Solace

Chapter 1

As the Thunder God Tribe walked into the guildhall, followed of course by Laxus, they immediately noted the down mood everyone seemed to be in. Just from walking around on the grounds, they had picked it up.

"Something must have happened," Freed whispered softly as Evergreen pushed her glasses up her nose and looked around. She was, of course, searching for Elfman though she'd never admit it.

"Where's Lisanna?" Bickslow asked then.

"Lisanna?" his babies cried as they flew overhead.

Upon entering the guildhall, Laxus immediately made his way over to the bar, planning on his girlfriend being there. There wasn't a single part of him that was concerned with what had happened while he was gone. So long as the guildhall was still in one piece, he didn't see how any of it had anything to do with him.

"Kinana," he grumbled as he made it over to the woman at the bar. "Where's Mira?"

At the sight of him, she'd gone even whiter than she usually was, slowly setting the pitcher of beer she was about to take off with back down.

"L-Laxus," she stuttered, staring at him with wide eyes. "You guys are back."

"Yeah," he grumbled. "Mirajane around? Or what? She off today?"

"Um," she started, but then Gray, who was seated at the bar with Juvia, glanced over at them.

"There was a…situation," he spoke up. When Laxus looked over at him, he met his eyes. "She was-"

"Where is she?" he cut the other man off.

"Lax-" Kinana tried, but he wouldn't let her finish either.

"Where?"

"Upstairs, in the infirmary, but- Laxus, no one's supposed to go up there," Kinana called as he bolted off, towards the stairs. "Really. Porlyusica said-"

Like he cared. He didn't hear the rest of what she said or anyone said as he headed up the stairs and to the infirmary.

Elfman and Lisanna were in there. That was the first thing Bickslow and Ever, who had followed him, noticed, each going over to their respective partner. Elfman had been standing over one of the beds, his arms crossed, but at the sight of his girlfriend, he moved to hug her.

"Mama," Bickslow's dolls cheered as he headed over to his own girlfriend. She was seated at a chair by her sister's bed, but stood up when she heard them enter.

"Are you okay?" Bickslow asked as he moved to grab her face in his hands, as if to check her out. "Lissy?"

"Mama?" the babies echoed.

"Mmmm," she said, sniffling slightly. Her eyes were al red and puffy though. "It's Mira, Bickslow. Not me."

Still, he tilted his helmeted forehead to rest it against hers. "What happened?"

"Mira got attacked."

Laxus just stood there though, because his woman wasn't there for him to snuggle. She wasn't awake to tell him that, yes, she was okay. Because she wasn't okay.

His breath was short as he stood over the foot of the cot Mira was in, staring down at her. Her face had a few bandages, but that was all he could see of her injuries, as the rest of her was under a blanket. His demon…

"What are you all doing in here?" Suddenly, his attention was taken momentarily by the pink haired old woman in the corner. She was mixing up some sort of medicine in a cup, but at the sight of all those people, she only frowned. "Get out. All of you. I said that the two of them could stay only to be nice. Is this what being nice gets a person these days? You filthy children. Leave-"

"Who did it?"

Laxus voice was hardly a whisper, but it was enough to stop Porlyusica from speaking. Even Bickslow let go of Lisanna just to turn and look at him. But no one had an answer.

"I said," he growled then, not lifting his head. "Who the fuck did-"

"Calm down now, boy. It's already been taken care of. Mira's the only thing that's still not whole again."

He didn't turn around though at the sound of another person entering the room. Clinching his fists, he ground out, "Tell me who hurt Mira, old man. Now."

"You-"

"Natsu already took care of it," Elfman cut Master Makarov off. "He, Lucy, Gray. You've been gone for a few weeks. And it happened-"

"They were really strong," Lisanna offered up, softly as Bickslow threw an arm around her again. "The guys. They were from another guild. A dark guild. And Mira, she just…"

For a few moments, the only sounds that could be heard was Elfman as he began blubbering again and Ever taking to comfort him.

"What's wrong with her?" Bickslow finally asked, when it was clear Laxus wasn't going to.

"She's in a coma, for one," Lisanna whispered. "And we can't wake her up. Then she's pretty beat up. And she broke her foot too, but-"

"Now would you all get out of here?" Porlyusica was beyond tired of them by that part. "I came here as a favor, Makarov. You agreed that I would not have to see all of them."

"They are all just worried," Makarov said as he came further into the room, walking over to his grandson. "Laxus, honestly, all that can be done for Mira is. She-"

"Then why the hell is she like this? Huh? What have you idiots been doing? You-"

"I can't rightly do anything with all these people in this room," Porlyusica complained, going back over to the corner to finish whatever it was that she was doing. "And these dolls-"

"They're my babies and they were worried too," Bickslow complained as Pappa and Puppu came to land on Lisanna's shoulders. Pippi went to her head along with Poppo, while Peppe rested in her palms. They were as much hers as they were his, by that point.

"Elf," Ever whispered then, still patting him on the shoulder. "I think I shall go back down stairs then. Tell Freed what's going on. Huh?"

"I-"

"I want you all to leave," Laxus growled then, not letting Elfman say anything. "All of you. And I'm taking her to a real fucking hospital. She needs-"

"She needs to lay there, Laxus," Makarov told him with a frown. "And if you so much as try to move her-"

"Laxus," Lisanna whispered, sounding like she was going to start crying again. "Please-"

"This is why I don't deal with humans," Porlyusica told them all then with a huff. "Too many-"

"Grandeeney, I got the herbs you wanted."

