"He told you."

Freed whipped around, surprised by the voice behind him. Lucy stood just outside his front door, her fingers pulling nervously at the neckline of her blouse. He'd been so distracted chasing Cobra off he hadn't heard the door opening.

Over her shoulder he could see Laxus studying them. Freed had no doubts that he was partially to blame for Lucy stepping outside.

Sheathing his sword he moved to step forward but Lucy beat him to it, stepping cautiously across the porch until she stood beside him in the grass. "He told you what he saw."

"I wanted him to," Freed replied, once more glancing over her head. Lucy's head snapped around too, already aware of what he was watching. In the distance he could see Kinana dragging Cobra away from his house, the snide asshole occasionally looking back towards them.

Lucy looked away first, her eyes coming back to meet his. She blinked a couple times before reaching up, her fingers gently touching the skin around his eye currently pulsing with magic. Freed took a sharp breath, surprised by the intimate gesture.

"I doubt Cobra will come back and fight now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't need to continue radiating so much magic. You'll exhaust yourself."

He smiled, letting his magic simmer out and disperse. He had half a mind to tell her he'd much rather burn off his frustration, but let the words die on his tongue. "I suppose."

Lucy returned the smile, something he hadn't seen in days. Before he could comment she reached forward, shyly wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Her touch was gentle and hesitant, but Freed could not be more floored.

The only times they ever embraced were during her breakdowns when she needed a pull back to reality. He had never tried for another reason before. Still, it only took a moment for his arms to find their place around her lower back, gripping tight. She kept her face level, her chin digging gently into his chest.

"Thanks Freed," she continued, her voice stronger than before. "I don't think I could do this without you."

Lucy tapped her nails lightly against the counter, thankful for the tranquil silence of Freed's home once more. It was harder to get his team to leave than Cobra, especially with the trio asking an absurd amount of questions.

It was all Evergreen mostly, but Lucy wasn't going to point fingers. Everyone present already knew more about her ordeal than she felt comfortable with anyway.

Well, everyone but Freed. She supposed Cobra's one saintly deed was his negligence to go into the details of her memory. He gave Freed a rundown, but failed to mention some of the dirtier details, such as Rustyrose's terrifying alternatives to get her to break. She wasn't sure if it was a benefit or not that he kept those details to himself. It left it up to her to decide whether to divulge Freed or not, and she almost wished he'd gotten it all over with.

Sitting in his kitchen now she reflected on what to do. She'd been wallowing in self pity and fear for an entire week and had neglected to go looking for her spirits. She'd overheard Cobra explaining things to Freed, and it left her bound and determined to pick herself up and go get her friends back. She'd already wasted enough time waiting.

Lucy knew through the grapevine that Levy and a few other Fairy Tail wizards were hard at work trying to find out anything about what the Seis were planning to go with just spirits, and while she was thankful for everyone's help she'd begun to feel an itch to handle things herself. She wanted to be part of it and get back into the fray. These were her friends, she needed to be the one to find and save them from Midnight's unholy plan.

She just didn't understand why Rustyrose was involved. He certainly had to have a part to play, but what?

Glancing up as Freed returned to the kitchen, she straightened her back a little. Yes, she needed to go after her spirits, but reckless behavior wouldn't help right now. Besides, there was something more pressing to attend to.

"Uh, Freed?"she said, trying to keep get voice steady. He froze halfway past her, surprised. Honestly she'd done a lot more talking today than usual.

"Yes?" he replied, arching an eyebrow as he leaned forward on the island between them. Despite his leisurely tone she could still see the tension in his shoulders, the aftermath of Cobra's visit clearly leaving him more troubled than before.

And he didn't even know the half of it.

Pursing her lips, she glanced around the kitchen. "We... there's no more food."

He paused for a moment, looking thoroughly confused. "Pardon?"

Clearing her throat, she tried again, "Uh, we ate the last of it this morning-"

Freed's eye's widened, looking horrified. "You mean that rock hard muffin? There's no way that's all there is-"

"Well we've ordered in mostly this last week," Lucy reminded, her eyes dropping to the countertop. "And I know there's no more milk and eggs-"

"Nonsense, there's some in the fridge-"

"Uh, well, Evergreen threw that out two days ago after Bickslow finished the milk and the eggs expired, " she finished sheepishly, continuing to keep her eyes down. Considering what just happened with Cobra, this kind of seemed like a stupid thing to bring up. "So um, we need to order in again or-"

Lucy cut herself off when Freed suddenly slumped into the chair beside her, his green locks swinging into focus. Shifting her gaze up again she noted the perturbed look on his face as he threw open a drawer, digging around for a pen.

