Chapter 31: An Echo in the Darkness
"We have to keep that ship from leaving." Lucy determined once Gajeel pulled the best friends off the beach to face the horses and wagons that had just arrived. Surprisingly, a small, slightly run-down village lay hidden behind the trees, and the blonde wondered for a split second why they weren't being guarded in one of the houses. Then she saw the houses were already full of pirates and girls bound in chains, waiting to be loaded onto the ship. She was glad Gajeel had guarded them in a secluded spot away from the other prisoners.
The newcomers brought even more girls. Some no more than eight or nine years old, packed into cages, dirty and terrified. Lucy's heart went out to each one. Her soul stung a bit at their plight. Even Gajeel gritted his teeth, his eyes flashed angrily underneath his normal mask of indifference to how Tartaros handled their business.
Someone called his name over the noise and their gruff sentinel muttered an oath before leaving the girls standing in front of an old bungalow to greet what looked to be the ringleader of the chaos. Lucy and Levy glanced at each other, half expecting someone to snatch them away. Nobody did. Not that they weren't shot odd looks from the slavers and even a few of the slaves. The blonde guessed it was because of their lack of chains? Or maybe because the two girls hadn't tried to run while not being guarded?
Lucy paced from one end of the shabby shack to the other, her arms slight crossed under her breasts, watching Gajeel converse while counting the number of men. She also used the moment of freedom to also study the environment, eyes eyeing the terrain specifically for when they needed an escape route while Levy sank to find a seat.
"Would you stop fidgeting so much, Lu? You're making me nervous." Levy complained from her seated spot on the steps with her skirts folded under her.
The blonde had no idea what she was going to do. There was absolutely no way her and Levy could free these girls - especially her being tired and sickly - without weapons or allies. Gajeel would be no help, a wildcard at best. It was really going to come down to getting Levy out to warn somebody. Her thoughts scattered as she noticed a flash of brilliant red hair glittering in the sunlight.
"It can't be..?" Lucy mumbled, hijacking her friend's arm. "Levy, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Now that got Levy's attention. She stood, curious and fretful. "I reckon that's not something you see everyday."
One of prisoners exiting a cabin was Erza Belserion, looking none the worse for wear, even yawning a bit as a guard prodded her forward. She stumbled shooting him an annoyed glare before blanking her expression, holding her head high and continued as if she was strolling down main street during a Sunday afternoon. Chains adorned her ankles and wrists.
"So is this a good thing or a bad thing, that she's here?" Levy questioned skeptically.
"With Erza here, we might actually stand a chance" Lucy said with a gleeful chuckle. "Your beauty, my brains, and Erza's braun, we definitely will screw these pirates over."
"Uh? Something about that statement scares me a bit. Besides there's no way she was captured. We got to get close to figure out what she's doing here. What if it's a trap? She's Irene's DAUGHTER! The reason for all of our problems on the ranch? Why would we trust her?"
Raising an eyebrow, Lucy glanced at her friend. "We are prisoners? About to be sold overseas? I don't see how Phantom S could make our situation more dire?"
"Oh. Yea."
"Let's go!" The blonde was dashing toward Erza. Levy sighed and followed slower, forcing herself not to scowl at her friend. Lucy could be to trusting sometimes, plus her ideas were harbingers to disaster, but if Erza was indeed captured like them then she would be a powerful partner.
They saw the redhead being loaded into a boat with no time to lose, Lucy grabbed Levy' arm quickly slipping next in line for the next boat. Unlike the other females, they bore no chains but nobody questioned their actions. A fleeting thought wondered if Gajeel would worry about them when he discovered them gone, but she vanquished it from her mind.
In no time, they were on board the galleon and tossed into a cramped hull. Once inside, they set out to find Erza among the women, hoping she had been put in the same cell with them as she wasn't too far ahead of them in line. They found her propped to the side by herself, seemingly asleep.
