To Levy's dismay, the man called Gajeel made frequent appearances at the shop. In fact, he was almost there every day! It was the same routine every time: he'd barge in, greet her with that nickname she despised, and he'd wait around until the master gave him something to do. Most of the time he'd be doing the heavy lifting or making repairs in the village. He complained, of course, claiming that what he really wanted to do was fight. But if that was the case, Levy wondered, why did he stick to her like glue?

Perhaps she was being paranoid; she already knew the jerk enjoyed teasing her. Yet he'd pause in his work to converse with her, and if she ever had to leave the shop for a delivery, he would volunteer to go with, because he "had nothin' better to do."

"Oi, Shrimp."

A clonk on the head brought Levy out of her thoughts. She glared at Gajeel, who had just bumped her head with his fist. But her glare had no effect; he remained completely indifferent.

"Don't ya think you've done enough for one day?"

Levy blinked before she glanced at the clock. Just how did it get so late? She had been so lost in her work that she didn't pay attention to the time. Not that it was unusual; she often worked late if there was still more to do.

"Just leave the brat be. The more she does, the less we have to worry about."

A nerve popped on Levy's head at Laxus' statement. She was about to reply with a highly sarcastic remark, but Gajeel beat her to it.

"Well, gee. Maybe if someone got off their ass once in a while, there wouldn't be so much work in the first place."

Laxus glared at the other man. Ever since Redfox started showing up, he was always getting on his nerves! At first, he had welcomed him, knowing that if Gajeel worked, he wouldn't be expected to help out as much. But now it felt like the metal head was constantly making him look bad!

"Shut up, Metal Face!" he shouted as he jumped up from his chair, knocking it down in the process. "Maybe I should grab a magnet and hold it to your head!"

The two men entered a glaring war, which made Levy sigh. She had definitely seen this coming. Those two could never hold a decent conversation. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed.

'Maybe it is time to call it a night…'

Discreetly, she grabbed her things and went out the door as the men still were distracted. Little did she realize that one of them had noticed her departure.

Levy stared up at the night sky as she walked through the streets. The atmosphere was so peaceful as the lamps along the road brought a warm glow. However, she couldn't appreciate it to the fullest as her mind was elsewhere.

'It's been a while since I checked on that dragon. I bet I could slip away some time tomorrow.'

She smiled at the thought, imagining her dragon's mock irritation at her presence.

From the shadows, a hand shot out, grabbing at the back of her collar! She yelped as the hand pulled at her blouse, and her feet left the ground. The girl desperately struggled against the hold until she heard a familiar voice.

"Oi."

Levy ceased her helpless wriggling and groaned in irritation. "What's the big idea, Gajeel?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

The stupid jerk only laughed as she narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, 'gihihi' or whatever," she sarcastically remarked. "Now put me down!"

Gajeel did as she ordered, but he grabbed her arm when she tried to stalk away. "And where do ya think your goin'?"

"I'm trying to go home!"

Gajeel smirked at the girl's irritation, but it was brief. To Levy's surprise, he looked at her with all seriousness. "I ain't lettin' you walk around in the dead of night. A shrimp like you is nothin' but an easy target."

'Again with the "shrimp".' Levy thought bitterly. Still, his actions were vaguely sweet, though completely out of character.

She pulled her arm out of his grasp, eyeing him suspiciously as she did so. "Since when did you become such a gentleman?"

"Shut up and start walkin'. I got places to be, ya know."

Levy rolled her eyes but continued to walk with the big lug in step beside her. They walked in silence, not really knowing what to say. Not until they reached her house. Gajeel noted that no lamps were lit.

"Where're your folks at? They can't be asleep already!"

Levy looked up at him with a sad smile. "Not here. I live alone."

Red eyes widened. "Say what? Why? You never said your parents were dead."

"They aren't. They live in another village; it's pretty far from here. I get a letter from them once in a while."

"Wait. I ain't gettin' it. If they live there, why are you here?"

Levy shrugged. "Work. My parents wanted me to find something 'more practical' to do with my life instead of exploring wilderness and reading books. So, I was sent to live here when Master accepted me as his apprentice. The rent is covered, so it's no big deal."

She really wasn't sure why she was telling Gajeel the details of her situation. He was not a major part of her life or anything; besides the Dreyars, who already knew, Lucy was the only one she had told until now.

Gajeel was giving her a long, hard look, one that almost made the mage uncomfortable. But he was not her father, so there was nothing he could do or say about it. Levy decided she wouldn't give him the chance to even try to protest. She turned and hastily entered her house, muttering a small, "Good night."

As she shut the door, Gajeel was left alone on the street that suddenly seemed empty.

"Really, I can't believe that guy!" Levy whined to her dragon. She couldn't help it; Gajeel was really getting on her nerves.

