Hi guys! I'm so so so sorry it's been so long since i updated! I think i mentioned this before but i will again, i'll try to upload at the very least once a week but i'll strive to upload twice. I might also begin another story too, it helps me to have two things to work on because when i hit writer's block or just don't feel like working on one i have the other. Then when i hit one of those two again i can return to the other story with renewed ideas and inspiration. But anyways, heres chapter five!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.

Chapter Five

(Omniscient POV) Wendy and Carla sat exhausted on a blue chair in the infirmary corner. For two hours they had worked with Porlyusica treating and healing the two unknown girl's wounds, they had been on death's doorstep, especially blue haired one. Erza worked with Carla to wash as much blood, sand, dirt and whatever other grime had coated them and stripped them of what little clothes they had on. Erza threw the clothes away because there was no way the blood stained tattered rags could be salvaged, in the process of taking the clothes to trash she found a small bag of white powder though. She immediately informed everyone who was in the room and Porlyusica took the powder to examine it. Anxiety and tension radiated as if it were a nuclear spill as everyone rushed about in a desperate attempt to save them, for a while the situation was grim but they made it. Only after the smaller woman's injuries became non-life threatening did Porlyusica begin to examine the contents of the small bag, the older woman mixed it into a beaker of fluids and left it to boil not explaining to everyone else in the room what she was doing. Although she herself knew she had to wait for it to turn either blue or purple, Porlyusica assumed upon seeing the bag it was cocaine but she had to confirm it and just what substances were present in the drug. The clear beaker still bubbled showing no sign of change while Erza finished the last bandage to the blonde's head. Porlyusica looked the two unconscious strangers over, they were though, she silently wondered just what they'd gone through despite her anti social ways.

Erza gave a short sigh of success as she laid the scissors and gauze on the table next to the medical bed. "There."

"They really went through something bad.." Wendy looked at the girls with downcast eyes. She wondered what happened to smaller woman, she'd discovered some of the marks on her skin were hickies instead of bruises. Porlyusica had checked the girl's body for any other signs of assault and said there had been no penetration but Wendy still felt immensely sorrowful for someone to experience anything like that. 'The fear she must have felt..' Knock Knock. Everyone's attention was directed towards the door. Mira, who'd been disinfecting the medical tools that had been used, walked towards the door to see who was knocking. Since Wendy and Carla were so tired, Erza just finished the bandages and Porlyusica was testing the bag they'd found Mira decided she'd be the one to get it since she'd only been cleaning during this whole time. Opening the door she found Master Makarov standing in front of her, gazing past him she also found a forlorn Gajeel and a sympathetic Lily sitting in the hall.

"You can come in now Master, the girls have been treated and it looks like they'll pull through." Mira chirped with relief as she moved so Makarov could enter. Makarov looked back to Gajeel and Lily beckoning them to follow. Gajeel's demeanor was intense as he reluctantly stood and made his way towards the door, 'I don't know if i can look at them. If i'd of killed the bastard this wouldn't be happening.' His stomach churned as he thought of when he was first taken in by Makarov's kindness. Makarov knew Gajeel's hands were tainted with blood, he knew of the shady dealings he'd done. Not only that but Makarov still gave him the chance to join and change even after he'd beat some of the guild members senseless. Gajeel thought to back then, he'd put Salamander through the ringer, threatened to kill and destroy everything Makarov held dear. Yet Makarov saw in him what he couldn't see himself, Gajeel couldn't help but feel remorsefully guilty about these two girls. He knew if he was still running with Ivan that he'd of done this too, beat the living hell out of anyone he was ordered to. Worst of all he would have enjoyed doing it. Gajeel's stomach churned once again and he became sickened with his past actions. Even now he still sometimes felt bouts of guilt for what he'd done to what is now his home and to the people who are now his family, in his own eyes he could never redeem himself for what he's done. Lily could see Gajeel's distress so he put his hand on Gajeel's shoulder and gace a reassuring squeeze the way Erza had done to him earlier that day.

All three men entered the room and their gazes were immediately set on the two girls. Makarov's heart ached to see youngsters in such a condition, he could tell they were not much older or even the same age as the majority of his 'children.' He couldn't believe such kind looking kids would work for his monster of a son Ivan, sure he did not know their true character or anything about them for that matter but he could just feel they were kind-hearted. Especially after what he'd heard from Lily, to throw your own life on the line in a situation where death was is imminent to save someone else. No self centered or uncaring person would do something like that, not only that but the blonde one appeared to have carried her friend for miles. Makarov felt his anger boil at his detestable son and felt fury just wondering what happened to these two.

