It was his first vacation in his entire life. It was also his first time in a magical vehicle, so he was just as shocked as everyone else when he became violently sick not even five minutes after leaving the guild.

The pain came without any warning, twisting in his stomach until he was certain he would embarrass himself in front of the entire guild. Everyone moved to one side to give Wendy enough room to turn big and place a healing spell on him.

"Is that better, Gajeel?" she asked softly, giving him a dimpled smile.

He couldn't resist fluffing her hair. "Yeah, thanks small-stuff."

Wendy batted his hand away and gave him a half-hearted glare. She shifted forms and fluttered back to Mira's side, resuming her complaint of why they couldn't bring their cats with them. Levy flew back to his shoulder and he could feel the warmth of her hand through the thin material of his borrowed swim shirt.

"Hey Natsu, guess you're not the only one who gets motion sickness!"

"Shuddup!" Came the answering groan. "And Wendy gets it too, she just heals herself first!"

Gajeel's lips lifted in a small smile and he leaned his head against the back of the cart. The jostling did nothing for his stomach, but Wendy's spell was slowly easing the tightness in his gut.

Levy flew from his shoulder and hovered around Natsu, probably making sure he was doing alright. Gajeel studied his small Fairy, happy to see that she was acting more like herself. Her face returned to its normal color, but he caught her giving Cana and Lucy strange looks. He wondered if they had gotten into a fight while they were packing for the trip.

The cart rattled over a hole in the road, jostling Gajeel to the side. He braced himself with his arm, not wanting to squish any unsuspecting Fairies, and looked around the contraption in awe. Apparently, the vehicle fed off magical power and Erza kept it rolling at a break-neck pace. The warrior mage stayed in her human form at the front of the vehicle, the master and Laxus sitting with her. The rest of the guild was piled in the back with him.

There were definitely perks to being tiny; he was the only one really taking up any room in the large vehicle. Master Makarov rented the largest one he could find and everyone insisted that Gajeel stretch and make himself comfortable. He followed their directions, worried what would happen if he tried to refuse, and the Fairies lounged around in the extra space. But even with the large vehicle, his feet almost hit the front board where the trio sat.

But I'm still comfortable, at least.

An hour into the trip and everyone had been well behaved. Natsu and Gray had broken into their usual fights, but after the 3rd time, Mira put him in charge of separating the two destructive mages. Gajeel helped pass the time by plucking them out of the air whenever they thought he wasn't paying attention.

The vehicle was filled with laughter and chatter. Several groups brought out decks of cards and Levy, plus a few others, sat on his legs.

"Ok everyone!" Levy floated in the air above his knee. "We're gonna play 20 questions!"

Several cheers surrounded him, but Gajeel frowned.

"Never played before?" Gray asked, his fighting with Natsu apparently forgotten at the prospect of a new game.

"It's super easy!" Natsu shouted, earning a smack from Cana.

"Games are manly." Elfman nodded seriously.

"So the rules are simple. One person thinks of an animal, mineral, or person. The rest of us have only 20 questions to guess whatever they are thinking. You can only ask a question on your turn and it has to be a 'yes' or 'no' type of question."

"Ok." Natsu was right, for once; it did seem easy.

"Cana, want to go first?"

"Sure. Um...ok, got it."

The Fairies positioned themselves in a circle around him, with Levy taking her usual spot on his shoulder.

Gray started the round of questions. "Is it a person?"

"No."

"An animal?" Elfam asked, receiving a yes from Cana.

"Is it smaller than Levy?" Natsu shorted and Levy blasted him with her WIND magic.

Cana bit back a laugh. "Which form?"

"Umm...human." Natsu ducked behind Gajeel's leg.

"No."

Gajeel's lips twitched. "Told ya yer short," he whispered to the pouting Fairy.

"Gajeel, your turn. Ask any yes or no question."

Blast, he had forgotten to think of a question. He looked around the vehicle, his eyes catching on Erza. "Is it dangerous?"

"Yes. Good question. Your turn, Levy."

"Does it have fur?"

"Nope!"

"Is it bigger than me!" Elfman bellowed.

"Human form? Yes. back to you, Gray."

"Hmmm, does it live in the mountains?"

"Yes."

Gajeel crossed his arms, sorting through the questions so far. He had fought plenty of animals during his Phantom Lord days, but he didn't know very many that were dangerous and lived in the mountains. There were bears, but most of them were smaller than Elfman when he was in his other form. Wild cats, but again not very large. He remembered the Vulcans on his first mission with Levy, and the Blizzardverns, which she had said rivaled the size of a true dragon.