"Erza." Lucy said starting, more than a little tense at how the other girl would older girl seemed calm and centered on the surface, but she was known for her quick temper. Erza raised an eyelid at them before shooting upwards.
"Lucy?! Levy? I knew you were here. I'm glad I found you."
"What? What do you mean?" Levy asked, startled.
"I mean I have been looking for you since your little posse of males road into Phantom S, hotter than a polecat in July, stirring up my mother's wrath. I suspected you got caught up in these slavers. So Eric and I have been searching for you as well. But first," Erza stood up, approaching Lucy before pulling her into her arms with a faint frown, "I shall seek retribution for this travesty. Who do I need to punish?"
"Tis ok, Erza." Lucy squeaked as she felt herself crushed into an all consuming hug. Even her ribs practically imploded, she knew better than to fight and only waited until she was released to question the girl further.
"My brother was following me," the redhead traced out her and Cobra's plan, "Once I allowed myself to be captured he was suppose to keep his ear to the ground then go for help once we found the slavers' headquarters."
"How did you get captured?"
"Bora. The slimy goat is up to his neck in God Serena's business."
"Where is he now?"
"Sheriff Lyon is holding him in Hargeon for questioning. Hargeon isn't that far away, but I worry about the crew pulling anchor if there's a heavy confrontation on the shores. I could probably keep you two safe and protect myself if a battle ensues but I can't rescue the others." Erza waves dismissively to the other girls in the prison. "We would have to jump ship and swim back." The girl eyed Lucy's injury. The blonde knew she was thinking the same thing she was: could Lucy even swim very far with her arm like it was. "I am going to do my best to get you two out."
"Why would you care?" Erza looked away, a little unsure for the first time since the conversation began. "I know you two."
"That doesn't stop your family from feuding with mine."
"Maybe I feel guilty? It's one thing to come at your ranch in a clash of power and a test of wills. It's another to have you sold into slavery. Maybe I feel somewhat responsible. Especially since my family had dealings with Bora." At the girls pinched expressions, Erza was quick to add, "But I always told him no funny business with you. It's not decent to trifle with sweet young girls, but he broke our partnership when he started dealing with Serena, Jacob, and Cain on the side."
"I think we should ground the ship. Take hold of the bridge, and if the anchor is raised, run the boat into the shallows." Lucy said, no evidence of fear in her statement, but underneath she was quaking to her boots. Don't think about it, she silently commanded.
"What kind of hair-brained idea is that?" Levy asked. "We will die."
"Not necessarily." The blonde argued, a lump in her throat. "If we could sneak in, there would only be a couple of men in at the helm at most. It's defending the area, which would be the problem, but better than most better locations on a ship besides the mess hall. We could bar the door. And if we procured a couple of guns, we could cover the windows. Erza you got captured willingly. Do you have a weapon?"
"I have this." Erza pulled out a long, slim branch from her bodice.
Levy shook her head in disbelief before deadpanning, "Yes because when I trample through the woods, I always stuff sticks down the front of my dress. Erza, what is that? A weird stake? Are they vampires? What about a knife or something useful?"
The blonde gave a small bark of laughter before trying to hide her face behind her hands. She couldn't cover her snicker and was sure the redhead was glaring at her, which made the situation funnier. Finally she peeked through her fingers to notice even Erza blushed the color of her hair at the awkwardness of hiding her makeshift weapon in such a delicate area. That's when she could no longer contain her merriment. A bit hysterically, she gave in, wondering if how their ridiculous plan could possibly work having just Erza facing off against men armed with guns, but somehow she felt that the Tartaros members would be at the disadvantage.
Sunset had fallen, leaving the three girls looking out the porthole in anticipation. At first some sunlight leaked in enough that they can see features of the other women. Lucy fidgeted, biting her lower lip until she could taste a bit of blood. The extra people made her nervous, so much responsibility their extra presence put on her shoulders. Could the three of them really save everyone? The question gnawed at her brain. Reluctantly, she pulled away from that mindset to try to remain they watched through the porthole, night swallowed up the swirl of orange, blue, and gold.
