Author's Note:Hi everyone! I'm so sorry that it's been so long! School has been very hectic and multiple experiments are in full swing in the lab. I have the rest of the story planned out and I can't wait for you all to read the rest of it! Let me know what you think of this chapter and of Grace's perspective. I hope you enjoy! (:
April 5th
The trees shook as the group wandered through the woods. The sun sat high, puffs of gray and white settling around it and warping the once blue sky. The wind was whistling around them, ruffling their clothes and whipping Lucy's hair this way and that. She chewed on her lip, picturing the abundance of knots she would have to untangle when they settled at an inn for the night. The group's motion came to a halt, Lucy knocking into Grace from the sudden stop. She glanced around the brunette's shoulder, noting Natsu's nose twitching. His hand was raised to the side, signaling the abrupt stop. Wendy's nose crinkled in disgust, tears forming in her eyes as Gajeel cursed under his breath. Grace glanced over her shoulder, her brow furrowed as she met Lucy's gaze.
"Be careful and stay focused." Natsu stated, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the trees before us.
"What's going on?" Grace muttered. Her eyes flicked between the three dragon slayers.
"There's been a massacre." Gajeel's voice grumbled from behind the group and Lucy's once steady heartbeat faltered. Grace fixed a glare on him and frowned.
"And how do you know that? We can't even see the town!" Her voice came out in a hiss, only sounding more menacing as the trees groaned from the gust of wind.
"The smell of blood is sickening. It's all I can smell." Natsu's voice was hushed and Lucy had to strain her ears to hear him over the howling gusts. "Come on." He sighed, gesturing for them to follow as he pushed through the low-hanging branches. After a few more minutes, they reached the forest's edge. The sides of houses caught Lucy's eyes and she gasped. They were demolished, roofs caved in. Bodies littered the ground, torn to shreds with blood pooling around them. They weren't just human bodies though. Buracktors and other demonic creatures mingled with the human corpses and the sickening smell assaulted Lucy's senses. She couldn't even imagine, and didn't want to imagine, what the dragon slayers were smelling. Natsu sprinted towards the town center, the other slayers following. Lucy's heels brushed the edge of the forest and she didn't want to move any further into the debris. Grace dry-heaved and Lucy could only assume that she was physically sickened from the corpses scattered about. She swallowed harshly and extended her hand to the celestial mage, a glint of determination in her eyes.
"Come on. We need to figure out what happened here." Lucy agreed with her, but found it difficult to move. The bodies were fresh and she couldn't help but think it was their fault that this happened. She swallowed harshly, placing her hand in Grace's as she let the other mage drag her through the demolished town. They eventually found the slayers, huddled around an over-sized snake. Grace froze, her breath catching in her throat. Lucy tugged on her hand, intrigued by the creature and the stance of the slayers. Grace seemed reluctant, eyes flicking around until she calmed herself. Lucy could feel her quickened pulse from her wrist and she squeezed her hand as they approached. Wendy knelt down beside the snake and the creature hissed, coiling tightly. It was then that Lucy realized a body was surrounded by the snake.
"Cubellios." Wendy's tone was pleading as a warm light surrounded her hands. The snake snapped at her, venom dripping down its fangs. It's lengthy body tightened the coil. The snake's beady eyes flicked to Lucy and Grace, who had just approached, before settling on Natsu.
"Let Wendy heal him Cubellios." He growled under his breath, a glare fixed on the creature. It snapped its jaw one last time before loosening its hold on the body. Dark hair was slicked back with blood, the familiar white jacket was torn to shreds, and the skin was littered with wounds. Lucy recognized the man though, even without his daunting smile. It was the man from town that snuck up on her. A soft gasp escaped her lips and Natsu glanced over at her as Wendy knelt down to heal him.
"He's the man I told you about Natsu. Who is he?" She inquired, eyes trained on the snake that watched the group carefully.
"His name is Cobra and he's the poison dragon slayer." As the last word left his lips, Grace vomited.
The lovely aroma of honey and spice wafted through the room as Lucy checked the chicken. After Wendy closed Cobra's wounds, the group had spent the day burying the dead and decorating their graves with stones and wild flowers. It was the best they could do and they moved on swiftly after, not wanting to be discovered at the scene by wandering travelers. They ended up reaching their original destination in the middle of the night. Lucy insisted they stay at an actual hotel and she won the argument against Natsu. Cobra needed time to heal and they all needed a shower and a meal. Grace and Lucy showered first, heading out to find a twenty-four hour grocery store while the others got settled. They returned to find Wendy in the boy's room with Cobra and the girl's room empty. Wendy had explained that Gajeel and Natsu went to check the perimeter. That left Lucy and Grace to figure out dinner.