It was Natsu's turn to ask a question, but Gajeel raised his hand slowly. "Can we guess even when it's not our turn?"

"Think you've got it after just seven questions, Metal Mouth?"

"Oh, Levy forgot to mention that if you guess wrong, then you're out of the round. Still want to try?"

Gajeel shrugged. "That's fine. So um, is it a Blizzardvern?"

Gray and Natsu snorted and Cana looked at him with her mouth wide open. "Beginner's luck," she huffed. "Ok, your turn to pick."

"Oh, ok. And it can be anything?"

"Yep! Animal, mineral, or person."

Gajeel thought of all the animals he knew, eliminating each one. He could choose iron, but they would probably guess that right away. He looked around at the Fairies waiting and smirked.

"Oh no, I don't like that gleam in his eye."

"You've got something?" Levy giggled from his shoulder.

He nodded and rubbed his neck. He didn't like not having his scales, even if it was only temporary. The smooth skin was strange to the touch.

"Ok I'll go first." Natsu jumped into the air. "Is it an animal?"

"Technically no."

20 minutes and 17 questions later, they finally guessed Fairy. The group played several more rounds and the rest of the drive passed much faster than Gajeel thought they would. The vehicle slowed and Gajeel glanced out the window. The tang of salt hung on the air and drifted inside, and strange, tall trees lined the road. The vehicle stopped and the three drivers hopped off. The back door opened, revealing a grinning master.

"Alright, you brats...we're here!"

The Fairies bolted to freedom and flew in excited circles in the air. Gajeel grabbed his bag, filled with his towel and extra clothes, and slowly climbed out of the vehicle. He took in his strange surroundings in a single glance. The sun blazed intently onto the sand covered ground. The strange trees waved in the wind and huts lined the path, their owners barking at the people walking past.

He swallowed, eyeing the hoards of other people lining the pathway. It was his first time at a beach town. It wasn't as busy as the towns he had visited before, but it was still more people than he anticipated. He looked around for Levy and found her blue light fluttering above the vehicle. Her excited chatter reached his sensitive ears and he resisted the urge to hide closer to the vehicle. She had been the most excited of all of them to be spending time with her friends and he didn't want to bother her much needed vacation.

The master began walking down the path and Gajeel hurried after the older man, relieving him of his bag once he stood next to the master's side. The master grunted a 'thank you' and Gajeel followed him down the shaded path. The sound of water splashing cut through the wind in the trees and gradually the vegetation thinned to reveal a wide blue expanse.

The path filled with people the farther they walked and Gajeel made sure to stick to the master's side. He kept a wary eye on his surroundings, ready to fight at a moment's notice. The flimsy shoes Gray let him borrow flung sand on the back of his legs and Gajeel made a mental note to kick off the silly footwear if anything happened.

"Must be different than you expected, huh?"

The old man smirked and Gajeel nodded, scratching his head. "Y-yeah, never really been to one of these places before."

"It's been a while for us too, so make sure to enjoy yourself!" The master gave him a wide grin and Gajeel found himself relaxing a bit. The master was one of the strongest mages he'd ever seen. They would be fine as long as he was there.

The master walked up to a booth and plopped down on a bar stool. They waited patiently for the lady behind the counter to finish with a large family. Gajeel stared at the ocean a short distance away.

Never knew it would be so big!

He startled slightly when Erza and Lazus stood next to him. The other family moved on and the worker lady came up to them with a smile.

"How can I help you?" she asked, flipping her braid over her shoulder.

The master leaned his elbows on the counter. "We're here for our reservation."

"Name?"

"Fairy Tail."

The lady flipped a few papers on her notebook. "And is it just you four? I have written down that it should be a group of about 40."

"That's correct. The other kiddos are still coming down the path."

As if the statement summoned them, the rest of the guild turned big and hurried down the path, startling the other beach-goers with their sudden appearance. Gajeel had spent so much time around the Fairies that he had forgotten no one else could see them when they were in Fairy Form.

"Oh my!" The lady lifted a hand to her heart and almost dropped her papers. Makarov chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"The brats like to be dramatic. We only keep some of the strongest mages visible, just in case." He winked at Gajeel.

The lady laughed and cleared her throat. "Of course. Well then, you guys are all set. If you could just have your group line up over there we can get your wristbands? That'll be your proof of purchase for unlimited sodas and access to the water park."

Gajeel frowned in confusion, but followed the master to where two other workers stood ready. The rest of the guild stood excitedly in line and several mages waved their arms in the air. A bright orange band circled their wrists.

