mirajane's kind smile was a safe haven in the storm, and Lucy found herself watching the other woman bustle behind the bar, pouring drinks and shouting orders back to the kitchen. She had just started to relax when all noise and activity stopped dead. Even Mirajane stopped her constant motion and watched the person who had just entered the bar.
Lucy could feel it on her back, the presence that approached from behind. It was overwhelming, the simple sense of being, and she was terrified to turn around. It wasn't until Natsu called out "Gramps!" with a childish glee that Lucy dared to peek over her shoulder. There stood the tiniest old man she had even seen. Stooped, with a bald head and bushy hair sprouting from under his nose and in his ears, he squinted at her in the manner of a man who desperately needed spectacles but was too proud to wear them. "So, we have a visitor." His comment was directed at no one in particular, but both Mirajane and Natsu jumped to answer.
"This is Lucy from the other day." Mirajane gestured towards the back rooms, as if to remind him just which "Lucy" had been in their clinic before.
"This is Lucy, I brought her to stay." Natsu said with a nonchalant shrug. Lucy's ears heated up at the implications, especially when the old man's face split into a lecherous grin.
"Luuuuuuucy-chan!" He crowed. "Of course, of course! You left so suddenly the other day that I
didn't even get the chance to say hello! Luckily Natsu made your acquaintance, hmmm?"
Lucy blushed furiously, while Natsu looked between them with a bewildered half grin on his face. Mirajane jumped in, scolding the old man. "Now, Master, you can't talk to Lucy that way! She is seeking asylum here."
"Asylum, you say? Very interesting. Lucy-chan, answer me this - do you know where you are right now?"
Embarrassed and indignant Lucy wasn't able to hold her tongue. "A skeevy bar on the wrong side of town that fancies itself a clinic?"
A couple of the patrons growled, and one even reached as if going for a weapon, but the old man waved his hand and laughed. "Close, very close, my dear. This is, in fact, the headquarters of Fairy Tail."
It was too much. Her injuries, her fear, her exhaustion and now this - the news that she was inside the headquarters of one of the most feared gangs in Magnolia. Lucy opened her mouth to reply, but her head was swimming. With a vague gesture that could have been desperate or offensive, she fainted dead away.
It was like deja vu. It was deja vu. Lucy was coming awake slowly on that uncomfortable twin bed in the sterile clinic room. Only… nope, this was definitely different. Three sets of eyes watched her intently. On her right and left were women, but Lucy's attention was immediately caught by the old man sitting cross legged on the end of the bed. He smiled at her in a manner which managed to be both kindly and lewd. She pulled her eyes away from his, and looked at the woman to her right. It was a young lady - no, a girl. Definitely a girl, but wearing a stethoscope and pristine white coat in a way that was almost alarming. Quickly turning left, Lucy was relieved at the sight of the third person. Another young woman, about Lucy's own age with friendly eyes and a slight smile. It was she who spoke.
"We must have overwhelmed you. You're not recovered from your injuries. My name is Levy McGarden, and I think we'll be roomies for the time being."
Lucy smiled back, some of her tension easing. "Hi, I'm Lucy." She felt like an idiot immediately because Levy had to know who she was already. "Um… I am sorry to impose, I guess."
"Levy, I think Lucy should stay here. She's a bit anemic and I want to monitor some of those injuries." The girl cut in. Looking again to Lucy she frowned. "It's just that, well… there's something off about the pattern of bruising, and then the fractures… I am concerned."
"Girls." The word was quiet but firmly spoken by the gentleman on the bed and Lucy was forced to look at him again. This old man, the Master of the infamous Fairy Tail gang, was nothing like Lucy could have ever imagined a gang leader to be. She would have pictured leather and tattoos not houndstooth pants and a sweater vest.
"You came to our clinic in a very bad state, young lady. Wendy is quite right to be concerned. However, you are not a prisoner here. We want to offer you our help, and asylum if you need it but I need your honesty, as well. Is there anything, or anyone, connected to you that we should be worried about?"
