A/N: I am so so sorry for the delay. I've been in a bit of a rut lately, and it's only starting to smooth out now. With that said, I've also been incredibly busy with work and such too. This chapter is shorter than I had intended, mostly because the filler portion of it lasted longer than I wanted it to. However, it runs fairly smoothly I think. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is not mine.

Lucy knew something hinky was going on. Gajeel had disappeared after supper and it had taken mere moments for Levy to excuse herself and go after him. Antony's smile had been understanding, if a little brittle. A fool could see the feelings dwelling between the two former Fairies, and Antony was obviously no fool. They had continued their vague and somewhat awkward conversation while they finished dinner, then quickly excused themselves. Minutes later, in their rooms, they conversed in hushed voices.

"I don't like it, you guys. There's no way Levy would abandon Fairy Tail, no freaking way!" Natsu's voice was adamant, and louder than it probably should have been. Erza thumped him lightly on the head, her brown eyes glancing to the fabric covered door.

"Natsu's right. There's something going on here, something Levy isn't telling us." Lucy was sitting next to her salmon haired friend, her blonde head leaning against his muscled shoulder even as she gestured anxiously. Juvia and the Exceeds agreed, only Gray and Erza seemed to be unsure.

"It's been an entire year, Lucy. Who's to say Levy hasn't moved on? It's pretty obvious her and Antony are together and she has a job and a home here now. Maybe she'd rather stay here than come back with us." Lucy huffed softly, kicking her feet out in front of her and pouting at her crimson haired friend.

"Erza might be right, guys. Maybe they're in love? Who are we to say that she doesn't want to be here? Isn't that a little arrogant…" Juvia made a soft noise, grabbing her lover's hand and frowning gently at him.

"My beloved Gray must be wrong. Juvia is sorry for saying so, but Levy is meant to be with Gajeel, and there is no way she would leave Fairy Tail unless it was very very important."

"Salamander and bunny girl are right. Juvia, too. Levy's not here because she wants to be." They all turned to face the door, where Gajeel stood, his hands on the door frame. The Iron Dragon slayer entered the room slowly, dropping his bag beside his bed.

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked abruptly, sitting up straight to fix her gaze on the Dragon Slayer.

"Scent doesn't lie," He rumbled in reply, leaning against the wall to gaze sulkily out the window.

They sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the news, each wondering where the hell they were going to go from there.

"So?" Everyone turned to look at Natsu, his ochre eyes oddly serious," What are we gonna do about it?" Gajeel smirked softly, pushed himself away from the wall and glided towards his friends.

"Nothing. For now we wait, we watch, and we make a plan. I don't know why she's here, I only know that she hesitated when I asked her about it, and she smelt anxious. I'm not leaving this bloody country until I know for a fact that Levy isn't in danger." Lucy grinned, pillowing her head back on Natsu's shoulder and sighed happily.

"None of us are leaving, Gajeel. Levy is our family, we would never leave her behind."

The next morning came quickly. A voluptuous young woman came to their rooms and escorted them to the cafeteria, her long billowing dress reminiscent of a sunset. Gajeel couldn't help but think that Levy would look better in it than the chesty blonde they had sent. The meal was lively, with Natsu and Gray re-enacting their escapades during the guild's year long separation. Gajeel found himself smiling, his normally harsh face warming just a little. It was that expression that stopped Levy dead in her tracks when she entered the cafeteria. Her friends were sitting in the middle of the room, oblivious to the odd looks their motley group was receiving. Reprimanding herself sternly she walked up to the Fairy Tail mages and sat down next to Lucy. The blonde haired celestial mage let out a girly squee and clasped an arm around her friend, immediately launching into an explanation of their days plans and asking if Levy would come with them. The guys in the group all sat there, looking confused and clueless as Erza, Juvia, and Lucy basically planned their entire day for them. Levy looked a little uncomfortable as the group urged her to join them, Lucy's smiling face was the worst.

"I umm… I can't Luce. I have classes to teach today."

