Warning: This chapter may contain triggers - brothels/prostitution.

Chapter 30: Renegade

A ruckus sounded downstairs, causing Jackal to pause in his ministrations across the enticing skin of the latest addition to the brothel, a half dressed girl named Seilah. He raised his head, searching for his holster discarded somewhere on the floor. Even though he was still drunk, his nerves prickled at how loud and violent the commotion seemed. He stood quickly, fumbling with his pants.

The door exploded open before Jackal could completely dress himself. One look at the raging pink head caused him to dash toward the open window. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't sober enough and tripped on his pants right before being tackled to the ground.

Seilah, in her buttercream chemist, ran across the room for the gun, aiming at the two other trespassers bursting through the shattered door. Seeing the flash of silver, Jellal realized her intent. He moved like lightening, catching her arm, wresting the weapon away. Freeing the gun from her clutches, he pushed her toward Sting before unloading the bullets.

The girl turned her claws toward Sting. He gripped her wrists, saying, "Now sugar, that's not nice. And here I am being a gentleman to you."

"Tell me where they are?!"

The two men looked over to see a yelling Natsu successfully pin Jackal facedown. He banged the man's forehead into the wood with enough force to make him see stars. Then Natsu placed his hands on the shaggy mop of hair, sandwiching Jackal's head into the floor. It only takes five pounds of pressure on that area to activate the pain receptors, making a person feel the most excruciating pain imaginable.

"Answer me! Where are the girls you took?!" Pink bangs curled up revealing the malicious intent in Natsu's eyes as he pressed down on Jackal's head.

"I don't know! I don't know what yo… Ahhh…" Jackal howled as Natsu's grip hit that five pound mark. The Tartaros member flopped, trying to buck Natsu off until ultimately slumping in defeat.

"I don't…" Jackal gasped frantically as the force persisted against his skull.

Natsu knew the former soldier was probably lying. The two were trained by the same people after all. Death was the only answer for them since they wouldn't break under torture, but he just didn't think the skinny little bugger was devoted to this group enough to die for them. Natsu barred his teeth at the idea, pleased with the thought. If Jackal refused to tell him, then he would just have to die. He involuntarily gripped the scruff of Jackal's neck.

"If you don't tell me, I am going to dangle you outside the window then I. Will. Drop. Your. Dead. Body." Natsu spelled out deliberately. Hearing the ranger's words from across the room, Sting glanced a bit worriedly at Jellal who narrowed his eyes at Natsu as the man started dragging Jackal across the room.

Jackal, not missing a chance to taunt the ranger, had the audacity to attempt a breathless chuckle, "Like that will kill me. We are only on the second floor. Will probably survive. And then what then?"

Natsu stopped so he could whispered into his ear. "Did you not hear me say I would be dropping your dead body. I will kill you before you fall to the concrete." The threat making Jackal's heart sink. He scraped at the floor, nails making a terrible scratching sound against the wood, trying to anchor his body while the ranger continued to drag him.

"Natsu" Jellal said, walking toward him with open arms as if approaching a skittish animal.

No reply.

"E.N.D."

Those dark, angry eyes, so much colder than normal, snapped toward him, "What?"

"Let him go." Jellal ordered softly.

"No." Natsu gazed back defiantly, itching for another fight.

"This isn't you."

"Move Jellal." Natsu snarled when the blue haired man blocked his path.

"You value the life of others. You don't torture people into telling you what you want to know. Or kill them because you don't like their answer."

"He's scum, not a person." The voice remained angry, shaking with slight emotion. "Only scum preys on women. And he has Lucy."

"You would sink to his level?" Jellal questioned. "You are an officer of the law. Not a vigilante. Not a renegade. Didn't you turn away from killing people indiscriminately? Aren't you tired of counting your sins?"

Jellal's voice quickly became incoherent as Natsu heard a second voice, a female voice. The new voice asked into his ear, "Have you ever kept count?"

Natsu glanced around in surprise. Nobody else was in the room. He eyed the girl that Sting held down. A memory swirled around his head. Who had asked him that? It was something he had heard not too long ago. He racked his brain trying to think of who.

Then he remembered in the barn, right before they started training. He saw Lucy clearly. She had twisted in the straw to look at him, raised on her elbows. "Have you ever kept count? The number of people you have killed?"

He met her eyes for a moment but turned away as he tried to bring his mind to the present.

"I am sorry to ask." She hastily apologized, touching his shoulder. He jumped, startled, normally he was the one that initiated contact with her.