"How the hell did I forget to buy food," he muttered to himself, already shuffling around for paper. "How stupid. That muffin is the only thing in the house? What did I even eat this morning? How did I let you eat that?"

"You didn't eat this morning," she replied, a bemused smile tugging at her lips. "You were too busy wandering around muttering about dragon slayers. "

"I told you Lucy, experience," he replied, scribbling down a grocery list. "I've known Laxus a long time now. Dragon slayers tend to have larger than life personalities is all. I didn't know what to expect."

"They are a handful," Lucy mused, resting her head on her hand.

Freed stopped scribbling, eyes snapping over to her. She immediately lost her cool, sitting up stiffly again at his intense look.

"Why are you so calm?"

Lucy blinked. "What?"

"Relaxed? You've been just over a week and I haven't had a carefree conversation with you this entire time. What changed?"

Biting her lip, she pondered the question. He'd definitely spent enough time with her to notice the difference, and her response was a surprise to even her. Considering the newest memory left her a trembling, sobbing mess less than an hour ago, it was a pretty big change for her to be sitting in the kitchen talking easily.

She cleared her throat, tightening her grip on the countertop. "Um, its just... its kind of nice that you understand now, a little bit. I know it's just one moment, but... I didn't have to find the words to explain. Cobra's a jerk, but at least he could say what I can't."

Narrowing his eyes, he waited a moment before speaking. "I get the impression that he didn't explain everything."

"You noticed that?"

"He kept clearing his throat and moving on at certain points," Freed continued with a shrug. "I assumed he was skipping over certain parts."

Nodding, her gaze shifted down again. "I..."

"You don't have to fill me in right now, Lucy, " he interrupted, gently patting her hand. "I was just pointing out that it was noticable. When and if you decide to tell me more, it will be on your own terms. There's no rush."

Lucy let a smile pull at her lips, constantly surprised by Freed's kindness. The smile widened briefly when he reached over to give her hand a squeeze, but melted away just as quick.

She wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to explain more.

"I'll ask Ever to stop by the store tomorrow," Freed continued, pulling away. "Let me just grab the carry out menus-"

"Well," Lucy squealed, whipping her head up. He paused a few steps away, giving her a moment to respond. "Well I thought we could do the shopping together... this afternoon."

Freed's eyebrows shot up, his left nearly disappearing with his right into his hairline. He almost dropped the list, remaining frozen for several moments before speaking again. "You want to go into town?"

Bracing herself, she nodded. "Yes."

"With people."

"Yes."

"Our guildmates will be out," he continued, looking unconvinced. "And they will want to talk."

"I'm aware, " she said, swallowing. "But I... I need to do this."

Tilting his head, he did a quick survey of her. "Are you sure you aren't pushing yourself too much? You haven't wanted to see a lot of people or go outside-"

"I want to go into town with you for groceries, " she argued, keeping her voice as firm as possible. "I need to do this."

Stepping back he frowned, stuffing the list into his pocket. "Alright, if you're certain."

Nodding vigorously, she stood as well. "Yes, yes I am."

Freed couldn't ignore the amusement in her eyes when he came back downstairs.

"What is that?" she asked, stifling a giggle. Freed fought down the urge to frown, looking at himself in the nearest mirror.

"It's not like I have my regular jacket," he remarked, stuffing his hands down into his pockets. "This is the closest coat I have to the red one."

Lucy couldn't help herself, suppressing another giggle. "But it's... purple."

"It's practically black!"

Rolling her eyes, she pointed at the ruffled mess. "No, that's closer to eggplant. Where did you even find something like that?"

Sighing, he wondered why he bothered. He'd already scrounged through his closet once looking for a tolerable substitute until he found something proper to replace his darling coat, and this was as close as he was going to get. It was long, had a spot for his sword, pockets, even ruffles to boot.

But why did the damn thing have to be such a godawful color? Freed himself wasn't even sure how he ended up buying that one.

"Let's just go," he grumbled, leading her outside. He still thought this was a rotten idea, especially given everything Lucy went through so far today, but she didn't want to listen to reason. She was bound and determined for one reason or another to do this today, even if she was already emotionally spent. He could tell she was barely holding herself together, her eyes a little wider than normal and her smiles forced.

He just couldn't convince himself to keep her inside. The best way to test Lucy's breathing point after all was to push her, he just worried she was stringing herself out. Groceries could've waited until tomorrow or the next day. Hell, even their friends could've picked something up and brought it over.

