Silver's eyes fluttered open, his mind slowly trying to take note of his unfamiliar surroundings.

He wasn't sure where he was. The walls were all white, blinds drawn over the nearby window.

He could feel that he was lying on top of someone and it took him an extra second to realize that someone was his mother. She held him so tightly, he was thankful to be able to breathe. His father was on his other side, sitting in the chair with his head down on the bed. His hand clasped Silver's, warm and familiar.

Tears gathered in his eyes as he studied his sleeping parents. They both looked exhausted; dark circles clinging to the skin beneath their eyes. They'd been through hell...because of him. Levy and Gajeel were both injured...because of him.

He sucked in a breath as the events of the past few days bombarded him at last. So much had happened, and yet his parents were here with him now. Both of them - holding him like they were afraid he'd disappear into thin air.

… Like he had done before...

"Hey," Gray said softly. He gently pulled Silver into his arms so as to not wake Cana, but she was already stirring, "Don't cry. It's okay."

The love and concern pouring from his father's tone only made his tears rush harder.

"It's not okay. I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm so sorry."

Cana sat up in the bed, shifting over enough that Gray could climb in too. Both of them cradled their son, letting him cry as hard as he needed to. They stroked his hair and arms soothingly, their own tears streaming down their faces.

"We're going to fix this," Gray promised, "Whatever it was, we're going to get through this together. As a family."

Silver nodded, his head buried in Cana's shoulder.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Cana asked hesitantly.

She was afraid of the answer. She knew it was largely due to what he'd overheard that first morning. Beside her, Gray had shadows cross his face too, almost like he was expecting it to be his fault as well. That wasn't possible though. Gray was the perfect parent.

Silver wiped away his tears, trying to calm himself. It took several minutes. His parents waited patiently, neither one pushing him for more than he was ready to give. They knew he would tell them when he was ready.

He shuffled out of their arms, sitting across from them on the other end of the bed. Both watched him intently; patiently. He couldn't look at them and not cry, so he concentrated on the window blinds that clicked in rhythm with the hum of the air conditioning unit. It was obvious that all of them needed to clear the air. Now was as good a time as any.

"The fight we had…" Cana stated, "It wasn't what you thought…"

"You're going to move away again," he said so softly, his voice could barely be heard.

"I'm not!" Cana denied, "I told my– "

"Don't lie to me! You were considering it!" Silver snapped.

His outburst surprised him as much as it did his parents. One moment, he was bawling his eyes out, then suddenly his anger had returned with a vengeance. His mouth fell open, shocked at how aggressive he'd sounded.

"It's okay, Silver," Gray soothed, encouraging him to continue, "Tell us what you need to...however you need to. We know you're angry, and that's OK. We can get through this if you tell us how you really feel."

Silver got off the bed, pacing the stiff, sterile room for a moment to gather his thoughts. He didn't want to be angry anymore...

But he was angry. So very, very angry. Layered beneath the rage, he felt weak and helpless and confused.

It was almost too much.

His father was right though. He needed to be honest.

He turned back to his mother, his lip quivering.

"I've only ever wanted you in my life."

"I always have been–" Cana started to say.

"No," Silver interrupted her mid-sentence. His voice was steady, the anger draining and the tears drying as a coldness stole over him, "You weren't. You came and went as you pleased. It was never about me. When you came, you'd bring gifts and do fun things with me...sometimes take me places. There were times I let myself think you were back for good, but you were always gone the next day."

"Silver!" Gray warned, shifting to move off the hospital bed.

Cana held him back with an arm across his chest, "It's okay, Gray. He needs to say his piece.. Keep going, Silver."

Silver paused, taking a deep breath. His mother was crying quietly. It hurt to see her like that, but she was right. These things needed to be said.

He was hurting too.

He let all the emotions billow out from his heart, his words wrought with the anxiety he'd been carrying all his life.

"Why am I not good enough for you?" he demanded, sniffling against a fresh onslaught of tears, "Have I been a bad kid? Am I not smart enough? Or cute enough? Or fun enough? Why can't I be enough?"

"You're all those things!" Cana protested, struggling not to pull him back into her arms, "My gawd, Silver. Do you really think any of it was because of you? I wasn't good enough! I wasn't the mother you deserved! I knew it, everyone else knew it. It was easy to be the fun mom. The carefree mom. I was foolish and selfish and I liked having fun too much! I never took care of my responsibilities until it was too late! It wasn't you! It was always me!"

