Laxus walked over to the slender teen sitting on his rump in the dirt. Even in the dark Laxus could see Freed's eyes opened impossibly wide staring up at him a look of shock plastered on his face. Freed had every right to carry that look, the damn guy had been inches away from death and that had frightened the large blond way more than he wanted to admit. If Natsu had been 5 minutes later, if Ivan hadn't faltered for a moment when Laxus had raged, it could have turned out very differently. Laxus didn't know how to react to the whirlwind of emotion running through him. These type of feeling were still new and he was still learning. Freed looked up at the large blond standing above and they just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before he opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Laxus.

"Just what in the fuck were you trying to do?" the anger in the voice took Freed by surprise and his jaw dropped as he gaped in surprise at the lash out. Freed slowly pushed himself up off the ground and dusted himself off choosing to ignore the snappy blonde for the moment. Laxus crossed both arms over his chest frustrated at the lack of response ,"Seriously Freed what were you trying to do? Did you want to die or are you really that stupid? From where i stood it looked like you weren't using your head at all!"

The green haired teens head whipped up with disbelieving look on his face. Laxus had his full attention now. As a matter of fact Laxus had everyone's attention. Lucy started to speak up for Freed but the other teen held a slender arm out and shook his head no. The blond girl huffed but closed her mouth and glared at Laxus. Freed's lips pressed into a thin line as he also crossed his arms over his chest while facing Laxus. "I beg your pardon?" he asked the taller man. Freed had honestly believed he was going to die, but he didn't so why was Laxus so angry. Freed was utterly confused but more than that he was hurt.

Laxus could feel his heart racing in his chest. Freed had been in danger. Freed hadn't thought and put his life in danger. Laxus couldn't stop seeing the gun pressed to Freed's head, he couldn't stop hearing Ivan deliver his death sentence, and he couldn't stop seeing a scene of what could've happened in his head. It made him scared and it made him angry that Freed had been so reckless.

"Why would you tell him about your money situation? Did you think he was the kind of person to just let you tag along for fun if you weren't any use to him? I mean any person with a little common sense wouldn't tell a murderous sociopath that the only thing keeping them alive was a no go!" The blonde scrubbed both hands over his face.

"I guess i didn't think. I just…"

Laxus cut him off, "Yeah I know you didn't think. It was freaking stupid Freed."

Well he seems to be seeing you as you truly are now. That didn't take as long as I expected.

As the voice spoke Freed's head dropped and his shoulders slumped. When he finally looked up at the blonde the confusion and anger were gone, replaced by a broken defeated look. All the anger and fear Laxus had suddenly washed away when he realized Freed was sad, Freed was hurt and Laxus was the one who made him feel that way. "Freed I mean, I didn't mean,...I"

"It's fine Laxus, they are merely words and words I'm quite use to hearing by now. You are right I didn't think through my actions and that was indeed stupid. I acted rash, I feared for the lives of the people I cared about. I don't regret it though, I had intended to distract the man long enough for my friends to be made safe and even if I had died the distraction would of worked and Natsu would've still been able to attack as he did. You can be angry all you want, you can say mean and hurtful things but It won't matter because in the end you would of been safe so i can not bring myself to apologise for my brash behavior." Freed sighed as he looked away letting his eyes wander everywhere and anywhere but Laxus.

So now that he sees you as the fool you are will you continue your one sided infatuation. Will you finally take him off the pedestal you placed him on.

I will always see him as one of the bravest people I know, even if he sees less in me. I also plan on seeing the psychiatrist at my first opportunity.

Oh really, you need drugs to get over his mean words and your bruised heart. I voice broke out in laughter. You truly are pathetic,

Freed smiled inwardly.

No, nothing of the sorts. I just think I am ready to try the medications they suggested, you know, the ones that could possibly help the voice in my head to disappear. I was scared that letting the medications take you away would make me weak. I had feared losing you before I could stand up to you. However I did that and you still came back with the same disparaging words. I realize you are a malfunction and no amount of bravery or confidence will end you. No amount of self realization will turn you off. You are a glitch and have no right to reside in my head.

You are going to look completely insane. What a shameful conversation that will be.