Freed didn't want to stop her from pushing forward and past, but he also didn't want to see her suffer another breakdown today.

"Could we maybe not walk that way?" she muttered, almost immediately veering them off the direct path to the nearest store. "My apartment is down that way."

Immediately, he knew she was avoiding the street out of fear. He'd specifically tried going that way to see how she reacted. "You still think Midnight will know you're there? Lucy, I'm sure by now he and everyone else involved realizes that Fairy Tail is aware that you were hurt. There are investigative parties and everything out trying to hunt the Seis down. I'm sure if you wanted to go to your apartment it would be safe to do so."

She hesitated, touching the jacket she'd thrown on. Freed recognized it as one of the main items Natsu picked up from her place, something she'd kept close by in her room. Surely she had other things she wanted to pick up.

"I'm tired of burdening people, " she sighed, footsteps slowing. "Nothing so far has helped me make any progress. Even today I feel was a bust."

"Why would you say that?" he asked, gently reaching out to halt her. "It takes time-"

"And I've wasted enough," she snapped, tightly clenching her hands. "My spirits don't have endless time."

Clicking his tongue, Freed smoothed his hand along her arm. "We've discussed this. Pushing won't help. Running directly into danger is madness. You're not burdening anyone, you must realize this. I plan to tell Levy what we learned from Cobra if Laxus hasn't already. I'm sure she will be able to research whatever this ritual is and help with a timeline."

"I have to give my spirits up," she whispered meeting Freed's eyes. "The Seis tortured me so I could release them from their contracts. Maybe the only timeline is me."

"Then there is no reason to push, " Freed reasoned, grasping her chin before she could look down again. "And you won't be prepared to face any of them if you cannot pass your own apartment without being afraid. Small steps Lucy."

She hesitated, attempting to pull free of his gentle but firm hold on her chin before giving up altogether. Lifting her gaze again, he was surprised to find her eyes watery. "But... what if I can't do it? What if I try to walk past my own home and I panic? What if they really are waiting for me?"

He placed a hand gently against her cheek when she began to panic, pleased when the action calmed her again. "That's what I'm here for," he reminded, letting some of his magic tickle her cheek, a firm reminder that he was strong too. "I promised I'd protect you from getting hurt again, remember?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I think it's time you show me your apartment," he continued, smiling when her mood lightened. She hadn't even fully panicked, a step up from this morning. "If you want we can pick up some things on the way."

She didn't look as convinced about that but nodded anyway, shyly grabbing his hand to lead him the other way once more. Freed was surprised she agreed so easily, hoping her gentle smiles were genuine this time around.

Walking to her place was a quiet affair, and she nearly let them walk past it before clearing her throat, halting them rather suddenly. Her eyes stared at the third floor, mouth slightly agape.

Freed noticed it without her having to say anything, his nerves picking up again. "That's your window, isn't it?"

She jerked free of his hold, immediately flying into the apartment complex. Freed followed half a step behind, his eyes never leaving the open third floor window until it was out of sight.

Of course it was her room.

"Lucy!" he yelled, catching her shoulder at the top floor before she could barge in. No way was he going to let her go in first, especially without her keys and whip. She spun around, eyes alive with a mix of fear and anger.

"Let me go!" she snapped, trying to pull away again. He kept his hold firm, well aware that gripping too tightly might set her off.

"You can follow in behind me," he said, pushing her back from the door. She jutted a foot out, and he barely missed getting kicked in the shin. "Stop it! Do you even have your key?"

She froze, his words cutting in. The fire in her eyes immediately winked out, and he felt guilty for making it go away. "No. I guess they took that too."

Freed nodded, looking towards they door that was clearly Lucy's. Her pink welcome sign was a giveaway. Stepping forward he tried the door, unsurprised to find it locked. If they came in through the window the door was unneeded. With a flick of his wrist he opened the door, no magical barrier keeping him away bay.

Immediately, he shot her a disapproving look. "You must have better security than that."

She shrugged, eyes fixated on the door. "I had my spirits."

Freed didn't argue, already pushing the door open. Lucy bolted under his arm to get inside, and he didn't fight her this time. The moment he opened the lock he could sense no one was inside.

Surprisingly, most of the room looked untouched. It wasn't until his eyes snapped to her desk and dresser that the anger returned, and he had to grip his sword to keep from blowing out the other side of the building.

He could feel his magic leaking back into his eye, daring any one of the Seis to still be in town.

