BROKEN AND BRUISED
CHAPTER 4
Lucy stood in front of the master's office and took a deep breath. She had to do this, even if it was killing her on the inside. She knocked his door and waited for him to reply, after he did she went into his office.
"How can I help you my child?" asked the master looking up at her gratefully, because she just saved him from doing paperwork.
She looked everywhere but in his eyes "Master, I-I want to request a leave absence." She met his gaze and immediately regretted it, his smile faded and his eyes shadowed a bit.
"Why my child, did something happen?"
"It's something personal master, but don't worry I will be back."
At this he seemed to brighten up a bit "How long will you be gone?"
"Four to five years." A tear rolled by his cheek, he was really upset considering she was one of his favorite here, always bright, smiling and simply beautiful.
She smiled at him kindly "But I promise you I will be back, and a celestial mage never breaks her promises."
He seemed pleased by her answer and as he went to erase her mark, he looked at her "Does this have something to do with my grandson?"
She looked taken aback, and that was all he needed to confirm his suspicion, ever since the battle of Fairy Tail Lucy was not the same.
"Whatever he did I will help you, you don't have to-"
"Master" she looked at him kindly and he saw her fighting back the tears "I have to do this, and don't worry I will be fine, I am not alone."
He erased her mark and she went and hugged him as he cried silent tears, not noticing that the blonde had tears of her own flowing.
Walking to the door, she opened it and looked back at the master "If you could please tell them after I leave the guild later, and take care… gramps."
He choked back a sob and nodded "Take care child, and know that you will always have a family here."
After that she walked out and went to Gajeel' table, he was sitting next to Levy. He looked up at her and smiled a bittersweet smile, which she mirrored. His eyes landed on her right hand, now free of the color pink and the Fairy Tail mark. She sat with them that day and just hung out with the guild. Team Natsu was sitting on a table in the middle of the guild, chatting away. When Natsu noticed Lucy he waved at her and she smiled at him, walking up to them she had to muster all her strength not to break down. Sitting with them, all it did was reminding her of what she was giving up on.
At night, Gajeel waited for her to head back. He looked at her and he could tell that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He slung his arm around her shoulder and smirked down at her when she looked up at him. She smiled kindly and it warmed his heart to see her smile. The trek back home became more bearable.
"How did he take it?" he asked her as they stepped inside the house.
"He started crying and then I started crying and god Gajeel he somehow knew it was because of Laxus." She rambled on with tears cascading down her face. Gajeel knew where the night was going, with her crying and him comforting her.
XXX
The next day Gajeel woke up to find Bunny curled up in a ball next to him, he sighed and got up. Looking back at her he saw her shivering and he draped a blanket on her. As he walked inside the kitchen he felt a presence behind him and instantly knew who.
"Morning Kitty."
"I am not a kitty you dipshit. How is she today?" asked Leo the lion, also referred to as Loke after he heaved a sigh.
"Emotionally stressed. Believe me those hormones of hers are gonna be the death of me." He chuckled as he prepared his breakfast, and prepared a special one for her. Not many people know this, but Gajeel was a natural in the kitchen. He knew how to make some exquisite dishes and the blonde loved that about him.
He looked back at the kitty to see him gazing at the blonde who is curled up on the sofa.
"She will be fine, she's a fighter."
Loke met his gaze and grinned "I know."
Gajeel ate his breakfast and went to take a shower. After he prepared himself, he got ready to leave his home. He turned to look at the kitty as he was about to open the door.
"Don't worry, I'm here if anything happens to her I will get you."
He nodded and exited.
Reaching the guild, he was not excited for he knew what was going to happen today. To prevent Natsu from catching her scent on him, he changed his cologne and also showered before he left.
After he walked in, he looked up at the railing and saw the master standing on it. The whole guild was dead silent, and he only wondered if he already told them.
"Brats, I have some unfortunate news to tell you."
Well it seems that he hadn't yet told them anything. He was relieved for a moment that maybe he escaped the emotional moment. It doesn't seem that way at all.
"Lucy" he took a deep breath "Has left the guild."
Nothing but silence in the guild, and Gajeel knew he was not going to like the outcome of this silence.
