The next day Irene woke up and looked down at the sleeping Erza who still had her head on her shoulder. Irene smiled as she rubbed Erza head and back then thought to herself.

'My little Erza is back. After so many years I have you back in my arms.'

Irene leaned closer and kissed Erza on the forehead while Erza remained asleep.

"Oh how I longed for you to be safe and well with me again. I won't let anyone take you away from me."

Irene's smile then became a saddened one.

"It does sadden me that you don't remember who I am but at the same time, I can't blame you. You were just a mere child that was starting to learn."

Irene held Erza a little tighter to her then she rubbed her back.

Not long after that Erza began to stir and Irene looked at her.

"Hey there, did I wake you?"

Erza shook her head then laid her head back down on Irene's shoulder. For Erza she liked the affection that she was getting. She liked the way that she was leaning on Irene and how Irene was rubbing her back. Most of all Erza liked having her head on Irene's shoulder, just barely on top of her breasts. She could hear Irene's heartbeat which was for some reason soothing.

Irene smiled at the still tired Erza then she looked away. She figured that Erza would get hungry soon so she sat up or at least tried to because Erza wasn't moving from her spot. Instead Erza had wrapped her arms around Irene's waist and Irene just looked at her.

"Erza?"

Erza opened her eyes.

"Can we stay like this, I….like how we are on the couch."

"Alright, we can stay."

Erza closed her eyes then Irene watched as Erza had grabbed her arms and had them to wrap around her then she wrapped her arms back around Irene who just looked at her.

'Erza….'

Irene leaned her head down and they both went back to sleep.

Dream

"What happened?"

Irene opened her eyes and saw the car that she and her family been riding in then she saw that there was smoke coming out of the car then she ran to the back of the car to get her daughter out.

"Erza!"

She got her daughter out of the car then ran to safety.

"Stay with me, Erza. You're safe now."

Dream end

Irene had jerked awake then she looked down to see that Erza was still sleeping then Irene held Erza's face in both her hands.

"That day still haunts me. All those sleepless nights and endless weeping but now it's over."

Irene waiting for Erza to move again so that she could get up and leave out of the room and go to her office.

Erza had woken up and saw that Irene wasn't with her on the couch then she looked at the time and saw that she had slept in because it was noon.

"Was I really that tired?"

Erza went to explore the house only to see that Irene was nowhere to be found so Erza figured that Irene must have went to the office.

Erza then went to the room that Irene had the alarm set up in. She saw all the cameras on the screen.

Just then one screen caught Erza's eye.

One camera was showing what was going on in front of the house.

She saw a little girl with dark blue hair that was running and she seemed to be afraid about something. Erza saw that there was a button for the sound so she pushed it only to hear that it was the girl that was pleading for help.

True Erza recalled Irene telling her the rules. Irene did make it clear that she wasn't going to help anyone else but would she allow it for a helpless child?

With really asking Irene Erza turned the alarm off and ran to the front door.

Irene was polishing a gun of hers but then she looked to her left at the window only to see that the missile proof shield was rising.

"What on earth?"

Irene ran to the room that the alarm was set in only to see that the alarm had been turned off then she saw that Erza was on one of the screens yelling to a girl. Irene turned the alarm back on then left out of the room to the living room to confront Erza.

For Erza she had the girl with her and the girl was clinging onto her as if her life depended on it.

Erza wrapped her arms around the small girl.

"It's alright."

Just then Erza and the girl both saw Irene coming to them and Erza had the girl to get behind her.

"Erza, I thought I made myself clear when I said to keep the alarm on and not to let anyone in."

"But she was crying out for help."

"The New Purge is still going on. Even children take part in this."

"I know but she's alone."

"Whoever it was chasing her, you had allowed them to know which house she is in."

"What are you saying?"

Irene narrowed her brow.

"She has to go back outside."

Erza couldn't believe it. Since she was in Irene's home she thought that Irene was a gentle person because of how she was but now she seemed to be a heartless person.

"I don't get it."

"What?"

"You helped me, how come you won't help this girl?"

"Your case was different from hers."

"If you send her back outside to those people who are taking part in the New Purge than you're no different from them."

Irene looked at Erza then looked at the girl.

"Who was chasing you?"

"A man who has blue tattoos all over his body."

"Does he have dark skin and drives an all-black motorcycle?"

"Yes ma'am."

Irene folded her arms.

"Fine. She can stay with us but we have to leave this area when the sun goes down."

Irene turned to leave but spoke.

"Erza, I'll let this one go but this is the last time I'll allow someone else to join us."

With that Irene left and Erza looked at the girl.

"Are you alright? What's your name?"

"Wendy. I'm sorry that I got you in trouble, I didn't mean to make your mother mad."

Erza blinked.

"She's not my mother. I just met her myself."

Wendy blinked.

"Not your mother, but you two almost look the same."

Erza looked away.

"I just barely met her."

From around the corner Irene had heard what the two were saying and deep inside she was emotionally crushed from hearing what Erza had just said.

She then went upstairs back to her room and began to load her guns.

'So this girl was being chased by Acnologia? I must get them both away from here when the sun goes down.'

AN: Another chapter completed! What will happen now that Irene has a new set of plans?