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Leaving Hurts,
Hate Burns,
Love Heals

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Everything heals.

Your heart heals. The mind heals. Wounds heal. Your happiness is always going to come back.
Bad times don't last.

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Chapter 8: Better Now

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Magnolia

Juvia walked hand in hand with Storm to the guild with Storm. When she entered Fairy Tail, her hand was immediately by her side with nothing in it as Storm ran to his friends Lilly and Gale who were sitting at a table with their parents.

Juvia walked over to the bar where Mirajane was. "Hey."

"Hey! What may I get ya?" Mira rubbed her now visible belly as she leaned on the counter, feet throbbing.

"Nothing. I just wanna know if you need help with anything. Your getting quite big." Juvia smiled sweetly.

"Nope, I'm better than fine. I've been at this job for years now, do you think a baby is going to stop me?" Mirajane joked, who had now pulled up a stool to sit on.

Juvia laughed. "Nope." Juvia took a seat, too, not wanting to stand anymore. "But seriously, does Laxus ever bug you to rest? You work too much."

"He does…" Mirajane trailed off, biting her bottom lip. "Its just… I don't listen whenever he asks…"

"Oh, I see." Juvia nodded her head, knowing Mirajane never let anyone down when working. "Kinana has got it. She does great with or without you, and I'm sure Lisanna wouldn't mind taking over the bar instead of serving tables. Heck, I'd take over due to how I am doing almost nothing everyday."

"Its sweet of you to want to do it, but I'm thinking I'll stop in a few months before this little one is out so I can rest up for the birth." Mirajane touched her round stomach, which was growing a tiny little baby.

"I'm not stopping you." Juvia put her hands up in surrender, obviously not going to convince Mira to at least get a small break.

"Which reminds me, how did you carry Storm for 9 months? I'm going insane!" Mira let out a sigh.

"I honestly don't know." Juvia answered, no idea how she's even alive thinking back to the days of being pregnant.

"With Laxus gone on jobs frequently to get money for the baby, I find myself taking care of myself all of the time. Lisanna and Elfman help, but with Elfman helping Evergreen who too is carrying a child, he rarely can tend to me." Mirajane paused as she took a look at her brother and sister-in-law at a table chatting, little ways away was Lisanna serving drinks to tables with a dazzling smile. "I guess you had Gray who helped you… along the way…." Mirajane's eyes went wide when she noticed she let the 'G' word slip. She realized when Juvia tucked her head, a shadow casting over her eyes as her lips frowned. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Its okay." Juvia stood, the shadow still over her eyes as she turned away.

"Juvia- I really am-" Mirajane tried.

"I said its fine." Juvia said one last time before walking away from the bar where Mirajane sat guiltily.

Mira frowned, imaginably pounding her head in for making the chat her and Juvia shared to end with just one word which broke Juvia's heart with hearing. Bowing her head, Mirajane arose as a customer came up and asked for a beer.

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Juvia walked to the back of the guild where hardly anyone sat, choosing a booth near the window so she could peer out into the beautiful day outside.

She let out a prolonged sigh, as tears dared to slip.

Everyone thought she was better now, but if they talked to her about it they'd find out she wasn't.

Juvia still missed Gray, wanted to kiss Gray, hated Gray, and worried about Gray. Sometimes, when she was alone, she'd imagine Gray was there holding her hand and whispering 'I love you's' to her as he kissed her forehead. She hated that she had those daydreams about him, she didn't want to have them. She hated him at the moment, she still asked herself why he left her.

It was odd, actually. She would miss him at one moment, but the next wished he'd never come back and show his face to her with what he did. She'd love him for a few seconds, but then would hate him the very next. She couldn't make up her mind if she missed him, or hated him, or even both. She was leaning towards hating him more than missing him, though.

Tears threatened to fall as Juvia leaned her head on the glass of the window.

"Hey." Gajeel's voice sounded before Juvia could start telling herself that she hated Gray very much. Juvia took her pointer finger and put it under her eye, catching the tear which would've fallen. Gajeel took a seat infront of her. "Are you alright?"

