Gray smile up at his mama, why was she crying. Her dark blue eyes looked almost like crystals with tears in them. He reached for her she shook her head no and held her finger to her lips.

"You have to be quiet now baby. You stay in here and make no sound you open this door for nothing ok baby?" He nodded his head. She kissed his head crying harder now. She had been crying since dad had been arguing with those strange people who had came to the door. "Promise me you'll come out for nothing baby, promise me."

"I promise mama." She gave one of her radiant smiles. It was the last time he would see her smile. She bent down and kissed him on his head.

"Mama and daddy love you so much my brave boy. Always remember that now keep your promise and stay in here matter what."

He kept his promise, he didn't come out if that kitchen cabinet the entire night. Even when he heard the yelling, the screaming. Thought the 3 ear splitting bangs. Even when he saw his mother fall through the cracks in the door, he didn't come out. When he saw the blood pouring from her he didn't come out. He fell asleep with his silent tears in that cabinet.

He awoke to a sad man with a blue suit. The man picked the 5 year old Gray up with strong arms. The man told him that he was going to go somewhere safe now, with someone who could explain to Gray what what happening

Gray knew what had happened. In his young head he knew nothing would ever be the same. He knew he'd never be that happy little boy again. His mother was now covered by a white sheet but Gray knew what laid underneath. As they walk to the door he noticed another sheet with another broken piece of Gray underneath. The 2nd sheet would she his father.

Gray started sobbing as they walked out the front door. He kept it in all night his little heart couldn't take it anymore.

"Gray," whose voice was that? It didn't bring fear no it was almost soothing. Whose? Not his father's, maybe the officers. "Gray, hey Gray."

Gray opened his dark blue eye to see a pair of green eyes staring down at him.

"Are you ok Gray? You been crying in your sleep. Zeref does that sometime and told me to always wake him up, don't leave him in the nightmare."

Gray didn't move, didn't say anything, just stared at the face perched above him. Natsu's pink hair fell in front of his eyes. Natsu gave Gray a questioning look as the dark haired boy reached up and brushed the pink hair out of his face.

He spoke quietly, "Are you ok Gray?"

Gray gave Natsu a small smile, "I'm alright. Thanks Natsu."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't want to keep you up?"

"I already slept for a few hours, I really don't sleep much anyway. You won't be keeping me up."

Gray stared in the green eyes, "if you're awake anyway we can talk. I won't get back to sleep anyway. Just not about the nightmare. Anything else though."

Natsu smiled and shifted down to his elbows so he wasn't hovering about Gray anymore, "Well you pick music, the illuminati, or girls."

Gray laughed and rolled over to on his stomach and on his elbows too.

"Well the illuminati freaks me out and girls aren't my thing so I guess music."

"Ok music it is!"

Laxus groaned and swatted at the large man shaking him.

"Come on Laxus you are suppose to help Lisana in the mess hall this morning. A real man wouldn't leave a lady hanging would he?"

"Your such a man you go help her Elfman."

"No can do I gotta head back to the nurses station to pass meds. Get your butt up and get ready or i'll send Mira after ya."

Laxus sat up quickly. No way did he want Mira coming after him. "Fuck ok I'm up let me shower and then i'll head to the mess hall."

Elfman smiled and patted him on the back, "That's a real man!"

"Whatever" Laxus waited til the large mans back was turned to walk out before he flipped him off.

As he slid off the top bunk he glared at the two boys laughing from the tip bunks across. "He finds out about that i'll smash both of ya you got it."

The held their hands up in mock surrender then when back to laughing.

As Laxus made his way to the shared bathroom he noticed the bunk below his empty. Beside that and the two giggling like girls the other campers seemed to still be sleeping. He wished he was still sleeping.

The bathroom was set up to accommodate a cabin full of boys. It had 2 stalls with toilets and 2 urinals off to the left. 3 sinks in front when you walked in and 3 stalls for showering to the right. Freed was in front of one of the sinks his toiletry kit spread out in front of him.

He watched the slender boy for a moment. Even with the mirror Freed was so lost in his own world he hadn't noticed the bulkier blond walk in. Laxus watched Freed set his floss down then pick up his brush. The way freed looked at the brush was the way Laxus looked at his own dad. How could someone have so much resentment for a brush.

"Ok going to be presentable and perfect today. I will get today right. Eventually I have to do at least one thing to your standards." The boy started brushing his long blond hair, "One two three four."

