He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but when he woke up he was alone. Levys boots and corset were still on the floor beside the bed but the rest of her clothes were gone. Gajeel pushed himself up, rubbing his eyes before throwing his legs over the bed and reaching for his clothes. He threw on his trousers and his vest before pulling on his still damp boots and heading out on deck. It was early morning, most of the crew still asleep below but some were milling around the deck. " Have a good night captain?" Lily said from his spot by the ships railing, a smirk on his face as he fiddled with his violin.

Gajeel shot him a glare as he scratched his stomach and heading towards him. " Shut up Lil'," he grumbled before yawning. " You seen the shrimp?" He asked. Lily pointed over the side of the ship with his bow. Gajeel leaned over to see Levy in the knee high water with Natsu and Grey, along with several small creatures floating about them. " She told us that this island was-" "Our home. Yeah, I remember." Gajeel said as he looked into the trees past the three and the fairies. He knew just on the other side of those woods would be the ruins of McGarden estate as well as the village that surrounded it.

" We may have a problem captain." Lily said as he continued to fiddle with his beaten instrument. " And what's that old man?" He asked, his eyes going back to the laughing fae. " The Navy is still on the horizon. We may not be able to get out of here safely. Lucky if we get out of here alive." Lily muttered and Gajeel groaned. " Exactly how much ammo do we have?" "Two shots per cannon and whatever anyone has for their personal pistols." He groaned again. Not many of his men carried pistols and the ones that did barely used them. A thought occurred to him and before he knew it, he was climbing over the edge of the ship. " Captain?" Lily asked but was ignored.

" Good morning Gajeel." Levy called as she heard him splash into the water and smiled at him. He nodded to her as he walked towards them, the fairies that were flitting about hurried back towards the woods, startled at the new comer. " Oi shrimp, how bad was the manor pilaged?" He asked and she frowned at the question. She put her finger to her chin and thought for a moment before gasping. " Gajeel your a genius!" She shouted, earning strange looks from her two crew mates. " I highly doubt that." Natsu muttered, earning a punch in the side from his scowling captain. " No really!" She called as she hurried up the bank, the men following her as she disappeared into the woods.

The fairies that were hiding there were now following the woman, flitting about her as she nearly ran through the woods. They broke through into the remains of the village, and Gajeel felt his heart ache. Buildings were in ruins and, even after twenty years, he could almost still smell the fires burning. The manor on top of the hill was barely standing and looked like it could topple if someone looked at it wrong. The little fae ran to it and tried to push the large doors open but they wouldn't budge. Gajeel gently grabbed her arm and pulled her away, before aiming a hard kick at the doors, causing them to fall off their hinges.

Levy smiled up at him before hurrying inside, carefully her way barefoot around all the rubble. The men followed her once more as she made it to the grand staircase and ducked behind it. " Shall I try and open this, or do you just want to kick it down again?" Her voice called out and he chuckled. " Move shrimp, I got it." She reappeared from under the staircase only to have Gajeel take her spot. " What in the hell are you two doing?" Grey asked as a crash and a thud sounded from behind the staircase. Levy grinned brightly at him. "I told you that the McGardens were part of a trading company twenty years ago right?" She asked them and they nodded. " They dealt in weapons." She said with a wicked grin before ducking under the staircase, leaving her two stunned crew mates behind.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

The men were rushing about on deck, preparing their cannons with their new ammo and loading their new pistols. " This is quite a piece Miss.Levy," Lily said as he eyed the pistol in his hands. " The McGardens kept some of their wears for themselves incase they needed them. Always the best. Unfortunately they didn't get a chance to use them when they needed it." She said sadly as she holstered her own pistol on her right hip. He nodded before going around deck and shouting orders to prepare to sail. Levy headed up to the helm where Grey was bent over the maps and trying to chart a path. " What's it look like Grey?" She asked as she stood beside him.

" Either we head back to Hargeon or we head this way, towards Tortuga." He showed her their two paths. "The Navy would be less likely to attack Tortuga,  considering they would be out numbered." She thought allowed. " But we are low on food and it's a but of a travel." Grey finished. " The fruit we gathered could hold us off as long as you boys don't pig out on them." Levy said with a smirk, causing the helm master to snort. " Let's take a shot for Tortuga." She said, clapping him on the shoulder and he nodded, charting out the path for them to take. After they managed to unbeach their ship the crew looked to their captain. "Happy, what do you see?" He called to the nest. " They're circling again captain, round the north of the island and heading west." He called back. " Nows the best time. Loose those sail and let's get the hell out of here!" Lily shouted and soon the sails were opened and the ship was out of the gulf. Grey directed the ship towards Tortuga

"They've spotted us captain!" Happy shouted not long after the island was in the distance. " That could have taken longer." Gajeel grumbled. " We'll be ok." Levy said, patting his arm and smiling up at him. " Prepare yourselves men!" Their captain shouted and the crew shouted in return as their colors were hoisted to the top of the mast. " Levy," he called to the small fae and she turned to him. " I want you go to the nest and protect Happy." He said in a gruff tone and she smiled softly, walking up to stand in front of him. " Happys a tough boy, he can take care of himself." Though she knew that's not why he wanted her up there. He sighed, "Levy," she put her fingers to his lips. " I'm staying by my captains side, whether he likes it or not." She added with a giggle, her fingers moving to caress his jaw. He caught her fingers and held him there as he looked down at her. " I'm a tough girl." She said softly and, with a reluctant sigh, he nodded. She smiled and stretched up on her toes, planting a soft kiss to his lips before joining the crew on the main deck.

He hated having her in danger, but they could use all the help they could get as the Navy ship finally arrived. " Open fire!" Lily shouted as the ship came up to their side. The ship shook with the force of the fire but everyone stood their ground even as their own ship took damage. Once the ships were close enough,  the Dragons crew boarded the Navy's white vessel and engaged the sailors. Gajeel tried to focus on the fight and not the small woman who was locking blades with a man in blue uniform but he was finding it difficult.

He drew his cutlass and joined in the frey,  his sword easily cutting into a navel officer that got too close. The ship continue to shake with such close cannon fire but Grey made sure to keep them close so they wouldn't leave members behind. Levy, having finally fended off her attacker,  was making her way for the captain at the ships helm. Unlike her own captain who fought beside his men, this one simply watched as his men fell before the pirates in heaps of blue uniform and red blood. Her advance was cut off by a large man and she had to leap back to avoid getting impaled by his blade. She snarled at him and grabbed her pistol with her free hand, aiming for the captain behind him.

She bit back a scream as a blade caught her arm and tried not to let the weapon drop from her hand. Her flesh burned and she could already feel the fever set in but she would not be deterred.  She spun to the man beside her who had attacked and launched a kick into his side. He was not nearly as built as Gajeel, who stumbled at her kick, so he was sent tumbling across the deck to land in front of Lily, who quickly finished him off. Levy tucked and rolled to avoid the large sailor, who had swung with his sword. She lept back to her feet and swung with her blade, it struck true and lodged in his neck, pulling her down as his body fell. She wrestled to get her blade free as a new pain caused a scream to get lodged in her throat. Her side burned and she thought she was going to be sick, but she left her blade in the man's neck to roll out of the way of another blow.

She turned to see the captain she had been after, was now after her. She lifted her pistol and fired, grinning in satisfaction as she landed a shot in his shoulder and sent him staggering back. She scrambled to her feet, holding her bleeding side as she rushed for an abandoned sword near by.

On the Iron Dragon it's captain was having his own problems as officer after officer made for him. He was easily holding his own but they kept coming, never seeming to end and he saw a number of his men fall. Just when he was losing hope, a fire broke out on the white ship, causing it's crew to scatter to put it out. Another fire sprung up on the far side of the ship and he grinned, looking up to the small boy in the nest who was throwing flaming bottles. He was brought back to the fight as a pain struck his shoulder, but it was nothing new for the battle worn captain, only an annoyance. He swung at the officer, cleanly taking his head off and letting the body fall. Suddenly the ship began to pull away and his men began to scramble back to their ship before it got to far away.

Natsu and Romeo were running like mad men to fire the cannons at the burning ship, and luck was on their side as the ship slowly sunk below the water. The remaining officers on his ship were taken out as they stared at where their ship had vanished. Once the last of the Navy was gone, the ship was silent for a few beats, before a loud cheer rose and hats were thrown into the air. He congratulated his men and began shouting instructions for the wounded to be taken below deck, and the dead be collected. He looked for the blue haired fae once things were in motion but his chest tightened when he didn't see her. A hand grabbed his arm and he turned to see a stone faced Lily. " She's in your cabin." He said quietly, and Gajeel all but ran for the cabin.

Inside he found the small woman sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed. Her white blouse was stained red and he was once more reminded of twenty years ago as he ran across to her. She smiled weakly at him as she held her bleeding side. " Told you... we'd be fine." She laughed weakly before her eyes slid shut and she fell forward against him. " Levy!"