"How extensive were their injuries?" Makarov asked as he turned his gaze towards Porlyusica who was concentrating on a boiling beaker. Porlyusica sighed and turned to him with sympathy in her usually cold eyes. "Well, let's put it this way, if they would have been found even ten minutes later the smaller girl would've died. Infection would have set into the blonde one and she'd be bedridden for weeks. Physically they'll both recover completely within two to three weeks, but mentally there's going to be trauma.."

She threw a glance towards the smaller girl. "I'll need to discuss some details with you after all these other pesky humans leave." Porlyusica threw aggressive looks towards everyone in the room excluding Makarov.

"Mm." Makarov nodded with understanding and concern. "What's in that beaker?"

Everyone turned their attention towards the boiling beaker that to Porlyusica's distaste had still not turned any color whatsoever. She lifted the small bag of what she thought to be cocaine but was now having doubts. "Erza discovered this in the clothes of the smaller one, i presumed it was the drug cocaine but from this test i appear to be incorrect or this is something new."

"Lemme see it." Gajeel made his way towards Porlyusica who stared at him expectantly. "I got a dragon's nose remember?" Gajeel grunted.

"Go ahead." She handed the bag to him and watched as he sniffed the outside, then opened it to get a better whiff. "Don't inhale any of that boy. For all we know that could be poison at this point."

"Yeah, yeah, i know.." As Gajeel sniffed the substance, he was picking up small amounts of rophenol, but nothing else. He knew damned well the bag wasn't full of ruffies, the smell would be a lot stronger. In his time with Ivan he'd became acquainted to the scent of nearly every drug in the region, yet this had no scent. Confusion set in as he became frustrated with himself. 'This has gotta be somethin new…' "Which of em took this?"

"Ah, it was her.." Wendy chimed in pointing to the other blue-haired girl in the room. "She had a fever and her immune system was fighting something off. Even her nervous system was functioning abnormally."

Gajeel began towards the woman to listen to her vitals and see if he could pick up any abnormal scents. He was no idiot, he'd had hands in the drug trade with Ivan and an associate Jose. They'd obviously succeeded in making a low profile drug considering even his own nose couldn't pick much more than ruffies. 'It's obvious the shrimp snorted the stuff, but what the hells it do?' He reached one of his rugged hands to the side of her neck, 'Shes so small..' His eyes widened seeing the red and purple marks littering her neck. Guilt was becoming a constant emotion he felt these last few hours as it hit him over and over. He stuck a finger to her neck examining her pulse. Her heartbeat was quicker than it should've been for a resting and unconscious person. Gajeel could even feel sweat where his fingers currently were, raising his hand to her forehead he felt a slight fever and more sweat forming. 'Wendy's right bout her fighting somethin off.' Continuing his observations he carefully lifted her left eyelid to find her pupil the size of a pen point. 'Definitely hopped up on somethin.. But what?' "Well, what is it?"

Gajeel turned to the source of the impatient female voice. Irritation tickled his brain, why couldn't he place just what this was? "I don't know.. Definitely some kinda stimulant, it's powdery so probably means the shrimp snorted. Hell, it looks like coke but i'm smellin rophenol." He explained.

"It looks like i'll just have to watch her behavior and watch for side effects then when she wakes." Porlyusica sighed slightly annoyed at the amount of useless people in the room and the fact they couldn't seem to figure out what this drug was. Makarov cleared his throat gaining Erza, Wendy, Carla, Mira, Gajeel, Lily and Porlyusica's attention.

"We have another matter to discuss too, i'm sure you've all noticed the guild mark these girls bare. This discussion does not leave this room, the status of these girl's marks are unknown to us and we do not want to cause distrust throughout the guild towards them." Makarov gravely told them stern faced.

"Master, why would they have such a mark on them if they we not part of his guild?" Wendy asked innocently. She knew of Makarov's son and his evils but she didn't know of the more adult things that he contributed to. Confusion was predominant feeling, she felt in her gut something was wrong with this situation but she also couldn't deny evidence right in front of her. 'Maybe they were forced to work in that guild..?' Carla, who was now back in her natural form, nudged Wendy for such a question and gave her a stern look. "Ah! No! I didn't mean to accuse them! I'm sorry. I'm just confused about this whole situation.." She explained apologetically.

This caused uncertainty to spread throughout the room. Wendy had not yet learned of the human trafficking and pimping Ivan did, so of course she can't fully grasp this situation. Erza decided she'd inform Wendy, she was now 13 and would have to be informed sooner or later. Everyone purposely kept her from taking missions in Desert city alone because no one felt it appropriate to take a bit of her innocents with such knowledge. 'But if these girls really were used by Ivan then Wendy will find out about that business after they wake and tell us so.' It was just easier to tell her now. Erza sighed and thought of how to approach this conversation, eventually after 30 seconds contemplation she turned to the confused teen.

