Pyrus: In honor of Fairy Tale coming out on Mondays (where I live) I'll be updating every Monday. Also I apologize for the lack of breaks previously it should be fixed now.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Chapter 2: It's Only Stalking If You're Caught

Levy was once again trapped in her meadow, babysat by her ever present handmaidens. Today she was going about her meadow finding the most interesting blooms she could find to turn the into a new floral headdress. Reds tinged with purple, pinks tinged with white, and many more blooms lay in her basket. Levy was distracted by a trail of tall white flowers dotting their way across the meadow in what appeared to be a trail. She paused to inspect the white flowers, she knew she should recognize them but their name escaped her.

Shrugging she continued to follow the trail, weaving around the meadow until Levy nearly ran into a large rock. Curious Levy circled the rock and there in the shade of a dark stone she spotted a pale purple bloom tinged in the middle with...black? Or maybe it was just a really dark purple. Either way that certainly was not a normal bloom.

Levy reached down and ever so gently plucked the flower from the ground, tucking it behind her ear for safe keeping. She looked around the immediate area to see if there were more like it, or another trail of the white flowers, but couldn't find any. Satisfied with her find, she skipped back to her willow tree where she sat beneath the shade and began to fashion her new headdress.

She had just begun to string the flowers together when the wind around her picked up, whipping around the meadow with immense speed. Levy looked up and sighed as her mother came racing across the meadow and the handmaidens began rushing toward her.

"Men are coming," Demeter stated in frantic voice, "Time to leave."

"Why can't I meet them mother?" Levy questioned, not leaving her spot.

"Because my precious daughter, men are foul and nasty creatures. Both mortal and god alike." Demeter hissed.

Demeter pulled Levy to her feet, Levy's basket of flowers tumbled over as Demeter pulled her away. Levy attempted to turn on her heel and collect her flowers.

"Leave them." Demeter growled, grabbing onto Levy's shoulder.

With a soft pop they vanished into thin air. They instantly appeared in another barren meadow deep in the heart of some unknown forest. Soon Demeter and Levy began to walk around flowers springing up all around them. Demeter finally let go of Levy's shoulder and walked a few feet away creating another flowering willow tree for Levy to sit under. As soon as the tree was done Demeter vanished with another soft pop.

Levy ran to the shade of the tree as her handmaidens began appearing in the meadow around her. She fell with her back against the tree and touched her cheek. Tears. Her cheeks were wet with tears, but why? Levy opened her other hand to see a piece of the beautiful pale purple flower.

He stood there watching tears roll down her cheeks. Invisible to all as he stood in the limbo of the shadow realms. He pushed back his dark mane of hair with a heavy sigh and then a smirk grew across his face. He moved around to her other side watching as the piece of flower fell out of Persephone's hand and her hands move to cover her face as she cried.

Gajeel knelt beside her and looked at her curiously. As weak as she looked he couldn't help, but think how beautiful she looked. His smirk grew as he touched the flower piece and energize it with some of his magic. The petal piece sunk into the ground and a few minutes later a small flower began to grow in its place.

He fell back as her head sprang up and her deep hazel eyes seemed to meet his in that instant. He watched in silent fascination as she looked down and noticed the still growing flower. She reached out toward the flower as the bud began to form. He let loose a wild grin as her mouth dropped open just as the flower opened up to reveal its pale purple and black petals. Gajeel stood and moved away from Persephone, still a little startled from her looking directly at him.

"Sire, you are needed." Came Pantherlily's voice echoing from underground.

Gajeel sunk into the ground beneath his feet his eyes still focused on Persephone's smiling form as she ever so gently plucked the flower. His grin faded the farther down he travel into the Earth and by the time he returned to his main hall his typical scowl was set in place. Pantherlily sat beside the throne waiting for Gajeel his tail curling slowly back and forth, a more feline gesture than a caine's.

"What is it?" Gajeel demanded his red eyes narrowing slightly.

Levy woke under the blooming canopy of her willow tree, a grin spreading quickly across her face. She got up stretching slowly before rushing off into her new meadow. She began scanning the meadow as she went on her morning walk. A chain of pale purple flowers sat on her head, the black tips of their petals standing out against her blue hair. They had been appearing one by one each day she was in her meadows.

Even when her mother moved her, all Levy had to do was look and sure enough there was yet another trail of tall, white flowers that lead her to her pale purple flower hidden in the shadow of something. One day it had been the shadow of the willow tree, the next day it had been hiding among the rose bushes at the edge of the meadow. The following day it had appeared in the shade of a ruined castle that Levy had gone exploring in. It was her latest game and not once did she think it odd, for her it was just an innocent game for her amusement.

She jumped across a mass of boulders her bare feet warming on the sun soaked rocks. She stretched out and smiled up at the sun. She giggled as her sparse garland fell across her eyes.

