Freed was drifting again, but it was different this time. There was no Demon, no pain, no threads drawing him back. A small part of him trembled at that, knowing what he had done, what he had lost…

What he had sacrificed.

But there was peace too, the kind that settled over him like a blanket, draining away the fear, the memories, the weight of loss, until he was floating away on the feeling, awareness fading, memories dimming.

I'm sorry...

The hospital room was silent, a sharp contrast with the hustle and bustle of the rest of the hospital. It had been quiet from the beginning, but not like this. Not this stillness, as though the whole world was holding its breath and waiting for something to happen.

Freed lay still and silent in the hospital bed, almost the same colour as the sheets covering him after his appearance had gradually returned to normal. Now he looked half-dead under the lights, and in the shimmering gold of the defensive runes that had been erected around the bed. Protection against him, and the Demon still fighting to maintain control of his magic and body. For the moment, two of the chairs that had been pushed up against that shimmering wall were empty, but Laxus was there. His seat defiantly pushed up inside the barrier so that he was pressed up against the bed, leaning against the side of it, Freed's hand clasped between both of his. The healers had protested, even Porlyusica had sounded a word of caution about what could happen if it wasn't Freed who woke up the next time, but Laxus had ignored them all. Bickslow and Evergreen had known better than to try and argue with him, and instead had just made him promise to keep a distance if they weren't there to watch his back.

A promise he was breaking right now, as he had sent them both off to rest and eat – which they had finally agreed to under protest. A small part of him felt guilty for breaking his word, especially as he knew that Freed would be on their side, but he needed the contact, needed the small reassurance that Freed's hands were still warm to the touch. Not warm enough, a chill lingering, but enough to tell him that his partner was still there, or at least still alive. Because, no one knew if Freed was still there – not the hospital staff, not Porlyusica who had marched in and claimed Freed as her patient and shoved the doctors out, not the Raijinshuu and not even Laxus. Because the Rune Mage had given them no sign that he lingered, let alone that he was going to come back to himself.

Oh, he had woken. Three days after they'd woken in the hospital, but it hadn't been Freed who'd snapped his eyes open, dark magic lashing out almost before he'd made it upright. The Demon snarling and furious at finding itself contained within the runes and surrounded by people waiting for Freed to come back. Growing almost incandescent with rage when it had realised that the barrier particles that had allowed it to claim so much control was disappearing, fading beneath Porlyusica's aggressive treatment after Gajeel had brought them a precious sample from Tempester. The runes had held it at bay, although the three of them had been there braced for another fight, and Freed's body had given out before it could do more than lunge at the barrier, making it crackle against him.

Freed hadn't stirred since then, as the days crept by becoming one week and now two, Laxus could feel his hope waning, even as he curled his fingers a little tighter around Freed's, as though that would be enough to keep him anchored in the world.

Freed…

He wanted to talk to him, to repeat the promises he had made, to make new ones – that he wasn't going anywhere until Freed woke up and came back to them. But the words would not come, trapped behind a lump that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in his throat. It had been Bickslow and Ever who had done most of the talking, especially in the first few days, where they had talked themselves hoarse as they'd sat around Freed's bedside, trying to call him back to them. They'd said it all reassurances, encouragements and even threats. They'd talked about the future – avoiding what had happened and was happening with the guild – and instead focusing on jobs they could take, places they could visit, anything and everything that was as far awake from what had happened as possible. More than once they'd looked at him askance, his silence disturbing them as much as Freed's stillness, and he couldn't find the words to explain that he had nothing to say, that some part of him had died the moment he'd felt Freed disappear.

"Not, if he kills you first…" Laxus stiffened at the distinction, knowing that it was more than a taunt, that Freed would see it that way. But he had no time to argue or to even attempt to find the words to tell Freed that no matter what happened it wasn't his fault because the storm had changed and too late he realised that he was no longer in control as the world around him turned red. Strings of the corrupted runes running through the centre of the lightning as it now changed course and lashed against him, a vivid, unnatural crimson and Laxus wasn't aware of letting go of Freed, as he jolted and twisted under the force of the corrupted storm. His back arching off the ground, as something deep inside his body resonated with the magic, pulling and tugging until it felt as though he would come apart inside and out.

Freed, please…

The pain was unlike anything Laxus had ever experienced before, and darkness was gathering at the edges of his vision as he writhed in the storm that was no longer his. He had no idea where the others were, or what was happening beyond the pain and the wait of the Demon on top of him.