"Nah. It's fine." A touch of humor shone in them before he turned. "I hate to disillusion you, but the number isn't quite so high. I try not to kill my opponent, even though that is what people expect - me to be a monster. Probably killed more when I was a soldier than as a ranger, but in war you see things differently."

Natsu stared down at his hand wrapped around Jackal's ankle in horror.

A gun fired.

The ceiling cracked from bullet, sending splinters raining down. Natsu's head snapped to the doorway, even as he reached for his gun. The others ducked for cover. Smoke pervaded their senses, making it hard to see exactly who stood in the doorframe. When the smoke cleared, the three finally saw a terrifying green haired woman wearing a purple corset and black leather pants. Seilah crawled to her, but the lady barely flickered the girl a glance as she leveled her gun toward the ranger.

"You have ten seconds to tell me who you are and why are disturbing Plutogrim. No sudden movements or drawing your guns. Ten."

Jellal, who was the closest one, went to knock her weapon out, but she shot at his feet making him leap backwards.

"Nine"

Natsu made a dash toward her as well but got slashed in the face for his efforts. A trickle of blood ran down to his chin, dripping off. He growled low in his throat at the pain.

"Don't interrupt, ranger." Her eyes flickered to his badge.

"Eight"

"Seven."

"It's just one female. We can take her!" Sting shouted, causing her to level gun toward his forehead. "Ah shit."

"Six."

"Wait!" Jellal gestured his surrender. "We didn't mean to disturb your business. We are hunting for this man. He has knowledge valuable to the rangers."

"Am I an idiot? Cuz I could tell most of that from just looking at you. Five."

"Four"

"Three."

Not wanting to die, Sting blurted out, "We are hunting for God Serena and Tartaros."

Something changed in her eyes, almost like approval. She lowered her gun with a smirk, "Well, well, well. I guess you know the magic words after all." She beckoned her hand to Seilah, "I am sorry you had to go through that my dear. Go to my room and stay for the rest of the day."

"But ma'am, I can still work. I wasn't hurt."

"Take some time to yourself." The Madam petted Seilah's hair before giving a quick kiss on the lips. "You're still new after all." She sent her off with a not-so-subtle slap to the girl's ass that caused Sting to blush before glaring down the hall at her no account workers and their customers peeking out of their rooms.

"Is there something you find interesting happening here? Go back to what you were doing." She aimed her whip at them. When they didn't move, the lady growled, "And when I tag your sorry naked asses with my gun, we will see whose watching then." With a crack of her whip, she sent them all scampering back into their rooms. Groaning loudly, she sashayed into Jackal's room, stepping over what was left of the door. Arching an eyebrow at the damage, she twisted to ask, "Why do you want to know?

Jackal hissed in warning, "Kyoka."

Kyoka smiled, "I'm a business woman. All my deals are based on what benefits me the most."

"You backstabbing bitch."

"Can you do something about this idle chatter?" She batted her eyelids toward Natsu who knife-handed Jackal in the temple. The man crumpled immediately.

"God Serena has made me lose customers. Now instead of coming and paying for a female. They just simply abduct whoever they want. Shameful. Now Tartaros was something special for me. Once." Kyoka looked away, sadden for a second before saying, "I was from Ishgar. They brought me here to Alvarez.. After starting a successful business, I would send my girls to Ishgar with them."

"You trust your girls with them."

"My girls are whores anyway, Mr. Ranger, but Mard would watch out for them. Sometimes they got sick of being in a town like this. Over in the other country, girls from Alvarez are high commodity. They can get a rich protector easy. Tartaros used to help them across. Mard would get them connected. I kept track of them. They never said a bad word against the pirates. But now Tartaros works with God Serena," she spat, disgust seeping into her words. "The man killed Mard and set some new guy in his place. The first few girls I sent through the new guy, I never heard back from. They probably are dead. Not to mention, Serena favors beating white haired females. Something about them reminding him of angels. We got a new girl a few days ago. Took her in off the streets. She's not even going to work for me. Just someone I was helping out because she just looked so damn hungry. He left bruises on her face bigger than his fist. She's been with us ever since, afraid to leave."

Natsu, feeling a chill sweep the room at the description of the survivor, remembered Lucy telling him how Serena tormented Mira before inadvertently killing Lisanna. The man, Serena, had caused so much pain for so long.

"Where is the girl now? She might be a valuable witness."

"I have no clue. She disappeared as soon as this one showed up. Probably hiding in the boiler room. Or the kitchen? Apparently Yuki recognized Jackal as someone working with Goddy. As soon as I saw her tear through the hall, I sent Seilah, distracting him, in case he saw her."