"Wendy, there's something we haven't told you of yet.." At this Wendy perked up and watched Erza expectantly. She was about to learn some information everyone knew but her, she wanted to be helpful so this would give her better understanding to assist in the current situation. "We haven't told you because you're young and we didn't want you to know such things about the world yet. I'm assuming you know more or less about uh.. The birds and the bees?"

Wendy turned bright red at such a topic being discussed in front of a room of people including males. Erza's voice had wavered at the end of her question and she had a slight dash of pink below her cheeks, Wendy wasn't the only bashful one when it came to such topics. Wendy nodded her head quickly with awkwardness.

"Well.. There are people who sell 'that' for different goods. There are also people who force others to sell their bodies to benefit their self at the expense of the person being forced, essentially it is a form of slavery. More accurately it is sexual slavery and human trafficking. Ivan is a major part of this industry, his goons kidnap women to profit from their bodies and men to do manual labor. It is a possibility that these two girls were used by him for profits.." Erza carefully explained trying to make Wendy understand. The young blue-haired girl's eyes widened as she processed this information. Wendy had known of things such as sexual assault and unsafe touches, Carla taught her about it so she was not naive and putting herself in that sort of danger. But she hadn't known there was actually a underground trade for it, that was horrifying to the young girl. Tears stung her chocolate brown eyes at the thought of the injured women in their care having gone through something like that. 'Wait.. But Gajeel worked with Ivan.. Did he do things like that too?' Wendy stole a glance at Gajeel, his eyes were downcast and his arms hung limply to his sides. His body encompassed guilt and sorrow. Wendy felt a furry tail wrap around her ankle, Carla shook her head at Wendy to deter her from questioning Gajeel on his past. But Gajeel already knew what Wendy was wondering, everyone else in the room knew he had not participated in such things but her.

Truthfully Gajeel had always been sickened by Ivan's exploitation of women, he had even refused to do jobs associated with kidnapping and handling the 'products,' as Ivan called them. He was never forced to do those jobs because Ivan saw Gajeel's distaste for it and he'd be damned if lost some of his valuable products just because of Gajeel's softness. Instead Gajeel just turned a blind eye to the trafficking and pimping, after all, he'd too been an evil man and he wasn't going to risk his career and status over a few women. He'd felt sorry for them but at the same time he also told himself it wasn't his problem and moved on. 'Goddamnit. I was such a bastard..' He enjoyed talking with Wendy and even saw her as something as a little sister to him, he didn't want this to break their mutual trust.

"No, i didnt assist that bastard with that disgusting trade of his.. But i never helped em either.." He gritted out causing Wendy to turn her head to him.

"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to intrude on your past.." Wendy said apologetically. She believed he hadn't done that kind of work, even if Gajeel used to be bad she knew he wasn't a truly bad person inside.

"Dont worry bout it, since this situation is what it is im gonna have to talk bout it. We need to figure out what happened to em before we go decidin what to do though." Gajeel was going through his mind remembering who worked with Ivan, he'd been his right hand man so he knew just about everything there was to know. A thought struck him.. He turned to everyone in the room. "Oi. We need to think out our next steps, i know Ivan, theres no way hes just gonna live an let live. His goons are gonna be coming for them so what are we gonna do?"

"Well my boy, it goes without saying we're going to protect them until they wake. When they come to we will question them about their guild status.. Until then we will treat them as victims and give them shelter." Makarov explained.

"Master, what shall we do with them if they are actually part of his guild?" Erza questioned. She too didn't want to accuse but they needed to cover all the bases of this situation. If this was not handled carefully it had the potential to ruin the months of spying they'd been doing. Makarov was dead set on dismantling his son's empire, he would not allow his own blood to commit such atrocities.

"Then we'll have no choice but to hold them hostage for information." He gravely said. While he did not like holding people hostage he'd do it if it meant protecting his guild from harm.

"If they really are part a the bastards guild then im gonna be astonished, there were very few women workin with him. So unless these girls got some extraordinary powers i doubt they were there by choice." Gajeel already knew by looking at them they weren't Ivan material, not only that but..

"They don't have any rings either, the only thing with them was a regular whip and a sack of money." Lily added in, he doubted they could even use magic. Not to say he thought they were weak but they were definitely vulnerable with the apparent lack of magical items and training.

"Truthfully i do not think they are part of my son's guild either, but we have to take precautions just in case." Makarov sighed. These girls probably went through hell to escape Ivan's clutches.

"The only matter at hand now is figuring out which branch they came from." Mira chimed in, "After all, there are many people working with him." Gajeel had an idea of who probably oversaw these two. Tsk.

"If i hada guess i'd put my money on Jose. He handled most of the pimpin and collectin.." He never liked Jose, not only did the sick fuck take pleasure in the trade, he was a perverted sadist who was creepy as fuck. He recalled a time when Jose tried spiking Juvia's drink, Gajeel had beat him senseless.

