Hi everyone! :D

This is my very first fanfiction, so hope you enjoy reading it. Basically, everything is different in this timeline. Ur never lost Ultear and so Jellal was never possessed, but the events in the Tower of Heaven did happen. Grandpa Rob, Sho, Milliana, Wally and Simon have all joined Fairy Tail and Jellal is now a member of the council (not as Siegrain: he doesn't exist). Everyone else's backgrounds are pretty much the same as the normal plot. Erza's situation is a little different and characters may seem a OC, but this is my first try so spare me please! Have a read and enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes, and because Jerza is such an amazing pairing.

Magnolia Central train station, Morning

Three days.

Three days, Erza realised.

Three days since she'd stopped thinking about him.

And now, come to think of it, she was back to square one and thinking about him all over again.

Wondering where he was. What he was doing. Who he was with. How many girlfriends he'd dumped by now.

The usual.

It was difficult because harder she tried not to, the more she thought about him. She should've been over him by now. It was seven years -almost eight- since she had last seen him in person, but that was when she was a weak, gullible little wimp with something that could hardly be called a chest, and he was ….he was everything.

He was born a leader, with enough confidence and charisma to lead an army and a pure golden heart that could warm even the coldest man. His stance, his demeanour, his looks, just oozed love me please.

And who was a helpless, naïve girl but to fall for a boy like him in an instant?

It was no wonder he attracted girls like moths to a flame, if not even more so seven years later. He had had enough attention from the prying eyes of the media. Appearing in almost every issue of the Sorcerer Weekly, being a guest of celebrity talk shows, attending fancy soirees for the rich and beautiful of Fiore - yes, Jellal was well integrated into the high society of aristocrats.

When he had received the position of one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the public's reactions were explosive. Most were greatly inspired and impressed by his achievement, while others were against appointing a seventeen year old boy the title of one of the Ten Holy Mages.

Jellal was the centre of all gossip, not only being the youngest mage to ever gain such a prestigious title, but also recently having been selected as a member of the Magic Council. It was phenomenal.

Boarding the train, Erza handed her ticket to the train master and searched for a seat. She always preferred sitting next to the window. It was unfortunate that her guild mates could not accompany her for the trip; they'd all left two days before and were most likely in Era at the moment. Everyone agreed that a week's stay would allow enough time to attend the court hearing and tour the area a little. She lay an elbow on the window ledge, resting her cheek in her right palm. Ever since the national emissary from the council had arrived on Fairy Tail's doorstep, the knight could not help but feel apprehensive of the forthcoming court case. She admit that Fairy Tail had been causing excessive destruction on every mission and that they partied so often the furniture needed repairing almost every day, but that was no reason to want to separate the guild. Even the Phantom Lord incident, which was the reason for Makarov's arrest, was purely self defense. She would never let Fairy Tail be declared an illegal guild. She would fight until the very end no matter what came her way, and she was not afraid of failure or facing those damned magic council members.

You're afraid of facing Jellal...

No. She pushed the thought away and clenched her fists.

He saved your life and you betrayed him...

You left him to die...

The thoughts lingered like unspoken words. Erza buried her face in her hands. The voices would not leave no matter how hard she tried. They were the same voices that had been haunting her for seven years.

The guilt was eating away at her heart, tearing and ripping it to pieces. If she ever met him again would it be too late to say sorry?

Would he turn away with hatred-filled eyes and spit at her feet? But it was his fault in the first place, wasn't it? He shouldn't have come to rescue her. If only he'd stayed where he was instead of trying to act the part of a knight in shining armour, then maybe he wouldn't have been left behind. Grandpa Rob had assured her time and time again –she was forced to act against her own will, the ships had to leave and the thousands of slaves aboard were saved. At the expense of Jellal's life. The tower of heaven had exploded, the raging fire had engulfed the crumbling structure and the waves brought the ships safely away. When Erza turned around the tower was gone.

"Excuse me, Miss. Is this seat taken?"

Erza whipped around, suddenly broken out of her deep thoughts. As soon as she recognised the shock of spiky blonde hair her face brightened with delight.

"Sho! What are you doing here?"

Laughing, Erza wrapped Sho in a warm hug. Though for the blonde it was quite painful, what with Erza wearing her usual armour. She was smiling but as the cliché goes…it didn't reach her eyes. It was dangerous when Erza tried to hide her feelings. He didn't want a repeat of his older sister's early teenage years. When her heart was shattered into pieces so small there was almost no hope of fixing it together again.