"Wouldn't expect you to care so much. You take in some girl off the streets. Give her food and a place to stay?" Natsu asked skeptically, folding his arms.

"Why? Because I run a brothel? Because fine ladies turn their nose up at us while men talk poorly about us then secretly seek comfort in our arms? Men have their brotherhoods. Why can't women have a sisterhood? Just because I lived a hard life, tossed around for pleasure on the whims of men, doesn't mean someone else should. Now what do you want to know specifically about Tartaros?"

The wind wound around Natsu's hair as the horses trotted across the soggy marsh, stirring up mud and algae. His cheek hurt like a bitch from the place Kyoka whipped him. He was still shocked she got that surprising hit on him. The air was caked in swamp gas and sweet crabapples.

They weren't traveling too fast, having worn the horses out during the previous week's travels. The brothel's mistress told them that Demon's cove was about a half an hour ride outside Hargeon so there was no need to rush.

"Where does Tartaros load the shipment?" Jellal had finally asked.

"A small inlet. Demon's cove. Leave Hargeon going northeast. Keep close to the ocean. It's hard to get to which is why the pirates love the bay as their blacksite. Once pass the swamp, you'll find a trail that use to lead to an old fishing village that once sat on the bay.

Soon they passed jagged rocks jutting from the earth like massive teeth, mixed along with swollen oaks and weeping willow. The ground began to rise above sea level. A veil of wisteria, long and purple, hung from the limbs, dripping petals on their heads as they passed. They could hear waves close by. On the other side, the forest opened up into a hill where they could finally observe the bay in the distance.

Demon's cove, an inappropriate name for the beautiful scene they beheld, was shaped like a slender tear drop. The sky rich with reds, violet, and orange hues behind a golden sunset made the paradise appear to sparkle. White sand with large rocks big enough to sit on framed the colors while fireflies danced through the trees making the bay prettier then any picture. A ship rested on the mouth of the bay, foreboding in the glowing dusk, casting a wide shadow over the sapphire waters. Its contrasting structure sent shivers up the men's spine as they spotted the Alvarez symbol on the flag. True pirates sported the flag of whatever country they were infiltrating as oppose to the Jolly Roger most pirates ships of children's fantasies flew.

A few houses lined the beach on the far side that could only be the old fishing village.

"We need to move closer but let's stay among the treeline." Jellal lead them off the trail, swinging in the direction of the village.

They got as close as they could without attracting notice from the sounds they were making. Watching through the woods, they saw a group of horses and wagons close to the dock. Large cages were being opened and there must have been twenty girls, some only children, crammed into the things. The chilling realization hit the three as they watched girls being loaded in chains onto the boats that one misstep - one wrong move - they would be dead and the girls would be gone, halfway across the world.

The three agreed hiding until night was their best option. Shadows were never your friend, but tonight they would be welcome cover to sneak behind enemy lines. Natsu wanted to get the girls out without much fuss. They were too outnumbered to get a handle on the large number Kyoka spoke of. What he suspected though was the slave girls would be complicate the plan as he knew himself, Jellal, and Sting couldn't leave any girls there.

Tying their horses, Jellal volunteered immediately to scout the area, letting Sting and Natsu have a break. The time clicked by. Sting kept quiet while until finally he said, "Listen man. I don't care what demons you have but you need to stay focused."

The boy's eyes had been shifting between Natsu and Jellal since leaving the city, not quite meeting their eyes when they looked at him.

"You know I'm an ass." He reasoned, laying his back against a tree, relaxing his shoulders, " But that doesn't mean I don't care what happens. I already worry about Jellal at my back - not having the faith Lucy and Laxus have in him." He paused a little, before looking to the air, at nothing in particular, as if trying to organize his thoughts. He then turned his gaze back to Natsu, Then you start acting psycho. Lucy and Levy are family. We have to get them back. There's so much bad right now that I need something good. My brother's health is slowly declining. My sister-in-law is sick. The midwife is thinking about taking her baby early. We could lose both mother and child. I can't go back to them empty handed. Neither do I need to die on this rescue mission." Becoming tense again. He jumped up. Closing the distance between him and the pink haired man, he said in a bold voice, possibly the boldest he's ever talked to him ever since they met. "So. GET. YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME."

Natsu wanted to explain himself. The words just didn't come. He didn't regret what he did to Jackal but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty of losing himself to his anger. He was grateful Jellal had stopped him, with half a mind to pay him back at some point. He didn't want to be that person. The one everyone watches out of the corner of their eye. The one nobody trusts. It was why he loved playing the hero and keeping the law.