"I didn't want the things!" he yelled, "I didn't want the places! I didn't want the gifts! You're the only mother I have – you were never there when I needed you!" "

"I know that now, and I'm sorry," Cana lamented weakly. "I was never good enough. You needed someone better."

"I never wanted anyone else!" he screamed. "You were always good enough for me! I wanted you!"

Cana's mouth dropped, but she had no words left. Her tears streamed in rivers. Silver had never spoken so candidly to her before and she knew what he said was true. Gray shifted beside her but she sent a mental thanks that he kept his mouth shut.

"When you finally moved here," Silver continued, careful to keep his tone low, "I didn't let my guard down for months. I didn't trust you. I was always afraid that this was just another one of your fleeting visits."

Gray had his arm around Cana, still stunned to silence, though his eyes remained trained on Silver. Silver couldn't be sure if he was angry. Normally, he would never allow Silver to speak to an adult - or anyone else - this way, especially not his mother. Silver also knew he would never allow it again. They were giving him a chance to tell them everything. He needed to make them understand, no matter how much he hated the pain in his mother's eyes.

"I started trusting you," Silver's voice came out in a whimper, "I wanted to believe you were actually back forever. I cherished my time with you…and then you blew it all to hell to go to the city with some guy that you won't even introduce me to!"

He rubbed at his eyes, taking long, deep breaths to compose himself. Cana was sobbing quietly, Gray holding one of her hands gently.

"Are you done?" Gray asked calmly.

Silver shook his head, "Not yet. There's more."

Gray gestured for him to continue.

"I admit running away was the wrong thing to do," Silver resumed pacing, obsessively following a crease in the floor tiles with his steps. It was getting harder to look at his parents, but he'd come this far. He might as well spill the whole story, "But when I ran away from Mom's, I went straight to you, Dad."

Gray nodded, listening with apprehensive resolve. He'd had an inkling he was part of the problem.

"You've always been there," Silver said quietly, "It's always been you and me. Father and son against the world. Fullbusters stick together."

Gray closed his eyes, preparing for the but.

"I overheard you too. Talking to Levy. About how glad you were that I wasn't there. You liked your alone time with her. I know I wasn't supposed to be there… but I thought..."

Silver's shoulders slumped. He had his back to his parents, but the heaving in his torso indicated he was getting emotional again.

"I thought that I was always welcome at home, even on days that I'm supposed to be with mom. I know running away was the wrong thing to do. But I felt like I didn't have a home anymore. I don't want to be an... obligation to Mom...or a burden to you."

Gray's chest hurt. He knew something had happened that pushed Silver over the edge enough to disappear...he'd even suspected that it had something to do with him and Levy...but it never, ever occurred to him that Silver felt unwanted by both of his parents. It was a lot of baggage for a young boy to carry that one parent wasn't around all the time. How Silver could ever think Gray didn't want him either...That his own actions had made his son feel unwelcome in the safest place in the world for him...

He slid off the bed, approaching Silver cautiously. He moved tentatively, being careful not to touch him in case Silver wasn't ready for that yet. He realized Cana was on the other side, also moving with deliberate care.

"You are no burden," Gray whispered adamantly, his voice shaking, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ever. If I had known you were there, I would have welcomed you home with open arms. I'm sorry I said that, Silver...because I definitely didn't mean it that way. You will always have a home with me in it, loving you every single minute. Levy and I were...figuring things out… but you are my number one priority. Always have been, always will be. Fullbusters do stick together."

Silver bit his lower lip, realizing that both parents were holding back...waiting for his permission to begin the healing process. Now that the cards were laid on the table, he just wanted to get past the misery. There was no doubt in his mind that his father's words had come from the heart. No doubt whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, Dad!" Silver cried out, throwing himself into Gray's open arms.

"Me too," Gray told him, heaving a deep sigh of relief, "I love you, son."

Cana stood back, allowing Gray and Silver to have their moment. She found herself feeling jealous, watching the two of them. Gray and Silver had always had the bond that she yearned to share with Silver. She wished that it came easier to them. All the efforts she'd put in since moving to Magnolia had gone up in smoke...over a 5 minute conversation that Silver was never meant to hear…over a 5 minute conversation that only furthered her resolve to be a better parent for him.

Finally, Silver pulled away and turned to face her. Cana took a deep breath, deciding that if her eight year old son could be brutally honest, then so could she.