"WHAAATTTTTT!"
Questions like why and where is she, and if something happened to her were cast from members who deeply cared about the blonde. They were all heartbroken that the bubbly, cheerful mage left the guild. Mira already started missing her, crying a bit as she thought that she lost another sister. Erza was angry, Natsu and Gray were shocked to respond and do anything.
Gajeel looked around him and all he could see were people crying, punching something and some shocked faces. Those faces were the Raijinshuu' ones, they knew what happened to Lucy and concluded her leaving had something to do with Laxus and what he did to her. They had no idea that it was much more than that.
Gajeel couldn't take the atmosphere and left to some bar where he can drink and forget shit for a while. Brown eyes followed him as he left, and she wondered, out of all the people in Fairy Tail, he was the only one who didn't show any shock to what happened.
Normally she wouldn't be suspicious if it wasn't the leave of the blonde, because Gajeel has always been distant with the guild members but she knew he was close to the blonde, she saw them hugging. So she was left to wonder, if he already knew?
XXX
It has been a month since the blonde left the guild, and it was slowly getting its rowdiness. It was better after the master told them about her promise and they all knew the importance of promises to celestial mages.
The Raijinshuu were now more distant with the people in the guild, they felt responsible with what happened to the blonde, because they didn't intervene. But they knew that even if they did they would have died. Laxus was not in control of what happened then, and he sure as hell wouldn't mind killing them.
They also noticed that the iron dragon slayer started taking more jobs, spend less time with Levy, which was getting her frustrated.
They were in the market when they noticed Gajeel buying a lot of groceries, and it was understandable for he was a dragon slayer, but what caught their attention was the amount of strawberries he was getting, and knowing Gajeel he hates strawberries, you could tell by the scowl on his face when he was buying them. And the only person who likes strawberry so much is…Lucy.
Freed looked back at his companions who nodded at him. He got out his sword and enchanted a rune on himself and his team members that would hide their presence. They then proceeded to follow him, with Gajeel not having any idea that someone was following him.
When he entered a forest they stopped in their tracks.
"What the hell he doing in some forest?" inquired Bickslow with his babies repeating the word forest.
"Only one way to find out." Replied Evergreen.
They continued their march into the forest and they came upon a clearing that was enchanting with the cabin in the middle and the pond behind it. Gajeel was walking to the cabin's door when it opened and someone they haven't seen in a month comes out.
"Gaj-nii you are home." Cheered the blonde and then laughed as Gajeel almost tripped from the nickname she gave him.
"The hell Bunny? What's with the nii?" he said as he straightened himself and the bags in his hand, she came to help him but he refused and said that he got it.
"It just seemed fitting." He grunted at her response and Lucy only giggled, that was until she heard someone call out her name and she froze in her spot. Gajeel quickly dropped the bags and stood in front of Lucy protectively.
"Fairy woman, the hell you doing here? And how the fuck did I not sense you?" he growled at them, he knew they knew what Laxus did to her, and he despised how they didn't stop him from doing it.
Two other people emerged from behind a bush and he couldn't help the groan that bubbled from him, he was getting frustrated and Lucy felt it. She slowly turned to look at the trespassers of their little land. Once she locked eyes with them, they immediately saw how tired she was. Bags under her eyes, pale skin and it appears she gained a bit weight.
They could see how she supported herself by leaning on Gajeel. He turned to her and worry etched his face "Are you okay?"
"Yeah just suddenly got tired." She said as she laid her head on his chest.
"Don't worry you have an appointment tomorrow with the old hag."
She giggled at the nickname he gave to Porlyusica-san, but suddenly stopped as she toppled over in pain, clutching her stomach, the pain subsided a bit.
The guests were quickly by her side as Gajeel disappeared in the cabin.
"Lucy-san are you alright?" asked her Freed.
"Just peachy." She groaned. Seconds later Gajeel came back with a pill and a cup of water. He handed them to her and picked her up after she swallowed them. He turned to the three people standing and heaved a sigh before he invited them in.
