Author's note: This is slowly coming to an end... Just a couple more chappies, peeps. No worries, I have already started a new GaLe fan fiction. Gawd... Why am I so freakin' lovey-dovey with these two? Oh well, as long as you enjoy my works, I'll keep writing.

lexie loves anime , yeah, people like Akumu are the worst.

myzor king of war , thank you!

TheLadyRikku , glad to hear you enjoyed "Dare" so much ^_^

Ulcaasi , well, in moments like those in "Dare", you react by instinct alone (mmmyeah... almost happened to me as well... the only difference was that i freakin' punched the guy, and shoved my knee up his groin (before he actually managed to glomp me... felt like crap after...) Also, thank you for pointing out the grammar errors... English is not my native language. This is why I enjoy reviews so much, my readers can show me if and where I made mistakes.

Other that that, thank you for taking the time to read and review my works!

CHAPTER 12: WORRIES

Gajeel woke up, feeling sore. He looked around, remembering the last thing he saw. His wife, underneath him, looking like an angel. He leaned in for a kiss and the next thing he knew he was lying in bed, feeling his sore abdomen. Gajeel saw Levy, asleep next to him. He caressed a couple of blue strands from her forehead, making her move. Levy stirred, opening her eyes dreamily, watching him with a smile plastered on her face.

"Hey... You back?" Levy asked him, clearly confusing him.

"What do you mean?" Gajeel turned on a side and leaned on his right arm.

"You gave us quite the scare earlier." Gajeel's eyes changed, Levy reading fear in them. "Akumu payed us a visit. No worries, she didn't do anything." Gajeel read the truth from her smile, but noticed the fang marks from her neck and raised him palm to rest it on Levy's wound. "It's just a scratch, don't worry about it." Levy got closer to him, making herself comfortable between his arms.

"I did it again..." Gajeel's voice was filled with disgust.

"No, you didn't. She did. And tomorrow we'll get rid of her. For good." Gajeel gasped.

"You know..."

"Yeah, Master told me about the counter spell. And I will be there all the way." Gajeel stared with his eyes wide open. "I'll be your strength. You just make sure you lean on me, OK?" Levy smiled so lovingly he was unable to doubt himself. He found himself smiling back in agreement, feeling it was one of the best choices he'd made in his life. Gajeel placed his arms around Levy and squeezed her, not wanting to let her go.

A while after, Levy broke the comfortable silence.

"Let's go check the pub, I'm bored." Levy looked hopeful at him, caressing his left cheek. Gajeel got dressed and went outside the Medical Room with Levy. The whispers from the other members were louder than before. The two made their way to Natsu's loud table, earning a couple of menacing glares from Salamander and Gray.

"Yo..." Gajeel felt queasy when he saw Lily's eyes, knowing he was the one who saved Levy from him.

"You sure like to scare the heck out of us, idiot." Natsu threw a spiteful look at him.

"Do you think it was easy for me to ask for help? Especially from the two of you. This whole situation is goddamn serious and I know you two are the only ones who can help me! Do you understand now?" Gajeel took a seat and looked determined at the two mages.

"You could make a little effort, you know... To keep the bitch in check. Especially when she's around you, moron!"

"Natsu!" Levy slammed her tiny fist on the table and glared at him.

"No, he's right... I keep part of the blame for allowing her to take over..."

"Be sure to keep you shit together until we get that bitch out of you, you hear? Or, so help me, I'm gonna follow you to the depths of hell and drag you back here to kick your sorry ass." Natsu's fists burst into flames.

"I will." Gajeel smiled at his two nakama, knowing his personal hell would be over soon.

"So how are we gonna do this?" Gray twined his fingers together, looking intently at Gajeel.

"Basically, you need to freeze him enough for that wench to come out and let me smoke her. And, after that, I can warm him up." Levy gasped, but didn't say a word. She felt the tension from the three mages, and her worries wouldn't make things any better. She had to stay strong for Gajeel. She merely took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"What's with this atmosphere? I didn't know Fairy Tail could be so depressed..." A booming voice came from the main doors, making everyone turn around.

"Laxus!" Gray and Natsu said at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Gray continued, watching the Thunder Dragon head for the bar, where Mira was waiting for him.

