STOP! This is the Third Part of a Series! If you haven't read the first two parts, click that pen name up there and find them, have a good read, and come back to this one. You won't regret it!

"You're the best, Lucien. See ya next time!" Cana called as she walked past the other customers in the outdoor dining area of LaCroix's. The owner, Lucien, gave a smile and a wave in acknowledgment as he added the finishing touches to a pan of delectable looking pastries with a flare. With the temperatures starting to warm, the talented chef had taken to putting his baking skills on display, as an entertaining show for his customers to enjoy as they ate. So once a week, weather permitting, he'd choose one of his special desserts to prepare before the breakfast crowd.

Flavor combinations and piping techniques aside, Cana was even more impressed by his ability to stay focused on the task with all the ruckus and explosions sounding off in the distance. He never missed a step or even flinched whenever the noise of a sudden blast or clanging salvo would reach his ears, oftentimes jokingly claiming that the commotions were cheers in anticipation for the treats he was preparing that day.

Cana was glad Lucy had recommended this restaurant to her. The staff were so joyful and fun loving, and their croissants were to die for. As she walked the several blocks towards the guild, idly shuffling a deck of cards as she observed tendrils of smoke rising from its turrets, she snickered as she thought of the scolding Erza was very likely giving to Natsu right now, whom she had no doubt was at the center of this morning's excitement. Rounding a corner, she wasn't at all surprised to hear Erza shouting through the closed doors of the guild. Passing the archway into the courtyard, she couldn't quite make it all out, but she heard no angered accusations of recklessness or admonitions of how friends ought not to fight. It was more like she was giving out instructions.

"Morning, Cana. You missed the show."

She spun around to face the speaker, who was leaning against the archway, running the sides of his fingers along what appeared to be a blank page of a magazine. As he turned the page, she could tell that all the pages appeared similarly blank, except for all the many raised dots she could now see throughout. Smirking, she asked, "How'd you know it was me?"

Returning his own grin, Gray replied, "You're still shuffling your cards."

Cana snorted as she noticed her unconscious habit, putting her cards away as her smirk broadened into a soft smile. She would never grow tired of that sense of relief and elation every time she heard his voice. It was almost back to normal now, not so strained and wispy. His larynx was still healing, she'd been told, and she refused to think about how that was due to the hindrance caused by any fear- or pain-wracked screams he'd given in the past several months. She'd take his slightly husky voice over his trauma-induced silence anytime.

"Smart ass. So why're you hanging out here? You trying to avoid Erza's wrath?" She wasn't even joking. At least not completely. After witnessing some of his workouts within the last month, she had every confidence that he could deliver a beat down when called for, and though it hasn't happened yet, she wouldn't be surprised to see him participating in at least a small scuffle at the guild any time now. That is if anyone outside of his close circle of friends would be willing to chance engaging him in a fight. She'd love to see the looks in some of their faces when they'd inevitably end up staring at him, from their positions laid out on the floor, in total befuddlement.

He took a moment, considering something, then asked, "You see any smoke?"

Of course. That explained why he'd chosen to stay close to the gate, instead of sitting at a table more conveniently located by the doors. Looking back at the guildhall, she could no longer see any trails of smoke rising from the building.

"I think the coast is clear."

Straightening from his relaxed posture, he rolled up the Braille edition of this week's "Sorcerer's Weekly". Reaching into his cargo pocket, he removed his cane, replacing it with the magazine, and extended it out as he felt his way to her position, tilting his head towards the front doors as he passed. Indicating he'd walk her to the entrance, he finally answered, "You know I always own up to my fights. Besides, I had the perfect alibi: I walked here with Erza."

Their morning workout over, Erza was about to leave for the guild when Gray had invited himself along, wanting some kind of protein for breakfast for a change, but not wanting to bother Lyon to cook for him. Those plans were shot when they came upon a thoroughly wrecked guild, throwing Erza into rage mode. Not only was the guild in shambles, but now Gray was unable to move about freely without risk of hurting himself on all the downed furniture.

Upon hearing about that, Cana took a second to peer into the main hall, seeing for herself the cause of Erza's fury. As they waited by the doors, she watched as scores of guild members were painstakingly clearing all the debris off the floor, and shoving all the furniture against the walls.

Giving an appreciative whistle, she observed, "They really outdid themselves. So you're stuck out here until they get everything fixed up?"

"Erza's pretty insistent on getting everything back exactly the way they were."

"How 'exactly' are we talking?"

"She brought out a freaking tape measure."

"No way!" Sure enough, Erza was at that very moment dictating her precise dimensions for table placement. "That's gonna take hours."

