A/N: And Im back! Thank Estheller for the chapter guys! In Chapter Six, the plot thickens!

Chapter 6: A Name

When Gajeel approached the cottage that evening, a little past the sun setting, he was surprised to smell the aroma of fresh cooked food. It was further surprising that he was looking forward to whatever it was that Juvia had prepared for him. Although he hoped that Juvia cooked far better than some of the other Fairy Tail woman. He remembered the last time Elfman had eaten Evergreen's cooking. He hadn't come out of the infirmary for a week and even then he'd looked half dead.

Gajeel shuddered and opened the front door.

"Gajeel-kun! You're home!" Just as he entered, Juvia came barreling out of the kitchen, causing Gajeel to freeze the moment he set eyes on her. In front of him, stood Juvia, clad in the frilliest apron he'd ever seen in his life. and somehow, he felt like he liked seeing her this way. He shook the thought out of his mind as he noticed the sparkle in her eyes, telling him that coming here was the right thing to do. It was like Juvia had been reborn - no pun intended - by coming to Galdrom. Here, she was anonymous, she had covered her guild mark, he noticed, by tying a blue armband around it.

"Gajeel-kun?" Gajeel realized he hadn't said a word since entering the house.

"Sorry. Hard day. Still a little out of it." Juvia looked him over, sensing a sort of tension and stress in him that she found unusual but wrote it off as the travel stress he was sure to have accumulated.

"Juvia knows what will make Gajeel-kun feel better!" Juvia began shoving Gajeel into the kitchen to the table where Gajeel could see a full home cooked meal of steak, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. He could also make out the distinct smell of metal in the kitchen, metal that wasn't part of any of the fixture.

"What the - Juvia what is this?" Gajeel stared wide eyed - almost drooling at the sight, causing Juvia giggle.

"It's dinner. Also. It's Juvia's way of thanking Gajeel for doing this with her. Juvia knows she could not have made it on her own. Gajeel sat down and wasted no time in eating, cramming anything within reach into his mouth. He hadn't eaten too much today aside from spare metal chunks he kept as snacks with him. Half way through he looked up and realized that Juvia wasn't eating with him.

"Juvia, why aren't you eating?" Gajeel asked, stopping his meal for a moment as Juvia smiled at him, a little pain visible in her expression.

"Juvia feels..a little unwell...she will eat later, when the feeling goes away." Gajeel raised an eyebrow.

"You feeling nauseous Rain woman?" Juvia grinned at the nickname. For some reason, she didn't mind the nickname from Gajeel's lips.

"Yes. It is normal I am told." Gajeel shrugged and went back to eating, contemplating how to tell her about his encounter with Gray and the guild.

"Juv-"

"Oh and Gajeel-kun, Juvia got something for you." Gajeel suddenly found himself looking at a satchel of some of the highest grade metal he'd ever set eyes on.

"Juivia... how did you - how much did this cost you?" Gajeel said, surprised with what he was seeing, and providing ample entertainment for the water mage.

"Nothing. Juvia met some friendly aunties in the market today. One of them - a woman named Elmira - is the wife of a metal smith. They said they were giving it to me as a housewarming gift since juvia told them Gajeel-kun likes metal."

Now Gajeel felt guilty. He had to come clean what had happened between him and Gray today. He pushed the metal away from him as he turned to Juvia.

"Juvia listen..I have to tell you something.

"Yes?" She looked at him expectantly. Gajeel braced himself. He knew this was not going to be pretty.

"I ran into Gray and Erza today at the guild. " He saw Juvia's expression change, and saw her push herself away from the table.

"Gajeel-kun, Juvia does not wish to talk about Gray -sa - about Gray." Gajeel put his hand on hers, telling her this wasn't a negotiable topic of discussion.

"I know. But I have to tell you. Gray and Erza confronted me about you leaving the Fairy Hills dorm, cause you took everything with you. Apparently they searched the entire town looking for you. It looks like they saw me and you leave Magnolia yesterday. They pretty much attacked me and told me to tell them where you were." He looked Juvia in the eye, praying she wouldn't react the way he thought she would.

"I … I told them what happened. Gray knows what he's done." There was a terrifying moment of silence, Gajeel held his breath as he watched Juvia's expression from guarded to furious. She leapt from her seat, sending it tumbling over on its side.

"You told them?!" Juvia's voice became shrill, causing Gajeel to wince. "You toldthem?! After Juvia told you she didn't want them to know! Juvia told you she didn't want their pity! Poor Juvia, they will say. So sad they will say. They will know Juvia's dishonor! Why would you tell them?!"