Then something shifted.

He wasn't sure what it was, because the attack hadn't let up, the pain was spreading and intensifying, his breath catching in his chest as it burned through his chest and out into every inch of his body. But something had changed. With difficulty, he had managed to focus on the twisting, snarling face above him, trying not to break a little more at seeing Freed's face pulled into that expression. It was the Demon, not Freed, he reminded himself and then released a breath that came out as a whine, because that wasn't strictly true because the snarl wasn't Freed, but the eyes – still dark, were painfully human at that moment. A hint of Freed managing to peek through, and for a second Laxus forgot about the pain and the corrupted storm that was lashing around him, because the emotion in that glimpse terrified him. There was love and recognition, proof that they hadn't been fighting for nothing, that some part of Freed endured and knew that they were there, but there was no reassurance in that because intermingled with those emotions was a look of defeat that took his breath away. Because it wasn't just a look of surrender, it ran deeper than that, and it took him another moment to realise what he was saying.

To realise that Freed was saying farewell.

"Freed!" Laxus gritted his teeth, jaw locked as he rallied against the pain. He wasn't going to lose Freed, not like this, not without fighting until the very end. Do you hear that Freed? I'm not going to lose you like this. I can still fight, I can… His magic stirred, his resolve whipping it into a frenzy as he pushed back against the corrupted storm, seeking to regain control of it, to twist the lightning back under his control.

It was too late.

The dark eyes flooded with rage again, but this time it wasn't just the Demon re-establishing control, because Laxus felt it as clearly as though someone had just driven a knife into his heart. Freed was gone. He couldn't explain how he knew it, but the cold fist of certainty wrapped itself around him, chilling him to the bone as he stared into the Demon's eyes, a howl rising in his chest.

"FREED!"

That cold remained, Freed's hand between his a single pinprick of heat in a world that seemed diminished, drained of colour, of warmth, of life. Freed, Laxus squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his partner's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to it. Please. He lingered like that for several minutes, and then slowly opened his eyes, studying Freed again, gaze lingering on the still-healing damage from their fight, marking each cut and bruise, the bandages that still hid the worst damage from sight. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Freed like this or the first time they'd been the cause of his injuries, but it had never sat well with him and this time was a thousand times worse because they'd had to go all out, and had nearly gone too far.

It had been too close.

It was still too close, and while he knew that wasn't just because of their actions, it hurt. As did the broken promises lying in the silence between them, jagged, broken words that he couldn't repair until Freed came back to him.

If he could come back.

Why was he still aware?

Freed had never really given much thought to what lay after because that had been too much like admitting defeat. But he had admitted defeat…hadn't he? He thought that he had, could vaguely remember standing on the edge of a precipice and toppling over, or was that a dream? He didn't know, nothing really made sense in this empty space where he was drifting. It was empty, and yet it wasn't nothingness like he might have expected and his mind still worked, even if the thoughts were hazy and unfocused, dulled quicksilver flitting around him and gone before he could grasp him.

Am I still alive…?

Laxus stirred as there was a noise at the door, making no effort to scoot his chair back or release Freed's hand, pretence beyond him at this point. It was Bickslow and Evergreen, both looking worse than before despite their break, and he wondered if they'd managed to sleep at all, knew that he should ask and scold. Knew that Freed would want him to do it in his stead, but he couldn't, merely managing a nod when they entered. Ignoring the way their eyes darted between him and the still figure on the bed, Ever's mouth opening as though to scold him before she seemed to think better of it and her mouth snapped shut.

"Has there been any change?" It was Bickslow who broke the strained silence, his voice barely audible in the quiet as he looked at Freed, and Laxus couldn't help but notice that there was none of the hope that lingered in that question the first week, and wished that he could do more than mutely shake his head. Their shoulders fell, expressions threatened to crumple, and Laxus looked away, ashamed. He couldn't deal with his own grief and fear, let alone theirs, and his grip tightened on Freed's hand. It was Freed who had always known how to deal with that, ever the Captain regardless of his own emotions, a steady presence at their backs, and he knew he wasn't the only adrift at the moment, and that realisation had him gathering himself.

