Author's Note:

It's late than my usual I know! xD Really had to think about this chapter, you see.. :P

Laxus, Lucy and Gray as promised! ^_^ :D

Your reviews are awesome! I just smile like crazy whenever I read new ones! xD

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fairy Tail characters, they all belong to the awesome Hiro Mashima. :)

Warning: This Fanfiction is Rated M for a reason. Violence and language not suitable for kids out there! xD

LAXUS' POV

I thought I had myself prepared for the worst, but when I saw her chained to that wall, beaten to a bloody pulp, battered and naked, every fucking mental preparation I had gone through was thrown in the trash. Nobody could ever be prepared for something as horrid as what I had seen. If it was any other person, I would have done better. But, it was Blondie we're talking about. It was my Blondie. And I'm going straight to hell if I didn't dare to make it even with the one that did this to her. Who the hell cares if it was some oversized man, some guy older than Gramps, a sexy little chick or some kid younger than Romeo? There would be hell to pay to whoever had made Lucy suffer.

But in the few seconds I had now, I knew that I had to get Lucy to safety first, so I went to her side but it was obvious that there was fear etched into her eyes. I couldn't see anymore the carefree and hopeful look in her eyes. It seemed that there was no place for that anymore. All I had seen in her eyes were fear, agony, pain and hopelessness. Things I thought I would never see in her but now it pained me to see how much she had changed within three days of being in Fear Pythios and I couldn't stand to think of her state if we had been a day longer.

"Lucy, it's me. Laxus," I said with complete gentleness that was totally out of character for someone like me, but for her, I'd be willing to show it. My hand was in her cheek as recognition was coming to her slowly and her words were proof of how much she had suffered. I promised her that she'd get home. That she'd be safe. And that was exactly what I planned to do. I made quick work of the chains on her wrists and ankles before removing my shirt and ever so slowly putting it on her, and then I realized where the strongest smell of blood came from. Her back. It was damaged almost beyond recognition that I knew that there was no way that there would be scars, ever there to remind her of this. I put it on her, wary of her many injuries before heading towards Loke and removed the chain from his foot.

I had no choice but to carry Lucy out and though I knew it was hurting her severely, there was no other way. As soon as we got out of the basement, the whole guild hall was almost filled with unconscious members of Fear Pythios but my rage wouldn't calm down by a fraction unless I give payback to the bastard who had hurt Lucy. "Who did this to her?" I couldn't help myself in asking as my voice remained dangerously low and I was almost grateful that Loke instantly answered, pointing off a black-haired chick fighting Erza and Mira. Without a second thought or a moment to spare, I let lightning rain down on the bitch. I tried to make it as deliciously slow and painful as possible, but Lucy needed medical attention. So, I let the bitch free but not after I got her into a state of near-death. Fairy Tail mages never take lives after all and though I was so tempted, I held myself back. Lucy's safety was now top priority, and so, I gave a quick order to Loke before using my lightning to get us back to camp without giving more damage to the girl in my arms.

We got to camp without any problems though I was worried when Lucy was unconscious. I tried my best to settle her in my tent without any pain but that was near impossible as she flinched in her sleep as soon as she landed on the ground. I never left her side and only held her hand gently in mine and I tried to bite back every drop of rage I felt as I looked at her more thoroughly. Not one part of her body had been saved from injuries. Her back had the worst of it, though her hands, arms and legs weren't any better. I could still remember that even her front had whip lashes and it was making my blood boil. Her face was bruised and I was sure that her body wasn't free from that either. But what was making me want to destroy every single one of those fucking bastards was the fact that Lucy had been naked when I found her and the fear in her voice and eyes was unmistakable. Though, I couldn't smell any man's scent on her, her actions told me otherwise. I couldn't be sure but someone had dared to touch her. My thoughts were thrown out of my head as I heard a loud gasp. I turned my head to the source and found Wendy had just entered my tent. "L-Lucy-san," she muttered out as tears threatened to spill from her eyes and I looked at her, my eyes pleading for her to get to work quickly and with bravery, she quickly wiped those tears away and started using her magic.