"Probably my fault. I mentioned in passing the other day how having a chair placed as little as five centimeters off could make a huge difference to a blind guy. I feel kinda bad for them. I'da gotten used to it eventually. A couple of bumps and stumbles wouldn't have mattered."

"I wish you'd say that to Erza!" came Natsu's plaintive cry, "She's on a freaking warpath today!"

"You shouldn't have started the fight, then," Gray replied.

"What makes you think I started it?!"

Both of them giving him pointed looks, he tsked at their totally unfair but absolutely accurate opinions of his pugilist nature, and readjusted his grip on a pile of junk stacked high in his arms.

"Whatever. I gotta get this crap upstairs before she yells at me for taking too long. Like it's my fault? Does she know how many stairs I have to climb?"

"Twenty-three per floor, if you count the landings."

…

Now Gray was getting weird looks.

Acknowledging the silence for what it was, he retorted, "What? I need to know these things."

Made aware that they were probably making him feel defensive, Natsu brushed off his confused shock at how quickly and easily Gray had spouted off that number. He felt an unease in his stomach as he reminded himself why he had to know the exact number of steps of every stairway he was likely to use. It was the same as how he had to be familiar with the location and position of every piece of furniture, every rug, any nearby equipment or device which he could identify by sound. A whistling tea kettle or clanging pots and pans would point him towards the kitchen; while the one light that flickered and hummed constantly above one of the tables along the center aisle of the guildhall was a decent auditory landmark, which Natsu suspected was the reason Mira hadn't gotten around to replacing it yet.

Since Gray still seemed in good humor, Natsu was pondering how to respond in a way in which his voice wouldn't reveal his pity and guilt. Cana saved him the trouble.

"Show off."

Gray laughed softly, and the awkwardness was broken. Or maybe only Natsu had felt that awkwardness. What was he missing that Cana was able to perceive so well? Sure, she and Gray had been friends for years before he came along, so she was probably privy to more of how his brain worked. But he'd thought he'd gotten pretty darn familiar with how he was likely to react to certain things. And being so open and upfront about his blindness had never even made it into the top ten of those responses.

Still, it was nice that he could laugh about it now.

It was nice hearing his laugh again.

"Natsu!" yelled Erza, "Hurry up with that load! You have several more that needs to be put away, then I want you to— oh, Gray! I apologize for the delay. If you'll wait a bit longer, I can bring something out. Cana, I'm glad you're here. We could use some more help with the clean up—"

"Actually, Cana offered to take me out to eat. We were just about to leave," said Gray.

Erza was quite satisfied by this arrangement, instantly relieved that Gray wasn't being forced to go without food because of their guild mates' inconsiderate stupidity.

"Then by all means, enjoy your meal. Natsu, we've a lot of work to do. Let's go."

Natsu's grumbling in the background was enough to hide Cana's snickers as they walked down the path, turning towards the market district.

"Thanks for the save back there," she said.

"Figured you wouldn't want to start your day cleaning up after Natsu's foolishness."

"Well now I owe you breakfast. Whatcha in the mood for?"

"Not sure. Smoked salmon sounds good right now."

"I'll never get used to how you like to eat fish for breakfast."

"It's a—"

"I know. It's an Isvanian thing. Remember that first morning you tried to order it at the guild, and the guy tending the counter thought you were pulling some kind of prank on 'em?"

"Pshhh! What kinda stupid prank starts off with ordering fish for breakfast?"

"You never know with kids. Smoked salmon, huh? There's that tea shop by the canal. They're probably serving brunch by now."

" … The area along the canal took a lot of damage during the attack."

Ever since the incident with Leviathan's Wake, the populace of Magnolia has worked diligently in order to get their beloved town back to some semblance of normalcy. It hasn't been an easy task. Even now, almost seven weeks after the attack, there were still whole streets blocked off, with construction debris and demolished ruins still waiting to be cleared. The shops along the canal have just recently reopened, but there were still a great deal of active construction sites throughout. The paths would be crowded, and the noise of all the heavy machinery would only add to the confusion.

Worried that Gray would react poorly to reminders of the attack, she offered, "We can always mooch off of Lucy."

"Her apartment's too small."

"Too small?"

"I'd be able to hear the… sizzling," he informed with just barely a noticeable tremor.

"Right. Sorry. I just didn't want you to have to walk through all the battle debris."

"From the attack? That doesn't bother me."

"It doesn't?"

"No. I mean, yeah, it took me through a bad time, but I came out of it stronger in the end. And it helped me deal with some things that needed to be dealt with… And besides, I held my own pretty well out there. After some thought, I found that it was… a relief, being able to fight back… Still scared the shit out of me, but it doesn't disturb me or anything."

