Gray's POV:

It's nice to feel needed again. "Juvia," I lift her face to mine and run my thumb across her lips. "I want to see you happy. If you want me, if I am what you need, then I want to give that to you."

"But why Gray-sama?"

"Because that will make me happy." I tell her. "Juvia, will you be mine?"

"You are sure?" she asks shyly.

"I am sure, are you?"

She looks at me, blushing, "YES!"

All the eyes in the guild are on us. I stand her up and take her hand, and we walk out of the door.

Lucy's POV:

I walk around the guild aimlessly, trying to distract myself. I can't stop thinking about my question. How do I know if I am in love with Leo, or with Natsu? The only happily married person I feel like I could ask is gone. Warren helped Violet with some things, I'll go talk to him.

I knock on his door. "Warren Senpai?"

"What is it Lucy? Come in."

"I was wondering if you could help me figure something out. How do I know if I love someone; if I should be with them?"

"It isn't that simple Lucy, but I will tell you what I can. When you love someone and something happens, something sad, or funny, they are the one you want to tell about it. When you do, you feel better. You feel at home with them, like this is where you belong. They know you better than other people, and notice things about you that others don't."

"Um, okay." Natsu... "Those can all apply to a friend or family member can't they? What else?"

"When they notice something about you, it means a lot to you. You want to impress them. You find yourself thinking about being with them all of the time, and feel empty without them. They inspire you to be a better person, and more than that, help you to be one. Being with them makes you stronger."

"That sounds more like Rogue for Violet."

"Yes, it does."

I remember Leo's words...
"I'm not like those dolls you manipulate, love makes spirits stronger." But I have been avoiding him for so long that I don't really know him.

"Thanks Warren, that was a big help." I run all of the way home. I know what I have to do now.

"Gate of the Lion."

"Lucy, you called me." Leo is on me in a flash holding me to him and kissing my neck.

"Leo, I..." I can't think clearly like this. I just want more... "Stop."

"But you want me."

"I do, but wait! I want to talk to you." I say quickly, pushing him away. "Wanting this isn't the same as love. I am not sure. I need time, no not just time. I need time with you, without you seducing me, so I can figure this out. Time together with no pressure, okay? I will try if you will."

"I'll do anything for you Lucy."

"One more thing then?" I say looking away from him and mumbling. "Will you stay tonight? Last night, I couldn't sleep."

Violet's POV:

Sting's friend arrives with dinner. She is a beautiful girl with long pink hair.

Sting walks over to her and takes the food. "Meredy-chan, thank you for coming. We aren't sure what we are up against, and your sensory link could be of some help here. But right now, you probably need to rest after traveling." Sting introduces her to everyone. I wake Zeref up so that he will eat. I am pleasantly surprised that we are able to all sit together for dinner. After dinner we set up camp.

"You are staying here?" Zeref asks me.

"Of course."

"But what if my death magic..."

"About that," Sting cuts in. "This is why Meredy is here. She has a magic called Sensory link. If you will allow it, she can link you to Violet. Then Violet will be alerted as soon as you think something that would activate your magic."

"And I can put a shadow cage around us. It will work!"

Zeref just nods his head.

I tell Meredy to wait a minute before she does the spell. I am not really looking forward to a sensory link. I will miss my husband. I need to clear my mind of thoughts like that so that Zeref doesn't feel rejected. Finally Meredy establishes the link and I am hit with all of Zeref's emotions; mostly guilt and loneliness. I start to cry and just hug him. It eases the pain a bit for both of us.

I wake up once in the night with overwhelming feelings. I quickly wrap myself around Zeref and throw up a shadow cage. I don't need words now. I just think about all of the things that make me feel safe. Rogue's cool shadows, Lucy's house, the guild, Natsu, Gray and Erza all fighting along side me, Warren's comfort. I just wait it out with Zeref. We can get through this. In the morning and I decide that I should show Zeref some things while I still have the sensory link on. I show him how to concentrate on life magic.

Zeref protests, "Vio-nee, I know life magic, I have done it before."

"I know, but if you sense my feelings, it may help."

He relents, and I practice for a while. Finally I ask him if we can remove the link for today. Meredy is happy to oblige. As soon as the link is gone, she collapses. I feel selfish for not noticing the effort she had to put in to this. Sting carries her over to a bed and kisses her hand as he lays her down. So she's the one he has in mind. My future sister-in- law. I think, smiling quietly to myself. Sting and Natsu put Zeref to work packing up the camp while I spend some much needed time with Rogue.

Lucy's POV:

Leo returns home for a while to renew his strength and I arrive at the guild to pick out a job with Erza, Gray, and Juvia. We see one that seems simple enough.

Retrieve a sentimental family heirloom
from my vindictive older brother.
Reward: 70,000 Jewel plus expenses.

