Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are property of their respective owners. See warnings and disclaimers in the first chapter.
She's talking to angels,
Counting the stars
Making a wish on a passing car
She's dancing with strangers, falling apart
"Waiting for Superman" Daughtry
The tiny alley opened through an even smaller door into a remarkably crowded establishment. It was the French restaurant Hibiki had mentioned from the beginning, only now Lucy realized the place served as headquarters for Blue Pegasus much the same way that bar did for Fairy Tail. Hibiki eased her past rowdy patrons with the ease of practice, and Lucy couldn't help but wonder how many girls he brought here. He had certainly been a flirt back in the day, and it didn't seem like much had changed.
Finding a table nestled into a corner Hibiki motioned to a waiter who left without even a word. When he turned back to Lucy, Hibiki's eyes were serious.
"You really got yourself into something, didn't you, Lucy?"
Taken aback by the sudden words Lucy shifted and looked away. "What do you mean?"
"Only that Heartfilia Enterprises is one of the biggest backers for the D.A.'s office, and they are adamant about taking down the gang hierarchy here in Magnolia. For you to willingly align yourself with Fairy Tail, well, that speaks volumes."
In that instant Lucy debated telling Hibiki everything. They had been friends and he was a hacker genius, maybe he could help her. Yet there still remained a nagging at the back of her mind that Hibiki was not someone she could entirely trust. Instead she spun the half-truth that she was getting so practiced at.
"Father wants me to marry, but I'm just not ready for that. I ran away, and had an accident. Fairy Tail happened to help me out. It was purely coincidence."
She didn't expect someone as smart as Hibiki to believe her, but he seemed to accept her explanation. Settling back he smiled. "Let's forget that for now. We're two old friends! I want to get reacquainted."
It was difficult, maintaining her facade with the man grilling her at every turn. He wanted to know what all their old friends were up to, how her father's business was going and just how she was liking Fairy Tail. All but the last were things he could have easily turned up for himself through Source and it was easy to tell he was prying her story apart. Lucy held fast, though, through years of practice. By the time the final course was finished and all the wine had been drank, Hibiki seemed a bit frustrated. Lucy was mirroring the sentiment, and couldn't wait to get back to Levy's apartment where she wouldn't have to get the third degree.
Hibiki offered to walk her to the bus stop, but she declined politely. With a wistful look in his eye he asked, "You wouldn't happen to want to do this again, would you?"
It pained her to say it but Lucy couldn't find it in her to want an attachment to the handsome man. "I'm sorry, Hibiki. Things are too difficult for me right now."
"I thought as much." He smiled. "I'm certain I will see you around, and feel free to call me if you need anything." With a jaunty wave he was back to his old self, and returned inside the restaurant.
Lucy found the correct stop and sat to wait. No other passengers were around and with dusk falling, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. The schedule was printed clearly on the shelter wall, and she was uncomfortable knowing the next bus wouldn't come for nearly ten minutes. Despite the busy atmosphere of nearby streets, very few cars passed her as she waited. A black sedan, windows tinted, rolled by slowly and Lucy studiously looked anywhere but directly at the vehicle. He father used cars like that for escorting associates around town, and Lucy would hate to be recognized at this point. She breathed a sigh of relief when the vehicle cruised to the next light and turned right.
A minute or two went by without further incident, then Lucy hear a sound behind her. She stilled and strained her ears. A small, crying voice made a noise that sounded almost like 'aye'.
A child? Lucy thought to herself. Turning, she peered around the bushes planted behind the bus stop. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Aye." Came the cry.
"Are you lost? Do you need help?"
"Aye!" it was a little louder now.
Standing up, Lucy tried to find the source of the noise, while still keeping her eye out for the bus. "Hello?" She called again.
"AYE!" It was right by her feet and Lucy jumped back with a start. There, turning in circles around the leg of a lamppost was a cat. Medium sized, with fur so grey it was nearly blue, the car meowed away. "Aye, aye, aye!"
Lucy laughed. It was a healthy looking thing, and when she held out her hand, it came eagerly. She scratched its ears and above its tail, the cat all the while talking in its funny voice.
"Aren't you a beauty? You're obviously eating well." Whether the cat was a stray or not, Lucy couldn't tell. She could see lights approaching and saw that it was the Southbound bus. Giving the cat one last pat she gathered her things. As she stepped on the bus, its' parting 'aye' sounded eerily like "Bye!"
Lucy felt stupid for assuming that the bus would drop her off right in front of Levy's apartment complex when she knew the other woman had driven her the half-mile or so that morning. It still made her uncomfortable to see the distance stretching out in front of her. Although the apartment complex was well maintained, the neighborhood was distinctly… sordid. She didn't see any cars, or even any other people, and she walked quickly with a purpose towards the complex.