"So you wanna go, then? Cuz before, you looked pretty anxious about it."

"Because there's bound to be crap everywhere. I'd need you to help me navigate… if you're willing."

'That's what he was worried about?! Whether I'd be comfortable guiding him or not? Why is he such a sweet idiot?'

"I'm game if you are. Just show me what to do."

With a destination finally agreed upon, they made their way towards the canal, Cana allowing Gray to hold her arm above the elbow as he taught her briefly in how to be a proper guide. It still made her proud how he was willing to touch women now. He had to be the one to initiate contact, and it was limited to those whom he knew and trusted, but she was beyond happy to be numbered among those chosen few.

Slowing down as the small crowds grew noticeably more abundant, she took the lead as she called out curbs and sudden drops, and steered him clear of any obstacles in the path. She noticed his grip tighten a few times, and was able to narrow down the cause when she looked around and noticed all the vendors selling street foods, specifically those who cooked their foods on site. She quickly steered them away from that path altogether.

Brunch was a calm, cheerful time together. Cana, having already eaten, settled for tea and a small selection of cookies. Gray got his smoked salmon, and savored every bite. It was like a little bit of home. They ate outdoors, far removed from the kitchen located in the back of the quaint little tea house, and continued their childhood reminiscing. Topics, of course, were strictly guild-related, focused on past adventures, and the occasional troubles a group of prepubescent kids could find themselves in when left to their own devices. One day, they'd have to buy Laxus a gift as an apology for all the grief he'd suffered as their gramps-appointed baby sitter.

No longer ashamed of his need for pain killers and other medications, Gray pulled out a small wooden pill box, emptying it out into his hand and taking them all as Cana passed him his water. She normally wouldn't draw any attention to them, knowing it wasn't something he liked to talk about, but she couldn't help but to observe how few he'd taken just now.

"Has your prescriptions changed again?"

This wouldn't be the first time she'd seen an adjustment in his doses. Instead of being sensitive about it, Gray actually seemed pleased she'd noticed.

"A lot of the pain's eased up since a month ago. The phantom pain's all but gone, just a few flare ups now and then. Porlyusica says a lot of that was stress related. My heart's gotten stronger, too. I've still gotta take beta blockers and other stuff, but the doses are lower now. I don't even need sedatives to fall asleep anymore," he grinned.

A month ago. When they'd conducted the Milky Way spell, allowing him to make peace with his long dead mom. Cana still choked up at times thinking about that highly emotional reunion, but she was so grateful for how much things have improved for him since then.

When the time came to pay, Cana was reaching for her wallet when Gray stopped her.

"Put your money away. I invited you out here."

"Ha! The way I heard, it was I who offered to take you out. Besides, I still owe you for getting me out of that cleaning detail."

Absent-mindedly flexing and rubbing his fingers, he shrugged and pointed out, "You helped me find my way out here. I also need your help leading me out of this place. You don't owe me a thing."

"But you haven't been on missions for so long. I know you have savings, but there's no way you're still living on interests alone."

Quirking an eyebrow, he declared, "Guess you haven't heard," before pulling out his wallet, passing it over to her. Curious, she took it, immediately noticing its bulk, before peering inside. Her eyes bugged out.

"Holy shit!"

Fortunately, most of the brunch crowd had thinned by then, and those that remained knew better than to take offense when two of the more famous members of their guild made a scene, knowing they could be discussing matters of utmost importance. Still, Cana noticed the wary and curious looks coming their way, and lowered her voice as she asked, "Tell me you didn't withdraw your life savings to go on a whirlwind tour of all the Akane Resort casinos. Cuz if so, I want in on it."

"Hmph! If only it was that. I actually need to stop by the bank to deposit it on the way back, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. But get with the story. Why do you have enough to pay my dorm fees for the next few years?"

Lowering his voice, he answered, "It just keeps showing up! This is the third installment. A representative from Crocus showed up a few weeks back, saying they were sent to deliver a Circumstantial Quest reward."

"Circumstantial reward? The guild's gotten a few of those, like when we got compensated for the Alvarez War. Those are only given out when someone accomplishes a major exploit that wasn't designated an official quest. But it's pretty rare for an individual mage to get one."

It wasn't hard to see how uncomfortable Gray felt about this topic, and she was able to quickly infer why that would be the case.

"This is about… the events in the east."

That was how everyone referred to what happened to him now. No one ever brought up the specifics around him, especially the name of the man who instigated it. It was simply the "events in the east" or "the Incident" to those in the know, now.

