A/N: Hello, everyone! This is my first big Fairy Tail fic, starring my most favourite couple, Levy McGarden and Gajeel Redfox. Thanks Arabella for the beta, and thanks to everyone on Tumblr for the constant encouragement of a fic that took so long to come to fruition. Now, finally, I have a plan and a plot, and some free time to get this show on the road.

Reviews are much appreciated and give me the best motivation to update and improve, so please leave your comments, and enjoy!

Chapter 1: Uncommon Alliances

Levy McGarden's messy blue head weaved through Magnolia's rush hour crowd as she climbed up the subway station stairs and out into the summer evening. Bright lights lit up the buildings and billboards towering above her head, turning the city streets into a neon festival. Music pounded from the huge headphones covering her ears as her feet carried her the familiar route home. The lights grew dim behind her as she walked further into the depths of the gritty backalleys, footsteps matching the rhythm of the melodies and drumbeats. Feeling the familiar vibration of a new text message from the phone in her pocket, she reached in and pulled out the device. Before she had a chance to even see who sent the message, she smacked into a brick wall and fell flat on her behind. Funny, there had never been a brick wall here before. And brick walls didn't usually smell like gasoline and leather. And brick walls usually didn't yell things like, "Oi, what the fuck d'you think yer doin'!"

Levy opened her eyes. She had not, in fact, run into a brick wall. She had run into a giant, hulking man with a face covered in piercings. His wild black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and his leather biker jacket was covered in scuffs. She let out a screech.

"S…sorry…I uh, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Yeah, obviously," he snorted. "But…" he trailed off, a grin spreading across his face, "since yer here, I'll have yer wallet, phone, and those headphones look nice 'n expensive too, so I'll take them as well."

"You can't have my stuff!"

Levy cringed back as the man leaned over her, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her upright.

"I think I can, shrimp, unless you think you stand a chance fightin' me?"

Levy wriggled in his unyielding grip, trying to get free. At less than five feet tall, she didn't stand a chance.

"As long as you don't take my computer. I need that."

"Oh, yeh've got a computer, too? How much do you think it'll sell for? A couple hundred?"

"Excuse me, my computer is worth way more than a couple hundred – wait, no, you really can't take that, I've got the codes for hacking a least three federal information databases on there! That'll take me years to get back!"

"Do I look like I care?" he snarled. He really didn't look like he cared very much at all. "Shut up and gimme yer stuff, or else I'm gonna end up having to hurt ya."

Levy shivered. She felt tears of terror welling in her eyes. Resorting to her last option, she filled her lungs with enough air to support the loudest scream she could muster, and let out a piercing shriek, hoping someone would hear and come to her aid.

"What are ya doin'!" Gajeel groaned, clapping a huge hand over her mouth. "You fuckin' idiot, you'll bring the cops out."

As his words registered in her mind, Levy immediately ceased screaming. Her eyes widened with the realization that he was right, and punctuating the thought, right on time, police sirens blared in the distance.

"We have to get out of here," Levy squeaked, twisting from his grip. "Let go of me!"

"No way, shorty, if you get caught there ain't no guarantee you'll snitch on me."

"You're kidding, right? You honestly think I'd tell the police anything?"

"Not takin' that risk. Come on."

He dragged her along her behind him, Levy taking three steps for each of his, running to keep up as the sound of sirens drew dangerously close. She feared the police slightly more than she feared this metal-studded thug, so she followed him until they reached a motorcycle parked around the corner.

"No. No way," Levy said, eyeing the bike warily.

"It's this or you'll get caught by the cops. Deal with it."

He swung a leg over the seat and pulled her on behind him, starting the ignition. The engine revved as he yelled over the noise, "If you don't hold on yer gonna fall off."

Levy wrapped her arms around his middle, gripping him tight for dear life as she felt the wind rush all around her. After the initial terror, it dawned on her that she'd buried her face in his jacket, and for some ridiculous reason she felt a blush colour her cheeks. In a moment, however, she heard the rumble of a police car, but the siren sounded confused and muddled. Then she understood. It wasn't the sound of one siren, but the sound of three. Three sirens, surrounding them, as her would-be mugger pulled the motorcycle to a stop.

"Damn," Gajeel cursed.

"Dismount the motorcycle and put your hands in the air," the police loudspeaker blared. With no other choice, they obeyed. Levy heaved a sigh. She knew they never really had a chance of getting away.

A blonde young man got out of the police car in front of them, and smirking, approached them. "I'm Officer Sting Eucliffe. You've got the right to remain silent, etc. etc. Knowing you," he said, nodding to the man with the piercings, "you've probably got your rights memorized back and forth with the amount of times you've been arrested. However, I've never seen you before," the officer said to Levy, and gave her a once-over. "That is the most ridiculous hair colour I've ever seen. Going by that alone…I'd say you were a member of Fairy Tail. They completely lack any sense of dignity."

