Chapter Two

They had made it back to the hotel. The whole time Bickslow and Evergreen were looking at each other with concern. Their leader and Freed had just shown up with this mysterious woman, when they met up outside the dark guild's warehouse.

When they got to their suite, big enough for all four members and their surprising guest. Laxus went to the couch and lay the still fast asleep woman down. Letting out a sigh and sitting back into the closest armchair, he never took his eyes off her.

Freed went straight into the kitchen to get dinner ready for everyone. While Bickslow just stood in the corner of the room leaning up against the wall, watching his boss. 'He hasn't said a word since he come out with her. Who the hell is she?'

Evergreen slowly walked up to Laxus with a beer in hand, placing the beer on the coffee table in front.

"Laxus?"

His eyes still not leaving the woman, Laxus only grunted in response

"Can you tell me what happened to her?"

She was worried, very worried. First, because Laxus never acted like this and second, because this woman in front of her was naked and covered in blood and dirt. Horrible thoughts were going though her head and she wanted answers.

"Laxus!"

"It's best you don't know all the details, Ever." Finally he spoke, though it wasn't what Evergreen wanted to hear.

"If she wants to say, she can tell yah herself." Laxus turned to look at Evergreen this time.

"But just know none of it was good." He let out another sigh and looked back to the woman.

Evergreen began walked over to the woman, when she suddenly shot up.

"NO! STAY AWAY!" She screamed, pushing back on the couch.

Evergreen stopped in her tracks, while Laxus shot up to get in between the two women.

"It's ok, she's a friend of mine, she won't hurt you." The woman moved and grabbed onto Laxus

"Shh, it's ok." Laxus patted the top of her head, trying to sooth her more. It just felt right to him having her touch him.

Once the woman had calmed down, she popped her head up again to look at Evergreen. Evergreen again moved over to the woman, slower this time, till she got right in front of her and Laxus.

"Hi, my name's Evergreen, my friends call me Ever. You can call me Ever too, if you like?" The woman only nodded.

"Would you like to tell me your name?" This time the woman looked up at Laxus and smiled at him. Looking back at Evergreen, she spoke.

"…K-Kira, it's very nice to meet you, Ever." She then moved her head to look back up at Laxus.

"T…Thank you for getting me out of there." her smile was so warm, he could feel his cheeks warm a bit, and quickly looked away.

"Why don't I take you to the baths, Kira, we can get you cleaned up. Then come back and treat your wounds." Evergreen was just a little excited to have another female around.

"Um." She was still trying to look at Laxus when he turned back around and looked at her once more.

"I won't be far away" he reassured her.

"OK, Ever, I would love a bath." She went to get up but lost her balance again, But Laxus got her before she hit the coffee table.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'll be ok, just need to go slow" she smiled, getting up out of Laxus' arms and slowly walking over to Evergreen. The two women left the suite heading for the bath.

Laxus' eyes never left Kira's weak body until she was out of the room completely. Then his eyes moved to the figure in the corner of the room "What?" he grunted.

"Nothing" Bickslow shrugged, his babies spinning above him repeating.

Ever and Kira made their way into the bathing area.

"So how long did they have you there for?" Ever wasn't sure if she should be questioning Kira already, but she just had to know.

"Um, I'm not really sure. I think about eight months." Kira said, taking Laxus' coat off and placing down nicely. 'I'll need to try to clean it later'

Evergreen just stop undressing and looked at Kira.

"Oh my… Mavis! I'm so sorry." She lent in and hugged Kira and started to sob. "You're safe now with Laxus and the Raijinshū, that's our team. Oh, I didn't introduce the others. I'll do that when we get back. Now lets get cleaned up, ok?"

Kira simply nodded, it was good that Ever didn't push her to say anything that happened to her. She didn't think she could ever talk about it.

Soon after they had finish their bath and gotten dressed in their yukatas, they returned to the suite.

"FREED! I'M STARVING!" Bickslow yelled. He had moved to the table, his babies nowhere to be seen this time.

Laxus was back in the armchair with his sound pods on, nursing a beer.

"You're just going to have to wait until the ladies return from their evening bath." Freed walked out from the kitchen.

"Oh you're back, great. I'll go serve up some food. Um. Miss Kira, is there any food you don't like to eat?"

She simply shook her head. She wasn't going to complain about anything Freed fed her. She had barely eaten in months. Food was food and she just wanted food.

"Fantastic, I'll be right back. Bickslow set the table!"