"No…" He didn't recognise his own voice, and from the look the pair shared, he sounded as awful to them as he did to his own ears, and he faltered. "Porlysuica stopped by earlier, and said that the barrier particles are all but gone from his body, but…" The healer had been pleased about the results of those latest tests, but she didn't have any answers from them. Freed's injuries were healing, but he wasn't rousing, and she didn't know if just removing the particles would be enough to make the Demon subside or whether whatever Tartaros had done to him meant that it really was too little, too late like the Demon had claimed. Mira had told them what she could – which had only added to Laxus' guilt and nightmares, his imagination only too happy to twist images of what had happened to Freed in that lab, but while there were similarities between her magic and Freed's there was also differences, and they had no idea just how that would play out

There were far too many questions and not enough answers.

"That's a good sign…" Evergreen tried, but it was clear that her heart wasn't in it and she subsided and Laxus couldn't find reassurance for her.

Freed… are you still fighting?

He turned his gaze back to Freed, studying him, lingering on the blankness. He couldn't feel him, even now as he cradled his hand and leaned into the side of the bed, it felt as though his partner was gone, the void that had opened up during the fight refusing to close.

Laxus' howl twisted into a bellow or rage of loss, and his magic flared, lightning crackling around him and the Demon laughed. Cackling triumphantly above him, snarl replaced by a malicious grin. "He's gone," it hadn't bothered to lower its voice, and now Laxus could hear Bickslow and Evergreen nearby, demanding answers, shouting protests, but his attention was riveted on the Demon as its gaze met his. "He was thinking of you, you know," it all but crooned, and Laxus couldn't stop himself from flinching at the words and the dark delight behind them. Freed, what have you done? "You don't have to fight for me anymore," the Demon leaned in close, the storm easing a little as it toyed with him, the words hurting worse than the attack had. "That's what he was thinking."

"I'm not going to stop fighting," Laxus snarled, and now he did lash out, channelling the hurt, the fear, the sinking feeling that it was too late. That Freed had slipped through his fingers. Golden lightning clashed with Crimson, stained…and then the Demon was off him, and Laxus was surging to his feet, teeth bared in a snarl, storm clouds building overhead.

"It's too late," the Demon was unfazed, wiping blood away from its mouth and grinning at him. "You took too long, and he gave up." It spun, runes spreading out around it, corrupt and glistening in the air, and then it looked at him. "This body is mine now, and you have nothing to fight for anymore." It lashed out, going for Bickslow and Evergreen this time who cried out as the attack slammed into them, forcing them back, and Laxus lunged, charging forwards.

"Then why are you still trying to stop us?" He demanded as he reached it, slamming a trembling fist into the Demon's face, forcing it back, breaking the attack on the others and feeling them rallying behind them. He knew that he was clutching at straws, his heart quivering at the knowledge of it. Freed… But it was all he had, the fading, desperate hope that the Demon's determination to keep fighting them, to destroy them, meant that there was still something they could do.

There had to be something he could do.

"Because I want to see your faces when he kills you," the Demon hissed, reeling under the attack and lashing out in retaliation, clawed fingers leaving slices across the Dragon-slayer's face. "I want to see the moment you realise you failed him, that he's dead and gone because of you."

He's not dead, Laxus reminded himself, dragging himself out of the memory, eyes darting to where Freed's chest rose and fell, too slow but steady at least. Lingering. Drifting. Caught between life and death, or maybe something worse, because Freed had given up, had thrown himself over the edge the Demon had pushed him too, and Laxus didn't know what lay beyond that.

Freed, why did you…?

Freed had always believed in them, believed in Laxus, more than he had believed in himself, especially where the Demon was concerned, so why couldn't he have held on a little longer? No, Laxus couldn't and wouldn't blame him for that, because this time had been different. Tartaros had made it different, had stacked the odds against them, against Freed, because he hadn't just been fighting the Demon he was used to, he had been fighting something more, just as they had, and none of them had been prepared.

"Freed…" He hadn't meant to speak, voice hoarse as he leaned in. "We're here." He'd said that during the fight, had listened to Bickslow and Evergreen saying it over and over since then, but he needed to say it here. Needed Freed to know that no matter how much else had changed, that hadn't changed, that it wouldn't change.

There was no reaction.

Freed remained still, drifting between worlds, and Laxus' shoulders slumped, and he bowed his head, trying to hide the tears that he could feel building in the corners of his eyes.

Freed…

Here… We're here….