In the midst of it all though, I smelled Loke and Gray approaching and I supposed it was out of worry that they had barged in my tent without second thought. I looked at them both and the look in their eyes was easy to know. Guilt and pain. And in a few seconds, Gray couldn't help but get away from the tent and hear him throw up not far away. I couldn't blame him. Though Wendy was trying to heal Blondie, her appearance was still far from okay. Blood was all over my blanket and some of the lashes were still open and bleeding. Her bruises were slowly fading but it was not long after that Wendy stopped and was panting heavily. "I… I'm sorry," she whispered with tears and I nodded my head in understanding. "You did well, Wendy. Rest," I muttered and she headed out of the tent, leaving me and Loke with an unconscious Lucy. Honestly, I wanted him to leave because the last thing I wanted to do was to lash out my anger at any of our guild mates. I could blame any of them for all I care, but I was also sure that for now, it would do no good. I looked at all the blood and I couldn't hold it any longer. "Grab the bandages in the bag. I'll do it myself," I growled at Loke as I proceeded to move Lucy gently but hell that lion just couldn't shut his mouth. "Like hell, I'm gonna let you do that!" he nearly shouted at me but thought better of it and that's when Gray decided to barge in, "What the fuck is going on here?" he asked in a bit of hushed voice though showing that he was irritated and in rage. "I'm gonna bandage her up now if you got a problem with that then be my guest and grab a girl there in the battlefield while Lucy bleeds to death," I glared at them both and they didn't have the chance to retort because at that moment, Lucy decided to wake up screaming.

LUCY'S POV

I didn't want anyone near me. I didn't want anyone to see me. So, I shut myself out, willing myself to stay unconscious until the next round of suffering would come. And I supposed it came earlier than expected since the door or whatever it was called was blasted and destroyed in a matter of seconds. Perhaps they came to kill me now? I hope so. Besides, no one would come for me. Who the hell would right? And if they did, how the hell were they to find an invisible guild hall. There was no hope of being saved for Lucy Heartfilia after my cousin had apparently sealed my fate. I thought I was ready to die, but when I saw that it was a figure of a man approaching me, I couldn't help but remember what had happened to me. I was raped and used. I wished it was nothing more than an illusion, but with my body hurting everywhere, I couldn't tell anymore. What if he was here to use me? I screamed and sobbed, I didn't want to be a sex toy. I couldn't handle that kind of torture. Every bit of fear was in my eyes though that fear slowly became relief as I slowly recognized the voice calling for me.

Out of all the people, I didn't expect him to be the one to save me and I'm grateful that he found me. But still, the guild wasn't done with me. They will never stop 'till they had enough of me. They will never stop until I'm dead. And the thought of it terrified me. I begged him to get me home. Home might be the only safe place I will ever be even if one of the illusions told me otherwise. Fairy Tail would be the safest place for me. And Laxus could take me there. Laxus could save me and protect me. And he promised he would. He tried to get a shirt on me and frankly, the fabric touching my back hurt like hell. I nearly cried out in pain but I'm sure he would have noticed my pain by now. In the corner of my eye, I saw him freeing Loke and I didn't want him to see the state I was in. I want him to go back, but my keys were nowhere near me and the thought of it sent me to tears until everything went black from the pain I was feeling.

My body hurts like hell. I felt sheets under me that were wet and sticky. And I could hear voices of men. MEN?! My eyes shot open and I couldn't help but scream. I covered my ears and closed my eyes as I scrambled away from the voices. I didn't care that the pain from by wounds were getting worse. I just wanted to get away. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I sobbed and screamed. Where was I? Though I had my eyes closed, I could feel the earth beneath me, and that meant I wasn't in Fairy Tail yet. "Lucy, calm down. Your safe," a familiar voice called out but I didn't care. I opened my eyes and one by one recognition came to me. It was Laxus, Gray and Loke. Gray tried to approach me and I panicked even more. "STAY AWAY!" I screamed, "B-but Lucy," he tried to reason out and I backed away from him, and I could feel some of my body parts bleeding even more, "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!" and it was obvious that he got the message as I closed my eyes once again. "LAXUS! LAXUS!" my voice was pleading. He promised! He promised he'd take me home! Suddenly I felt strong arms wrap around me and that made me panic severely. I screamed and flailed. "Lucy, it's me," I heard the Lightning Dragon Slayer speak and I slowly calmed down though I kept on sobbing. "Y-you promised you'd take me home!" I cried. "Yeah, but you got to rest first. As soon as we bandage you up, I'll take you home," he explained but I wouldn't have any of it. "NO! TAKE ME HOME NOW! PLEASE! TAKE ME HOME!" I begged as I sobbed on his arms, my whole body trembling in fear at the thought of Fear Pythios coming after me.

