Chapter 5: Danger and Surprising Rescue

It's only been a couple of days since the girls confronted me and Laxus and I have gotten into a sort of routine. He'll bring up food around lunch time and that, well I clear a space for us to eat. With the wards the girls can't get in, and as long as Laxus is around or any other guy they haven't questioned me about my mystery man. Really I'm just glad that with all the time I've been spending with Laxus that they haven't started to think there is something between us.

Right now Laxus is downstairs waiting for lunch and talking to his team. The team that I have been avoiding because I don't want to get on Freed's radar and have him realize that I have feelings for his Laxus-Sama. I know why I haven't told my team about our friendship and I've explained to Laxus how they are all incapable of keeping secrets, not to mention their matchmaking tendencies. Yet a part of me feels hurt that he hasn't told his team that we are friends, from what I know of them they will keep anything a secret as long as it's Laxus who asked. Heck they had reservations about the incident before Fantasia, but they did it because Laxus asked them to, so why can't he tell them that we are friends?

Shaking my head I decided it would just be good to work on the paperwork I was given. No point dwelling on something that I could easily have answered just by asking Laxus, even if asking him would be a little embarrassing. Maybe he would think that it's bugging me in a different way and realize that I am crazy about him.

Fortunately none of the guild busybodies seemed to be reading anything more into me helping Laxus. Something I had actually expected considering from Mira and Cana at least since Laxus had told me about what he had said to them during Phantom Lord. Or maybe they do think something strange is going on, but just haven't vocalized it because even though Laxus had changed for the better he could still be scary if he glared at you. I wondered before why if he wanted me so much after I had joined the guild that he hadn't tried anything with me. He had his chance before Fantasia and after, but the only time he seemed to still hold that attraction for me was when he was drunk meaning he could have believed that I was anyone.

"Lucy I'm back," Laxus said a large grin on his face as he laid out our lunch. Laxus has been surprisingly chipper the last few days and it has made me very confused. We've stayed in his office working until we were sure that I would be able to avoid the girls meaning we had pulled a few late nights, but despite the fact that we've been working hard he's in a strangely good mood. Yet I can't figure it out because he shouldn't have time for dates, and what else could get him so happy?

"Thanks Laxus," I told him with a bright smile before we started eating our lunch.

Really though I have no idea what we are going to do in a few days. The paperwork is dwindling down quickly with the two of us working on it, and I'm not sure what else I'll be able to do to avoid the girls. For once I actually wished that Natsu would destroy things more like he used to instead of Lisanna being able to rein him in. At least when Natsu was being destructive there was a ton of paperwork, and most of what I've dealt with has been backlogs from our team that Master hasn't gotten around to. Especially since he stopped destroying the paperwork since he doesn't want Fairy Tail on the bad side of the council again.

It's sort of pathetic how afraid of the girls I am at the moment, and that I am willingly spending more time with the reason why I'm avoiding the girls. It's really quite funny that no one has realized that Laxus is the one I have feelings for, but then again before the last couple of days we had the entire guild fooled into thinking we didn't get along. Sneaking around like that had sort of been like we were hiding a deeper relationship then friendship and at times it had given me false hope. Yet I'm almost positive now that Laxus wouldn't see me that way. Otherwise wouldn't he have tried something by now? Plus I'm certain now that he doesn't remember that night since he has had lots of opportunities to confront me about it, and he hasn't acted strange at all.

A couple hours later I slipped out of the guild hall during a brawl and headed home. My wrist had been getting to cramped up and Laxus had noticed me yawning a lot from being overtired and had sent me home. The baby I'm carrying seems to be developing a little faster than I expected since I am tired all the time. Although I have yet to be hit by morning sickness or weird cravings luckily enough otherwise everyone would be suspicious or worried about my condition.

In the guild of Fairy Tail Laxus was watching as his fellow guildmate left him alone in his office. Spending more time with her lately really had been going quite well, although he had to cover for her with Ever considering that she had found Lucy's jacket at his house from the last time she had slept over. He had to say that he had found it walking home from the guild the other day and had forgotten to return it to Lucy. He had used the name Blondie though since his team didn't even know about his and Lucy's relationship. He was actually a little afraid to tell them because he was certain they would see right through him.

Turning towards his desk once again Laxus turned on the security lacrima he had secretly installed at Lucy's house. He had only done it when she had come back from that mission with her magic out of commission because he was afraid of her getting harmed or attacked, and without her magic she wouldn't be able to defend herself in a split second. Not even Jii-chan knew about it though because he was afraid of his grandfather going on about blonde haired brown eyed babies like he and Mira tended to do at times.

