Lucy's POV:

"What are you doing? Seducing me is against the rules!" I yell at Leo. "P-put your clothes on and get out!"

"Lucy, it's still dawn outside. Go back to sleep, you need your rest."

"How can I with you here doing this to me?"

"Lucy-sama, why do you do this? Why do you hold yourself back? I love you, and I know you that you love me. I can't leave you. Not after last night. I promised last night that I wouldn't. You don't remember?"

"No. Last night?"

"You were cursed, your body temperature was dangerously low. I almost lost you Lucy."

"I remember now. I was so cold. All I wanted was to feel safe." I launch myself into his arms. "All I wanted was you."
He pulls me close and kisses my forehead. "I should have been here. I intend to keep my promise. I'll never leave you again."

I break out of his arms and back away. "Never? But Leo, you can't promise that. It's impossible."

"That is why? Lucy, I have to return to the spirit world, but you can come with me."

"But you've never offered to take me with you."

"I have Lucy, every time I have asked you to marry me. Won't you let me give myself to you?"

"Yes, Leo, Yes!" I don't have to hold back any more. His lips are mine. His hands are mine. This man, this star, is mine.
*****
A bright light fills the apartment and spills out of the window and the cracks of the door.
*****
Leo shows me the glowing Gate of the Lion symbol that is now tattooed over my heart. "There, now, Lucy Shishikyū, my world is yours."

"Oh no, I just had a weird wedding just like Violet!"

He chuckles at this. "We can still have your type of wedding, Lucy-sama. Now get some more rest please, for me?" Leo settles me back into bed with my head on his arm. This is where I belong.

Violet's POV:

This is it. We've arrived at our destination. Jellal and Meredy are giving Mr. Stalker last minute instructions. I take Rogue's hand on one side and Zeref's on the other and look at the place with butterflies in my stomach and a lump in my throat. It looks like a fortress from the middle ages, with a stone wall and an iron gate. Ultear, confident of Meredy's abilities, strolls up to the gate.

"Watch out!" Yells Natsu, pulling her out of the way as fire comes raining down. It's two dragons, just like the one that attacked me at the ball. Natsu eats the fire. "Fire lightening dragon roar!" The gate is disintegrated and both dragons are destroyed. Ultear is standing behind an ice shield with wide eyes. "Be more careful, old man." Natsu says to her. She balls her hands into fists and gets red in the face.

"How did this happen?" Meredy asks Mr. Stalker.

"My pets won't obey me when I am under a spell. You didn't ask."

"You almost got Ultear killed!" Yells Natsu raising a flaming fist and running at him.

Sting gets in the way. "We aren't done with him yet, Natsu."

Meredy asks her prisoner another question. "No one here will obey him. He left someone else in charge, his sister."

Zeref flinches at this and quickly regains his composure. "Looks like we are fighting our way through then."

"Alright, I'm all fired up!" exclaims Natsu.

Jellal walks in front of everyone. "That won't be necessary." He chants and magic rings form over the fortress. "That will keep them asleep until morning," he says, nodding at Meredy.

"Show us this attic you were speaking of," she says to Mr. Stalker, giving him a push. He leads us to the attic and Zeref works with Meredy to question him. He finds out where the sister is, and if anyone else knows about us. He makes sure that we have anything and everything related to us pulled out of hiding. As soon as the last book is given to him, his eyes go black and my stalker falls to the floor, dead.

"Zeref!"

"I will protect you Vio-nee," he says, and goes off into the house.

Jellal nods at him and lets him go. So this is how guilds function when they are outside of the law.

I don't know whether I agree with it or not, but I am relieved that my family and I will be safe. I start looking at the books. They discovered our magic when I killed that slave owner, and they found Zeref because he was following me. It looks like Zeref's whole life was written in the journals, along with techniques for manipulating him. They mostly involved threatening me or promises that he would be together with me again. I can't stand it. Rogue guides me to his chest as the tears start to flow.

"No good will come of this." Says Jellal, pointing to the books. "It's better to forget it and move forward."

"No. It's not always that simple." Says Ultear. "But reading this stuff isn't good for Zeref or Violet. Let me take a look at it so that we are aware of their triggers." She pulls out Gale-force reading glasses and sets to work.

"Since most of this is about Zeref, shouldn't he decide?" Asks Natsu.

Ultear stops reading and blushes. "I just wanted to help. But uh, I guess you are right."