Levy put her hands on her hips, indignant. "At least we don't harass innocent people under the pretence of keeping the peace."

"Disrepecting an officer. Hm, I'd say that raises your bail by at least three hundred."

"You can't arrest us! We didn't do anything wrong!" Levy protested, barely containing her panic. How she would get herself out of this, she had no idea. She only hoped someone would notice her absence and start a manhunt or something. The man with the piercings just leaned against his bike, rolling his eyes.

"You think they care?" he said to her, looking bored, as if he'd done this a hundred times and her inexperience annoyed him. He probably had done this a hundred times, actually. Officer Eucliffe proceed to place handcuffs around both their wrists. Levy considered protesting, but didn't want to look the idiot in front of this man who seemed to barely mind at all.

A teenager boy with red hair and freckles exited Officer Eucliffe's car. "Lecter, get their names, please," the officer told him. Levy assumed he was an apprentice, or doing work experience for school or something. They sure like to rope them in early, she thought, feeling almost sorry for the redhead. He was going to inherit a city of people who hate him, a police department so power-hungry and corrupt that not even the officers attempted to deny it.

"Gajeel Redfox," the man said when the redhead asked for his name. Levy looked at him. She knew that name. Gajeel Redfox, Phantom Lord's Iron Dragon, one of the most feared men in the city. She laughed nervously.

"What?" he asked her.

"N…nothing. Just…nothing, nothing at all," she answered, taking a step back.

"Figured out who I am, huh?" he grinned dangerously at her. "Consider yerself lucky I decided to take ya with me instead of killin' ya to keep yer mouth shut."

"Heheh, yeah, lucky…"

Lecter, the redheaded boy, looked up from his notepad. "Keep her mouth shut about what?"

"Nothing," the two said simultaneously. Levy wasn't the kind to rat out a fellow criminal, even one who tried to mug her in an alley. When it came down to it, no matter whether the gangs were trying to protect others or working for their own gain, they had one common enemy: the Magnolia Police Department. And besides, ending up as an enemy of Gajeel Redfox was one of the worst positions anyone could be in, and one she didn't intend to inhabit.

"Whatever," Lecter said, shaking his head. "Your name?" he asked, looking at Levy.

"Levy McGarden." She couldn't help glancing over to Gajeel as she stated her name, wondering what he thought of her, whether it was a name he would remember after tonight. The thought crossed her mind that she hoped he would. Then, she internally kicked herself because he was a violent thug who'd gotten her arrested and she did not want any further association with him after tonight, thank you very much. All the same, she was fascinated by the metal studs on his face and the way he seemed so comfortable with making trouble. Fascinated, yes, but also wary, and a little afraid of this dangerous man.

"Now get in the car, both of you."

Levy hesitated, then obeyed, figuring that it would be best not to exacerbate the situation any further. Sliding into the backseat, separated from the front by metal bars, the panic she'd been holding at bay for the duration of their arrest became tangible, and she balled her hands into tight little fists. She heaved deep breaths, hoping to calm her heartbeat as the reality of the situation caught up with her. Gajeel clambered in next to her, still looking bored, as if this was nothing more than a small nuisance to him. Truly, that's all it probably was.

"Nice going," he muttered under his breath.

"Are you talking to me?" Levy asked indignantly, annoyance momentarily replacing panic.

"Do ya see anyone else I'd be talkin' to?"

"So this is my fault?!"

"If you'd just given me yer stuff – "

"If you hadn't tried to mug me – "

"Just doin' my job."

"Well, maybe you should get a new job if you don't want to be frequently arrested!"

"Well, maybe you could shut yer trap for five seconds and you wouldn't be so fucking annoying."

"Oh, so now you're just going to insult me?"

"I've got a right considering this is yer fault."

"Excuse me!"

"Like I said, if ya just kept your damn trap shut and given me yer stuff we wouldn't be here."

Levy fumed. This arrogant, rude bastard couldn't possibly be serious. He sat there nonchalantly, then reached in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. Her jaw dropped. This was just going too far.

"You can't smoke in a police car!" Levy squeaked, but he ignored her and asked "Mind crackin' a window, officer?"

"You can't smoke in a police car, Redfox," Officer Eucliffe informed him sternly, but rolled his window down nonetheless. Gajeel lit the disgusting thing and took a drag, blowing out the smoke lazily.

Levy just stared.

"What?" he grunted.

"I…you – ugh! I cannot even believe you!"

He flashed a smirk, and breathed a puff of smoke straight into her face. She burst into a fit of coughing, trying and failing to maintain her stony glare. He turned away, ignoring the barrage of insults she flung at him, taking leisurely drags of his cigarette. Eventually, Levy gave up and leaned her forehead against the window, watching the city rush by. Pondering this catastrophe of a night, she couldn't help but wonder what sort of consequences tomorrow would bring. She had a creeping feeling that once the sun rose, the Magnolia slums she called home would never be the same again.