Threads

(A Five Part Series)

A/N: This is the first installment of a five part series. The following deals with negative situations that some people may find triggering and upsetting. I want to take the time to warn you of this now. I wrote this piece as a commentary on a social issue that is often in the media and that far too many of us have experienced first hand. Sexual assault is not something to be taken lightly and is most certainly not a joke. Please read with care, and leave a review if you wish to comment. Thank you for reading. :heart: ~ Azami

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Part One: Coming Home

"Just a few more miles until we're home, Happy!" Natsu said cheerfully, pointing to the road sign that was posted on the junction in the road. The aged sign read "MAGNOLIA 3 miles" in faded white script painted on the weather-worn wood.

"Aye Sir!" the blue exceed chimed happily. "I can't wait to get some yummy fish!"

"Yeah, I can't wait to get something to eat, too. I'm starving!" the dragonslayer said in agreement. "And we'll get to see Lucy!"

"Yeah, I miss Lucy! It's kinda weird going on jobs without her," Happy said, flying next to Natsu and keeping pace with him.

Natsu frowned a little and nodded solemnly. "Me too, buddy. It'll only be like this for a little while longer. Then we'll go back to normal."

They walked along in a comfortable silence, making their way toward Magnolia. They'd been walking for a long while now, Natsu not wanting to take the train for such a short distance. He avoided transportation whenever he could get away with it. Walking was definitely a preferred method of travel. And most of the time they used transportation because Lucy was with them. When they were on the their own, Happy could carry Natsu for fairly long distances, and then he'd spell the exceed by carrying him as they walked. But to tell the truth, having to ride the train was well worth it if it meant Lucy was with them.

Lucy. He had really missed her the last few days. Right now was solo mission season working up to the upcoming S-Class trials, so they were working on their own for the time being. Natsu wanted a real shot at S-Class this year, and he really felt like he was ready for it now. After everything they had been through in the last couple of years, he was more than prepared for what was to come during the trials. He wanted to do it for himself, but he also wanted to do it for Lucy. If he was raised to S-Class, they could go on better jobs and she would have all the money she needed. And then he could help her train so that she could make S-Class, too. Most importantly, it would ensure a more stable future with larger job payouts, and it would allow him to save. He wanted to be able to provide Lucy with the life she deserved.

Their relationship had started to change after the Alvarez War. They had come really close to losing one another, and both admitted that it had changed their perspectives. He never wanted to be in that position again. When he thought Lucy was dead, it killed all the light inside of him. All he wanted was revenge. And it had been her alone that saved him from the same fate as Zeref's other demons. After everything that had happened, he knew how he felt about her. They started out slow, but over time their close friendship progressed into something more. Sure they were a couple in the traditional sense now… but it meant so much more than just that to him. He knew she was the One.

Ever since they had started making that transition, he found it hard to be away from her. The only reason he was doing it now was because he had to. He had tried to mostly stick to one day jobs that would allow him to be at home by nightfall so he could see her again. She had been taking some solo jobs, too. And she had been training extra hard. He was really proud of how far she had come. She had turned into a phenomenal wizard, and was one of the strongest people he had ever known. He really respected her on a professional level and admired her character. She was loving, kind, brave, determined. And she exuded this awesome confidence when she smiled. Plus, she was fun and full of life. There was a light about her that burned brighter than any flame he had ever seen. In short, she was amazing and he wanted to do everything he could to make her happy.

After awhile they approached the outskirts of Magnolia, the town now in view. They both quickened their pace, now running (and flying) toward town. Their first stop would be the guildhall. It was early afternoon and it was likely that Lucy was there. Lucy and food, their two main objectives. The guildhall would be the best place to be. And of course there was the rest of the guild. It was always good to see his nakama. But he couldn't deny that she was the foremost thing on his mind at this point. They reached the guildhall in record time, Natsu stopping for a moment to catch his breath.

"Good race buddy," he said, his chest heaving and his signature grin plastered across his face.

"Aye sir!" Happy chimed cheerfully as Natsu opened the guild doors and they entered.

As per usual they were met with a sea of familiar faces, drinking, talking, and hanging out. It was the usual crowd alright. Natsu greeted others as they saw him come in, working his way through the crowded guildhall. He smiled through the high fives and cheers of greeting, all the while, his eyes scanning the guildhall for a familiar bouncy blonde, but he didn't see her anywhere. He wasn't picking up her scent either. Slightly confused and thoroughly disappointed, he scanned the bar area again, and still saw nothing. He made his way up to the bar and slid into a seat, glancing up and down the bar again. Mirajane noticed him and waved as she approached.

