Chapter Twelve

Kettering

Lucy swallowed heavily as she stared at the doorknob to Erza's apartment, well aware of the three boys watching her every move from over her shoulders. They were waiting for her to do the simple thing that was leaving the apartment, but her heart was suddenly overcome with fear and uncertainty as she was faced with the task. Stepping beyond that door meant stepping beyond the threshold of safety, and that she would have to confront all of the things she'd been hiding from. Venturing outside meant that she might be recognized by someone from Zentopia, and then all that Natsu, Loke, and Elfman had done would be for nothing.

Foreseeing this risk, Erza had allowed her to borrow a pair of pants to change into so that she didn't have to deal with the long skirt she'd been in during her rescue, though the red head was a bit taller than her, so the black skinny jeans she'd slipped into crumpled at her ankles. The gray sweatshirt Natsu had given her was in a similar state of bunches around her wrists, and it fell well past her hips, hanging incredibly loose on her small frame. She'd also weaved her hair into two Dutch-braids so that it'd be easier to tuck into the hood when it was over her head.

The boys behind her had also taken every measure they could to hide their appearances, namely their hair colors, without seeming too suspicious. All three donned either a sweatshirt or a jacket, and Natsu and Elfman had both brought along caps to hide their bright locks in addition to their hoods. Lucy hoped that since the weather was steadily growing colder as winter approached, their bulky clothes wouldn't seem too out of the ordinary.

But she was still incredibly nervous despite her hopes, her heart hammering as she slowly reached for the knob. Her fingers wrapped around the handle and she twisted it open with her lips pressed into a tight, determined line. Venturing outside was terrifying, but if she ever wanted to be rid of her fears, it was something that had to be done.

"Here."

Lucy bit her bottom lip as Natsu offered her a white helmet, her fingers tangled in the portion of her sleeves that extended past her hands as she glanced between the salmon haired boy and bike behind him. She'd never ridden on a motorcycle, and with the way her life had been going, she didn't know if her heart could handle the new experience. She once thought it'd thrilling to give it a try, but now she was terrified at the thought.

Loke was already seated behind Elfman on the tan boy's own motorcycle, the duo silently watching the exchange between the blonde and the salmon haired boy.

Natsu gave her a soft smile, trying to be as gentle and as reassuring as he could, "I'll go slow, I promise. We're trying to keep the attention off of us, so speeding definitely isn't an option this time."

Her gaze fell to the pavement as she fought to work up the courage to just take the damn helmet and get on his bike behind him, telling herself that since Natsu was the one driving, she'd be fine. He'd certainly done all he could to reassure her and make her feel comfortable during their time together the previous night, and although she'd been in and out of sleep, she knew that he'd stayed by her side the whole night through, making sure that when she awoke, she was well aware of where she was and that she was safe. She wasn't sure if he'd slept at all, and she was sure that he must've been uncomfortable since he'd confined himself to only a fourth of the bed.

She was eternally grateful for what he'd done, both last night and when he and his friends had rescued her. By coming to her aid and refusing to abandon her despite the gravity of the situation, he'd proved himself worthy of her trust again.

With those thoughts strengthening her motivation and soothing her racing heart, she slowly took the helmet from his grasp and slid it onto her head. It settled into the correct position just in time for her to catch sight of Natsu's warm grin through her visor, his expression looking almost proud.

"Hop on and hold onto me tight, 'kay?"

Lucy swung her leg over the seat and lowered herself behind him before she could let herself chicken out, scooting as far forward as she dared. As she silently complied and wrapped her arms around his middle, she felt her heart begin to race for a different reason than it had previously.

Before she could elaborate on her feelings, the bike revved to life and she jumped, instinctively hugging Natsu tighter and burying her head in his back as a quick shot of fear raced through her.

"You don't have to worry, Lucy," Natsu soothed over his shoulder, somehow still sounding gentle and reassuring even though he had to shout to be heard over the motorized hum of his bike. "Everything will turn out fine. I promise."

The blonde nodded against his back, still holding tight to him despite the fact that she trusted him wholeheartedly. Even if she was beginning to feel less of afraid of the prospect of riding a motorcycle, she was still terrified that everything wouldn't turn out fine, and that somehow she'd wind up back at Zentopia and she'd be forced to marry Precht. But what worried her even more was the horrid possibilities of what might happen to the three boys who'd risked everything to save her. They wouldn't let her go easy, she knew, and neither would Zentopia. The preacher and his apostles were undoubtedly already furious beyond belief, and if a fight were to occur, she knew that neither side would escape without losing something, even something as precious as life.

Loke shivered as he and his three companions wandered through the halls of the police station, quietly remarking to himself, "I didn't even do anything wrong, but this place still give me the creeps."

