Chapter 46

Erza Scarlet, the Chief of Police's right hand man - er, woman - was a very, very busy woman. It was rare that she had any downtime, especially at the office, so she reveled in these moments whenever she got the chance. Beautiful classical music played in the background, the lights in her office were dimmed, and there was a huge slice of moist strawberry cake sitting on her desk in front of her... begging to be eaten... to be savored. Erza dug out her ceremonial golden fork and eyed the cake with a hungry grin. The fork had just barely touched the frosting when a sharp knock came at her door.

Muttered female curses could be heard from outside Erza's office, and the officer that dared to interrupt her downtime audibly gulped. Damn that receptionist for sending him to disturb Erza! But someone had to do it... she had very important guests after all. It took a minute, but the office door finally swung open. Officer Scarlet leveled the lower ranking officer with a steely glare, and he once more gave an audible gulp.

"S-sorry to interrupt... but there are guests here to see you." the officer practically shook as he informed her. "A Mr. Robertson and Miss McGarden, sir." He watched as Erza gave a heavy sigh, the anger fading slightly. These were, indeed, guests she needed to see immediately.

"Fine. Send them in." she dismissed him with an annoyed tone. He hurried away, lucky to have escaped her wrath... this time.

A few minutes later, the office door opened again, this time from the outside. Erza gave Levy a sweet smile as she was the first to enter the room, wearing a cute blue sundress. And then Erza's jaw dropped in absolute shock when Gajeel walked into her office wearing his normal suit but... sweet Mavis, he was missing most of his hair!

Indeed... Gajeel's notorious and somewhat famous thick mane of wild hair... it was no more. Cut off, gone forever, leaving a much shorter, still kind of shaggy, spiky haircut in its wake. Erza had to admit, it made him look extremely more mature... more his age, even. But everyone, everyone, knew just how much he loved his long hair. It was part of him, part of his identity... his calling card, almost as much as his piercings were. And it was just... gone!

"Oi, you done gawking?" Gajeel scoffed as he took a seat in front of her desk, pulling Levy to sit on his lap as there were no more chairs. Erza flushed the smallest amount. She was usually more professional than this, and it was rude to stare so... open-mouthed as she'd been. Levy was giggling, finding it highly amusing as she'd gotten to see everyone's reaction to Gajeel's haircut today. Lily had been the first, having dropped the glass he held out of pure shock. Natsu nearly tackled him, thinking he was an impostor and a threat until Gajeel started shouting at him and he recognized his voice. But the most violent reaction had to have been the Don's. They'd gone to see him that morning, and he'd been eating breakfast at his desk when Levy and Gajeel walked into his office. The poor man nearly died from choking, and it took a few good hard hits from Gajeel to his stomach to dislodge the food and save his father. He had no intention of being the Don just yet...

"S-sorry, it's just... you gave me a huge shock." Erza coughed, bringing back her serious, professional tone. "What... what made you make such a drastic change?"

"Reasons." he gruffed, not wanting to admit that it was mostly because his hands, and Levy's, kept getting trapped in that mane of his. Even when they were intimate, there'd been a few times Levy had gotten stuck and they'd had to stop to free her. He'd been fed up with it for a while, honestly, and them both getting stuck the other day was the straw that broke the camel's back for him. It was more than time for a change.

"Very well..." Erza was still curious, but she let it slide. This time. "Anyways, what can I do for you? It's not like you to willingly enter a police station."

"Need to talk about yer boss. Anyone asks, I came ta invite ya to our wedding and catch up." Gajeel said firmly. Erza nodded, agreeing with the cover story. She pressed a button on her desk, and her door was magnetically locked. There would be no interruptions.

"And why is Miss Levy here, with you, if we are talking about something so... important?" Erza asked. Not that she didn't trust Levy. But she was still new to this life, after all, and she'd thought for sure Gajeel would have been trying to shield her from a lot of this.

"She's learning how things work." Gajeel explained, and Levy nodded in agreement. Erza hummed at this, then gave Levy a smile.