"The Magic Council held a special inquiry of all that happened, and made a ruling that, since I'd dealt with 'what would have inevitably become a national threat of far-reaching consequences', it was only just and fair that my efforts be appreciated," he finished with slight annoyance.

"I'm surprised they didn't make a big deal about it. Something like that would normally be all over the national papers."

"Yeah, the king was all for that, but Gramps took care of that nonsense. It also helps that the Council didn't want it getting out just how f*cked we all truly were, while they'd never even caught wind of any of it until it was all over. Got the public trust to consider."

"Stupid politics. No wonder Master ignores their summons all the time."

"That's nothing new. He's been doing that long before they gave the responsibility of running the Council to all the saints."

"True. So, third installment?"

"Mmm hmm. I get to look forward to a whole freakin year of these weekly visits from Crocus."

"Just how much are we talking here? They can't just send it all at once?"

"... They're not too confident about sending over five hundred million jewels across the kingdom by a single courier."

…

"That's… that's almost 10,000,000 jewels a week."

"That it is. That doesn't even include the royalties," he replied with a grim nod.

"What do you mean royalties?"

"Freakin action figures! Apparently my image was pretty popular in the east last Christmas. A lot of it wasn't licensed, so I didn't even know about it until Juvia sent me a damn care package full of merchandise. I wanted to make them stop selling that crap, but Lyon talked to Max about it, and he called up some of his marketing friends. They sued for past royalties on my behalf, and now I get a stack of cash from that once a month. I'm about ready to hire Max as my accountant and let him deal with this nonsense."

Cana was speechless. That amount of money was almost obscene. But she supposed with all the potential lives saved, it wasn't unwarranted. But still…

"... I'm liking more and more the idea of blowing it all at Akane Resort."

That made him laugh, and his tension eased. As tempting as the prospect sounded, Gray was still trying to wrap his mind around what he could possibly do with that kind of wealth. With careful planning, he'd never have to work again. But that just wasn't who he was. He didn't want to be frivolous with it either. He'd almost refused it outright upon that first delivery, but Lyon was adamant that he deserved every jewel for all he'd suffered from that incident. He'd only relented after Lyon agreed to accept compensation for all the rent he'd still paid for his unoccupied apartment back in Margaret Town, and to continue to do so for as long as he remained living in Gray's home. That was barely a drop in the bucket, but it made him feel better.

"If you want, I'll treat you to a spa weekend there. Maybe take the whole gang with us. That is if Natsu can behave himself."

"I don't know. Doesn't seem right for you to foot the bill when you can't even enjoy all the perks. You wouldn't even be able to go outside for long."

Cana was being considerate, knowing how Gray was unable to withstand warmer temperatures due to his injuries. He still wasn't keen on the idea of allowing strangers to see his many scars from the incident either, nor could he expose the skin grafts to direct sunlight anyway, so going out in beachwear was never going to happen.

It would remain unmentioned that she, along with everyone else, would never allow him to go to such a crowded, uncontrollable environment when there was an unidentifiable killer still after him, and he wasn't even aware he was in danger.

"I don't care about that. I'm happy if you guys can enjoy yourselves."

"What if we waited until the summer, when it's warmer. It's not even spring yet. Resorts aren't fun when the weather sucks."

Stall tactics engaged.

"It'll be harder for me to stay cool then."

"Wouldn't Lyon be invited? He's part of the gang, too."

Smiling in appreciation at the thought that Lyon's been so readily accepted and embraced by all his friends, he answered, "Of course I'd make him come. But I don't want to have to drag him around everywhere I go. And besides… there's no guarantee he'll still be here by the summer."

Cana was surprised by that. Everyone's gotten so used to his presence, the thought never even occurred that he'd one day leave. He was practically a member of their guild.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing serious. Just that, this was never a thing that would last forever. He has his own life, that he's put on hold long enough. Before, I needed help adjusting to my new life, and I couldn't be on my own for so long. But I'm better now. I've adapted. I can navigate around my house just fine, and find my way to the guild or the market, or to other places that I visit frequently. And I have you guys. You'll always be there for me."

She'd always admired the faith he had in his friends. But she could tell there was something there, some kind of hesitance, like he didn't quite believe everything he'd just said. And she could guess what that could be.

"Has he been giving any hints that he's been wanting to go home?"

"No. I don't think so. But he's got to miss his friends, and going on real missions, real adventures. I don't want to keep holding him back."

There it was. Totally called it.