He laid her on the couch and covered her in a blanket. The other three took seats on the chairs beside the table in front of the sofa. A bell sounded and a frantic looking lion spirit came to be as he looked around and his eyes landed on the blonde sweating on the couch.
"Princess what happened?" he leaped to her side and quickly grabbed her hand, this seemed to ease her a bit. He looked at Gajeel then past him when he saw the three people on his hate list "What are they doing here?" he growled, which surprised Gajeel because he has never seen the spirit this mad before, while Evergreen, Freed and Bickslow squirmed in their places. They knew they were hated and not wanted here, but they still had a purpose in mind.
A smack was heard and they turned their heads to see the struggling mage scrutinizing her spirit "Loke you know what happened to them and the situation they were in, they were just as helpless as me."
Loke looks back at them and then sighs "Really woman you have to stop forgiving easily."
She just giggled at him and shook her head "Never."
He smirked a bit then his face turned serious as he looked at Gajeel "What do you think is going on?"
Gajeel sighed and shook his head "Maybe the constant drain of her magical energy?"
The lion spirit face palmed himself 'Of course it was that.' He looked at the blonde and he was lost on how to help her.
"Um, why is Lucy-san's magic being drained?" asked Freed shyly, because by the looks he received from the iron dragon slayer and the spirit he knew he asked something wrong.
By now the blonde was asleep and they sat on the dining table to let her rest. The spirit looked at the slayer who nodded. They both knew that these three will not leave here without getting answers.
"Princess is pregnant."
The shock faces planted themselves on the Raijinshuu, who all looked at the blonde then at the spirit. Evergreen slowly rose on her feet and looked at Loke "And the father?"
The spirit looked angrily at her and spat "I think you know damn well who the father is."
She got up and bowed, crying hard and muttering the words 'I'm sorry' repeatedly.
Loke and Gajeel were both shocked with wide eyes, and their jaws dropped when they saw the other two follow her suit. They both felt uncomfortable by the whole situation.
Small arms held the fairy mage up and hugged her "It's okay, it wasn't your fault. You were as vulnerable as I was, all of you." The fairy mage only cried harder at her words, and as she looked back up at the blonde girl, she clasped her hands in front of her and said "Lucy please let me help you with whatever you need, just say it and I will do it."
"Me too, I want to help Lucy-san with whatever she needs."
"Count me in."
Lucy looked at the three of them and smiled at them kindly "Hai, Arigato!" while the spirit and slayer grinned at the scene in front of them.
XXX
It's been a week since the Raijinshuu found out about Lucy, they had visited her every day, brought her a lot of food, and even took her to her doctor's appointment, where they had to handle a cranky old woman by the name of Porlyusica.
At the moment, the blonde was sitting outside enjoying the sun with Ever next to her talking about the baby, and names fitting for a girl and a boy.
"It's only been two month Ever, you really need to calm down a bit." Said Freed as he came out of the house holding a tray of fresh lemonade. He handed one to the giggly blonde and one to the frustrated fairy woman.
"It's never too early Freed, plus picking out names saves a lot of time." Shot back Evergreen at the green haired mage who was sipping his lemonade enjoying the scenery.
"Okay guys, I need to get ready." Lucy said while getting out of her seat.
"Where to Lucy-san?" asked Freed as he got up to help her back.
The blonde giggled and refused his help "I will be fine Freed it's just a few steps. And please Lucy is fine."
The rune mage blushed from embarrassment and nodded.
"I will be visiting the asshole."
"You are going to the prison?" asked Ever in bewilderment.
"Yes, I am."
"Well, be careful. Do you need us to go with you?" inquired Freed as he gazed worriedly at the blonde.
Lucy shook her head "I'll be fine, plus Gaj-nii is coming with me and you guys need to prepare for your mission."
"Woman what did I tell you about this fucking nickname?"
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Lucy smiled and turned back to see Gajeel standing on the porch "How have you been…" he narrowed his eyes at her "Gaj-nii?"
He heaved a sigh and went back into the house "You have ten minutes to prepare or I'll leave you on your own to hop there by yourself Bunny."
"Hai!" the blonde then hurried back inside, leaving behind her two snickering mages.