Maybe it was a little creepy and he should have told Lucy about it, but he was afraid of what she would say. It was something that he really didn't understand because Laxus had rarely ever felt fear, but it seemed to be something that Lucy tended to inspire in him. He was afraid of her being hurt and her reactions not her, but it was the same thing to him.

Yet not wanting to be a stalker Laxus left the lacrima alone, but kept it within hearing distance of himself. He didn't look at the lacrima at all unless if he heard Lucy give out a sound of shock or something crashing to make sure he left her with her privacy. He wanted to keep her safe not be some sort of perverted stalker who secretly watched a girl in her own home.

Laxus had just been about to go home and had gone down to say his goodbyes to the guild when he heard the scream coming from his security lacrima. Without a second thought or care to those around him he lightning traveled towards the blonde haired mages house and felt like his heart was going to stop at what he found. Four mages completely dressed in black from head to toe were surrounding a towel clad Lucy who was holding her whip and trying to fight them off, but by the shallow scratches on her arms he knew she wasn't having much luck.

I had just gotten out of the bath when I heard a crash coming from my living room, but I had ignored it thinking that it was Natsu. Him and Happy break into my apartment way to often for my tastes. So I wrapped myself up in my towel making sure I was significantly clad from their eyes before stepping out of my bathroom ready to berate my best friends, but instead I found a much different scene then I was expecting.

Four mages dressed in black were tearing my apartment apart and when I screamed out in shock they turned to me in an instant. Lunging towards my nightstand I grabbed the whip that I had placed there after my bath and held it in front of me the other hand clutching at my towel not wanting to dare think what would happen to me if it fell. I wished now that I was fully dressed and had access to the emergency cards Cana had given me, but I had no magic and no way to contact my friends.

As the black mages started to attack me I tried my best to counter well keeping my stomach well protected. I didn't want them to hurt my baby, but oddly enough their attacks only landed on my arms and legs. They went nowhere near my stomach.

"Who are you what do you want?" I yelled at them as they were backing me into the window. I wished I was on the first floor so I could just jump out of it, but being pregnant and on the second floor I didn't dare risk jumping out of it.

"We want the dragon slayer you carry," one of the figures told me chuckling maniacally.

I thought that everything was lost that I couldn't do anything to protect myself until I heard the clash of thunder and watched as lightning flitted itself into my room. Laxus was standing at the doorway his eyes flickering with the lightning his magic was made of. I had never seen Laxus so angry and I could see the lightning sparks dancing on his skin as he attacked the people who were after me. Yet before any attacks could land on them they had disappeared in a flash of light.

Finally feeling safe I felt my knees give out as I collapsed on the floor shaking with relief that Laxus had gotten here in time. Otherwise the child I carry and I would be in a vast amount of danger because I knew without my magic and my state of dress made it so that I wouldn't have been able to fight much longer.

Laxus arms encircled me pulling me into him tightly as he clutched me to him. His entire body was shaking and I just hugged him back not caring that I was only dressed in a towel. Laxus had literally just saved me from a terrible fate, and I was certain that he knew that as well. Even if he was thinking he had saved me from a completely different one. I didn't even care how he knew that I had needed help the only thing that mattered to me was that he had arrived in the nick of time.

What felt like hours later, but was probably only minutes Laxus let me go slowly as he pushed me away from him slightly his eyes roaming over my body. If it was any other instant I would have been certain he was checking me out, but I knew that his gaze was only so that he could calculate my injuries. As I went to stand up to let him get a better look I felt my knees collapse under me again and the world turned black the events of the evening finally catching up with me.

Laxus watched with shock as Lucy collapsed on the floor in front of him with him only being able to barely catch her before her head connected with the floor. He would have to take her to his grandmother to make sure that she was alright, but first he was going to make sure she wouldn't be able to come back to her apartment. It was too dangerous for her to live on her own right now when she didn't have access to any of her magic. Until he could find somewhere else for her she was going to have to live with him.

Placing Lucy on her bed for a moment he used his magic to increase his speed and tore around Lucy's apartment packing everything up. Her furniture he flashed over to his place within an instant only making sure to unpack anything important from them before flashing them over. Everything was put into his cellar for now until he and Lucy could go through everything later. With his increased speed it only took him ten minutes to completely empty Lucy's apartment of all her things. He was just glad that her money had been in her desk because he had no idea where she would have hidden it otherwise.

After that he lifted Lucy into his arms and went to talk to her landlady glad that it wasn't later in the night. If he didn't inform her tonight then Lucy's team mates might go a little crazy if they came over in the morning and found her apartment completely empty. He explained the circumstances to her and told her to cancel Lucy's rental agreement giving her enough money to repair the damages done with the fight, and for the next month's rent in case she couldn't find a new tenant right away.