It was only when she came around a slight bend in the road that she saw it. A black sedan. It was identical to the one she had seen earlier, and she suspected it was the same indeed. Those suspicions were confirmed when a man exited the rear doors.
"Lucy. I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Eli." Her pulse hammered at her throat and she felt the overwhelming urge to run. But there wasn't anywhere for her to go, and she saw no help in sight. Straightening, she faced him, but did not step any closer.
Eli seemed to sense her recalcitrance, because he held out a hand pleadingly. "I miss you, Lucy-goosy. We had a tiff. I apologized. Can you come home now?"
The absurdity would have been laughable, if she had not been so terrified. His casual tone. That stupid nickname. The fact that he called it a "tiff". So many thoughts were racing through Lucy's head that she could not speak. Eli took this as some sort of acceptance, and came to her. Despite the fact that Lucy visible shrunk away from him, he took her arm and began escorting her to the car.
"I took the liberty of having your apartment cleaned up. There was glass and rose petals all over the entrance way, and clothes strewn everywhere in your room. I think someone broke in. It is probably best that you stay with me for the time being."
Every instinct told her to fight, but Lucy was a deer trapped in the headlights. The open door of that sedan loomed closer and she felt tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. She should have known. It was futile to try and escape Eli; even more so her father. She would never be free, would never…
"Hey!"
Lucy jolted, and both she and Eli turned to look in the direction of the voice. It was Levy; short, with her wild blue hair going in all directions. She was huffing, and Lucy realized she must have ran the two blocks from the apartment building. Had she been watching for Lucy? Waiting for her to return home? Lucy was so relieved in that moment that her tears began flowing for real. "Levy! Help me!" She found her voice at last, and cried desperately to the smaller woman.
That very same woman who upon hearing her words drew a shining black hand gun from the waistband of her jeans and aimed with a steady hand at Eli's head. "I don't know who you are, but that's my friend. Let her go."
Eli laughed and flicked two fingers. His driver stepped between them and Levy in the blink of an eye, and she stepped back. Her aim did not waver, however.
Eli sneered. "I know who you are, Levy McGarden. Petty theft, assault, larceny. You're not a good person, not at all. My Lucy-goosy shouldn't have anything to do with you, and I'm not going to let her."
"No…" Lucy moaned, and then furiously began trying to yank her arm out of Eli's grasp. As usual, however, his strength was too much for her. She tried to kick him, but her twisted knee from their previous struggle made it painful to turn her foot. Eli noticed her efforts, though, and with a casualness that made Levy gasp, he hit her across the face. Lucy's healing nose exploded in pain and she dropped to her knees. At the same time, a gunshot sounded, and the driver fell. Lucy's eyes were watering so badly she couldn't see clearly, but Eli dropped her arm and half-turned to look behind him. Levy's stance relaxed and she dropped her arms, taking her finger off the trigger.
A male voice Lucy did not recognize rumbled behind her. "And I know who you are, Assistant D.A. Elijah Featherstone. Wouldn'a taken you for a wife-beater, though. And a coward, ta boot. Hi Levy. Sorry I'm late."
Levy laughed a little. "Nah, I had it. But it is nice to see your aim is still perfect, Gajeel."
Eli looked between his two opponents. "Gajeel Redfox. You're a member of Fairy Tail. So that means… he looked between Lucy and Levy, understanding dawning in his eyes. With a smirk that bordered on a sneer, he threw Lucy to the ground. "So that's how it is, you bitch. Not enough to tell your daddy, you had to take it to the streets, as well. That's fine; they can have you but I promise you this, you and all your new friends will be very, very sorry." With those words he got in the driver's seat of the sedan and peeled away in burning rubber, leaving the body of his driver behind.
The new arrival walked up next to Lucy, scratching his head. "With parting words like that, it figures he's a villain."
"Gajeel! Help her!" Levy shouted, clearly frustrated with his nonchalance. "Then do something about this asshole!" She kicked the driver for good measure. It seemed to make her feel better, because she did it a few more times for good measure. Gajeel chuckled, then hefted Lucy to her feet. Lucy mewled in a bit of pain, and Levy shouted again. "Gajeel!"
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled. "Sorry." Was tossed, offhand, to Lucy. He went over to the dead man and Lucy got a good look at Gajeel for the first time. Thick black hair tumbled down his back, and piercings studded both his face and body. He was tall, and the short Levy looked even smaller in comparison. The young woman hurried over to Lucy.