Freed's drifting was interrupted as words echoed through the quiet. He couldn't place the voice, even though he felt as though he knew it, something twisting and tugging in his chest. Who? He didn't understand the words either, because he was alone in this place, even the Demon had disappeared…

The Demon…

He frowned, and for a moment he caught a fleeting glimpse of blue, blue eyes and lightning against a stormy cloud and then it was gone, and he was drifting again, but the words lingered.

We're here…

Who is 'we'?

And where is 'here'?

Laxus had finally taken a break, exhausted beyond belief, broken in ways that he had never imagined possible. Something else breaking when he had left the room, trying to ignore the small voice in the back of his mind that had whispered that this was the first step to admitting defeat. I won't give up on him, he'd thought, furious and fighting the urge to dash back into the room, hating how weak and uncertain it had sounded even in the safety of his own thoughts and instead he'd all but fled the hospital. He knew that Evergreen and Bickslow wouldn't shift until he returned, knew that one of them would come to find him if anything changed. Still, it didn't make it any easier to leave the building, and the moment he hit the street, he'd burst into a run, needing the distance, knowing that he would turn back if he didn't.

The evidence of the fighting was written across the city, and Laxus tried to block it out as he moved past, blind to the curious looks he was attracting, the startled cries as he blew past others. He didn't want to think about that, didn't want to think about any of it.

His feet and heart betrayed him though, carrying him to where the guild had stood, the sight of the crushed remains of their home another hammer blow on another fragile heart. Work was already underway to clear away the rubble, and he paused for a few minutes, watching the people work, fighting the urge to stop them. It was a moot point, the guild building was gone, and the guild gone with it. Not that he'd let himself think about that, because it was too much on top of everything else, but now stood before the remains of their home it was impossible not to think about it. To ignore the fact that this place where he had finally started to build up good memories with Freed and the others was gone, that this home of theirs was gone. That Freed was utterly unaware of what had happened that the place that had come to mean so much more to his partner after the Battle of Fairy Tail fiasco was gone.

"Laxus!" The sudden shout made him flinch, and his fists had bunched defensively, magic gathering as he turned towards the sound, startled to find Mira hurrying towards him. Part of him wanted to flee, to be alone with his turbulent thoughts and feelings, especially as he couldn't look at her without remembering what she'd told them about Tartaros' lab, but he couldn't move. "Is everything all right? Is Freed…?" She had reached him now, studying him with a worried frown, fear in her eyes.

"He's the same…" He's not there, Laxus thought but didn't say. Mira's expression twisted, relief as though she had expected bad news, but then dismay at the news. Laxus looked away, he couldn't do much for Bickslow and Evergreen, and if he couldn't help his own teammates, he couldn't help others, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when she pressed a hand to his arm. "How are you doing?" She wasn't the first person to ask, although the others had gradually stopped when it had become apparent he wasn't going to answer them, but right now, raw and fragile, the distance between him and the hospital tugging at his heart, something splintered.

"…I promised him that we were going to bring him back." He hadn't meant to speak, let alone say that, the words creeping out hoarse and broken, almost lost to the sound of building work and chattering voices, but Mira's hand shifted to grip his arm telling him that she had heard.

"You brought him home," she said softly, and Laxus shook his head.

"No, we didn't…" He denied, and they hadn't. They weren't the ones who had brought Freed out of the rubble when the fighting had ended, it had been the guild that had found them. It had been Elfman, who had lifted Freed and carried him into town, Laxus following in his wake, leaning heavily on Gajeel's shoulder. "We didn't do anything…"

"You fought for him," Mira countered, releasing him and moving to stand in front of him, forcing him to meet her gaze, sad but fierce at once. "That isn't nothing." He opened his mouth to protest, a storm building in his chest and she cut him off again. "This fight took something from all of us," there was a shadow in her eyes, and he knew it wasn't just the guild building that she saw when she looked towards the ruined building. "I can't deny that, and we all made and broke promises, we all almost lost…if it hadn't been for the Dragons and the other guilds helping us…" She trailed off, unable to finish and Laxus couldn't blame her.

There had been Dragons in the sky above them. Dragons. Laxus had barely had any chance to appreciate the view, to wonder what was happening with the rest of the guild because the Demon had been on them, determined to end the fight and they were losing ground. Unable to forget that this was still Freed, even though there was no sign of their friend, and even with the gnawing, hollow feeling that was consuming Laxus from within.