"Very well, then. Glad to see you're getting more involved." she smiled, and Levy smiled back. Erza turned to Gajeel now and raised an eyebrow at him. "So tell me, what is going on?"

"The chief's gettin too close to sniffin out one of the council members." Gajeel told her firmly. "He's become a real pain lately, anyways, and I decided it's time to deal with him for good. Either silence him with blackmail or disappear him." Levy fought off a small shiver at that. He decided it. Not the Don. True, the Don agreed with him, but Gajeel did have the authority to make that decision on his own. It was... intimidating, to know he had the power to decide if and when someone gets silenced or... disappeared.

"I see." Erza said, a dark look on her face. She knew this day would come eventually. The chief always had it out for Fairy Tail, but never had any leads or solid evidence. Now... now he was too close to finding something.

"I know ya've been told to keep any dirt you find on him." Gajeel looked at her expectantly. Erza stared at him a moment before giving a heavy sigh.

"I hate to say it... but I've got nothing." she reluctantly told him. "The chief's clean. No dirty laundry of any kind. No angles to work with. Went to a prestigious school, married his high school sweetheart who died young, never remarried, no kids, few friends. The man's thrown himself into work and that's all he does." she explained. There was no way to blackmail him, strong arm him. No family to threaten, no dirt on him to ruin his career. The man's nose was clean as could be.

"Then he needs to go." Gajeel said with so much authority and conviction that Levy could not stop herself from shivering. A man's fate had just been decided. Gajeel had sentenced a good person to death. For doing his job. To protect the family. To protect them, a small voice in the back of her head whispered. Because she was as much a part of the family as Gajeel was now. If the family went down... she did, too.

"What do you have planned?" Erza asked, eyeing Levy who seemed a touch paler than before. She was very new to all this, it was understandable that plotting someone's death would get to her. But Erza was pleasantly surprised how well Levy was holding up. She was even listening intently to the conversation, learning as much as she could from these interactions.

"Good old fashioned assassination." Gajeel shrugged nonchalantly before resting his chin on the top of Levy's head. He bit back a grin at how small she was. "No real reason to plan anything big. I'll send someone to handle it. Might even just do it myself." He felt Levy shift a bit uncomfortably at his words, but she relaxed quickly enough. She was coming to terms with the fact that her future husband did very, very bad things. Like torture. And murder.

"Everyone will know it was Fairy Tail." Erza pointed out, and Gajeel gave a dark grin.

"That's the point." he chuckled with a dangerous grin that made him look cruel despite the tiny adorable woman just under his chin. Even Erza had to admit, Gajeel was quite intimidating in moods like this. Scary, even, despite Levy's adorableness to even things out. "Gets a very big message across, don't ya think? Don't fucking mess with us. Or this is what happens." he let that sink in for a moment before giving another chuckle. "Look, Officer Scarlet, all I need from you is a time. You keep a close eye on him, and when he's definitely home alone, we'll take care of the rest."

"Very well." it was easy enough. She could probably even convince the Chief to go home and rest. Gajeel grinned and stood up, setting Levy on her feet and taking her hand.

"Good, then we're done here." he said simply. Erza nodded and unlocked the door, and Gajeel began to leave, taking Levy with him.

"I really hope you can make it to the wedding, Miss Erza." Levy gave her a sweet smile as she followed Gajeel to the door.

"I plan on it, no worries." Erza smiled back before giving her a serious look. "And Miss Levy, I must say... everyone is proud of you for stepping up so much. Trust me. We all appreciate you." Levy blushed cutely at the praise and gave a small but genuine smile.

"Thank you. That really means a lot."

"See, shrimp? Told ya." Gajeel chuckled softly, sliding an arm around her waist and escorting her out of the office. "Stop worrying so much."

Levy shifted nervously in the back seat of the car, looking out into the night through the tinted windows. She could see the house from here, they were just a street over. In that small, unassuming house, Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray were waiting for their prey. For the Chief.