"Because they needed to know! Gray needed to know what he'd done Juvia! I couldn't let him walk around so carefree when you were dealing with his stupid decision! I won't let him! I told you I would get revenge!"

"You should have let him go on, not knowing what had happened. He would have believed it was just a dream!"

"This is a dream to you?!" Gajeel roared at her, causing Juvia to flinch at the loudness of his voice. "Is it?! This," Gajeel said, pointing to her stomach and to their surroundings. "is it a dream?! This is reality Juvia! You can't run from it. None of them understood why you left, none of them deserve to be abandoned like they meant nothing, and you know that!"

Juvia hugged herself, not meeting his eyes.

"Juvia knows." She mumbled, "Juvia knows it was wrong, but they can't help Juvia. Juvia would break if they saw her in her state of - of - of dishonor! "

Gajeel growled in frustration. She didn't understand him. He was glad they lived in the forest, if they had been living in the city limits, half the town would have been pounding on their door.

"What dishonor? Just because you got pregnant?! That's not dishonor Juvia. It was an accident. It was an attack. No matter who's the father, none of this is your fault. You have nothing to be ashamed you crazy woman!" Gajeel said frustrated with the inadequacy of his words. He couldn't get out what he truly wanted to say to her. He could smell the salt in the air, telling him Juvia was crying, even if he couldn't see her face. He gently touched her shoulder.

"Juvia, this isn't your fault. It's Gray's, it's that man's but it has nothing to do with you. You just in the wrong place, at the wrong time. You were caught off guard, because of Gray and couldn't defend yourself like you would have usually. Do you understand? It isn't your fault."

He waited a moment and was satisfied when he saw Juvia nod at him, head still down. Gajeel gathered her to him, despite his reluctance to bodily contact other than fighting.

"Besides, now, the entire Guild will probably tear Magnolia apart trying to find the rapist. At the very least, he won't be able to hurt anyone again." He saw Juvia brighten slightly at that. Suddenly, she pushed him away, sending him stumbling backwards slightly.

"Juvia, what the f-" He noticed her hand was over her mouth and her face had turned slightly green. Then, she was gone, racing up the stairs, and into the bathroom, Gajeel only two steps behind her. She immediately went to the toilet and began to vomit. Gajeel stood awkwardly for a moment, before realizing that she was trying to throw up and hold her hair at the same time. He knew there wasn't much he could do for her, so he took her hair from her, allowing her to empty her stomach undeterred.

When it finally stopped, Juvia sank back against his legs, exhausted, tear stains on her cheeks.

"Juvia is tired, Gajeel-kun. She doesn't know if she can do this. That's supposed to happen almost every morning now." Gajeel stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He helped her to her feet at first, helping keep her steady as she rinsed her mouth. Once she was done, Gajeel scooped her into his arms, despite her protests.

"Gajeel-kun! Juvia can walk!"

"Shaddup," Gajeel's face was obscured by the darkness of the room, so that Juvia couldn't make out his expression. "Just let me do this at least." He gently laid her in bed, removing her apron for her, and taking the ties out of her hair, shaking it out for her.

His hands lingered a little, running his fingers through the silky length of it. Even in the dark, with only the moon for light, Juvia's hair shone like Tanzanite, glimmering softly. He jolted out his trance as Juvia nestled her head against his hand.

"Juvia is sorry for yelling at Gajeel. She knows you were just helping her."

Gajeel grunted noncommittally, embarrassed now thinking back to everything he'd said.

"Tch. Whatever."

They stayed silent for a while, after Gajeel had gotten into bed next to her at Juvia's insistence, stripping his shirt off before getting in.

"Gajeel-kun?"

"Ah?"

"Did you find a mission?"

"Oh. Yeah. By accident."

Juvia's expression became confused.

"By accident? How can you choose one by mistake?"

"I was so pissed at Gray and Titania that I grabbed the wrong one and it wasn't until I got to the address that I realized that I'd picked the school teacher job instead of a bandit catcher one." He looked so disgruntled that Juvia giggled.

Gajeel, swallowed hard at that. He was starting to realize that something very strange was happening inside him. Juvia was affecting him in a way he wasn't familiar with. He decided to suppress it. If he didn't think about it, it wouldn't affect him. It would go away eventually. He would stop thinking about how her eyes were sparkly, about how she had the most delicate arms, or how she felt so dainty, so small, so –

Stop it. Gajeel clamped down on whatever it was that was trying to make itself known to him. Nope. This was Juvia. She was Nakama. Nothing more.