He reeled back as the Demon struck, shouting out in pain and feeling a hot rush of blood on his side, as clawed fingers rent skin as crackling magic lashed against him, and then he was falling. He managed to catch himself on his knees, just, but he wasn't sure that he was going to be able to get back on his feet, wasn't even sure that he wanted too as the Demon prowled towards him. His will to fight, to keep fighting, flickering like candlelight in the breeze. Because there was no trace of Freed in the eyes locked on him as the Demon drew closer, and he still couldn't get any sense that Freed was there, that even a tiny part of him remained and defeat weighed as heavily as exhaustion on his shoulder.

No, there was something else he realised as he swayed, struggling to stay on his knees. He was exhausted, his injuries burning, his magic pushed to the limit, but he shouldn't feel like this, weakness creeping through his limbs, lightning crackling, failing…fading. Lifting his head, he saw that Evergreen was on the ground off to his left, still conscious but only just and Bickslow was staggering, his dolls lifeless on the ground around him as their magic flickered, wavered and vanished. Laxus took a ragged breath as he felt his own magic splutter out. What was going on? He was at his limit, but for it to disappear like that?

Laughter drew his attention back to the Demon who had paused, head tilted skywards. "They've done it," it breathed sounding almost giddy with triumph, and Laxus felt ice in his stomach. It had been waiting for this moment. Dark eyes snapped towards him, and Laxus saw his death in the smirk before it lunged again. "You're mine now."

Laxus was on his back, the dark sky stretching out above him, vision growing hazy around the edges once more, and his body alight. The Demon was relentless, determined to end this now, and Laxus had nothing left – no magic, no strength and little will to keep fighting, because Freed was gone, the hollow feeling so big now that he wasn't sure where it ended, and he began. Evergreen was unconscious or worse, he could only just see her if he tilted his head to the side, her body partially buried by rubble after the Demon had blasted her to one side and he couldn't see or hear Bickslow from where he was.

He could see the Demon.

It was moving towards him, deliberately slow, savouring its victory and as he met dark eyes, the Demon licked its lips. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this?" It demanded when it reached him, and Laxus blinked at it, before looking away. He didn't have a reply, because that would mean admitting that this was over, that they had lost.

That he had lost Freed.

"Look at me." A sharp kick to the side, had him grunting and curling in on himself, and despite himself, he looked, because it was still Freed's face no matter how twisted it was, and he would have that be the last thing he saw.

"Freed…" He whispered and saw the Demon's face darken and cloud with fury as it opened its mouth to taunt him or snarl at him, he wasn't sure. He never found out, because there was a movement in the sky above them, the shadow of a Dragon flashing past, a cloud moving against the wind. Then there was a roar that seemed to shake the very air, and Laxus had a fleeting impression of wings and other massive forms hurtling past followed by a muffled explosion in the distance.

There was a pause, the Demon momentarily distracted, and Laxus caught a flicker of something – not quite fear, in the dark eyes, and then he felt it, a little trickle of strength creeping back into him. Sparks dancing around his fingertips as he curled his hands into fists, as there was more roars and shouts and cheers in the distance. He almost joined them because the sparks became a current, and the magic that had ebbed away was returning, first a trickle and then a stream, a finally a flood that threatened to take his breath away. Defeat still pressed in on him, but not as heavy, a flicker of hope rising in his chest, and he clenched his fists, letting the lightning build and the Demon must have sensed it because it's attention shot back to him just as he moved, slamming his fist into the Demon's jaw. "I'm not losing Freed to you," he whispered as he rose unsteadily to his feet, his voice as wavering as his body as he gathered the last of his strength, knowing that this might be his only chance.

I might have lost him, but I won't let you have him…

If the Dragons had come any later, if Face had been destroyed any later then, it would have all been over. It might still have been too late, but they had given them a chance, even if Laxus and the others had only learned the details of what had happened afterwards. And they'd still lost so much… and could still lose more. "We might still lose…"

"Do you really believe that?" Mira demanded, more forcefully than he'd expected and he blinked at her. "I don't know everything that happened, or what they did to him, but I know Freed…" Laxus couldn't argue with that, she and Freed had become good friends even if the Raijinshuu weren't often around, bonding over their magic and the promise that had been made after their fight, attending that first Harvest festival together after the Battle of Fairy Tail, and yet he still opened his mouth to protest. Trying to find the words that would explain that moment he'd felt Freed saying goodbye and admitting defeat, the void in his chest that remained. The certainty that Freed was drifting… that he might not come back, even if they had proven the Demon wrong and driven the barrier particles from his partner's body. "He won't give in without a fight, and he won't leave you behind. You just need to give him time."