"My lady, try not to move so much, it moves the car and makes us stand out." Lily whispered from the driver's seat, glancing back at her through the rear view mirror. This was as close as Levy would ever get to seeing Gajeel at 'work.' Taking care of business for the family. These were the kinds of things Gajeel was used to doing. Silencing threats were his specialty.

"I'm sorry, I'm just... worried." Levy responded with a timid whimper, trying to still herself.

"They'll be fine." Lily assured her. "Trust me, my lady. Gajeel can handle himself quite well." Levy could only nod and trust that he was right. She held her breath and froze as she watched a car pull up into the driveway. A man stepped out, and she realized that this was it...

Chief Ao was a hard working man. Tall, bald, and quite muscular, he was also a fairly intimidating man. He was the definition of a good guy, however. He could never be bribed or bought. He'd worked hard to get his position the right way, and he was trying his hardest to make something of that effort... by ending Fairy Tail. And he just knew he had a solid lead this time. Previous leads had gone cold but this one... this one was his ticket. He knew it.

He was only home for a short rest, and only at Erza Scarlet's insistence. He was working himself to death and he knew she was just worried about him. His second in command was truly the best. So he obliged and headed home for a dearly needed rest.

The chief walked into his home without a thought to the world. He was dead tired, and his mind was on bed. He unclipped his utility belt and laid it on the coffee table in his living room, his gun with it. Were he more awake he would have waited til he got to his room for that. But he was so tired and the belt was so heavy.

With a heavy sigh, the big man walked into the kitchen. The instant he flipped the light on, his eyes landed on the heavily pierced man sitting calmly at his kitchen table, his chin rested on his knuckles as he leaned on the table, looking like he owned the damn thing. Chief Ao was instantly awake, subconsciously reaching for his gun at his hip, only to remember he'd just taken it off.

"Chief, welcome home." the man and the table chuckled with a dark grin. "I've been waiting for you."

"Who the hell are you?" Ao demanded, stepping back slowly towards the living room, planning to go for his gun if he saw a chance to. Pressure and cold steel against the back of his head made him freeze and swallow thickly. He glanced behind him to see a pink haired man holding a gun to his head, giving him a dark, deadly look that screamed 'don't fucking try anything.' He looked back at the man at the table with a glare. The man just grinned and motioned to the chair across from him.

"Let's have a little chat."

A minute later found the chief sitting at the table, the pink haired man standing by the kitchen entrance. Another man with black hair was guarding the back door that led out of the kitchen. Ao stared at the grinning man across from him, clearly their leader.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ao demanded, somehow managing to keep his voice calm and level. The man across from him chuckled.

"I'm someone I'm sure ya'd just love ta get yer hands on." he laughed before giving him a dark grin. "The name's Gajeel Redfox." he had a shit-eating grin on his face as the Chief visibly paled at his name.

Ao swallowed thickly as he understood who this man was. And what his presence met. It was well known that Black Steel Gajeel was the future leader of Fairy Tail. It was also well known that he was the last man you wanted in your home... because seeing his face meant you would be silenced. One way or another. There were, of course, many who were silenced by being forced to join Fairy Tail. But there were far more who were silenced with a 9mm to the head.

"Take it ya've heard of me." Gajeel laughed darkly at the quite pale police chief. Ao could only nod. "Then ya probably know why I'm here."

"To kill me." the chief answered with a surprisingly calm voice. Gajeel chuckled and stood up, leaning over the table to get a closer look at him.

"Nah... see... when ya say it like that, it's like I didn't give ya a choice." Gajeel grinned coldly at him. "You see, Chief, I silence people. One way or another. But everyone gets a choice." he laughed as he stood up to his full, intimidating, height and adjusted his tie with a cocky smirk. "Way I see it, ya got two options, pal. You can join us or... I think yer alternative is pretty obvious."

"I refuse." the chief said firmly, making Gajeel grin.

"Oh? Which one? Do tell." he laughed.