Lucy decided to put the kitchenette to good use while they had the time. She effortlessly sliced the fresh biscuits, slathering them with more honey butter and a touch of cinnamon. While she did so, her thoughts wandered to the newest addition to their group, the poison dragon slayer. According to Wendy, Cobra woke for a few minutes while they were at the store. He had explained that the town was under attack when he returned and that he did his best to protect them. A few townspeople managed to escape while he distracted the demonic creatures, but they were too much for him and Cubellios. Though they won, many lives were lost. She couldn't imagine how he was feeling and she wasn't the only one concerned. Grace had been itching to see him all evening. She had confided in Lucy, revealing that Cobra had talked to her in the forest when Lucy was injured. When dinner was ready, she was going to bring plates to Wendy and Cobra, hoping he would wake again. Lucy studied her friend, noting the furrow of her brow and frown on her lips. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and Lucy didn't want to bother her.
The door to their room slammed open, ricocheting off the wall. It startled both girls from their thoughts as Natsu and Gajeel strolled in. Natsu's head tilted up, his nose twitching before his eyes settled on Lucy.
"Whatcha doing?" He stepped closer, his left brow arched as Lucy smiled.
"We were tired of eating nuts and poorly cooked beans so Lucy is making us a real dinner. Normal people don't enjoy their food charred, yah know." Grace responded before Lucy had the chance. Though her comment seemed snarky, she had a playful tone mingled with the bite of her words. Grace was often like that, a twist of attitude and tease, sour and sweet. While her words managed to get under Gajeel's skin, the others adapted quite well to her playfully, sarcastic snaps.
"I'm sorry my survival skills don't live up to your elegant taste buds' standards Grace. If I knew I was cooking for a five-star critic, I would have tried harder." Natsu quipped with a smirk and she laughed in response, giving him a snarky roll of her eyes instead of a verbal response. Natsu placed his chin on Lucy's shoulder, his warm breath tickling her ear as he watched her finish the last biscuit. She glanced in his direction, a soft smile on her face.
"We made honey glazed chicken, honey butter biscuits, and sweet potato wedges." Natsu perked up at her response and his body vibrated with excitement.
"You guys are the best. I'm starving." He bounced back, his warm aura retreating with him.
"When are you not starving Salamander?" Gajeel cackled and Natsu pouted.
"Shove off Metal Face." He snarled before turning his focus back on Lucy and Grace. "Thank-you, both of you."
"I just made the sweet potatoes. This was all Lucy's idea and her recipes. She even made your chicken special Natsu." Grace chuckled, poking his nose and dropping a plate of food on the table in front of him. She grabbed a biscuit, adding it on top before handing a plate to Gajeel. Natsu glanced up at Lucy after dropping down to sit at the table.
"Your food has an extra kick to it. I just added some hot sauce and smoked spices." A wide smile blossomed on his lips before he dug into the food. The dragon slayers devoured their food, with Grace on their heels. Moans escaped Natsu and Grace's lips and Lucy had to swallow harshly to avoid spitting her food everywhere from laughing so hard. Meanwhile, Gajeel watched the two in a playful mix of horror and disgust while he dug into his meal. Lucy enjoyed her food at a slower pace, a smile in place as she enjoyed the utter normalcy of it all. The moment Grace finished, she tossed her plate in the sink and grabbed two more.
"I'm going to bring Wendy and Cobra some food. See you guys later." She spoke swiftly and ducked out of the room before anyone could respond. Natsu was too busy licking his plate clean anyway.
"Actually, I wanna ask Cobra some questions anyway. Thanks for the food Bunny Girl. You've got a gift." Gajeel ruffled her hair with his over-sized hand before dropping his plate in the sink and slipping out the door. Lucy smiled softly, finishing her last bite before pushing herself up to clean.
"Sit. I got it." Natsu assured her, snatching both of their plates off the table and stationing himself at the sink.
"I can hel-" Lucy began to protest, but Natsu cut her off.