"Hey Natsu! Welcome back! Can I get you anything?" she asked with her usual cheerful tones, smiling brightly at him, her head cocked to one side.

The dragonslayer scowled a little and shook his head. "Not yet Mira.. Have you seen Lucy?" He looked at her hopefully, eyes wide, but she shook her head.

"She hasn't been in for a few days. I guess she got sick on her last solo job and has been holed up at home," Mira said, frowning a little and looking concerned. "I know Levy and Wendy have gone to check on her. Maybe ask them."

Natsu furrowed his brow and frowned. She was sick? Poor Luce. Whenever she was sick she did hole up in bed for days on end. It always seemed to hit her a little harder than it did other people. He turned and saw Levy McGarden a short distance away.

"Thanks Mira," he said, turning away from her and making his way over to Levy.

The solid script mage looked up from her book when he approached, greeting him with a genial smile. The two weren't especially close, but they had grown up together, regarding one another as family. And she was Lucy's closest friend aside from him and Happy. They shared an intense love for books and writing.

"Hey Natsu! Back from your job?" she said in greeting, smiling at him. He slid into the seat across from her, looking around again and then back to her.

"Hey.. yeah. Listen, have you seen Lucy? Mira said she's been sick and hasn't been in," he asked, the concern in his eyes growing.

Levy frowned a little. "Yeah...she has been, but she won't let anyone in the door. Honestly it's a little worrisome. She says she's fine but she refused to open the door."

Natsu felt his stomach twist. He had a bad feeling.. That wasn't like Lucy. She would usually at least open the door to talk to them. It was weird that she would just totally shut everyone out like that.

"Yeah, I'm a little worried, Natsu," came a small voice from behind him. He turned and saw Wendy Marvel standing a short distance away, her eyes filled concern. "She wouldn't even let me in to heal her at all. Usually if she's sick, she'll at least let me in to check up on her."

Now he was really worried. Something was wrong. He could feel it.. Getting up from his seat, he made the decision to go check it out for himself. He saw Happy was by the bar, eating fish from a plated pile that sat next to him.

"Hey Happy," he called, "I'm gonna go check on Luce! I'll catch you a little later, buddy."

The cat waved, giving a muffled response as his face was stuffed with fish. Natsu turned sharply and headed toward the door. He ignored any calls from the others as he left, the only thing on his mind was getting to Lucy. He headed toward her apartment, breaking into a run. As he got closer, his worried mounted further. He reached her apartment and glanced up at the window and then the front door. He decided to enter through the window, ensuring that he would get into her apartment. He quickly hoisted himself up and found her window was cracked open, allowing him to slide open and slip inside. He looked around and didn't see her anywhere. He could smell her though, so he knew that she was somewhere in the apartment.

"Lucy? Where are you?" he called out, and then waited. No answer. He could hear the faint sound of water running. The shower. She must be taking a shower. Concerned, he went closer to the bathroom door and listened. He could hear her sniffling and making soft moaning noises through shuddered breaths. She was crying.. He rapped on the door, calling out to her.

"Luce? Are you okay?" He waited for a minute and her cries increased. Natsu stood at the door, fear overtaking him. Anxious and on the border of freaking out, he gripped the handle of the door and called to her again.

"Lucy, I'm coming in, okay?" he said tentatively, turning the handle on the door, her cries growing louder as he cracked open the door. He squinted to peek into the room, and saw her, sitting in the bathtub, still fully clothed, but the shower running onto her body below. She was sobbing, her skin turning pink from the scalding hot water pelting her from above.

"Jesus, Luce.. what's going on?" he cried out, rushing to turn off the hot water supply. She shuddered, over and over again as the sobs wracked her body. She could only cry louder in response.

He rushed to pull her out of the tub and eased her to the floor with him, pulling her into his lap. She turned her body and clung to him, wailing and moaning as she cried. Panicked, he pulled her tight to him, holding her as close as he could. He had no idea what was going on, but he was desperate to find out.

"Lucy.. what's wrong?! Did someone hurt you? What's going on?" he asked, his voice wrought with emotion, pleading with her.

She just cried, unable to speak through her sobs.

"Please Luce… talk to me.."

They just sat there for awhile, her clinging to him as she cried. He just held her, whispering soothingly, petting her hair. Eventually the cries slowed to sniffles and the occasional shudder, but she remained clinging to him. He reached up onto the counter and manage to reach a towel. He wrapped it around her, gently caressing her cheek with his calloused fingertips. She managed to look up at him, her eyes puffy and still glassy with waiting tears.

