*This is a rewrite*

Erza stirred and sat up, rubbing the drowsiness in her eyes. Then she remembered that she had invited Lucy to her place to spend the night.

"Lucy?" Erza looked around, not seeing the blonde in the room. She stood up and tried to find the blonde. Seconds later, Erza found Lucy in the kitchen.

Lucy was wide awake, staring at a wall. Erza stood at the doorframe, glaring at the blonde, wondering what she was doing, and wondered if she would recede from boring a hole in the wall with her staring.

Couple minutes later, Lucy had not moved an inch, and continued to stare at the wall. Erza was growing concern for the girl.

With caution, Erza stepped into the room, knowing how jumpy Lucy was yesterday. "Lucy?" Erza called out again, trying to get in the line of sight of Lucy's staring.

Thankfully for Erza, Lucy finally noticed her and hastily stood up. "Erza! I'm sorry that I sat in your kitchen without your permission. But I had nowhere to sit or to lay down." Lucy bowed apologetically.

Erza blinked at the bowing girl with confusion. "Eh? You could've slept in the bed with me...the bed was big enough for the both of us...and you don't have to apologize. Please raise your head." Erza don't know why Lucy was being too formal with her.

Lucy straightened herself, "I-I see..."

Erza looked at her face and noticed how pale she looked. "Did you sleep?"

Lucy looked at her, "Yes." She lied.

Erza begged to differ. She had bags under eyes. "Nightmares?"

"No." Lucy lied again.

"If you had trouble sleeping, you could've woken me up...I feel bad now..." Erza really did felt bad. Being the only one with a good night sleep.

"It's fine..." Lucy mumbled.

Erza resigned. "Very well. Are you hungry? You barely had anything yesterday."

"I'm fine." Lucy lied again.

"Lucy...even I can tell that you are not alright."

"I'm fine." Lucy repeated.

"Lucy sit down. I'll make you something." Erza ordered as she made her way to the refrigerator.

Lucy reluctantly sat and watched as Erza was rummaging through the refrigerator for food. Lucy sat in her chair, staring at the table in front of her. Unconsciously, tears started to form in her eyes, and she started to tremble.

Lucy almost failed to register a soft tap on her shoulders and she yanked it away by leaning in the opposite direction. Then there was a strong, yet gentle grasp on her shoulder, and Lucy tried yanking it away, a scream threatening to spill out of her throat.

Then Lucy could feel a strong pair of arms wrapping around Lucy to keep her still, followed by a gentle voice that called her name.

"Lucy. Please calm down." Erza whispered, soothing the girl in her arms. Erza silently wonders why Lucy was so afraid, why Lucy was so...similar. Her past seemed to almost identical as hers. Maybe.

Lucy silently trembled, slowly realizing that it was Erza that was holding her. She slowly melt into the unfamiliar warmth that Lucy had long forgotten, as Erza held her in her arms, rubbing her back to soothe her and to calm her down.

"Lucy. You are our friend now. I want you to understand that...I...Fairy Tail would never hurt you in any way. You can trust us."

Lucy stopped trembling and leaned into the warmth.

Erza pulled away only slightly to look Lucy in the eyes. "Lucy. I want you to tell me your past...and why your father wants to kill you." Erza said with a serious tone and face.

Lucy's face went white. "How did you know that?"

"I was eavesdropping."

"But you were fighting with that girl."

"I panicked when master was walking out, so started a fight with her."

"..." Lucy was unsure if she should be mad or not.

"I'm sorry! Please hit me!" Erza shouted, stepping backward and bowing her head down, causing Lucy to jump.

"Why...would I want to hit you?"

"It's my punishment. I didn't mean to eavesdrop...but I was worried about you."

"..."

Erza sighed, took a deep breath and asked, "If I tell you of my past, will you tell me yours?" Erza asked, looking at Lucy in her eyes. Erza wanted to know, and to help Lucy. Why did she want to help the blonde?

Lucy looked back at her...searching if Erza being sincere or being truthful. "Maybe later...?"

Erza was frustrated, but did not show it. She really was concerned for Lucy. "Then at least eat. It looks like it's been days since you last ate."

"Why are you keep trying to make me eat?" Lucy didn't need a babysitter.

"You'll faint if you keep going on an empty stomach."

Lucy was about to protest when Erza grabbed her hands tightly so Lucy won't be able to yank it away. "Lucy. Please. Just eat. It's not poisoned or anything. It's fresh...please." Erza begged, looking at Lucy in the eyes, showing her who sincere she was.

Lucy resigned. "Fine."

In truth, Lucy was hungry. But she refused to eat, because she would end up throwing up. Her stomach really hated her recently. Hopefully her food would stay down this time.

Erza placed Lucy's food in front of her and sat in a chair opposite of Lucy, making sure she eats her food. After Lucy finished her food, Erza said that they should go to the guild.

"They'll want to hang out with you." Erza said.

"I'm scared." Lucy confessed.

"That's why I said that you should tell me about your past, so I can help you...or protect you better."

"Erza...why are you so dead set on protecting me?" Lucy asked, wondering why a stranger wants to protect her. It's not common for a stranger to become a knight all the sudden and protect a random stranger.

Erza didn't say anything for a moment. She continued to stare at Lucy before speaking. "Because I see myself in you."

Lucy scoffed. "So it's on a whim?"

"I didn't say that Lucy."

"Then what? What do you see in me that reminded you of you? And why does it makes you want to protect me? I don't understand." Lucy raised her voice a little, a little angry. It was understandable and frustrating.

Erza looked down, "I was a slave...tortured...freedom taken away...and that was when I was years younger. I was...traumatized in a way. I wear this armor to calm myself...and when I met you...I saw myself in you. So scared, traumatized, afraid of people, and I can relate to it. I-It made me want to help you...so you don't have to go through the same sufferings as I had."

