Bickslow quickly moved to the outermost parts of Magnolia as Gajeel's home came in to view. The air around the iron dragon slayer's home feeling thick with unease and stress. Bickslow landed as softly as he could in front of the man's home, knowing that it would only take a few seconds for the dragon slayer to pick up on his scent and likely burst out of the front door. To his surprise, that didn't happen. Instead, the sounds of heavy pacing and shouting could be heard coming from Gajeel, as a higher pitched Levy cut off the sounds intermittently. Bickslow stood outside of the door eaves dropping on the pair, undecided on whether he should knock on the front door or not. The noises all ceased momentarily and silence loomed in the thick, unpleasant air around Gajeel's home. As Bickslow prepared to knock on the door, the sound of shattering glass, bodies hitting a wall, and Levy's panicked screaming pushed a sense of urgency through him as he rammed his shoulder quickly into the door, knocking it off its hinges. Bickslow knew that the dragon slayer truly was bonded to the script mage, but that never put his mind, or any other guild members mind at ease when it came to the possibility of the dragon slayer hurting the bluenette again. Door now out of the way, the seith mage scanned the area quickly. Levy was standing withdrawn in the living room. Gajeel stood with his head pinned under a now battle sized Pantherlily's arms. The dragon slayer was jerking around violently as he struggled to get out of Pantherlily's grip. The Exceed doing his best to make Gajeel pass out, or at least bring him closer to the ground. Several holes graced the walls as broken cups and plates sat near the two fighting comrades.

Instinct kicked in, and Bickslow quickly moved over towards Levy, placing himself between her and the two fighting in front of her as he used his mass to push her backwards and away from the two fighting comrades. "Levy, what's going on here?!" Bickslow asked the panicking bluenette. "I-I-I don't know. He went to bed in a bad mood, and woke up freaking out. It's like he's having a panic attack." Levy answered as she peered around him to see Gajeel slowly being overtaken and forced down to the flooring. "He's done this before, but usually something sets him off first" Pantherlily said, struggling to bring the dragon slayer lower to the ground "It usually never gets to this point though" the Exceed continued. Gajeel looked up at Bickslow as the seith mage blocked his view of Levy. The sight sparking a new sense of urgency and fight in the dragon slayer as he began fighting harder to get out of Pantherlily's grip, succeeding as he quickly shoved an elbow into the Exceed's stomach. Pantherlily's form changing into his much smaller self as he sat curled over clutching his torso, doing what he could to keep the contents of his stomach contained. Gajeel stood upright, teeth baring at Bickslow as his hair began to stand on end and his skin glistened into iron scales. Bickslow laughed out nervously as the red eyed dragon slayer's breathing sounded heavily in the small house. Bickslow lowered his stance as he kept Levy behind him, preparing to move both himself and her the second Gajeel moved forward. "Hey metalhead. Any reason for this?" Bickslow asked Gajeel, watching carefully as the dragon slayer eyed him down and stepped towards them slowly. "No answer then?" Bickslow smirked out, doing his best to maintain his composure slightly wanting nothing more than to send his totems in to distract Gajeel and get both himself and Levy out of the house. Bickslow continued to back up towards the front door, his hand lightly grazing some of Levy's exposed skin. The second it did, Gajeel immediately jolted forward. Fists aimed at any piece of Bickslow they could find. "Shit" Bickslow said as he narrowly dodged getting hit as he grabbed Levy and made a faster attempt for the front door. Gajeel immediately blocked off their escape route forcing yet another nervous laugh out of Bickslow as he held onto Levy, forcing her to ride piggybacked as he tried to find somewhere to jump out of. "Does this guy NOT have any windows?!" Bickslow said as he quickly moved towards some stairs. The metal workings Gajeel had made covered nearly every inch of the house making the odds of bursting through a wall successfully very, VERY slim.

As quickly as he could, Bickslow ran up the stairs. "Stop runnin' from me!" Gajeel shouted as he chased them. Bickslow spotted an open window in what was clearly Gajeel's room. The obvious hording of metal and a bed piled far too high with pillows giving it all away. The window was small, but it would do to get Levy out of the home relatively safely. Bickslow the bluenette down as Gajeel growled loudly at the invasion of his space, standing in the door way watching Bickslow closely. "Can you put a cage around him or somethin'?" Bickslow said as he knocked the screen out of the window, being sure to keep an eye on the dragon slayer. "He ate through it" Levy said as she anxiously watched Gajeel. Nervously, she walked towards him, her hand extended slightly as she prepared to grab one of his clenched fists. Gajeel's eyes diverted towards her, his harsh expression relaxing only slightly. Bickslow ceased the opportunity and immediately tackled Gajeel, doing what he could to keep the dragon slayer pinned to the ground. "Run Levy! Get out of here!" Bickslow shouted before taking an iron scaled fist to the ribs. Levy stood hesitantly before quickly writing out the script "shackles". The objects immediately showing up and pinning Gajeel's arms to the floor. The dragon slayer let out a low laugh as Bickslow frantically tried to get up and move her out of the bedroom window. Bickslow watched as Gajeel, made short work of the shackles around his wrists, looking no different than a fox snared in a trap as he gnawed at the metal making short work of them. As soon as one wrist was broken free, the dragon slayer was easily able to rip the other out of the flooring. Gajeel quickly moved over to Bickslow, pinning the seith mage against the flooring as he placed hit after hit against him. Bickslow able to dodge a few hits and block others with his forearms, and was more than thankful that his mask was metal. Bickslow grappled the dragon slayer as best as he could given the complete disadvantage he was in. He managed to block several more hits as Levy shouted, "Gajeel! Please stop!" The dragon slayer froze looming over Bickslow, teeth bore as his eyes sat wide and fixed on what he imagined was Bickslow's eyes. The seith mage didn't move, doing his best to evaluate the situation. Laughing internally as the obvious answer was to just take over the dragon slayer. "Whipped a bit aren't ya dragon?" Bickslow said mockingly before Gajeel drove a fist down into his mask. The metal bending inwards slightly and leaving what would be an obvious bruise later. "Can't even bash my mask in? Wow. Pretty pathetic." Bickslow said as he did his best to ignore the stars in his vision, keeping his arms near the sides of his face. Gajeel smirked, ripping the mask off the seith's mage face and devouring it. Bickslow closed his eyes, smiling to himself. "Somethin' funny freak?" Gajeel said as he glared down at Bickslow. The seith mage shook his head. "Nah." is all Bickslow said before his eyes quickly flashed green and he grabbed hold of Gajeel's hair, smashing his forehead directly into the dragon slayer's.

Levy watched as the two men stay in their positions on the floor, neither of them moving. Looking as though they were frozen in time. After a moment of silence, she moved over to them, bending down and resting her forehead against Gajeel's iron clad shoulder. Confused and terrified of exactly what it was that set him off like this.

"So, you wanna explain yourself here dragon?" Bickslow said as he watched a wobbly Gajeel stand up slowly. The smell of iron and blood filling the air. Bickslow looked around, trying to figure out exactly where it was that Gajeel's mind had sent the dragon. They stood where Gajeel had first interacted with Levy. Red staining the bark of the tree as the crimson fluid ran down towards the grass below as the lifeless script mage hung from the tree. Bickslow cringed heavily at the sight, having not ever seen it himself. A pang of rage filling his thoughts momentarily. Gajeel stood up, wide eyed and panicked. "Fuck. I fucked up. She's hurt. I need to fix it." Gajeel said, tearing into the spot he had hung her up, trying desperately to tear her down from the shackles he'd placed her in, her body disappearing into the air, leaving Gajeel to tear into the tree. "Where is she?!" Gajeel shouted as scales once again covered his skin and he proceeded to attack Bickslow. The seith mage taking full advantage of the surrounding thoughts and leaping out of the way. "She is fine Gajeel. This isn't real. You know that? Right?" Bickslow said, watching as Gajeel stopped his attempted assault. The words seeming to confuse the dragon slayer as he panned the surroundings before looking down at his hands. Red staining them as his breathing quickened and he started to panic again, moving back to the tree and breathing in heavily, trying to figure out where the scent went, clawing at his face as he realized it was everywhere. "Is this what you think about?" Bickslow asked, moving slowly towards Gajeel, maintaining a safe distance from the panicking dragon slayer. "I don't THINK anything. This is what's happening. I did this. I can't figure out how to fix it." Gajeel responded, dropping to his knees as he pressed his head heavily into the tree. Bickslow stood confused for a moment. Gajeel was replaying a moment in time that had long since passed. His memory seemed to be stuck on it. "Look, Gajeel. I don't know how else to tell you this, but THIS...this ain't real. Well, I mean, it was real...but you aren't here anymore." Bickslow said reluctantly moving forward and placing a hand on the dragon slayer's back. Gajeel flinched under the sensation. "I don't believe you Bickslow." he said to the seith mage, pressing his head harder into the tree as he dug his fingers into the tree. The seith mage rolled his eyes. "Look douche. You wouldn't know my name if this whole scenario hadn't already come and gone. Levy is fine." he said, earning a growl from Gajeel.

Bickslow stood up straight, thinking for a moment. "If he thinks this is real...I wonder..." he thought to himself. "Gajeel Redfox. What guild do you belong to?" Bickslow asked sharply. Gajeel cringed as he spoke quietly. "...Phantom Lord..." Bickslow furrowed his brow slightly. "Are you sure?" Gajeel rocked his head back, staring at the seith mage. "Pretty. Fucking. Sure." he responded, showing his right arm. Bickslow laughed loudly at the motion. "Hey smart ass. There isn't anything there." Gajeel quickly looked at his arm, almost stunned to see the blank skin. "Might wanna check your other arm bud." Bickslow then said. Confused, Gajeel quickly looked to his left arm. The FairyTail emblem gracing it. The dragon slayer fell back, landing heavily on his seat as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Bickslow sat down in front of him, smirking as he spoke. "Seems to me like YOU suffer from some pretty bad flashbacks." Gajeel nodded slowly as his eyes panned the area again. "Y-yeah...I guess so..." Bickslow leaned forward patting Gajeel on the back hard. "Levy is fine. Maybe a little too fine. She's worried shitless about you though. You went bat shit crazy. Any idea what set you off?" Bickslow asked. Gajeel sat upright, furrowing his brow heavily as he spoke. "Her smell. It was different. Like, blood I think. I panicked...and then I was here..." Bickslow nodded at the response. "Think it's the baby?" he asked the dragon slayer. Gajeel's eyes widened. "Maybe, I couldn't hear it yesterday at all." the dragon slayer then said. Bickslow leaned back, impressed that anyone could possibly hear something so small. "You can hear that sort of thing?" he asked, genuinely curious. Gajeel nodded. "Yeah. When your close enough you can. Small heartbeats." Bickslow smiled softly. "Must be kinda nice to hear." Gajeel again nodded, relaxing slightly. "It kind of is. Can you see things like that?" the dragon slayer asked, staring at Bickslow as the seith mage nodded. "Yeah. If I look for its soul..." he answered reluctantly, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. "Check its soul for me then." Gajeel said, genuine concern sitting across his face for some unknown offspring. "I don't think that's a good idea man..." Bickslow said, no part of him wanting to confirm something that Gajeel likely already keyed in on. "I ain't one to beg freak. Please just, help me out here." Gajeel said, his pride keeping him from looking at the seith mage any longer. Rubbing his newly bruised face, Bickslow agreed. "Fine...just...don't get your hopes up too much Gajeel." Smirking, the dragon slayer nodded his head, quickly standing up and dusting off his pants, Bickslow following suite. The two men stood there before Bickslow punched the dragon slayer's guild mark. "What the hell?! What was that for?!" Gajeel said, annoyance clear in his voice. "That's for eating my mask. Next time your dumbass gets stuck in one of these little flashbacks, look at your fucking arms. They'll let you know where you really are in the world. Keep your reality intact."

Gajeel blinked rapidly, his stomach in knots as he looked down. Bickslow smiled widely up at him. "Mornin' sunshine. Ya gonna buy me dinner now at least?" Bickslow said, earning a scowl from Gajeel as the dragon slayer turned his attention to Levy, resting his forehead against hers. It was the only way he knew how to apologize. "This is cute and all guys, but get the fuck off me" Bickslow said, interrupting the silent apology as he shimmied out from under Gajeel. The three of them standing up and moving slowly through the house. The damage done, was at least simple enough for Gajeel to repair. Pantherlily had since moved himself to the armchair and was resting. his gut causing him obvious pain and he smirked towards a now sane Gajeel. The dragon slayer obsessively keeping his head against Levy, as though the loss of contact would kill him or worse, her. Bickslow huffed out a single puff of air, laughing under his breath. A submitting dragon. Something still completely awkward looking to him. "Mmkay. You. Stand still." Bickslow ordered at Levy. The seith mage completely reluctant to help at all based off what Gajeel had told him. Keeping an eye on Bickslow, Gajeel watched as the seith mage's eyes focused heavily on Levy, shifting between the two of them.

Bickslow stared carefully, watching as Levy's soul danced happily within herself. Her roots bound tightly to Gajeel's. Something he was surprised to see. "So that's normal then" Bickslow thought to himself. The dragon slayer and script mage's souls and aura happily reflecting the others. Hesitantly, Bickslow looked down, expecting to see nothing more than what he was already seeing. Focusing his eyes harder, the sight of two small, dancing lights sat happily, tiny roots clinging to what they could. Bickslow shook his head quickly, regaining his focus and seeing things "normally". He smirked at the couple that stood in front of him, gesturing for Gajeel to follow him out the door, the dragon slayer quickly doing so. Once out of view of Levy and Pantherlily, Bickslow reached into his pocket, grabbing the share of money he owed and handing it over quickly. "Thanks. You see anything?" Gajeel asked nervously. Pulling a cigarette from his pocket and quickly lighting it, Bickslow nodded. "Sure did." Closing the space between them, Gajeel asked "And?!" Bickslow reached into his pocket, placing a cigarette into Gajeel's hand as he continued to smoke. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?" Gajeel asked, raising an eyebrow at the seith mage. Bickslow tilted his head to the side slightly, looking into Gajeel's hand. "Oh. My bad." he then said, reaching back into his pocket and grabbing yet another cigarette and placing it into Gajeel's hand before winking. "Good luck." Bickslow said as he called his totems over to him, hopping up on them and quickly disappearing back towards his home.

Gajeel stood there, watching as Bickslow disappeared. He eyed the two cigarettes in his hand. Unsure of what to make of Bickslow's little message. "Is everything okay Gajeel?" Levy said as she walked out of his home. "I think so." Gajeel responded, looking down at Levy before turning his attention back to the cigarettes in his hand. The sudden realization of what that little message was supposed to mean hitting Gajeel like a tonne of bricks as he stumbled backwards slightly, his eyes darting between Levy and the cigarettes. "Gajeel! What's wrong?" Levy said, grabbing hold of his arm to prevent him from falling. The dragon slayer nervously laughing as he stared at the two cigarettes. "Nothin' shrimp." he said, wrapping his arms around her tightly, lighting her into the air easily, placing his ear against her and listening carefully to the sounds he heard. Her loud heartbeat being all he could hear until he focused. The slight pitter patter of two smaller beats sounding off quietly, dragging a wide grin across the dragon slayer's face as he squeezed her a bit harder. "Y-you're gonna have to lighten your grip a little Gajeel. Baby is a little too small to be popping out just yet" Levy said as she giggled. "Better hope they're both a bit on the smaller side poppin out shrimp." Gajeel said as he set her down. "Both?" Levy said, watching as the dragon slayer smiled bigger than usual. "Giheehee."

Bickslow moved quickly towards his home. The cigarette in his mouth struggling to keep itself lit as he and his totems moved. He did his best to stay higher up in the air to avoid having his mark spotted. His own conflicting emotions taking over as he moved. "If those two can do something like that, I'm pretty sure we could too" he thought to himself as his home came in to view. He landed easily in front of his home, quickly unlocking the door and grabbing a new mask before heading to the basement to grab the blood he needed checked. "Right babies?! If those two knuckle heads can make shit like that work, we can too!" he said out loud. His totems readily copying him. "Oh Bickslow. The difference between them and you, is that you won't make it out of this little love affair." he heard Thanatos say followed by the deep laugh of Orobas. He quickly turned around, greeted by nothing more than the lights reflecting off the medical table behind him. "...fuck you..."