Natsu shoved his hands further into the pockets of his sweatshirt, wordlessly grumbling to himself in frustration. First, Gray had refused to go to the station with them, completely unwilling to even risk seeing any of the same people who had locked him away for three years. Then, they had arrived to find that Laxus and Mira were on a call, and thus they were left to aimlessly wander around the hallways until they returned, or at least until they could find someone else who could help them, which Natsu was reluctant to settle for. He wanted Lucy's case in the hands of someone he could trust, but he knew that not everyone was always afforded such a luxury. With their luck, they'd probably get stuck with some shit detective that just wanted to get the whole case over with as quickly as possible.

Almost as if on cue, someone called out from behind, "Can I help you?"

Natsu glanced over his shoulder, the rest of his body slowly turning as he caught sight of the man who stood behind them. It was the very same detective that had been put in charge of Gray's case all those years ago, the one that had refused his phone calls and did everything he could to avoid hearing Natsu's testimony of what had happened during the accident with Macbeth.

The detective seemed to recognize him too, his brows furrowing, "Hey…aren't you the governor's brother? I thought you were studying law in Crocus. What brings you here?"

"So…you're saying that your dad forced you into joining a cult? And the leader of that cult is trying to marry you by using salvation as an excuse? Is that correct?"

Lucy curled her fingers tighter around the edges of her seat, biting her lower lip as she anxiously nodded her head.

Sitting in chair in front of a detective's desk made her feel more like she was being interrogated than finding help, and despite finally telling her story to someone who had the power to actually do something about it, her heart was pounding again. At least Natsu and the boys were still by her side, though Detective Gryder had warned them about interrupting the interview. He wanted to hear her thoughts and her thoughts alone, and in the beginning, he'd been as encouraging and unimposing as he could manage, although she was still terrified. Her anxiety grew the longer she talked and the more she told, and she could no longer bear looking the detective in the face for the sake of maintaining her resolve.

"Detective," Loke suddenly chipped in from his spot near the edge of the detective's cubicle, leaning forward with his arms crossed over his chest, "don't you think this interrogation is a bit too much?"

Lucy swallowed heavily. She supposed her concern must be visible, so she did her best to uncurl her fingers from around the edge of the seat and placed them in her lap instead, taking a deep breath to clear her face of all emotion. She didn't want to be weak anymore, and she was done being a burden to the three boys behind her.

"They should be arrested for this, don't you think?" Elfman added in.

Mest let out a heavy sigh, looking them all over for a moment before spinning in his chair to face his computer, "Let's go through this properly, step by step, before we jump to any conclusions." He glanced at the blonde in the chair in front of his desk for a moment, "Can you tell me your name and other personal information?"

She nodded her head before softly starting, "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, and I'm twenty years old."

He suddenly tensed as he turned his full attention back on her, setting an elbow on his desk and leaning forward as he scrutinized her with his gaze, "You're Lucy Heartfilia?"

The blonde glanced to the three boys behind her, unnerved by the detective's sudden shift in behavior. He definitely seemed to recognize her name, and she began to feel like she'd made a mistake by revealing her identity.

"And what's your dad's name?"

"…Jude…"

Mest huffed out a heavy breath, almost as if in disbelief, running his hand through his scruffy hair as he bitterly remarked to himself, "God, I can't believe we wasted all that time last night." He leaned back in his chair, turning his suspicious gaze to the boys standing a short distance away, firmly demanding, "How do you three know her?"

Natsu looked to his two companions for the briefest of moments before returning his focus to the detective, his arms crossed over his chest as he steadfastly declared, "We're her friends."

The blonde's hands clenched into fists in her lap at the term. It'd been so long since anyone had referred to themselves as her friend, and a spark of hope alighted in her chest when she thought that since Natsu considered her a friend, maybe she could one day belong with their group after all. She hadn't thought that anyone would want her and her burdens, but even after hearing of the load she carried, Natsu hadn't turned away, nor had any of the other boys.

The detective suddenly raised his voice to be heard by the intern seated at the next desk over, "Hey, call Jude Heartfilia and tell him to come pick up his daughter."

The intern's response of affirmation was drowned out by Natsu's furious shout of, "What?!"

Lucy flinched as his voice sharply sounded out, curling into herself both out of surprise and terror. This was exactly what she'd feared would happen. Her last encounter with law enforcement hadn't gone well, and it seemed that this confrontation was going to end similarly, with her back in the hands of her captors.

"Her dad came to us last night to report her abduction," Mest held Natsu's fiery glare with ease, more than used to have to deal with heated and furious individuals. "We were on emergency alert all night."