A thousand different images swam through her head. Jude Heartfilia, Heartfilia Enterprises, Eli Featherstone, the corrupt District Attorney's office, even her Friday meeting with the certainly-shady Hibiki. But she could not, she simply could not, bring herself to say any of those things to the man in front of her. So with the ease of years' practice in lying she looked him straight in the eye. "No, sir."
He held her gaze for a long moment and Lucy thought she was caught in the lie, but then he hopped of the bed and brushed his seat. "Very well then. My name is Makarov and I run Fairy Tail. Wendy Marvell there is our physician. And Levy will take you home with her while you get your situation in order." He grinned at her in a very unprofessional way and added, "If you are in need of employment, well, our bar could always use a costumed waitress."
"MASTER!" The other two women cried as he cackled and escaped the room.
Levy's apartment was sparsely furnished, in a rundown section of town not far from Fairy Tail itself. Lucy gave her the side-eye going in, but Levy just shrugged. "I'm on a stipend and everyone knows who we are, so I don't get bothered… much. Those who try get run off pretty quickly." She giggled behind her hand and Lucy wondered just who did the running off. After Wendy had given her the all clear to leave, Levy had whisked her away pretty quickly. Lucy hadn't even seen Natsu to say thank you. Levy pointed to a worn sofa. "That pulls out into a bed. Other friends have slept there before, but for now it is all yours. I have clean sheets in the linen closet, I'll put them on."
Lucy was about to let her tackle the job. After all, her father had always paid for a maid to come and clean her apartment. At the last moment, however, she remembered that she was trying to separate herself from the person she had been before and put out a hand.
"No, Levy, it's fine. I can do that myself, if you will point the sheets out."
Levy looked hesitant, as if letting a guest do the work did not sit well with her, but a look at Lucy's determined face convinced her. "Ok. First closet down the hall, top shelf. Be careful, it is a bit full."
Full was an understatement. Every nook and cranny was crammed with books, and Lucy realized there were even more taking up unobtrusive space in the tiny front room. "Do all these books belong to you?" She asked incredulously, earning a slight blush from her hostess.
"Well, yes. I love to read, so the gang picks these up for me whenever they get the chance. Most of them are pretty strange stuff. For instance Wendy is always getting anatomy and biology books, and Erza loves giving me fashion stuff. Most of the novels came from my… uh, my friend."
Lucy wondered if this was the same "friend" who took care of those who bothered her, but didn't ask. The girl was clearly hesitant to talk about it. "Well, I love to read. I also love writing. Actually, once upon a time I fancied myself a novelist, ha ha."
Levy's face lit up. "Oh, feel free to read anything you'd like! Plus, if you want to write something I can easily get you a notebook. I'd be happy to be your editor." The two women shared a comfortable smile, then Lucy went back to the business of making the bed. Inside, deep down she felt a warm little glow. Was this what it had been like to have friends? No, even before Eli, her friendships hadn't made her feel like this. It was nice. She shook her head. That was wrong. It was scary. Lucy remembered Eli's terrible threats, and her father's callous uncaring. No, trusting people and letting them in could only lead to disaster. Quickly, she stamped out the happy feeling.
The first night was uneventful. After their initial exchange, Lucy did her best to keep conversation impersonal. It hurt, a bit, because she could sense Levy was frustrated and withdrawing from her but Lucy reminded herself it was all for the best. Besides, tomorrow she would see Hibiki, someone who knew her. Lucy wouldn't have to be so guarded, she hoped.
Friday dawned bright and clear. Levy indicated that she had some sort of employment she needed to get to and Lucy couldn't hide her relief. The other woman took her as far as a bus station that would take her back to the business district in West Magnolia, and gave her instructions and a spare key to return to the apartment when she was finished. Lucy waved her off while making a vague impression that she was going to look for a new car, hers supposedly having been totaled in her "accident".