"They should be bringing the food soon. If their intent is to sell us, they can't starve us." The bluenette noted. Her voice echoing amongst the sniffles and groans in the room.
Their plan began with Levy attracting the notice of the feeding guard. Of course, Lucy about jumped out of her skin when Levy started wailing at the top of her lungs at the same time a bobbing light randomly descended from the air. Then Lucy realized that it wasn't a ghost but the feeder climbing down a ladder with a lantern and a large basket.
She refused to cover ears even though Levy's voice started wearing her nerves after two seconds. Her eyes drifted to man she didn't recognize moving closer to the other girls, who had been prewarned, hovered noiselessly to the side watching the little drama unfold. The man made two more trips to collect at least a few more before checking their cell.
"Whatcha doin' in here?" asked a southern Midian drawl.
Erza pressing her face against the bars while pointing to Levy, who was flopping on the floor, and Lucy, who awkwardly groaned. She whispered. "I think they have the mange. Or rabies".
The man held the light up to peer through the cage, he failed to notice how close Erza got to him until her arm snaked out grabbing him by the color and jerked him so fast whiplashing him into the bars. It looked very painful. He made a loud noise but Erza was grabbing his head and smashing his head a second time into the bars.
His eyes rolled back, dropping to the floor. The lantern rolled away. Lucy quickly reached out through the bars, snatching the keys to their cell.
Once she freed them, Lucy promised the other girls they would return to save the others. She refused to lock the doors though, handing one lady the keys. "We will try to signal when it's time to go, but if not, you'll have to come up with you own plan to escape."' She pretended not to notice how the women quickly fell on the baskets of what looked to be bread.
Meanwhile, Erza tied and locked the guard up complaining at the shamefulness of how easy he fell for their ruse. She took a moment to check his body for weapons, stealing a small pistol and a knife that had seen better days.
"Let's go. Stay close. Levy, don't bring that lamp," ordered Erza as she saw the blue haired girl make a grab for the feeder's lantern.
"But how will we see?"
"Between the halls are light and the moonlight there is enough to see. Now hurry." and then she was gone causing Lucy to blink in confusion. How where they suppose to stay close if Erza moved so fast? Luckily, the redhead doubled back for them with an unhappy grunt. The two girls hurried after her this time, trying to remain quiet on their feet.
They climbed a tall, rickety ladder that the feeder had used. Lucy swore it wouldn't be able to carry their combined weight before Erza shushed her. The redhead grabbed her shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze before scurrying up. Lucy took a deep breath. For a moment the ladder shook and the motion made the blonde dizzy, her pulse stuttering as a vision of herself plummeting down to the floor in a loud crash permeated her brain but Levy placed a firm hand on her back, calming her nerves.
"You ok, Lucy?"
She closes her eyes until the spell passes, replying with "I'm fine" before carefully following Erza the rest of the way. At the top there was a bit of light doting the hallway. Laughter could be heard in the distance, as she escaped out of the cramped hole, the redhead held a finger to his lips before he blonde could say anything, gesturing to the girls to follow her. The new air was a refreshing change - sweet and salty. It had been slightly nauseating in the hull, the smell of so many dirty people and their body odor.
The girls did remarkably well at first, tiptoeing down the first hall. The three were a bit lost but had a good sense the direction. Then Lucy heard a couple of thuds as she rounded a corner just in time to see Erza dance between two males before both males fell.
"Let's go quickly." Erza muttered, "I don't know where these two came from but if any more show up, I might not be able to handle a large group. We need to move faster." She added with a slight disapproving edge, noticing how Lucy struggled to keep up.
"Don't worry about me. Do what you must." The blonde scolded gently. She didn't want to slow them down. It wasn't her fault she was still healing, but she didn't want to be the weak link that got them caught. Every time they climbed to the next level, she felt dizzy.
