At last the life boat made it to town where they immediately went to search for a doctor. Lucky for them the doctor they found didn't care at all that they were pirates and set to work trying to help Sting and Jellal. Sting only needed some bandages but poor Jellal would need some stitches. Erza couldn't remember the last time she had been so frightened. The doctor had told her that he would try his best to save Jellal but he was so badly injured that the doctor couldn't promise that the young man would live.
"Alright I've finished stitching up his injuries." The doctor told her.
"Will he be alright?" Erza said.
"I can't say for sure. Right now all he can do is sleep. Rest could help but there's no way of saying for certain if he'll live or not."
"Can I see him?"
"I don't see why not."
Erza went into the room where Jellal was laying in bed unconscious. He had bandages and she could see where some of his stitches were. For an hour she sat in a chair that was across from his bed, waiting patiently and quietly for some sign that he would live. Then she kneeled down at his bedside and gently took hold of his hand.
"I'm so sorry Jellal." She whispered while trying so very hard not to cry. "I've done it again haven't I? Every time I come into your life you get hurt."
She heard a sigh and saw the man open his eyes.
"I wouldn't say that." He said weakly.
"You're alright. Thank God." She said in relief.
"Where am I?" He groaned.
"At a doctor's. My friends and I found you and one of your men. We brought you here. Are you feeling-"
She was cut off when he suddenly sat up and threw his arms around her. He embraced her gently and held her as if she would disappear forever if he let her go.
He still couldn't believe that she had been alive all this time. He had been thinking that the person most dear to him had been dead for fourteen years. Fourteen years of having nightmares of Erza being murdered in a brutal manner. Fourteen years of dreams where he would be reunited with her only for her to be ripped away from him once he woke up. Fourteen years of praying for Erza's spirit to forgive him for failing to save her. Fourteen years of that torment. Then he finds out at the end of those fourteen years that the she's alive and now all he wanted to do was hold her and keep anything from hurting her ever again.
"I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair. "But I've been wanting to do that ever since I saw your face again after all this time. I was so sure that I had lost you forever."
Erza smiled and moved her arms carefully to his back. She too had been longing to hug this person whom she had been separated from during childhood. His arms were so warm, oh how she had missed him. She had missed him more than anyone else in her entire life.
"You know not a day went by when I didn't think of you." She said. "I wanted to find you so badly but at the same time I wanted to stay away from you because I left you."
"You didn't leave me. You were just separated from me."
"I would make wishes...Wishes that I would write down and place in a bottle that would float away in the sea. Every wish was always the same. That someday you would be free. I wanted to free you but I...I didn't know how."
"You didn't have to free me." He said. "I managed to escape."
After a long silence they finally broke apart and he laid back down in bed.
"So my life was saved by pirates." He looked away. "Oh the irony."
"I guess I should tell Gajeel and the others not to expect a thank you huh?"
"Why did they save me? I'm trying to arrest them and have them hanged."
"True but they understand that you're a good man just doing your job. Also I think Natsu knew that if you were to die it would break my heart and that's the last thing he'd ever want to happen to me."
"Does he really care that much about you?"
"Yes he does. My happiness means a lot to him. Mine, Gray's, to him the happiness and well being of everyone on that ship always comes first."
"Never thought a pirate could be selfless."
"Well he's living proof of that." She said. "Are you still going to have him and the others hanged?"
"I have orders Erza. I can't just disobey the queen."
"But maybe you can persuade her to drop the charges or something. They're good men. They don't deserve to die."
"Erza it's out of my hand."
"Please just try. Try for me." She pleaded.
He huffed in frustration and thought for a moment. He knew it was crazy and that it was a huge waste of time. He was a navy officer for God's sake, he shouldn't be speaking on behalf of pirates.
"I'll try." He complied.
"Thank you." She stood up. "You probably need to the rest now. I'll leave you alone now."
"Wait!" He called. "Can you stay just a little longer? I'm sorry it's just that I'm terrified that this is just another dream and when I wake up you'll be just the memory of that dead little girl again."
She kneeled back down, took hold of his hand, and pressed it to the side of her face.
"You're not dreaming Jellal. I'm alive. I'm really here." She assured him. "And I'll still be here when you wake up."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The door to the room was left slightly open which allowed Gajeel to watch them from the hallway.
"Love seems to be happening all around me recently." He said. "I wonder, what is it about us sea men that makes us so irresistible to women?"
"I'll say." Sting said from behind.
"Ah! Where the hell did you come from?"
"My room. Listen I gotta ask, how do you guys get a woman like that?" He asked pointing toward Erza. "I've been serving over seas for five years and the only who's ever given me the eye was old enough to be my mother."
"Why are you talking to me? I don't even know you."
"Hey I'm lonely. I seek the comfort of a good woman."
"Do I look like cupid to you?"
"I just need some advice."
"Get away from me. Doc! You got any straight jackets? Cause it looks like you might have a live one!"