"But her dad's the one that locked her up!" the salmon haired boy spat. "Then he forced her to join that fucking cult and he's making her marry the leader against her will! You know just as well as I do that all of that's a crime, regardless of if he's her father or not!" He huffed out a few short breathes to calm himself, though replenishing the air in his lungs didn't have its desired effect; his frustration only growing when the detective didn't even flinch at his yapping.

"Look," his voice grew softer as he cast a quick glance at Lucy, only able to see her back but still fully capable of sensing her distress, and he felt that he was partially to blame. Yelling wasn't going to solve anything, no matter the contents of his tirade. He made sure to place special emphasis on what they'd really done as he explained his and his friends' actions, because they sure as hell had abducted her, "We rescued her because she asked us for help. Knowing that, are you still going to send her back?" he accused, his arms folded over his chest once more.

"This is clearly a family matter then," Mest rebuffed. "So, why are you guys getting involved in something that doesn't concern you? Plus, I can't start an investigation based on what you tell me alone. If we investigated every little concern that gets sent our way, then we'd never get a break. Since you're studying law, you should know that I need solid evidence first. The only evidence we have so far makes you three out to be the bad guys."

"This isn't just some stupid family matter, its domestic violence and forced confinement," Natsu ground out. He'd hated the college major his brother had forced on him, but now, he found that what he'd learned was coming in handy, "Anyone, regardless of their relation to the suspect and victim, can make a report about domestic violence. And as an officer, you're supposed to separate the victim and the assailant as soon as you receive the report." His voice grew darker and heavier, laced with more fury, "So how can you send the victim back to their abuser just like that?"

Mest's poise was beginning to crack, though not because the salmon haired boy's jibes were undermining him, more so because he was annoyed at having to deal with the four before him, namely the Dragneel boy. "Not all disciplinary acts are considered domestic violence. And like I said before, we need solid evidence before we can investigate. That's how the law works. Plus, it's incredibly difficult for any form of law enforcement to meddle with a church organization."

"God, this is driving me insane," Loke mussed a hand through his orange tufts of hair, looking around for some way to vent his frustration. Natsu was in a similar state of disarray, though his fists were clenched and he looked ready to pounce on the detective.

The only person in the group that was completely still was Lucy, her hands still fisted in her lap and her head bowed, hiding her expression from sight.

"I already told you, her dad and the cult leader are working together!" the salmon haired boy raised his voice once more, taking a step closer to the detective's desk. "Do we have to let them beat her first?! Will you believe us then?!"

"I can charge you for the way you're acting, you know," Mest lowly huffed out, his irritation inflaming more and more at the provocation. "Abduction, obstruction of justice, and contempt. I don't think even your brother could save you from those charges."

"I don't care about what happens to me!" Natsu spat back without a moment of hesitation. "How can you just send her back to them?! You're a cop! You're supposed to help people, not send them back to their doom!"

"I've had enough of!" the detective shot from his seat, his hand slamming down on his desk. His voice dropped dangerously low as he ground out, "This is a family issue, so it should be solved within the family and by professional family consultants, not some meddling kids!"

Natsu wasn't one to give up so easily, charging forward so that he was directly across from the detective, "You can't send her back to them! They're gonna make her marry a man three times her age! If this was problem that could be worked out so easily with her dad, do you really think we would've come here?!"

"That's it!" the detective directed his voice outwards, "Get him out of here!"

The same intern from before stood and made a grab at Natsu's wrist, but Elfman stepped between him and his salmon haired friend, shoving the intern backwards. Previously, their shouting had caught the attention of nearly everyone else in the precinct, but now that things were getting physical, their spectators decided to step in. A group of five officers and office workers flocked to the area to begin pulling the three boys away at the demands of their superior officer.

Natsu didn't even glance behind him as his wrist was snatched and tugged on, pointing an accusing finger at the detective with his free hand, "I thought you might've changed after what you did to Gray since you got promoted, but you're still the same piece of shit that you were back then!"

"…please…stop…" Lucy quietly breathed out, her fingers clenching around the edge of her seat once more.

No one heard her plea.

"Put them in a holding cell!" Mest commanded.

"You don't deserve to be a cop if you treat your citizens like this!" Natsu didn't tear his furious glare from Mest as he and his friends were tugged away from the detective's desk, his need to get back at the man too great for him to bother fighting back against the people dragging him off.

Elfman and Loke on the other hand were doing all they could to break free, though the orange haired boy seemed a bit apprehensive about fighting against the people who were his brother's coworkers at first.

Mest wasn't giving on his side of the fight either, still lashing out from behind his desk, "You think you can disrespect us because you're the governor's brother? He won't be able to do anything to stop us from setting you straight."