"Both!" the chief grabbed the pistol he had stowed under the table and aimed it at Gajeel's face with a growl. Only to freeze when nobody moved or even flinched. Hell, Gajeel was still giving him a very dangerous looking grin. Hesitating a bit, Ao pulled the trigger... and nothing. His last hope... gone.

"What, ya really thought I'd be stupid enough to not check every nook and cranny of this house fer weapons?" Gajeel laughed heartily. "It sure helped we had fair warning that yer house was loaded with em. Really gotta thank Erza for that one." his grin turned smug as he saw the shock flash across Ao's face. "Why so surprised? I'm sure ya knew we had someone on the inside."

"I... never thought it would be her." Ao said through his shock, feeling the sting of betrayal. His second in command, his closest and only friend betrayed him.

"Her, Rick, Summer, Morty..." Gajeel counted off with a chuckle. "That's just in yer higher ranks. No clue how many are in all of yer ranks. Plus we got a fair amount in the FBI. Not to mention the city council and the mayor." he loved seeing the understanding come to the chief. The understanding that he never would have been able to so much as scratch Fairy Tail. They had their hands in everything.

Fairy Tail always won. Always.

"So tell me, Chief. Does that change yer mind any?"

"No." Ao said with conviction, knowing very well that his words had just assured his demise. Gajeel just chuckled and pulled a pistol out from beneath his suit jacket. A simple 9mm with a silencer, nothing fancy, but it got the job done just fine.

"I gotta say, chief, yer a man of virtue. Never backed down from yer own morals. It's... refreshing." Gajeel hummed as he cocked his weapon and took aim. He pressed the barrel of the gun right between the policeman's eyes. Ao stared right up at him with hard eyes.

"Not gonna fake a suicide?" that's usually how Fairy Tail did these things... which made it quite difficult to tell what was actually their doing and what was self inflicted. Which sure had made his job hard all these years. Gajeel just grinned, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"Not this time, Chief. No, see... everyone will know about this one." he chuckled darkly, a sickly pleased grin on his face as he met the chief's eyes. "Consider yerself our personal messenger, Chief. This is what happens to those that fuck with Fairy Tail."

Bang!

Levy sighed heavily in relief when Gajeel opened the car door and slid into the back seat. Gray hopped into the front seat while Natsu took off down the road on his motorcycle, speeding away in the opposite direction. People would remember a loud speeding motorcycle more than a slow-moving van... it was a distraction to keep eyes off Gajeel's vehicle.

"Let's get outta here, Lil." Gajeel said as he pulled his tiny fiancee into his lap, giving her a comforting embrace. He knew she'd been worried this whole time. She leaned into him with a soft, relieved sigh. This was just... something else she'd have to get used to. Knowing where he was, what he was doing... it made it that much more stressful and worrying.

Levy stayed in his arms the entire ride home, even when they'd stopped to drop Gray off. She was asleep by the time they got home, curled up against him and holding on tightly to his shirt. Lily opened the back door for him when they were finally parked.

"She did well while you were gone. She was worried, but she didn't seem upset over what you were doing. More for your safety, it seems." Lily told him as they walked to the house, Levy still asleep as Gajeel carried her with ease.

"That's good." Gajeel hummed, staring down at his tiny fiancee. Had she gone with him on a job like this just a few months ago, she'd be crying her eyes out and extremely upset at the thought of Gajeel killing anyone... innocent or not. Now... sure, she didn't like it, but she was far more concerned for his safety than anything else. "She's adjusting."

"Quite well." Lily nodded, rather proud of his charge. She was handling crime life far better than anyone had expected her to. "She'll do just fine as a Don's wife, Gajeel. Just fine."

