Of Fear And Respect

16

“Hey Ban, did you have an extra one of those?” Meliodas called out, noticing Ban was now wearing a new, non ripped jacket. 
“Na I picked a new one up from town” Ban smirked back.
“Stole you mean” Gowther corrected. The group of Sins had arrived back at the tavern and had begun to cook their meals for the night. Cain was still there when they returned. 
“Mind your manners Hawk” Diane scolded the pig.
“I think it’s bad manners to sit like that,” Elizbeth pointed out. Gracie couldn’t help but scoff.
“She’s a Giant. Cut her some slack. It's not like she has much room to begin with. How else is she supposed to sit and be comfortable?” She snapped. 
“Come on Gracie. I’m sure Elizabeth didn’t mean it like that” Diane dismissed. The Wolf Sin simply rolled her eyes before walking away from the pair.
“Gracie, come say bye to Cain” Meliodas called out to her. She sighed again before following the pair. 
“Stay for a drink?” Meliodas was saying as Gracie arrived.
“Thanks but I won’t trouble you any longer. Seeing you both again is enough” Cain smiled. 
“Alright” Meliodas agreed.
“Also Gracie you seem… different” Cain trailed off. “Almost like you have less emotions than the last time we met” Gracie began to smirk.
“What can I say? Time changes people” The smirk left her face as quickly as it appeared as she walked past the pair and back to the group. “I’ll see you around” Were her final words to him. 

“Gracie, wait up!” Meliodas shouted, chasing after her. 
“What?” She asked, noticing Cain had left.
“I was just wondering where you’ve been for the past 5 years.You just vanished without a trace” He laughed.
“It’s what I do best” Her tone was flat. Suddenly his hand grabbed her shoulder as Meliodas turned Gracie to face him.
“What did you do?” His voice was serious. “Cain was right but I thought I was just being paranoid” Instantly his eyes widened as he released her from his grip and took a couple of steps back. “You tried it again didn’t you?” Gracie stayed silent as she turned away and began walking again causing Meliodas to run in front of her and block her path. “Gracie, this is serious. Why did you try it again? Why did you do it knowing it wouldn’t work?” His voice had begun rising until he shouted the final sentence.
“Because I’m tired of this Meliodas!” She shouted back “Three thousand fucking years” Tears started to fill her eyes. “3,000 years without him. I can’t stand it. Every day feels like a year when he’s gone. He was all I had in this world and now he’s gone” Her voice was soft as she spoke her last sentence. 
“I know it hurts but you know what has to be done” He told her. Anger rose through Gracie’s body.
“As much as she dies in front of you, you still have her!” Gracie shouted. Tears fell down her cheeks “You still have her. You get to spend lifetimes with her. Be by her side. Hold her. I can’t even see his face. Feel his presence. Everyday I have a chance to bring him back but I can’t. Because of you” She turned her back on him once more. “You still have her. I have no one. I am and have been alone for 3,000 years” Gracie reminded him before walking away and back to the group. Meliodas stood alone for a moment and sighed.
“I’m sorry Gracie” But his words were unheard as the girl continued to walk further away.

