A/N: I'm not exactly sure where to start with this Author's Note. I don't feel like an apology is sufficient nor do I feel I really need one. I'm an adult. I have a career and a life outside of writing and sometimes I get caught up in the whirlwind that is every day. Writer's Block comes and goes but I do try to write a little something every day (and it's not always Fan Fiction, I'm sorry!) Everyone who has followed, favored, and reviewed this story so far is simply amazing and you definitely inspire me to continue this story to its end. I hope you all stick with me for this ride. Thanks, as always.

-GH057

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Trigger Warning.

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"I... I was raped," crystalline tears cascaded from big chocolate eyes, streaking Lucy Heartfilia's pale face. Her tone was so dejected and broken; her heart ached with the pain of a thousand daggers. Ashamed of herself, the celestial wizard buried her face into her arms, curling into a human ball against the Sakura tree. Her sobs shook her body violently. With each rasping breath she dug her long, polished nails into the sensitive flesh of her arms, scratching feebly to try to bring a different pain to dissipate the memory of her assault. Yet still the world carried on. A mild breeze rustled the leaves, whispering secrets that only nature was to know.

The sound of the dragon slayer by her shifting was overtaken by the misery of her cries. Suddenly, she was enveloped inside the sinewy arms of Natsu Dragneel. With no effort he scooped her into his lap and cradled her. Lucy breathed in his scent, the intoxicating aroma of campfire smoke and faintest hints of cinnamon. In turn, Natsu inhaled against her hair, letting his mind, if only for the briefest of seconds, melt at the smell of strawberries and vanilla. Even despite that wonderful Lucy scent, he smelled her pain and misery. He knew that with every bath she rubbed herself to the pointing of bleeding raw. "I know," he whispered into her scalp.

Lucy's face contorted in confusion. "You know?" she questioned, dumbfounded. Her tears dried up as she pulled far enough away from Natsu to look into his concerned onyx eyes.

"Yeah."

Lucy sat in silence, waiting for his explanation. Her brows stitched together as she searched his face for answers.

A sigh escaped the dragon slayer. "When you first came to the guild hall I wanted to know what was wrong. I wanted to follow you and talk to you but Makarov and Erza's convinced me not to. And I was mad so I went for a walk along the canal," his words came pained, "I found your dress."

Lucy bit her lip and looked away from Natsu. Shame turned her face into a ruby. The mage would not bring herself to look into his deep eyes, mist shimmering against the orbs of striking onyx. Searching for her voice, she barely managed, "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

Natsu shifted against the bark, positioning her more comfortably against his muscular chest. He tilted his head back against the tree, absently stroking Lucy's slender arm. The dragon slayer hesitated before speaking, "It wasn't my place," he murmured with wisdom far beyond his years. Lucy blinked tears out of her moist, brown eyes. Perhaps Natsu was more socially inept than he let on. "You would tell me when you were ready."

Blonde locks fell onto her face as she bent her head shamefully. Natsu gave her a reassuring squeeze. "There's nothing to feel ashamed about, Luce," he murmured into her ear.

That's when the dam broke. Tears cascaded from Lucy's deep eyes. Violent sobs wracked her body into vicious trembles. Her heart raced, veins constricting in pure agony. Her hands balled into fists, clutching helplessly at Natsu's scarf. She cried so hard her head began to ache but not nearly as deeply as her core. The memory licked at her, still a fresh wound.

Natsu held his best friend protectively, shielding her in his sinewy arms. He trembled subtly, fury coursing through him like wild fire. The only thing keeping him from ripping Fiore apart in search of Lucy's attacker was the blonde herself. She was broken, a China vase with spider web cracks splitting end to end, one wrong move and it would shatter into pieces: an unfixable mess. As he clutched the summoner against his chest, his chin resting on top of her cranium, smoke coiled out of his nostrils and his eyes flashed. It was so much worse hearing Lucy confirm his deepest fear. His jugular visibly pulsed on his throat as he bottled his rage.

