All Lucy could hear was a rushing sound in her ears, opening her eyes, she realized she was back in that sordid basement at Black Sun. The smell of rot and ruin were absent, much to her relief.

She looked all around her in confusion, trying to move her arms that were strung up above her head. She could feel the raw irritation around the bones at the base of her hand. She looked at the raw angry rotting skin, the pain was so persistent that it overrode the discomfort of having her arms above her head for so long.

She watched a man hunched over in front of her, his form familiar but unplaceable. Dread flooded her system as she tried to reconcile the last thing she remembered, being carried in the arms of a cranky dragon slayer.

She tried to focus her hearing on what the person in front of her was doing, she could tell by the movements she should be able to hear what was going on, but all she could hear was that persistent rushing sound in her ears.

Movement on the opposite side of the room caught her attention as she saw the familiar face of her old partner Natsu. She smiled at her imminent rescue but it quickly slid from her face as she examined the scowl on his face. He looked disheveled and dirty and had a crooked smile that chilled her to the bone.

The other man lifted his head as Natsu walked over, she realized the man she thought she recognized was Gray. He stood and handed something to the other man and they slowly approached her. She tried to speak to them but no sound was coming out of her mouth.

The closer they came to her the more she realized that whatever was in Natsu's hand was meant to hurt her in some grotesque fashion. Tears sprang to her eyes as panic paralyzed her as they came within' reach. She couldn't shut her eyes, she couldn't scream for help, and she couldn't escape.

She began to feel a warmth in her hands, it felt reassuring and contradicted the situation she was in, the warmth traveled down her arms and just as her two former friends were about to touch her she became conscious.

It was a startling situation as she gasped a deep cleansing breath, she was in a strange room but it was not the menacing basement of Black Sun. Instead of Gray and Natsu near her, she saw Cobra standing in front of her and Bickslow sitting next to her. The look of concern etched into their faces started easing with relief.

She looked around and took in her surrounds, it was nothing she recognized, but this has been the common theme over the last year or so. Her apprehension and fear faded as she watched Wendy walking into the room with a glass of water.

No one spoke to her, waiting for a sign that Lucy was ready. As she took a calming sip of the water she saw the scene from her nightmare again, "I, I had a bad dream," she whispered more to herself than to those in the room with her.

There was a snort to her left where Cobra stood, "No shit, we couldn't tell by all your squirming and crying."

Lucy hung her head in shame at the sarcastic tone in his voice. She felt a grip on her hand tightening, she looked down to see the chipped navy nail polished fingers of Bickslow. Hearing a smacking sound, Lucy looked up to see Wendy had pulled the slayer down to smack him in the head, a disapproving frown on her face.

Cobra snarled at the little blue-haired slayer, Bickslow chuckled from her side, "I wouldn't do that if I were you man, that's what you get for being an ass."

Cobra could practically taste the poison as he glared at Bickslow, "Seriously, I am getting reprimanded like a fucking child."

Wendy pushed him back, "Then quit acting like one," she turned her attention to Lucy taking the glass of water from her and returning to the kitchen.

Bickslow gave a quick squeeze of her hand, "You're awake and you're safe, ignore that cantankerous one-eyed bastard, he is just sour that he couldn't help you."

Cobra huffed, "Fuck off all of you," as he walked out of the room, to where Lucy was unsure, but she was left with a sadness that she had upset the man in some way. She leaned into Bickslow for comfort not wanting to speak as she replayed events in her head.

Meanwhile, Cobra found himself outside lighting up one of his handcrafted cigarettes as he mentally berated himself. He felt like he was in that dream with her and was powerless to do anything.

He had tried waking her once they had reached the cabin and she just wouldn't awaken. As he experienced her dream he became more and more agitated. The bastards she had held in such high regard were now starring as her worst nightmares. All the more proof to him that they didn't deserve to know she was alive.

He knew it was an irrational thought, but at that moment he just didn't give a damn. He was so engrossed in his internal tirade that he didn't notice the small blue-haired slayer joining him.

Wendy said nothing, she offered the irritated man in front of her coffee, after a particularly long drag of his cigarette he grabbed the coffee and nodded his head toward her in thanks.

After a sip, the words just let loose, "She was in the Black Sun dungeon, flame-fuck and ice-tard were there but not to help her, they were getting ready to torture her." he sighed and shifted his weight.