"That's a pretty mature attitude to have. I'ma call your bullshit now. It's okay to be reluctant to let him go. He's been a major part of your life all this time. But he chose to be there. You're not forcing him to do anything he doesn't want to do. But what I want to know is, how do you feel about being left alone?"

"I try not to think about that, but I'm pretty sure that's one of the things keeping him here."

"Stop doing that! You're not a burden that's making us put our lives on hold. We choose to do what we do because that's who we are. Our guild's famous for the willingness of our members to die for each other. What the Hell's wrong with living for each other, too?"

Knowing he'd lost this argument, rightfully so, he yielded to her wisdom as he signaled a passing server for the bill. Sensing Cana's hesitation in wanting to ask him something that might embarrass him, he quickly assured her that he had indeed meant to tip their waitress as much as he had.

They now walked as before, his hand to her arm, the red tip of his cane swishing back and forth before them. It would be a short walk to the nearest branch of his bank, just a few blocks, then across the bridge which spanned the canal. The noise of construction grew steadily louder, and the increase in foot traffic from the few rerouted paths which now converged where they were headed brought with it a rise in distracting conversations and other sounds which made it difficult to tell one way from another. Cana was a firm and steady presence by his side the whole time.

As they came to the end of the last block, Cana spotted a line of trucks carrying heavy equipment coming down the road. She chose to wait it out, describing the source of the cacophony to Gray so he wouldn't grow wary of all the strange sounds around him. Just as the last truck was passing by, he could barely pick up the sound of someone running straight towards them from behind.

Cana was checking both sides of the road for anymore oncoming traffic, and didn't notice the approaching runner. Tugging on her arm gently, he proceeded to pull her a bit to the side to let the runner pass, but his courtesy was rewarded with shock and pain as the runner somehow managed to smash right into them, causing him to release his hold on Cana.

Gray hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him, his cane heard scraping and clattering across the cobblestone. The man who'd run into them had also landed on top of Gray, and was seemingly feeling around for purchase in order to pick himself up. Curses and shouts of indignation were coming from all around, none as loud as from Cana, who had rolled with the fall, and was already on her feet.

"Watch where you're going, you moron! How can you just ram right into someone like that?!"

"My bad! I'm in a big hurry. I really need to go. Sorry!"

More words and angry shouts were exchanged, some from passers by, who had seen what happened, and were angry for Gray as well.

But he couldn't take the time to feel embarrassed or awkward at the blatant sympathies he knew he received because of his obvious disability, too focused was he on what they couldn't possibly know. Because of his reliance on his other senses, in this case, his tactile awareness, he'd known right away when strange hands were touching him. But by the time he'd caught his breath enough to push himself up, too angered to care that his sunglasses were sliding off as he rose, Cana had finished her reprimand in time to assist him to his knees.

Noticing the fierce anger in his visage, she tried to calm him down, saying, "It's alright. Just some jackass in too big of a hurry to—"

"—The f*cker stole my wallet!"

"What!? Oh Hell no!" Looking back up, she caught sight of the thief, still at a steady jog. "Wait right here. I won't be long!"

The thief, about to cross the bridge when he looked back to see his victims, knew right away that he'd been found out. He increased his jog into a sprint, making it a few hurried steps over the bridge when he suddenly found himself surrounded by white. He smashed into what seemed like an invisible barrier, pain exploding on his face as his nose was smashed in. Vision clearing, the thief looked all around, finding only a vast whiteness, accept for what appeared to be the clear blue sky right in front of him. He pushed in vain, unable to break out of his mysterious prison.

He was startled when a giant woman appeared, that blind guy's companion. He had nowhere to run, no way to escape the giant's clutches as he crouched down into a cowardly ball, screaming in terror as he suddenly felt an intense sense of vertigo. Was the giant about to eat him?!

Outside of the card prison, Cana was crouching down, picking up the card in which she'd captured the thief, glad that the jerk had dropped Gray's wallet in his haste to escape. At least she wouldn't have to release the guy to retrieve it now. She chuckled as she slipped the card into a pocket, hearing quiet, distant-sounding screams coming from within the tiny prison. Yes, it was indeed fortunate that she could keep the thief imprisoned for a little while longer, just long enough for the authorities to take him off their hands.

"Sir! Are you alright? Somebody call for help! I think he's having a seizure!"

Cana was moving hurriedly, pushing the gathering onlookers out of the way, caring little for how rude she may seem. All she cared about was that Gray still hadn't risen from his kneeling position on the cobblestone walkway, and, surrounded as he now was, he wasn't making a sound.

