Lucy sniffed, wiping away the tears on her cheeks angrily as she fixed her gown. Zen and Haru stood beside her with Gajeel in front of her, acting as her bodyguard, while the rest of her gang were scattered everywhere. She heard the soft music play and from this distance, she saw Kurohebi smirk in the crowd, not at her but to himself. She gritted her teeth furiously, torn between hating him or herself.

"Stupid! You had to break up with Jellal, didn't you? Idiot!"Lucy yelled in her mind, clenching her fists as she forced herself to remain calm. There was no point in getting angry over her breakup with Jellal; it was herfault that she couldn't bring herself to pick him rather than the gang. It was her fault that she decided to just pick the two. It was her fault that he felt like she didn't love him. They broke up because of her indecisive self. She wanted to pound her head on a wall and crawl under a rock.

"Lucy, relax," Zen told her, smiling sadly, "Everything will be fine."

"It's my entire fault," She whispered in agony, lips quivering, "I... I was too uncertain! If I chose him... then-then maybe he would be here right now, telling me how much he loved me, telling me that he was right here beside me," A hiss escaped her lips when a pang went straight through her heart, "I... I miss him."

Haru sighed, "I knew it was wrong for you to fall in love. But who am I to stop you from loving him?"

"His friends are here," Virgo appeared behind Lucy, her voice in a low whisper, "I don't see your lover anywhere, Princess. However, I don't see Gray Fullbuster as well. You may punish me if you want to."

"No need, Virgo," Lucy sighed, closing her eyes shut as she remembered her fight with Jellal. Her jaw tensed and she licked her lips dryly, "Just inform me if anyone's causing a ruckus or if you see someone act suspicious. On the other hand, if you do see Jellal..." She swallowed thickly, "Tell me."

Virgo bowed and crossed her arm over her chest, "As you wish, Princess."

Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest, looking over his shoulder to stare at Lucy, "Looks like Jellal's not going to appear. Sorry about that, Lucy-sama."

"It's not your fault," Lucy muttered and she groaned, "This is frustrating. When will the ball start?"

"Soon, I think," Haru said, smiling apologetically, "There are a few technical difficulties so they're still fixing it. Don't worry, I don't see any of the gangs acting rash. In fact, they're all behaving quite peacefully."

Lucy tucked her hair behind her ears, "Don't be so sure, we can't just relax because they're behaving well. That must be their plan; they want us to lower our guard."

"Maybe," Zen said, shrugging, "But then again, we're not sure so we'll do it half-half."

"Alright then, so be it," Haru said, smiling slyly, "Half-half."

Lucy sighed, "Idiots."

"Welcome to my daughter's eighteenth birthday!"

The blonde leader's ears perked and everyone turned their attention towards a woman in her late thirties who stood on the altar. She had long brown curls and dark green eyes. She wore a midnight blue strapless dress that covered her ankles. The dress had a sweetheart neckline and a white ribbon around the torso, puffing out the top part of the dress. Her arms were accommodated by blue gloves that strode past her elbows, acting as sleeves. Around her neck was a diamond necklace that caught every gangster's eye.

Lucy hummed in approval, watching the woman with amused eyes, "It's like she wants her necklace to be stolen."

"Don't be like that," Zen reprimanded, "She doesn't even know that there are gangs at her daughter's birthday party."

"I know," Lucy said, smiling wryly, "Well, let's listen to what she's going to say."

"I thank everyone for coming here," The woman spoke in fluent English, making a few Japanese people stare at her in confusion. She giggled softly and she tapped the microphone in front of her, "I'm sorry, I forgot that not everyone here knows how to speak in English. Thank you everyone for coming here, I am Éclair Diana Gwinnett the third," She smiled, "I don't know most of the people here, some are just friends of my daughter, Aurora Irene Gwinnett."

Haru leaned over to whisper in Lucy's ear, "They have royal names, fit for heiresses."

"As if my name isn't like that, my name's longer, actually."

"Really? I didn't know. What's your full name?"

"Maria Reia Lucille C. Heartfilia," Lucy mumbled, groaning, "It's too long for my liking."

Zen hummed in amusement, "What does your initial stand for?"

"Celeste."