"You'll regret this!" Natsu screeched, finally beginning to struggle against the people dragging him, if only so he could bury his fist in the detective's jaw once he was free.

"Stop it!"

Everyone stilled at the shriek that suddenly slipped from Lucy's mouth, her cry far louder and more desperate than any of the shouts that had sounded in the precinct earlier. Every pair of eyes shifted to her as she slowly stood from her chair in front of the detective's desk, her head lifting so she could firmly connect her gaze with Mest's, not an ounce of fragility in her voice or expression as she steadfastly professed, "I'll go back."

Natsu's eyes widened, his arms slowly going limp in the hold of those who had grasped onto him. If the situation had been different, he would've been in awe of her strength, but he'd spent every minute of the previous night at her side, and he knew how terrified she was. This supposed new found courage she was displaying was fake, or at least, it was misplaced. He knew without a doubt that she had the everlasting strength and determination to protect her friends, but the tenacity to return to Zentopia was something he knew she lacked.

"I'll go back," she repeated resolutely, "so just let them go."

"Lucy," Natsu weakly protested, his heart breaking. He knew exactly what she was doing, that she was sacrificing herself for their sake.

Her gaze slowly shifted his way at the soft call of her name, and his heart cracked into even more pieces at the dead look of grim acceptance on her features. The fragile, fascinating and captivating beauty that he'd been hopelessly attracted to when he'd first caught sight of her in the rain that night three years ago was faded, and the fire in her eyes had been snuffed out. He'd never seen her look so emotionless, so broken.

"I knew that this would happen," she gravelly admitted, though there was no sorrow on her features, only acknowledgement. "So I'll do my best to take care of things on my own."

Natsu clenched his jaw, tears of frustration gathering in his eyes at the hopelessness of the situation.

Last night, she'd told him that she was more than ready to tear the church from the ground herself, but he'd never gotten around to making her realize that she didn't have to. She didn't have to go it all on her own…not when he was there. Not when Gray, Loke, and Elfman were there, and he knew of countless others that would leap to her aid in a heartbeat.

But if she went back to that place, none of them could follow. The church would make sure of it that she never saw the light of the outside world again, he was sure, and there was probably no way for any of them to enter the church and aid her given that the apostles knew what they all looked like.

If she went back, all that they had worked for would be for naught, and despite his refusal to give up on her, they might never see one another again.

"Good thinking," Mest huffed out in response to her resolve, obviously already tired of dealing with the situation. "The quickest way to resolve these types of things is to do it on your own." He pointed a finger at the three boys, his features and voice not softening in the least, "Regardless, I still want these three locked up."

"Yes, sir."

The hands returned to Natsu's shoulders, and this time, he fought against their pull, refusing to take his eyes off of Lucy. He wasn't going to let her go that easily, and he didn't care what charges his actions earned him. He'd devoted himself to the cause, and saving Lucy had grown to mean a lot more to him than just making up for his past mistakes. If that was the only goal he'd been aiming to accomplish, then he probably would've had no problem with letting her go back of her own free will and ridding himself of his ties to the tricky situation. But he wasn't at all okay with letting her go, not because he wanted to feel like he'd done the right thing and fought for justice, but more so because he wanted to end her suffering. He cared for her, more than she could ever know.

The blonde's features didn't shift even a fraction as she stared back at him, giving him the smallest shake of her head, gently urging him to give up and let her go.

Natsu's features crumpled into a look of defeat. The girl before him bore no resemblance to the fiery, stubborn blonde he'd fallen for at first sight all those years ago. She'd been forced to become someone else, someone unrecognizable, but not any less worthy of his affection and attention.

She didn't deserve all of the tragedy and horror that'd befallen her, and now, even if she didn't want him to get involved, more than anything else he wished to set the fire in her eyes alight once more, to restore the light that'd been stolen from her.

Lucy squinted her eyes as she gazed upon the church, its white exterior glowing in the light of the midday sun.

She'd returned, though instead of feeling afraid, she didn't really feel anything at all as she stood before the place where so she'd endured years of torment. Her brief moment of freedom and reprieve had impacted her drastically, it seemed, and returning to the church felt just as dreamlike as escaping it had.

The blonde didn't even flinch as Ultear suddenly tugged the elastics from the ends of her Dutch braids upon exiting the Zentopia van behind her, the apostle lightly humming as she brushed the golden strands out to untangle them from one another, "Spiritual Father likes it best when your hair is loose. And we better find you some different clothes, too. The ones you have on now aren't very flattering."

Lucy was still wearing the oversized, gray sweatshirt Natsu had lent her, and in a way, it felt like the clothing was his last gift of good tidings as she was whisked away once more, although she knew that hadn't at all been his intentions when he'd given it to her.