Lucy sat there...shocked. She wondered whose childhood was the worst. Hers or Erza's.

"Lucy...I want to protect you. Please let me protect you."

"I-I don't understand why you're asking." Lucy murmured, looking back at the table.

"I don't want to seem like a stalker, following you everywhere. You seemed so afraid of people...people touching you or coming close to you. I can fend them off...keep them away from you if...if that's what you want." Erza offered.

Lucy was a bit touched...that this redhead would go so far for her. Can she trust her? Or will she betray her? That's her biggest fear.

"Lucy?"

"..."

"Lucy?"

"Will you..." Lucy tried to say...but couldn't...

"Lucy, there is no reason to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."

Lucy looked down, repeating her words in her mind. Will you stay with me?

"Lucy...can you trust me?"

"I don't know." Lucy admitted.

"Lucy. Please understand that no one will ever hurt you. I can guarantee that no will try to hurt you as long as I'm here. Fairy Tail is your new home. They will gladly help you and protect you."

Lucy gulped and looked at the table some more with uncertainty and fear.

"If you want, I can give you something to protect yourself, a sword perhaps. I have many of them and can give one to you." Erza continued, trying to get the blonde to loosen up and trust her.

Lucy shook her head. She really wasn't as fond of swords and knifes. She hated them. Lucy was quiet for a moment before speaking. "If I tell you...will you keep it a secret?" Lucy murmured...deciding to try and trust the redhead.

"I swear on my life...the secret will be safe with me." Erza reassured, heart thumping in anticipation.

Lucy took a deep breath, sat back down in the chair and made sure her eyes were out of sight.

~Flashback~

Lucy stood at her Mother' grave. Her Mother had disappeared and will never come back. People said she died and decided to make a grave for her. Her father was enraged. He knew something that Lucy did not. Her Father quickly became bitter and retorted to physical abuse. He even hired people to do it for him.

Lucy was the victim of such abuse and cruelty. They punched her, kicked her. Cut her, both shallow and deep. Burned her. Exposed her to cold weather. Locked her in dark places. Isolated her. Starved her. Drugged her.

Lucy bared it all. She had promised her Mother the last time they had seen each other. 'Lucy...promise me my darling...take care of your Father. He's clumsily, and awkward.' Her Mother had asked. 'Sure mommy!' Little Lucy cheerily replied.

But Lucy could not take it anymore. It had been 6 months since Mother had died. She was pale, skinny, weak, and Lucy wanted it to end. She was going to break her mother's promise and run away. She didn't want this anymore. She didn't want to be in this mansion anymore.

So she ran.

~End of Flashback~

Lucy was now crying, hands covering her face. Erza quickly embraced the crying blonde. Erza rubbed Lucy's back, soothing her to help calm her down.

"It's okay Lucy...I won't let your Father hurt you anymore. Not if I can help it." Erza swore that she would protect her. Lucy was her family now, a member of Fairy Tail, a member that was abused. A past similar to hers.

Lucy was still crying, and moved to cry into Erza's shoulder...embracing her tightly for comfort.

Couple minutes passed by and Erza noted that Lucy had fallen asleep due to exhaustion. Chuckling sadly to herself, she lifted Lucy up bridal style, and carried her to her bed and laid her down, covering her with the blanket.

Erza stood back, looking at the view before her. Lucy, with poufy eyes and red cheeks, sleeping in her bed. Her childhood's is as bad as mine. I was a slave...and Lucy was abused by her father...don't know which is more gruesome. Erza grabbed a chair and sat by the bed, making sure that Lucy would be safe.

Erza still wonders why...she swore to protect this girl...Similar past? Personality? Appearance? Erza does not know. But she will protect her.

Couple hours later, Erza had drifted off to sleep in her chair while watching over Lucy. Lucy was squirming in her sleep, she was having a nightmare, a bad memory she does not want to remember.

Lucy was in a dark room, arms and legs covered in blood. She had not eaten or had water in days, or what felt like weeks. And her Father came into the dark room with a flashlight.

Her Father shinned the light onto Lucy's face, causing her to be blind for a moment. Then a sharp pain was felt on her cheek. She was kicked in the face.

"This is your fault Lucy."

"You should never had been born"

"You killed her."

"I should kill you."

"You don't deserve to live."

"Die already."

Lucy's Father threw insults at her in anger. He kept kicking her, punching her, never giving her mercy.

"Layla's dead because of you. You should be ashamed."

Lucy screamed, bolting straight up, sweating all over. She was immediately embraced, causing her to squirm, and scream, not knowing who it was.

"Lucy! Lucy! It's okay. It was just a dream. You are fine now." Erza said, trying to calm down.

Lucy calmed down after realizing it was Erza. She turned to embrace her back, hugging her tightly, trying to wish the nightmares away. Lucy let some of her tears fall down her cheek as she held onto Erza.

When Erza felt that Lucy was crying again, she tightened her hold onto Lucy, "It's okay. I won't let them hurt you. You're safe with me."

Lucy snuggled into her, holding onto Erza as she stopped her tears. Erza was happy that Lucy was trusting her...even a little.

"Feeling a little better?" Erza asked.

"Yeah...thanks..." Lucy mumbled in Erza's shirt.

Erza and Lucy continued to hug, all the nightmares, fears that Lucy was feeling was washed away only for the moment. Lucy was glad...that she came to Fairy Tail. She was glad she mustered enough courage to ask a stranger to take her with them. She was glad that Erza was nice to her. But...she was still afraid of her father.

Lucy hoped that...her Father would never come after her. Erza hoped that she would have a chance kill Lucy's Father in cold blood.

Again, this was a rewrite from the original chapter. Hope this is a lot better ;) Please enjoy.