"I'll help you," Evergreen said running into the kitchen after Freed.

Laxus stood and walked over to Kira, slowly putting his fingers under her chin so her eyes would meet his. He then made her look to the left, then the right, then right back at him again. He removed his hand to grab her left wrist, moving the sleeve of her yukata up. He stopped.

"What happened to your injuries?"

When he had unchained her, she had been bleeding from the metal and now there was nothing, not even a scratch.

'All that blood but no wounds?'

His eyes went back to join hers.

Her hand held onto Laxus' as she continued to look at him.

"W-well…"

She wasn't sure how to word it, but she felt so comfortable with Laxus. She felt like he wouldn't be like the others, he wouldn't. She was so sure about it.

"That's my magic."

Laxus' eye got confused as he moved and waited for her to continue.

"I heal, from anything, bigger things take more time, smaller things are easy, I can't be poisoned, or bleed out." She looked away from Laxus, his eyes just too strong for her to look at in this moment.

"That's why they had me, to see how far…"

He didn't need her to finish. He knew.

"Stop, it's ok."

He pulled her into his chest and he felt it tighten once again.

'Why does she continue to make me feel like this?'

He just had to keep her safe, not let anyone ever get their hands on her ever again. He pulled away, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the dinner table and Bickslow. He pulled her chair out for her and sat right next to her, continuing holding her hand in his.

"Heyah! I'm Bickslow, but you can call me Bix. These are my babies."

Five small totem heads flew into Kira's face.

"Heyah, Heyah." They sang.

"I didn't get a chance to say hi before, because you were passed out in Boss man's arms, then getting all naked with Ever."

Kira felt her cheeks get warm.

'Was I in his arms the whole time?'

She lowered her head and tightened her hand on Laxus'.

"Hi" she whispered.

Ever come through from the kitchen with Freed at just the right time.

"Bix, you idiot, leave her alone!" Ever yelled, putting down some food before turning and hitting Bickslow over the back of the head.

"Kira, you met the idiot, Bickslow. Now met the genius Freed. He's the brains of our team. Laxus is the muscle and I'm clearly the beauty."

She flicked out her hair and started to serve some dinner out.

"And what does that make me?" Bickslow said taking some of Ever's chicken, right off her plate.

"I just said. The idiot!" Smacking his hand too late.

They continued to bicker back and forward for some time. Freed completely ignoring what was going on between them, just eating his food. Laxus was still holding onto her hand tightly while he also ignored the two. Then everyone stopped. There was a very small giggle coming from Kira, and it was getting louder. Laxus lightly squeezed her hand. Making her stopped and look up at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, you just so much like a family, its nice, feels so warm."

She smiled at the surprised faces looking back at her.

"We have been together for a very long time" Freed spoke up, smiling back at her.

"We should head to bed soon, we have to leave early. Will Miss Kira be coming with us, Laxus-sama?"

Standing, still holding her hand, Laxus just grunted at Freed.

"We'll talk to Gramps about her," turning to look at Kira "Unless you have somewhere you would like us to take you first?"

She just shook her head and followed Laxus down the hall, leaving the others with a 'Goodnight'.

Laxus lead Kira down the hall to one of the rooms. The room was right across from his. He needed to be close just in case she needed him.

"You can stay in this room, mine's just here. Get some rest, we leave early tomorrow."

He turned to go to his room when he felt a tug at his shirt.

"U-Um, Laxus, do you mind…if…if you stayed with me?"

Her head was down, hiding her red face. She didn't want to impose she just felt safe and wanted to continue feeling safe.

Laxus had to stop himself. His inner dragon was screaming at him to just grab this woman and claim her now.

'STOP, I cant, she's been through too much.'

He lightly grabbed her chin so she would look up at him.

"I'll stay with you till you fall asleep, is that alright?"

She nodded and they both walked into her room. Getting comfortable on her bed, it wasn't long before Kira felt sleep claim her. He stay for a while longer taking in the very sight of her, he wasn't looking at her properly before, trying to control himself. He could see now that her hair was just as dark as it was when it was covered with blood, long and thin.

'Ever will want to take her out to get her hair done, when we get home'.

He could see how like porcelain her skin was, how soft it was when he ran his finger along the side of her arm. She has the tiniest bed of fractals along the bridge of her nose, which Laxus could tell would be cute if she crinkled it. He could feel warmth in his cheek as he continued to stare at her. When she let out a moan and rolled over to her side. That was Laxus cue to leave quickly, back to his bed before he lost complete control.