She would see him again. She'd make sure of it, regardless of how hopeless the situation seemed. Declaring her determination to take down the church hadn't been a lie, and the proclamation had come from the deepest desires of her heart.

The dark haired apostle lightly gripped her wrist, "Spiritual father is waiting. Let's go."

The blonde's gaze slowly shifted to the woman, her face blank and her voice lacking any emotion as she claimed, "I can go on my own." Her hand slipped free of Ultear's, her posture impeccably firm as she started up the stairs, not an ounce of fear on her features as she entered the church once more, ready to face whatever fate had in store for her.

"This is fucking stupid," Loke ground out, pacing around the holding cell he'd been shoved into with his two friends, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Something isn't right about this," Elfman commented suspiciously, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the stone wall. "You don't think that that church has connections here too, do you?"

Natsu pressed his knuckles harder into the center of his forehead, his hands shaking in fury. He'd sunk against one of the walls immediately after he'd been pushed beyond the bars, sliding to the floor and pulling his knees into his chest so he could prop his elbows on them. His hands were tightly clenched together and his head lowered onto them as he fought to remain calm, though it was a losing battle.

All of their work had just gone to waste, and all because of a shitty detective who was too bothered to be of any help.

What frustrated him the most was that the man wasn't technically out of line. Every lawful claim he'd made had been correct, and it irritated Natsu to no end. Regardless of the law, couldn't the detective see that Lucy had been through some shit? Shouldn't her words alone give cause for at least one visit to the church?

He clenched his fists even tighter together, lowly growling out, "We need evidence. We need something that proves those people are guilty." He finally lifted his gaze, his irises blazing with determination, "I won't stop until I find it. I'll get Lucy back…I swear."

Lucy came to a halt right after she'd entered the chapel's doors, her lips pressing into a thin line at the sight that greeted her gaze.

There were dozens of people in the room, all kneeling on the floor in rows before the pulpit, their hands clasped in front of their chests in prayer. Her father stood at the front of the room, a bit off to the side next to Zancrow and Kain. He wouldn't even so much as glance in her direction, his hands similarly held in front of his chest, allowing her a clear view of the cast that confined his right wrist.

And standing before the pulpit with one of his hands clasped around a microphone was Precht, his white suit glowing in the light of the illuminated red cross that spanned the wall behind him. A faint look of satisfaction spread across his features as he caught sight of her and Ultear upon their entrance, halting whatever sermon he'd been giving previous and shifting the topic as he purred, "Everyone, Lucy has returned to us. Come forward, dear."

Two days ago, his tone would've sent chills snaking across her frame, but she wouldn't let him get to her anymore. If she wanted to overthrow him, she'd have to be strong. So began walking down the center aisle towards him, her back still held straight and her features hardened in determination.

The congregation applauded her as she walked forward, congratulating her as if she was a soldier returned from war.

She came to a halt directly in front of the preacher, firmly holding his gaze and still standing tall. She felt Ultear's presence behind her, and she caught sight of her father and Zancrow moving towards her in her peripherals. But she didn't cast them a single glance, her attention fully devoted the white haired man before her.

"Lucy," he dictated her name delicately as if it were some precious treasure, his pleasure ridden expression still present on his features, "I was told that you willing asked to return to Zentopia. Is that true?"

The blonde immediately caught onto his schemes, knowing right away that he was trying to use her to preach again. He wanted to use her return to testify of the evil and appalling nature of the outside world, and that not even a rebellious follower like her could stand it for more than a day.

But she wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let him take advantage of her again to further infatuate and entice the innocent people behind her with such false teachings.

"You really think I came back because I wanted to?" she evenly surmised, tilting her head a fraction and quirking a single brow. Her tone adopted a bit of a bite, her voice growing louder as she hissed, "I came back to save my mom. It wasn't grace or salvation that coerced me into submission, and the real evil isn't the outside world. It's you."

Gasps and discontent murmuring filled the room behind her following her proclamation, but she didn't let it deter her. She still held her head high, her jaw clenched as she kept her gaze fastened to the preacher before her.

Precht raised his hand to silence the congregation as he began taking slow steps towards her, the mic still held to his mouth so everyone gathered could hear as he whispered, "Lucy, it seems that you are mistaken. Your feelings of aversion have spawned from the seedlings of the devil that you have allowed to fester in your heart."

"I'm sick of hearing you talk about the devil," she snarled at him before turning to face the kneeling crowd behind her, "You all need to wake up. You've given him your homes, your land, your money…you've given everything! And what's become of it? Nothing! The only thing this place has done for you is cast you into slavery. You work all day, and receive no reward. You really think that that's salvation?"

