Chapter Six

AN: Ladies and Gents, I have chosen a time skip and flash backs to help forward the story. I'm sorry to say this will bring some to tears, others will probably hate me after this. I'm not sorry. And this story is far from over. Please stick around.

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Levy sat in the nursery, feeding Faye-Marie, her eyes stared without really seeing into the babe's eyes. Big, deep brown eyes set into a strange yet way too familiar face. The young baby resembled her mother with her sweet little nose, pale skin, and beautiful eyes. Doranbolt's dark hair stuck up in wisps around the girl's head.

"Levy?" Rogue sat beside the rocking chair, perched like a bird on his toes. His arms rested at the young woman's sides as his crimson gaze flashed between her and the baby. Worry lines creased his young face, aging him by at least five years.

"Yes, Kitten?" Levy's voice was quiet and cold. Robotic.

"Its been a week. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Robotic and impersonal.

"But-"

"Rogue, I said no. Faye-Marie needs her nap. Please leave," Levy stood forcing Rogue back from her as she walked towards the crib to lay the sleeping child down.

"Levy, I know you're hurting, but just know that Sting, Gajeel, Laxus, the others, and I will always be here for you. We love you." The door shut behind him as Rogue left the room, its click making the blunette jump.

Sighing, Levy turned to clean up the nursery. She had accidentally made a mess while making the baby's bottle. The screams of the hungry child has left her frazzled and tired. Her shaking hands had sprinkled baby formula and spilled water all over the floor. A bag filled with dirty diapers sat beside the old wicker rocking chair. Spit-up rags littered the table on the other side of the chair. The rest of the room was peppered with baby clothes.

"Oi, Shrimp." The door creaked open to reveal Gajeel's crimson eyes. "You have a guest."

"Hmm? Oh, Who?" The young woman asked.

"A man named Jellal. He says he's family."

"Jellal?"

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Jellal stood beside the window in Gajeel's living room holding Levy's favorite picture of Wendy. His blue hair lay in wild spikes, a shade darker then Levy's sky color but still quite a bit lighter then Wendy's navy color. A red almost tribal tattoo stretched over his right eye. In his early thirties, he was tall, but not as tall as Gajeel. To look at him next to Levy you could almost believe him to be family.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jellal?" Levy spoke softly as she approached the man, "How exactly are we family, if you don't mind me asking?"

Levy stood in the entry to the hallway dressed in a pair of low hanging blue jeans that showed off her perfect hip bones and a small black tee shirt that fell just above her belly button. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, long wispy curls fell from the bunch in random locks. Her eyes were lifeless and her face cold and controlled. A black cord wrapped around her neck, Wendy's favorite ring serving as it's pendant. The small crystal and silver ring fell against the hollow of her throat, as silver bangles danced on her wrists. Her bare feet tapped anxiously against the floor.

"Levy, so you really are here. Is Wendy with you? Can I see her too?" The man, Jellal, spoke in a deep heavy voice. Emotions seemed to be boiling within him.

"Look, I can see that you are emotional at the moment, but I need answers. I don't know you." Levy spoke quiet but even as her eyes bore into the strange man.

"Right. Sorry, I forgot you were but a baby when I ran away from home. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was only fourteen at the time, I never thought of what would happen to you, or any child born after you for that matter, when I left." The man sighed, peering through the window, "Levy, I am your older brother, Jellal. I was adopted by a man named Micah Fernandez after running away from our abusive, neglectful parents. I should have stayed to protect you and later Wendy."

"How did you find me?"

"My fiancee, Erza, is a private detective. It's how we met. I went to her ten years ago to try to find you. I was twenty one at the time and guilt ate at me. I wanted my baby sister home with me. You had to be six at the time. That's when I found out about Wendy."

"Why are you here?"

"To bring you both home with-," a sharp cry broke through the room. Faye-Marie was awake and wanting to be held.

"Please, excuse me. Faye-Marie needs my attention. Feel free to take a seat. This shouldn't take long." Levy made her way back to the nursery, tears forming in her eyes.