"I turned down the offer to move to the city," Cana said softly, "I told him I couldn't leave you again. No person, or adventure, is worth losing you."

She choked slightly, taking a moment to wipe her eyes before continuing.

"I'm sorry… for everything I have ever done. I know I haven't been the best mother. But I am trying to be better. I promise."

Silver nodded.

"I can't excuse my past behaviour, but you've always been on my mind even when I haven't been here," Cana took a deep breath, her dark eyes clearing, "I know that's not good enough. I can't bring back the years I missed. But I did realize this, Silver. I moved here for you. I moved here because I want to be a part of your life. Every day. And I'm not going anywhere. Not ever. I am not leaving you ever again."

Silver regarded her, the doubt lingering in his misty eyes. He wanted to believe her... but she hadn't out and out said no to her boyfriend that day about moving to the city. She'd said she'd think about it. What did her promises really mean to him?

Cana covered her eyes, bowing her head as she dissolved into tears again. Gray stepped back, giving Silver room to decide what to do next.

Silver approached his mother slowly. His hand reached out, tentatively touching her cheek. She lowered her hands from her face but otherwise didn't move, allowing him to make the choice as to whether he'd forgive her or not. Slowly, Silver's arms wrapped around his mother's waist. They were both bawling again, hugging each other so tight, Gray wasn't really sure where one ended and the other began.

After a moment, Cana blindly opened one arm, inviting Gray to join them. He couldn't be sure how long they stayed like that before the nurse interrupted them with a knock to the door.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, embarrassed that she had walked in on such a private moment, "I just wanted to let you know that Silver has been cleared for discharge. Dr. Porlyusica says that if he's up and about, he's good to go."

"Thank you," Gray acknowledged, waving at her as she closed the door again, "What do you say...can we go home?"

Silver nodded enthusiastically, then paused as he glanced back at Cana. She looked drained, both emotionally and physically.

"Would you like to come by the house, Cana?" Gray asked with a sympathetic pat to the shoulder. He felt it too...the fatigue setting in. A hot shower and about 10 hours of sleep sounded like heaven at the moment.

Cana glanced at Silver, her face conflicted, "Actually...would it be okay if I went home for a little while? I just want to clean up a bit…" she gestured down to her filthy clothes, "Have a shower and maybe a nap."

At first, Silver looked just as conflicted as Cana was. They had just had an huge confrontation about Cana leaving Silver...but she was only going home for a little bit...not disappearing from his life again.

"You're welcome to come have dinner with us tonight," Gray offered, "We would both really like that. Our doors are always open to you."

Cana looked to Silver again for his approval.

Silver still looked anxious, still needing both of them to dispel his fears, "Will you, Mom?"

Cana nodded, her shoulders relaxing, "Thank you. I'll be there."

"One more thing before we leave," Silver paused mid-step, a thoughtful determination sparkling in his eyes. Gray gestured for him to continue, watching him with expectant eyes.

Silver let out a deep breath. He knew that intense gaze.

"I'm sorry...for everything. If we have problems in the future," Silver promised, "I won't run away. I'll ask to sit down and talk."

"Okay," Gray picked up his jacket. He draped it over his son's shoulders, picking up the bag that contained Silver's filthy clothing, "Then we're done with this conversation for now. Let's go home."

Silver grinned ear to ear, each parent taking a hand as they headed out to the lobby.


Cana smiled, spotting her boyfriend at the entrance. She waved him over. At first, Laxus was hesitant, holding back as the entire group turned to look at him. He lumbered forward, his coat swaying as he walked. Silver's eyes widened as the hulking man approached. He had known by the size of the man's shoes at his mother's house that her boyfriend was a large man, but he hadn't expected him to be this tall.

"Silver," Cana said softly, taking one of his hands. She reached for Laxus's hand with the other, "This is Laxus Dreyar. I'm sorry we haven't been up front with you...but we'd like to make that up now. I would really like for you to be friends."

Silver's eyes trailed up from the man's waistline, past hulking muscles to a face that looked to be as uncomfortable as he was. Gray squeezed his shoulder for encouragement.

Silver extended his hand, willing it not to tremble, "Hi, Mr. Dreyar. I'm Silver."

Laxus's lips morphed into a semi-grin. It transformed his face from something daunting and unapproachable to something nice. To someone kind. Someone worth getting to know, "Hey Kiddo...I've heard a lot about you. And since we're going to be friends, you can just call me Laxus. It's good to finally meet you."