She pushed her way through the last few gawkers, finding what she'd feared: Gray curled onto his side, drenched in a cold sweat, hyperventilating, his eyes glazed over, his whole body trembling in abject fear. A woman was crouched over him, being the exact opposite of helpful as she kept laying her hands on him. Hold up! Some of those touches were definitely more invasive than necessary!

"Get the Hell away from him!" she cried.

"Please, I know what I'm doing. I took a first aid course. I can already tell he's breathing fine, so now I need to check for any bleeding. Sir, can you tell me what day it is?"

"Oh for f*cks sakes!" With no patience for the woman's desire to play the hero with her overestimated medical skills—the idiot thought hyperventilation was apparently okay, and didn't she just say he was having a seizure?!— she pushed her out of the way, kneeling by his side, but not laying a finger on him. As soon as those hands were gone, Gray's breathing slowly began to calm.

"What does just sitting there accomplish?! He could have a concussion or something!" cried the wanna-be medic.

Having enough of the bullshit, she turned to glare at the woman, practically hissing in a low whisper as she admonished her.

"First off, you only ask a victim the date or whatever if you're specially trained to deal with head trauma. What the Hell would you have done if he'd given the wrong answer, anyway? Secondly, did your first aid course teach you how to deal with panic attacks? Did it cover how not to exacerbate the victim's anxiety by invading their personal space, and to know how to tell when you're causing more harm?"

"Well it would help if he'd talk or make eye contact or something!" the woman huffed.

"He's blind, you stupid cow! Did the scars not clue you in? And why does no one ever notice the f*cking cane?!"

Gray's breathing hitched, Cana's suddenly loud, incredulous words causing him to panic anew.

"See?!" cried the woman, "He's in pain. He's probably injured somewhere. Let me help!"

The woman was reaching for him again when Cana grabbed her wrist, her firm grip impossible to break as the foolish girl tried to get her way. Returning to a harsh whisper, Cana finished her impromptu first aid lesson.

"How about I teach you the part where you allow the victim's friends to handle it, cuz they've dealt with these attack's before, and understand the underlying causes of them, and to believe they know what the Hell they're talking about when they tell you to get the Hell away?! First aid is all about preventing further harm until help arrives, not about giving you your chance to shine. Now back. The f*ck. Off."

Shame-faced, the woman retreated, and Cana was now free to watch over Gray as he worked his way through this anxiety attack. Meeting the eyes of several individuals who were still too curious for their own good, she waved them off, causing others to get the hint and pull their friends away. Gray's trembling lessened by degrees as he was able to perceive the looming presences were moving away. She began to speak quietly to him, starting off with the key phrase that Lucy and Erza both made sure all the women within their group knew would trigger a favorable response.

"Gray, it's okay now… It's just me."

Now open to hearing everything else she was quietly saying to him, he took in each word, following them to their source, the fog he'd been trapped in slowly evaporating as he became more aware. Still tense, he tried to focus his gaze towards what he now understood to be Cana's voice, and said, "She wouldn't listen."

Crestfallen, Cana delicately pointed out, "Gray, you didn't make a sound."

She was careful in her wording, knowing not to say that he'd said nothing. Because he did speak. He just hadn't realized that his voice wasn't cooperating right now. Woe be to anyone who couldn't tell the difference.

Closing his eyes tightly, he looked very dejected at his having once again lost his voice due to some kind of trauma. This has happened off and on in the last month, usually during times of high stress or immediately following a flashback or anxiety attack. Psychogenic mutism, Wendy had called it. He did what he could to reign in his unease and doubt, the struggle physically exhausting him.

After some time, his breathing finally returned to normal, and Cana could hear him give off a few weak croaks and whimpers as he tried to speak again. There were still some bystanders milling about, some just curious, others genuinely concerned, but knowing now to stay away. She looked around, spotting a bench not too far off. It might help these people stop staring if they weren't kneeling in the middle of the path, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to get him off the ground.

"Gray, there's a bench just off the sidewalk, a few paces away. Do you think you can make it there? There's plenty of guys standing around. I can ask one of them for help if you need it."

He was quick to shake his head no, reaching a quivering hand out, finding her arm and grasping it weakly, letting her know she now had his permission to touch him.

"Okay. We'll take it slowly. Alright? I'm gonna take you arm now…" She continued like this, calmly talking him through every move she made as she helped him rise, grabbing his cane and sunglasses on the way up, then guiding him to the bench. He leaned heavily against her shoulder as they stumbled across the path, until they were both seated, winded but able to rest now.

