Now Gray didn't know much about a woman's feelings but he could tell that Erza really wanted to go on a date with that man, she was just letting insecurities get in the way. She needed some encouragement but not from him. Being a man, she probably thought he wouldn't understand. But sh would probably listen to Lucy. He didn't know where she was at the moment so she decided to ask Natsu about her location.

At the moment he was in Cana's office, bringing her more dead animals to study. He walked in just as Natsu was about to leave. 

"Natsu there you are." Gray said.

"Do you need something Gray?" The groundskeeper asked.

"Yes I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Lucy."

"Why?"

"I just want to talk to her about something."

"What do you mean? She hasn't done anything that's made you angry has she?" Gray could sense that Natsu was becoming scared for Lucy's well being. 

"Calm yourself, she's done nothing wrong. I just want to do Erza a little favor and she might be able to help me."

As they were talking, Cana pulled out her compact mirror which she used to check her make up. She had just looked into the reflective glass when she noticed something very abnormal. While she could see her reflection and Natsu's in the little mirror she couldn't see Gray's. He had no reflection. None at all. Startled, she dropped her compact.

"Is everything alright doctor?" Gray asked her. 

Cana suddenly looked very nervous even scared a little but she quickly recovered herself. 

"Oh no I'm fine...Just fine." She said.

"You sure? You look a little pale. Did something scare you?"

"No. Nothing scared me. It's just um...You know working with blood for such a longtime tends to make me feel a little sick. I think that maybe I should take a break from this for a while and get back to focusing on my psychiatry."

"I see." He said.

"Excuse me Mr. Fullbuster but I...I think I need to have a little chat with Erza. Again excuse me."

With that said she hurried out of the room as quickly as she could. 

"I wonder what's bothering her." Natsu said.

"Well she is a doctor and that occupation does put a lot stress on a person." Gray said. "So again where could I find Lucy?"

"She'll be back in a few minutes. She just wanted to take Juvia out for something to eat."

"Thank you."

Gray started to leave but stopped when he stepped on something. Looking down on the floor he realized that it was a broken compact mirror. A compact mirror that he recognized as the one Cana always carried around. 

"Oh God." Gray said once he put two and two together.

"What? What is it?" Natsu asked.

"Natsu we have a problem."

...

Cana raced down the hallway to the drawing room where Erza was. She had suspected from the start that there wasn't something right about Gray and that Erza knew about all along. There was no doubt in her mind that her employer knew for a fact that Gray had been a vampire and the mysterious murderer all this time.

"A vampire?!" She shouted once she entered the room. 

Erza looked up from her desk, before regaining herself she briefly looked apprehensive which Cana noticed and it all but confirmed her suspicions.

"Keep your voice down." Erza said calmly. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Oh spare me! I saw him near a mirror and he had no reflection!"

"Gray?"

"Yes! I knew there was off about him! And I know that you've known his secret since the minute he's arrived! Why the hell didn't you say anything?!"

"I was protecting the family."

"By letting them all move in with a vampire?! You know he's responsible for killing all those people?! He's a murderer!"

"He's a member of my family and a good man and these days that's a desperately rare combination."

"Good man?! He's killed people!"

"Those people are as Natsu would say asshole victims. In other words he's harmed no one innocent."

"So you condone his actions?"

"I don't condone them but I know he can't help it. Because of what he is he is compelled to kill. It's the only way he can live...In a matter of speaking that is. Besides he's family and I've been told since day one that you never turn your back on family. Not that such a phrase meant anything to my father and sister in-law."

"Erza this is crazy! You can't let a vampire live here just because he's your cousin!"

"Technically speaking he's my  great, great, great, great, great, great uncle and you should know that he wouldn't kill anyone if he had any say in the matter. He's cursed Cana."

"Cursed? You mean like magic?"

"Exactly. It turns out our friendly neighbor Ultear isn't as friendly as she claims to be of course we all knew that."

"I don't follow."

"She's a witch from centuries back and she turned Gray into a vampire as way to torture him. He's suffered for years and is in desperate need of help."

"This makes no sense."

"Perhaps but I've accepted it and Cana you can't go to the police about this. You can't tell anyone about this."

"And if I do?"

"Well for one thing I'll be sent to prison and so will Natsu. Romeo will be placed in foster care or God forbid his mother's custody, Gray will be killed, and our family will be forever persecuted."

"With all due respect, when thinking about murder that's not really much of a valid reason to keep quiet about this."

"I bet I can come up with one." Cana felt her heart stop when she heard Gray's voice from behind her. She jumped back and moved a few steps away from him. "Doctor you seem like a nice and reasonable woman and I don't want to harm you but I will not allow anything or anyone to threaten my family."

He stalked toward Cana who had her back up against the wall.

"Gray wait!" Erza said getting up from her desk and putting her hand to his shoulder. "Don't hurt her. You promised me you wouldn't hurt anyone under this roof."

"I'm not going to hurt her. I'm just going to do a little mind trick and make her forget all this. No harm done."

"Wait! Stop! I can help you!" Cana protested. 

"I seriously doubt that." Gray said.

"I can help you become human again!" 

Gray suddenly became very still. Unsure that he had heard what she said correctly.

"What?"

"I can help you live a normal life. One where you don't need to drink blood."

"Don't screw with me! I warn you!"

"It's the truth. I've analyzed the blood of your victims and you carry a very destructive cell in your bloodstream. I believe that if this cell can be eliminated or made dormant you'd be able to live a perfectly normal life."

"Doctor the curse of my existence is beyond the realm of your science."

"You do want to live a normal life don't you?"

"Do you actually believe that anyone could enjoy an existence like mine? I haven't seen the light of day or felt the warmth of the sun for almost two centuries! I'm compelled by desires I can't control and I've done unforgivable acts that disgust me and damn me to never ending guilt! I would give anything to be who I was before this curse fell on me!"

"Then give me the chance to help you."

"What's the catch?"

"Just down hurt me or mess with my mind."

Gray thought for a moment. It seemed very unlikely that she could accomplish what he wanted but if she really could pull it off then he would finally be free. Free to be a the man he was 196 years ago. Free to live in the sun. Free to not need to blood to sustain himself. Free to pursue the woman his long dead heart was yearning for.

"Alright doctor. When do we start?"