Laxus' voice was lower than his father's, gravelly but pleasant. It was his eyes that snagged Silver's interest, though. He was looking at Silver with a mixture of trepidation and hope, as if he really wanted Silver's approval.

Cana got down to her knees, kissing her son on each cheek, "I'm only a phone call away. We'll come over to the house tonight, okay? As soon as I'm freshened up and I can get all the mud out of my toenails."

Silver giggled and nodded, "Okay, Mom. I love you."

Cana couldn't stop the tears that brimmed as she rose to her feet, holding Silver's hand until she stood at her full height, "I love you too, Baby. So much. I'll see you soon."

Silver watched his mother leave with the gigantic man, noting the skip in her step despite everything everyone had been through in the past days. She was happy with Laxus. It made Silver's heart warm, now that he could actually see it for himself.

Dr. Blendy arrived, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hiho, Silver!" she said cheerfully, "Away!"

Silver furrowed his brow, a little confused when the other adults laughed.

"Seriously though," Dr. Blendy said with grin, "I just wanted to wish you well. I'm glad everything turned out okay."

"Me too," Silver agreed earnestly.

Dr. Blendy pointed to the elevator, "Levy is gathering her things as we speak, if you want to take her home too. Do you have anyone that can give you rides?"

Gray nodded, "My best friend. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

On cue, Natsu and Lucy arrived, panting heavily.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Gray laughed, "I was going to call you!"

If it were possible, Natsu and Lucy looked more winded than they had the night before. Where everyone else's dark eye circles had faded with a few hours' sleep, nothing had changed in their appearance at all.

"The cafeteria!" Natsu yelped.

"The gift shop!" Lucy blurted out at the same moment.

Silver, Gray and Dr. Blendy stared at them, confused.

"We were around," Lucy said vaguely, a blush creeping up from her neck to her cheeks, "We knew that you'd be dismissed from the hospital sooner than later, so we made sure we were available."


What really happened…


"I don't think anyone is going to come save us," Lucy wailed.

She was leaning on Natsu's shoulder, both of them slouched against the wall of the mortuary. They stayed beside the door, their hope for a rescue fading fast.

They had been stuck there for an hour.

The worst fucking hour of her life...although considering she and Natsu were the only living people in the room, she might have to concede that the other people in here had it a lot worse than she did.

"What do you think will happen when we're discovered in here?" she asked, "This is not exactly a public area."

"We'll just tell the truth," Natsu shrugged, "I'm sure this isn't the first time someone has been down here looking for the cafeteria."

Lucy let out an undignified snort, "I guarantee this is the first time someone not employed here has spent the night in the morgue. I doubt a single employed person has stayed here overnight. We're going to get charged with trespassing. Or worse! What if they think we tampered with the bodies?"

"Ugh, like I would touch a dead person…" Natsu turned an alarming shade of green at the thought, but then he suddenly stilled, his ears perked. Lucy watched him closely. Natsu was known for his impeccable hearing.

"Someone's coming, Luce," he whispered, scrambling to his feet, "When I say 'go', push through that door and run."

"What about you?" she gasped.

Natsu wrapped his arm around his wife, kissing the top of her head, "We can't both get arrested. Think of the kids. I'll be along as soon as I can. Just run and don't look back."

Lucy took a deep breath, nodding as she joined her husband beside the door. The kids had to come first.

The door handle jiggled, the sound of a key rattling inside the lock. There was a soft click, then the door inched open.

"GO!" Natsu yelled once the door was wide enough.

Both Natsu and Lucy pushed past a stunned doctor, bursting into the hallway. Natsu grabbed Lucy's arm, propelling her toward the hallway that they should have taken in the first place. She grabbed the handle, swinging the door open.

Stairs! This was the right place!

They took the stairs two at a time, relieved when it appeared that nobody was following them. A clean getaway!

"How many stairs are there?" Lucy huffed minutes later, "We've got to be well past the ground level now."

Natsu shrugged, "There's no doors to try. I have no idea what's going on, but we can't double back, so upward it is."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief when they finally came to the top of the stairwell. There was a single door with a small, faded sign on it, but she didn't have time to register the message before Natsu had opened it, pushing her through.

They both sighed with relief as the door shut behind them, then keeled over to catch their breath. There had been at least 10 flights of stairs...but they'd made it to the lobby. A clean getaway.