Folding the cane before placing it next to him with an audible clack, she reassured, "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

Receiving a nod of gratitude, she sat back and watched as he collected himself. Now that the crisis was over, the foot traffic was beginning to flow like normal, with any who had witnessed that display now gone, replaced by an endless stream of oblivious pedestrians. The sounds of continuous movement, as opposed to the oppressive silence that emerged when multitudes were watching your every move, must have been lulling him into a calm. The panic had now passed.

"... She wouldn't listen."

"The woman." It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a confirmation that she'd heard. Just a quiet nudge to continue, allowing him to control the conversation.

"I didn't need help. I wasn't hurt. She wouldn't listen to me. She kept insisting. Kept… I don't remember what happened. I felt her touch me… and…"

Cana felt sad for his needless sense of shame. It wasn't his fault that he'd yet to conquer his fear of a woman's uninvited touch. Everyone had tried not to raise their expectations too high after he'd been reunited with his mom, able to release a darkness that had been left within him after what that son of a bitch had done to him. He'd healed in so many ways since then, the most obvious being in the return of his voice. But even though he'd finally been able to reconcile with the fact that it hadn't been his real mother in that chamber with him, the creature that had tortured him so brutally had still been in the form of a woman. That trauma just wouldn't go away so quickly.

But she and everyone else had understood that going in. They'd known that not everything would go back to normal right away. It was enough, for now, to see the bit of progress he made each passing day. If there were setbacks, he wouldn't suffer them alone.

Not sure how much he really wanted to continue, Cana brought out his wallet, touching it to his hand, which he turned over to receive it. She tried not to stare at the scars on that side, glad he'd closed his fingers around that well-stuffed billfold of over-stretched leather as he murmured a quiet "Thank you".

Falling into a strained silence, she watched as he grasped his wallet tightly while he rubbed that hand with the other one. Had he actually hurt himself and was trying to hide the injury? But she'd noticed him doing that before, as they were eating. Before she could ask about it, he opened his wallet, feeling within an inner pocket, and not trying to count his money like she'd thought he would do. He breathed a sigh of relief when he'd found what he was looking for: a folded up piece of paper.

"What is that?" she wondered, since he seemed to value it more than the stack of cash.

He handed it to her, and she unfolded it to reveal a crayon rendered drawing of him and Asuka, his cat Joy, sporting fairy wings, sitting on top of her cowboy hat. She remembered listening as Asuka had described every detail, then watching as Gray folded it, tucking it into his wallet to keep with him always. It was one of his favorites. No wonder he was so pissed about his wallet being stolen, because she'd known he'd never cared about the money.

She looked up to see him methodically counting out a select number of jewels, and trying to hand it to her.

"You put that right back. I don't need it."

"Neither do I. Besides, it's the standard rate for retrieving a lost item. You earned it."

"I know inflation's been growing since the war, but that's like ten times the usual rate. I also know you're obsessively organized, and that you know exactly how much you're trying to give me."

"I tip well."

"All I did was chase the guy down and throw a card at him."

"It's more than I was able to do."

…

"... It's probably my fault you became a mark."

Seeing his confusion, she continued.

"I wasn't exactly subtle when I saw all that cash. The thief probably heard and saw everything. I should have been more discreet."

"You didn't make him target me."

"Neither did you."

"Yeah, I'm sure this damned cane isn't a f*cking neon sign saying 'easy victim' to any would-be thief looking for a quick score," he lamented, dropping the cash on the bench beside her and picking up the cane in question, about to continue when he felt along the shafts, finding a deep, splintered crack along one of them. "F*ckin perfect."

"Don't worry about that. We can have Laki make you a new one when we get back to the guild. And that guy only targeted you because he thought you were weak, like all cowards do. But you're not weak. I noticed how you tried to pull me aside when you heard him approaching. I didn't even notice him coming. And I know for a fact that if he'd tried attacking you outright, you would have sensed his intentions and kicked his ass, no problem. He had to pull a stupid stunt to try to get one over you, but you knew right away what he did. I wouldn't have caught him without you."

That seemed to mollify him a little, and they sat in silence a bit longer, allowing frayed nerves to ease, all the remaining tension draining away, as if carried aloft by the cool breeze Gray could feel flitting through his hair. The temperature had steadily become warmer throughout the week, heralding the arrival of spring in a few more days. Through this quiet peace, they could now discern a muffled, high pitched whine, coming from within Cana's pocket.

"Oh, right. We've still got this loser to take care of."

"There's a police substation not too far from the bank, across the street and four buildings down, by a magazine kiosk."

…

…

"You have to know where the police substation is?"

"No, the magazine kiosk. It's the only place in town that sells Braille edition newsprint and magazines."

"Oh. … Fancy something new to read?"