Just a couple more floors and we should be at the top, Lucy told herself. Exhilarated Lucy watched the two girls run down the hall. She wasn't quite as fast. Her legs pumped hard after them, but soon her lungs were out of breath.
"Man I am so out of shape." She wheezed as a door slammed nearby. The other girls bounded down the hall out of sight but Lucy was stuck with no place to hide. Someone stumbled out into her path. He stopped, catching sight of the strange female.
"Hey what are you doing out here?"
Crap she had been caught!
She tried to bolt in the opposite direction but he caught the hem of her shirt. Her bare feet slipped. The world shifted. Then a shadow appeared over her before Lucy could regain her senses.
"Where you going so fast?"
He bent to pick her up but her self defense training took over. Her leg shot out, kicking him in the groin before snapping her leg around into his face. Natsu would be so proud of her crescent kick.
The man yelped, falling back allowing her an opening to escape. She didn't get far before a knife wheezed past her head, impaling itself on a wooden beam beside her head.
Adrenaline pumping high, she grabbed the knife, swinging it blindly as he approached.
He merely knocked it from her hand before throwing her over his shoulder,
"Better ask the boss about this."
The man carried her kicking and wiggling to the top deck. Furious tears ran down her face as rush of anger swelled up at having been caught so fast but she didn't scream for fear of Erza or Levy being caught in the mix.
A few crew mingled around outside. One snapped their head around to look at her captor, "Hey Tempesta, what you got there?"
The man was bellowing for someone called Zero. Jacob sneered at him before shouting back, "He's on shore with Brain.." The bald man grabbing a glass bottle of some fermented brew and stalking toward them.
"You are a lot of trouble, you know." He took her from Tempesta, dropping her on the deck. She squealed when her rear painfully collided with the hard surface.
The drunkard yelled, "Why are you so damn foolish?!"
"Why are you yelling me?!" She screamed, jumping up pushing him back slightly, no longer determined to keep quiet. "This is all your fault!"
All trace emotions vanished as Jacob gazed stoically down at her. Lucy returned his look with an angry glare of her own.
"Throw her back in her cell." A new man commanded, but Jacob was not listening.
"She needs to be taught a lesson." He said swinging his bottle down at her head. Narrowly she dodged as men cheered, rolling on the floor, cutting off her own shriek as her bad arm hit the floorboards. Pain blossomed through the nerve of her arm as she stared up at the Tartaros members.
"Hey don't break the product." A man yelled from the crowd, trying to elbow through. Cain appeared, shoving everyone backwards, clearing a circle around her and Jacob.
He stomped her stomach, causing her to scream. "Do you want to die? Cuz that's what's going to happen if you keep trying to escape?"
"Please not my other arm." She curled up. The memory of him breaking her arm weighing on her mind. Sweat begin to pool at her forehead while her breath hitched as she waited to be attacked again.
Jacob reared back a kick.
Lucy closed her eyes, expecting more pain.
Instead she heard a gunshot.
Blinking her eyes open, she saw Jacob cry out, clutching his leg as a dark stain appeared on his pants. That's when Lucy noticed for the first time how the numbers had slimmed. Tartaros members yelled they were under attack. A shadowy figure, some newcomer to the group, was attacking the others. Lucy whimpered as she felt rather then saw the scuffle between the remaining men and her phantom rescuer.
She wanted to get a look at the phantom. Struggling to get up, she had just pushed herself off the ground when cold metal pressed to her temple.. Her nerves stilled, immediately concentrating threatening sensationt.
"Don't move," He ordered. Lucy's stomach coiled up in a nasty way at the harshness of his voice. A gun was pointed to her head, and she had absolutely no idea what to do.
The mystery man held his arms out in a placad manner, edging closer to couldn't tell much about him except he seem to be barely dressed. Nervous, Jacob pointed his gun at the other man when Lucy elbowed her captor in the stomach. Her rescuer sprinted forward, slamming his arm as Lucy relieved him of the gun.