Gajeel shadowed her as she went out on her morning walk. He found it oddly comforting to be in her presence like the world wasn't so cruel, or cold if she was nearby. He amused himself with their game, but it was taking a toll on him. Sure the small narcissus flowers were easy enough to summon into the world, but having summoned six of the Elysium blooms that was much harder. Gajeel could feel that his powers weren't at 100% currently.

He chuckled though, for her it seemed worth it. To see her smile, to watch her hunt down her trail just for that one flower, to watch her carefully tie the new bloom together with the others. These were the reasons he kept summoning the stupid flowers. It was funny he had never paid much attention to the pale purple bloom...hell he had never even tried to summon them before, he never had a reason to he wasn't exactly the known for being a giving god.

It was all for her. Gajeel, Lord of the Dead, had specifically learned to summon the Elysium flowers into the mortal world for the young goddess. Gajeel was also spending an obscene amount of time with the girl, even if she didn't know it. Every waking moment that Persephone was awake Gajeel, in the shadow realm, was by her side.

"You know this is what mortals call stalking...right?" Pantherlily pointed out to his Lord after the fourth day Gajeel had spent up on the surface.

"Pffft. Where did you get a stupid idea like that from?" Gajeel had replied,

To him he was just watching over her. He had noticed that she hated her handmaidens, none of which ever seemed to speak to her, and her mother left her alone unless some mortal or god was approaching the place where Persephone was hidden. Oh, if only Demeter knew that a god had already broken through her defenses. No, for certain this wasn't stalking.

Gajeel continued to tell himself that until Demeter came to visit her daughter several weeks later. It had been her first social visit since Gajeel had begun hanging around Persephone, and by the shocked look on Persephone's face when she came out from under the willow tree, this wasn't a normal occurrence.

"Daughter." Demeter smiled, her arms opening for a hug.

Persephone ran to her mother her shock vanishing completely and her book being cast aside as she ran to embrace her mother. The pair then walked off, Gajeel gave them plenty of space just incase Demeter sensed him. Though he knew it was impossible since he was wearing his Helm of Darkness, but better safe then sorry..

"So how have you been?" Persephone asked her mother.

"Good enough. I have missed being with you all the time. Zeus has me busy with the people's crops in Rome…" Demeter paused as she took in her daughter's appearance, "Child you seem different."

"How so?" Persephone asked her head tilted to one side.

Demeter considered her daughter for a long moment. Persephone didn't seem to think much of it, but Gajeel began to worry. He knew his magic would linger on the almost two dozen flowers tied together on Persephone's head. Then a second thought crossed his mind, there was always the slightest possibility that the Mother of Nature would recognize the Elysium blooms. Sure enough Demeter's hand slowly went up toward her daughter's crown of pale purple dusted black blooms. Persephone, however, spun away for her mother before her mother could touch the flowers.

"Do you like them mother?" Persephone asked with a laugh, "Aren't they unique?"

"They...are stunning just like you." Demeter cooed, watching as her daughter danced around in the meadow.

Gajeel backed away. What exactly was this feeling? Relief? Why would he be relieved that Demeter hadn't discovered his secret? Why was Persephone's smiling face burned into his mind? Furious with all these foreign thoughts and feelings the Lord of Death vanished with a swirl of his shadow cape.

Gajeel ripped off his Helm of Darkness casting it across the floor where it clanged heavily. He then fell back into his obsidian throne, a scowl on his face as the image of Persephone still stained the back of his eyelids. Why? Why was this happening! He was the scary, demanding, scowling Lord of the Dead, he wasn't suppose to have feelings like this.

"What happened now?" came Pantherlily's booming voice as he padded down the stairs to sit before his king.

"I can't get her out of my mind!" Gajeel growled, his sharp fang-like teeth showing.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Pantherlily sighed, "Though I guess this is your first relationship in...what? Seven hundred years? Ever?"

"What are you talking about dog!" Gajeel barked, slamming his fists into the armrests of his throne.

"What does the king of gods do ALL THE TIME?" Pantherlily retorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Boss me around?"

"Try again."

"Sleep?"

"You're getting closer. It involves mortals."

"Why the hell do I care about mortals?!"

"Zeus sleeps around! He chases other women, falls IN LOVE with other women. Gesh, You really are thick headed sometimes you know that." Pantherlily explained, the fur on the back of his neck stood up on end.

Gajeel could only stare at the hound, shock evident across his face. Could he actually have such feelings for the tiny goddess?

"How much time and magic have you spent on her?" Pantherlily began to settle back down.

"...Enough." Gajeel murmured.

"More than enough." Pantherlily stated simply.

-TBC-

Pyrus: Did you enjoy if? R&R and let me know.