A shiver ran down his spine and his breath caught in his throat. He stood at the back of the line, his heart pounding with every step he took. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. No one else was bothered, so he shouldn't be either. It was just a small piece of paper; he could easily break it if he wanted to.

"Ok, next."

A bead of sweat ran down his back and he stared at the orange paper in the woman's hand. It was so tiny, hardly any wider than his finger and as thin as paper. He rubbed his wrists, his scars aching and burning his skin.

He shook his head, backing up a step.

The woman frowned at him and shared a glance with her helper. Their mouths moved and they looked at him, but he couldn't hear what they were saying over the roar in his ears.

He couldn't do this. Everyone's efforts would be wasted. They went through so much trouble to have him join them and here he was backing away. What would they think? What would Levy-

"I'm sorry, but is there any way I could wear his for him? You see, he has a...phobia of things around his wrists. He got hurt badly when he was a kid-"

Levy's cool hand soothed the burning as she lifted his arm, showing the women the pale scars marring his skin. The woman's frown immediately disappeared and she clucked her tongue.

"Oh you poor thing. We usually can't allow someone else to wear the bands, but I can make an exception for you guys. I'll let the other managers know as well."

"Thank you so much!" Levy held out both of her arms and looked at him, breathing deeply as she stared into his eyes.

Gajeel followed her silent directions and copied her breathing until the woman had both wristbands attached.

"Enjoy your stay!" The woman smiled at him, much warmer than before.

"Thank you!" Levy grabbed his hand and dragged him through the gate to where the others were waiting.

"That was Fairy Tail, right?"

The whispered conversation drifted across the sand.

"Yeah it was. Don't worry, I already had them fill out the liability form for when they destroy something. And I hired a reconstruction magic mage for the day."

Gajeel knew he should laugh at the conversation, but his heart had yet to return to its normal rhythm. His legs shook, but they made it to the rest of the guild where the master stood waiting.

"Got it all settled?" the master asked, looking at the two bright bands on Levy's wrists.

"Yep!" She turned to him, "So just let me know where you want to go."

Guilt filled him. He was always making trouble for her. This was supposed to be her time to relax and have fun with her own friends, not babysitting him. He couldn't let her ruin her day like that, not when she was so excited about spending time with her family.

"I can always stay on the beach. I don't wanna be-"

The master cleared his throat and Levy glared daggers at him. Gajeel swallowed his protest and nodded instead.

Makarov clapped his hands. "Ok, listen up you punks-"

"Why am I a punk now!" Levy's eyes scrunched in her pout.

"Here's the plan: Over there is our gazebo. Put your stuff there when you're not using it. You get full access to the water park and all the drinks you can get. Just soda, nothing else. Looking at you, Cana." He pointed a finger at the smirking mage, "Lunch will be at 1'oclock sharp...don't be late or you'll go hungry. Meet back up at 5 so we can start headin' home. Everyone got it?"

"YESSIR!"

"Well then, what're you waitin' for? Get lost!"

With a loud cheer that startled the people around them, the group scattered. The majority headed straight to the gazebo to drop off their towels before heading to a large wall with a giant, tube-like structure within. A few headed to the beach and Cana rushed over to a group near the food court that were chanting a strange song.

A breeze washed over them and Gajeel's nostrils twitched. He looked around, catching the scent of rain in the air, but only saw clear skies.

"Let's go, Gajeel!"

Levy took his hand and dragged him through the sand to the gazebo. They dropped off their stuff, shook off their shoes and waited for the others to join them. Levy and Lucy darted toward the water park, Levy giving him a wide smile over her shoulder, and he and Natsu followed at a slower pace. Gray followed, but disappeared somewhere in the crowd.

With a flash of their wristbands, Levy holding up both arms to the workers, they all ran inside. A large pool dominated the center of the area, already filled with laughing guild members and other families enjoying the park. The girls hurried to the pool's edge and Gajeel watched them point to the water and whisper to each other.

"Hey, Gajeel, I got an idea." Natsu nudged his side and nodded to the girls. "They do this every time. Worrying about the water being too cold and girly stuff like that. Well, we're gonna help them."

Gajeel was worried about the spark he saw in the fire mage's eye. "How?"

"We'll walk up, snag them, and yank them into the pool. Whaddya say?"

He watched the girls back away from the pool, shaking their heads and giggling. "But...won't they get mad at us?"

"That's the point! So, you in?" Natsu's grin was blinding.

"Um, ok?"

"Great! I'll grab Lucy and you take Levy. Hold up, you can swim right?"