Taken aback when the newcomer aimed the muzzle of his own gun in the unconscious man's face, fully prepared to execute him. Lucy heard the next round chamber with a click.
He was going to murder him in cold blood? She wasn't going to let that happen. No matter how bad Jacob had been and was, he was still human.
Grabbing the mystery man around the waist with her good arm, she pleaded, "Please stop." She reached up to grasp his wet scarf.
"Please. He's been beaten. You don't have to do anything more." She cried, a bit of liquid rolling down her cheek. His action causing her to flinch a bit when he twisted, his movement tugged on her arm. She stepped back in pain and surprise, losing her balance. Right before she fell, he caught her. Trapped in his arms, she was stared up into his hooded eyes with wonder.
"Natsu?" She breathed in awed, confusion lacing her words as she tried to process why he would suddenly appear. Her hand brushed blindly out, grazing his scarf, unsure if he was real or just her imagination.
A slow nod was her answer but she could already tell he was real. She mentally kicked herself for not noticing her sooner, but in her defense her thoughts had been hazy due to pain. He studied her even as she studied him.
That's when she noticed he lack his shirt and shoes. The blonde would have gotten embarrassed over the intimate way he held her and his state of clothing had she not noticed the rage darkening his features and the way his body suddenly tended.
"Natsu." Lucy repeated, sighing happily, trying express how glad she was that he was there. He smiled in return..
He reached out tenderly cupping her face with his calloused palm, causing her pulse to jump and her muscle to freeze.
"You ok Lucy?"
Never better… "I'm fine now that you are here." The girl pressed her cheek into the warmth of his hand with a slight nuzzling motion, flashing her signature goofy grin.
They continued to stare at each other - Natsu deep in concentration and not altogether happy while Lucy thought up endless questions. Had he come for her specifically? Or was it his ranger duties? She quickly blinked away the moisture gathering in her eye.
"I waited up for you."
Looking slightly mournful, he said, "I know Lucy. Sorry for being late."
His hand remained on her face, tracing her cheek. she shivered not from the cold but from the heat that followed on the wake of his fingers. She wouldn't have been surprised if his hand spontaneously combusted with as much friction their skin was igniting.
"I tried not to show them fear." She admitted, proud of herself. "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. While his statement made her want to strut like a rooster over his praise, all she could feel was like being a phony. A solitary tear trailed down her cheek. She had been so scared and no help to anyone, just a big useless sack of potatoes.
"I'm not really." she denied. Exhaustion hit her, nibbling at the corners of her mind until she felt the brush of the ranger's thumb along her cheek, wiping away her tear. "Strong, I mean…" her voice trailed off.
"You are strong to me, Lucy."
She jolted herself, stopping further depressive ideas
"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. Lucy ached to slap him. "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 before growing hot at her 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. It was a nice fantasy, but he meant the words as jest to make her feel better. So she responded in kind, "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."
This time she did slap him, playfully, with her good hand.
"Lucy what's wrong with your arm?"
"Well it was broken…" she started slowly glancing down at her arm held at an odd angle but hurried to add when she saw his panicked face "but it's been reset and splintered 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 blurting out before she could stop herself, "Natsu, am I? What I mean is, am I ugly now?"
"What?" Natsu just gaped at her in shock.
Lucy, shIed away to compose herself, not liking 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.
"I'm impressed." A largely unkempt man with strange hair snickered at them," it almost makes me want to keep you. Almost. But you two would be too much trouble. Too much trouble indeed."
"Who the fuck are you?" Natsu growled shifting into a fighting stance at the latest threat.
"I'm am the dazzling, God Serena." The man bragged, bowing deeply before striking a weird pose.
"You ain't no god."
"No but I can arrange your meeting with one, ranger."
The two glared silently at each other. The animosity radiating off of the two men. God Serena's men even stepped back from him while Lucy placed a hand on Natsu's bare shoulder.
"So you know who I am even without my badge?" The ranger asked tensely, Lucy's hand reminding him that he needed to be calm.