She was amazed that no one had stepped forward to stop her, even though her father and the church's apostles were standing close by. She was planning on taking full advantage of that fact though while it was true, continuing on with her tirade even though several of congregation were staring at her with the utmost horror in their eyes. If she could leave an impression on just a few and save them from this place, then that would be enough for her.

"Go home to your families! Cherish the things that matter in this life instead of throwing yourselves away for the sake of guaranteeing your salvation in the next. Don't let yourselves be fooled any longer, and get out of this place!"

She shrieked as fingers threaded through her hair from behind, clamping down on her golden strands and yanking her head backwards. Her hands immediately flew to the wrist of her assailant, and she wasn't surprised to find that it was Precht, the preacher appearing in her peripherals and keeping a tight grip on her hair as he hissed to the congregation, "Do you all see it? This is true evil. I can no longer watch idly as Lucy's soul dies. We must all stand together, and see her through prayer's cleansing fire."

"You're insane!" the blonde screeched in his face, beginning to struggle in his grasp.

He shoved her head forward before jerking her backwards once again and the blonde whimpered as her strands were tugged, feeling like they may be yanked free of her scalp.

Precht curled his arm inwards so that she was facing him, his voice low as he gravelly purred, "Lucy…you are not the pure soul that we used to know. Your spirit has been tainted, twisted into an abomination." To accent his words, he shoved her away from him, sending her tumbling towards Zancrow. The blond apostle caught her elbows, tugging her arms behind her and holding her hostage.

"You're right!"

Lucy's gaze shifted to her father, who'd sunk to his knees before the preacher, not at all bothered by the fact that the old man had obviously caused her pain.

His eyes were wide and misty as he professed, "I can hardly recognize my daughter anymore!"

"Although you may look the same," Precht quickly raked his gaze up and down her body, and the blonde was silently grateful that she was still wearing Natsu's sweatshirt, her frame concealed by its baggy fabric, "your soul has been taken captive by the devil."

"Dear Almighty, please save my daughter!"

"You have nothing to fear," the preacher slid his gaze briefly to Jude before looking over the rest of his congregation, "with our divine aid, Lucy will conquer the evil that threatens to the tear her apart."

"You're right," Lucy hissed, letting out a bitter chuckle. "I will conquer evil. You'll lose everything."

Precht's lips quirked, almost as if he was pleased to hear her utter such a thing. "How interesting," he hummed deep in his throat, turning from the blonde to face Ultear, "There was a time when Apostle Milkovich's foster daughter said the very same thing to me."

Ultear's face went blank as the topic shifted, her lips falling open a fraction as she numbly stared back at the preacher.

"The girl ended her own life only five years ago, and I had wondered why our Almighty would discharge such a tragedy on my dear apostle." He faced his congregation, projecting his voice outwards, "But now I understand. Our Almighty was preparing her to help Lucy, to save her poor soul from the evil that threatens to consume it." He suddenly whipped to face the apostle once more, "Do you believe it?"

Ulteara's eyes were still wide as he held the mic out to her, though she still somehow conjured up enough of her voice to breathily whisper, "I…I do. I'll do everything I can to make Lucy our Spiritual Mother."

Zancrow shoved Lucy to her knees and followed her to the floor shortly after, his hands pressing down heavily on one of her shoulders and keeping her on her knees. Ultear kneeled on her other side and placed her hands similarly, both bowing their heads.

Precht's hand came to rest heavily on top of her head, his voice gruff as he proclaimed, "I command you, devil, in the name of our divine Almighty, leave our dear Lucy's body at once!" His hand tightened on her skull just as Ultear and Zancrow each began using one of their hands to beat at her back, the preacher's voice growing louder as he commanded the congregation, "Let us all pray in unison for Lucy's poor soul!"

All at once, everyone in the crowd began to move, some falling forward and mumbling incoherent prayers while others' bodies contorted into strange positions as they screamed for the grace of their God.

Precht used his grip on the blonde's skull to send her upper body tumbling forward, her forearms making painful contact with the hard, cold stone of the ground as she failed to catch herself properly. Zancrow and Ultear now beat at her back with both hands, not an ounce of restraint in their blows.

The pain brought tears to Lucy's eyes, but she wouldn't allow herself to cry, gritting her teeth to hold it all in as the hits continued to rain down on her back. It was just like when her father had nearly beat her in the parking of lot of the police station a few nights ago, although this time, she wouldn't let herself pass out. She wanted to maintain her determination with strength, no matter how fuzzy and disconnected her mind was becoming.

Jude was suddenly kneeling before her, bending forward to press his forehead to the ground as he gripped her hands, almost like he thought he was providing her with some form of comfort.