"Luce…" he murmured, still holding her gaze. She looked back him in a desperate silence, her expression deeply pained. She looked so sad...so hurt. It killed him to see her this way. It ripped him apart on the inside to see her cry like this.

"Natsu…" she let out in a hoarse whisper. "He...he...grabbed me...t-touched me… I.. I'm sorry.. I didn't mean…" and then she started to cry again, her cries louder this time. He held her tight, stroking her hair and whispering to her as she cried. Inside, his heart was pounding like a thundering drum. Someone had hurt her… they had violated her. Anger pulsed through his veins as his body went rigid. Someone hurt Lucy….his Lucy.

He wanted to know who did it to her, but he was careful not to needle her for information right away. Instead, he helped her change, and get dried off. As he helped her put on her pajamas, he noticed bruises upon her body, the anger swelling in his gut, feeding his inner fire. He insisted on carrying her to her bed, and she didn't protest, cradling close against him. Once he had her on the bed, he wrapped the comforter around her, stroking her cheek. He turned toward the small kitchenette and moved in that direction when he felt himself jerked back a little. Confused, he turned back around and saw that Lucy was gripping the back of his vest, looking up at him questioningly. He reached to caress her cheek again.

"I'm just gonna get you some tea, Luce. I'll be right back, I promise," he said reassuringly, leaning in and pressing his forehead to hers, stroking her hair affectionately. He gently nuzzled his nose against hers and smiled. She nodded a little and release her grasp on him, her hands shaking a little.

Natsu made quick work of preparing her some tea, using his own fire to boil the water. Though it didn't really take all that long, it felt like an eternity. He didn't want to leave her alone for longer than absolutely necessary. It was clear that she was feeling especially vulnerable. He was also anxious to find out exactly what happened and who had done this to her. Finally, he put a bag into the cup and poured the boiling contents of the kettle into it. Remembering a saucer to set the bag on afterward and a spoon, he hurried back to the bedroom, careful not to spill the hot water on himself or the floor.

When he returned, he found her huddled under the blankets, her eyes barely peeking out from a small hole. His heart cringed seeing her hide like that. It wasn't like Lucy to hide and shrink up in fear. That's what he could feel from her… fear and anxiety. He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch her and she flinched a little. He withdrew his hand, unable to hide the sadness in his eyes She gasped and threw the blankets off and lunged for him, wrapping her arms about his shoulders, crying again.

"Oh Natsu.. I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean to scare like that.. I trust you.. I really do," she said through her tears, her voice cracking. "I'm just...so…." Her voice dropped off and tears started falling again in streams.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, gently soothing her as she wept. She calmed again, eventually and pulled away a little, wiping her face. He reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a couple of tissues out of the box and handed them to her. She murmured a "thank you" and took them, wiping her eyes and then blowing her nose. He noticed how puffy her face was from crying, how her nose was all red and shiny… but she was still so beautiful to him. He just hated to see her in so much pain. The dragonslayer smiled a little and reached to stroke her cheek.

"How about some tea?" he asked gently and she nodded. He pulled the teabag from the cup, and set it on the saucer, using the spoon to mix it a bit before handing it over to Lucy. She took a long sip, closing her eyes as she swallowed. He waited while she was quiet for a moment, watching her every move. Eventually she opened her eyes and took another sip before handing the cup back to him. He returned the cup to the saucer and looked back to her again.

"Lucy...Can...can you tell me what happened?" he asked tentatively, worried about upsetting her further. She stared at him, her eyes glassed over again, her mouth opening and then closing again. It was like she wanted to speak, but she couldn't. He just pulled her close again, stroking her hair. "Don't worry about it, okay? You can tell me when you're ready."

Then they laid there together, wrapped up in the blankets, her head on his chest, tracing small circles on his peck. He had his arm pulled securely around her, holding her too him. Occasionally he would move to nuzzle her hair or kiss the top of her head. She'd nestle closer to him, making small whimpering noises, and his heart would cringe a little. Whatever had happened had shaken her to her core, and she wasn't going to be getting over it any time soon. It was completely silent except for the sound of their breathing and Lucy's occasional sounds. But then her voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Natsu.. Do you think I'm a whore?" she asked, her voice sounding desperate and pained. He froze, his eyes widening and his body stiffening. Had he just heard her right?! What the hell would possess her to ask something like that? He shifted and looked down at her, his eyes meeting with hers. Her eyes looked so sad, so defeated, brimming with tears again. His heart broke.