Lucy stood frozen, staring at the mess. Between the torn up pages falling off her desk and the fact that someone dug through her underwear drawer and left a trail, she didn't seem know where to look.

Freed wasn't as concerned about the desk, moving instead to the broken drawer. He found it much more disturbing that someone dragged various parts of her panties out of the space and some appeared damp.

The smell assaulted his nose as he approached the scent still lingering in the air. He choked when he realized what it was, the anger immediately taking over tenfold. Someone was here recently.

Pushing aside the sudden nausea that swept over him he spun around, ready to drag Lucy back to the protection of his home. Thinking about why one of the Seis decided to leave semen behind was too much for him to handle right now. He refused to leave Lucy there another moment.

How could she stand the smell? Freed noticed right away, and the implication alone made him want to gag.

He needed to get her away from there, now. The blood was pounding in his ears, well aware of how stupid he'd been to take her out.

Lucy was crouched beside the torn bits of paper, her gaze solely focused there. Freed couldn't make himself care in that moment about her fears, dragging her up and spinning her around to face him so quick he nearly knocked her over. Getting in her face, he momentarily ignored the way she panicked.

"What did they do to you?" he seethed, dragging her close. Lucy leaned away, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "Tell me!"

He realized she'd been crying, her shoulders still shaking even now. He wondered how he missed that. "I-I did!"

Freed closed his eyes, forcing himself to remember that he needed to be more level headed, no matter the amount of anger. Letting go of her arms he opened his eyes in time to see her fall down into the desk chair, hands shaking so hard they might pop off.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately, realizing his reaction probably did more harm than good. Taking a step back he glanced around the room, the anger still eating at him. "We need to go back, right now."

She shook her head, looking back at the desk. "M-my letters."

"What?"

Pointing, she leaned forward shakingly and snatched up a bit of paper, Freed realizing they really were letters. "I write t- these to my mom. She c-cant read them here but I do it anyway-"

"Why would anyone bother tearing up letters?" he muttered accidentally interrupting her. Lucy froze, shrugging rigid shoulders as the paper fell back out of her fingers. Only then did she seem to truly notice the rest of the room, her eyes sweeping around until they landed on the drawer.

She jumped up, nearly falling in the process as she started screaming, scrambling to get further away.

He snapped forward, pulling her back into him. No wonder she'd been so calm when they entered, she hadn't noticed everything yet. She turned away on her own, practically crushing him into a hug.

"O-oh god..."

"We're leaving," he snapped, pulling her closer into his body. "We can travel with my magic-"

"But my letters-"

"I'll tell the guild to come check this out and get the letters!" Freed argued, pulling her face back to focus on him. The tears were already dripping down her face, her breath coming out shaky. He could tell that his eye had darkened, Lucy's panicked expression briefly lingering there before she gave in, burying her head into his chest. "I'm going to teleport us back to my home. It'll feel strange-"

"Just do it!" she cried, digging her fingers into his jacket. "Take me out of here!"

Freed didn't need to be convinced, letting his magic overtake them. Her room disappeared, and he could feel the familiar tug of teleportation dragging him through space back to his home. He couldn't do it over long distances, but Lucy's apartment was close enough to allow him to.

It was only a couple moments before his feet touched down again on solid ground, Lucy buckling into him. He wasn't surprised, it messed with him the first couple times too.

They sank to the ground together, Lucy still shaking in his grip. He kept her pressed close to his chest, trying to soothe her cries. One hand reached into his coat pocket, hardly able to pull away from Lucy long enough to reach his lacrima.

"Laxus," he hissed, one hand still clutching the blonde, "get over here now."

This wasn't exactly what Freed had in mind when he called.

He looked up the stairs again, ever mindful of Lucy sitting at the top. She'd retreated when members of the guild started flocking his home. So far he'd done a decent job keeping people out but after his call to Laxus twenty minutes ago he figured it'd be impossible to keep certain people at bay.

But why did so many have to show up at once? Lucy was fine, just more shaken than before.

He didn't need the headache. His team he could handle, but Lucy's was another story. Usually they were happy and obnoxious, but the event at her apartment had sobered them up. Gray hadn't even tried stripping. That didn't even count the handful of other mages currently bounding around his living room, doing nothing particularly helpful.

Of all her friends, he was most concerned about Natsu. He'd been composed and guilty the past week, but today he could barely spare three minutes to walk in, almost blow apart his goddamn door, and piss off six other guildmates in the process.

