Levy woke up early that morning. The day before, her leg wasn't quite in shape yet. This morning however, she was relieved to notice it was stable enough to make the one day trip she had planned to do.

Gajeel had said she was stubborn. Despite the fact the it was also the young man's case, he was probably right on that point. Levy wasn't ready to let go her idea of going to the palace to expose the situation. Her chances were slim, but she wasn't about to ignore her only chance to help those who spared her life. After putting in a small bag a couple of books to distract herself during the train ride and packing something to eat, Levy put her shoulder strapped bag on and went to the tavern to have some breakfast.

When she entered the building, Levy looked for Lucy, her best friend. "Too bad! She sighed. She would have liked to see her before starting the long day that was ahead of her. Certainly, as hard as it was to keep something from her, Levy had decided to stay silent on the situation. However, she would have preferred to see her a little. She sighed again. At least she wouldn't have to hold back while talking to her.

She ordered her usual breakfast to the smiling as ever Mirajane who served her a plate before returning to wipe the counter a little further. Levy smiled. That counter must be the cleanest on earth. Lets simply say that Mira was giving that corner of the bar a particular attention, or at least, to the person who always sat in that end of the bar. As for Laxus, he simply sat there, not seeming to pay attention to everyone around. However, everyone in Fairy Tail was hopping that those two childhood friends would finally stop ignoring each other and, one and for all, become a couple.

Levy placed her attention back on her plate and finished her meal quickly. Then she put her bag back on and walked to the door.

"Were are you going this early?" Said a voice behind her back.

Gajeel sat at one of the tables, eating himself his breakfast. To the young woman's hesitation, he became more serious.

"You're not planning to do something stupid, don't you?"

"Well..." she started with hesitation.

Then she started over, putting more conviction into her voice.

"I already told you I was going to talk to the king!"

"And I already told you it was a stupid idea" he grumbled.

She pouted, trying to find a suitable answer but an alarmed voice interrupted them.

"Gajeel! It's terrible!" Exclaimed Juvia.

"What?" Asked the later, jumping out of his seat, scanning the room while looking for a potential danger.

"Gray isn't at the tavern this morning! And that blond girl that's always following him neither! It's obvious she is planning to declare her love to him!"

"A blond girl? Lucy?" Asked Levy intrigued while Gajeel was obviously in a bad mood because of his friend's false alarm, sitting back on his chair.

"What if Gray eventually succumbs and..."

"Juvia..." Said a voice in her back with despondently. "I'm right here."

"Gray!" She exclaimed seeing him.

Amused by the scene offered by the intense Juvia, Levy came closer to Gray.

"I think you found yourself an admirer" she whispered in the ear of her friend who seemed more discouraged than ever by the situation.

She barely had time to finish her sentence that Juvia glared at her.

"Levy may have an eye on Gajeel, Juvia wont let her guard down" she warned her.

"What!" Exclaimed the young woman, her face now crimson. "I would never..."

But Juvia wasn't paying attention to her anymore, too focused on following Gray further.

"Tsss. That girl really has rain for brains" growled Gajeel, annoyed, ignoring Juvia's last comment much to Levy's pleasure.

Her face slowly coming back to normal despite the still red tint, Levy finally cleared her thoughts.

"Well... I'd better get going" she said turning to the door.

"You're not going anywhere" he said after following her outside, slamming the door behind him.

"Don't tell me you're deaf in addition to be incredibly annoying? I already told you, I'm going to meet the king no mater if you agree of not! Unless you prefer if I go directly to Phantom" She provoked him.

"And people around here say that you're brilliant" he grumbled, discouraged. "Or maybe you just are suicidal..."

He stopped his sentence when he noticed the tears that were starting to grow in the corner of her eyes. In Phantom, he simply hadn't seen anybody crying. Such an act was a sign of weakness over there. An unpleasant feeling grew in the pit of his stomach. Would she just stop crying?

"I don't want this life, Gajeel" she whispered. "I don't want to have to constantly keep my back, live a fugitive's life when I did nothing to deserve this. And as unpleasant as you can be, I don't want this life for you neither."

She was now holding back not to burst out in tears.

"You don't have to worry for Juvia and I, shrimp..."

"Well I do anyway! And I can't stop from worrying so deal with it!"

"Hummm..."

"Bye Gajeel" she managed to say while tears were flowing again on her cheeks.

She made a couple of steps in the train station's direction but could feel Gajeel's presence behind her. She hadn't the courage to face him, knowing that she would cry even more as soon as she would meet his look. However, when she noticed he was still following her, she took a deep breath an turned to him.

"If you're stubborn and stupid enough to go there, I'll have to go with you", he said before she could even place a word.

"Gajeel, I..."

"Come on, we'll miss the train if you continue like that" he said making a couple of additional steps.

