With her head pounding, Levy woke in a strange room full of fear and confusion. Where am I? What's going on? Where's Lucy? In a moment of clarity, Levy jumped from the bed. "Bora" she whispered. This must be where he took me. Levy took a step and had to reach out for the bedside table. Why's the room tilting? Levy couldn't think as the room went in and out of focus.
Levy thought she heard a noise, she wasn't sure. All she could focus on was the fact that her legs had turned to jelly and her mouth was a desert. There was a soft clicking sound behind her. Thinking to take him by surprise, Levy whirled around and promptly collapsed to the floor with a crash. Standing before her was a white muzzled black cat with a scar over it's left eye. Something about that scar seemed to tug at her memory, but Levy couldn't remember. Why can't I remember anything?
Levy heard heavy boots pounding against a wooden floor beyond her door. Her eyes wide, Levy tried to squeeze under the bed. Her movements were clumsy and slow. Damnit Levy! HIDE! What's your problem!? MOVE YOUR ASS! Levy pulled her foot under the bed just as the door crashed open. The voice she heard wasn't Bora's. Has someone else kidnapped me?! Why was that cat familiar? WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER ANYTHING?! Levy stayed silent, waiting for the person to leave.
Gajeel had been fixing a small tray of food to take to Levy when he heard the crash of a body hitting the floor. He had dropped the butter knife and half jellied bread slice onto the counter without a second thought. He ran full bore into the room Levy was staying in. Please, please tell me she's still in bed and that was just one of the cats knocking something over. Please, just let it be the damn cats!
Gajeel pushed the door open roughly. The door bounced off the wall. "Levy?" He was confused. Levy wasn't in bed, but she hadn't gone anywhere. "Levy, where are you?" After a few panicked moments of standing in the doorway looking stupid, Gajeel noticed Lily sniffing under the bed. Gajeel smiled sadly.
She's having problems remembering again. "Levy? I'm not going to hurt you. Do you remember going to the Scarlet Bolt's concert with Lucy?" Gajeel didn't expect her to answer, but he gave her time to try and remember. He'd had a concussion before. He hated not being able to remember anything.
Gajeel sat down and leaned against the door frame, half in the hallway, half in the bedroom. Gajeel leaned his head back to touch the door frame as he rested his forearms on his bent knees. "You and Lucy were in the Mosh Pit when someone knocked you over." He waited again, giving her time to think. "Then some big, scary guy with red eyes and a lot of metal in his face picked you up off the ground."
Gajeel gave her time to think before he spoke again. "Then 'Lu-Chan' didn't listen when you said you wanted to go home instead of out to eat with the scary guy and a pink haired boy." Again another long pause. "Then, when they showed up, they brought another boy and a little girl with them." Pause "The scary guy kept staring at you..." Gajeel smiled at the memory "...and you asked if you could help him."
Gajeel swallowed hard before he continued, nervous all over again. "Then the guy stammered like an idiot, and you looked at him like he was as dumb as a door nail." Gajeel cleared his throat before he continued. "Lucy called you mean when Scary Guy called you Shrimp and you said you weren't...what was the wording you used...? Umm..." Gajeel chuckled as he rememberd. "...You said you weren't a 'Decapod Custacion, therefore you weren't a shrimp.'"
Gajeel sighed softly. How many times have I relived this for her? Four? Five? Gajeel scrubbed his hands across his face before he continued. "When you left Phantom's Diner, to walk to the train station, that big scary guy wouldn't let you walk alone. He said it wasn't safe." Gajeel sighed again. He hated the next part. The last time he had told her this story, her eyes had been full of terror, and tears had run quietly down her cheeks.
Before he could continue, he heard a soft sound come from under the bed. He didn't move a muscle. He didn't want to frighten her any more than she already was. He stayed silent, listening intently to her soft sobs. They broke his heart. At least she was starting to remember more. Maybe it's a bad thing. Maybe it's better if she doesn't remember.
Lily meowed loudly as he pushed his way under the bed. Gajeel smiled, a slight pull at one corner of his mouth. Last time Levy had started crying, Lily hadn't let Gajeel get near where Levy had hidden herself. Gajeel had found Lily laying with Levy more often than not. Charle came in and laid with Levy every now and then. Gajeel had known Levy was having an extra hard time when he had found Wendy and both cats cuddling with Levy.
A small, choked sound came from underneath the bed. Gajeel felt his heart being ripped from his chest. "Levy...Do you want me to go?" He didn't expect her to answer. He hadn't expected her to answer him since that night in the hotel. "No." Her whispered word was music to his ears. Gajeel sat silently for a while before he spoke again. "Are you going to come out from under the bed, or are you going to keep laying with Lily?"
Levy tried to squeeze out from underneath the bed, only to find she had gotten herself stuck. "I can't." She heard Gajeel sigh and rub his hands over his face. "Levy, you don't have to be afraid, I won't hurt-" Levy cut him off. "No, Gajeel, I can't come out-" Now it was his turn to cut her off. "That's fine Levy, you-" Levy was getting irritated with him. "...are stuck, Bear."
Gajeel was quiet for a moment, before she heard him shift. His boots were heavy on the polished wood floor, the sound loud in Levy's head. After a moment's silence, the bed lifted off of her by several inches. Levy crawled, clumsily, from beneath the bed. Lily followed her. Before she could stand on her own, the heavy oak bed thumped softly against the floor.
Pressing her palm to her forehead, Levy closed her eyes for a few moments. Just as she was opening her eyes, she felt strong arms gently scoop her off the floor. Levy was too tired to squeal in surprise. Honestly, she was grateful that Gajeel was there to take care of her. Levy closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest. She cried softly as he sat on the bed and placed her in his lap, simply holding her.