"So, where'd you learn to cook? The food was amazing Luce." He gave her a dazzling smile and she thought over his question for a moment, dropping her body back onto the chair.
"Well, that was my favorite meal growing up. My mom made it almost every weekend for me. After she passed, Ms. Vivian taught me how to make it myself. She taught me a lot about cooking and baking. It kept me busy and distracted from the aftermath of my mom's passing." She spoke softly, swiftly wiping the counter before Natsu could beat her to it. He nodded, making a small sound of acknowledgment. His eyes fell on her clenched fists, the damp rag clasped tightly in her hand. "I haven't made this since I ran away." Lucy didn't know why she mentioned that and Natsu didn't question it. Without hesitation, he stepped around the counter and slipped his fingers into Lucy's hand, gently pulling her fingers out to release the tension in her fists. Their fingers easily intertwined, their palms pressed together. The gentle heat from Natsu's hand settled in Lucy's left hand, the warmth spreading up her arm.
"I want to show you something." A wide smile touched his lips as he pulled her towards the door. "If that's okay." He paused by the door, meeting Lucy's confused stare with a familiar, warm gaze. She nodded without even thinking it over. He was her best friend and she would go anywhere with him. The pair slipped out of the inn, walking in amicable silence as they followed the curving roads of the town. On this particular evening, the town was quiet. The only sources of light were the gentle glow of the nearby homes, the sky speckled with stars, and the radiant full moon. The plush grass brushed against Lucy's ankles as she followed Natsu through a ridge on the outskirts of town. They stumbled up the side of a mountain, Natsu's grip tightening on her hand to help steady and support both of them. They stopped when their toes brushed the edge of a surrounding forest. Lucy was breathing heavily, but she gave Natsu a reassuring smile. "Up you go." He swept her off her feet effortlessly, lifting her so she could reach the lowest hanging branch. She grabbed onto the branch, hoping it was sturdy. The tree groaned as she hauled herself up. Natsu was right below her. She paused when she reached the top, dropping herself onto a thicker branch. "We're not there yet." Natsu passed her, grinning at her as he extended his hand. She tilted her head, studying the thin layer of leaves above them. With Natsu's help, they pushed through the leaves, a view of the night sky opening before them.
Lucy's breath caught in her throat, her eyes perfect circles as she took in the sight before her. The stars were brighter than she ever remembered stars being. The town, lacking light, seemed so small below them and Lucy felt like she was in a different world.
"Natsu…" His name escaped her lips in a whisper as their legs dangled beside each other. Lines of light streaked across the sky and Lucy almost missed it when she blinked. The light swiftly increased as more meteors arched through the stars. Lucy was speechless and Natsu was too busy grinning with his eyes on her face to comment on the show stretching across the sky before them. "How'd you find this place?" The whisper slipped out as her eyes fell on the lighting bugs, mingling in a meadow on the other side of town. She never would have seen it from the hotel and the entire scene was calming and peaceful.
"I found it when I was checking the parameter. Gajeel and I split up and I just got lucky finding it on my side. Some people in town were talking about the meteor shower and I thought you would enjoy it." He shrugged, leaning back with his arms stretched out, fingers linked behind his head. Lucy leaned towards him and his arms dropped, allowing her access to his shoulder. She tucked her head under his chin, wrapping her arms around his waist as her eyes stayed trained on the sky. Natsu curled his arm around her, allowing his body heat expand to her, gently warming her skin. She moved closer to him, her eyes fluttering shut the moment the last meteor arched across the sky.
"Luce?" She blinked up at Natsu at the sound of his gentle voice. "Come on. Let's get you back to the room. It's been a long day." He pulled her into his arms without hesitation and slid off the branches supporting their weight. His knees bent to take the impact as he hit the ground. He carried her the entire way to the hotel, despite her protests and assurance that should could walk. They slipped into the silent hotel room and Natsu finally placed her on her feet.
"Hey Natsu?" She called as he moved towards the door. He paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Can you stay with me tonight?" His eyes widened and she twirled a strand of blonde between her fingers. "It's just, I can't stop thinking about all those people. I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep well and no one else is here yet…" Her words trailed off and he closed the distance between them, his fingers circling her wrist and gently pulling her into his embrace. She tucked her head under his chin.
"Of course I'll stay. You don't have to explain." He kissed her forehead before leading her into the bedroom, the door softly clicking shut behind them.