"It is with heavy heart that I stand before you today. My heart is breaking, as what I must tell you weighs heavily on me." Erza said solemnly as she stood at the podium, dressed in her formal police uniform and surrounded by microphones, cameras, and bright lights. "I deeply regret to inform the city of Magnolia... that Police Chief Ao Tabo has been found in his home... murdered. There are signs of gang activity, and I personally assure you that the perpetrators of this horrible act will be found and brought to justice-" Gajeel turned off the television, startling Levy, who'd been watching the news with wide eyes. She looked to her fiance curiously, finding him fresh from a shower wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. He gave her a wry smile and set the remote down on a side table.

"Ya should probably watch something else, shrimp." he said softly as he moved to sit on the couch beside her, taking a long drink of his beer before cuddling up to her. He was glad when she cuddled back, resting her head on his chest with a soft sigh. She wasn't scared of him. She knew what he'd done, knew that he'd killed a really good man... but she wasn't scared of him in the slightest. She just snuggled into him, smiling cutely as his arms wrapped around her to hold her closer.

"Hey, Gajeel?" Levy asked quietly after a while. He looked down at her and found her frowning slightly. "How do you... get over it? It... doesn't even seem to phase you." she said softly. Gajeel gave a light sigh, running his free hand along her back soothingly.

"At this point it doesn't." he agreed with her. Killing didn't bother him. It used to, he mentally recalled times when it did. "When I was first starting out, it was... hard. You just learn to move on."

"How old were you?" she asked curiously, absentmindedly tracing patterns on his chest.

"First kill?" he hummed and she nodded against him. "I was ten. Someone tried to kill my mother. She managed to knock his gun away, and I got to it before he did." he explained to her before giving a dry laugh at the memory. "Didn't even know how ta hold it right, and it was heavy. No idea how I managed it, but the guy ended up with a hole between his eyes." he shrugged. "Old man started trainin me right after." He finished off his beer and wrapped his newly freed arm around her, holding her close to him as she continued drawing mindless patterns on his chest. He had no doubt as to why she was asking. She still felt guilty about Brain, and this wasn't their first time talking about it by any means.

"Look, baby... when ya learn to accept the fact that it's all for the family's safety... it gets easier. Ya weren't just protectin yerself. Ya protected me, the old man, Lucy, Juvia, their kids... ya protected the whole fuckin family, Levy." he told her soothingly as he gently rubbed her back.

"Really? Even you?" she looked up at him with watery eyes and he gave her a gentle smile and a firm nod.

"Yer my protector as much as I am yours." he told her sweetly, bringing a hand up to gently cup her face. "You've saved me so many times. Got a scar to prove at least one of 'em." he chuckled, pointing to the bullet scar just under his rib cage. He smiled as Levy turned her attention to it, pressing her tiny fingers against the slightly raised scar tissue. It didn't stand out much against the various other scars crisscrossing his body... but to them, it was the first one they saw. Every time. The scar that started it all.

"I like to imagine our strings of fate end at my ear and your scar." Levy gave a small giggle. If he hadn't gotten shot... if she hadn't heard him... they wouldn't be here. Not together. Definitely not alive. Someone would have found Gajeel before he got help... and Laxus would have turned Levy over to Phantom Lord within the next few days. Yes... it was definitely fate that brought them together.

"I know what ya mean." Gajeel smiled softly at his little wife to be. "Can't say I've ever been happy ta get shot before but... I'm fucking glad for this one. Cause it led me right to my soul mate." he kissed her sweetly... then passionately... and there was no more talking after that.

Wow this one was longer than I intended. Sorry, but these are all kind of fillers while I work on the wedding. I couldn't find a Fairy Tail character I thought would be good to play Chief Ao Tabo. Hell, his name was the hardest part of this chapter. I got it while watching Nurarihyon no Mago. I based Chief's build and name off a character named Aotabo. His personality... eh, not so much.

Hey, is anyone catching my little callbacks to previous chapters? There's a few of them. Sayings, phrases, actions... etc that, yes, are purposefully placed to give a shout-out to older chapters. Lemme know if y'all are catching any of these, haha.

Anyways, hope y'all liked it, and thanks for reading.

Comment, comment, COMMENT!

-Everythingnerd12