Ten minutes later, the blonde was ready and they left for the council headquarters after Lucy said goodbye to the Raijinshuu and Gajeel grunted them a goodbye.
Arriving at the headquarters, the rune knights were surprised to see Lucy there, knowing that she left the guild and moved out of the city, since it was the talk of town, that she left the guild and as well the town.
Telling them that she came to see a certain poison dragon slayer left them baffled for very obvious reasons, but seeing the male who was standing behind her that they easily recognized as Gajeel, the iron dragon slayer from Fairy Tail, they let her in, but not before the blonde making them promise they won't tell a soul that she has been here, and for Gajeel to just glare at them.
XXX
"Hey poison freak, someone is here to see you." A guard said to the person laying on the far end of the room, his back facing the guard.
"Well are you not going to move?" the guard asked as he gazed on Cobra's figure. When he didn't get a response from him, the guard just turned around and left him while muttering that it's his loss.
The door shut behind the guard and Cobra heaved a sigh of relief. The door opened again and he quickly stiffened, especially when he smelt the sweet smell of strawberries and vanilla.
"Well are you not planning on getting out?"
He sucked in a deep breath and grit his teeth, he missed her melodic voice that seemed to calm his mind instantly.
"Why should I when your foot seems to like my face so much?"
The blonde giggled at his response "Oh don't tell me you are still hung up on that, I won't apologize if that is what you are waiting for, you deserved it you know."
The corner of his lips uplifted a bit, in truth Cobra knew that he deserved this kick, and he applauded her when he woke up and he found himself in his cell. But, he worked hard to make himself believe that this is all not real, that she didn't care, no matter if the dragon inside him didn't agree with him in this at all, he just felt and thought, that someone like him, doesn't deserve to be cared for in this life.
"Are you going to let a pregnant lady stand this long?"
His body went rigid. The different souls he heard back then were of her and the babies. He slowly turned to look at her "You're pregnant?"
She nodded and smiled kindly while she rubbed softly her little barely showing bump. He got up and walked to the cell.
"Can you go call the guard so he can let me out Sunshine?"
She brightened at the nickname he gave her "Why not you call him, he is standing right over there." She pointed with her head behind her where the guard stood next to the door.
She smirked at him and he grinned at her "Well you know I have a reputation I need to keep Sunshine."
She giggled and went to the guard. Five minutes later, the guard came and opened up his cell, put some magic concealing cuffs on Cobra and brought him out to a room where Sunshine and Iron head were waiting for him. The guard sat him at the chair and then left them to give them some time alone.
Cobra looked at the blonde then away "I should have known."
The blonde tilted her head while the slayer next to her raised his eyebrow "Know what Coco-nii?"
Cobra' mouth hang open while his mind went blank, on the other hand Gajeel was in fits of laughter from the expression on Cobra's face.
"Co…Coco-nii?" Cobra asked, he wasn't sure he heard what she said right. She nodded brightly at him, and he slammed his head at the table while Gajeel was in full blown laughter.
The smile on the blonde's face grew and she soon joined Gajeel with laughing. The poison slayer looked up at the blonde to see the mischief twinkling in her eyes "Sunshine you just keep on surprising me today."
She giggled but then stopped "So what were you talking about?"
He looked at her and sighed "I should have known you were pregnant."
The blonde and the slayer before him looked at him confusingly "How so?" asked the iron dragon slayer.
"I can hear souls, and that day I heard your soul mixed with others."
The color drained from the blonde's face while the iron dragon slayer widened his eyes "Others?" inquired the blonde with eyes seeming lifeless.
"Yeah… you didn't know you are pregnant with triplets?" he saw how she was about to faint and quickly he looked to the iron slayer for help, only to see that he fainted a long time ago.
He looked back at her to see her hyperventilating "Oh my god, how am I supposed to care for them all? How am I supposed to provide for them? What will happen to me if I died? Who will take care of them?"
"Sunshine, breathe!"
She kept rambling on, he could hear her heartbeat increasing and her soul sending a doom like melody.
"Sunshine breathe! The father will help you for sure, you are not alone."
The blonde stiffened and the iron dragon slayer woke up at the word 'father'.