"Yup, you can go back to Levy and the twins now, don't worry about me." Juvia tried to lie, but Gajeel just scoffed.

"Cut the bullshit, Juvia. You aren't fine, Storm just told me." Gajeel folded his arms and glared at the woman he called his best friend.

"H-he's just a kid, Gajeel, a baby!" Juvia laughed, trying to seem fine, but the Dragon Slayer smelled the tears she shedded.

"Yeah, a baby who hears his mom crying every night." Juvia went silent, the same shadow casting over her eyes from before. "Listen, everyone isn't as dumb as you think. We all know you aren't alright. Especially with what my little buddy Storm has said, I know your less than fine."

Juvia let out a sigh, returning her gaze to outside, choosing to ignore Gajeel.

"Storm told me, in that voice of his, that your always sad at 'nwight twime' and when you put him to sleep, you smile at him with water running from your eyes." Gajeel almost laughed if it wasn't for the moment, Storm was too little to know what 'tears' were. "Juvia, from one friend to another, I'm worried about ya."

"Well, I'm fine.." Juvia said as she looked at Gajeel, tears in her eyes and voice in the tone which meant 'crying'. She brought up her hands and wiped away the tears, "Juvia just- she just can't deal with him not being here."

Gajeel hadn't been the kind of man who gave a damn about sappy things, but ever since marrying Levy, that changed. He looked at Juvia with a frown, not needing to know who the 'him' was. It was obvious it was Gray.

"Well, stop thinking about the man."

"Juvia can't, Gajeel!" Juvia gave up in wiping the tears coming from her eyes "Its not easy- seeing Storm missing him, missing his father so much. Storm looks so lonely without anyone playing superhero with him. Juvia tries to fill in that role, but Juvia can tell Storm doesn't have fun with me doing it. I just want him back so Storm can smile and laugh again… But at the same time I don't want him back. Storm doesn't deserve to see someone who left him. Juvia had to deal with that as a child, but never had to because her parents never came back for her at the orphanage." Juvia was crying waterfalls as of now, talking about the child she loved dearly. Gajeel looked at the woman infront of him, who had helped so much with Levy and the twins and even Gajeel when he felt like a bad father. Juvia was a great friend, and just seeing her crying over Gray makes him want to go find Gray himself, and beat him senseless for leaving his best friend. "Juvia just- hates him…." she continued to cry at herself saying that.

Gajeel was silent now, choosing between staying calm and help his best friend, or go insane and yell like he usually did when he felt terrible. He was crap at making people feel better, Levy could agree with that. "Well, my advice is to stop thinking about him- and before you say you can't, just listen. Act as if you don't know him, or the father of your son. Just pretend it has been you and Storm all along, and when Gray- he comes back you can tell him all of the words that have been bottled up inside."

After taking in what he had just said, Juvia smiled wiping away her tears. "Thanks Gajeel, your a good friend."

"Don't I know it." Gajeel joked, pushing himself up with his palms flat on the table. "Now, don't go telling Levy about this- That I was the one who helped you, I wouldn't hear the end of it from that woman for being so 'soft'. Its only for special people when I do, her included."

Juvia crossed her heart. "I won't"

Gajeel smiled. "There's the Juvia I know. Here, go get some Ice-cream or somethin', I'll watch the kid." Gajeel offered, successfully scooting himself out of the cramped booth.

"Thanks" Juvia also slid herself out of the booth, walking side by side with Gajeel until they reached the table Levy was at, that was when she started walking on her lonesome.

Leaving the guild, she walked into the fresh air and smiled as the breeze hit her face. She hasn't felt so great in forever.

'Just forget about him, it'll be easy. When and if he comes back, let all of your anger out.' Juvia told herself as she walked to find an Ice-Cream stand, 'It'll be easy'

It would be lying if I said she couldn't do it, because she could.

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- - Question - -
     Do you ship (as a BroTp) Gajeel and Juvia? I sure do!