I a carpenter finds a loose railing he will use a hammer and a nail to fix it. No amount of sheer will power will allow the railing to be stable without the tools to fix it being railing will work much better after the carpenter fixes it with his tools. It will be sturdy and strong and retain its usefulness much longer with the repair. To no fault of my own somewhere in my head something is not working the way it should. It's a functional issue, nothing I can help or did to myself and nothing I should be ashamed of. It has always been there, when i was younger before it manifested into you it had still been there as imaginary friends, angels or demons. There has always been this malfunction and I am ready to use the tools to fix the issue or at least work smoother. The medication is simply a tool to help alleviate the symptoms. I will feel no shame in using medications.

You will always be crazy, no matter what you do!

Yes I will always have a mental illness, but I won't always have to hear you and that is a blessed achievable goal.

Freed smiled to himself at this new hopeful realization. It took him a moment to hear his name being spoken.

"Hey Freed, Freed you zoned out again. Can you hear me?" Laxus watched the teen blink a few time before returning back to reality. Laxus worried that the stressful situation was wearing on the teen. Freed had rarely lost himself in his head like this, oblivious to his surroundings completely. Tonight though it had happened several times. He waited till Freed looked up at him and saw he was once again in the present. "Freed did you hear anything I had said?"

"I'm sorry Laxus I must of been off in my own little world. I am trying this new confidence buster where is someone insults my intelligence or makes me feel small i pretend they don't exist anymore. I assure you it is not because I was too stupid to understand." The quip that was wrapped in a sharped tone was not lost on the blond and Freed regretted his words when he saw the look of hurt pass over Laxus's face. Freed was soft and forgiving, and while the voice would never get his sympathy Laxus was a clumsy human just like Freed. The green haired teen's voice was much softer, "Laxus I'm sorry. I…"

"No Freed stop right there. You have nothing to be sorry for, i'm the one who should be sorry. I have so much to be sorry for and not just to you but to everyone. None of this would've happened if it wasn't for me. I acted like a selfish asshole, as usual, and I put every single person's life in danger." Laxus paused his eyes carrying a lifetime's worth of guilt in them as they swept across all the faces present before landing back on freed. "I am so sorry to all of you. You trusted me and I could've very well gotten any of you killed. It's fucked up, I'm fucked up. I'm not asking any of yall to forgive me, I know I don't deserve that. But Freed all that stuff I said was nothing but bullshit. You are the smartest person I know, I need you to know just how amazing, smart, brave, and strong you are. I have never met anyone like you and I can't forgive myself for making you believe even for a second that I thought otherwise. The only mistake you made was trusting a fuck up like me." Freed found himself moving closer to the blond stopping only when he was directly in front of Laxus almost chest to chest. Laxus watched Freed stand and gaze up at him. Freed looked at Laxus as if in amazement, like he had lighting rippling across his body. Laxus had done nothing to deserve the way Freed looked at him. "You are going to do and see amazing things Freed as long as you don't let me hold you back. All of you will get there, you all have a chance to be something just don't let some fuck up like me ever get in your way."

Mavis smiled like she had all the answers the universe was hiding, she had always been like that. Like she had been gifted with a secret knowledge at birth. "Well I think the most amazing thing I have seen as of yet is Laxus Dreyar admitting he has done wrong and sincerely apologising for it. Watching someone become better has always been the most beautiful scene. That would of never happened just a few months ago. We make mistakes and learn from them, it's one of the most honest ways real growth as a person happens. You fucked up, but you are not the fuck up." Laxus started to shake his head and dispute Mavis's words. These guys can't just forgive him and act like it was all ok, he didn't deserve one ounce of those friendship just for him to mess it all up again sometime in the future. They were good people and just wasn't, they needed to know that.

"Being sorry doesn't fix what happened and learning how wrong I was won't change what I am and what I deserve."

Natsu spoke up now, "I was at the library once and there was this old man, he had to of been at least 60, he had all these books spread out working on something. I was there for almost an hour checking out the new comics and when I was leaving that old guy was still at it." Natsu ignored the odd looks the other gave him. "He was working really hard, ya know what I mean?"

Laxus frowned, "I'm not sure any of us know what you mean." Natsu cocked his head to the side and looked around.

