Alright, so heads up, this chapter contains panic attacks so if that's a trigger for you, you've been warned. I've suffered from panic attacks in the past (heck, still do sometimes) and the methods here I find work. Just for note in this chapter, according to the Fairy Tail Wikipedia, a 100 jewels is the equivalent of $1.

"I'm sorry," Levy laughed weakly,"What did you say, sir?" Clearly, she was mishearing things. She drank too much champagne. She must have-

"I'm so sorry," the old man continued sadly," but the local council has cut our budget down and I can't afford to have three librarians."

"I… I see," Levy uttered, in complete shock, trying to keep her voice level. She'd been working there for several years now and whilst there had been budget cuts over the years, they'd clearly never been this severe.

"You can come by and collect your things on Monday," the old man reassured her," and I will write you an excellent recommendation."

"Thank you," she said, before hanging up on his rambling apologies.

Levy sunk to her knees, the words finally clicking.

She had just been fired.

"Fuck," Levy whispered, her eyes beginning to water slightly as she looked over the moonlight ocean, the noise of the partygoers inside fading into the background. She didn't often swear but this was serious. Levy lived on a frugal budget. Being a librarian wasn't a well-paying job, but she did… no, had done it because it was her passion. She was careful with her money and didn't have a lot leftover once she'd finished paying her bills. The tiny amount in her bank account would maybe be enough for the next few weeks, but after that?

"The gas and electricity costs 5000 jewels, food will be around 25000 jewels, internet is 5000 jewels…" Levy thought to herself, slowing beginning to sink. She didn't have that much… not to mention she was paying off her mortgage on a monthly basis as well.

Levy felt herself begin to sob, covering her mouth to muffle the sound of her hiccups as she felt herself grow smaller and smaller.

She was screwed.

...

Lucy sighed, looking around. Levy had been gone for a while now, and she was beginning to get curious. Surely, a phone call didn't take that long. She decided to investigate, going out to the balcony where she'd seen Levy slip off to. She opened the door, peeking her head out.

"Hey Levy, just wanted to see if everything was alright-" Lucy began, stepping out onto the balcony, but she froze. Levy was on the ground, curled up, shaking with tears.

"Levy!" Lucy gasped, rushing over to her friend. She crouched next to her.

Levy looked up at her friend, Lucy's voice muffled in her mind. Her makeup was running down her face and she was panting. Lucy recognized the symptoms of a panic attack, something she used to suffer from as a little girl.

"Levy, I need you to count your breaths okay?" Lucy said soothingly, hugging her friend. Levy didn't seem to hear her, however.

"He… called… me," she said between panicky breaths," I… I just got fired."

Levy sank back into heart wrenching sobs, gasping for air. She felt like she was suffocating.

"Yo, Lucy, where did ya go?" Natsu yelled, coming onto the balcony as well. He'd missed his… friend and wanted to see where she was but he didn't expect the scene before him. Lucy turned to him, her face serious.

"Natsu, I need you to get Gajeel," Lucy said firmly," Then go ask one of the staff here if they have any paper bags and blankets."

Natsu nodded, rushing back into the party. He looked around before seeing Gajeel, chatting with Juvia and Gray. He ran over, pushing through guests, who looked at him with a glare.

"What's up Flame brain?" Gray teased as the man neared them, but to his shock, Natsu didn't respond to the teasing, not even giving him a glance.

"Lucy needs you out on the balcony," Natsu said to Gajeel, before turning to go find the other things Lucy requested. Gajeel grabbed him by the arm, turning him around.

"What for?" he grunted, annoyed. Natsu took a deep breath.

"Levy's having a panic attack."

…

Gajeel felt his heart stop at those words. Without even glancing at Natsu, he dropped the man's arm and headed to the balcony, completely focused on one thing.

Levy.

Slamming open the balcony door, he went straight over to Levy, who was still curled up on the ground. He squatted next to her, pulling her into his embrace. Levy clung to him, sobbing hard.

"I've gotcha ya," Gajeel murmured, stroking her blue hair before looking up at Lucy," What's going on?"

"She came out here to take a call from her boss and after a while, I came out to see where she was," Lucy explained softly," I found her like this and she said that her boss fired her."

Hearing those words sent Levy into another wave of tears, Gajeel's shirt getting soaked with tears.

"Levy, I need you to listen to me," Gajeel said, hoping his tone was soft enough for the girl ," I want you to look at me."

It took several long moments, but Levy looked up at him. He felt himself grow cold when he saw her tear stained cheeks and quivering lip. He mentally shook himself. He needed to be strong right now.

"Okay," Gajeel continued," Good girl. Now, I want you to count my piercings."

Levy nodded, shaking, and looked up at him, softly mumbling as her eyes flicked over his face. Whilst doing this, her breaths began to relax and she seemed a little more calm, though was clearly still upset.

"22," she said softly, looking at him for approval, to see if she was right.