Gajeel nodded and Natsu gave him a silent thumbs up, his smile somehow widening. He stalked up to the girls, Gajeel following close behind. Gajeel copied how Natsu casually stood next to his target.

"Ahh, such a nice, hot day. Perfect for the water park!"

"I don't get why you like hot weather, Natsu. Just cause you're a fire mage-"

Natsu glanced over Lucy's head and winked, mouthing the word GO. Already regretting his involvement, Gajeel grabbed Levy around the waist and hoisted her into the air.

"Gajeel! What are you doing?" Levy screeched and struggled in his arms. A quick glance showed Natsu having his own struggle with the blonde mage.

Both girls screamed and hollered, their voices becoming more shrill the closer they took them to the pool. Levy pounded on his arm, but he detected a hint of laughter in her screams.

Gajeel smirked, warming up to Flame Brain's plan. "Sorry, Shrimp. But Natsu says we're gonna help you get used to the water."

He dangled her over the pool's edge and Levy froze. "Wait, Gajeel, no...stop! Don't you DARE!"

He twisted his body and jumped backward into the pool, holding Levy tightly against his chest. Cold water enveloped him and he used his weight to sink them to the bottom of the pool. Levy kicked and writhed, surrounding them in bubbles. An elbow hit him in the stomach and he grunted, loosening his hold. Levy broke free and swam to the top.

They both burst through the surface. Levy continued her rant and Gajeel pushed his bandana out of his eyes. He and Natsu shared a look and burst out laughing, causing the two girls to glare and yell even louder than before.

"Yeah!" Natsu cheered, raising his fist so Gajeel could hit it with his own.

"You two are the worst! I completely blame you, Natsu!" Lucy sloshed through the water with her nose in the air. Her dignified stance lost some of its luster when she slipped and went underwater again.

Natsu burst into another round of laughter and Levy directed her ire to him while she helped her friend regain her feet. Gajeel carefully backed away from the angry women. He crawled out of the pool and sat on the edge, content to watch both girls attack Natsu and shove his head underwater. He made no attempt to help; after all, it was the Salamander's idea in the first place.

Their argument drew the attention of the other occupants in the pool. They looked at the group with grins on their faces before turning back to their own activities. Gajeel scratched his neck, the scars on his back itching under his sopping wet shirt.

No one was giving him a second glance, just simple curiosity at the group's splashing match. Whatever spell Lucy's friend used was still holding up. His neck remained smooth, the scales on his legs had disappeared, and his teeth stayed flat when he ran his tongue over them. His eyes were still red, he had asked Levy during the drive over, but apparently that didn't seem to be a problem in such a diverse crowd.

He watched a family play in the water, vaguely recognizing them from the guild. They hadn't ridden with them in the magical vehicle and he couldn't remember any of their names, but he did remember seeing the dark haired little girl on a few occasions back at the guild hall. The little girl laughed and squealed with her father. She held a long, pink tube in her hands and slapped the surface of the pool, spraying water every direction. The noise echoed across the pool and a few people turned to find the source of the noise.

Gajeel closed his eyes and shuddered, shaking his head at the continuous slapping. The little girl's laughter deepened until he heard Jose's deep shrill ringing in his ears. Rough stone beneath his cheek. The sting of the whip on his back. Over and over and-

"Hey man, yer looking a bit pale there."

Gajeel jerked his eyes open with a gasp. "W-what?"

"Gajeel, are you ok?" Levy waded through the water to his side and leaned her arms on the edge of the pool. He focused on her, not able to look the others in the eye.

"S-sorry. Um, some bad memories, that's all." He rubbed his wrists and Jose's evil laughter gradually faded from his mind.

"Man, that guy was seriously messed up. Hey, um...Gajeel." Gajeel tilted his head at the sound of his actual name coming from the fire mage's mouth. "If you don't mind me askin', do you wanna talk about it? I've heard it sometimes helps and we're your friends, so...if you wanna?"

Natsu trailed off, but Lucy and Levy were both smiling softly at him. He had been around them long enough that he knew they wouldn't get angry if he said no, but a strange part of him actually wanted to talk. Just a little bit, as a way to thank them for everything they had done for him.

"Um, well...it was that girl, slapping those things on the water. Kinda reminded me of…" He gestured vaguely to his back, not wanting to relive the painful memories.

"Yeah, I can see that. Those pool noodles are super loud."

Gajeel nodded, rubbing his wrists. "Um, and earlier with the wristbands. Guess that one's kinda obvious."

It was silent for a few moments, until Lucy asked softly. "How long were you...did you wear them for?"