Finally getting a grin out of him, she gave him back his sunglasses, which he donned right away, and begrudgingly took the cash, knowing it made him feel better giving it to her, and waited as he slipped his broken cane into a cargo pocket before reaching his hand out. He didn't even flinch as she guided it to her arm, and she was patient as he listed all the extra things she needed to look out for since he couldn't find them on his own now. This whole morning had been rather enlightening and educational for her.

A short walk found them at the bank. The bankers were happy to bend over backwards to accommodate Gray: Leading him into a private office, offering coffee or tea, making sure a male associate was available. Cana hid her smile at the scoff he gave at the preferential treatment, but she wasn't going to complain about the shot of whiskey the bank manager offered to put into her coffee. At least his amicability seemed genuine, and not motivated by the influx of cash Gray would be leaving with them.

Afterwards, they'd had to sit around for over an hour for the police to take their statement, their desire to help hurried along after Cana, fed up with the wait, simply deposited the perp on top of the sergeant's desk. The wait wasn't a total loss. The length of time spent in the tiny card stock cell was enough to make the man quite willing to make a full confession. Anything to get away from that "crazy, maniacal woman!" Not her fault she liked to shuffle cards when she was bored. At least Gray had a newspaper to keep him occupied. He'd even offered to read it to her, though not without a hint of teasing in his eyes. That was nice to see again.

Such was on her mind as they were walking back to the guild, when she'd noticed him fisting his free hand off and on, and rubbing them together whenever they came to a stop.

"You've been rubbing your hands all day. Did something happen to them?"

"It's nothing. Just… I don't Gesture all that much anymore. Just a couple times a week with Asuka, or whenever my brain decides that silence is golden. I have no reason to use my hands as often as before, so they get stiff every once in a while."

"You don't mold clay anymore?"

"I can't just sit around all day doing arts and crafts, and simply squeezing a ball of clay as I walk around doesn't do much for my dexterity."

"Hmm…," was her answer as they meandered through the sparsely populated path towards the guild. They weren't really in a hurry, in case the cleanup detail was still at work. Then, an idea struck. "You can always shuffle cards, maybe practice some sleight of hand tricks."

His eyebrow raised.

"What? I do it all the time. It keeps your hands moving, and you can keep a deck in your pocket. Don't knock it til you try it."

"Guess it wouldn't hurt."

"See how wise and innovative I can be?"

"I never needed convincing of that."

"Aren't you the charmer?"

"I have my qualities, too."

"And so humble as well."

"Says the wise and innovative one."

"It's about time you got back!" came a voice from the guild, followed by a number of people running towards them. Gray raised his hand in greeting while Cana slowed them to a stop and waited for the speaker, Lucy, to reach them. She was being followed by Levy, Natsu, Erza, and even Lyon, which Cana found curious. Had he been summoned here? Gray had mentioned to her that he'd be busy at home all day. They all looked excited.

"What's going on?" she asked, "If you're gonna rag on us for not showing up to clean, it's not our fault. We got caught up in some nonsense downtown—"

"—It's not that. We have news. Tell them, Levy!" cried Lucy.

All eyes on her, Levy didn't even shrink back at the attention, too thrilled to be unnerved. Gray could hear the eagerness in Lucy's voice, and having Levy there clued him in on one possible reason for the excitement. Could he truly allow himself to feel the hope their actions were suggesting? Was he able to? These musings were driven from his mind by one long-awaited sentence.

"We may have found a way to get your magic back!"

Side note, please read: The first part of this series got nominated for Best Action/Adventure in TheGuildAwards on Tumblr. Please send your votes! You have to sign into google to do so, and your vote can be made anonymously. I would really appreciate your support! Voting begins July 18-August 1!

And thus begins Part Three, the Restoration Arc. It won't be nearly as long as the previous part, but it will most definitely have a lot more action. Stay tuned for the next installment. In fact, hit that fav/follow/subscribe/bookmark tab, and don't miss any updates. And let me know if you enjoyed that bit of Gray & Cana fluff. I admit that I kinda ship them, but I absolutely love their BroTP potential.

As previously mentioned, I will be publishing this story every two weeks, instead of my previous weekly schedule. Because life. Hopefully I won't forget which week it is.

In case you missed it, there is a one shot collection tied to Part Two of this series, called "Quiet Moments". Written for Flufftober, each one shot features a short vignette that happens throughout the Recovery arc. Most agree, they really add to the overall experience, so if you haven't read it yet, please check it out, and leave a review if you enjoy them. It'll be a great way to tie you over until the next chapter. Thanks!

Next Chapter: Sealing magic is complicated.