"Oh my god, what the hell was that all about? Who was that? I mean… I guess I know who it was, but what did he have to do with you?" Levy carefully ushered her around the body and in the direction of the apartment.
"Ha…" Lucy laughed weakly, trying to figure out what to say. "That was… he is…"
"Levy. Forget it for now. Master is coming anyways." Gajeel interrupted, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. A reprieve, however short, could be enough for her to come up with a plausible story.
Levy looked at the man, but did not respond. Instead, she turned to help Lucy back to Levy's home, taking care not to aggravate Lucy's injuries.
It wasn't long enough. Lucy gulped, looking at the three in front of her. No amount of time would have been enough.
Gajeel and Levy relaxed on her floor, but Master Makarov had taken a seat on a chair across from Lucy. That he was sitting on several books did nothing to alleviate her nerves.
"Lucy-chan, you were not honest with me." The old man looked at her directly, his gaze seeming to penetrate her very soul.
"I am sorry." Was all she could whisper, tears leaking from her eyes.
"Master! You're making Lu-chan cry!" Levy admonished. Makarov did not relent.
"She lied to me, and by doing so she put you in danger. She forced Gajeel's hand as an Enforcer and she put the entire gang at risk from the D.A.'s office. If they decide to go on a witch hunt now, Magnolia will be bathed in blood."
Levy visibly blanched, and Lucy's vision blurred. Her weakness continued to cause trouble, eve for Levy who had called her friend. Enough was enough.
"Eli is my boyfriend. Or, was my boyfriend. We've been together for three years. The night I came to your clinic, he tried to kill me." Her voice was steady despite her fear, and the straightforward declaration made Makarov pull back a bit. Peering at her from under bushy brows, he asked. "Just who, exactly, are you?"
Lucy let out a shuddering breath. "Lucy Davis. My father is Myron Davis, on the board of Heartfilia Enterprises. I met Eli through him." Lucy felt bad for using Myron the Dick's name, but he was a man close to her father's age who was notorious for his poor treatment of the female staff at HE. Lucy didn't dare reveal the truth, not even now. If her father found her…
Levy looked up again. "I didn't know Mr. Davis had children." The comment was so casual, but level of investigation it implied shocked Lucy. Upper staff of HE were notoriously private and a man on the Board should have been damn near invisible. She gulped. "I… I'm illegitimate."
All three Fairy Tail members nodded as if this made perfect sense and Lucy was saved again. Master Makarov leaned back. "So you met a well-connected guy who turned out to be an asshole. No surprise there. What I want to know is why has he gone through the trouble to stalk you, when as an A.D.A. he can pretty much wipe his slate clean, should you come forward with allegations of abuse?"
Lucy bit the inside of her cheek. To tell, or not to tell, Eli's secret. If she told, she would have a target on her back for as long as Eli lived. But didn't she already? Sighing, she looked out the window while she gathered her thoughts.
"The District Attorney's office has been supporting the illegal trade of firearms through Magnolia. Elijah Featherstone is actually Elijah Post. He is the fourth son of the head of the Post Family, and his assignment as an A.D.A. is entirely the work of his father. He helps oversee the business liaisons. Lately, however, he's been channeling funds into the Cartel de Hechizo. If he is found out, he'll be killed."
"Hmm." Makarov stroked his mustache. "How did you find out."
"I overheard him one night on the phone. When he found out was the first time he hit me. After that, he got more violent. He thinks I told my… um, someone at Heartfilia Enterprises. I did not. If they know, it is not through me."
Makarov stared at her again, that soul-searching stare. "Yes, I think this time you're being truthful. Well. This changes a lot. Levy, call Fairy Tail together, we need to discuss how to proceed."
Lucy's heart was hammering in her chest. "What about me?" Makarov grinned his lecherous grin. "Oh, we can't let you go, Lucy-chan. You're our precious leverage."
Suddenly, Lucy did not know if she should be terrified or relieved. Perhaps she had gone straight from the frying pan into the fire. Yet oddly it felt refreshing. She was taking control back from her father and Eli. She could take control back from Fairy Tail, as well, should it be necessary.
This, she was sure of.
Author's Note: This has been a terribly long time coming, but I did promise to see this story through and I will do so, no matter how long it takes. And for every favorite, follow and review, thank you so much. It means the world! Please be aware, though, that I am several months behind on manga development, so any character information that has been revealed since late August or so may not be included. Well, this is AU anyways, but I didn't want complaints about mis-characterization.
However, this is one of the reasons I still need a beta for this story! Please check out my profile for requirements, and send me a PM! I need your help!