"Uwah? You're a teacher here?!" Lucy clasped her friend's hands and grinned. Levy ducked her head and blushed lightly, one pale hand rising to push her blue tresses out of the way.

"Antony has asked me to take over some of his classes as his duties as Chaplain become more strenuous. I have classes until three today." Lucy made a pouty face and poked her friend in the side.

"Fine. I understand. But you better make time for me tomorrow! It's not like we'll be here forever, you know." Levy's cheeks flushed at Lucy's reminder. Her dearest friend wouldn't be there for long… they would all be leaving soon…Gajeel would be leaving soon. Forcing a smile she reached forwards and hugged her blonde friend, chuckling when Lucy proclaimed how cute she was and hugged her back.

"I don't have any classes tomorrow, Luce. We can go sightseeing if you guys want." Levy's hazel eyes glanced around to encompass the entire group. Natsu cheered loudly, leaning forwards to sling an arm over Lucy and ruffle Levy's hair.

"It'll be just like old times! Only this time I promise not to destroy the city." Erza thumped the Fire Dragon Slayer on the top of his head, her brisk voice affectionate.

"You'd better not, Natsu. We can't afford to start a war because you can't keep your flames in your pants." Natsu made a face at Erza before ducking out of her reach. Grinning manically he scooped up his bag from the floor.

"Let's go explore!" He exclaimed playfully, grabbing Lucy's wrist and waving at the other Fairies before dragging her and his Exceed towards the exit.

Gray turned to Juvia and smiled softly, his pale hand reaching out to tug gently on hers. Glancing sideways he tugged her towards the far hallway, down towards the guest rooms. It didn't take Juvia long to figure out exactly what her beloved Gray had in mind. Holding back her delight she followed him back to their rooms for some much deserved alone time.

Gajeel had no idea what to do with his day. Bunny girl and Salamander had run off to wreak havoc in the city. Gray and Juvia were occupying the bedroom, and Erza had declared that she was going to spend the day polishing her armour. That left him and Lily with a whole lot of fuck all to do. Glancing down at his Exceed Gajeel couldn't help but wonder what Levy was up to with her classes. Maybe he'd go and watch her. See if he could figure out what she was up to in this obnoxiously colourful country.

Levy was mid lecture when Gajeel walked into the hall, his dark hair pulled back with a white bandana, his lean warrior's body clad in red flowing pants, charcoal coloured sleeveless shirt and a black sash. An interesting combination of Seven and Fiore fashion. Levy knew she shouldn't be focusing on him. No matter how handsome he looked in his clothes. Forcing Gajeel from her mind she turned back to her students, shuffled her papers around a bit, and continued her lecture.

"As many of you know, the patron God of the Templum Spiritus is Liethe. His realm of influence is the soul. It is widely believed by our Templum that all magic is derived from the soul, that its divine spark is what allows us to alter the world around us in impossible ways. Each soul is imbued with magical ability, however not all of us are strong enough to touch it. The stronger your soul, the stronger your magic. It can take years to develop a strong enough link to your magic for you to wield it effectively. For others, it takes less time. It is very much a matter of will power and discipline. Mages, as a rule, tend to be drawn towards the type of magic that most compliments their soul. Those of us who have dedicated ourselves to Liethe have taken a vow to further the magical potential of our country. We do this through constant study of magic, old and new, in the hopes that we can find more ways for our souls to connect with our world."

"The newest magical breakthrough we have brought forwards by our disciples is the ability to share magic between mages. This mingling of power can only be done between people who have very close ties to one another, or those who are related in some way. We have yet to manage anything more than a basic magical link, the ability to give small amounts of magic to another mage. This link has only been managed between close blood relatives and those who have a strong emotional connection to another person, normally lovers who have been together a long time – whom we would normally refer to as soul mates. Now, shall we open the floor to discussion? How do you feel about this new magical branch? What could it be used for?"