He shrugged. "As long as I can remember. It's nice havin' them off, but sometimes...I dunno." He kept his chin tucked against his chest.

Why did he think talking was a good idea? They didn't want to hear about his problems, his insane thoughts that kept him up at night with the knowledge that he shouldn't want to go back to that cell.

"You're so used to wearing them that it feels strange not having them anymore?" Levy patted his knee and he drew strength from her warm gaze. Would she judge him if he let himself be honest just a little bit?

"Is that...wrong? That I sometimes miss them?" The words burned like bile on his tongue, but he needed to know that he wasn't crazy.

"Not at all, it actually makes a lot of sense. They were something familiar, something you had come to expect, and now you're adjusting to a new home, new people. Anyone would have a difficult time with the change."

The air rushed out of his lungs in a relieved sigh. He glanced at the other two, seeing them nodding at Levy's statement. His hands dropped from his wrists and a warm ache filled the pit of his stomach.

"Ya'll look super serious. What'd I miss?"

"Hey, Ice Princess! Where'd ya run off to?"

"None of your business, Flame Brain!"

Lucy whacked Natsu on the head before he could barge out of the pool and start a fight. Their earlier topic was thankfully forgotten and the conversation drifted to what everyone wanted to do next. He didn't mind what they did and just listened to everyone bicker and argue around him. The arguing didn't bother him like it used to; he could hear the laughter in the insults and see the friendship between all of the Fairy Tail mages, even during their most destructive fights.

A tap on his knee drew his attention from the trio. "I'm proud of you," Levy said, her eyes bright. "Thank you for trusting us and sharing your story."

Gajeel shrugged, scratching his hair. Levy had been...there. She knew he only gave them the most obvious answers. There was so much more he didn't-couldn't-share, years of pain and isolation that he fought so hard to block on a daily basis.

"Ok, you guys ready to head to the slides?"

"Yes!" With a burst of energy Levy leapt out of the pool and grabbed his hand, tugging him to his feet. "Come on, we need to get an inner tube before everyone else!"

"A what?" He asked as he was dragged behind his Fairy.

"No running!" A worker barked at them, startling Gajeel.

Levy slowed her breakneck speed and glanced over her shoulder at the others. "They only have a few doubles, so we need to get one before the rest catch up."

Gajeel had no idea what she was talking about, but let her drag him to a pile of large colorful rings. She pointed to a long ring with two holes and he pulled it from the pile. He followed her around the path and to a tall flight of stairs. They stood in line and he shifted what he assumed was an innertube to his other arm so he could look over the railing.

Huh, never been this high up before.

The others joined them, each with their own innertube, and their banter helped pass the time as the line slowly inched forward. When they finally reached the top, a worker directed them to an empty spot near one of the slides. Levy bounced into the shallow pool and reached for the tube. Her fingers barely brushed the handle when her feet slipped from under her.

"Levy!"

She fell backward and Gajeel jumped forward to catch her. His foot slipped in the slick water, throwing both of them down the slide. Water sprayed into his mouth, and they clung to each other, screaming loudly.

"Why is this ride so fast!?"

"I don't know! It wasn't like this the last time we came!"

The cold water sprayed into his face and threatened to drown him as they careened around a curve in the slide. He tightened his hold on Levy, making sure she wouldn't fling off the side of the monstrous ride. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she clung to him, making him warm despite the cold water. Her soft hair tickled his nose and her scent surrounded him. He wrapped his arms around her even more, the speed and terror of the slide forgotten.

She's so warm. And tiny. She smells so good-

His stomach clenched and bile crept up his throat, making all thoughts of Levy fly from his mind. They launched off the end of the slide and splashed into a shallow pool at the bottom. He sputtered and gasped, flinging his dripping hair out of his face. Stomach rolling, he snagged Levy under her arms and helped her to the edge of the pool.

When they reached dry land, Gajeel dropped to his knees and rested his elbows on the ground to help soothe his stomach. Levy rubbed his back and he focused on not hurling on her feet. Screams pierced the air behind him, followed by two loud splashes.

"Natsu! You better not get sick on me!"

Gajeel heard Gray's laugh. "Am I the only guy in this group that doesn't get sick on rides?"

Levy patted his back. "You ok, Gajeel?"

He breathed through his nose, his stomach no longer rolling like the waves in the pool. A soft breeze cooled his skin and he frowned, no longer able to smell Levy's scent. He smirked and stood, grabbing Levy's hand.

"That was fun! Let's do it again!"

Her laughter followed him as they hurried back to the line, Gajeel silently plotting how he could make them 'accidentally' trip down the slide again.