"He gave up Mira, I felt it," Laxus forced out.

"Yet, he's still here, still alive and fighting," Mira pointed out, and Laxus stiffened. He wasn't sure that he agreed, because if Freed was fighting then wouldn't he feel it? Wouldn't he know? But he's still here, he could have slipped away, especially with the Demon's power weakened…

But…

Laxus had forced himself to stop seeing Freed, to focus on the dark eyes that bore no resemblance to the turquoise he knew and loved, to focus on the snarl rather than the small smile that always warmed his heart. To see and hear the Demon, and not the haunting traces of his partner. He had to end this. Movement out of the corner of his eye distracted him for a moment, letting the Demon land several more blows as it met his charge. Still, he gave an imperceptible nod as he saw Evergreen staggering to her feet, her teeth gritted and eyes locked on Freed, while on the other side, the dolls were airborne once more and he saw a flash of purple as Bickslow staggered into view. He took the Demon's hits and staggered back to give himself some room, pretending that it had hit harder than it had – although it wasn't as much pretence as he wanted, waiting for a brief gap in the flurry of attacks.

"NOW!" He bellowed, not waiting for acknowledgement, trusting Evergreen and Bickslow to move at his shout as he charged, lightning lashing the Demon as he collided with it, just as bursts of green and gold hit it from either side, staggering it. Laxus refused to think that this was Freed, as he punched the Demon, once, twice and a third time, before spinning, leg lashing out and knocking it to the ground, lightning gathering around his fists. I'm sorry Freed, was all he allowed himself to think as he linked his hands together and poured every shred of magic that he had left into them. I'm sorry, the Demon was snarling and lashing out, runes flaring and pain flashed up Laxus' legs, but he didn't falter as he brought his hands down on it, lightning slamming through him and into the Demon as the ground around them crumbled and split apart.

When the lightning faded they were in the middle of a crater, the Demon sprawled at his feet, unmoving, dark eyes barely open and fixed on him with such malevolence that Laxus flinched despite himself. But, it made no effort to rise, let alone attack, and he released a shuddering breath. Looking up as Evergreen and Bickslow appeared at the edge of the crater, barely standing and wary as they looked to the Demon as it started to laugh, a weak, thready sound and Laxus' attention snapped back to it.

"This changes nothing," the Demon's voice was fading, trailing away into nothingness, but it was still smirking and triumphant even in defeat. "This body will still be mine unless you kill him…"

"It knew just what to say to you," Mira murmured, and Laxus released he had been speaking aloud. "They always do." She had released him now and was running her hands down her arms and shivering slightly, a reminder that she had a similar experience and Laxus' breath caught. The hope that he had been fighting against flickered again, brighter this time as she collected herself and offered him a strained smile. "What does your heart tell you?"

The old Laxus would have scoffed at that, but he had felt Freed giving up and slipping away, could still feel his absence as keenly as a knife blade in his chest. But, was that all he felt? He had been caught up on the memories. On the feeling in his chest and the terror that had gnawed at him with every day that passed without Freed coming back to him, but was that all there was? He looked away from her, although he couldn't escape the weight of her gaze as he looked up at the sky.

Freed… are you still fighting? Am I the one that stopped fighting? That stopped believing?

"I don't know…" He said eventually, and he heard her sigh and shook his head. "I want to believe." Gods, did he want to believe that Freed was fighting, that he could come back from this because he wasn't sure that he could survive the alternative. But he couldn't forget what had happened, what the Demon had said… "But, I'm not going to give up until he does." Until he died, he almost said, but even saying them aloud would be far too real and he wasn't strong enough for that.

"Then, go and tell him that and keep telling him that," Mira told him, and this time he realised her smile while still strained reached her eyes as she made shooing gestures. "Make sure he has a reason to keep fighting, and he will."

Freed had always enjoyed puzzles, the more complex the better, but it had taken him far too long to place the voice echoing in this place with him, and then to piece together the memories around it.