She looked down at her lap, and then back at Cobra with misted eyes "No he wouldn't." she whispered so low he barely heard it.
Cobra looked at her and then at Gajeel, who was now sitting at his chair upright, glaring at something behind Cobra. He didn't need more than that to know that the father was not involved in their life.
He looked back at his Sunshine and he wondered what happened, but he knew not to ask. She looked at him and smiled softly, before taking a deep breath and started retelling him what happened. He wanted to stop her, but she said that he was family and he deserved to know.
By the end of her story, Cobra wanted nothing more than to chase the lightning dragon slayer and kill him. He didn't give a fuck that he was controlled, he only cared that he hurt Sunshine and left her with so much responsibility while he is off somewhere having the time of his life.
"How?" he asked her through gritted teeth.
The blonde tilted her head in confusion "How what?"
"How are you still smiling?"
The blonde looked at him weirdly while Gajeel answered "It's just who Bunny is."
Cobra was about to say something when a guard cut them off saying that visiting time is over. The blonde got up and hugged Cobra.
"I promise you I will visit you soon Cobra."
He returned her hug "Erik."
The blonde let go of him and raised an eyebrow "Erik is my real name."
The blonde smiled "Well then, I promise I will visit soon Erik-nii."
Cobra rolled his eyes and watched as the blonde left after waving goodbye, just as Gajeel was leaving behind her Cobra stopped him.
"You know what this means?"
The iron dragon slayer narrowed his eyes at the poison dragon slayer "What do you mean?"
The poison slayer heaved a sigh and while being taken away by a guard back to his cell, he said some words that will haunt Gajeel forever.
XXX
Lucy was waiting for ten minutes before Gajeel got out.
"Finally Gaj-nii, what took you so long?"
He looked at her then suddenly hugged her "Don't worry, it was nothing important."
She returned his hug and nuzzled her head in his chest "Are you sure? You didn't even react to the nickname."
He chuckled and broke free from the hug "Am sure Bunny don't worry about it."
After that, they both walked to the train station to go back home. The ride home was silent mainly because of Gajeel' incapability to speak because of his motion sickness.
Gajeel sat at the steps leading to the porch with a beer in hand, it was way late in the night and he couldn't sleep. The words that Cobra said were haunting him. He looked back at the house behind him, where Bunny was sleeping. Accepting the idea that she was going to have triplets was hard, and for now he still felt her hesitant about the situation. But he knew she could pull through, because she was not alone. He was not going to leave her side, for his dragon would go crazy without her, and so would he.
"Us slayers can make only one person pregnant, And I think you know who I'm talking about."
Those were the words Cobra said to him. Recalling those words, Gajeel shattered the beer he was holding. He knew that it won't be long before Laxus comes back once he realizes who Lucy is to him, and Bunny is not ready at all to face Lightning rod at the moment.
He felt a shift in the air and immediately he was on his feet, he felt that something really wrong was about to happen, and that is when he saw it. A large hole formed in the sky and it appeared to get bigger, he turned to rush inside to get Lucy to safety when he saw the cabin in front of him with the scenery behind it disappear.
Everything around him disappeared but he didn't care, the girl he considered as a little sister, who was family to him, disappeared. It was snowing and the ground was covered in snow. He hung his head and his eyes were shadowed, a tear rolled on his cheek and fell to the snow, melting and creating a place for it.
"You look horrible when you cry' she said."
He quickly looked at his side and saw the spirit that looked like a clock, Horologium, and inside him was a naked Lucy waving at the iron dragon slayer with a smile on her face. The slayer looked at her with wide eyes before they softened and he gave her a smirk before he burst out laughing.
After she got out and Virgo handed her some clothes, she looked around her "What happened? Everything is gone."
He looked around as well "I don't know, it just suddenly happened, everything I suppose was sucked in that circle."
She turned to him "Circle?"
"Anima." They both turned to see a cloaked man approaching them, Gajeel stood protectively in front of Lucy.
"Who are you?" asked Gajeel.
The man before them came nearer and stopped right before them "My name is Mystogan."
The blonde and the slayer both widened their eyes.