A twig snapped. Whirling around, Sting lifted his gun, preparing to shoot, but Natsu stopped him with a hand on the muzzle, aiming it downwards.

"It's just Jellal."

As the man in question darted out of the treeline. He reported that boats were almost finished hauling the girls to the ship, only a couple remained at was almost dark enough to move.

"Hey you think you two can free those girls?" Natsu asked Jellal as they creeped closer to the water.

Jellal crawled on top a large boulder, surveyed the landscape before saying "Yes."

"Good. "

He handed his gun to Sting. "Hold this for me, I can get another one. Don't let it get wet."

"What are you going to do?" Sting questioned, curious of why Natsu suddenly started stripping to just his scarf and pants.

"I'm going to make sure the ship never sets sail."

"Once we get the girls freed we will come help you," Jellal said as Natsu kicked off his boots before diving into the waves.

Nobody on board the ship noticed the figure swimming through the black waters. It was almost night and the Tartaros members thought they were alone in the almost empty bay. Natsu made quick work of scaling the side of the ship with his knives. He planned to steal a gun from the first Tartaros member he met. All his plans changed when he hoisted himself over the wooden railing. The sound of laughter drew his attention to a small circle of crew. He froze before realizing nobody had noticed him yet.

He took a step, closing his eyes and shaking his head back and forth to clear the sudden motion sickness. It was only bad when he was on a boat. He could handle trains, horses, and carriages, but not fucking boats. He glanced up as the what he could now tell was a girl being kicked as the men cheered.

Someone screamed.

Barefooted, Natsu padded over the floor, coming up behind a straggler to the group. His arms reached around the guy's beefy neck for an instant headlock. The Tartaros member struggled but Natsu squeezed until the man passed out. He gently helped the man keeping the noise low.

Natsu then grabbed a rope lying on a barrel as one man turned, sipping a mug. "Hey, who ar..?" He elbowed his buddy next to him. Natsu ran, leaping into a back spinning crescent kick knocking the man out while hitting the guy beside him with the rope like a whip. Natsu followed it up with a punch to the two fell before he landed in a crouch. He moved so quickly that he blurred into a mass of kicks and punches, trying to take out as many of the fucktards as he could without alerting the rest.

The guys at the center never noticed their numbers were slowly being weeded down. Natsu took out his gun, chambering the next bullet before targeting one of the large, bald men moving in to tear the poor girl's gown.

"What the hell?" One busy hair brat asked the shot rang out. He was far too young, a teenager, to be caught up in an organization like this. Then the center man fell, gripping his arms.

"We are under attack! Take cover!"

The remaining few tried to scatter until they noticed it was just one man. The men obviously missed the warning signs as they doubled back. Natsu centered himself into a fighting stance, arms twitching excitedly, "Want to rough-house? I'm game."

He motioned a "come on" with his fist, right before there was a mad scramble to attack him. Natsu made quick work of them dancing around - kicking, punching, shooting. It was only by chance Natsu glance over to check on the girl. That's when he finally got a good look at the girl's face.

It was Lucy.

He hadn't know.

He hadn't realized they were hurting Lucy.

If he fought like animal before, he fought like a demon now, until they all were piled, unconscious on the floor.

All except one.

Natsu snapped his head around when he heard the click of a revolver. His eyes went immediately to the gun aimed at Lucy's head by Baldy. Blind panic rose up in his chest.

"Don't move," said the guy.

Holding his arms out in a placad manner, Natsu tried to edge closer to Baldy. Nervous, the guy pointed his gun at Natsu when Lucy elbowed the guy in the stomach. Natsu sprinted forward, slamming his arm as Lucy relieve him of the gun. Natsu then aimed the muzzle of his own gun in the man's face, fully prepared to execute him. He chambered the next round.

Die.

"Please stop." Lucy's arms encircle his waist, holding him back. He started to pull free but one hand slid up, clutching his wet scarf. Her face pressed between his shoulder blades. The heat of her breath warming his spine.

"Please. He's been beaten. You don't have to do anything more." She cried.

He turned, still trapped in her arms. Surprised at the sudden movement, Lucy fell back right but he caught her before she hit the deck.

Natsu quickly scanned the girl in his arms. Her face, covered in dirt, hid most of her features in the low candle light but nothing could hide her big, beautiful doe-brown eyes sparkling with joy at seeing him.