"Um...Natsu?" Lucy lifted her eyes to study their surroundings, "This is not the main lobby."

Natsu stood up, his brow furrowing. They weren't even in the building. They were outside...high up outside. Way high up outside. It was a square rooftop and they could see a good portion of Magnolia in every direction. Both shook their heads with disbelief as they recognized the giant blue H surrounded by a blue circle on the cement pad in front of them.

"We're on the roof," Natsu stated flatly, "We're on the helicopter padded roof! The empty roof. We can't even look at something cool."

Lucy face-palmed, "Why us? I just...want...to...go...home…"

Natsu gestured toward the door, "Any chance that's not locked?"

It was. Lucy knew it was before they even tried it. Just their luck.

She was never going to open a door with Natsu again. And certainly not let it close behind her unless she had a key. With a spare nearby.

"On the plus side," Natsu swept his arm toward the darkened sky, "It's a beautiful night out...look at all those stars."

Lucy tried to smile as she slid down the wall with Natsu, her head resting in the crook of his arm.

They were far enough above the city lights that the sky was not as washed out as it usual was from their backyard. It really was a beautiful sight. .

"I love you…" Natsu murmured in her ear.

She didn't have the strength to play the game, but smiled fondly. Natsu returned her smile with a shrug, realizing he didn't really have the energy to play the game either.

However, maybe there could be a new, quieter game.

"Look," he took Lucy's hand, lifting it to point to the sky, "There's the big frying pan."

Lucy snickered, "It's not the 'big frying pan', Natsu. That's the Big Dipper."

"Oh?" Natsu questioned, feigned surprise, "I was sure it was a frying pan!"

"No," Lucy shook her head, an amused smile on her face, "It's the Dipper. See the star cluster beside it? That's Leo. Above that are the twinsGemini...do you see them? Their forms join there… and there."

"How do they come up with this shit anyway?" Natsu deadpanned, transfixed on his wife's hand as it traced nonsensical patterns in the sky he couldn't see, "All I see are random stars. Some are more sparkly than others, but the only one I can actually identify is the big frying pan and the little bacon beside it."

Lucy sighed, aware that she'd fallen into his trap again. He'd managed to distract her with another of his silly games.

It was one of the things she loved about him most. He never let her worry about anything.

Hours later, they discovered that although the door to the stairwell was locked, the elevator door was not. A security guard confronted them on the rooftop just as Lucy was pointing out Virgo's location.

It was an awkward ride down to the main floor, but Natsu didn't complain, even though he would rather have taken the stairs anyday.


Back to the present…


"Levy should be discharged pretty quick here," Gray stated, "Can you give us all a lift home?"

Lucy nodded, "We brought the van."

"Has anyone heard about Gajeel?" Natsu asked.

"I just came from there," Juvia announced, joining the small group, "He's holding on."

"They let you up there?" Gray asked, impressed.

A shadow crossed Juvia's face, then disappeared, "Yes. I stayed by his side all night."


What really happened…


Juvia slipped into another room after escaping the last. She could hear the commotion out in the hallway as the nurse from Mr. Johnston's room sounded an alert about a stranger on the floor, followed by the frantic sound of scrambling nurses.

She needed a place to hide.

STAT.

(She would be so good at this doctor thing.)

She turned, smiling as she saw that this time, she did indeed have the right room. Gajeel was lying in the bed, hooked up to too many machines and conked out cold. She frowned as the heart monitor beeped slowly, sometimes slightly erratically. His face was black and blue from his fight with Silver's assailants.

The only good thing that Juvia immediately noticed was that his hair was still intact.

Thank Heaven for small mercies.

She glanced around the room, spotting a locker against one wall. She had just enough time to slip inside and close the door before someone barged in. She heard shuffling as they explored around Gajeel's bed, behind the privacy curtains, and in the larger closet across the room. She let out a sigh of relief when she heard them leave again.

She took a deep breath, wondering if she dared to venture out beside the bed to hold his hand. She decided against it, opting to stay in hiding until the noise out in the hallways died down a bit.

"Hey Gajeel," she said out loud through the metal door, "It's me, Juvia. I guess you're a little more banged up than I thought..."

It was a good thing she had practiced what she had wanted to say to Gajeel to Mr. Johnston. Gajeel was a great listenernever interrupted her onceas she recanted the entire thing to him from inside the metal locker.