Freed popped up quickly, "But please continue because I really want to see where you are going with this. I'm interested."

Natsu nodded and continued, "Well I was curious so I pulled up a chair and sat across from him. He looked up at me smiling and I asked him what was so interesting. He told me he had to write some paper for his final grade. I kept asking questions and he explained it all out to me. You see he got in trouble when he was younger and spent some time in prison. When he got out he worked a bunch of dead end jobs because he didn't think he could get anything better. Well one day someone told him if you want better you have to do better. He ended up going to community college worked really hard and got scholarship to a 4 year school and now he was working on his thesis to graduate with his doctorate. Well my phone went off it was Twitter and he told me he never could get the hang of that stuff so with all this other stuff going on I sat there and showed him how to use Twitter. By the time I left he already had like 20 followers and could use it well. Even though he was some old man he still learned how to use social media with is hard for old people to learn. Laxus you are that old guy learning to use Twitter. It may be hard, you might have to ask for help and get it wrong sometimes but that doesn't mean you can learn and grow!"

Zeref scrubbed both hands over his face while the look Freed gave Natsu a look of pure disbelief. "You guys all get it right, how Laxus is like the old man right?"

Lucy patted the mop of pink hair, "Yeah Natsu I think we all get what you are saying. Somehow."

Freed looked back and forth from Natsu to Laxus not sure how to follow that. Finally just muttering to himself, "I asked, I just had to see where he was going and somehow even though he totally missed the 1st obvious analogy he made it work, I got what he was saying." Freed's brow scrunched together, "Oh my, I got what he was saying. The Twitter thing made perfect sense to me. Is understanding Natsu something should bring up to my therapist?" Freed shook his head like he was trying to shake out clutter, "Nevermind that, but like Natsu implied Laxus, you are not a lost cause. You are not bad or undeserving of a second chance, friends who believe in you, and a better life. There is nothing you can say to make me think otherwise and my heart breaks to think you believe that. We are here, and we all care about you and you can not do anything to change that. So as awkward as it is Laxus Dreyar you will have to live with that fact that there are people who will never give up on and you can't drive away no matter what you do. I could never see you as anything but the man I am hopelessly falling more for everyday. There really is no point in arguing with me of I'm as smart as you say I am is there."

Laxus opened his mouth to say something but his train of thought lost as he looked down at Freed. The green haired man smiling adoringly up at him would be all he ever needed to be happy he thought. Laxus felt a gentle smile tug at his own face as he gazed back.

Lucy had to stop herself from squealing at the 2 boys staring into each other's eyes as if from a romantic movie. Her cheeks turned pink as grinned from ear to ear. It was too perfect, maybe she'd write a romantic novel about those two. Her heart beat faster as she watched Laxus slowly dip down their lips only a hair from touching when a loud crack sound almost like a firecracker made them all jump and turn.

"What was that?" Zeref asked.

Laxus swallowed, "It sounded like a gun. Shit, fucking Jose is still back at the cabin waiting. But he was alone I don't know why he'd be firing the gun."

Zeref and Mavis gasped at the same time. "Gajeel, Lyon, and Levi went the other way around. We were looking for Gray and Leo we split to cover more ground intending to meet at the cabin."

Laxus fished a flip phone from his pocket and tossed it to Lucy before retrieving his father's gun off the ground.

"Freed I need your belt now." Freed gave Laxus a curious look but took the leather belt off and handed it to the tall man.

Laxus walked to his still unconscious father speaking as he used the belt to secure Iran's hands behind his back. "Lucy, Gramp's number is in the phone you need to call him and tell him everything. Tell him others might still be on danger at the old cabin and to send help and someone to get that ass over there. Mavis you lead them back to camp don't worry about Ivan even if he does wake up he won't get far like that. Just get these guys back to safety ok?"

"Wait Laxus, what about you?" Mavis questioned.

Laxus looked toward the cabin before answering, "I have to make sure no one else is in danger. This whole mess is partly my fault I gotta fix it."

"Then we are going with you!" Laxus looked at Freed. He could tell the teen was determined to follow but Laxus couldn't allow it. Laxus walked up to Freed putting the gun in his waist band then placing both hands on Freed upper arms.