He hadn't gone to speak to Lucy, aware that he was scaring her. Instead he walked directly up to Freed himself, who at the time was trying to talk to Mira about what happened.

"I have to go for a while," he began, causing Freed's eyebrows to shoot up. "I'm going to take care of those assholes."

"Natsu," he said, glancing up the stairs to Lucy. She hadn't retreated from her spot, but like everyone else in the room he had her full attention. "We don't even know where to-"

"Happy and I are going," he interrupted, his eye's growing brighter. "I'm done waiting around for answers. I'm going to fucking kill them."

"As good as that sounds Natsu it's a waste of time if we don't know where to look," Freed snapped back, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others. Everyone was on edge, but there were plenty of people already out looking around without s lead, and Natsu went out on his often twice before now. "If we knew where they were none of this would be happening."

"Its fine," he replied, shrugging. "I can be out as long as I need to be. I'll make sure they don't get away."

"You feel like wasting time out there?" Freed snapped, his eyes dancing towards the stairs where Lucy was now leaning forward. "The guild needs you here or out on an actual search mission. Lucy-"

"Has you to look out for her," Natsu interrupted, shooting a smile up the steps. "I'm not worried about her here right now, I'm worried about one of them showing up again."

Natsu's words were touching, and they seemed to have the right affect on Lucy. Now if he could've gotten everyone else out with him, that would've been perfect.

Unfortunately, only Lisanna left with the pair. The rest of Lucy's team was still standing in the house, minus Erza who went with Master back to Lucy's apartment.

They were supposed to take Gray, but he was still failing to outrun that water mage.

The only person he was actually mildly happy to see was Levy, who's eyes lit up when he relayed what Cobra told them. At least she might be able to find something else out. It didn't matter to him right now. He'd relayed the message, and once he got everyone out he could check on Lucy again. He'd tried going to the stairs once before and she'd been unresponsive. Hopefully she'd open up a little when he kicked everyone out.

Seriously, there were members here who weren't part of her team. Freed found all the people to be more of a burden than a help, and he knew their presence made Lucy anxious.

But Makarov refused to let anyone besides Erza come to the apartment. Laxus was already there, going directly instead of heading to Freed's home first. Mira could've gone as well, but she chose to come see how Lucy was doing.

It was pretty obvious she was held together by strings.

"I'll get everyone back to the guild," Mira said kindly, eyes glancing at Lucy. "She needs some peace."

"Yes she does," Freed agreed, tightening his hands on his arms again. He'd been unable to do anything but cross them over his chest, mindful that if he left go of the rigid stance with everyone here he'd likely destroy his own house.

At least having Levy here seemed to be going okay. She remained at the bottom of the stairs talking to Lucy, one hand holding the banister. She was smiling, trying to be positive. Behind her Gajeel looked like he was studying Freeds sense of interior design, picking up various objects like he wanted to eat them.

He couldn't wait for the house to be empty again.

"I'll pick up some groceries for you tomorrow," Mira continued, "Evergreen told me about your frightfully small home supply. We'll take care of that, won't you worry. And tonight I'll come back with some of the dinner I made at the guild. You and Lucy need some good homemade food."

"Thanks Mira," he muttered.

"Oh, and Freed?"

Glancing sideways again, Freed sweatdropped when he noticed some of her magic glittering in her eyes. "Don't you dare let her out again until she is ready. She depends on you for help, but after everything she won't always be in her right mind. You have to take care of her. She needs you."

"Mira-" he began, eyebrows rising.

"I always guessed you were the bravest member of the Thunder Legion," she continued kindly, patting his hand. The magic in her eyes winked out again, replaced with worry. "And the kindest. That's why she needs you so much. You're good to her Freed."

He blinked as the takeover mage turned, surprised at her words. Mira didn't spend a lot of time around his team unless Laxus was present, and from the sounds of it she'd been pretty close to the other members at the guild since he found Lucy. She'd always been pretty nice to him, but she'd never really given him words of encouragement like that before.

"I'll clear everyone out," she said, winking his way. "The only one who would even fight is Gray, and Juvia took care of him."

Freed nodded, watching in a daze as Mira swept through and cleared everyone out. He barely registered what people said as they left, focused on making certain Lucy was okay and that he didn't snap and lose control.

He should've beat Cobra into the ground, even if he was helpful. At least all his anger wouldn't be so bottled up then.

By the time the house cleared he couldn't handle it anymore. He had to get rid of some of his hatred, and without hesitation he spun around and punched the wall, satisfied when he felt his magic pulse with the movement.