Back to the present...


"I want to see him," Silver piped up.

All eyes turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"Don't you think you've been through enough?" Gray scolded gently, "I think we need to go home, have showers and a proper sleep, and then we have some talking to do. We can come back to see him another time."

"Please, Dad…" Silver begged, his big eyes beseeching, "I do want to go home...but he saved my life. I need to know he's okay."

Gray sighed, shifting from one foot to the other. He was more than ready to go home too. More than anything, he wanted a hot shower and a hot meal.

"I can't let you go up there alone," Gray pointed out, " but I need to go help Levy gather her things because we need to take her home too. I don't think now is the best timing."

"I could take him," Juvia offered softly, meeting Gray's gaze, "Gajeel needs to know he has people thinking about him. And I think Silver has 'things' he needs to say to him...things that could inspire Gajeel to keep fighting. There might not be… he should do this now. Plus, you still need to help Levy get ready to go. There's time."

Gray nodded slowly, caving to the hopeful, pleading expression on his son's face, "I'll wait for Levy, then we'll join you."

"That's not necessary," Juvia denied adamantly, "We won't be long and his room isn't that far. Just long enough for Gajeel to know he's not alone. We'll be back here before you."

"That's cool of you, Juvia," Natsu stated.

"Yeah," Lucy agreed, "You've really been amazing throughout this whole thing...so thank you."

Gray nodded to her, "You really have been a huge help, Juvia."

Juvia nodded back, clearly giddy as she extended her hand to Silver. He took it without hesitation, following her back in the direction from whence she'd come.


Levy swung her legs over the bed, taking a painful breath as she sat up for the first time in 12 hours.

"Are you okay?" the nurse asked sternly, "We can't let you go home if you're lightheaded or in extreme pain."

"I'm fine," Levy assured her with a smile, staying strong beneath the nurse's skeptical, withering gaze.

She wanted to go. She wanted to see Silver and Gray.

"Use the cane," the nurse reminded her, passing the long, metal object to her.

Levy got off the bed slowly, realizing her ankle hurt a lot more than she'd realized. She tried not to wince, instead putting a broad grin on her face.

"Can you walk?" the nurse asked.

Levy took a tentative step, using the cane for support, then nodded, "I'm okay."

"Your clothes were destroyed in the incident," the nurse apologized, "I'm afraid you're going home in your hospital gown."

"I have a change of clothes with me," Lucy offered, poking her head through the door, "Knock, knock!"

The door swung open, Natsu, Lucy and Gray entering. Gray was at her side in an instant, drawing her close in a tight hug.

"You okay?" Gray asked, stepping back so that Lucy could hug her friend too.

"I'm sore, but I'm fine," Levy replied, keeping her face straight in front of the hovering nurse, "I'm so ready to get out of here."

She paused, looking around the room, "Where's Silver?"

"He's just gone with Juvia for a few minutes," Lucy told her, "They'll be back soon."

She passed Levy a bag.

"My clothes will be a little big on you...but they'll get you home. I can stay with you and help you change. Then we can go out to the lobby to sit until Silver comes back."

"I'll help her change!" Gray offered pointedly.

"Out!" Lucy decreed, chasing the boys out of the room.

"But she's my–"

"OUT!" Lucy ordered, "I'm going to have a girl talk with my best friend! No boys allowed. Club rules."

A few minutes later, Levy and Lucy joined Natsu and Gray to head over to the lobby, Levy trying not to lean obviously on her cane.

"Hey Luce," Natsu snickered, jabbing his thumb toward a hallway. Lucy's startled gaze followed the line of his arm...to an open cafeteria, "Maybe we should grab coffee for everyone while we wait."

Lucy sighed, shaking her head in disbelief, "You...have...got...to be kidding me! Unbelievable!"

Gray and Levy exchanged confused glances.

"THAT IS SO FREAKING STUPID!" Lucy ranted, stomping her feet as she paced in a wide circle, "It was there? THE WHOLE TIME?"

"What's she talking about?" Levy asked Natsu.

Natsu shrugged, a broad grin on his face. Obviously, the cafeteria had simply been closed when they were looking for it the previous night. It would have been difficult to see if the lights were out and the doors were closed.

Gray helped Levy sit in the chair as the two disappeared, Lucy's loud ranting echoing throughout the entire lobby. Gray and Levy could only make out bits and snatches of conversation, but most seemed to about 'stupid doors,' 'lack of proper signage in hospitals,' and a string of colourful curse words.