"Please Freed, I need you guys to go back. I need to know you are all safe. I can move faster and quieter if it's just me. I'm not scared of Jose I know I can take him bit if I'm working about your safety too….i just need to know you are all safe ok? When Lucy calls Gramps will send help."

Zeref spoke, "He's right Freed. Laxus knows what he's up against we would just be in the way. If the others are there it'll do Laxus more good to be quick and quite."

"Ok" Freed conceded. He spared Laxus a worried glance as the large man placed a small quick kiss on the top of his head.

"I have to go you guys do what I said and i'll see y'all back at camp when this is all done."

Freed watched as Laxus quickly disappeared in the dark before following the others slowly away.

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

Leo couldn't wipe the huge grin off his face as he kept the gun trained on Jose. Gray seemed to have the same problem since Jose had been immobilized. Jose sat quietly but for some reason his stupid smirk remained plastered on his face. That smirk made Lyon uneasy. He eyed Jose from the side as he moved to check in Gajeel.

"How ya doin metal face?" Levy looked worried but Gajeel flashed a cheesy smile.

"Well I have my head in a pretty girl's lap so it's not too bad."

Lyon nodded, "So you are doing alright then until we figure out how to get you back to camp?"

"Please I am made of iron. This is nothing."

Levy finally smiled, "Is he always this cocky?"

"Pretty much, sometimes moody." Lyon smiled. Things were going to be fine they just had to get the metal head back to camp.

Jose started to chuckle and Lyon clenched his fist and turned to the man as Gajeel started to talk to Levy.

"Hey shorty I got a big favor to ask ya?"

She looked down as she ran a hand through his thick hair. "What would that be?"

"My throat is super dry. I didn't know if maybe you could check that cabin or around for a bottle of water or something. I'm sure they have supplies somewhere."

Levy chewed her lip, she really didn't want to leave Gajeel lying alone but she also wanted to make him comfortable any way possible.

"Pleeeeaase," he begged in a childish manner.

She giggled at the antics and spoke so all could hear, "I'm going to check and see if I can find this guys some water or something. Keep an eye on him ok?" After hearing them acknowledge her she gently lifted his head and placed it on the ground before taking off.

Gajeel closed his eyes tight as Levy took off. He tried to take a deep calming breath but he found his was getting very cold and the colder he felt the harder it was to breath deeply. He was holding it together for Levy's sake even managing not to shiver too much but the truth was he was started to get terrified. In the dark it was hard to see but the ok I warmth he could feel was blood seeping from more worrisome wound. That's how he knew he hadn't stopped bleeding because of the constant warmth in that one area. He hadn't really wanted the water but he needed to get rid of Levy for a moment, he knew things were bad for him. He didn't want to die, his mom needed him. He needed to see if this love at first sight thing was real. He wanted to prove he wasn't just some angry punk. Gajeel was terrified, he didn't want to die. He opened his eyes but now his vision was blurry. He tried blinking but it didn't help. He felt his eyes start to water as he tried to swallow the small sob that came from his throat. He was so fucking cold he couldn't control the shivering anymore. He didn't want to die. He stopped trying to hold back from crying.

Lyon glared down at Jose who was still chuckling and smirking. He waved acknowledgment towards Levy when she mentioned going to find water for Gajeel then turned back to Jose.

"What's so funny?"

Jose just shook his head and smiled up at Lyon. The teen rolled his eyes, "You are an idiot."

"Ill tell ya something kid, When I got your friend with my knife, I got him good in just the right spot. He may be acting like it's not a big deal but y'all wasted too much time and I guarantee your friend isn't doing as well as he pretends and by the time y'all figure it out and decide how to get him somewhere it'll be too late."

Lyon glanced over toward Gajeel, "Well you must not have got him where you thought because he was smiling and joking just a minute ago."

Jose laughed again, "So give the kid an oscar."

Lyon was getting pissed now, "Listen why don't you just shut up."

Lyon glared but then a choked sob fought his attention. He turned back to Jose who was grinning from ear to ear.A very bad feeling washed over him and Lyon felt a lump in his throat as he ran to Gajeel.