Grace
"Why me?" Cobra's eyebrow quirked as he studied Grace, who stood by the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. She had be stationed there all night, even when Gajeel insisted that she left. She stood her ground though and listened to the dragon slayer's conversation with a narrowed gaze. She listened as Cobra explained how he ended up in that town after wandering across the plains to the East for weeks. He was taking shelter there when he caught the dragon slayer's scent and decided to track the group for a while until he showed himself. He wasn't sure how well his appearance would be received and he was weighing the options, knowing he would be hunted by them once they found the twins.
The night he returned, the town was under attack and he did the best he could to defend the people who generously took him in. He said the noise was overwhelming, creatures shouting for the death of the dragon slayers and all who support them. Since the town had sheltered Cobra, they were decimated. It didn't matter that they thought he was a traveler, passing through on his journey to find his brother. It didn't make sense to Grace. Was Zeref that hell bent on finding and slaughtering the dragon slayers? Or was he just that cruel and monstrous? If so, how was he so evil and his own brother, Natsu, not? Was Natsu hiding his true nature from the others? Were his intentions with Lucy really as pure as they seemed? Though those questions scratched at the back of her mind, the center of her focus was on Cobra and his wicked grin.
"Getting right to the point, eh? I'm doing fine by the way. Everything seems to be healing okay and I've regained most of my strength and magical energy." He quipped, a smirk on his lips.
"I know you're fine. Wendy told me. I want to know why you chose me to talk to in the woods." She didn't move an inch, her narrowed gaze fixed on the man. Cobra chuckled, rolling his eyes with amusement.
"Lucy was unconscious and I didn't want to talk to Gajeel. Natsu and Wendy were preoccupied. It just seem-" He started rambling and Grace rolled her eyes.
"Cut the bull shit Cobra. I know you're lying." She snapped and his brow furrowed, though the corner of his lips flicked up in a slanted smirk.
"I find you intriguing. You're brutally honest-" She laughed with another roll of her eyes, pushing off the wall to sit on the chair by his bedside.
"I know you can hear everything, including my thoughts. You know I'm the furthest thing from honest." She scoffed, glancing out the open window.
"I'm not talking about your past Grace." He pushed himself up so he was sitting with his back against the wall. His hand reached out, cupping Grace's cheek to maneuver her stare to match his. "I already know about that and why you are omitting the truth. It's not a malicious lie. You don't mean any harm to Lucy or the others. We both know they would have left you to die if they knew about your past." She huffed, yanking her face from his hand as her cheeks warmed. She didn't particularly enjoy baring her thoughts and soul to a demon. Though, she didn't really have a choice in the matter unless she left the group, and that wasn't going to happen. Cobra chuckled, letting his hand fall onto the mattress. "What I mean, is that you don't sugar coat your feelings or opinions. You tell it like it is, not to be cruel, but to be real. You also cut right to the point, which makes communication more effective in my opinion. I never strayed far from your group, so that one day soon I could join. Because of that, I've seen how you interact with the others and it's amazing. Even Natsu sugarcoats things at times, as does Gajeel. You're different, in the best way." Grace held his stare the entire time and she frowned, fighting the pressing urge to smile.
"You're the only one with that opinion Cobra." She muttered and he chuckled.
"We both know that doesn't matter. Just take it at face value, accept the compliment, and we can move on." He shrugged and Grace studied his expression.
"Fine." Grace huffed and Cobra laughed again.
"You're welcome." He smirked and Grace sighed, swallowing her pride.
"Thank-you Cobra." The words escaped with an exasperated sigh.
"Mind calling me Erik?" This caught Grace off-guard and she paused, matching his stare. "It's my name. Erik." He added and Grace nodded.
"Sure. I think I can manage that." An honest and wide smile blossomed on his face and it dazzled Grace, catching her pleasantly off-guard. He appeared beautiful to her in that moment and his smile was contagious. She couldn't fight the own smile forming on her lips. She didn't believe it was possible, but he smiled even wider.
"I think Grace broke Cobra." Gajeel muttered under his breath and Grace startled, jumping up from the chair.
"What?" She blurted, fixing a wide-eyed gaze on Gajeel and Wendy who stood in the now-open doorway.
"I've never seen yah smile like that. I'm impressed." He chuckled and Erik's lips shifted into a snarl. "There's the Cobra we know. Did we interrupt something?" He mused.