"Natsu?" She asked hesitantly, confusion lacing her words even as the sparkle began to fade. You could see the doubt creep into her expression. Her fingers brush his scarf, unsure if he was real or just her imagination.

He nodded as he basked in her presence although her appearance worried him. Lucy's ragtag clothes were filthy with a faint trace of a manure smell. Numerous cuts and bruises adorned her skin while one of her arms was wrapped in layers of cloth, and tied between two splint sticks. He would have to ask about that later, ignoring how his adrenaline soared at the thought of someone causing her injury. Especially a broken bone? While her hair… her beautiful golden halo of hair… was gone.

Pure, unadulterated rage almost blinded him as his hand tightened on the blonde strands wrapped around his knuckles.

"Natsu." She repeated, sighing happily making him smile in return. She was alive. That's what really mattered. And he intended for her to remain that way.

He reached out tenderly cupping her face with his calloused palm."You ok Lucy?"

"I'm fine now that you are here." The girl pressed her cheek into the warmth of his hand with a slight nuzzling motion, while sporting her signature goofy grin.

How could she be so happy?

Natsu remembered thinking she looked like an avenging angel when she shot his hat off upon arriving at her door. All gold and fire, mad at thinking he had been one of the Phantom S workers come to pick a fight with her. Despite their thought early start, Natsu had admired her back then for standing up to him, a stranger, and shooting his hat off. And he admired her now - standing there unafraid and cheerful. Most women would have dissolved in a fit of tears at half the stuff she endured.

Lucy blinked up at him as if sensing his thoughts. "I waited up for you."

"I know Lucy. Sorry for being late." His hand remained on her face, tracing her cheek.

"I tried not to show them fear. Aquarius always said show them laughter, show them hate, but never show them you are scarred"

"I don't know half as many women or men who could stand here and smile after what you have been through. You are so strong." He absentmindedly brought her chin up to look at him.

A solitary tear trailed down her cheek. He hated that lone tear, and everything it stood for. The ranger brushed the drop away with his thumb. The cool wetness on his finger was a stark contrast to the heat building where their skin touched.

"I'm not really," she denied, "strong, I mean…" her voice trailed off.

"You are strong to me, Lucy."

She shook herself at whatever train of thought that was in her mind before saying, "Apology accepted, but you have to make it up to me."

"When we get out of this, I will do whatever you want me to"

"Why do…" she wrinkled her nose at him as his fingers ghosted her face, "...you stink?"

"Well when you haven't bathed in a week beyond crossing a river and riding in the rain. You are going to be a bit rancid. Plus." He sniffed her." You don't smell like daisies either princess."

"Natsu!" She pouted, puffing out her cheeks in a pretty damn cute way. "You can't rescue the girl and tell her she stinks."

"Why not? You told the hero he stinks."

"Because. Because. it's not romantic if you tell that to a girl." She accidentally said before realizing her mistake. Her face widened like a skittish deer. A faint blush rising as she shook his hand off her face in embarrassment.

"Oh is this suppose to be romantic? I didn't get that newsflash. We aren't in one of your stories." Allowing himself some humor at her expense. She punched his arm as he knew she would."I know that."

She started to turn away but he pulled her close, pressing his forehead against hers. The nearness causing both their hearts to race. "How about if we live through this… I give you a proper kiss?"

Lucy smiled, pushing him away, "You know our first kiss caused quite the scandal. Made us have a fake engagement."

With his tongue-in-cheek reply ready, Natsu said, "Well then I best be prepared if our second leads to fake pregnancies and the such."

She slapped him him playfully.

"Lucy what's wrong with your arm?"

"Well it was broken…" she started slowly but hurried to add when she saw his panicked face "but it's been reset and splinter so doesn't need medical attention. I can still fight!" She dipped down making him sweat for two seconds before reaching with her good hand for the knife in his shoes."I can have this back? Can't I?"

Good naturally, he retorted, "Only for right now, then you have to give back my dad's knife or suffer the consequences as you already lost the blade once."

She nodded, her face becoming more serious. "Thanks Natsu." She seemed troubled before blurting out, "Natsu, am I? What I mean is, am I ugly now?"

"What?" Natsu just gaped at her in shock.

Lucy, shyed away to compose herself, not likening his reaction. Close to tears, she sniffed a bit, fanning her face to make herself stop. Natsu's arm shot out, turning her toward him.

"Lucy there's nothing ugly about you. You are beautiful inside and out. Kind of weird sometimes. Like now. And when you want sugar, honey, and cream mixed into you coffee instead of cinnamon to make that syrupy goo you drink. Why would you even ask that? You know you're beautiful." His voice carried a note of disbelief.