"I'm so weak," Lucy's voice quaked.

"No," Natsu snapped back, definitively. "You're not." He shifted and pulled her up so that her tear drenched face met his obsidian gaze. "Lucy, you're one of the strongest mages I've ever met. You're the glue that holds our team together. How could you say that you're not strong?"

"I didn't have my keys. I didn't have my whip," her voice cracked but she continued on, "I was completely helpless... I was so sick of Loke interfering on his own that I commanded he ignored any distress he sensed in me. I told him that I could handle anything and that if I needed him, I'd summon him." Desperately, she clenched her fist around her keys. Her knuckles turned white. "This wasn't supposed to happen to me."

Natsu's stomach churned. He held his best friend against his breast, murmuring half-hearted reassurances into her blonde tresses. The dragon slayer hadn't a clue what Lucy had went through; he could only imagine and that made the rage bubble deep within him. A fire ignited in the core of his body. "This could have happened to anyone," he told her but his heart disagreed. This shouldn't have happened to Lucy. I should have been there. I should have protected her. I let my best friend get hurt!

The minutes dwindled by. Slow and incomprehensible. Until eventually Lucy's tears had tired, leaving her eyes puffy and red.

"Hey!" The pair both looked up, startled by the sudden commotion. A few feet away from them was a young girl. She appeared to be around twelve, maybe thirteen. Her hair was a deep brown, almost black. The sun reflecting off her wavy locks subtly glinted the color of fresh soil. Her eyes were striking, a bright violet that sparkled even from the distance she was standing away from them. Two perfect lilacs guiding her vision. The rest of her however wasn't nearly as breath taking. She was dirty. Her cheeks were tinted with soot, her clothes hung limply from her shoulders and hips, far too skinny. The rags she wore were worn down, stained with various substances. Her lips were full but chapped and split, blood dried deep within the trenches.

Magnolia was not known for their homeless but like all cities, they had their share-hidden under the canals, sleeping deep inside the parks. This girl clearly belonged in that category. An orphan, sick of bouncing around foster homes who decided to take control of her life. Because choosing the way she got to live was certainly better than being told. She narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized the Fairy Tail wizards. "You're mages from that guild," she stated matter-of-factly. "You okay, girl?"

Natsu felt a twinge of annoyance as this kid degraded Lucy, calling her a child. But it was Lucy who took in the full image of the orphan. Her big, brown eyes wide. "I'm fine." Guilt wracked through her veins. This poor adolescent, barely old enough for puberty, was questioning if she, an adult (albeit a young one), was alright when clearly the purple eyed vixen was living a life eons more difficult than her own. Lucy Heartfilia had been raped. But who knew what this child had gone through. Resolve coursed through her; Natsu's brow puckered. He knew that look far too well. The celestial mage had made a decision that she would not be swayed from.

Lucy stood up, pushing herself out of Natsu's grasp. She lightly dusted her clothes clean. Her tears were forgotten as she beamed, her famous smile lighting her entire face. "I'm fine! My name is Lucy Heartfilia, I'm a celesti-"

"I know who you are. And I know that's the Salamander," the stranger gestured with a dirty hand towards the dragon slayer, still pressed against the Sakura tree. Even from their distance the pair could see grime caked under her nails, which had been bitten down to the beds. "Listen, you've been crying for, like, ever," her tone turned bored. "You're seriously, like, a buzz kill. So if you're fine could you, like, please leave?"

Lucy gaped at the girl, her jaw slack. She was taken aback at her brunt words. Natsu stood, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Listen, greasy little punk," he snarled dangerously.

Purple eyes looked at him in amusement, a cocky smirk flitting across the dry lips. She opened her mouth to begin a retort however it was Lucy who found words first. "Are you hungry?"