"Then that means that before your mother married Jude-sama, her name was Layla Celeste," Gajeel grinned, "That's sick."

Lucy rolled her eyes, nevertheless, she smirked, "Sure, it is. Now, shut up and listen to Diana."

"Roger that."

"Irene doesn't socialize much despite of her hundreds of friends," Diana said, laughing nervously, "But we invited a few well-known groups for her birthday so that she could learn to like you all. Beware though, she's a tiger."

Lucy sighed, "She didn't have to invite criminals to her daughter's eighteenth birthday though."

"It wasn't her fault that she didn't know," Haru said, shrugging, "Let them be, we're here anyway."

"So, introductions are finished. I'm sorry that the ball didn't begin as soon as we thought it would but now that the technical difficulties are dealt with," Diana grinned and she spread her arms, "Let's dance!"

Lucy smirked as Haru bowed in front of her, "May I have this dance?"

"Sure," The blonde shrugged nonchalantly, taking Haru's hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor. She placed her hand on his shoulder while he placed his on her waist, the other two hands intertwining with each other. They started to dance across the floor, keeping an eye on the gangs scattered amongst the crowd at the same time.

"This isn't as easy as I thought it would be," Haru mumbled, eyes darting over to some girl to Lucy, "Be careful, Lucy-sama."

"I'm always careful," She replied smoothly, allowing herself to be spun by the white-haired man. She landed in his arms and her heart throbbed, aching for Jellal's touch rather than his. She pressed her lips together, "Maybe you were right after all..."

Haru's eyebrow rose, "Hm?"

"Maybe you were right about me falling in love," Lucy said, laying her forehead on his shoulder, "Maybe I shouldn't have allowed myself to fall in love. I shouldn't have made such a strong connection..."

"Now, don't regret everything," He said, smiling sadly, "I'm sure he still loves you, you just have to apologize and you'll be kissing him again in no time."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked, sniffing.

Haru laughed, "With my past experience with Elie, I'm sure."

"I wish he was here to see me kill though," The leader grunted in frustration, "The bastard didn't want me to attend this ball. He claimed that I would get myself killed with this gang war. Che, he hasn't seen me go all out yet, he hasn't seen the full range of my skill," She smirked, "He'd kill to have me back."

"Sometimes," Haru sighed, "I think you're bi-polar."

"Maybe," Lucy rolled her eyes, "Doesn't matter, I got my confidence back thanks to you."

"I'm touched."

"Yea, you are."

Lucy saw someone run in the crowd and she narrowed her eyes. She heard Zen, who was dancing with Yukino behind her, inhale sharply. "You saw that, didn't you?" Lucy mumbled low enough for them to hear, "It's started."

Haru's lips curled in a coy smile while Zen merely chuckled. Lucy looked away from Haru's eyes, "Virgo."

The said woman appeared behind her, body bent down in a bow. Lucy was spun by Haru one more time and she whispered in the pinkette's ear, "Keep an eye on Kurohebi's gang for me."

"I'm already doing it, Princess," Virgo replied, lips in a pout, "It seems like they're up to something."

"What is it?" Zen asked, leaning over to join the conversation. Yukino looked like she was interested so she decided to join in. From her view, she could see Erza talking to some woman who was in Kurohebi's gang. She frowned at this but remained silent.

Virgo stayed as impassive as ever as she filled in Lucy about what was happening, "They're planning on turning off all the lights before the heiress, Irene Gwinnett, arrives for the toast. It's plainly obvious that they were the cause of the technical difficulties earlier. The Tiger Gang has made no move and the same goes for the other gangs. Kurohebi's gang is the only group that is causing trouble. Watch out for them, Princess."

"They can't escape from my watch," Lucy said, grinning slyly as she poked the necklace around her neck. The pendant was her clock that was usually hidden under her school tie. This time, it was used as a necklace. No one knew why she kept that watch clock with her all the time but no one dared to ask her the reason. She diverted her gaze from her gang to the Student Council and was disappointed to not find the School President. She heaved a sigh, "He really isn't going to show up, is he?"

Haru frowned, "I suppose... but we're never sure. He could be late."

"Jellal's never late," The blonde murmured, "He's really not going to show up."