"Lucy… no! What the hell.. WHY would you even think that?" he cried in shock, scrambling to pull her closer, cupping her face and searching her eyes. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him, her body shuddering a little.

"I-I… I just...he said I was a whore...because of how I d-d-dress… and that I was ask...asking..for..it…" she stammered, barely able to get the words out, tears still running down her face as she tried to speak. "I..I-I can't… stop seeing him… f-feeling his hands on me… I'm so sorry.. I swear I didn't… I..wouldn't.."

His heart broke into a million pieces as he watched her break down. At the very same time, he was raging with anger and contempt. Someone dared to violate the most precious person in his life. He wanted to kill whoever did this to her. They sure as hell were in for a beating of a lifetime. There was no way they would get away with this. He wouldn't let them get away with hurting Lucy like this. He held her gently by her shoulders, looking at her dead on.

"Luce… could you look at me? Please…" he said softly. She slowly lifted her head and met his gaze, tears still falling. He gently held her chin and looked deep into her eyes, trying to convey the multitude of things he was feeling at this very moment. She gazed back at him, looking at him hopefully, urgently.

"The way you dress does not make you a..whore.. And you're not "asking for it" by the way you dress. That's BULLSHIT! Whoever the fuck said that to you had no right to say it, and he sure as fuck didn't have the right to put his hands on you! This is not your faultin any way, shape or form. Please Lucy, believe me when I said that you did NOTHING wrong. Please stop apologizing," he said firmly but gently, urging her to listen to his words.

It killed him that she thought this could in any way be her fault. Someone had victimized her and taken advantage of her. He could see from the scrapes and bruises that she had fought her way out of it. He noticed the fingerprint bruises on her arms, the scrapes on her knees. It was taking every ounce of self controlled that he possessed to not explode with anger. The fire in his belly burned hotter than ever, seething and pulsating as he attempted to keep himself in check. He had to keep his cool for now, for her sake. He didn't want to go freaking her out and upsetting her even more. The plan now was to slowly coax it out of her, and meanwhile, comfort and support her as much as he could.

Natsu held her until her cries slowed and she was sniffling against his chest. He knew that there would be many more tears to follow, and that things might be rather tense for awhile. But it didn't matter how long it took her to feel better, he was going to be there. If she needed to scream, cry, be angry, be sad, whatever she was feeling… he was going to be there for every second of it, even if it meant giving up on the S-Class trials. There was no way he was leaving her alone again. Eventually she lifted her head to look at him and he stared back at her.

"It happened….it happened on the solo job I went on.. I had to deliver a letter to a woman in Hargeon from her daughter. The daughter didn't trust the postal service, so she wanted to contract a wizard from the guild to deliver it because of the contents. There were some important documents along with the letter. It sounded like a pretty easy job that I could definitely handle on my own, and because it was in Hargeon, I would be back well before the end of the day to see you guys when you got home. It..it seemed so simple.." she said, the words pouring out of her. He listened attentively, only pulling her closer to reassure her, but he did not interrupt. Lucy took a deep breath before she continued.

"Anyway, I stopped at 8Island to get something to eat and there were these guys that kept talking to me. I mostly just ignored them and went about my business. One guy in particular was really persistent. He even came over to my table and sat across from me.. He.. he kept calling me things like 'sweetie' and 'honey'. I told him to stop, that I wasn't interested and to please go away. Yajima's staff noticed him bothering me and the guys were kicked out of the restaurant. I was totally thankful to them and I enjoyed the rest of my dinner in peace," she continued on, her breath hitching a little.

"And… and then.. I was walking back to the train station and it was getting dark. I was trying to hurry so I could catch the evening express home. I took that shortcut we take sometimes, you know, through the back alleyways? I should...I should have thought to conjure one of my spirits to go with me… I was so stupid…" she said, her voice cracking. He squeezed her gently and kissed the top of her head.

"Lucy, you're not stupid. This wasn't your fault, okay?" he said firmly but affectionately, nuzzling her hair gently. She hiccuped through her tears and nodded, trying to gain control of herself in order to continue. He looked down at her. "What...what happened next?" She took another deep breath and continued on.

"So I was about halfway there when all the sudden the lights in the alley went out and it was pitch black. I stopped to try and figure out which way I was going and suddenly someone grabbed me and threw me up again the wall. He.. he started… grabbing me in places.. Touching me everywhere… I-I...I couldn't push him off.. I tried so hard… he kept whispering things to me… telling me I dressed like a slut, so I must be trying to get attention.. He..he said that I looked like a whore...that ...that I deserved it.." she choked out, tears flowing heavily again.