"L-Lucy?" my lion called and I know that he'd already seen the depth of my injuries. I had caught a glimpse of the amount of blood on the sheets and I could feel the blood still trickling down my back. I know he'd blame himself but I didn't want it to happen. It was my choice that led both of us to this. Everything was my fault. If I hadn't been so childish as to go on a mission alone just because I was heartbroken, we wouldn't be in that mess. "I… I'm so sorry, Loke," I sobbed as I felt Laxus' arms leaving my body and when I took a peek, he had bandages in his hands. I could still see Loke within the tent and frankly, I was glad he left. Suddenly I felt the shirt being lifted for only a small fraction and I was about to panic when Laxus spoke gently, "I'll bandage you up, but I won't look, I promise. Just to seal the blood," he said and I trembled greatly though his touch has been nothing but gentle. I felt pain but I felt numb and hollow. I knew I would never be the same again. How could I be? I can never be the carefree girl again nor the girl who can find happiness in everything. Cause now, all I can feel is pain and fear. How befitting a name it was for their guild. A snake that can hide almost anywhere and inflict the worst of fears. Fear Pythios. Snake of Fear. They engraved fear into my very being, fear which I didn't know if it would ever leave me.

GRAY'S POV

Ever since Lucy left to go on her mission, guilt had been welling up inside of me. I was just so excited that Lisanna had come back since she had been one of my childhood friends. All of us had grieved the day we thought she died, and all of us just couldn't help but rejoice to the fullest when we discovered she was alive. We tried to spend every single time we had with her, and unknowingly, we had slowly neglected Lucy. The pain she must have felt was nothing I could ever imagine. Her friends were so close and yet so far. And to think that it was two weeks she had to endure. So when Laxus had told us that she went on a mission alone, I was really worried and nearly racking my brain out on why she didn't ask us to come along, especially since she never once did go on a solo mission. She would always go with us, or at least take Natsu with her. And I realized that it was our fault that she didn't dare to ask us. I was angry at myself. She was like a sister to me and she treated me like her brother and yet, I didn't even stop to think about her until we talked about going on a mission two weeks later. I am useless as a brother.

What made things worse was Fear Pythios contacting us. It was basically our fault that Lucy suffered. We had heard screams and I couldn't do a fucking thing about it. I knew that by the time we got to her, she would have already suffered a great deal. I only hoped though that we weren't too late, especially since Loke was with her. Lucy's safety was all that ran through my mind and it was damn obvious that I had no intention of going with Erza but against better judgment, I agreed. Though, I was quite glad that I managed that lightning bastard. It was partly his fault too that Lucy was in this mess. If only he had told us about Lucy's mission, we would have gone with her. Apologized. Protected her like we always did in every mission we went on. In every hardship we went through. But he denied us that information that led to this mess. The whole walk towards the guild was no better. It was pretty damn obvious that every dragon slayer was tense and that usually meant nothing good.

The whole fight was nothing but bullshit for me. I should be looking for Lucy instead of fighting the speed guy. Elfman helped me at some point and I merely used my ice to slow that damn guy. The cold was enough to make people slow after all and that gave way for Elfman to defeat that guy. This was the first time I didn't care whether I was the one who took down the enemy or not because what's on my mind was how to find and save Lucy. Not far away, I heard Loke calling for Wendy. And when I turned my head I saw a glimpse of the said Spirit. And without second thought, I ran after him. "Loke!" I called out and he immediately turned his head and I could sense that he was somehow hesitant towards me. I couldn't blame him. He probably already knew about what went on between Lucy and the team. "Where's Lucy?" I asked and only hoped that he would tell me, though the answer he gave me was the least I expected. And that's the first I really looked at him as we ran.