"Jiji sent for me, said it was a matter of life and death. So? Who's the idiot that got himself into shit this time?" Laxus stopped at their table, looking at them with a patronizing smile. Natsu and Gray merely pointed at Gajeel. "You sure are a magnet for trouble, aren't you?" Laxus placed a hand on Gajeel's shoulder, seeing the disgusted look on his face. "I'll go talk to jiji. Later." He waved with his back on them and headed to Mirajane, letting her jump in his arms and hug him tightly.

"I guess this whole situation is worse that I thought..." Levy thought out loud.

"We'll pull through this. We're Fairy Tail!" Natsu's voice gave them hope, giving Levy the strength to smile at him.

"Yeah, you're right. Thank you, minna!" Just then, Jet and Droy came through the door, not looking their way. They went to the mission poster without noticing Gajeel or Levy watching them intently. "Excuse me for a moment." Levy got up and headed for Jet with a determined look after he chose a mission and took a seat to read it better.

"Hey, Jet." Jet looked up from his mission poster and saw Levy smiling sheepishly at him.

"Levy!" He raised himself from his chair, blushing furiously. "Uhm... I... Hey..." He scratched his head with his face on fire. Levy looked down and sighed heavily.

"Uhm... Listen... We should talk..." Jet snapped his eyes to look at the bluenette better, a shadow looming over him.

"No, I should talk to him..." Jet froze and gulped loudly.

"Gajeel..." Levy saw the Speed mage turn defiantly at her husband, glaring menacingly at the Dragon Slayer.

"Welcome home, Gajeel. What made you come back so soon?" Jet crossed his arms and held his ground. Levy looked worried at the two men, not knowing how they would react. Gajeel merely extended his hand for a shake, surprising the Speed mage. Seeing Jet not reacting in any way, Gajeel explained.

"I wanna thank you." Jet looked like Gajeel's hand would bite him.

"For what? For fixing her up after what you did?" Jet nudged his head Levy's way and threw a disgusted look at the Dragon. Levy gasped seeing Gajeel's eyes filling with sadness.

"Jet!" Levy yelled at him just as Gajeel returned his hand.

"No, Levy. He should know what he did to you! He should know he has NO right to come back like nothing happened! I don't need his thanks cuz I didn't do it for HIM!" Jet glared at the unflinching Dragon Slayer." I didn't keep you alive for him and I never will! Do you know she wanted to kill herself? Do you have ANY idea how many times she sat on that rock, looking at the water below? You don't know, because YOU left her!" Levy's eyes filled, seeing Gajeel's shocked expression. "And you really expect you can come waltzing in LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED?!" Jet's fists trembled in rage.

"I'm not expecting anything from anyone. I only wanted to thank you for being there for her when I wasn't, even though you didn't do it for me. You did it for her and that's what truly matters." He extended his hand again, looking hopeful at Jet. The whole guild stopped from what they were doing to look at the three, holding their breath. The two men stared at each other for a long while before Jet finally took his hand and squeezed it hard. Gajeel smiled wickedly and glomped him. Jet stared with his eyes wide open as Gajeel bear hugged him.

"You guys..." Levy smiled widely, seeing her husband do such a thing, and in front of the whole guild. The bluenette placed her hands around both of them, stopping Jet from trying to get Gajeel's hands off.

"This doesn't mean I won't break you if you EVER touch my wife like THAT again." Gajeel growled in Jet's ear, making him smile.

"This doesn't mean I won't stop chasing after her. You will leave again. Next time I won't let her come to get you back." Jet pulled away, looking in the Dragon's red eyes. They were screaming for a strike. The Speed mage brought himself to his full height, expecting his punch, but it never came. Gajeel merely glared at him, took his wife by the hand and pulled her close, placing his arm around her neck, silently telling Jet he already lost Levy.

"Gajeel, could you give us a moment?" Levy looked at him expectantly.

"Sure, go crazy." Gajeel pecked her on the lips and went to Mirajane for his treatment. Levy linked her arm with Jet and pulled him out of the guild without a word. They walked in silence for a while, taking the known road to Levy's favorite hill, outside Magnolia. Once they got there, Levy sat on the grass and patted the spot next to her. Jet obliged and crossed his feet, resting his arms on his knees, waiting for Levy to say whatever she had to say.

"I guess you know why I dragged you away from the guild like this..." Levy smiled at him, but her eyes were sad.