Do nakama usually drop their entire lives to help a friend? A snide voice inside him snickered.

Shut up. I'm just doing it because she needs me.

So if it was someone other than you that she asked, you would be okay with it?

…

That's what I thought. If you're a man, you won't run away from what you feel. You'd try to understand it.

Who are you, Elfman?

That's mean.

Gajeel tried to ignore his thoughts as Juvia finally fell asleep, her breathing deep and even next to him. She was so close that he could smell the floral soaps she'd washed herself with. He froze suddenly as Juvia turned in her sleep and nestled herself onto his chest. He groaned, pinching the bridge of his pierced nose.

What the hell did I do to deserve this? He thought, irritated as Juvia turned so that her nose and lips pressed to his side. Every breath he took brought him closer to her. He tried to roll out of her grasp but she clung desperately to him. He didn't even know why this kind of closeness bothered him. It wasn't like he had never had a woman before. What about this was so different?

Holy Mavis.

What had he done to warrant this kind of torture?

… …. ….

Gray stood in the center of a demolished Fairy Tail, breathing heavily. It was silent, following what had to have been, in Carla's perception, the most violent brawl the guild had ever seen. Almost immediately after Gajeel had left Fairy Tail, Gray had lost it, yelling and screaming as he threw everything and anything that came within reach. Tables, chairs, stools, pillars, anything. Natsu, Elfman, and Macao had tried to stop him, but had a hard enough time keeping him from nearly destroying the building.

In the middle of the fight, Cana had screamed at him to stop, successfully freezing Gray to the stop. He panted heavily as she made her way to him, Erza close behind her.

"Gray?" He didn't answer, but she could the tears streaming down his face. As she finally reached him, she reached out to him, but missed when he suddenly collapsed to the ground on all fours, pounding it with one fist. Each punch was accompanied with a curse.

"Damnit." He said through gritted teeth, pounding the floor. "Damnit!"

"Gray…" Cana trailed off as she crouched next to him, a hand to his shoulder, which he threw off, getting to his knees, throwing his head back to cover his face with his hands.

"Gray! Control yourself!" Erza commanded sternly, stepping back when Gray pinned her with the most haunted look she had ever seen on him.

"Calm down? Do you have any idea what I've done?" Erza stayed silent, she couldn't tell him it was okay after all.

"Nakama…Nakama are meant to protect each other from harm, not become the harm." Gray said bitterly. "If – if Juvia's pregnant with my child, I don't – I can't –" Erza hit Gray on the back of the head with the hilt of her sword.

"You can't what Gray?" She thundered at him, glaring. "You can't help her?! Why? It's too overwhelming for you? Grow up! Take responsibility dammit! If Juvia is in trouble, then this isn't the time to think! This is the time to help her! In any way we can! Even if she won't see us, we can still help her! She must be terrified to know that her attacker is still out there! Imagine how traumatic it must have been! To be held down by someone you don't even know, and be taken by him? Imagine how violated she must have felt?!" The entire roared in rage at Erza's speech, feeling the anger that had laid dormant while they'd tried to corral Gray. Gray was filled with anger again, this time all channelled to finding Juvia's attacker.

"Juvia may have been a member of Phantom Lord, but anyone who knows her, would know that she was a naïve girl!" Erza continued. "She believed in true love! She believed in a prince charming! She believed in romance! And that man snatched it from her! He took her pain, and made it unbearable! We will find him," Erza yelled, "and we will make him pay!" She thrust her sword up in the air, answered by everyone, roaring their agreement.

They became aware of a clapping as their yells quietened, and turned to see the Master descending the stairs, clapping his hands, a proud look on his face.

"I cannot tell you how proud I am of you my children." He said, taking his usual position on the bar. "But what you need now, is information." He said, thinking deeply, forehead scrunching up in concentration.

"Gajeel said that the guy grabbed Juvia near the abandoned apartment complex west of the Fairy Hills dorm." Erza started in shock.

"What in Mavis was she doing there?!"

"I don't know, but its likely she was running from…what had happened here." Gray rubbed a hand over his face. This was all my fault, he thought miserably.

"Apparently, during…the attack, he branded a symbol of a shield on Juvia's collar. Most likely a gang or guild insignia." Gray's head snapped up at that.

"He what?! He burned her?!" Makarov nodded, remembering, the red, raw skin surrounding the burn.

"But, but, Juvia didn't show it to me!" Wendy cried in horror from the back of the guild. The rest turned to look at her, as she realized she had revealed herself, smacking a hand over her mouth. She fidgeted uncomfortably on her feet, seeing Gray stomp his way over to her. He grabbed her roughly on the shoulders.