The requip mage let go of Sho, gesturing for him to have a seat beside her.

"I thought you'd gone with the rest of Fairy Tail," Sho posed as more of a question than a statement. Erza shook her head, "Most of them left the day before yesterday. I stayed back because I…um, had some business to take care of."

Bad mistake. The redhead knew that once she stuttered, Sho would know immediately that she was lying. The blonde chose to let her little blunder go.

"Well," Sho pouted, "I'm here because I heard about the case. The Phantom Lord attack happened two months ago and they're only bringing it up now. Grandpa Rob said he wanted to come along too, but you know with his bad back and everything…"

Erza 'hmm'ed in agreement and the fell into silence. The train grumbled to life and began chugging along the line of bumpy tracks. They resumed their casual conversation; Sho had recently completed his first solo mission, though washing the dishes and polishing wineglasses at the village bar was not how he expected it would be. Still, it was his first solo mission.

The morning was slowly blending into a warm, sunny afternoon and there was the bubbling chatter of passengers aboard. The carriage rattled at every turn. The red-haired mage could feel her eyes drooping lower and lower, Sho's exciting recounts of his past travels fading to a dull hum.

A week ago, he'd gone to visit their 'family'. Simon, Milliana and Wally were still currently doing a job in Hargeon Town, and Grandpa Rob was still watering his garden everyday in his new holiday home. They had all apologized for not being able to support the guild, but had faith that Fairy Tail would be able to pull through and beat those 'old council geezers'. Of course, they were sure Gray's 'sister' Ultear would be in full support of FairyTail, and there was Yajima-sama who was a good friend of Makarov, and there was Jellal who would definitely help them, and-

Erza stiffened.

Sho suddenly stopped before his mouth could get ahead of him. Idiot! He mentally slapped himself. He just hoped he hadn't messed things up already.

Mentioning Jellal was taboo.

"Nee-san…" Sho began awkwardly. He knew he was stepping on thin ice, but broaching the topic was inevitable. Erza avoided his eyes, looking at the passing countryside instead, though not really seeing anything at all.

"Nee-san, we're going to have to face him eventually whether we like it or not," he said carefully. It was like dipping his toes in hot water, or like approaching a lion's den. Erza didn't move an inch. The blonde continued.

"I don't know how much he's changed since…well, since that time at Porlyusica's," he cringed when Erza clenched her fists, "but I'm sure he's still him inside. We don't know enough about Je- uh, him to really judge him."

Erza's eyes narrowed but her eyes remained locked outside the window. Sho was growing impatient. His voice rose a notch, tone restrained as though on the verge of growing angry.

"Listen to me! I know it's been years since we last saw him but you can't stay like this forever. You two will have to make up someday and why not now? When you finally have a chance to meet him!" His voice lowered to a harsh whisper in order not to be heard, "You've been staying away from him for seven damn years, and if you guys don't sort out your argument then I'll…then I'll-"

"Then you'll what?" Erza snapped, her gaze furious. Sho almost whimpered under her stare, but stood his ground. He levelled her glare with a pathetic glare of his own.

Pathetic, but a glare nonetheless.

"…I don't know. But what I do know is that Jellal is still our friend even though he may have turned his back on us. Grandpa Rob said Jellal was just -oh, I don't know maybe he just wasn't himself that day. Whatever it was that he said to you, I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Erza lips were pressed into a thin line, her eyes shaded by her fringe. Seven years ago, when Jellal had been washed up on Fiore's shores and had somehow ended up in Porlyusica's care, they set out immediately to meet him. The redhead was overjoyed, it was the most wonderful news she'd heard in her life. Jellal was alive.

Months before, Erza, Simon, Milliana, Wally and Sho had joined FairyTail with Grandpa Rob. At first, the freedom was hard to grow accustomed to but day after day their scars slowly healed. But despite all the newfound happiness and friendship and overwhelming joy, there was always that one empty spot at the table. She imagined a blue haired, tattooed boy at the head of the table telling exciting stories, lighting up the guild and drawing people to him. There would be bouts of roaring laughter and she would fall in love with him again and again and again and never grow tired of it.

Every day, the knight tried her hardest to live in the present, not the past. It was a while before she finally spoke, her voice so soft it was hardly audible,

"He said he hated me."

By the widening of his eyes, she could see that the blonde was honestly surprised. I hate you, Erza. Those were the very last words Jellal had said to her, before softly shutting the door and cleaning slicing her off from his life right there and then. He had been twelve and bandaged from head to toe and washed upon the shore just days earlier. She remembered his voice had been almost robotic, like words replayed from a tape recorder and he had looked at her with an expression of utter contempt.