The last thing she had wanted to see when she got up that morning was Gajeel standing outside her door! The jerk only laughed at her when she shouted at him, accusing him of being a stalker. Yet he easily brushed off her accusation, saying that Makarov wanted to see her and asked him to escort her.

When the two arrived at the headquarters, Makarov immediately told her to take the day off. He said he was aware that she was pushing herself to her limit for the last couple of days. Levy had a sneaking suspicion Gajeel had told on her. Why did he find it necessary to meddle in her affairs?!

She had made sure to bow to her master and express her gratitude before heading out to the forest.

The dragon was mentally smirking to himself. It was sort of amusing to hear the tiny human talk about him, though she didn't realize it. She had no idea that he had managed to beat her to the den. The moment she left the shop for her day off, he knew where she was going.

It was exactly as he had anticipated; she had seemed down and overworked, so he went to the headquarters early that morning and told Makarov about her with a tiny touch of exaggeration. Yeah, she had been working hard, but he wanted to be absolutely sure Makarov would give her some time off.

He brought his attention back to the girl, who was still complaining about "stupid Laxus" and "that jerk Gajeel."

"Though I have to hand it to him, Gajeel really knows how to put Laxus in his place. You should hear the way he talks to him!"

The dragon couldn't resist laughing a little. It helped his ego that he had impressed her, even if it was in his human form.

As the dragon huffed, Levy's mind found it oddly similar to a certain jerk's particular laugh.

"Gihihi!"

Levy made it back to Magnolia when the sun was beginning to set. Though she wasn't really tired, and she didn't feel like going home just yet.

"I think I'll check in with Master. With only those two idiots around, I doubt much work got done today."

She scurried over to the magic headquarters, picturing in her mind the mess they must have made. The moment she arrived, she reached for the handle.

"A DRAGON?! NEAR MAGNOLIA?!"

Levy froze as dread filled her being. He couldn't know! She had been so careful to make sure her secret was safe, and Lucy was always true to her word! With one foot stepping back, Levy positioned herself to make a run for it if necessary; that way, she could warn her dragon before it was discovered. But before that, she had to be sure that a true threat was present.

"Makarov, really," said a calm voice Levy didn't recognize. "There's no need to cause a commotion."

Judging by the voice, she deduced it was an older man, and he carried a tone of dignity. Levy noted he was addressing the master with no respect. Just who was he?

"Jose, you must be out of your mind!" Makarov proclaimed.

Levy recognized that name: Jose Porla was known as a wizard saint, like the master. Some said his powers rivaled that of Master Makarov, though that was yet to be determined. There was a law among the wizard saints, forbidding them from using magic to combat against one another.

"What makes you think there's a dragon in this area?" Makarov continued. "No one has seen such a creature in centuries! Besides, this is a peaceful village; we rarely get disturbed by any sort of wild life!"

"There are some rumors floating around, old friend. I simply acted upon them, wanting to verify the truth."

"Rumors, eh? Is that so?"

Levy's shoulders relaxed. So he was only following the word on the street; he didn't have the dragon's location. At least it was safe, for now.

"Makarov, please. Just think: if there really were a dragon near here, would you not want to verify its location in order to protect your people? That is your duty as the head mage of this village."

"While that may be true, what you are suggesting is suicide! I have never heard of any sort of magic that could control such a beast!"

"I admit the magic is experimental, but I am quite confident it will succeed. Just watch, my friend. I will soon have a loyal dragon at my disposal."

Levy's hand flew to her mouth; she prayed she had muffled her gasp in time. Jose was trying to use magic to control a dragon, making it a personal slave! She couldn't bear the thought, especially if it was her dragon he managed to capture!

'That can't happen. I won't let it!'

"… Our conversation is done, Jose. I have no information to share with you about this so-called dragon."

"Very well, but I shall remain in Magnolia a bit longer. I'll be sure to stay out of your way, of course."

Levy stepped back as the door opened; she had not been able to escape as she had hoped. The sorcerer stopped to look at her. He wore a strange purple cloak with a rather high collar that reached his ears. His black hair, which had a tint of dark red, was tied back; his thick eyebrows and long mustache gave him quite the villainous look. Levy already knew he wasn't trustworthy: his appearance aside, his words from before proved it.

As he stared down at the little girl, a sinister grin appeared on his face.

"So, you must be the little apprentice I've heard so much about. Miss McGarden, correct?"

Levy gulped as she nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Levy!" Master Makarov called from inside. "Come in here at once!"

Jose chuckled at the overprotective, old man. "No need to get worked up, Makarov. I was merely giving a proper greeting. I shall be on my way."

With that, the man walked out the door and into the streets, red with the setting sun. Levy cautiously stepped inside the shop and shut the door. She turned back to Master Makarov, who wore a very stern expression.

"Best be careful around that man, child."