"What?" Natsu and the stranger blurted simultaneously. The dragon slayer's tone was harsh, contemptuous. The girl sounded more bored. Unaffected by anything.

"Are you hungry?" Lucy repeated. Her voice oozed of sickly sweet concern. The mage ignored Natsu. "You look like you're starved."

Suspicion raised the stranger's eyes. Her body visibly tensed. "Why do you care?" She spit venomously.

"I'd like to get you a meal. Maybe a hot shower. Wash your clothes."

Natsu grimaced. He squeezed Lucy's shoulder, trying to silently communicate. Was it really a good idea to bring a street rat back to her apartment? With a slight shake of her head, blue bandana fluttering, she continued, "I'd like to bring you to our guild hall. If you'd like. It's a free meal."

The girl chewed on her lip, contemplating the next course of action. Absently she picked at the dingy nubs of her fingernails. Her eyes pierced into Lucy. "Why?"

"You're down on your luck. I'd like to help. Fairy Tail would love to get you back on your feet!" A smile plastered her face, lighting up her cheeks. She extended her slender arm out to the girl, her right hand proudly displaying the pink mark.

Cautiously, the orphan accepted her greeting by limply wrapping her dirty fingers around Lucy's pristine skin. It was like shaking hands with a skeleton. Her grip was weak and frigid cold. Etched and pocketed with a layer of dirt, tracing every wrinkle and flaw. These appendages couldn't belong to this girl; calloused and withered far beyond their short years.

The wind was beginning to pick up as the trio left the Sakura tree. Lucy walked along the side of the canal. The spray whipped against her cheeks, sprinkling into her clothes. The homeless girl meandered beside her, curiosity flashing in the purple irises. Natsu Dragneel dragged his feet behind them. He blew an obnoxious strand of pink hair from his eyes. He lifted his arms behind his neck and tilted his head against them, looking at the clouds churning ominously in the sky. His heart ached for Lucy. The celestial mage was looking to alleviate her pain and sorrow by taking in the street rat. He was willing to do anything if it meant seeing Luce happy again. Silently, he noted how the homeless girl stared at Lucy when she thought no one was looking, he saw a flash of envy in her cold and calculating eyes. He knew why. Lucy had a family. Fairy Tail would forever be her home; if needed they would feed, clothe, and provide her shelter if there ever came a day where she could not. This child, however, was alone. Evidence of a hard life was caked under her nails. Faint, old bruises dusted her knuckles and Natsu couldn't help but wonder what or whom she'd hit.

The girl looked at Lucy how she often looked at herself. Some spoiled heiress, despite the fate of her father, a lady who never faced a troubled night. That guilt ate Lucy because she hated living at her father's estate despite all the luxuries. And even though her father and his fortune were long gone, the Heartfilia name haunted her wherever she went. No one cared that Jude Heartfilia had died several years earlier, utterly penniless and alone. When all is said and done, no one cares when you're down on your luck; they focus instead at your glory. People hear Heartfilia and their vision hazes with green. Lucy was the type of woman whose heart was too big and who took every word and absorbed it into her psyche.

On the same page, Natsu could relate to this girl. When Igneel had vanished, the dragon slayer had felt the pure misery that comes from having nothing. Up until he found his home inside the Fairy Tail Guild, that is. So, he watched the malnourished, dirty girl with a mixture of caution and pity.

"Open gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!" Lucy called as they came within the last fifty yards of the guild hall. In her right hand was clutched the small, silver key. A trembling, little canine creature popped into Lucy's welcome arms. "Hello Plue," she cooed to him.

"Pun-pun!" Plue greeted his master.

Purple eyes went even wider with curiosity as the street rat pushed her dark locks from her vision. "Wow!" she hissed in amazement, the first time actually acting her age.

"This is Plue, one of my contracted spirits!" Lucy happily explained, holding the creature out for closer inspection.