"No." Erik snapped the same moment Grace growled "Yes." The pair locked eyes and a nervous giggle escaped Wendy's lips. Grace narrowed her gaze on Erik and brought one simple statement to the forefront of her thoughts. 'You appreciate honesty? Doesn't seem like it.' With that, she pushed through the two standing dragon slayers and stomped out of the room and into the hallway.
"I have the sudden urge to stretch my le- oh forget it. I'm going to talk to Grace. Follow me and I'll let Cubellios sink her teeth into you." Erik grumbled loud enough so Grace could hear. A small smile touched her lips and she slowed her pace, finding herself outside. She took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, spring air. Her gaze settled on the stars dancing across the night sky. She dropped down onto a bench near the entrance, following the meteors arching across the sky. Her breath sucked in between her lips as a realization hit her. It was the night of the meteor shower, April 5th. It was the night of the grand ball thrown by her father in their kingdom every night for her birthday. She angrily wiped the tears welling in her eyes as someone cleared their throat beside her.
"Happy birthday Grace." Erik was holding himself up on the entrance way, seemingly disheveled and out of breath. He raised his hand, a sparkling amulet dangling from his fingers. It was ruby encased by swirls of silver, stretching up to form the delicate chain. "It isn't much, but it's all I have." He gestured for her to take it and she pushed herself to her feet. She gently grasped it, her fingers brushing over the stone.
"It's beautiful, but you don't have to do this. If I wanted everyone to know my birthday, I would tell them. You just happen to be someone I can't hide it from." She held the amulet back out to him, but he shook his head.
"It'll look nice with your skin tone. Just take it." He insisted and her eyes widened as she examined the necklace again. With a nod, she accepted the gift and clasped it around her neck. It settled at the base of her throat, glistening in the moonlight.
"Thank-you." She mumbled before reaching for Erik's arm. She swung it over her shoulder and supported him in the walk to the bench. Together, they sat, eyes trained on the meteors and arcs of light.
"So, what do these dances usually consist of?" He inquired and she huffed, sinking down further to stretch her legs in front of her.
"They're like any other ball, full of obnoxiously snobby people and their families."
"Can't say I've ever been to a ball, so I might need further clarification." He chuckled, a touch of snark on his tone. She eyed him for a moment.
"You're a dragon slayer. Father told me all about the grand parties they used to throw for you before the attack." She narrowed her gaze and he nodded, stretching his arms behind him to interlock his hands behind his head.
"I'm not much of a party-goer. I never attended. The parties were more for the twins and their tastes. Wendy also liked to dance, but they couldn't ever convince me that it was worth it to attend." He explained and she nodded.
"They're usually pointless, so you didn't miss out. At least Natsu could enjoy the buffets, Gajeel could entertain himself by making fun of the idiocracy of it all, the twins would enjoy the luxury, and Wendy could dance. I don't know the others, but I'm sure they found something to pass the time." Grace spoke matter-of-factly and Erik smirked.
"God Serena enjoyed the floozy women and Laxus enjoyed the music. Acnologia simply enjoyed messing with the minds of higher-ranked individuals." He added, much to Grace's enjoyment.
"Interesting." She hummed before glancing up at him. "I think you would've enjoyed eavesdropping on people for a while. The lives of the wealthy are quite laughable, though that also might have just pissed you off." She spoke thoughtfully, imagining Erik in such a setting.
"Yeah, I'd go with the latter." He chuckled and she nodded in agreement. They sat in silence for a bit, watching the show in the sky come to an end. Grace imagined the party was in full swing, despite her absence. Father was always one to put on a good show, even if the center of attention detested it. It wouldn't be the first birthday bash she missed. When she was ten, she hid in the gardener's shed and played cards with a fern. Then again when she was thirteen, she hid in the kitchen and ate a quarter of the cake before it could be served. When she was sixteen, her father tried to marry her off and she nearly killed the prince of a neighboring country. "That's the day you discovered your magic? Your sixteenth birthday?" Erik whispered and Grace nodded. She still couldn't decide if she enjoyed the poison dragon slayer's ability to read her soul or not. "I can't turn it off and your thoughts in particular, are very loud."
"Gee, thanks." She chuckled and he smirked. "I made the kid's dead mother manifest in front of him. He had a breakdown and tried to throw himself off the balcony. I didn't even stop him. One of my guards did." She muttered, shoulders slumping as regret settled deep in her core.