"Don't be so negative," Yukino said, smiling softly, "He could show up when Irene-san steps on the altar."

Lucy pursed her lips, "Well... maybe."

With that, she turned her gaze to the floor as one thought clouded her mind.

"Jellal... I'm sorry."

"Hurry up! Damn it!"

The bluenette hissed, running his fingers through his hair. He buried his face in his hands, cursing the traffic over and over. He wished that he had left the house earlier. He wanted to apologize to Lucy for being such a jerk since he wanted her to choose between her family and him. That wasn't manly of him and he really needed to apologize. He wanted her back but there was traffic and the cab he was riding in was so slow.

"I'm hurrying it up, sir," The driver said, gulping as he tried to avoid the man's scary aura. He knew that the man was in a hurry but there was traffic and he couldn't go past the speed limit or else he would gain a ticket. "Why are you in a hurry anyway?" He asked.

"I had a fight with my girlfriend," Jellal mumbled, "She's at a ball right now and I have to go there, it's the only way I can apologize to her, considering she didn't reply to any of my texts and didn't answer any of my calls."

"Wow, that's..." The driver smiled sheepishly, "That's hard. Sorry buddy, I'll try to get you to that ball as fast as this cab can take you, okay?"

Jellal nodded, his lips twitching in a small hopeful smile, "Thank you..."

"No problem kiddo, I was in love once too you know," The driver said, grinning as Jellal could only shake his head while smiling, "Whoever that girl is, you have to be with her again."

"I know... that's why I have to hurry up or else something bad will happen," The bluenette muttered in worry, "Please don't ask why, it's hard to explain but if I'm late, something might happen to her and I don't want that."

The driver hummed and nodded, pressing on the gas as the stoplight turned green, "Right, let's get you there fast. You're going to Gwinnet Estate, am I right?"

Jellal nodded and the driver smirked, "We're almost there, don't worry. Just relax and make sure that your tuxedo isn't wrinkled, she wouldn't want to see you in such a state."

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me. I love her so much, I-I can't just let her go because of my mistake," Jellal released a shaky breath, "How much longer?"

"We're at the gates already," The driver said and Jellal heard him gulp in awe as the big gates opened, allowing them inside. The estate was more than big, the bluenette realized. How many football fields was this? Three? Five? Eight? Ten?

"Wow," Jellal whispered, "So big..."

The driver chuckled, "I'm glad I drove you here."

"Yea, right," The bluenette said, laughing along with the black-haired man, "Just please stop in front of the mansion. How much is the ride?"

"Oh no, it's for free."

"Eh?"

The driver grinned slyly, "You're after your lover, I understand the feeling so this ride is for free. Don't worry about it; I'm glad I was able to get you here." He shifted in his seat once the car stopped in front of the mansion so that he was facing the back. He opened the door for Jellal and winked, "Go get her, kiddo."

Jellal blinked and laughed, bumping fists with the brunette, "Thank you, sir." He stepped out of the car and before the door closed, he heard the driver say something.

"You can call me Totomaru."

The moment the door was shut, the cab drove away. Jellal blinked and watched it get smaller and smaller before walking in the mansion while he adjusted his black blazer. He stared at his watch before entering the ball room where people were dancing. Others were chatting with each other. He realized that they weren't holding a glass of wine yet, meaning that they haven't done the toast yet. He immediately searched the crowd for Lucy. There were many blondes in the room but he knew how she looked life with her back facing him, even with her hair tied in a bun.

"There, in the middle of the dance floor!" Jellal saw Lucy dancing with a white-haired man. Virgo and a few of her gang members were behind her, whispering to each other.

His heart skipped when she turned around and he saw what she was wearing for the occasion. She was wearing a red off-shoulder dress that covered her feet with a red sash around the waist part and from the top of her hips to her knees. She wore a silver clock necklace that had a butterfly engraved lid over it - the clock looked familiar - with multiple pearl necklaces dipping down. His heart began beating faster and faster. He was so happy to see her. He was glad that she was fine.

He grinned excitedly, "Lucy-!"

And the lights went out.

