Wendy silently cursed herself for thinking the blonde wouldn't pick up on her roundabout answers. The sky maiden's mind raced through all the changes, "A lot of things have changed since you've been gone, even since Cobra left." Wendy couldn't suppress her sad tone. She had difficulty looking at the blonde, "It's not the same as it was."

The first thing that came to mind were the events that led to the creation of her little team. The Thunder Legion was fractured, with Laxus now the guild master it only made sense that he was not actively on missions. Even before that change happened, it all started when Cobra showed up. As a whole, they accepted him as a member of the guild but there was only a small handful that had been truly welcoming of the reformed criminal. Bickslow was one of those people and since he was on the fringes of the guild to begin with, he only ended up more alienated as a result of his newfound friendship. Never mind everything else that happened with the discovery of Lucy's apparent death.

Lucy's disappearance created a rift among everyone. She truly was the light and glue of Fairy Tail. Team Natsu had been oddly passive about their missing teammate, everyone was angry and looking for someone to blame and that fell onto the shoulders of Cobra and by defacto Bickslow. The only reason Bickslow didn't leave was because of Midnight and herself. To top it all off there were so many new people in the guild and some of them just didn't sit right with her.

Wendy smelled her team-mates coming before the knock came and she was thanking every deity she could think of for the save. She paused as if thinking about where to start and then miraculously, there was a knock at the door. She wasted no time in answering the door and evading the whole conversation.

Bickslow's babies came whizzing into the room first Popo immediately finding Lucy, the others circling Wendy as she giggled. Popo floated in front of Lucy chanting "Popo miss Cosplayer" in a sad warbly voice, Lucy reached for the small totem and clutched it to her chest. "Aww Popo, I missed you too." Lucy knew the totem couldn't feel the strength of her hug but Lucy held on tightly for her own comfort.

Bickslow just stood watching the interaction silently from just inside the door. He felt so much from his small spirit, he knew how much the soul that was Popo had missed her and he was happy to see them connecting again. He watched in awe as the woman he had become so close to was sitting there, alive. Not that he doubted Cobra's knowledge that she was alive, he just hadn't seen her in so long.

Even though he had been warned ahead of time he was still unnerved to see the state she was in. He wanted to do nothing more than rush to her and wrap her up into himself. Taking a more cautious approach he hesitated in following his instinct. He was afraid of scaring her or force her into something she wasn't ready for, even if it was as simple as a greeting.

Bickslow's eyes caught a glimpse of the intense scarring on her wrist as she hugged the totem and any restraint that was left, broke. He slowly walked toward her, unsure of what to say or how to act. He felt so self-conscious, a feeling he had been all too familiar with since she disappeared. He was afraid, afraid of her wrath, afraid of her rejection, afraid of how broken she potentially was. Bickslow had a deep apprehensive knot in the pit of his stomach at the realization that he was unable to help her in her most dire time and therefore irreparably damaged their relationship.

Lucy looked up as Bickslow approached her, she could feel the insecurity coming off of him, like thick swells in a turbulent ocean. She hugged the totem tightly to her chest as she glanced down realizing her shirt had ridden up her arm, exposing some of her marred wrists. She quickly adjusted the sleeve to hide the offensive flesh, assuming that was what bothered Bickslow. She raised her eyes to the man and uttered a whispered apology. It was this apology that severed the distance between them.

Bickslow couldn't believe what he had just heard, he wondered what on Earthland could she possibly be sorry for. He kneeled in front of her, but unlike in the past, he didn't lunge at her in a rambunctious show of affection or even remove his visor. In the time she had been gone, he had reverted to most of his old ways. He gently grabbed one of her hands, he wanted to reach out and embrace her but he didn't feel confident enough to do that. He regretted not being there for her when she needed him the most. He quietly reprimanded her, "Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one who should be apologizing," he squeezed her hand lightly, "I am the one who is sorry, I'm sorry for not finding you, for going along with the guild instead of supporting Cobra. I am sorry for being a chicken shit and failing my Cosplayer."

She squeezed his hand in return, "Bickslow, there isn't a reason for you to be sorry. You are not a chicken shit and we both know it, you just did what you thought was best given the circumstances." she took her free hand and poked the metal visor on his face, "What gives Bix?" he tried to withdraw from her but she refused to let go.

"I umm, well, you know what happens when I have trouble keeping shit in-check. Everyone started getting worried, afraid to look at me you know?" he responded the unease heavy in his voice.

Lucy did know, she was his main advocator for removing the visor around his friends and family of Fairy Tail. Seith magic was a misunderstood magic, people made quick assumptions about what he could and could not do.

It took some convincing but he had started removing the visor in the guild and with his team and friends. There was no reason to hide his eyes from anyone, they were just different than anyone else's. They were a deep maroon color normally and when he was overly emotive they glowed a greenish hue that people found alarming. When he was viewing souls his eyes shifted into deep emerald green. These changes are what made people fear his magic.