Her body was starting to feel hot and heavy the longer her beating went on, her vision going blurry and the rest of her senses beginning to short circuit. She knew that Precht was still shouting to be heard above all of his followers' prayers, but she couldn't make out his words over the rest of the noise in the room, nor over the pounding of her own head.

One pair of hands slowly ceased their beating on her back, and despite all of the chaos around her, Lucy's eyes widened as she heard a sharp intake of breath on her left, the person there sounding like they were trying to conceal their sobbing. And sure enough, only moments later a tear pattered to the cold floor beside her head, the droplet splattering across the stone.

The blonde's eyes widened a fraction as she realized that Ultear was crying.

"Loke!"

The orange haired playboy jumped at the sudden shriek of his name, curiously standing from where he'd been seated on the ground between Natsu and Elfman and cautiously venturing closer to the bars.

He regretted his actions as a pair of hands shot through them, fingers roughly pinching both of his cheeks and tugging on his flesh. His eyes widened at the fury on his older brother's features, and he knew that death was most certainly quickly approaching.

"What did I tell you, you bastard! I told you to study hard and get into college. Now look what you've got yourself into!"

"Laxus, Laxus!" Loke haughtily protested, his hands shooting to wrap around his brother's wrists and save his face from being torn apart, "You're gonna kill me!"

"Elfman!" Mira was soon appearing behind her partner, worry etched onto her features as she caught sight of her little brother on the other side of the bars.

"Big brother Elf!" Lisanna was right behind her sister, a bag of her brother's favorite snacks in her arms.

Laxus' fingers were still tightly pinching his little brother's cheeks, "My anger's gonna end up killing me one day and it'll be your fault, you little shit!"

"That's enough, Sergeant Dreyar."

Mira turned over her shoulder at the new voice, her hand coming to her temple in a salute as she caught sight of Mest, greeting her superior, "Chief."

"God, this is embarrassing," Laxus huffed out, finally releasing his brother, and shoving him back a bit as he did so, before turning to face his superior.

Natsu still sat quietly in the corner of the cell that was furthest from the bars, looking over his friends' three relatives as they began to discuss the terms of their release. As he watched them, his heart began to sink, a feeling of abandonment weighing down on him.

No one had come for him. No one was on the other side of the bars arguing for his freedom.

He'd decided long ago that he didn't want Zeref's help anymore, and that he'd face the consequences of his decisions head on without his brother's powers scaring others into pardoning him. But now that a time had finally come where he was truly in trouble and without any help at all, he felt more alone than he ever had before, and with a heavy heart, he grimly realized that maybe this was what Gray had felt like all along, and what a horrible feeling it was.

"Stop it!"

Lucy's heart dropped at the sudden shriek, and her eyes widened even further as she looked up to see her mother come flying through the doors of the chapel.

Everyone was silent as the blond woman charged forward, grabbing hold of Zancrow's shoulders and shoving him off her daughter, "Don't touch her!" Layla fell to her knees beside the girl, wrapping her arms around her and protectively tucking her head into her chest, "Stop hurting her!"

"Mom?" Lucy hopefully mumbled, finally feeling a few tears slip free. She figured it was okay to cry now, because they weren't tears of weakness or fear but tears of relief. Not only was her still alive, but she was lucid, and very obviously aware of what was happening. Something must've happened over the short time she'd been away, something that had made Layla finally come back to herself.

The woman's gaze whipped to her wide-eyed, aghast husband, shrilly pleading, "Dear, you have to help us! They're hurting Lucy! They're hurting our baby!"

"It seems that the evil which was clinging to Lucy," Precht whispered lowly into his microphone, his expression not having even flinched at the sudden appearance of the Heartfilia woman, "has spread to her mother now, too."

The chapel was filled with noise once more, both the wordless muttering of the congregation and the shrieks of those who were on the floor at the front of the chapel.

Jude clutched onto Layla's shoulders, yanking her away from their daughter and shrieking into her face with wide eyes, not seeing his wife, but seeing the evil he believed was possessing of her, "You devil! Stop tormenting my family!"

"Dad, stop!" Lucy clawed at the floor to get to her parents, but Zancrow had taken hold of her once more, looping his arms around her torso and pulling her against his chest, squeezing her as hard as he could, his grip sure to leave bruises.

Layla stared up at her husband with wide eyes, not recognizing the man before her.

"Leave my wife's body at once!"

Lucy shrieked as her father slapped her mother across the face, the blonde woman crumpling to the floor with the force of the blow, "Mom!" Zancrow held her firm even as she blindly scratched at him, her gaze whipping to her father, "Stop it!"