"You knew?!" She flinched at his voice, hearing Carla protest at Gray's behaviour.

"Gray stop it! This isn't her fault!" Natsu finally yelled at him, shoving him away from Wendy.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Gray demanded, having to be restrained by Lucy and Levy.

"She made me swear not to tell anyone!" Wendy defended herself, drawing herself up to her full petite height. "But I didn't see the burn! I could see the bandage on her neck, but when I asked her, she said it was nothing, she had the room full of flowers, and it messed with my nose! I couldn't smell anything! Why didn't she tell me?" Wendy looked to them for an answer. "I could have healed it. I could have made it go away."

"But she didn't want you of all people to see it." Wendy turned her head to see Lucy step forward, away from a calmer Gray. "She didn't want you to see his sign on her, like she was his property, like she belonged to him. I can understand that." Lucy grimaced, remembering her father's attempt to get her back to his estate and marry her off.

"In any case," Makarov coughed, getting the attention of the room. "We have a mission at hand. Juvia couldn't tell me what he looked like; just that he was large, and smelled of sweat and alcohol."

"That's half the men of Magnolia!" Levy said, frustrated. "That doesn't narrow it down to anything!" She paced back and forth.

"No," the Master said pensively. "But, she told me that he had anti-magic lacrima on him. There's only two stores in the city that have those. Illegally of course. Let's start there. Team Natsu, you go to Mage Mania on South Street. And Cana, Mira, and Elfman go the second one on Strawberry Street, a store called Antiquities. Warren, keep a telepathic link between everyone."

The two teams nodded and split, heading for their destinations, after Warren initiated the telepathic link.

Makarov watched, feeling that things would only get more complicated from her. He shook his head and then ordered the rest of the guild to get to work repairing the guild building.

… … …

"This is it." Lucy said, coming to a stop in front of a large store, looking like an average mage supply store. Natsu stepped up, cracking his knuckles next to Gray who rolled his shoulders.

"Then let's do this." And Natsu kicked the front door open, blowing it clear off its hinges. Erza peered in to see the stupefied clerk inside the store staring back at her. She walked in, the rest of Team Natsu behind her, stepping over the useless, splintered door. Natsu sniffed the air around him as Erza approached the teller.

"Are you the owner of this place?" The teller looked to be a teenager, barely 16, and terrified.

"N-no." He stammered. "I'm Daniel. I w-work here part-time. It's only been a week since I started working h-here." He stared wide-eyed at Erza who towered over him. Natsu came over, looking at the kid.

"Erza, I smell alcohol and sweat, it's not even two hours old."

Erza slammed her armored hand on the table.

"Get the owner. Now." The frightened teen positively ran to the back of the store, returning with a tall, serious man, in complete juxtaposition to the jolly store.

"Are you the owner?" Erza asked, aware of Gray glowering at him behind her.

"Yes. May I help you?" He said smoothly.

"You sell anti-magic lacrima?" He looked offended.

"I am surprised at you madam. You ought to know those are illegal." Gray narrowed his eyes.

"Quit kissing ass, you creep. Do you sell them or not?"

"I wouldn't answer such an undignified question sir." Before anyone could stop him, Gray lunged forward and grabbed his collar, making an ice dagger at the same time, deadly sharp, and held to his neck.

"Do. You. Sell. Anti-Magic Lacrima?" Gray's voice was deadly calm, pressing the dagger close to this throat.

"Oh those." The man said nervously. "Why didn't you say so? Of course! Would you like one?" He pressed a button on the counter to reveal a hidden shelf of anti-magic lacrima tools. From Hand cuffs to rope, to collars and other things. Lucy leaned forward.

"Did you sell these to anyone today? He would've been big, and had something with a symbol of shield on it, probably either smelled of alcohol or was drunk." The owner gulped. Natsu lit a fist on fire, holding it close to his face.

"Did you?"

"Yes! Yes! A large man! Constantly drunk. He's from, from….oh!" He snapped his fingers. "He's from the Shielded Evil Gang! Amon! Does that help?" He looked nervously at them. Gray let his sword disintegrate and let go of the man's collar, only to reach back punch him in the face. The part-timer squeaked in fright as the owner's body hit the floor, retreating as far away from it as he could.

"Don't let him go anywhere." Erza ordered him, getting a furious nod in return. They left the store, Erza contacting Warren as they did.

Warren, let everyone know, it's a gang called Shielded Evil, tell them to meet me at the west border of town. We have a name.