"Oh we met before. My hair was not as fabulous then as it is now so maybe you don't recognize me. I am nobody's fool. You are the same pink haired man who chased myself and my followers over the hills and through the streams for a whole night. One of the army's dogs." His eyes flickered to Natsu as he growled at the word dog. "Your gunshot even grazed my ribcage." Serena unbutton his shirt to show the bandages around his stomach. "You my good sir, have become the bane of my existence. Your actions have cost…"
"You talk too much."
"It is time to say our goodbyes. Goodbye ranger. Goodbye fair maiden. Soon you'll be with the angels."
"Down Lucy!" Natsu flung his body around hers just as a gun went off. They both landed in a heap. The grim reaper with his scythe of death must have taken a night off because while guns were fired, but they weren't hit.
Because the gun fired didn't come from the Tartaros members.
"Geehee. You alright down there Salamander?"
Natsu tensed trying to find God Serena but the man had ducked as soon as the shots fired and now was running to the side. He didn't even pause before he jumped overboard. The coward. A few other Tartaros members escaped the carnage on deck.
Lucy peeked out from under Natsu's body just as another voice called, "Lu! The Calvary is here!"
"But we met Jellal and Gajeel on the way!" Gunsmoke billowed around the four people standing on opposite sides of the galleon. They each targeted Tartaros members trying to leave.
"Jellal! Everyone!" Lucy yelled into Natsu's shoulder.
The bluenette man ignored her, gaze tracking the escapees swimming to shore. She couldn't help looking at his state of undress - wet and lacking a shirt similar Natsu. Lucy briefly wondered, What was it? All sexy guys strip and get wet day?
"Yo! Gajeel!"
"Salamander, enjoying the view? Get your ass up and help!"" Gajeel roared with raised eyebrows and Natsu still didn't move off of Lucy.
Natsu rolled over so she sat on top, straddling his waist. "I'm pretty comfortable where I am thank you."
"Got to do everything myself," Gajee muttered darkly, and slinked toward where Jellal and Levy stood.
Lucy's face turned beet red from her new position. Jumping off, she yelled at him.
"But I'm comfy like this." He poked her belly and ribs.
"Not the time!" She groaned, knocking his hands away as he sat up.
"I know" Natsu grudgingly stood while offering Lucy hand. He smilingly helped her to her feet, "You ok Lucy? I didn't hurt you arm?"
"I'm fine. None too worse for wear."
They stared at each other for a moment before Natsu nodded, reaching out to flick her nose with a smile before moving toward the others.
She gasped in shock. Not at his action. Lord knows he was always doing silly things like that to her. But because of the blonde braided around his hand. Her hair.
Erza shouted at Jellal and Gajeel to check the levels of the ship to make sure no other Tartaros members were held up somewhere, hiding.
She just stared, barely hearing the words, but not processing the situation. Natsu didn't seem to notice her change in demeanor, holding out his hand, "There's probably a few more Tartaros members on shore too. Let's free those girls and kick some ass, Lucy."
The blonde didn't want to be drawn in by that action but she was. Like a moth to the proverbial flame.
"Alright," Lucy nodded, beaming as she accepted his hand. Slowly, muscles that she didn't know were tense began to relax as he dragged her, stumbling to their friends. She held on as if her life dependent on it - an anchor. Or a lifeline, leading her home.
Next Chapter: Retribution
AN: Sooo I would make a joke about being back from the dead, but I actually went to the ER and was in the hospital for a bit so that hits a bit too close to home. I still want to make an update schedule around Thursday. That's what I am aiming to do even if life kicks me down again. Uh, this author's note is suppose to be longer, but I can't think of what I was suppose to put.
Everyone is back together again (Yay!). Well except Sting who is having a little adventure of his own which we will see in chapter 32. Thank you to my followers and my reviewers. I will make sure to reply to you all lovelies next chapter. And at some point I hope to get more organized with this. Peace out!