"Because of my hair. It's ugly now."

"Even without your hair, you're still Lucy. My best fr…" Natsu didn't have a chance to finish his words as they were suddenly surrounded by Tartaros members, furious at their fallen comrades bodies lining the deck. Lucy quickly forgetting the conversation turned so they were pressed back to back as Natsu stared hard at the group. Each of the enemy had their guns aimed at the couple. His hands sought her empty one giving it a careful, comforting squeeze he knew wouldn't hurt her. He found strength that Lucy was so close to him, ready to take on the world. He wouldn't let END control him. This time he had an anchor, keeping him from turning into the monster he use to be. They were back together again. And this time he wouldn't let anyone break them apart.

Next Chapter: An Echo in the Darkness

AN: This chapter was such a freaking monster to write. Omg! I might take a hiatus….. joke. Thanks to Emperor Zeref Dragneel for helping me with ideas and beta reading it. Did you catch the connection to conversation Natsu and Lucy had in Chapter 20? He had started opening up to her about his past back then. Although he's still pretty secretive until now. The title Renegade this chapter actually comes from both Natsu being a renegade in and Kyoka betraying Tartaros. At first I was going to put Natsu's backstory in this chapter but that would detract from the other things happening. So that's something exciting to look forward to.

Thank you to these amazing reviewers from the last two chapters: KatanaNoNeko - FairyglitterXD - Lodemai04 - ThayetJade - animequeen100 - Saranau34 - Taliatales - 4evrDorkly - sarara1.8 - Guest - lili3346 - Juvia is my spirit animal - reddevil47 - IntheKnow - Tohka123 - mushi0131 - Guest - GothBanshee - HammyJessa - MnMAllyn - Monika - Kat - Guest - MissVarta

As promised, I will answer your question here:

To the person asking about lemons, yes I will have lemons eventually. I'm fond of slow burn stories. There will be smutty goodness, mainly Nalu but maybe some of side couples too (If I don't forget). Now that I think about it, I should have totally done a steamy Laxus and pregnant Mira scene. Instead I made her sick. I'm such a horrible person and hindsight is 20/20.

For those that ask, Mira and Loke will be coming in a future chapter. What Mira has actually two of my friends had during their pregnancy. One of which ended up losing her baby. While the other one had her baby taken early, but both mother and child survived. So writing this really hits close to home. Plus I want to write more about this as it is fairly common in pregnancy but usually not bad.

Will see see Erza? We can't have a major assault without Erza around! Remember Erza and Cobra are following the slave traders too. So she should make an appearance soon. I plan to do more with her when Phantom S comes back into the picture.

As for the Yukino guess at being the slave on the ship. You are very close, but it isn't Yukino. Cuz Yukino escaped and is hiding out at Kyoka's. It's someone close to her. Someone who we haven't seen since the first part of the story. The one who got Laxus thrown in jail? I want to bring Laxus's backstory full circle.

Sting. Yes, he can be annoying at times but that's how I portray him… "the little brother" syndrome where he constantly acts out for attention and putting his foot in his mouth. It is a very specific role I give him. And if you ever notice, he's really more mature in one on one scenes like with Lucy or Mira. Even in this chapter with his little moment with Natsu.

What about Gajeel? What do you think her reaction will be when she see's her husband's murderer out of prison? And how can there be a future for Levy and Gajeel once she finds out he was the one who killed Gray was Gajeel.

The last characters I want to give you insight on are Juvia and Slate. I made Juvia a single mother because I wanted to show her outside of that Gruvia role while still promoting Gruvia. I also had her like that because when started this story (over a year ago) a random hater on some site (they run so rampant on the internet) said Juvia would neglect her children for Gray. And I was thinking "hold up! Juvia would be a great momma." So I just want to write Juvia as a good mother. Plus I adore Slate. On a side note in the future, I want to provide more scenes of these two like Juvia chasing a stripping toddler through a house so I have been thinking of moving Juvia into Love and Lucky.

I am trying to decide an update schedule. I'm kind of looking at every Thursday. Maybe every Tuesday. Not sure which. Next chapter takes place from Lucy's point of view from what happens since Gajeel, Levy and her heard the horses approaching.

Oh I had a mistake ony last recommendation. I just changed it - Life in Technicolor by stopnatsu. The same person that wrote Compulsive. I want to recommend Crossfire by katiesfic, which I think might be the next big Nalu fanfiction.