Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Author's Note: November is National Novelist Writers Month, aka Nanowrimo! I will again be participating in it. And this year I am going to solely focus on all my Fairy Tail Stories. So, my other stories will not be updated during the month of November. Sorry, not sorry. I am still going to leave this fandom after they are all done. And if, at some point, down the road I find my love for FT again, I will come back with new stories and hopefully a less toxic fandom.

Brown clashed with brown as Lucy stared down Erza with no remorse in her gaze. However, her vision was slightly blurred and swimming. It had been just over a week since she had returned from her mission with Team Raijinshuu. Her mind recalled the creepy, crawly, gigantic-sized insects in very vivid details, and they invaded her dreams. Waking up several times a night in a cold sweat, shaking, and shivering. Nothing had seemed to work in making them go away until she had found during a late-night cleaning binge, one of Cana's stashed whiskey bottles.

But now that had a price as she stared down, one of her best friends and ex-teammate. It was clear that Erza was pissed with her, and it kind of hurt seeing the pain and sadness in those warm chocolate-brown eyes. But it was the bottle, half-empty, of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey that Erza was now holding that had Lucy feeling angry.

"Give it back, dammit," she hissed at her friend. "You have no right to take away my drink!"

The way Erza's lips turned downward as she frowned, her face going a dark shade of red to match her hair, Lucy felt her brain try to caution her. But Lucy didn't want to listen to her brain; it had told her that drinking the rest of Cana's hidden stash she'd found was a bad idea. Yet, by drinking, the nightmares had gone away. She slept like a baby, that wasn't so wrong? Was it?

"Lucy, you were doing so well, don't do this."

Narrowing her eyes at the soft yet plaintive tone Erza used, Lucy jumped for the bottle. Hating when she missed it because she hadn't gauged the distance correctly and felt pain blossom in her knees as she hit them on her hardwood flooring.

"Don't be a bitch, Erza Scarlet. If you fucking care about me and my well-being, you'll give that bottle back," Lucy whined as she turned her face up to look at her friend.

It was the look of shock that showed before those Chocolate-brown eyes became glassy as Lucy watched Erza's face shut down into a cold, detached mask. She knew that look, and it made Lucy freeze. That couldn't be. Erza would never turn that look on her, as it was reserved for Natsu and Gray when they got into their fights. She was Erza's favorite in their team...

"Lucy, that was low and uncalled for. And more than enough proof you don't need this," Erza said, her voice devoid of any emotions. "I think you need to pick yourself up, got take a really cold shower, and then get your ass in bed."

Still feeling frozen, Lucy growled at Erza. Her words only fueled the angry fire in her. Not only had her friend taken her liquor, but was not bossing her around like she was her parent!? That was crossing a thin line. Slowly, Lucy picked herself up and closed the distance between her and Erza and shoved her back.

"You have no right to tell me what to do. You are not my mother, or even family to me! Now get out of my house right now, you fake friend," Lucy screamed before she turned and stumbled her way towards her bed.

"Lucy," Erza said, her voice sounding very broken. "No, I will respect your wishes. Loke, if you can hear me, can either you or Virgo come and help her?"

Having (barely) made it to her bed, Lucy felt a new rush of anger at what Erza said. Grabbing her pillow, she spun, half falling onto the bed as she launched the pillow at the red-head. Not caring as she watched Erza let it bounce off her, Lucy began to scream obscenities, telling the woman who had invaded her sanctuary and thought to control her that she was nothing to her anymore. Her mind, the logical and rational part, barely registered the fact that her friend was crying openly at what she was saying and doing.

Bickslow was in shock when he saw Erza walk into the Guild, holding a half-empty bottle of Whiskey. He knew Erza didn't like to drink and that she could be an overly friendly and exceptionally destructive drunk. So, watching as Erza made her way up the stairs to knock on Laxus's office door, he had a sinking feeling he knew what was going on. A part of him was confused because if it did involve Lucy like he was thinking, it meant that Lucy would be put back on probation.