Lucy loved what his eyes could do, she enjoyed being able to look into them and have him be comfortable with it instead of trying to connect with him through that stupid visor. There was nothing to fear or be scared of and she proved that lesson by requiring that he remove it in her presence. As time went on and more people gained confidence that he wasn't going to steal their souls or possess them he would take it off the second he entered the guild.

Forgetting herself at that moment, she placed Popo in her lap and removed Bickslow's visor, she tossed it across the room in anger. Anger at the fact that they rejected Bickslow as well as Cobra, or at least that is how she perceived it all. In a voice that was strong and confident she looked Bickslow in the eyes, "Fuck them Bix, that is a part of who you are and if they can't get past it, if they went back to treating you like they did before then they don't deserve to see your eyes."

Bickslow moved to sit next to Lucy on the bed and pulled her into a tight embrace, "Goddamn Cosplayer, I missed you so fuckin' much."

The brief glimpse of Lucy's old self quickly faded and she cracked, she began to cry, hard convulsing sobs, she realized how much she missed both Bickslow and Wendy. Feeling shame for displaying such a lack of self-control, especially having not seen them for so long, she knew she had to stop. Tears weren't going to fix or help anything so she decided it was time to lock them away and move on.

Bickslow tensed as Lucy's sobbing stopped on a dime. She let out one last sniffle and was silently pulling away from the embrace, wiping the remaining tears. In a small voice she looked to the mages in the room, and abruptly changing the subject she asked. "How do we plan on getting to our new destinations?"

Cobra mentioned she was locking her issues down fast but Bickslow was shocked at just how fast. He looked over at Wendy and Midnight, he didn't need soul listening magic to know they were thinking exactly what he was thinking. Bickslow made a mental note to always take Cobra at his word, the poison slayer had shown, on too many occasions, that he was dead on with the information he shared and then some.

He wondered where Cobra had gone, he was surprised not to see him hovering over the blonde. It didn't escape him that the ornery slayer had grown a strong attachment to Lucy. Most people did but Bickslow felt like Cobra's was something deeper. He was curious how it could have even developed considering they spent zero time together. To the best of his knowledge, the last time he saw her was in a random passing of teams on the road while on a mission. It was a mystery and he knew that he would be peeking at Cobra's soul soon enough to see what the deal was and to also see if it is as beautiful as he imagines it would be. Bickslow pushed the thoughts off because right now that was not the priority. His cosplayer needed him and he needed her more than he realized.

Midnight lazily answered Lucy's question, "I believe we have no choice but to walk, between Cobra, Bickslow, and myself I would imagine we would assist you in walking and carry you when you can no longer manage."

Lucy nodded her acknowledgment, she hadn't seen Midnight in a long time and was apprehensive on how to be around him. She understood that Cobra brought him to Fairy Tail when he joined and apparently, he goes on missions with Wendy and Bickslow so he must be someone they trust. She had forgiven him and had a heartfelt conversation she even occasionally chatted with him but she was unsure of how he would treat her now. She felt like a shell of who she was which resulted in her questioning her existence before Black Sun. In a small, timid voice filled with apprehension, "How have you been Midnight?"

"Surprisingly well my dear, I am relieved that Cobra has finally found you." Midnight had easily heard the unease in her voice and decided to address it. "Lucy, you have nothing to fear from me, ever. You do not have to hide your true self on my account. I, like Wendy and Bickslow, am here to help you in any way that I can." he gave the blonde a warm heartfelt smile.

"Yea Cosplayer, Smith is good people." he tried to reassure Lucy.

Lucy laughed a little and looked at Bickslow, "Smith? Really Bix you couldn't come up with anything more creative?"

Cobra entered the room just as Lucy finished speaking, "Yea...no, his brain is like scrambled eggs."

Papa buzzed over the slayer's head as he walked into the room, "and you're the whisk!"

Lucy laughed at the interactions, she also found it very intriguing that a small blush developed on Bickslow's face. Nothing made the man blush and she thought it was a becoming look on him, in her opinion.

Cobra walked toward Lucy and Bickslow with some coffee, he caught a glimpse at Lucy and even though his face gave away nothing he responded to her thoughts, "mine too sweetness".

Lucy had an instantaneous feeling of joy and sadness at Cobra's seemingly out of place comment. She tried to dismiss the contradiction of emotions as part of her brokenness.

Cobra paused before walking away, he looked at her with his single plum-colored eye. She became uncomfortable under his gaze, silently questioning him.

"You're not, don't think like that. I won't let that happen to you."

It was Lucy's turn to blush under his intense gaze and declaration of commitment to her well being. Lucy understood that if he is as vicious about her getting better as he was when he took out Black Sun then she sure as hell would try her best.

Cobra sat on the bed next to Wendy, "Damned right I will and so will you."

Wendy looked at the exchange in confusion, Midnight sighed at the slayer's bad habit and Bickslow cleared his throat, "Care to share with the class guys?" Bickslow smirked.

Lucy turned to the rest of her friends with an apologetic look, "Sorry guys…" she looked to Bickslow, "I'll tell you later."

He just nodded his head in response.

Once Carla showed up, the crew managed to eat a light breakfast and departed to their new destination.