Jude gripping his wife's shoulders once more and peeled her frame from the floor, immune to the terror on her features as he bellowed, "First, you stole my son! Now, you try to steal my daughter and wife?!" He threw her to the floor once more, beginning to beat at her back like Zancrow and Ultear had done to his daughter only moments ago.

Lucy threw her head backwards into Zancrow's face, ignoring the brief feeling of satisfaction that rushed through her as she heard his pained squawk. The moment his hold on her began to loosen she dove forward, throwing her upper body over her mother's as her father's blows continued to rain down. Jude didn't even flinch as his victim changed, still bringing his fist down without restraint again and again, ignoring the sounds of his daughter's shrieks echoing throughout the chapel.

"Natsu."

A bitter taste immediately filled the salmon haired boy's mouth at the voice that called his name, his eyes stone cold with hatred as he lifted his gaze to the woman standing the on the other side of the bars.

He was alone in the holding cell now, Loke and Elfman having been taken home by their respective relatives. Just when he'd been wondering if he'd ever be free, she had come. Dimaria, his brother's malicious blonde secretary.

"Let's go," she ordered monotonously, her features blank. "Your brother's waiting for you."

Natsu dropped his head with a bitter chuckle, sourly remarking to himself, "If he wants to see me, couldn't he have come himself?"

"The governor's a busy person," Dimaria replied flatly. "He can't just take time out of his schedule for every small issue that arises."

"'Small issue?'" the salmon haired boy spitefully repeated. "His little brother's arrest is a small issue?"

Dimaria didn't bother with responding, her voice cold and firm as she ground out once more, "The governor's waiting."

Natsu clenched his jaw, "Then he can sit and rot while he's waiting for me. I don't want to see him."

"If you make him mad, he'll see to it that you never this cell again," the blonde secretary spat back, "regardless of the fact that you're his little brother."

The salmon haired boy almost said to hell with it just to spite his brother. Even if it was at his own expense, he wanted to make Zeref suffer the consequences of his past decisions. What the governor had done to Gray had completely shredded Natsu's trust in him, and the salmon haired boy wanted his brother to regret that choice for the rest of his life.

But he swallowed the words at the last second as a thought came to mind. This was probably the only chance at freedom he'd get.

He couldn't forget why he was in this cell in the first place, and that he'd failed to keep one of his own promises.

Lucy had been dragged back to that godforsaken cult, and she was probably already suffering the consequences of running away.

He couldn't abandon her. He'd pledged himself to making up for his past mistakes, and he'd fully devoted himself to the cause, refusing to let those freaks force her into such horrifying, disgusting things.

So he stood and made ready to follow Dimaria out of the station as the cell door was unlocked, complying not for his brother's sake, but for Lucy's.

He'd save her, even if it killed him.

Lucy whimpered as her father tossed her into one of the prayer rooms in the church's basement, hissing through clenched teeth as her back ached with her movements.

Jude stared down at her crumpled form with a look of utmost hatred, his eyes cold as he ground out, "You must repent of your filthy sins if you want to receive salvation. Becoming Spiritual Mother is the only way our family can be reunited with Sting and board the Ship of Salvation together."

The blonde held back a shriek as she pushed her upper body off of the floor, wrapping an arm around her middle as she shifted to glare at her father over her shoulder with angry tears in her eyes, her voice hoarse as she breathed out, "I want to be with Sting again more than anyone. But…but that's not going to happen if we stay here." Her voice grew harsher as she hissed, "You're just being fooled by their dirty tricks and lies."

His lips twitched, almost as if in a snarl, "You will not be allowed to leave this room until you've repented, and your soul has been cleansed by the Almighty's divine fire. Pray diligently, Lucy, and seek His mercy. You'll be needing it."

Her arm gave out on her and she collapsed back to the floor with a whimper as the door slammed shut behind him, and the room was cloaked in darkness save for the glowing red cross mounted on the wall.

AN

Yeah, Lucy's already been taken back to Zentopia...We're kind of entering the end game though, so Natsu will really start to play the 'hero' role and the plans to take down the cult will officially begin to unfold! And a new ally is gained in the next chapter, as well~

Funfact: Nearly every chapter in this story is named after a song. Thus far, all except but 1, 3, 4, and 9 are, and most of the coming chapters have song inspired titles. For most, I picked the titles because the name fit the events of the chapter, but also in some cases, because I felt like the vibe of the song fit the tone of the chapter, too. For this chapter, the song is Kettering by The Antlers. The lyrics about a cancer patient and a doctor, so obviously they don't really match up with this story, but I felt like the vibe of the song fit Natsu's and Lucy's feelings as they separate once more, and also Lucy's feelings as she returns to Zentopia. Check it out if you feel so inclined ;)

As always, thanks for reading! And a special thank you to my lovely followers and reviewers!

See you next Friday!