No wonder Natsu always called her a weirdo. Gray felt he understood.

As the voices drifted away, Gray refocused on his girlfriend.

"Does it hurt, Lev?"

"No," Levy lied, glancing behind them for witnesses, "I'm fine."

Gray hummed to himself, "Will you be able to navigate the stairs at your place?"

Levy furrowed her brow. She hadn't thought of that, "It will definitely be tricky… Maybe I can manage?"

He reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly, "Why don't you come home with us then? Just for a few days so that you can rest… until your ankle heals. Our house is only one story…you won't have to battle stairs. I can cook for you."

"Are you offering because you don't want me or Silver out of your sight?" Levy teased, pecking his lips lightly.

"I don't," he admitted, running a hand through his hair, "It's okay if you say no. I'm sure you can stay with Lucy and Natsu… Or Freed... I'm not pushing."

"I'll come," Levy replied quickly, running her fingers lightly over his stubbly chin, "I appreciate the offer...and I'm eager to spend time with Silver. You've all seen he's okay...but I haven't."

Gray smiled against her lips, kissing her softly, "Just for a few days…"

"Yeah," she agreed, the idea sounding more and more like Heaven, "Just for a few days."


Silver wasn't sure if Juvia was playing a game with him or not, but after an elevator ride where Juvia wore a white doctor's coat, then forcing them to hide in 6 different laundry carts down a long hallway, she finally paused outside a secluded room at the darkened end of the corridor. Lucky for them, it seemed that they had come during a shift change. The halls were unmanned and silent.

"This is it," she paused, wondering how prepared Silver was to see Gajeel, "Silver...you need to know Gajeel is not awake. He won't respond to you...he can't right now. He looks terrible."

"That's okay," Silver said simply, "I'll just talk then. He can talk when he gets out of here in a couple days."

Juvia's shoulders drooped, wondering if it had been such a good idea to bring a child here after all. She hadn't wanted to alarm him at how precarious Gajeel's situation was, especially since she thought if Gajeel knew people were thinking about him, he'd fight to live. Juvia hadn't known the iron-studded man for long, but she felt it in her bones: Gajeel Redfox wasn't the type to throw in the towel. He'd already proven that when he tried to win Levy back, and again when he had taken on those thugs, determined to keep Silver safe. All for a child he didn't know.

Now it was time for everyone else to show that they gave a damn.

Silver was young, but seemed mature enough to hear the truth.

"He won't be getting out in a couple days," Juvia explained. "Gajeel is not doing well. He's hooked up to a lot of machines that are helping him stay with us, but even that might not be enough. If we go in there, you need to know he's going to look different than the last time you saw him. He's fighting for his life every second."

Silver froze, a little intimidated by Juvia's seriousness. He had just assumed Gajeel would be okay now that he was at the hospital. That's what hospitals did, right? It hadn't occurred to him that the man's life could still be hanging in the balance.

"I brought you here because Gajeel needs to know someone cares," Juvia told him, "If you have something that needs to be said to him, this is your opportunity. There may not be another one."

Silver's face paled as he realized the extent of what Juvia was saying, "He's dying?"

Juvia shook her head, "I don't know. But when I read the charts last night, it stated that there has been minimal improvement since he was brought here. I just want you to be prepared. If you don't want to go in, we can turn around right now."

Silver nodded, his face hardening with resolve, "I want to see him."

Juvia let out a deep sigh, pride flicking a smile across her face before she opened the door, shutting it as softly as she could behind them.

Silver stared at the man in the bed for a long time, listening and observing the room's details before taking his first tentative steps toward his savior. He paused as he reached the bedside, then reached out a shaking hand to place it over Gajeel's much larger one.

"Hi Gajeel," Silver said softly.

He hesitated, glancing at the myriad of machines Gajeel was hooked up to. Some beeped. Others simply flickered.

There were multiple tubes stemming from needle in his left hand.

"Those are IV's," Juvia explained, "Gajeel needs medicine and he can't take it himself right now. He's getting what he needs through those tubes. The beeping machine is his heart monitor."

"It's so slow," Silver murmured, studying Gajeel's beaten face.

Juvia nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, "Talk to him, Silver. We can't stay long."

Silver swallowed, squeezing Gajeel's large hand. He wasn't sure how to talk to a sleeping person. He wasn't sure Gajeel would be able to hear him...or whether his words would help any.