"I can't do this," he said looking toward Wendy, "Who the fuck am I to help her?" he asked as the cigarette teetered between his lips, bouncing in time with the words. He inhaled and balanced the small white rolled-up paper between his fingers, "Spook collector just grabs her hand and she wakes the fuck up."

Wendy thought about his words trying to articulate the appropriate response. She just smiled at the man, "Get your head out of your ass and listen to her soul right now, you saved her, you are her anchor right now."

He took the advice and focused in on the din of her soul, he could hear her doubt and discomfort with his reaction. He drank the remainder of his coffee and tossed the expired cigarette into the mug. "Your right, I am an ass."

He scruffed up the hair on the little slayer. "Thanks for smacking some sense into me." he went in and made a beeline for where Lucy was curled in on herself next to Bickslow. They were silent and Bickslow just gave him a pleading look to fix the unspoken problem.

Cobra nodded his head for Bickslow to vacate. He settled on the couch next to Lucy who seemed far off in her own thoughts. Listening in he realized that she was questioning herself and her capability to feel normal again.

Cobra let out a soft "Hey" to get her attention, she looked up at Cobra only to see remorse swimming in his violet eye.

"I don't do helpless well. I was not mad at you, you did nothing." he sighed when he heard the doubt in her soul.

"Look, you had a nightmare, I can't beat the shit out of that, or poison it. I felt helpless and I hate that fuckin' feeling. If poison doesn't come out in my actions, it will come out in my words and I am sorry."

Lucy smiled at Cobra's bizarre apology and offered her equally strange acceptance of it, "Being helpless suck, I should know best of all."

Cobra smirked, "We don't have to be, but we can work on that shit once you are healed up and have your spirits back."

Bickslow spied his two friends having their moment from the kitchen and for the hell of it he activated his magic to spy on their souls.

He always liked to spy on Lucy's soul since it was the only one he had seen that had ever shimmered, not even his Archangel brother. He loved to look at her soul when she was happy, it reminded him of the White Sea pearls back at home. He was dismayed to see that it was now a dull shimmer less shade of gray. This past year's events had a profound effect on her since he couldn't even find a thread of the white or cream that it usually held.

Bickslow had fewer opportunities to view Cobra's soul but when he did the man was always the most mesmerizing shades of red. Flowing from the varying red hues faster than he had seen other souls cycle through colors, the number of emotions battling in him constantly betrayed the cold, calm, and collected nature of the Poison Slayer.

What Bickslow saw as he used his magic forced him to run a gamut of emotions that he was not prepared for. He was rendered speechless to discover that Cobra's soul was spidering out to wrap it's wavering tendrils around Lucy's. Kind of like a metaphysical soul hug. The very idea made him both happy and profoundly sad at the same time.

He had some inexplicable welling of happiness and satisfaction at seeing one soul trying to care and heal for another while he felt the sharp sting of rejection. Clearly, he felt a close connection to the two people he was watching and the realization that they have a closer connection to one another pained him. Again, he would be the third wheel in the lives of his friends.

He could feel the jealousy stirring in him, he knew it wasn't fair to them to feel that way. Their souls were doing what comes naturally, they were not even consciously aware of what was happening. He cut the magic off abruptly and turned for a beer out of the fridge. He felt the sting of tears behind his eyes he grabbed the helmet from the counter, once it was on his head he felt the familiar false sense of security he relied on so much. He needed to work out his issues so he decided to go for a run in the woods. His babies followed as they always did.

Once Bickslow was outside he felt like he could breathe, Wendy approached him with a handful of plants that she had been gathering around the safehouse with Carla. To avoid any prolonged contact with the sweet little Blunette, he started stretching.

"Hey Bix, whatcha doin'?" Wendy asked, curious to see if he was going to do some training or just some exercise.

"Goin' for a run," Bickslow knew the second he said it that he sounded off. He silently cursed himself. Hoping she didn't notice he did a few more stretches.

"You OK?" Wendy asked, she heard the strained response and wondered what was wrong with the Seith mage.

"Just dandy!" he said almost too loudly as he began to run off into the treeline. His babies following, all except Pipi who was hanging further behind.

The small totem turned toward Wendy, "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride." it chirped in a sing-songy voice before turning back around and zipping off to catch up.

Wendy huffed, "Carla, I swear they are worse than girls my age." she rolled her eyes as she uttered the words.

Carla nodded, "I agree, my dear."