The fates truly hated her. To rip her beloved sister from her so soon, only to grace her with a baby the spitting image of the child lost. The only difference being her hair. Then, just as sudden as they took one sibling, they gave back another. Emotions boiled over, and tears poured over, leaving red streaks across her cheeks. Sighing, Levy lifted her poor, motherless, niece into her arms. Wendy hadn't survived the birthing process. Too weak from her illness and too young to handle the pain of labor during child birth, the beautiful now thirteen year old child had passed away taking Levy's love of life with her into the next life. Turning to head back into the living room, baby held to her chest, Levy came face to face with a tall, beautiful red head.

"I apologize for the pain this reunion has brought you, Miss Levy. My name is Erza Scarlet. I am your brother's fiancee and the one who spent ten years tracking you and your sister down. I can see now that this has caused you heartache and I am deeply sorry." The woman's voice was strong and full of honor.

"No, please, don't feel bad. I have had a rough week and have some rather upsetting news to share with both you and my- and Jellal."

"You can't say it, can you?" The red head, Erza, said tilting her head slightly, "You can't bring yourself to call him your brother. May I ask why not?"

"I don't know him. As far as my heart can tell, Rogue and Sting are more my brothers than Jellal. Please, Miss Erza, follow me to the living room. I must speak to you and him both," Levy spoke in an empty voice as she walked past the beautiful woman and out to the living room.

Jellal stood, once more, by the window while Gajeel sat quietly on the couch, offering silent support. The men looked to her as she entered the room leading Erza along behind her. Levy took a deep breath and glanced down into the face of the last bit of her sister she had left. The small baby looked up at her with big brown eyes, a smile broke across the child's face and a loud giggle rang out from the girl's tiny lungs.

"Jellal, Erza, please sit. I have something I have to tell you." Levy paused, waiting for her guests to take there seats. "Wendy has passed. She was diagnosed with leukemia a while back. She was twelve years old when Gajeel opened his home to us almost a year ago. A short while later we found out our beautiful Wendy was pregnant with the child of an eighteen year old man's child."

Gajeel stood to wrap her in his arms. Tears rained hot over her cheeks. Levy took another deep breath. "My sister held her head up high and handled her pregnancy with grace and a joy I never thought possible of a child. Last week, Wendy went into labor. The event proved to be too much- to hard on her body- and my baby took her final breath. My sister died alone, surrounded by strangers, giving birth to my niece, Faye-Marie."

"Levy," Erza reached out to take the small blunette's hand. "I am so sorry for your loss."

"I can't believe I was too late to save you both." Jellal sighed.

"I do not need saving. Wendy may have passed away, but my sister died a happy, loved, beautiful soul. I made sure my Wendy never went without. She never thought we needed saving and neither did I," Levy snarled, anger firing her veins. "We never asked Gajeel to take us in. I NEVER wanted this. We were happy on the streets."

"Levy," Jellal tried to calm her, but she wasn't done.

"NO. I will not take your pity. I am not a poor, defenseless child. Gajeel opened his home, his heart, to us, not because we wanted it or because we needed it. He asked us to stay with him because HE needed US." Silence hung in the apartment, broken only by Faye-Marie's cries. "He needed someone he could take care of. He needed a family. I had mine and Wendy never wanted more then just us, not until she realized she would leave me soon. She chose to have relations with a man six years her senior, she wanted to keep this child, not to have more family, but to leave me someone to love and care for in her absence. How dare you think us weak damsels in distress. We were fine on our own."

"Whoa there, Shrimp, take a deep breath. Yer scarin' the little one," Gajeel laughed. "Now look here, Shrimp is not my ward. Her sister and her were not just orphans to me. Ya can either beg for my girl's forgiveness or get the hell out of my apartment."

"Gajeel," Erza broke in. "Might I ask what you and Miss Levy are to each other?"

"Lady, this here is my girl and I'll break bones to see her smile or hear her sing like she did before."

"Gajeel," Levy whispered, tears flowing heavier.

"We came here to take my sisters home with us, only to find one a wild child and the other has passed away leaving behind a child of her own." Jellal looked away, "I want my family with me."

Levy looked from Gajeel to Erza, a small smile forming across her lips. The small blunette gently passed the baby to the raven haired man at her side. Stepping forward, she took Jellal's hand in hers then turned and took Erza's as well.

"What-" Jellal stared blankly at his little sister as his fiancee turned red.

"Jellal, I have my family. It's here with Gajeel, Faye-Marie, and my friends, but you have your family too. Its with Erza." Levy laced their hands together. "I am your sister by blood, but I am their family by heart. You are welcome here whenever you want to visit and you can stay the night tonight. We will all go visit Wendy in the morning."

"Ya sure, Shrimp?" Gajeel asked as he pulled her into his arms.

"Yes."

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Faye-Marie's cry woke Levy with a start. Thunder echoed in the darkness and rain hammered her window. She knew she would face Wendy's grave for the first time in a few hours and, having not slept well, felt her emotions build in her chest. Heart hammering in her ears, the young blunette crawled from her bed and made her way to the screaming child's room. Flashes of lightning danced across her toys and walls. Her Tigger nightlight cast a warm glow just to the right of the crib. A small blue dragon lay at the foot of the tiny bed.

"Hush little one, its time for bed," Levy cooed. "Let's sing a lullaby, okay?"

Levy took a breath and began to sing.

Little child, be not afraid
though rain pounds harshly against the glass
like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger
I am here tonight

Little child, be not afraid
though thunder explodes and lightning flash
illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight

And someday you'll know
that nature is so
the same rain that draws you near me
falls on rivers and land
on forests and sand
makes the beautiful world that you'll see
in the morning

Little child, be not afraid
though storm clouds mask your beloved moon
and its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight

Little child, be not afraid
though wind makes creatures of our trees
and their branches to hands, they're not real, understand
and I am here tonight

For you know, once even I was a
little child, and I was afraid
but a gentle someone always came
to dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
and to give a kiss goodnight

Well now I am grown
and these years have shown
that rain's a part of how life goes
but it's dark and it's late
so I'll hold you and wait
'til your frightened eyes do close

And I hope that you'll know...

Everything's fine in the morning
the rain'll be gone in the morning
but I'll still be here in the morning

As her lullaby came to a close so did the baby's eyes. The storm raged on just outside the glass matching in perfect harmony with the one playing out in her heart. Wendy used to love that song, she'd sing it every time it stormed. Tears bubbled and pricked behind her eyes.

"Levy?"

Startled by the sudden voice, the small blunette looked up to find Gajeel, Jellal, and Rogue standing in the door way. Pain shone like diamonds in the crimson eyes of not just her love but of her best friend as well, but it was the third pair of eyes that stole her attention. They showed no pain, no sorrow, no grief at all. Instead, shock and fear radiated from the blue haired man. Confusion rose through Levy's body to cloak her heart. Why would he be scared? What horrible thoughts lay behind that tormented gaze?

"Gajeel, Rogue," Levy felt her throat constrict. "Jellal."

"Where did you learn that song?" Jellal spoke in a calm voice but his eyes told the truth. The song had unnerved him.

"I don't really know. I think I heard someone singing it when I was little."

"You have a lovely voice," He said as he turned to leave. "I think Erza and I will be leaving now. It's obvious you have a happy life here and its time I found my own happiness."

"Come visit sometime."

"Oh, I will." And with that, he was gone.

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AN: This chapter was something I had planned a while ago, but had to wait for the right moment to let it shine. I wanted Levy to have a living, loving family member who would still care about her even if she lashed out on them. Jellal presented the perfect opportunity.

AN2: The song is Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Veinna Teng. It was a major inspiration for this particular chapter.

AN3: Some of you follow multiple stories written by myself and have been very loyal and sweet in your reviews. I had a guest post a review a while ago that accused me of ruining the flow of Saving Levy due simply to the fact that Levy chose to give herself to Gajeel after the death of her father. I was told that her reaction was unrealistic. Now I see where my reviewer could come to that conclusion so please let me give my explanation. Saving Levy is finished. Its rough and has some issues, yes, but Levy's reaction to her father's death and her sudden decision to give up her virginity ARE NOT part of those issues. Levy was scared and hurting, she needed to feel close to someone, close on a personal level. That's why she chose to do it. If you can't understand that people grieve in different ways and people make life changing decisions when faced with fear and pain then please do not condemn a writer simply because you wouldn't react that way. I could have had her hellbent on revenge or even suicidal. Instead, I made her vulnerable and in need of closeness only Gajeel could provide. Normally, with things like this I would approve the review and message the reviewer with the reason I did things the way I did, but they weren't a member so I chose to delete the review and use this AN to explain. I don't usually delete reviews like that but I didn't feel right approving it when I couldn't give the reader an explanation. Thank you for understanding. I'll work harder to make things clearer in the future. Love you guys.