"Hi Gajeel," Silver said again; so quietly, Juvia wasn't actually sure he'd uttered the words. "It's me...Silver. We're face-to-face this time. I like this better than hearing you from inside a hole in the ground. I think you're even bigger than I remember."

There was no answer from the large man. His breathing was shallow, muffled by the oxygen mask that he wore.

He glanced back at Juvia, who nodded to him encouragingly. Her soft smile eased the tension in his shoulders. Silver took a deep breath, watching the machines as they continued to beep.

"Please wake up, Gajeel," Silver pleaded, gripping a few of the man's massive fingers in his small hand, "I know we don't know each other well...but I know we'll be good friends. I want to talk to you for real. How can I thank you otherwise? You… you saved my life and I want you to live too. Please, please wake up."

The large man continued slumbering. Silver sucked in a sharp breath.

Talk to him.

"I want you to know that I'm going to be okay," Silver continued, "My mom and dad told me they both love me...just like you said. I was… wrong. It went too far, but it's because of you that I made up with my parents this morning. We talked… really talked… and things are better now. We're going home."

"Gajeel told you to make up with your parents?" Juvia asked, taking Gajeel's other hand.

Silver nodded, "He did. He told me I was wrong to doubt them. My parents love me. They would never not want me."

"You have good parents," Juvia agreed, "I'm glad you and Gajeel had a chance to talk, even if it was under bad circumstances."

"He kept me so calm," Silver murmured, "Even though he was bleeding and in pain. He never let on how bad it was. He just kept me focused. He did it so that I would survive. Now he's the one in trouble. It's not fair."

"He's a good man," Juvia agreed, "I've been lucky enough to spend a bit of time with him too."

"He told me to make things right with Mom and Dad before it was too late...like it had been for him."

"Too late?" Juvia queried.

"Gajeel got into trouble when he was younger," Silver explained, though he didn't know the whole story. "He told me his dad died before they could make up. It's his deepest regret."

Juvia nodded, knowing the feeling all too well. She'd been alone for as long as she could remember.

"It's never too late," Juvia offered after a lengthy silence, "Gajeel was striving to be a better person. Stronger. More reliable. I have every confidence that his father loved him regardless of what happened in their past."

Silver nodded, "That's what Gajeel hoped too."

Silver fell silent, once again discomforted by the sheer amount of equipment in the room. Gajeel hadn't moved once during their visit; not so much a finger twitch.

Juvia turned her head to the door, listening. The nurse's meeting would be over soon.

"We have to go soon. Anything else you want to tell Gajeel?"

"Just thank you," Silver murmured, directing his words toward the man, "Thank you so much, Gajeel. It was you who got me through the entire ordeal. If you hadn't come along when you did, I don't know where I'd be now. It was your courage that kept me going. So get better, okay? I kept my part of the bargain. Now you have to keep yours. We promised each other, remember?"

Juvia placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, allowing the boy the moment he needed to pull himself together.

"Okay," she said once she felt Silver was under control again, "Let's go."

Silver squeezed Gajeel's hand one more time. "I'll see you on the outside, sir."

Juvia felt her heart twinge as the boy hugged the unconscious man. This boy...he was so kind hearted. She hoped that Gajeel knew on some level about the impression he'd left on him. She knew Silver would always remember it.

Juvia stuck her head out into the hallway, checking both ways before grabbing his hand and bolting out of the room. It had been a real risk to bring him here, but it had been worth it. She hoped the bond between Gajeel and Silver would have a chance to grow, but if Gajeel didn't get better, maybe he would know that his self-sacrifice had given Silver a new chance at life.

She grabbed his shoulder - his signal that they were about to dive head first into one of the laundry trolleys. He prepared himself, following her lead with a gigantic leap.

"Do we really have to go back through all these laundry baskets again?" Silver queried as she popped her head above the pile to check the hallways.

"Yes, Silver…" Juvia replied evasively, jumping from the cart. She was about to offer her hand to help Silver, but he was already on the ground beside her, preparing for the mad dash to the next bin, "Yes, we do."


A/N: I considered posting a warning at the beginning of the chapter that you might need some Kleenex...but it's way more fun to get reactions after the fact. I cried some serious tears here...but I think we have some resolution.

Working on the next chapter already. I need to hear from you - let me know what you think will happen next! 2 chapters to go!

~Shana~