"I told you not to call me that," Porlyusica complained as, yet again, they were joined by another person. It was Wendy, of course it was, who only giggled slightly, heading over to the woman.

"I got the- Oh. Laxus. And Evergreen and Bickslow." She nodded at them each in turn. "Me and Porlyusica have been taking good care of Mira for you, Laxus."

Apparently not. Apparently the fuck not. But he wouldn't say that to the girl. He never was particularly kind to her, but he also had always seen her as just a kid. A very, very annoying kid. Even as she aged. So he just ignored her existence for the most part.

"Get out." It was a soft command then, no fight in his voice, as he moved to go stand at Mira's bedside. "All of you. Ever, Lisanna, all of you. You're not fucking helping shit. Leave us alone."

Lisanna wasn't that hard to get rid of. Honestly, she hadn't been sleeping or eating well since it all happened and Bickslow quickly got her to go down the stairs with him. Elfman though took some prodding from Evergreen, still clearly worried about his big sister. But eventually she got him to leave the room.

"But only for ten minutes," he growled at Laxus, allowing Ever to drag him down the stairs. And Wendy just quickly gave Porlyusica what she needed before dashing off. Then it was just Laxus, his grandfather, and the healing mage.

"Sit down, boy," Makarov said after a moment. Nodding at the chair Lisanna had been in, he said, "There's nothing anyone can do, but wait. And you being here isn't helping anything. Porlyusica needs space to do her work."

"There's little that can be done for her," the healer told them both hen. "I have said this before. Only thing we can do is keep her comfortable and-"

"Comfortable? You call this comfortable?" Laxus was getting angry again. Just seeing his woman, his demon, laying there on the cot with her eyes shut and her usually kept up bangs down, all pale looking and miserable was screwing wit him. "She isn't comfortable! She's cold. Look at her. One blanket? It's fucking winter. You idiots."

"Laxus-"

"You're so fucking stupid, old man. So fucking stupid." He was moving then, to take his usual coat off before leaning down to lay it over Mirajane as tenderly as he could. Then he brushed his lips gently against her cheek, just to let her know that he was there, if she didn't already.

Who would hurt his demon?

"I didn't want to say this, before," Porlyusica began after a moment of silence. "But there is something else you should know. Something that I have not shared with anyone as of yet. Not even you, Makarov."

"What?" the Master asked while Laxus only continued to stare down at his girlfriend.

"It is the girl," she said, nodding over at Mirajane with a sigh. "I assume you are her only partner, Laxus."

He blinked. Then the calm he'd felt after being so close to Mira dissipated.

"What are you trying to say?" he growled, turning finally to glare at the mage full on. Porlyusica was unconcerned with his gaze, however and only sighed.

"She is pregnant," she told him bluntly which made Makarov about drop his jaw. Laxus' breath caught for a moment before he found his own resolve and looked back to his girlfriend.

"Did she know?" he finally got out.

"I do not think so. At least she never came to me about it," the mage told him. Laxus bit his lip then before letting out a soft breath.

"She's not… Is it alright?" he asked finally. "The child?"

"As far as I can tell, it is fine." Then, after a moment's thought, she said, "I would have not told you, had I not assumed it was yours. And you may not go telling others, either. I practice very by the book."

His head hurt. And he wanted to sit down. But he couldn't show weakness in front of the old man and the healer. No way. So he just stood there, trying to breathe deeply. After a few moments, Makarov came closer to look at Mirajane as well.

"One problem outweighs the other in this moment, though I am certain both are very shocking to you. I-"

"Shut up, old man," he grumbled. He needed a drink or something.

…No. He needed to go out there and kill whatever had hurt not only his demon, but his baby.

Oh shit. Shit. A baby? With Mira?

Reaching up, he pressed a hand against his head, breathing softly through his mouth, trying to regulate it. The whole thing felt like some sort of horrible dream. He felt like he was going to pass out.

But the old man was right. They had to tackle each thing separately. At the moment, it didn't matter what was growing in Mira's stomach. It just mattered that she woke up.

He laid a hand then, gently, on Mira's forehead, just to feel her. To know that it was real. Even if it didn't seem like it, he knew that it was. He had been out on a job, a long job, and now he might lose his demon because of it. And if Porlyusica was to believed, and he knew no reason why she shouldn't, he had a kid in there. A kid that could have been hurt too.

"Did Natsu kill them?"

Makarov glanced up at his grandson, as if shocked. "Of course not. But they are-"

"I'll kill them," he whispered then, clinching his fists again. "I'll-"

"Right now, boy, I think you're more needed here. Don't you?"

"You better fucking fix her, old woman," he simply growled, shoving Makarov's hand off when he reached out to touch him. "'cause if you don't, I'll destroy this fucking place."

"Won't make much difference to me, child," she told him as she inspected the herbs Wendy had brought her. "I find I'd rather prefer it."

Another short little story that probably won't go passed five chapters (I say this knowing that most all of them do, but here's to hoping). I just needed something to balance out all of that Bickslow/Lisanna stuff from my other story and this was the only solution. Short chapter, I know, but whatever.