"Good job," he said, praising her softly," Now we need to talk, okay?"

"Mhmmm…" she hummed, still upset. Her mind felt a little more stable now, but she was still on the edge, teetering. One wrong move and she'd fall back down.

"I get that losing your job must be hard, but I think there's something else," he continued.

"I… I don't have much money," Levy mumbled, trying to stay calm," I started trying to calculate how much longer I have before I run out and it's not long…"

"Oh honey," Lucy murmured. Natsu came back with a small fleece blanket and a paper bag.

"Here," Natsu said, handing Lucy the stuff. She put the paper bag aside in case Levy needed it again, but she placed the blanket around the poor girl's shoulders. It was cold outside and Levy had begun to shake, though whether it was from her anxiety or the temperature would remain a mystery.

"I just don't know what to do," Levy said, tearing up. She began to raise her hand to wipe at her tears, but Gajeel beat her, his calloused thumb wiping the little droplets away.

"Relax," Gajeel mumbled, hugging her tighter," Breathe. Levy, I'm sure you'll get another job soon enough and I'm sure your parents would probably help you out."

"I just… I don't like relying on them too much," Levy replied," They're living comfortably because of dad's work, but they have to be tight with money too…"

"Would you rely on me?" he said softly, startling Levy. She flicked her eyes up to meet his.

"Huh?"

"Would you rely on me?" he repeated," Let me help you out, okay."

"Gajeel, I… I can't…" she began, pulling away. He clasped her wrists, making escape impossible.

"Why not?" he said, his grip firm.

"Because… that's not fair on you," she replied, sinking back into him.

"Levy, you've done more for me than I could ever do for you. Let me help you," he said, hugging her," If it makes you feel better, once you get another job, you can pay me back."

"O-okay…" Levy murmured, nodding softly.

…

After she had calmed down, Gajeel had insisted on taking her home, despite her protests. He'd not been drinking that night so he was able to drive. She'd been ushered out by Lucy, told to go home and relax. The drive to Levy's house was silent except for the radio, which was nice. After a panic attack that bad, the last thing she wanted to do was make small talk, even with her boyfriend.

It wasn't long until they arrived at Levy's house. Gajeel pulled up next to the pavement, stopping the car.

"Thanks," she said softly, breaking the silence between them. She clutched her small purse tightly.

"If you need anything," Gajeel began, before Levy gave him a small kiss, silencing him.

"I can call you," she finished," I'll be fine."

"I know you will," he rumbled, giving her another kiss," I'll see you at the gym tomorrow."

"Mhmmm…" she hummed, getting out the car," Bye, Gajeel!"

He gave her a nod, before driving off into the distance.

Sighing, Levy unlocked her door, relieved to be back home. She quickly locked up before heading to the kitchen to make herself a hot chocolate. She put the milk in the saucepan, preferring this method over the microwave. It just tasted better, in her opinion. Yawning, she decided to go get showered off.

Stripping off, she tossed her dress aside, knowing she'd deal with the laundry in the morning. The shower was warm and soothing, her aching muscles being relaxed. She rubbed her face and was surprised by how little makeup was there. Then again, she had probably cried most of it off.

Speaking of which, her mind wandered to Gajeel. How did he know exactly what to do, to say in such a situation? It wasn't that he wasn't a good boyfriend; in fact, quite the opposite. But he'd always seemed to be a little more awkward when it came to talking. He was a man who spoke through his actions, yet he'd been able to soothe her so quickly. She made a mental note to bring it up with him when she felt better.

She went to her room, quickly tossing on her favorite flannel pj's. Yawning, she looked at the clock, realizing how late it was.

"Shoot," she mumbled," I've got that meeting-"

Not anymore she didn't.

Looking back, she wasn't sure how she fell asleep. Perhaps it was the hypnotic scent of lavender from her soap or her cozy pajamas or (more than likely) the emotional day she'd faced, but Levy soon fell asleep.

It was only an hour or two later when she awoke to a horrific smell.

Smoke.

For a moment, she paused, wondering what on earth the scent could be the result of.

She'd not left her curlers on or the…

The stove!

Jumping out of her bed, she ran to the kitchen which was engulfed in hot orange flames. She glanced around, looking for her phone so she could call for help, but she remembered that she'd left it in the kitchen. She then ran out the house, rushing to her neighbours house. She banged on the door, praying that someone would open up.

"Who is it?" a voice said, muffled by the door.

"It's me, Levy," she panted. The door opened to reveal her elderly neighbours.

Once Levy quickly explained the situation, the couple had sat her down, calling the fire station for her whilst making her a hot drink to soothe her.

Ironic really.

Ten minutes later, the firemen arrived, rushing out of the red vehicle with their equipment. Levy could only stand outside, and watch her small house flicker with flames as the men rushed to put out the fire.

And thus, when dawn broke the next day, Levy McGarden, the sweet librarian who lived in the white bungalow, was unemployed and homeless.