We go to the address on the job request to find it is a game store. I call Leo back before we go in to get the details. A woman answers and explains that her older brother does not approve of her business. He belongs to a guild called Worker's Ethic that teaches it's members that playing games is a waste of time and encourages laziness, so when her parents died, he took her dad's piano for his share of the inheritance just to keep it from her. He doesn't know how to play and her best memories are of her dad teaching her and playing piano with her. She didn't take anything else because that was all she wanted and now she has nothing to remember her dad by. The members of his guild are all helping him to guard the piano so that she can't have it until she agrees to close her shop.

I would take this on for free if I could. My blood is boiling. It makes me so mad to think of how he is trying to control her life. Leo calms me down by taking my hand into his lap and rubbing between my wrist bones. How did he know?

She gives us the location of the piano, shows us a picture of her brother, and tells us that there are usually about a dozen guild-members there. We finish our meeting and walk out the door. Leo pulls me into an embrace. "It's okay, he isn't getting away with it you know." He pushes me away to address me along with the group. "Do you have a plan Lucy-Sama?"

Me? No one ever asks me that. They all just start in without me.
"I do. I was thinking that Gray and Juvia could come in through the front door, while Virgo gets the rest of us in so that we can take them by surprise and have them surrounded. Once that is taken care of, I can call Taurus to carry the piano back here."

Everyone nods their heads, so I call Taurus.

"Lucy! What can I do for you and that hot body?"

In a flash, Leo pins Taurus to the ground. "Do not ever talk to Lucy that way again."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

I shoo Leo away and address Taurus. "I have a job for you. I need you to remember this place. You'll need to deliver something here shortly."

He nods his head, glancing uncertainly at Leo.

"You will come with us so that you know the way." I say, and start walking to the location of the piano. That poor woman has to live so close to this place too, knowing that they have turned her brother against her.

Gray's POV:

We arrive at the Worker's Ethic guild and Lucy switches out Taurus for Virgo. The rest of the group takes off as Juvia and I open the doors. The members come rushing at us. Juvia sends a double wave at them and I quickly freeze it in place. I grin at Juvia. That's 6 members down.

I see that Erza and Leo have knocked out 3 members each, Lucy has 2 members tied up with her whip, and Virgo has two more members tied up in chains. "We've got to find the piano!" yells Lucy, and sends Virgo back, calling on Taurus again. She and Taurus run up the stairs, with the rest of us on her heels. There are two men guarding the piano. The guild-master, and our client's brother. They have sent Taurus slamming against the wall, and likely tried the same with Lucy, since I see that she is in now Leo's arms, bridal style.

Juvia sends another double wave, but the master waves his hand and sends it in the opposite direction. I try fishnet, which catches the guild-master by surprise and freezes him momentarily. Juvia steps in with water lock. Erza uses telekinesis to grab the piano and send it down the window out of the guild. Lucy is furious. She sends Cancer over to overpower our client's brother and shave off all of his hair. While he is distracted, I put a cage over him and the guild-master, whom Juvia then releases from the water lock, not wanting to kill him. Erza surrounds the ice cages with swords. "If you ever mess with our client again, we will be back, and we won't take it easy next time." She says. The guild-members who are recovering downstairs are all complacent now, knowing that their master is defeated. Taurus recovers and jumps out of the window. Lucy runs down-stairs to retrieve her whip.

Our client is overjoyed at having the piano, and plays us her favorite song while she cries. Lucy is very touched by this and gives her a hug. We collect our reward money and head back home, Juvia and I, and Lucy and Leo hand in hand. Erza looks at us and frowns, looking off into the distance.

Lucy's POV:

I am so happy for our client and proud of leading the job that I am smiling happily on our way back to FairyTail when Leo grabs me from behind and pulls me to him. "Lucy, I have to go home for a while. Being here drains my power and I need to stay strong enough to protect you. You have my key. As always, I am yours." I nod my head, and he is gone.

I catch up to Erza. "It's hard isn't it? Being separated from Jellal?"

She purses her lip and looks away. "Yes." She says simply. I take her hand and we continue walking home.


Violet's POV:

When Rogue and I return, camp is packed up, but I have no idea where we are going.

I ask Natsu, who nods at Sting. "Meredy's guild is not far from here. It will be a good place for Zeref." Zeref gets a surprised look on his face and his eyes go black. I run to him and wrap him in a hug, covering both of us with a shield of shadows. "It's okay, I'll be with you. Sting is a good guy. Let's see what this is about."

I breath a sigh of relief as Zeref's eyes return to normal. I take his hand and stand facing Sting.

"Let's go." He says, carrying Meredy in his arms.

"We can work it out so that Zeref and Meredy can fly." Suggests Rogue.

"No this is better for now, I think, besides it's not far."

We travel for about a couple of hours. I fill the time telling Zeref about how I came to FairyTail and how I found Rogue again.

Suddenly Natsu grabs my arm and whispers in my ear. "I smell it again. The evil is following us."