Loke was battered. In only a span of three days, he had gotten thinner. He looked like he was beaten half to death more than once and by the look he had in his eyes, I could only assume that Lucy had gone through worse. I would know because that's just how she is. Lucy knew that Loke was a Fairy Tail mage and a powerful one in his own right. But she would always think first that he was her spirit. One that she would never use as her shield. One that she would never let to fight alone. She would count on him to help her, but not treat her as some fragile doll. And because of that, it was evident that she would have gone through worse than he did, because just as spirits would give their all to protect their master, Lucy would give it her all to protect her spirits when they were in the human world. And suddenly, I wasn't feeling very up to see how she was, but then I got to be strong.

We reached the tent shortly after Wendy came in and I barely held back the gasp that threatened to escape my lips. Horrible. There was no other word to describe Lucy in my eyes right now. She was wearing Laxus' shirt and I was certain that she wore nothing underneath. Blood was everywhere. Wounds and bruises were everywhere. She had gone through hell and partly it was my fault. I couldn't bear to see much of her any longer as I ran outside and practically threw up everything I ate. I couldn't look at her the same way after this. She had gone through so much just because we hadn't been there for her in the span of two weeks. If only I had approached her even once, she wouldn't have suffered like this. I wish I could turn back time. I would have done differently.

I don't know how long I stood outside, contemplating on my regrets. Even though Wendy came out, I didn't know how to see Lucy again. But then, they started arguing and I was certain that it was something about Lucy and I wouldn't tolerate that they were having a fight in there while Lucy was recovering. And so, I barged in and asked them harshly and Laxus did take the chance to bite off my head. I wanted to retort, but then Lucy woke up obviously terrified as she screamed while she scrambled away from each of us. I tried to calm her down. But instead of calming her down all I got was her being afraid of me like I was the one who had hurt her, and I guess she wasn't wrong about it. All I could do for now to help her, was to get the hell out of her way.

I headed outside and thought of the one I considered my sister. Right now, she wasn't the girl I used to know and I had to wonder if the old Lucy would ever be back with us. I saw it. Lucy had not only been battered physically. Emotionally, she had been destroyed. The others arrived and they all looked at me expectantly, Gajeel being the only one who had enough courage to ask as even Natsu couldn't dare speak a word. "How's Bunny Girl?" he asked and I merely shook my head. "What do you mean by that Gray?" Natsu threatened as he grabbed a hold of my collar, a deadly look on his face and I could see that all of them were looking at me with the same eyes. "She's alive. Her wounds will heal. But I can't say she'll be fine. Her physical damage is nothing compared to her emotional damage," and with that they all realized what I meant. Natsu slumped to the ground; the girls except Lisanna began to shed tears while the she only stayed in a corner. There was one thing I thought we had in common; we hoped Lucy would pull through this.

Replies to Some Reviews:

dutchangel1979: Well, I'm sure glad you're loving the story! ^_^ :D

Anonymous: I really wanted it to be not just another "Natsu forgets Lucy and replaces her" story. I wanted to try something different and hopefully I'm succeeding.. xD

Raiza-chan: I just had to put a GaLe situation here cause I totally love them, and yes, he would kick anybody's ass who tries to do that to Levy. And I do know what you mean about Erza and Mira there, I just didn't know how to write them off and hopefully I'll do better next time.. Thank you. :)

Okay guys, I know I took a lot of time in writing this and I'm really late.. xD So, forgive me?

Give me some love and reviews, ne? And I promise I'll read them a lot! :D

Thoughts on Laxus and Lucy? How hurt do you think Gray is?

Was Lucy really raped or not? What really happened? Find out in the next chapter. :D

I appreciate the continuous support and I promise I'll have the next chapter up soon! ^_^