***

The ride was painful, really painful for Gajeel. He may have tried to hide it or act like noting mattered since he was a kid, all kind of vehicles were his worst nightmare. This time wasn't an exception and, as soon as the train started to move, his motion sickness took over him.

"Gajeel?" Asked the small blue haired girl that accompanied him.

"Stop worrying, shrimp, everything's fi..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. If he would've, his breakfast may not have stayed in his stomach. Not paying attention to his surroundings, he froze a moment, trying to get a minimum of a hold of himself, then spotted the closest bench and leaned on it, lying his head on something comfortable. Then he felt fingers, playing timidly in his mane. Gajeel had to admit, there was something comforting in the fingers passing through his hair. Then, at a certain point, the young man must've fallen asleep because the next thing he felt was a small hand on his shoulder.

"Hummm?" He growled half asleep.

"We're here" shyly said Levy.

Her voice seemed to come from above him. "Impossible" he thought before realising he had fallen asleep on her thighs. Now fully awake, he looked at the young woman who had her cheeks tinted with red, after rising a little too fast from her seat.

"Not a word to anybody" he grumbled, referring to the loss of his means due to motion sickness.

To his frustration, his comment had for effect to make Levy smile.

"I would never dare to ruin the fierce Gajeel's reputation!" She said without being able to stay serious.

"Tssss"

He threw the young woman's bag on his left shoulder and left the train.

***

Levy was full of anticipation, of fear, of hope, of stress... Twenty minutes had passed since they were in the audience room and there was still no sign of the king nor his counsellor.

"That's what they call in a moment?" Complained Gajeel, walking back and forth in the throne room.

A few more minutes went by before they saw the grand doors opening on a man with sharp features. The simple look he was giving them showed a haughty attitude and a certain disgust of the common people.

"His highness, king August, had decided to meet you personally" he announced before a second man entered the room.

His purple clothes were showing an obvious wealth and a certain indifference could be seen on the face of the one that was, without a doubt, the king. When he past in front of her, the young woman made a reverence, elbowing Gajeel to incite him to do the same. Despite his clear annoyance, he bent nonchalantly before quickly rising up.

"Your highness" started Levy once he had sat on his throne. "We request your help".

The king rose his hand, inviting her to continue.

"There was a misunderstanding with one of Phantom's condemnations..."

"Phantom offers to the royal guard an undeniable help for now decades. Are you really daring to question their judgement?" He cut her off.

"N...no, but..."

"Do you really believe that we'll base our decisions on the words of someone wanted by one of our most powerful allies, Miss McGarden?"

Blood left her face.

"H...ow do you..."

The more her meeting with the king was going on, the more Levy's mind was foggy. How could the king know her name while neither her or Gajeel had mention them since their arrival? The anxiety that was present since the beginning rose considerably.

"Know that, even though Phantom is an independent organisation, my personal guard is aware of their most important condemnations, especially those of the citizens guilty of murder".

"Murder... repeated the young woman, dumbfounded".

"It is my duty, as a lawful king, to arrest you..."

"What the hell is that load of crap!" Tempered Gajeel. "Don't tell me you believe that this little shrimp really has an ounce of malice in her!" He barked.

The king's attention then turned on Gajeel, a triumphant smile on his face.

"You case, M. Redfox, his out of my jurisdiction. You'll be handed to Phantom who will decide of your fate".

"No, no no no no no" repeated Levy who just lost the last bit of colour of her face, shaking her head from left to right. "Sending him back to Phantom is the same as sentencing him to death! Please! You can't do that!"

He ignored her, the king looking at them with what seemed like the pride of personally arresting two wanted persons. She fell on her knees, the strength having abandoned her legs. She knew very well the fate reserved to murderers. The capital punishment was waiting for her while she still didn't understand why such an accusation was placed on her. And Gajeel... He had warned her it was a stupid idea. Then again, he had escorted her. Her blood froze in her veins while the royal guard encircled them, neither of them able to defend themselves from all those soldiers.

Energy left her body while she was dragged to the cell next to Gajeel's, the later probably kept there until Phantom's arrival. She didn't even have the energy to cry, at lest for the moment. A nightmare... she must be having a nightmare... But deep down, Levy knew she wouldn't wake up in her bed. The reality, as painful as it was, was what was happening at the moment: she would be executed for a crime she hadn't committed and had brought Gajeel straight to the slaughterhouse.

"Shrimp?" she heard a deep voice bring her back on earth.

That simple nickname, the one she normally hated, snapped her out of her thoughts, triggering a flow of tears in the same time. Her bottom lip trembling, she sat closer to the bars keeping her apart from the young man and passed her hands between them, grabbing Gajeel's with all the strength she had left.

"I'm sorry" she managed to say between two sobs "I'm so sorry".

So that's it! To keep the chapter's name's concept, I'm sorry for such a brutal chapter ending. I hope you'll forgive me and appreciated today's update! ;)

Have a nice day!

Lily xx