Slumping down in his chair, he slowly noticed that the rest of the Guild was quiet. Taking a superstitious peek around, he saw that everyone was looking up towards the second floor. They were all aware (after hearing Lucy's rant and leave for a while to fix herself) of what was going on.

"Damn, this isn't good for Lu."

Turning his gaze to his companion, Cana, he saw the sad look on her face. He was well aware that she had struggled multiple times to overcome her addiction to alcohol. He was more than aware that she didn't drink as much as she did before the S-class trails. That she had cut back even more after Lucy had started going to AA meetings again. But at the same time, Bickslow was really confused as to why Lucy had fallen back into the habit of drinking?

She had completed the mission with his team without hesitation, gained a new key, or in her words, a friend that she had seemed to be back to what she was before Tartarus had attacked. Did something happen that no one had picked upon? It scared him to think that Lucy was back to being drunk. And that from the cold, pained look on Erza's face, streaked with tears, that Lucy had been mean with her words. He knew that Lucy wouldn't intentionally attack anyone out of spite, and once she sobered up, that she would be tearing herself down again.

"Cana, you think... you can go check on Lucy?" he asked softly.

He let his eyes plead silently with Cana because he knew that Lucy would need to take a job soon to pay her rent coming up soon. And if she was put on probation again, that meant she wouldn't be able to do the mission that she and Erza were supposed to be going on.

"Boy, don't look only at the dark. It depends on what the girl tells Laxus."

"Tell, Laxus. Tell, Laxus."

When Cana shot him a small smile and nodded her head, Bickslow lifted his eyes to look at his babies. They were bobbing in a slow, lazy circle just above the table.

"I know, Papa, I know. But I am worried. Dealing with any type of addiction isn't easy. And she will be beating herself up and slipping further into depression," He replied mentally back.

"Don't you start thinking about the past, boy? And you know very well this is when she will need someone the most."

It took Bickslow a few seconds to catch onto the meaning behind Papa's words.

"Yes, you're right. But I only fail when I try to help, so I am not fit. Please leave it alone."

Bickslow stood up, gave Cana a small nod before leaving the silent Guild. He knew that he'd hear about what was to be done with Lucy falling off the AA Bandwagon tomorrow. Right now, he wanted to be alone because images of his past, his mother with her own addictions, were making his eyes burn. He hadn't been able to help her. No, she slipped back into those habits and eventually wasted away.

TBC!

NEXT STORY TO UPDATE is The Sun, The Moon, The Stars

Small note: This chapter was a bit hard for me to write. I have a younger sister who, after some very... traumatic events in her life, becomes an alcoholic. It made being her friend and elder sister very hard with the things she would say and do. But she eventually found a reason (Her two amazing children) to pull herself up and outta that hole. The road to overcoming addictions is not an easy road. You will fall off the wagon, slip back into old habits. So, in other stories I have read, when a person is magically all the better after seeking a little help and going to detox, and a few meetings pisses me off.

My little sister wasn't the only one. My grandfather and great uncles were all in the Vietnam war. They too were certified alcoholics. Only 1 of my Great Uncles was able to overcome his addiction, though from what I heard, it was a hard road. My grandfather was at Hamburger hill (look it up, it was gruesome), and he was very young. He told stories sometimes of his experiences that he had children turned into bombs at him and his unit. He was better drunk than sober to his dying day, so the flashbacks didn't haunt him.

I will leave this here, as I have shared enough and need to get my cuddles from my hubby and mom. Because this is heavy ass shit, and no one needs to make light of it. Sometimes being an Addict isn't a choice but a coping mechanism. If you have those who love who are addicts for whatever substance, don't hate them, don't reject them. That is the worst thing you can ever fucking do. While painful, you stay there; you show your support, love, and care. That is what makes a huge difference and gives them the will power to try and get better and fix themselves.