"Freed," Lucy whispered, her voice still far away. He was panting, angry that he couldn't maintain a semblance of control. He couldn't help himself. He had to do something.

He'd hated the Seis before for daring to hurt such a sweet member of the guild, now he was just angry that-

"I-I told you, remember," she continued, her footsteps echoing softly on the steps. He looked up as she approached, shaking out his hand. "They... no one raped me Freed. Midnight... Midnight thought it was a vulgar idea. They just want me to give in."

"But-"

"I-In the memory I showed Cobra..." her voice trailed off, wetting her lips. "T- that was Rustyrose's idea to break me. The smell in my apartment...:

Freed sucked in a breath, reminding himself to not freak out again. She was right, she had denied his fears days ago. "Try not to think about it, Lucy. If nothing like that happened it's probably some sick sort of warning."

She met his gaze, eyes still wide. Her hand gripped her hips, sliding down until they fisted the sides of her jeans. "Its a threat. If they find me..."

"They won't," he argued sternly, letting one of his hands brush her shoulder gently. "I promised they wouldn't touch you. Nothing's changed now."

"But I have to face them someday! H- how else will I ever get my spirits back?"

"Lucy-"

"And now there are even more people running into danger! Natsu already left. Levy told me the guild is still trying to strategize. They're going to get hurt!"

"Do you have so little faith in your friends?" he asked, frowning. "The only one we are worried about getting hurt Lucy is you."

She shook her head, taking a step back. "It doesn't matter. They were in my apartment. Rusty..."

"They can't get in here," he reassured, pointing at the walls. "My protection runes won't be ruined by some amateurs. They will never enter this house Lucy."

Biting her lip, she hesitated. "How do you know?"

"Because if they really knew exactly where you were and are so strong they would've come here and not bothered with your apartment. I know my magic very well. I don't know what kind of bullshit runes they used on you while you were there, but mine are ten times as strong as those. They are impossible to break."

Pausing, she glanced away briefly before meeting his eyes again, looking torn. "I don't know any other wizards besides you and Levy who use script magic."

"You think someone who does know how to is involved?" Freed asked, frowning.

"No. Uh... I think R-Rusty did it."

"What?"

"He uses Arc of Embodiment magic," she reasoned, "and I was unconscious when... when they bound me to the floor. He could've embodied script magic and used it to keep me in place."

"Its possible," Freed began, wondering what else Rustyrose could embody. "Even if he could do that his magic was weak. Embodying something and being a master are different things. Some of the runes were more complicated than others, he would've had to put a lot of thought into the enchantment. If they tried to attack here and destroy my runes, it wouldn't matter. I can alter the runes faster then some else could counteract and destroy them."

Lucy nodded, remaining quiet as she stared down at the floor. "If I don't call it my spirits, after so long the contacts server themselves. I hadn't abandon my spirits, but without the keys I can't summon them. I... I don't know if that would be the kind of breach they are looking for. Maybe my spirits could remain in the spirit world, and the whole plan will fall apart."

"But that would take a lot of time, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how long exactly. I can't even tell when they force open their gates. Loke and Virgo are known to do that, but the others may be able top if they feel threatened enough. They couldn't do it in the- in the basement, but I don't know that the Seis would do next."

Freed nodded along, surprised she was still willing to talk. "I explained to Levy what I found out from Cobra. She's going to let me know when she finds something out. If you're contracts take a long time to break then we should still have some time."

Lucy swallowed."I know we still have time," she whispered, hands gripping together. "I have a magical bond with each of my spirits. I can't communicate with them at this distance, but I feel their presence still. I would know if our contracts were destroyed. Our bond is still strong, I just wish I knew if they were okay."

"They are plenty safe until your contracts are broken. If you still feel the bond, there's nothing to worry about right now."

She nodded, the action jerky. "I... I'm just tired of worrying. I want my friends back."

"We will get them back."

Turning, she met his gaze again. "Freed?"

"Hmm?"

"P-promise... promise you won't leave."

"Why would I-" he stopped the question midway, watching the girl before him break down into a fit of sobs. Considering everything that happened today he was surprised she didn't cry more. Asking her more questions wouldn't help either of them right now.

Shifting forward he wrapped his arms around her rest against hers. "I already told you. I'm here to protect you."

A/n: So if you notice any grammatical errors in this chapter, I wrote it in my phone in the airport waiting for our flight home from our honeymoon. I got inspired while we were away and decided to try updating this story. I hope you enjoyed! It took a little bit darker turn but I don't think it was too terrible. Until next time.