Screams and gasps sounded in the room. It took a while before maids lit up the room with candles. There were murmurs in the crowd as Diana stepped up on the altar with a worried face. She cleared her throat, "I'm sorry for the black out, our generators won't work," She yelled, trying to make her voice loud so that everyone heard what she was saying. She clasped her fingers together, "I hope we get this fixed soon, we were supposed to have our toast before my daughter steps out of her room. We don't know why this happened so we'll try to get the lights back on as soon as we can."

Jellal frowned and narrowed his eyes, staring at someone on the second floor just above the altar where Diana stood. His eyes widened when he saw the man run across the hallway and disappear in a room, wearing a wicked smile on his face. He gulped and tried to maneuver in the crowd without pushing anyone - which was nearly impossible. He gritted his teeth when he couldn't find Lucy anymore.

Just before he passed by the snack table, a certain conversation piqued is interest.

"You're going to do it today, understood?"

"Okay, I'll do it."

"You just have to pull the trigger, no biggie. After this, you will have everything you want."

"Yes... Yes, I will."

Jellal's eyes widened once again and he tried to restrain himself from eavesdropping any further. The man's voice was familiar but he didn't know who the woman was. He decided to continue searching for Lucy in the meantime, trying to get rid of the conversation in his head.

"You just have to pull the trigger, no biggie. After this, you will have everything you want."

Jellal's jaw tensed at this. "Were they talking about Lucy? I... I won't let them kill her. I will protect Lucy from them even if it costs me my life." A chill went down his spine as he heard someone scream and he stopped in his footsteps, the sound of bones crushing and a gun fired sounding in his ears.

He covered his mouth in fright as a few more guns were fired. This was it; the gang war had already begun.

Lucy hissed as she drew out her gun, firing at a few people who pointed their guns at her. Their bodies dropped to the floor and she reloaded her gun, looking over her shoulder to stare at Zen and the others. "Hurry up and protect the Student Council and Irene Gwinnett, I'll look for Kurohebi."

"I'm coming with you," Gajeel said, suddenly appearing in front of her. Lucy looked up at him and he returned the favor with hard eyes, "No buts, I won't allow you to just search for him. You're practically walking in a trap if you look for the bastard alone."

"I..." Lucy looked away and clenched her fists, "I know that."

"You damn well know that so don't just go off on your own!" Gajeel barked and he sighed when Lucy glared at him. He raked his fingers through his hair, "Alright, alright, I'm sorry for yelling at you," He tucked his hands in the pockets of his pants, "Let's stop bickering and look for Kurohebi."

"Right..." Lucy mumbled, Jellal's crying face popping in her mind. Her heart squeezed in pain and she fought hard to push back her tears, walking in front of Gajeel, hence, he didn't see her pained face. She saw a flash of blue in the crowd but then she thought she was just imagining it. She licked her lips and just when she was determined to see who the bluenette was, a gun was pointed at her and she sneered.

"Kurohebi." Lucy spat his name like it was venom, her face in a scorn as she glared at him, "Glad to know you could join us."

The man smirked, tilting his head to the side, "Likewise, War Maiden."

Lucy scrunched her nose in disgust and when she saw his finger pull the trigger, she ducked down and grabbed the hand holding the gun, pushing it down. The bullet hit the floor and Lucy gritted her teeth, twisting Kurohebi's arm. The man yelled in agony at the pain the blonde inflicted but smirked when he saw his members creep up behind her.

Gajeel scowled and pulled out his gun, firing it at a woman who was about to shoot Lucy. "No one sneaks up on our leader," He leered in anger, landing a right uppercut to a man who attempted to punch him.

Lucy turned around - while still holding Kurohebi's arm - and drover her elbow into his stomach. The man coughed out blood and Lucy turned around again, raising her leg and driving her heel on the top of his head. Kurohebi quickly moved out of the way, freeing his arm in the process. Lucy's eyes widened in enrage, eyes narrowing into slits as she yelled "EVERYONE DUCK!" and began shooting bullets at Kurohebi who cackled evilly, running across the room.

The room was soon full of sounds of screams and guns firing. Diana told everyone to leave the mansion immediately and wait outside while the gangs and the Student Council remained in the room. With the uninvolved people gone, Lucy could finally fire her gun freely without worrying about innocent people getting shot. "You idiot!" She heard someone yell behind her.