Laxus…

Evergreen…

Bickslow…

With the memories, the peaceful feeling had dissipated, and terror and guilt flooded him. What had happened after he'd given up? Had they fled? Had they fought?

Were they safe?

But, Laxus… he had heard Laxus promising that he was there. But was that a memory? Or was that now? He didn't know, and that scared him more than anything, and he was no longer drifting, but reaching out, searching for a way out, needing an answer even as much as he dreaded what that answer might be.

Laxus had returned to the hospital, with Mira promising to come by and visit, and there had been something in her voice that told him that she expected something to have changed by that point, and he envied her optimism as he looked up at the building that now held his entire life and hope.

Evergreen and Bickslow were still there, sat either side of Freed and Laxus merely lifted an eyebrow as he realised that they had pushed their chairs in close, ignoring the protective barrier. He didn't ask if there was a change, the answer written in their expressions and the still figure on the bed. Still, he managed a strained smile for them, as he moved to join them, Bickslow abandoning his seat and moving to join Evergreen on her side of the bed, letting the Dragon-slayer move in close and take Freed's hand once more. Make sure he has a reason to keep fighting, Mira's voice echoed, and he lifted Freed's hand to his lips and kissed it, before meeting Bickslow and Evergreen's gaze for a moment. "Hey Freed," his voice wavered for a moment, as his gaze shifted to Freed's face and paused because the blankness that had lingered since the Demon's brief awakening had been replaced by the slightest furrowing of Freed's brow. Freed, are you fighting? He didn't point it out, didn't want to give the other two false hope, but he couldn't stop his own heart from skipping a beat, his grip on Freed's hand tightening. "I want you to know that we're still here, that we're okay…and that we're going to be here, waiting, as long as you need us. So, take all the time you need and come back to us." His heart rebelled at those words, but he meant them, realised that he'd already made that promise without realising. Part of him had admitted defeat, had surrendered the moment he felt Freed give up, but another part of him, the stubborn part that Freed had claimed so often to love had been clinging to a desperate hope that this wasn't over, and Mira had known.

Evergreen and Bickslow shared a long glance, and then the latter reached out, placing his hand over Ever's where she was holding Freed's other hand. "You're not getting rid of us that easily," Bickslow added, and Evergreen gave a watery chuckle and elbowed him, before looking at Freed as well.

"You're stuck with us, Captain…"

Laxus snorted, and he was about to point out that sounded a little more like a threat than anything else when he felt a flutter of movement against his fingers. No. He almost didn't look, terrified that Mira's words had given him too much hope and that his imagination was playing on that, just had it had played on what she'd told them about the lab. Then he felt it again, and this time Evergreen grasped looking towards where his hands were wrapped around Freed's. He looked down, just in time to see Freed's pinky finger twitch, and his heart did a complicated dance in his chest, as his gaze immediately darted to Freed's face, eyes widening as he realised that the furrowing had become a frown.

"Freed?" Laxus couldn't quell the hope that roared to life in his chest, cavernous in the void that had held sway for so long, and he could breathe as Freed's eyes danced beneath closed lids. Please, he squeezed Freed's hand, trying to anchor him, to reassure him that he was there, and there was another flutter of movement. "Come on Freed, you can do it," he murmured encouragingly, leaning forward and feeling the other two mirroring on him, and the room was holding its breath again, but now there was a hopeful air to it. One that kicked up a gear, as Freed's other hand twitched, fingers curling against his friends'.

"Freed," Evergreen called, and there were already tears on her cheeks, and Bickslow was grinning for the first time in days as he echoed her, and Laxus felt Freed's finger twitch stronger than before.

"You're safe," he murmured. Give him a reason to keep fighting. "You can come back to us now, it's safe, you're safe, and we're safe." He knew Freed, knew that he would fight to stay away if he thought he was going to be a threat to them, and for a terrifying moment, he thought that he had pushed too hard and to fast, because Freed stilled, still frowning, but his eyes were stilling and his grip lax again, and he bit back a protest. I will wait as long as it takes, but…

Freed's fingers curled this time, as weak as a newborn kitten, but deliberately wrapping around his and Laxus froze, barely breathing, barely daring to hope as Freed's eyes moved again, no longer just dancing beneath closed lids, but creeping open. At first not enough to even glimpse what colour lay beneath before they fluttered shut, and it was a moment or two before he tried again, just enough to reveal a sliver of colour and Laxus' heart twisted in his chest as he realised that they didn't match. One dark, one turquoise and he stiffened. "Freed?" He asked cautiously, felt rather than saw Bickslow and Evergreen match his tension. Freed's eyes closed again and then opened again, a little wider this time, gaze unfocused, but now there was no missing the fact that one eye was purplish-black, while the other was his normal, much-missed colour. But, it was different, Laxus realised after a moment. Unlike before or when he used his magic, the sclera wasn't dark, it was the iris that had changed darkened to black, and veined with purple the Dragon-slayer realised as he leaned in close, freezing when Freed flinched and shrank back before blinking up at him.