Gajeel watched Levy as she gave her lecture. Each gesture of her small hands, each tilt of her head bespoke of not only her intelligence, but the passion that she had for the subject. He couldn't help but be a little stirred by the sight. The students were debating with her now. Could it be used for healing? Maybe as a way of giving aid during a battle? One of the students even had the audacity to ask if it could be used during sex. The Iron Dragon Slayer watched Levy turn bright red and couldn't help the wicked laughter that escaped his lips. Even after a year of living with the rather lecherous people of Seven his Levy was still a bit of a prude. He let his thoughts drift back to last night. He could still smell her, even now. Even across the room. Probably even across the continent. Morning dew and ink, passion and anxiety. He wanted to dwell on that passion. On the desire that he had managed to ignite in her. Each silky brush of their lips, each gasping moan, the feel of her hands fisting in his hair and clothes. Groaning softly he thrust the thought of Levy's succulent thighs out of his head. This wasn't the place to dwell on how hot little Levy McGarden made him. He looked up at the podium, saw that Levy was packing up her books and leapt to his feet. He knew when she realized that he was waiting for her. She blushed softly and tried to quicken her pace. Gajeel caught up to her easily, one large hand reaching out to brush along her shoulder. Levy's hands slipped on her books, her expression comically distraught as she watched them tumble towards the floor. Gajeel reached out with his warriors reflexes and caught them easily, lifting his eyes to hers and smirking. Levy glanced down at her kneeling guild mate and tried her best not to stutter when she thanked him.

"Any time, shrimp," he replied cheerfully, standing up and slipping a hand under her elbow. Levy tried to pull away but his grip was too firm.

"We need to talk," He explained as he steered her down a set of halls to her office. Levy was perplexed when he let her go, retreating to her desk and sitting behind it in the hope that it might give her a semblance of control over the situation. Gajeel stalked towards her, one scarred palm reaching out to trail along the edge of the desk. Levy couldn't help but compare him to Antony in that moment. Both men held an almost magnetic appeal to her, despite their myriad of differences. Gajeel paused when he was directly across from her, his wide shoulders turning to face her.

"What's your objective, shrimp?" The question wasn't what Levy expected. She was certain he would berate her about last night. However, knowing Gajeel, she should have expected him to ignore his feelings and focus on his main goal. Which obviously was finding out why she was here.

"I don't know what you're talking about Gajeel. I finished my mission here almost a year ago."

His fist striking the table had her jumping in her seat. Her heartbeat fluttered erratically and she skewed her gaze sideways so she wouldn't see the anger in his eyes. Warm fingers alighted on her jaw, just the right amount of pressure exerted to force her to face him. His crimson eyes were hard as steel, the lines of his face harsh with anger and disappointment.

"You should know better than to lie to me, Levy. You know that I can smell your duplicity. Now stop being a fool and tell me the truth. Why are you here?" His fingers on her jaw tightened, holding her in place while she struggled to come up with a plausible answer. He shook her gently, just enough to have her gasping and glancing back at him.

"No lies," he growled, leaning forwards. Levy tried to shrink back, a soft whimper escaping her mouth. Gajeel grinned, his mouth stretching in a smile that was half mischievous and half cruel.

"If you lie to me, little Levy, I'll kiss you. I don't give a fuck what your Antony will say." Levy pulled back as far as his grip on her jaw would allow and sighed.

"I can't tell you Gajeel. I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone. I even left Jet and Droy in Fiore so I could keep my promise." The Iron Dragon Slayer let her go, his fingers dragging gently along her jaw.

"I thought you trusted me enough to know I wouldn't compromise whatever you're doing here, shrimp. You should know by now that I'd do just about anything you asked me too." Levy stood up and slowly made her way around the desk until she stood in front of her friend. Gajeel could smell the frustration wafting off of her. It smelt citrusy. Chuckling he reached forward and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her in tight to his chest.

"Just about anything?" She whispered, clutching his shirt. Gajeel hummed in reply, his chin pillowed on the top of her cerulean head.