By the time Gracie had returned the others were all gathered around Gowther. She walked over to the table and grabbed a bottle of Ale before standing next to the bench.
“Hey guys. Gracie has the right idea. Let’s get drunk to celebrate” Meliodas cheered from behind the other Sins. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the table while everyone split off into their own conversations. She closed her eyes for a moment. Gracie took a deep breath as the memories filled her head. 
“Not long now Gracie. Not long at all” The voice laughed. Her eyes instantly shot open. Not long? Those two words repeated themselves in her head for what felt like forever.
“Not long now” She whispered to herself. 
“Gracie” A voice spoke, sitting themselves down next to her.
“What do you want, Meliodas?” She asked.
“I don’t know why I didn’t ask sooner but what happened 10 years ago? Where did you go?” He questioned. Gracie sighed, placing the bottle on the table.
“After killing the knights I went to the meetup spot but no one was there and as you know I don’t wait around.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. Meliodas sighed.
“Yeah I should’ve guessed that” He softly laughed. 
“Anyway no one was there so I went home” She shrugged. Meliodas’s eyes widened. 
“You went home” His voice had become deeper. “Why would you do that?” 
“I had nowhere else to go. We were wanted criminals” Was all she responded with. Silence filled the air for a minute. Neither one took their eyes off the table. 
“What made you come back?” Meliodas finally asked. This time it was Gracie’s turn to sigh as she placed the bottle on the table, keeping her hands wrapped around it.
“I couldn’t stand being there without him. The darkness, quietness. The whole place was just…” The words never came out. Meliodas looked at her. Her eyes were still on the table but they were glossy. 
“That was when you did it wasn’t it?” He pushed. Another sigh then to Meliodas’s surprise followed by a small laugh.
“Well there’s no point trying to deny it” She laughed. “Then I got bored and decided to go bug the Weird Fangs, let them think they were stronger than me. Kinda funny hearing them brag about defeating and capturing two of the Eight Deadly Sins” She explained.
“Wait so you didn’t know Ban was there?” A small smile appeared on his face.
“No. Not until after I was put in a cell with spikes stuck through my body” She casually added. Meliodas couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Their conversation was soon cut off by Ban who had grabbed Gowther.
“Hey guys you won't believe this, our buddy Gowther here was actually able to pick out King here by his B.O” Ban laughed. Gracie couldn’t help but laugh along with him.
“Along with his bone structure and tone,” Gowther added.
“Really?” Diane questioned. 
“You recognised him by his smell?” Elizabeth confirmed. 
“I’m curious, let's all have a smell” Ban laughed, grabbing King and pulling him into range. Gracie stood next to Meliodas and watched as 4 different people began to smell the Fairy. 
“Kinda sickly sweet” Ban complained
“Like flowers” Hawk was easily impressed.
“It smells so familiar” Diane mumbled. Gracie’s eyes looked up at her as she took another sip of her drink. Her mind began piecing things together. 
“It's what the fairy king should smell like,” Elizabeth pointed out. Gracie watched as King’s face began to turn red.
“Guys knock it off. If you keep crowding me I might..” It was too late. King had transformed, along with the faces of the others.
“Now he smells kinda sour,” Ban pointed out.
“Like sweaty socks,” Hawk added.
“It’s not that bad guys you must be imagining things,” King argued.
“This one smells familiar too,” Diane repeated. King instantly went red and depressed.
“Gross man” Ban and Gracie laughed.
“Don’t let them get to you Sir King” Elizabeth smiled at him. 
“What’s the big idea ganging up on me?” King shouted at Gowther.
“I didn’t do anything to you,” Gowther defended. 
“Of course you did. You started this mess so you need to clean it up!” King demanded. Gowther shrugged his shoulders.
“Very well” Was all he said. As he did, different light arrows shot out and hit Diane and Ban in the neck. 
“Diane, you claim to be nearly 29 feet tall when you know you’re actually closer to 30” He announced. Gracie winced at the truth bomb as Diane quickly sat up and turned red. “The fudging of your weight is even more severe” He was soon cut off by Diane's fists hurling towards him. 
“What is wrong with you Gowther! Why do you have to be so mean a lady’s allowed some secrets you know!” She cried out with every punch. 
“What’s the point in lying about a foot when you’re as tall as she is?” Meliodas asked. Gracie face palmed at his stupid remark.
“It’s not ‘cute’ for a girl to be tall” She sighed
“Gracie’s right. You’re a boy so you wouldn’t understand” Elizabeth also told him. Gowther poked his head up from the hole he was in.
“As for you Ban. During the battle with the Vampires in Edinburgh 12 years ago you got rather unreasonably drunk with Gracie” He spoke.
“Yeah we got drunk” Gracie shrugged.
“And refused to join the mission. We said we were sorry” Ban added.
“Plus I dealt with one of them” Gracie muttered to herself with a huge grin on her face. 
“What you both didn’t apologise for was using physical hunt to steal away King and Diane’s power or for laughing at them as you watched them both struggle” Gowther finished. Both Gracie and Ban spat out their drinks. Gracie turned to the side to see Meliodas looking at her unamused. While Ban had to face Diane and King. 
“So that’s why I felt weak all of a sudden” Diane spoke.
“That was you?” King asked. 
“Come on it was a long time ago forgi-” He was cut off by Diane crushing him to death.
“Are you watching Elaine? This is the guy you’re gonna spend the rest of your second life with” Gracie laughed to herself. As she did, a small gust of wind blew past her as another small cold patch touched her shoulder. She could only smile at the touch. “Love huh. Turns you into an idiot” She whispered. 
“It wasn’t our finest moment but I don’t deserve this,” Ban argued.
“You’re right,” Gowther agreed. His head then turned to look at Gracie. “Gracie,” He said. His glasses were glowing while a light bolt stuck out of the Wolf Sins neck. “That ring you’re wearing is more than just a sacred treasure ring” He started. Gracie’s look instantly went to Meliodas who shared an equally concerned look. Meliodas knew what would happen if Gowther spoke his name. Gracie focused her mind and blocked out the name and face. “It’s an engagement ring. I can’t make out a name or a face but it was given by someone you had strong feelings for and for a very long time too” Gowther paused for a moment while the others looked at Gracie. “These feelings of love are still present” He finished. Gracie gritted her teeth and launched herself at Gowther. An attack that was caught at the last second by Meliodas. 
“Gowther, you need to stop now,” He warned. His voice was deep and serious. Meliodas held Gracie by the waist. He could feel her anger growing by the second. Gowther turned to Meliodas.
“It seems like the Captain knew him on a personal level. You used to be very close” Gowther continued. Meliodas could feel the bloodlust from Gracie. He kept hold of her while she looked at the ground. Her hair was covering her face. The Sins couldn’t see it but Meliodas knew. He knew that her Demon side was taking over. Her eyes had changed to a dark colour and she was fighting back the mark on her forehead. 
“Gowther, that’s enough!” Meliodas shouted. Gracie was breathing heavily as she desperately tried to fight the evil within.
“That would explain why no one is allowed to touch it,” Gowther added before King’s Chastiefol covered his mouth. Meliodas finally let go of Gracie and watched as she walked inside to be alone.
“Lady Gracie” Elizabeth called out as she began to run after her. Meliodas quickly put an arm out and stopped her.
“Don’t” He spoke. “Leave her to calm down. I’ll check on her later” Meliodas told them all. There was a small silence that filled the air as everyone processed what had happened. 
“Do you think we could meet the guy she’s engaged to?” Diane asked with a hopeful smile on her face. Meliodas refused to look at her. He kept his eyes on Gracie who was sitting at the bar.
“Hopefully you’ll never have to meet him,” Meliodas told them.
“Why not?” Diane asked again.
“You don’t want to know” Was all he responded with. The silence returned.
“Sir Meliodas?” Elizabeth spoke, breaking the silence and causing everyone to look at her. “Back at Vaizel you said Lady Gracie was practically your sister. Is she really your sister?” She asked, catching everyone's attention. Meliodas sighed as he looked at the group.
“Her fiance….. Is my brother” Meliodas confessed.