"I recognized his voice as the creepy guy who kept bothering me in the restaurant… He...he eventually flipped me around and had me facing him… he tried...he tried kissing me and fondling me again and I tried to scream… I kicked at him, I bit him, I struggled as hard as he could… he was so strong and kept pulling at my clothes… he ripped my shirt…" she sobbed, the words just flowing from her now, relieving the weight they had been bearing down upon her.

"Finally I got my fingers on a key and called out Loke.. he ...he stopped the creep from doing anything worse.. And stayed with me until I got home. He wanted to tell someone at the guild, but I didn't want anyone to know… I'm...I'm….. Oh Natsu, I'm so ashamed!"

She fell into his arms again, sobbing relentlessly. He held her tight to him, letting her cry it out for as long as she needed to. He didn't want to see her cry, but if she needed it, he was going to be there to hold her. She was in pain and he wanted to make it better, no matter how long it took. He felt like he should have been there to protect her, as though he had failed her completely. If he wasn't so wrapped up in his own pursuits, maybe this would have never happened… She didn't deserve it and yet she was blaming herself.

They stayed like that for a long time, the sky growing darker outside as the stars started to emerge against the twilight sky. Eventually she did stop crying, and they laid there still. He wouldn't move from that spot until she was ready. When she finally did move, he moved with her. She looked at him again, as if searching for some answer. He wished he could give it to her.

"Luce… whoever did this… whoever hurt you… I won't let them get away with it, I promise. I'm going to track them down and make them regret ever laying a hand on you," he growled, stroking her cheek at the same time. He didn't want her to think his anger was directed at her in any way.

She sniffled and nuzzled his hand, still looking so sad and distraught. "I just...I feel like I did something wrong… like...like I advertised to them...or did something that made them think it was okay to do that to me…"

He shook his head, holding her tight. "No Luce…you didn't do a goddamn thing to deserve this! So what if you wear short skirts and tank tops. That doesn't give anyone the right to put their hands on you! Fuck what that asshole said!" he growled again, clinging to her now. She raised her head and looked up at him again.

"You...y-you don't think that I dress like a slut?" she sincerely asked him, her eyes filled with pain, waiting for his answer. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.. The usually confident, smiling Lucy was doubting herself at every turn. That monster had made her feel as though she asked for the abuse she had received. The trauma of the occurrence had altered her perspective completely, leaving her a whimpering scared little rabbit that jumped at every sound. This wasn't his Lucy… This wasn't Lucy at all. Rage boiled in his gut, his chest heaving as his breathing grew more ragged. He took a deep breath and calmed himself again.

"No way, Luce," he pulled away a little and looked into her eyes again, and she stared back. "You are beautiful and you have an amazing body. It doesn't matter what you wear whether it's short skirts or sweatpants. And any way you want to dress is okay, you hear me? No matter what you wear, you are never asking to be abused and attacked. I don't care if you wear a bikini in December or a plastic bag for a fancy night on the town…NO ONE has the right to put their hands on you when you tell them no," he said with determination, trying to make her understand. He hated that someone made her feel this way about herself. It was so unfair...she was such an amazing, loving, caring person that put her life on the line over and over again just to help others. Why had this happened to her? Why? And then, as if reading his mind, she spoke again.

"Then why…. Why did he do this to me? Why was he going to...going to…" she choked out, trying to stifle the tears that threatened to fall.

He shook his head, hugging her again. "I don't know Lucy… Some people are just selfish bastards who don't know the meaning of the word No, and think they can have whatever they want in life by just taking it… It's fucked up and wrong… and you didn't deserve it, dammit.."

She said nothing in response, only pressing closer to him, sniffling. He storked her back gently, holding her tight. He felt so helpless… there was nothing he could immediately do to make it all better. He couldn't just make it go away. Sadly, it had happened and now was turning her world upside down. Natsu wanted to find this guy and show him what happens when you mess with a member of Fairy Tail… especially when it was the person he loved more than anything.

Whoever they were...they were going to pay.

.xxx.

This concludes part one of Threads (A Five Part Series). Thank you for taking the time to read. If you have anything you would like to say, please feel free to leave your comments in a review. Conversation is welcome, as I will reply at the end of each installment. And yes, it's kind of dramatic and angsty but thus the categorization. Anyway, thank you for your time. :) ~ A.