One morning Gray was looking over scrolls and keeping track of his recent deals when his ears caught hold of a sound that was very foreign to his estate.

"Lavender's blue,
Dilly dilly,
Lavenders green.

When I am King,
Dilly dilly,
You shall be Queen.

Who told you so,
Dilly dilly,
Who told you so?

T'was my own heart,
Dilly dilly,
That told me so."

Singing. It had been a very long time since he had heard singing. Especially very beautiful singing. With his curiosity peeked, he followed the singing. It led him to the top of the stairway where he could see that the source of the singing was Juvia who was scrubbing the castle floors as she sang to herself.

"Lavender's green,
Dilly dilly,
Lavender's blue.

If you love me,
Dilly dilly,
I will love you.

Let the birds sing,
Dilly dilly,
And the lambs play.

We shall be safe,
Dilly dilly,
Out of  harm's way."

Her voice was as innocent and beautiful as she was. Not even a nightingale's song could compare to such an angelic melody. Gray was enthralled for a moment but then confused. She sounded so happy when she sang. But why was that? How could she be happy here? No one in their right mind could ever be happy here?

His foot moved and it made the floor creak which alerted Juvia that she was no longer alone. She stopped singing, stood up, and turned to look at her employer who stood above her.

"Oh hello sir. Is something wrong?" She asked.

"What were you doing?" He asked.

"Nothing. Just scrubbing the floors."

"What was with the singing?"

"Oh...Well I find that music can sometimes make the work go faster. Is it disturbing you?"

He came down the stairway and looked at her skeptically.

"You seem awfully happy today." He observed.

"Is that a bad thing?" She asked.

"Perhaps not but for nearly every night since you've arrived here you've cried nonstop and during the day you've carried yourself with a very glum expression. But now all of a sudden you're happy as a lark. Why is that I wonder?"

"Oh...Um...Well..." She clutched the cleaning rag in her hand nervously as she tried to think of an excuse. "I...I...I just realized that if I'm going to work here forever I might as well try to find someway to be happy."

Actually what had made her so happy was being reunited with Gajeel and Levy. But there was no way on earth she could let him know that. God only knows what he would do.

"You're lying." He accused.

"No I'm not." She denied.

She something very scary flash his eyes though the rest of him remained calm. He approached her, she backed away nervously until he had her pinned to the wall. 

"My dear I do many deplorable things but there are some immoralities that I will not tolerate and one of them happens to be lying. I will not lie and I will not be lied to. By anyone."

"But I-"

"Before you continue you should know that you're a terrible liar and right now I'm feeling a little merciful so I'll forgive if you lie twice but a third time will force me to punish you." He put his clawed finger under her chin and lifted her face to make eye contact with him. "Now look me in the eyes and tell me the truth."

Juvia swallowed hard. She didn't know what to do. Weather she lied or told the truth, it would end badly. What could she say? What could she do? She opened her mouth to speak and before she could say one word they heard the sound of glass breaking.

Gray released her face and hurried over the where the noise had come from. Juvia followed him. They went up the stairs and down the corridor until they reached the library. Inside they found the window to the room broken and Natsu digging through the book shelves rapidly. 

"Well, well, look who it is." Gray said before snapping his fingers and making chains appear around Natsu's body, bounding him. "My old friend Natsu."

"Gray..." He said surprised to see him. "You're here?"

"Indeed I was. Were you not expecting me to be in my own home?"

"Not at this hour." 

"Well I was. Which is fortunate for me but not so much for you and I must say Natsu, you continue to prove yourself to be more stupid than I give you credit for. Did you really think you could break into my home and steal from me?"

"I'm sorry Gray but you have a book that I desperately needed and I just couldn't afford to make a deal with you for it."

"What a pathetic excuse. But even if you had a good one, you'd still suffer the same consequences."

"Oh come on, have a heart. I wasn't stealing out of greed."

"Please all theft is an act of greed. You're taking something that's not yours which I find to be very greedy." He then grinned and rubbed his clawed mitts together deviously. "I've waited a long time for this and I'm going to savor every moment of it."

He turned to Juvia.

"Juvia I think you should go back to scrubbing the floors now." He told her.

"Yes sir but what are you going to do to him?" She asked concerned.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Now do as I say."

 She was reluctant to obey but afraid to disobey so she left and continued with her work. She had just finished scrubbing the floors and started dusting the furniture when she heard the sound of agonized screams coming from the dudgeon of the castle that was just below the room she was cleaning. With each scream she heard it made a chill go up her spine and her skin crawl all over. 

"I can't take this anymore." She started to exit the room with the intention of putting a stop to this when she felt something pull on the skirt of her dress. She saw that it was Gajeel in his cat form who was pulling with his mouth, clearly an attempt to stop her. "Gajeel what are you doing here? If Gray finds you we're both in a world of trouble. Go back to my room now!"

He just shook his head.

"Let go of my dress."

He shook his head again.

"Gajeel don't try to stop me. I will not just stand back and let a someone be tortured."

He pulled harder on the dress. 

"Gajeel please. You know it's the right thing to do."

But Gajeel didn't care about that at the moment. Right now all he cared about was making sure she didn't do anything that would get herself hurt or killed.

But then screaming stopped and footsteps were heard. 

"He's coming. Gajeel hide!" 

He finally let go and scurried out of sight while she pretended to continue dusting. When Gray entered the room he was wearing a bloodied leather apron, the sight of it almost made her shriek in terror. 

"Don't look horrified just yet." He said removing his apron. "He's still alive."

"Please tell me you let him go." She asked.

"Sorry but that would be a lie." 