It was his eyes that scared her the most. They had been completely devoid of life and seemed to stare into empty space.

"I find that very hard to believe, Erza."

Said mage chose not to respond. When Sho called her by name she knew he was being serious and completely honest. The young blonde risked a glance at her from the corner of his eyes; her arms were crossed, head bowed and lips quivering. He knew only one person who could reduce Titania to such a state.

It was obvious to Sho that Jellal loved her. But, that was for Jellal to tell her.

During those difficult times in the tower, when the will to live was crushed with every crack of a whip and nights when looming shadows would haunt them from the cold stone walls, Jellal was like the sun. He was their hope and courage and faith in that godforsaken tower of heaven. Deciding to attempt to broach the subject one more, Sho quietly began to reminisce hoping that Erza would just listen for once.

"I still miss the times when we were a family, and he was like our big brother. I was only able to endure that horrible place because he gave us all hope. Nee-san, can you imagine what it would've been like without Jellal? He took care of us, a-and he even broke out of our cell to rescue you! Don't you remember-"

" –I don't want to remember." Her words stung like ice. That ended the conversation.

Wheezing like an old man, the train continued on its troublesome journey down rickety tracks as clouds of smoke gushed out of the engine. The background hubbub drowned out the tense silence between siblings and nothing was said between them for the rest of the journey.

Jellal had made his first debut to the world at the age of fifteen. What happened in those three mysterious years, Erza never knew but once the tattooed mage stepped into the outside world, he had soaked up the media's attention like a dry sponge.

It was said in an interview that Jellal had been taken under the wing of Ur. She was a renowned ice mage, mother of Ultear the time mage and was once the sensei of Gray and Lyon. Erza had never met Ur in her life, but according to Gray she was compassionate, loving and the kind of mother any child would dream of. The kind of person Jellal needed in his life, Erza thought. The day she realised that Jellal had grown into someone to far for her to grasp hold of, the red haired mage had let go of all the feelings chaining her down and decided once and for all, to stop loving Jellal. It felt like true freedom.

Rumours had spread about Jellal's past, though the majority of media had conjured their usual loads of absolute bullshit and made up the most ridiculous stories. It was hard to tell between truth and lies when reading the daily tabloids.

Many assumed he'd easily sailed his way to the top, having been the sole heir to the Fernandes fortune. He had status, reputation and wealth insured before he was even born, and all life's pleasures were handed to him on a silver plate. Jellal had been born into a family of powerful, elite mages renowned for their aptitude and skill -the Fernandes' were the epitome of aristocracy, the highest noble class in Fiore. All he had to do was simply be born and life couldn't have gotten any better. He'd never had to lift a finger in his entire life.

These were some of many rumours that circled Fiore. All were far from the truth.

The speculation about Jellal's family was true, but few people had knowledge of what Jellal's life had truly been like. Almost a decade ago, the blue-haired boy's sudden disappearance and the massacre of his entire family did not make front page news. The Fernandes' were a reclusive, secretive family. Even their servants kept to themselves. The only times society had a glimpse of the blue-haired nobles were at official parties and functions. That was all.

The mystery surrounding the Fernandes massacre was never solved, but authorities had reported not a single person was left alive, noble or servant. Hundreds of dead bodies littered the hallways and burgundy carpets were soaked black with blood. They had happened upon an enormous portrait hung on the wall of the main ballroom. It was a beautifully painted masterpiece; Lord Fernandes stood tall and proud, his hand resting on the chair that the Lady sat politely upon. On her lap was a child. He had the same signature blue hair as the Lord and Lady, and he had a peculiar red tattoo along one side of his face. The young boy's expression was older than his age, as though his soul had experienced things I child never should. One would think it was the portrait of a perfect family, but if one looked closer at the boy sitting on the Lady's lap, it was a clear as day.

He was not her child.

The little boy's body was never found, so it was assumed that he was never present in the first place. All this, outsiders had no knowledge of. This information was kept top secret and known only by the highest authorities. What Erza did know, was that Jellal had come from a noble family and that was all there was to it.

Erza remembered the day she found out, Jellal had been a slave for a full two years before she'd arrived. She did not know how to respond. And she did not want to think about him anymore.

Events of the past were locked up in a corner of her heart. The key was thrown away in some endless abyss so that if she ever searched for it, Erza would be swallowed in darkness so thick she would never be herself again.