Her eyes widened at the voice and a name left her lips, "J-Jellal?"

Kurohebi took this as an advantage and kicked Lucy's back. Her body fell forward and she quickly rolled to the side as the man began firing his gun at her. Lucy pointed his gun at him and pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed his cheek and she smirked, pushing herself to stand up. She tore the skirt of her dress and it was seen that she was wearing black leggings under the dress. With the nuisance now gone, she grinned and began kicking and punching every enemy who came at her.

"I need backup!" Lucy shouted and a few of her friends appeared behind her, guns pointed at the enemies, "Fire!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Here we go again," Haru heaved a sigh and shrugged as he yawned and bent his body forward, a hand thrusting forward above his head. He stared at the man from the corner of his eye and he quickly turned around, grabbing a gun and pushing it in his mouth. He pulled the trigger and the man's eyes rolled to the back of his head before his body went limp.

Yukino gulped in fear whilst watching Haru dust the dirt off his shoulders, staring down at the dead man before firing a few more bullets at a gang. She jumped in surprise when she looked behind her and found a woman about to throw a grenade at them. Yukino's eyes widened and she screamed as she fired her gun at the woman. She pushed Haru to the ground and when the grenade hit the floor, it exploded.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Laxus spun around and landed a punch on someone's face, ducking down and driving his fist into the woman's face. He heard a satisfying crack and he kicked a man who attempted to sneak up to him from behind. He sneered, "What a cheap trick."

Erza appeared in front of him, throwing a knife at the man. The knife hit the man's head and his body dropped to the floor. Laxus trailed his eyes from the back of her head to Erza's left hand where she held a cup full of knives. He smirked, "Well, well, found a liking for knives?"

The redhead pointed a knife at him, "Watch what you say."

The blonde raised his hands in defense, chuckling, "Right, right, sorry."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Virgo! Find Jellal!" Lucy cried out as she began firing her gun like crazy while ducking, kicking and punching at all directions, "I heard him call me an idiot earlier!"

The said woman stopped herself from breaking someone's neck and she nodded, stabbing the man's neck with a knife instead. She pulled the knife out and bowed, "As you wish, Princess."

Lucy sighed in relief and she jumped up, landing a kick on someone's face. The person's head hit the floor with a loud crack and she turned her heel, smirking at the blood pooling around his head. She stepped over his body and landed on the floor, crouching down and shooting at Kurohebi who stood on the snack table, his gun pointed at her.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Give us the item!" Some woman yelled at Gajeel, sending out wild, predictable punches, "Give it to me!"

"I don't have it, bitch!" He leered and pointed his gun at her head. He pulled the trigger and he cursed again before turning around and firing his gun again.

He gritted his teeth, "Damn it, why does Lucy have to be the one to have the item?" His eyes widened as a gun was pointed straight at his face, "Shit!" He ducked down just in time as the woman pulled the trigger.

He sneered and cracked his knuckles, "Fuck, they're persistent."

Lucy scoffed, "Damn right they are."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Lucy!"

The said woman's eyes widened and she turned around to find Jellal and Virgo running towards her. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest and she swallowed thickly, almost dropping her gun.

"J-Jellal..." She blinked the tears away, "You-You came..."

Realization hit her and she screeched as someone pointed their gun at Jellal. She shot the man quickly and she screamed in frustration as multiple guns were aimed at the bluenette, "You came!"

"Of course I did!" Jellal yelled and stayed back when Virgo began killing all of the enemies who pointed their guns at him. He clenched his fists and watched while Lucy continued back flipping away from Kurohebi. "I came because I'm going to apologize for being a jerk!" He hollered, fingers digging into the silk of his pants.

"There's no time for that!" Lucy cried out and froze when she saw someone wrap their arm around Jellal's neck, holding him in place. A man with raven-hair appeared in front of Jellal and he pointed his gun at him.

Jellal and Lucy's eyes widened. It seemed like time stood still. Everyone was staring at the raven-haired man with surprise-filled eyes.

The bluenette could only gulp as he stared into those cold, hard and jealous dark blue eyes.

"G-Gray..."