"You know I think he's suffered enough retribution."

"Well I don't. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going out for a few hours to pick up somethings. Like sharper knives and salt. It should be dark by the time I get back and don't worry about having dinner ready because I won't be eating much when I return."

"I'm afraid to ask but what are the knives and salt for?"

"You're a smart girl. You can figure it out I'm sure."

Juvia thought she would puke.

"All this because he tried to steal a book?" She asked.

"No because he tried to steal from me the Shadow Beast. You try that and you get skinned alive. Everyone knows that."

"Actually no they don't."

"Well they will after they discover the body." He grinned sadistically.

"God no!" She cried in horror. "You can't really mean to kill him. Not over a book!"

"I've killed people over less. Besides I'll be doing someone a favor by killing him."

"Who?"

"None of your business."

He then turned to his heels and walked away. As soon as she was sure he was gone, she grabbed a pitcher of water and hurried down into the dudgeon. She went into the first cell and discovered Natsu hanging from shackles barely conscious and with his entire body covered in bleeding cuts.

"Has he sent you to finish the job?" He asked bitterly.

"No." She answered. "Here drink this."

She spooned the water from the pitcher into his mouth and he drank as much as he could. After that she began searching for the keys.

"Don't worry I'm going to help you." She assured him. "I couldn't just let this continue. It's inhuman."

"Aye." He breathed. "I couldn't agree more. But I fear now he'll turn his wrath on you."

"If he does so be it. I'll accept whatever punishment he gives me no matter how horrible because no one deserves to be tortured."

"A courageous one, aren't you?" He smiled weakly.

"Oh no I'm very fearful. But not so much that I would allow anyone to be unjustly hurt."

She found the keys and unlocked the shackles holding him. He dropped to the floor and passed out from his injuries.

"Oh you poor man." She said taking off her apron and using it to stop the bleeding.

"Are you crazy?" She looked up to see that Gajeel had entered the room now in his human form. "If you help him you're a dead woman."

"Maybe so but if I don't help him then I won't be able to live with myself."

"You're too kind for your own good. It's his own fault for being dumb enough to try to rob this demon."

"If it were me wouldn't you want someone to do whatever it took to help me even if doing it might cost them their life?"

Gajeel couldn't protest after that. He hated it when she would play the empathy card.

"Can you get me a bucket of water and a cloth? Please? He his wounds need cleaning very badly."

"Alright." He sighed reluctantly.

"And tell Levy to bring a cushion and some bandages."

They brought her the supplies she needed. She elevated his head on to the cushion so he could be comfortable and proceeded to tend to his wounds but despite this he still didn't wake for a very long time. Poor Juvia began to fear that she was too late.

"Oh he's dead." She sobbed. "I should have put a stop to it sooner."

She laid her hand on his chest to feel for a pulse, at first it was very weak but then suddenly it became stronger. She heard him take a breath and he awoke.

"Thank God you're alive." She said relieved.

"I'm more than alive." He said amazed. "I feel great. I don't hurt anymore."

"You don't?"

"No." He checked his wounds only to discover that they were no longer there. "What did you do to me?"

"I just cleaned your wounds and bandaged you. That's all."

"But my injuries are gone."

"Really? Huh..."

"Did you use magic?"

"No. At least I don't think I did."

"Are you some kind of a witch? Wait of course not, no witch would be so kind." He stood up and bowed respectfully toward her. "You've saved my life dear lady, for that I am forever in your debt."

"Kindness requires no debt. Just leave while you still can. It's already dark and my employer will be back any minute."

"When he learns of this he'll undoubtedly kill you." He told her with concern. "Will you come with me?"

"I can't. I made a deal to serve him. If I go back on my word, innocents could be harmed and I just can't allow that no matter how much I fear for my life."

"You really are very courageous."

"No I'm only doing what's right."

"Many would beg to differ. I don't want to leave you to suffer this creature's wrath but I'll respect your choice. Good luck to you. I pray that we'll meet again so that I may properly thank you."

With that said he ran away. Now all Juvia could do was wait and pray that Gray would be merciful when he punished her.

...

Elkis followed Gren to Yuki Vastia's flower shop. She saw him step out of his car and attempt to enter the shop only to find the door locked. He began to angrily bang on the door.

"I know you're in there!" He shouted. "And I know what you did! Come out now and maybe I'll let you keep both your eyes!"

He was making a scene. Elkis quickly got out of her car and went to stop him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked him. 

"Stand aside Miss Scarlet this doesn't involve you."

"People are staring you know."

"Let em stare. Like a give a damn what they think."He banged on the door again. "Open up!"

"Obviously he's not here." 

"Or he's just hiding."

"What do you want with Mr. Vastia?"

"He's the one who robbed me. I know it was him."

"Why would he steal from you?"

"Because I took his van to be investigated for selling drugs."

"I've never known Mr. Vastia to be involved in that."

"He was accused. I had to look into it. He's always been a thorn in my side. Over the years I've learned to tolerate him but now he's crossed a line."

"What line did he cross? What did he steal?"

"Enough with the questions. It's none of your business. You're not a cop."

"Well pardon me for just trying to help."

"I don't need anyone's help." He peered into the glass of the store. "I guess he really isn't there. No matter, I'll find him. I'll find him and I'll give him his long awaited comeuppance."

"What do you mean?" Elkis asked, unnerved by the tone of his voice. "What do you intend to do to him when you find him?"

He didn't answer. He just got back into his car and drove away. Elkis would have followed him but she had to pick up the kids in ten minutes. So she had no choice but to let him do as he wished. At least for now.