Laxus decoded to make himself known, "So you gotta be perfect for that brush or did you have someone else in mind?"

Freed jumped and dropped his brush. " Oh my God how long have you been there?"

Laxus laughed and the now wide eyed boy stared at him through the mirror.

"Not long, but long enough to know you and that brush have issues."

"I don't have issues with the brush. That would be ignorant it is an inanimate object." Freed huffed his words out with a thick annoyance. He turned to face the bigger blond and crossed his arms over his chest.

Laxus smiled then reached out and took a strand of Freed's silk hair. The skinny boy flinched as Laxus twirled the strand through his fingers.

"Why do you keep it long if you hate it so much?" Freed looked up at the larger man. Sure that some joke about his hair was coming he was taken by surprise by the question.

"Well I don't really hate it . I love my hair. I just hate that I have to take care of it with these stupid rituals. It's very frustrating and time consuming. Some days I just want to throw it in a ponytail or even a messy bun and call it good." Laxus dropped the hair.

"Why don't ya then?"

Freed looked down at the bathroom floor. It was concrete much like a locker room. "His voice won't let me. I have to make it prefect otherwise…." Freed trailed off and shrugged.

"Whose he?"

"My father."

Freed turned back to the mirror and reached for the brush.

"Well fuck I'm an expert at disappointing father's so let me show ya how we say fuck it." Laxus took the brush from Freed. As much as this skinny boy was opposite him they seemed to have something big in common and he couldn't let the kid suffer alone.

"What are you doing wait stop," Freed had a frantic tone in his voice.

"Hey it's not like you are not doing what he says. Just remember I'm bigger and I could kick your ass. Just close your eyes ok. Of its too much you can always go back to counting your life away when I'm done.

Freed looked in the mirror and took a huge breath. His counselor was encouraging him to try to deviate from his routine. This could be a good thing right? He wasn't sure of the big blonds intention but as long as he didn't end up with his head in the toilet like at school it would be fine. He hoped. Freed tried to relax and closed his eyes.

He felt the bigger blonds finger move through his hair. As unnerving as it was it was also a tender relaxing feeling. He could hear Laxus cuss under his breath when a strand fell or didn't go where he wanted. After a few minutes though the larger mans hands fell away. Freed almost felt saddened by their absence.

"Open your eyes"

Freed did as he was told and gasped. Laxus without the use of a brush had pulled Freed's hair into a high ponytail. It's didn't look too messy or unkempt.

"I think it looks good on ya like that but it won't hurt my feeling if ya take it down."

Freed smiled, "No I like it. I think i'll try to wear like this it'll be good for me."

The taller boy smiled down, "Good there nothing more I like than pissing off father's."

They stood there for a moment before the silence was broken.

"LAXUS DRYER IF YOU DONT GET YOUR ASS IN THAT MESS HALL IN 10 MINUTES I WILL COME IN THAT BATHROOM AND GET YOU!"

Laxus went as white as a ghost, "Shit that's Mira!"

"Uh oh she sounds dangerous." Freed looked at the bathroom door.

"Oh she is do me a favor in going out the window and I'm gonna boom it to the mess hall

Tell her I left 10 minutes ago."

"You are still in what you slept in. Do you not think she will notice?" Freed questioned the blond already heading to the bathroom window.

"Don't care as long as I'm out of her reach at the moment."

"I'm a horrible liar Laxus."

The bigger blond smiled, "That's ok she won't believe ya anyway but you're safe. She would never lay a finger on one of gramps kids.e however she'd beat to a pulp so just give me time to get outta here."

With that the blond hoisted himself out the window just at the bathroom door burst opened.

"Laxus Dryer what….oh hello Freed." He smile at the platinum haired girl. She could go from demon to sweet as a peach in one second. "Have you seen Laxus? He's suppose to be helping serve breakfast." She put her hands on her hips in a deadly fashion but her smile was sweet like sugar.

"Um…..Well…You see he."

"Let me guess he left let's lay 10 minutes ago?" Freed gasped at the scary woman.

"Well yes how did you know?"

"I've know Laxus for a while. I've been with Gramps since my brother sister and I lost are parents. I guess as long as he's heading to help Lisanna there's no harm." She turned to leave, "By the way I like your hair Freed."

He smiled and whispered, "Thanks me too."