"Just about anything, Levy... but we did come here to bring you home. I came here to bring you home. And until I'm absolutely sure you're happy and safe, we won't be going anywhere." Levy pulled away and looked up from the floor.

"I missed you." Gajeel grinned and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"I missed you too, shrimp."

"You used a lot of multi syllable words in that speech, Gajeel."

"I read more now… like I said, I missed you."

"If you enjoy reading so much, Mr. Redfox, then I'm sure Levitra could arrange someone to guide you around the University library sometime during your visit here." Gajeel turned to face the doorway of the office, somewhat miffed at himself for not sensing someone approach. Antony stood there, his face a pleasant mask, a mask that Gajeel was sure he wore quite often.

"I'm sure Levy would enjoy showing me around. It'll be just like old times." Levy could feel the rising testosterone in the air, and being the smart female she was, stepped forwards to distract the two of them from their pissing contest.

"Antony. I was just finishing the minutes for my lecture today. Gajeel was just curious about how I'm fairing here, since it's so different from Fiore."

Antony glided towards his lover and wrapped an arm around her waist, his lean body bending at the waist so he could brush his lips across her cheek.

"I'm sure Gajeel is satisfied that you are happy and being well taken care of. Are you a relative of Levy's, Mr. Redfox?" Gajeel cocked one studded eyebrow at the Templum Chaplain and smirked.

"No. Levy and I are not related in any way by blood." Antony cocked his head to the side gestured idly with one hand.

"It's odd to see such concern for a woman from someone who isn't a relative. Especially a man."

Gajeel knew he shouldn't say anything. He wasn't here to start a fight, or to stroke his own ego. But Antony's possessive hand on his shrimp's waist, combined with the not so subtle dig at his intentions had his hackles rising.

"Levy concerns me, Antony. Her happiness and safety concerns me. She is part of our family, and until we're sure her happiness and safety are secure – we aren't going anywhere." Gajeel gave an abbreviated bow, never lowering his eyes from Antony's . Turning on his heel he padded to the door, pausing in the opening to address Levy.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, shrimp. You'd better be up early, we've got lots to see."

Antony watched the curtain fall back into place, the emerald fabric fluttering gently with the evidence of Gajeel's passing. Anger flared off in his chest, anger he ignored as Levy pulled away from him and went to sit back at their desk.

"I have the feeling Mr. Redfox doesn't like me." Levy snorted in reply, one pale hand reaching up to tie her long blue waves into a pony tail.

"Don't feel too bad, Antony. Gajeel doesn't really like anyone unless their from Fairy Tail." Antony pulled a chair up to the desk and sat down slowly, measuring the words he was about to speak.

'But he likes you, doesn't he, Levitra? More than the rest of his guild mates – including the black cat he keeps with him." Levy stopped her note taking and set the quill down. Sighing softly she pinned Antony in place with her determined gaze.

"Gajeel and I were close when I was in Fairy Tail. He… he doesn't make friends easily, and when our guild disbanded we didn't get a chance to say goodbye. He's just feeling antsy because I won't be going home with them. Besides, he's always been overly protective of his guild mates."

"I have the feeling it goes beyond that, love. Were you and he lovers?" Antony wanted to curse when he saw the blush slash across Levy's cheekbones. But she shook her head in reply to his query. Mollified somewhat the Chaplain leaned back in his chair and cocked his head to the side.

"If the guild hadn't disbanded, would you have become lovers sooner or later?" Levy met Antony's emerald eyes and nodded.

"Probably. Gajeel and I have always danced around a relationship with one another. Everyone thought we'd date sooner or later, but there always seemed to be something more important going on." Antony hummed his reply, the noise not quite disapproving.

"As long as he realizes that your "would be" love affair is over, I have no issues with them staying here. Why don't you take them to the Festival tomorrow? I'm sure your rowdy former guild mates would enjoy seeing Templum Solaris warriors perform." Levy gave a soft grunt in reply, bending over her papers to continue taking notes. There was no doubt about it, she was royally fucked.