"Why didn't you stop him?" He prodded gently and she sighed, her fists clenching.
"I was only sixteen damn it. I didn't even know the manifestation was my doing and I didn't want to marry the guy. Since I couldn't fight back against my father, the prince was given fault in my mind. He could have said no and the whole forced marriage would have been abolished." She growled, shutting her eyes. "I was sixteen. I was still a child. I didn't want to be married. I wanted to explore the land and immerse myself in magic. I wanted to find a guild, even if I didn't have my own power just yet. If I was married at a young age, I would have been forced to have children and prepare to rule a kingdom. How messed up is that?" Tears were streaming freely down her face now and it startled them both. Erik gently wiped them from her cheeks and smiled softly when she opened her eyes.
"You're free now. You never have to go back there or see your father ever again." Erik assured her and she shook her head.
"I need to go back there. Once this is all over, I'm taking the kingdom. I'm twenty now and my father is slowly losing his mind. I'm the rightful leader and if I take the throne, I can lift the ban on magic. I can make a difference. For that? It's worth going back to that hellish castle. It's worth facing my father." A determined glint sparked in her eyes and Erik grinned.
"Sounds like I get to overthrow a kingdom soon." Her eyes widened and he laughed. "I've always wanted to overthrow a kingdom. Don't take my fun away." He mused and she nudged his shoulder with her own.
"Fine. I guess I could use the help." She admitted.
"Hell yeah!" He cheered, thrusting his fist in the air. A groan escaped his lips though and his arm recoiled to his chest.
"Just don't get killed before then, okay?"
"I think I can manage that." He spoke through a wince and she smiled, turning her gaze back on the stars above. "I can answer some of your questions, if you'd like." Erik spoke softly and Grace's full attention was on him. She pulled her gaze from the sky and settled it back on him. "Natsu isn't evil. His anger gets the best of him at times, but so does mine. We are a lot alike in that manner. He is also incredibly reckless, but he puts everything he has into protecting those he cares about. Zeref was similar when they were younger, but the demon king liked his magic too much. He took Zeref under his wing and slowly twisted his soul. By the time we all realized, it was too late and we sacrificed ourselves to seal Zeref away." Grace's eyes widened and she sat up, about to cut him off to ask a question. "Natsu will have to tell you that story. I'm still hazy on the details." His stare was distant before it settled back on her. "So, yes, Zeref is that cruel and monstrous. He doesn't care about human life and he would love to rip our souls to pieces. That's why this journey is going to get extremely dangerous once we gather everyone. If you're having doubts about Natsu's motives and leadership, leave now." Erik snapped and that caught Grace off-guard.
"What do you mean?" She questioned and he sighed.
"He's our leader and I've followed him throughout my entire existence. If you continue to question his motives, you're going to start questioning mine and everyone else's. From what I can see, Lucy is foolishly smitten with the guy, but she put her faith and trust in him. The girl doesn't falter and her trust has extended to all of us because Natsu's trust extends in the same manner. You don't have to reach that extent, but if you don't see yourself trusting him as much as you trust Lucy or Wendy, then it would be better off if you stay here. When we face hell, we can't lose our faith in each other." He fixed his gaze on her, his statement a challenge and she clenched her fists once again.
"I'll work on it. What you told me, it helps, but I don't promise anything." She growled under her breath and he nodded.
"That's all I ask."
"That's it?" Her brow quirked.
"That's it." He huffed, pulling his gaze away to look at the surrounding forest. "Think you can help me back to my room? Gajeel might throw a tantrum if I don't go back to talk to him and Wendy."
"Why will he throw a tantrum?" She pushed herself up, extending her arms to steady Erik on his feet.
"Does he ever need a reason?" He mused and she shrugged.
"No. He acts like he has a stick up his ass with everyone except Wendy, so it's not surprising." She concluded and he nodded as he used her support as a crutch.
"He's gotten worse because he had to leave his girlfriend behind. He's not so bad once you get to know him." He explained before maneuvering through the entrance. "He has questions about the twins though, ones that only I can answer. So tonight, he has a reason."
"It's a springtime miracle." The pair chuckled together at Grace's comment. Together, they hobbled down the hallway and if Erik was listening to Grace's thoughts about his toned arms and chest, she didn't really care.