He arrived home weary an hour later. His grandmother having checked Lucy out thoroughly although she had kicked him out of her cabin before she would even look Lucy over. She had told him that he had done a good thing bringing Lucy to her, even though he had been certain that she was going to get mad at him for waking her up in the middle of the night. Instead she had seemed quite worried about Lucy when he had brought her in, and had seemed almost afraid for some reason.

All of the late nights were catching up with him and the fact that he had carried Lucy for half an hour not wanting to risk harming her more with lightning travel. Thrusting his key into the lock he felt exhausted as he found his way to his bedroom, and placed Lucy down on his bed. He was glad that his grandmother had clothed her in something more than the night shirt and bathrobe he had slid over her to carry her through town. Lying down beside Lucy he pulled her up against him he didn't want to have her out of arms reach for now, and he fell asleep with Lucy in his arms.

I woke up the next morning feeling pleasantly warm not boiling hot like I would if Natsu had snuck into my bed, but more like a perfect temperature. Feeling arms around me I almost started to thrash around before I remembered the attack last night and Laxus coming to save me. Opening my eyes I found myself looking into Laxus's concerned eyes and wondered just how long he had been awake.

It actually felt nice in Laxus's arms and I wanted to stay in them the way I hadn't that night, but I knew we couldn't. Knew that my team would be going crazy when they saw my apartment in the condition it was in with me nowhere to be found knowing them they would probably go rushing to the guild screaming I was missing. Meaning that I had to either go back to my apartment now or meet the rest of them at the guild.

"Not happening Lucy," Laxus said his voice rumbling with a growl confusing me. I hadn't even said anything yet and he was telling me it wasn't happening.

"What's not?"

"You are not going back to your apartment I already cancelled your contract and all of your things are here for the moment."

"You what?!" I screamed at him looking at him in rage.

"Lucy calm down. I wasn't allowing you to stay there, and keeping that apartment when it isn't safe is dangerous. You were attacked last night Lucy, and I am not going to sit by and allow it to happen again. Until we find a secure enough place for you, you will be staying here since Freed's ruins keep any but my team and you from entering."

I wanted to yell at him more, but I had to admit Laxus sort of had a point. My apartment wasn't a wizarding complex it didn't have the type of wards I needed to keep unwanted guests out hence why Natsu and the rest could always break in. Not to mention that if more of those people came for me and the child I'm carrying no one in my apartment could help me. Plus the fact that innocent people could get hurt if I stayed there.

Yet staying with Laxus was dangerous for both my secret and my mental wellbeing. Being around him, no living with him, would be a trial on me and one I wasn't sure I could handle. Yet I wasn't going to be able to get a place in Fairy Hills because I knew from Bisca that you couldn't live there with a child, and the dormitories aren't really the best place for a child to grow up anyway.

"Fine, but we will have to go and get all of my stuff," I told him watching his eyes widen. I knew that he was thinking that I had given in to easily after all I rarely gave up easily in the few fights we had, but this time his logic was sound.

"I already moved all of your stuff here," he said rubbing his neck in a sort of bashful manor that was exceedingly cute on him. It was actually quite rare to see Laxus act in a bashful way so it was nice to see him acting like it when he was probably afraid that I would get angry at him again. Not that I can really blame him since I probably would have gotten really angry at him if it wasn't for the fact that I had a child to think of as well.

"Fine we do need to go to the guild though because otherwise Natsu is going to go insane. Even if he is with Lisanna now he does have a habit of showing up at my apartment to walk me to the guild, but I've been leaving earlier then usually lately so I usually miss him. If he see's my apartment completely empty he is going to go on a rampage."

"We will, but after you eat and have a shower," his tone left no room for arguments so I agreed. After all the faster I do as Laxus asks the faster I can get to the guild and make sure that no one goes crazy when Natsu goes barging into the guild saying I've gone missing. "Here's a bag of stuff I packed for you. We can go through the rest of your things and put them in the spare room later."

"Thank you Laxus."

With those parting words I left to go have my shower and Laxus went to cook breakfast. He wasn't acting as bad as Natsu could if Natsu had been the one in the same situation, so that was a plus. I really didn't need to be smothered at the moment and I wished that we didn't have to tell anyone what happened, but I knew Laxus wouldn't let that slide. He would see that as me trying to hide my problems from the guild, and it was probably too dangerous for the rest of the guild to remain unaware as well. It's just going to be a pain that I won't have any free time for a while since no one is going to leave me alone. Just like after the Phantom Lord incident Natsu and Happy didn't leave my side for weeks afterwards, and then we hadn't even known each other that long.

AN: Sorry it is later then I planned. We moved unexpectedly so I didn't have the time to finish it until now. Hope that you enjoy.