"Freed?" He repeated.

Freed blinked again, heavy and uncoordinated and then the mis-matched gaze drifted between them, and his frown deepened, as though he was trying to understand what he was seeing and failing to connect the dots. Ignoring his discomfort and worry about the eyes, Laxus squeezed his hand, trying to draw his attention back to him. After a moment, Freed's attention shifted back to him, focusing slightly. "Laxus…" he rasped, voice hoarse from disuse and worse, Laxus thought, seeing the pain that passed over his partner's face and squeezing his hand once more. Bickslow was already moving, retrieving the water that they'd kept topped up and as cool as possible in what they'd thought was a vain hope until now. While Laxus moved forward, making sure that Freed could see what he was doing, as he reached out and lifted him up so that he could sip from the cup Bickslow held for him.

It was evident that even that exhausted him, and he only managed a few sips before slumping with a tiny shake of his head to show that he was done. Laxus didn't fight him, that could come later, and instead, he carefully settled him once more, and reached up to brush his fingers over one pale cheek, pausing as he realised for the first time, that the skin wasn't as smooth as it had been, faint scales beneath his touch. He refused to flinch, letting his touch linger as Freed blinked at him, looking astonished by the gentle touch and Laxus' eyes narrowed, just as Freed spoke.

"…I'm sorry…" It was a whisper, but the emotion in it took Laxus' breath away and forgetting that they weren't alone, and everything else, leaning forward to silence him with a kiss. Careful to keep it gentle, lingering for a moment, but Freed was unmoving and shocked, and he sighed, and pulled away, reaching up to hold Freed's face in gentle hands.

"Don't you dare apologise," he whispered, soft but fierce.

"But…"

"You came back," Laxus cut him off, meeting the mis-matched gaze without hesitation. He knew they would need to investigate that, to work out if it was permanent or just a lingering effect of the Demon being in control for so long or the barrier particles. But he also knew that for all the uneasiness he'd felt at the sight at first, that it was Freed he was facing now. His Freed, exhausted and weak, raw from everything that happened, but wonderfully, painfully human. Knew it with the same certainty that he had known that Freed had given up, something else they would need to talk about and work through.

There was a lot hanging between them, shadows darkening Freed's eyes and expression, broken promises heavy in Laxus' chest and memories haunting them both, but Freed was there, blinking up at him, exhausted and changed, but himself once more. Not just alive, but back with them, with him, and right then as he felt the fleeting pressure of Freed leaning into his touch that was all that mattered. "That's all that matters," he finished, leaning in to press a kiss to Freed's temple, before resting their heads together, Freed was still, radiating wariness and guilt. "You protected us, and we're all home now," he whispered, remembering his order from a lifetime ago, words spoken without any idea of what he was setting in motion and Freed quivered beneath him, and Laxus added. "You did your job." There was a pause, and he thought that Freed had forgotten how to breathe he was so still and tense, and he was just about to pull away worried when Freed'd breathing hitched with a sob, and then another and another.

Laxus moved then, wrapping his arms around his partner as tightly as he could, mindful of the lingering injuries as he settled on the edge of the bed so he could pull Freed close, letting Freed hide his face against him, and feeling the tears soaking into his shoulder. He made no effort to shush him, holding him close and running his hands up and down Freed's back, lifting his gaze to the others and seeing the question in their eyes, and he gave a tiny nod as Freed pressed into him. The bed dipped immediately on the other side, Evergreen and Bickslow joined the hug. The three of them moving to make sure that Freed was in the middle, and while he stiffened for a moment, and Laxus caught a brief glimpse of his eyes wide with shock before he all but crumpled into their embrace with a choking sob and a tiny, broken whisper. "Thank you…"

He was home and human once more.