The bus dropped her off about two blocks from the shop where she was appointed to meet Hibiki and she poked her head into the various other stores along the way. Her clothes were borrowed from Levy and fit a bit tight in the bust and loose in the hips; Lucy wished she could whip out her credit card and buy some new things. Such activity, however, would alert her father to her whereabouts, and Lucy was loath to give him any information that he could use against her. She knew she would have to face Jude eventually. She just wanted it to be on her terms.
The perfume shop was tiny, tucked between the bank (Heartfilia Bank & Loan. Their only competition was Bank of Fiore, which had been incorporated into Heartfilia Enterprises very quietly years ago) and one of Lucy's favorite boutiques, Anabel's (Operated by N. , Inc. which was a subsidiary of Heartfilia Enterprises). The perfume shop, however, was independently owned and operated and Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that was the very reason Hibiki had suggested it for their meeting spot. She was a bit early, so she loitered outside, people watching. Every so often she thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar face, but she brushed it off. The Business district was full of people employed by her father's company. It would be impossible not to have seen any of them before.
Peeking at her cell phone, Lucy saw that it was one o'clock on the dot. She was slipping the device back into her purse when a voice at her elbow made her jump. "Lucy."
Whipping her head she saw Hibiki Lates standing next to her. How he had shown up so quickly she didn't know, but her face split into a grin. He looked exactly the same, handsome and cool, just as he had in Middle School. The only difference was his strawberry-blond hair seemed to be tamed a bit, and he wore a pristine business suit.
"Hibiki!" Lucy leaned, as if to hug him and then froze when she realized what she was doing. To her dismay the matching grin on Hibiki's face dimmed a bit, and was quickly replaced by a frown. "Have you been waiting here long?"
She shook her head. "Not too long. So where are we going?"
"Here." He indicated the shop. 'We're here."
"Ha… I thought we were having lunch?" Lucy eyed him suspiciously, and Hibiki smiled again.
"We are. We will. But we need to go inside, first."
Taking her arm, Hibiki lead her into the shop. There was no one behind the counter, yet Lucy couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She followed Hibiki straight to the back, through the back room door and into the tiniest storage space she'd ever seen. It was there that Hibiki rounded on her and blocked the exit, effectively pinning her against the wall.
"What's going on Lucy. The truth."
She gulped. She should have known Hibiki could find out about her father and Eli. "I'm just having some problems with my dad, that's all. A family disagreement."
"So you went to Fairy Tail for help?" He was glaring.
Oh, shit. Lucy didn't know what was going on, or how Hibiki knew she had been at that gang's clinic, but in that moment a smooth lie wouldn't come to her. "I.. uh… just…"
"Drop it. Listen Lucy, I don't know what kind of family problem involves gang warfare, but since you involved Fairy Tail, I can't help you without permission."
"Permission?" Lucy croaked on the word.
"Of course. I joined Blue Pegasus years ago. Fairy Tail is an allied gang."
Lucy gaped at him. Thoughts swirled through her mind, first and foremost being makes sense, but Lucy couldn't seem to catch on to any one thing in particular. Finally, she sputtered.
"What exactly were you planning on doing with me when I came here? Especially if I hadn't gotten Fairy Tail involved?"
Hibiki gave her a sideways glance. "Dummy. I was going to ask you if you wanted asylum with Blue Pegasus. I think you'll quickly find that here in Magnolia, things aren't quite what they seem."
With that, he indicated a door so tiny that Lucy had not even seen it next to her. "After you."
Note: I am so, so sorry. This chapter has been sitting for ages on my drive, and I haven't been able to get around to editing it. I finally gave up, so if it feels a bit rough, I really apologize. I have had a lot going on with my life and health, so I haven't been able to sit down and work on this properly. With that said, there might be a longer break between chapters, at least through the next few months. There may not be. I just don't want anyone to be upset if I don't update for quite some time. I wish I could be faster!
If you ever have any questions or want to know when the next chapter may become available, you can find me on Twitter and Tumblr, both rockermystic. I always answer tweets and asks, because I can do so quickly from my phone, so it is preferable to e-mail. A PM here works, too, but may not be replied to right away! As always, thank you so much for reading and I appreciate any thoughts you'd like to leave behind. xo