"This is about our night together." Jet looked fiercely in her hazel eyes.

"Yeah... I'm not even sure what I wanna say... Is there a way to apologize for something like that?"

"Are you sorry it happened?" Jet looked at his hands, not able to face the truth in her eyes.

"That's the thing... I'm not sorry..." Levy looked at him, feeling a knot forming in her throat.

"Then why apologize?"

"Because I gave you hope." Levy looked down at the grass, not being able to face his hurt expression.

"So we're just gonna pretend nothing happened?" Jet couldn't hide his sadness in his voice.

"I don't know!" Levy threw her arms in the air in frustration. "I'm not sorry we did it, but I love Gajeel. Do you understand? I can't live without him! You witnessed it all!" Jet was taken aback by Levy's raised voice.

"You were ready to move on! If he hadn't come back, I would've fixed you! Can't you see he's only hurting you? I would NEVER do such a thing!" Jet's frustration got to him and he screamed.

"I can't choose. I can't..." Levy's voice was strained. "What we did was a mistake, but I'm not sorry. I guess, in a way, I love you, too. I wouldn't do something like that with anyone and I hope you know that. But, still... Can we still be friends after this?" Levy looked hopeful at her childhood friend. Jet watched his hands with a sour look, thinking hard.

"I don't know... You know how I feel about you. I love you. Too much... Listen... I'm grateful I had just one night, I'll cherish it for the rest of my life. I can honestly say it was the best night I've ever had. And, just as a heads-up, I'm not giving up on you. I don't want to jinx your relationship by saying bad stuff, but, if there's a slight chance at you, I'll take it." Jet twined his fingers with hers, smiling bitterly at her. Levy blushed and got closer to him, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you... For being there for me when I needed it the most." Jet placed his arm around Levy's shoulder and squeezed it, not wanting to let go.

"We should get back to the guild, don't you think?" The Speed mage snorted at Levy's comment.

"No, I don't think we should get back, but your Dragon might put me out of the race if you don't get home safely. Come on, I'll give you a piggy-back." He flashed a smile as he crouched on his knees to let the bluenette get on his back. Levy laughed as Jet used his super speed to reach the guild. Gajeel was in the Infirmary, waiting patiently for his wife, when a knock ended the silence.

"Yeah." The Dragon Slayer was lying in bed when Levy came in. "Hey, short stuff. Finished chatting with your bff?" Gajeel patted the spot next to him and waited for Levy to join him, a smile plastered on her face.

"Mm hmm..." The short girl made herself comfortable on his shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

"What? 'D you miss me?" Gajeel smiled when Levy nodded and cuddled closer.

"I can't wait to take you home..." The bluenette whispered.

"And once I'm home, what will you do to me?" Gajeel leaned in with a pervy smile, making Levy giggle. He kissed her briefly before taking her in his arms and placing Levy on top of him, holding on to her head while his lips tasted her. Just then, Mirajane came through the door, oblivious to the two lovers. Gajeel gave the Devil girl a spiteful look as Levy broke the kiss and cuddled into his neck with an embarrassed look on her face.

"The potion I gave him should start kicking in. You can go home and rest, tomorrow is a big day." Mira smiled at them as she ordered her bottles.

"I almost forgot..." Levy's mood quickly changed. "Are you sure you wanna do this?" Her voice was filled with concern, making the Dragon Slayer smile fondly.

"If it's the only way to get that witch out of my head, I'll try anything." Gajeel patted her head.

"Gray may be in control of his ice magic, but still... What if Natsu doesn't get you warm in time? This could go wrong in so many ways..." Mirajane left them be, seeing Gajeel place his hands on Levy's cheeks and pull her close to him.

"Nothing is gonna go wrong! I promised I'll never leave you again. I'm a man of my word! I know what you're thinking, and I won't die! Okay?" Gajeel burned his red eyes into hers. Levy caressed his hands resting on her cheeks, looking at him like it was the last time. "And, besides, I can't let Speedy claim you, now, can I?" The Dragon smiled crookedly, showing his fangs. Levy burst into laughter, not even realizing she was holding her breath. "Go home and get some sleep. I'll need you in top shape tomorrow." Gajeel placed his lips on hers, holding onto Levy fiercely, making her realize he wasn't sure he would come back alive from this battle.

TBC

How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer.