A/N: Why do we not see more of these two together? I like to think they're besties.

Thank you guys for your continued support and great ideas - I have roughly ten stories have written thanks to inspiration from my reviewers, and I hope to get them posted in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, enjoy!


Denial is the first stage of grief. Lucy remembered reading in her studies. And again when her mother died. It was cliché, but she understood why people always brought it up. It was logical, it was predictable, and it was perfectly human.

There were five stages. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. She knew them all, she'd experienced them all, and she'd comforted someone going through most of them at one point or another.

But she'd never expected to see someone go through the stages of grief over losing a wooden doll.

"I can't believe I sent him out there!" Bixlow was saying. "If I had just sent Pepe instead of Pipi…" He was on stage three – bargaining.

"Cheer up, Bix," Evergreen told him. "Pipi wouldn't want you to wallow like this."

"Pipi was a fighter, he knew the risks," Freed said. "He willingly put himself on the lines for you."

Natsu leaned in to Lucy and whispered. "I thought they were just wooden dolls he controlled with magic," he said. "Am I missing something?"

She was relieved he had the tact to whisper. "I'm confused too," she admitted. "But he seems really upset, so don't ask."

Lisanna, who was sitting with the two of them, nodded in agreement.

"He was so young!" Bixlow cried out loudly before burying his face in his arms. Evergreen rubbed his back sympathetically and shot Lucy a look that said "Please, get me out of here…"

"We've given him a proper burial," Freed said. "Is there something more we can do for you?"

"Oh no, just leave me here to rot in this pit of loathing," he said. Freed frowned, but when his teammate waved him away he decided it would be best to do as ordered.

Freed and Evergreen came over and sat with Natsu Lucy and Lisanna.

"He's not usually so dramatic when one of the dolls gets smashed," Evergreen said. "I mean, at the end of the day, they're just wood. But Pipi's been with him since the beginning."

"I believe his grandfather actually carved Pipi when Bixlow was a kid," Freed explained.

Natsu, Lucy and Lisanna all mouthed "Ohhhh" and nodded.

"I wish there was something more we could do…" Lisanna said.

It was getting late and slowly everyone in their group trickled out of the guild, except for Bixlow who was still sitting with his head buried, and Evergreen, who was worrying about him.

The brunette watched the seith mage's shoulders rise and fall. At first he seemed to be crying, but then the movement became calmer, and she was pretty sure he'd fallen asleep. Not wanting him to get left all alone, she walked up and put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Bixlow, honey, are you alright?" She asked.

He woke with a start. Evergreen couldn't help but notice how cute he looked in his groggy, wet-eyed state. She's never been afraid of his magical eyes. Impulsively, she wiped a tear off his cheek with her thumb.

He flinched as she did it, then blushed when he fully awoke and realized what was happening.

"Oh hey Ever," he said. His voice was hoarse. "Guess this seems pretty stupid, huh? Over an object…"

She pulled up a chair next to him. "This just isn't like you," she told him. "So I know it's not just an object."

He smiled thankfully. "You know, my granddad is the reason I have this tattoo," he said, pointing to his face. "My old man threw a fit when I got mine. That's how I got kicked out of the house. They didn't get along."

"Really?" Bixlow was the most mysterious of the Raijinshuu, and Ever knew very little about his home life before she met him at Fairy Tail five years ago.

He chuckled and leaned back. "You bet," he said. "Gramps died when I was about six, and left everything he had to me. My dad was always trying to get his hands on it, but I knew he'd sell it first chance he got, and I didn't want that."

"Sounds like a rough situation," she said. She put an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand.

"Eh, not really," he said. "That's how I came to Fairy Tail after all."

She grinned. "Well thank god for that," she said. She sat up and stretched. "You wanna get out of here and get a drink somewhere? My treat."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Are you going to get my drunk and take advantage of me in my vulnerable state?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be nice here."

"But Ever, that's so unlike you," he teased. He stood up. "But yeah, I could use a drink." He grabbed his helmet off the table.

"So could I," she said, standing up and adjusting her skirt. "Come on, let's go somewhere I can order a lemon drop."

Ten drinks later Bixlow was out of control.

"Ladies," he said, slinging his arms over the shoulders of a group of women sitting at the bar. "Howzza bout we get outta here'n have some fun?" He pulled his helmet off and placed it on one of their heads.

"Okayyyyy," Evergreen said, pulling him off his prey. "When you start slurring your words like that, it's time to go."

"Okay!" He agreed happily, falling sideways into her. "Where're we goin'?"

"You're heavy," she complained.

"You're not," he said. "You're light as a feather with an itsy-bitsy waist. Like a fairy princess."

"Um…thanks?" She said, struggling to keep him upright.

"Anytime, Everrrr," he laughed wildly. "So where're we goin'?" He asked again.

"I'm taking you home," she told him. "You're acting like an idiot and you need to sleep the booze off. And you lost your helmet."

"I did?" He patted his head with his free hand as though confirming. "Oh shit, you're right!"

A group of teenagers giggled and pointed as Evergreen and Bixlow stumbled by, but a quick glance from Evergreen's stone eyes shut them up.

"I can't believe I'm doing this for you," she grumbled. "Where the hell is Laxus is your time of need?"

"Eh, I'd rather hang out with you," Bixlow said.

She stopped short and almost dropped him. "Don't be flip with me," she told him.

"Aww, Ever, I'm not bein' flip," he drawled. "You've always been my fav Raijinshuu member." He mussed up her hair and she swatted him away.

"If that's true then why do you always pair up with Freed?" she accused, grabbing his hand and continuing to drag him toward home.

He sighed dramatically. "That was one time, for the S-class exam and I've apologized like ten times," he groaned.

"I'm only your favorite because Freed doesn't let you have more than three drinks," she said, but she was secretly pleased with his compliment.

"Nah," he argued. "Nah you're my favorite because you have boobs."

She hit him for that. They'd arrived at Bixlow's apartment building, and she shoved the door open with her free shoulder. "Come on," she said, getting behind him and pushing him up the stairs with both hands. "Bedtime!"

"I don't wanna go to bed yet, Ever," he complained. "Can't you stay for a bit?"

"I'm exhausted, Bix." She wretched open his door, which was never locked anyway, and let him fall over onto the couch. He giggled like a school girl. But then tears started falling.

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on?" She said, sitting down next to him and rubbing his back.

"I don't know why I'm crying!" he exclaimed. "Why am I crying?"

"I don't know," she said impatiently. "You tell me!"

"Pipi, that stupid fucking doll," he said, trying to wipe tears away. "it's like losing a piece of my Granddad all over again. And too much to drink…"

Irritated as she was, she wasn't about to leave him when he was clearly still upset. "Come on, cheer up," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "Your grandfather isn't gone just because the doll got smashed." She poked his tattoo. "This mark proves he's still with you." Then she pointed to her own guild mark. "Just like this one proves I'm always with you – along with the rest of fairy tail."

The drunken seith mage sniffed and nodded.

"Okay then," she said, hopping up. She led him to bed and began removing his shoes. "And no jokes about how I'm undressing you."

He started laughing again. She hummed as she went, removing his clothing like she would a child's. His eyes began to get heavy as she worked. Eventually she wrestled him into black sweatpants and a soft white t-shirt. He was asleep immediately.

"Night Bix," she whispered, kissing him on the forehead. Then she went home.

Early the next morning, Evergreen heard a knock on her door. When she answered it, she found an abashed looking Bixlow standing at the door with bagels.

"My head is killing me, I can't remember anything from last night, my helmet is missing, and I think I made a huge ass out of myself." He said. "And I think I owe you for it not being any worse."

She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "You sure do owe me," she told him.

He lifted the bag of bagels. "Does this suffice as an apology?"

She grinned. "It's a start." She moved back so he could step in. "Set up in the kitchen – I just need to put on a robe."

He ran his eyes up and down her form and grinned. "I think you're fine in that nightgown." She whacked him upside the head. "Oww…it was a joke. A joke! That was not good for my hangover…"

"I'll be right back," she told him. She turned to walk down the hall.

"Hey Ever!" He called once she was out of sight but still in hearing range.

"What?" She called as she rifled through her clothing for her robe.

"Thanks for being there in my time of need."

She was glad she was in the other room, so he didn't see her satisfied grin. And he was glad she didn't see his blushing face.

"I'm always here, if you ever need me."