"I've never actually seen a summoning type of magic before," the girl murmured, slowly reaching a finger out towards Plue. "Just the regular caster type." She brushed against the dog's head and started suddenly when he trembled against her hand.

"Pun-pun," he chattered reassuringly, gesturing excitedly with his arms.

With a hardened determination, Lucy pushed the heavy oak doors of the guild hall open. She stepped to the side to allow Natsu and the girl to enter ahead of her. As the pink haired mage passed, he smiled at her with his ebony eyes.

In the far corner, against a thick pillar Levy sat curled on top of Gajeel's lap with her nose buried in a book. The iron dragon slayer had a facade of annoyance on his brow but his cheeks were tinged with the slightest of pinks. In his crimson eyes you could see the affection he held for the solid script mage. Erza Scarlett was perched with perfect posture at the bar, talking with the small, elderly guild master who sat cross legged on the counter top. Mirajane Strauss and her younger sister, Lisanna, busied themselves with the cleaning and drying of steins. Gildarts Clive and his daughter, Cana, sat at the other end of the bar both with large pitchers of ale. Cana had her tarot cards lined in front of them and was murmuring something to her father. He watched her with what could only be described as adoration.

Lucy, Natsu, and their guest had arrived early enough in the day that the guild hall was not crowded. The celestial mage sighed in relief. She wasn't prepared to be bombarded by the insanity that typically was Fairy Tail. Pantherlily, the dark haired Exceed that was perched beside Levy and reading over her shoulder, was the first to spot the trio enter. "Hello Natsu, Lucy. Who's this?" He asked sternly, and loudly. It was enough to cause everyone else to look their way.

"Oh this is!... Um..." Lucy began but frowned. She hadn't gotten the girl's name before. The street rat seemed to shrink beside Natsu, hiding from all the eyes piercing her flesh.

"Gilligan," she whispered so quietly that the only two people in the room to hear her were the dragons. "Gilly."

"Gilly," said Gajeel loudly, his crimson eyes sizing the girl up and down.

"Gilligan, that's a weird name," Natsu quipped which earned him an elbow to the ribs from his best friend.

"Said Natsu," she laughed. "This is Gilly," she looked at the girl for confirmation, "We ran into her at the park... I wanted to get her a meal. And a shower," the blonde looked hopefully at Makarov.

The small, elderly man steepled hid fingers together as he assessed their guest. His face was stern and calculating. After what felt like eons he gestured forward with his head, "Very well. My children are always willing to assist those in need." He flashed Gilly a ridiculously toothy grin. "Erza, Mira, would you be willing to help Lucy care for our guest?"

The red head stood and faced Gilligan, her arms crossed. Mira slipped out from behind the bar, beaming prettily. Gilligan seemed quite overwhelmed, her cheeks were aflame under the grime and her violet eyes trembled in their sockets. She stooped her small frame into an awkward bow. "Thank you," she whispered, barely audible.

Mirajane Strauss was always the perfect hostess; she extended her arm out to the vagrant with no judgement whatsoever. "Come along Gilly, let's get you a shower at Fairy Hills!"

"Pun!" Plue quaked.

Gilly remained locked in her boots. Hospitality was a rarity on the streets and the kindness of this guild had her petrified. Lucy took that as her opportunity to steer the girl in the right direction, gently placing her hands onto Gilly's back. Even through her clothing, Lucy could count every vertebrae of her spine.

Natsu strode forward, following in the wake of his best friend. Quite out of nowhere a gauntlet was thrown in front of his chest. "No boys are allowed at Fairy Hills," Erza growled warningly.

The dragon slayer's animated face fell drastically at the barrier between him and Lucy Heartfilia. "Bu-" he began lamely until he glanced at his best friend's expression. The blonde smiled reassuringly and bowed her head subtly, motioning that she was fine. Concern filled his ebony eyes but obediently he stepped back towards Gajeel's table to wait for their return.

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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'd love for you to give me a review before you leave! Thanks everyone!