"Come on Happy, let's go get him."

"Hai sir!"

Sting addresses Jellal. "We're going to have to destroy this whole place or fix it. They'll know Natsu was here due to his roar damage."

"Destroying it is simpler, and probably better off for the servants here," Replies Jellal. "Let's start moving them somewhere else while they are still sleeping."

"That's something we can do." I say, "Where to?"

"I guess we need to somehow build them a shelter," answers Sting.

"Okay, start bringing them to the woods at the west of the wall, I'll take care of a shelter."

"What? How are you going to do that?"

"On second thought, Rogue, you might want to come with me, alone." I add, my face getting hot. Can they tell that I am blushing? "We'll let the rest of you know when it is done."

"Heh, the Immortal Dragon's going to work some life magic." He answers Sting, grinning at me, and scooping me up bridal style.

"Why do you have to carry her?" asks Ultear.

"It sets the mood, of course." He answers.

As Ultear blushes, Rogue kisses me deeply and walks out the door.

I examine the trees in the woods to see what would work best. I have to focus on the right ones in order for them to grow together into a shelter.

"Okay, I know which ones to focus on."

"Do you now?" says Rogue, hugging me from behind and placing his hands on my abdomen. "How many babies should we have Vi-chan? Will they look like you or like me?"

I can't stop smiling as I pour life magic into the trees. Four more times and we are done.

We dart through the shadows back to the attic. "It's ready."

Sting nods his head and the 4 exceeds take off to put the servants into the shelter.

Zeref and Ultear are talking quietly while Natsu paces back and forth, agitated. Ultear puts on her glasses and resumes reading. Jellal motions to the rest of us.

"We'd better destroy this place tonight, before the servants wake up. Why don't we set up camp next to the shelters in the woods, then take care of it."

"Alright!" replies Natsu. "You want me to roar at it a couple of more times?"

"No, no, the destruction would still point to you."

"Violet and I could sink it into the shadows." Rogue suggests.

"Not a bad idea, but I believe Ultear can handle it best."

"Violet and I will do another check on the mansion to make sure everyone is out and meet you there." Rogue suggests.

"Someone should stay with Ultear so that she isn't alone in here."

"Okay," says Natsu, and plops down on the floor behind her. She stops reading, and furrows her brow, but pretends not to notice.

Rogue and I ask the shadows if anyone is left in the house. Other than our team, no one is left alive. That makes short work of it and we head back to the attic to let Natsu and Ultear know we are leaving. She must be done reading. She has her arms full of books and Natsu is helping her off of the floor. "Let me help you old man," he says.

"What do I have to do to get you to realize that I am a woman?!" She yells at him and knocks him to the floor, scattering the books. Natsu raises up on his arms to look at her, straddling his lower body. "That depends on how long you intend to stay there," he says, smirking at her. She flushes a deep red and scrambles off of him. "You pervert!" she yells at him, and rushes out of the room, with her fists clenched.

"Happy, will you go with her?"
"Hai sir!"

"Uh, Natsu, we are heading out." I say. "We should take all of these books and notes with us."
Between the five of us left we gather up the stuff and head out to meet the others.

"What do you want to do with these, Violy?"

"I have an idea, but let's ask Zeref first."

When we arrive Zeref is talking to Jellal and Ultear is fighting with Happy, who is trying to stop her from setting her sleeping bag up next to Zeref's.

Zeref notices the commotion. "It's okay. I'm not sleeping anyway," Zeref says to Happy, clearly exhausted.

"Then I will stay up with you," suggests Ultear.

"And I will too." Adds Natsu, plopping down next to their sleeping bags.

Ultear sighs loudly.

I cut in. "Nii-san, after your death magic, you need to sleep, at least a little! I'll stay with you and make a shadow cage if you do okay?"

Ultear pulls out some bread and butter from her pack. "Maybe this will help," she says, handing it to him.

"Yeah, thanks." He says and starts eating.

"You brought his favorite food?" Natsu asks.

"Uh, yeah. I've learned as much as I can about him. He IS the mission."

Zeref looks up and shrugs. "That would have made me mad yesterday, but I understand now, Ultear. You are who I need right now, and Crime Sorcière is where I belong. Thank you."

"It is my purpose," she replies simply. "I have something else I need to do tonight, remember? Do you and Violet want to come with me?"

It's almost over.