"Everyone, we will need to be on our guard incase Ivan's goons come sniffing around." Erza told everyone authoritively, "Lily and i will head back to where we found them and get rid of their trail. Wendy keep watch over them with Porlyusica, i will be taking my leave now Master."

Makarov nodded as Erza and Lily made their way to the door. "I see Wendy and Porlyusica have this under control, i'll be returning to the bar now."

Mira cast one more glance towards the unknown women hoping they would come to soon before taking her leave to tend the guild bar. There was nothing more to be done in here save for discovering what drug the smaller woman had taken. Now only Porlyusica, Wendy, Carla, Makarov and Gajeel remained in the bright sterile smelling room. The older pinkette was busy going setting up new beakers, test strips and other things of the sort to analyze the unknown substance while the young dragon slayer was checking the state of the girls once again. Carla was pestering Wendy insisting she take a longer break on account of how much magic she'd used healing them. Gajeel stood not really knowing what to do with himself or how he could help, he felt big and awkward. His gaze lingering on the two unconscious women reminding him just what a bastard he used to be.

"Gajeel, this is not your doing, do not feel guilty for this boy." Makarov's voice soothingly graced his ears, He turned to look at the small old man with conflicted feelings in his mind. Gajeel did feel responsible for this because he could have put an end to Ivan before he joined Fairy Tail but he also knew it was irrational for him to blame himself for this specific situation. He'd changed and left Raven Tail after Makarov showed him there was another path he could take, that he was worthy of taking. 'The reality is that if i hadn't been his dog he wouldn't have gained so much power.' Gajeel had built a good chunk of Ivan's empire, he'd been the one beating people to a bloody pulp, double crossing and reaping the rewards of his evil labor.

"Well, they wouldnt be lookin like mummys right now if id taken out the bastard when i had the chance.." Makarov sighed, he understood Gajeel's guilt but there was no way to change the past. All he could do now was atone for his past ways and move on, Gajeel knew this as well. Suddenly Porlyusica whirled around annoyance displayed on her face.

"When are you going to leave boy! I need to discuss matters with Makarov and your delaying it. Shoo! Go along!" She screeched not wanting to tolerate more humans than absolutely necessary. "They'll pull through and you can see them if you like when they wake up, now scram!" A shiver of fear climbed down his spine as he quickly made his way to the door, 'Nag, nag, nag…' He didn't like being told what to do but he sure as hell didn't want the hag to get out the broom. After the click of the door was heard signaling the iron dragon slayer's departure the older woman sighed.

"Makarov, i'm going to recommend you see to it these girls have protection. The enemy will be coming back for them, it both looks and feels to me that they are not trained in physical or magical affairs." Makarov thought for a moment, wondering who he could assign such a job to. An idea struck him but he didn't know if the girls would like it considering transpired events.

"Well, i suppose i could assign Natsu and Gajeel to them, i trust in their skills greatly. Although i do have to take into consideration their conditions.." He trailed off not wanting to outright ask just how much the girls had gone through.

"The blonde one doesn't have any marks or injuries indicating assault, i do not know if anything did happen to her but if it did then there was nothing more than touching considering there are no physical signs. The smaller one though... " Porlyusica stopped then continued, "She has a multitude of hematomas and bruises in various places. She was assaulted but there was no penetration."

As she finished Makarov wondered if a female would be better suited to watch over them, he didn't want to force them to deal with men if they weren't ready. He knew the healing process for things such as this took awhile.

"I know what you're thinking, but no, i recommend assigning men to them. The healing process is tough but we do not want them to be wary of men for the rest of their lives from this. I say assign the energetic one to the blonde, Natsu is too hands on to be with the smaller one. Gajeel shouldn't bother her considering how he is. Although definitely have a female show them around and greet them upon waking. This is a delicate situation, have the men introduced by a woman." Porlyusica explained to Makarov clearly. The sooner they made friendly connects with others the quicker they'll heal and the easier to process what happened to them will be. Admittedly she was slightly concerned about them having male body guards off the bat but she knew the kids here all had good hearts.

"Alright. I trust their in good hands, i'll be going now, i'm sure the youngins are wanting an explanation on the current situation." Makarov began walking towards the door, "Thank you Porlyusica, you are greatly appreciated." With that he left. She sighed again turning to Wendy and Charla.

"You two can choose to also take leave or come watch my work." Wendy perked up at that, she was curious about how to analyze substances such as what they found. The practise could be applied in many medical areas which would allow her to better assist her guildmates, she quickly made her way to the table with excitement.

Author's Notes:

I'm so sorry this took so long guys! I apologize for any errors also! I had a ton of school work and my asthma decided to be rude to my body, but anyways, i hope you enjoyed this chapter!