Era Central train station, Early Evening

The sight of Era's bustling train station greeted Erza as the train grudgingly came to a stop. The sky was a mixture of blended orange and pink hues, the sun sinking halfway into the horizon. She was surprised at the size of the crowd, teeming with all mages of all kinds. She was even more surprised having spotted Gray who was waiting patiently (behind the yellow line), hands in pockets and scowling at the rude people who bumped into him.

Alighting the train, with Sho trailing behind, she made a beeline for the ice mage. The roar of the horde made it nearly impossible for him to hear her.

"Gray!" she called again, "Over here!"

Sho waved frantically with his free arm, lugging a heavily packed suitcase with the other. Hearing Erza's calls, the ice mage squinted and searched the sea of faces for a familiar glow of bright red. It didn't take him long to find his armoured friend and Sho tagging along behind her.

"Erza, you're finally here," Gray groaned, running a hand through his jet black hair, "You have no idea how long you've made me wait."

"Made you wait?" Erza asked slightly annoyed, one eyebrow raised.

"U-Uh no..I meant, um…Look, are you two busy tonight?"

Sho and Erza exchanged glances. The blonde shrugged, "Actually I have an appointment with a friend later this evening, why do you ask?"

The redhead's curious eyes searched the crowd for a tuft of electric blue hair. She chuckled darkly at herself; what were the chances of that happening?

"Ur invited me over for dinner tonight and she wants me to bring along some friends. I think she mentioned somethin' about Ultear being there too, so I think we might be able to convince her to support Fairy Tail in the upcoming court case. Flame-brain and Lucy are coming. Juvia is too, I think. So Erza, are ya free?"

She responded with an absent-minded 'hn' and continued looking past Gray's shoulder, unable to shake off the feeling that maybe, just maybe, something one in a million could happen.

"Oi, is that a yes?!" Gray snapped impatiently.

Erza looked at the ice mage and nodded, expression displeased with gray's impoliteness. Not having payed attention, she vaguely heard something about being invited to have dinner with a friend of Gray's. Or was it Natsu's? Honestly, she just wanted a nice warm shower and a good nights' sleep. Sho sighed dramatically and adjusted his grip on the suitcase handle, "Can we just get to the hotel already? My arm is dying."

Era National Magic Counil Headquarters, Late Evening

"So, are you coming?"

A blue haired mage, wearing a classy white attire and nose lodged deep in a thick tome was seated comfortably in an armchair. He blinked twice and reluctantly tore his eyes from the page.

"What was that? I wasn't listening," he murmured. The time mage let out a huff of annoyance and rested a hand on one hip, "I said, my mother has invited us over for dinner tonight. She invited Gray and a few of his Fairy Tail friends so we could all get to know each other. Are you coming?"

"No thank you, tell her I'm busy," came the quick answer. Dimming sunlight filtered through the long windows and bled into the rich, opulent rugs of the council library. The rows of dusty shelves were lined with books of all shapes and sizes. It was long past opening hours, but an exception was made for their favourite blue haired visitor. Of course, when the librarian's apprentice was a young, pretty girl with nothing inside that thick skull of hers, Jellal Fernandes was always welcome. Ultear walked briskly, the clacking of heels muffled by the thick carpet and snatched the book from his hands.

"I don't think you have a choice in this matter," she said firmly.

"Why not?" he argued childishly, standing up and crossing his arms.

"She has kindly invited us to dinner, and tonight we actually have no meetings to attend and no business to take care of for once. You know she likes you –you're her favourite so the least you could do is show up and make her day," Ultear said. The tattooed mage glanced outside at the setting sun, considering for a moment and made up his mind.

"Alright," he sighed, and her face lit up, "but I'll be a little late. I have some leftover paperwork-"

"That's not a good excuse-"

"-but I will be there," he assured and rested his hands on either side of Ultear's waist. He leaned his forehead against hers, and she noticed the sides of his eyes that were sagging from fatigue. The time mage felt her heart rate double in speed and warmth flood into her cheeks. Jellal grinned.

"Now, can I have my book back?" Ah, so that was what this was about, Ultear thought –although her thoughts were already quite muddled up from the sudden close proximity with the handsome mage. She clutched the book tighter not willing to give in.

"Pretty please?" Jellal pleaded, leaning closer and wrapping his arms more fully around her. To an onlooker, they may have looked like a couple, but she knew better. There was only one person in Jellal's heart and it was not and never would be her. Chuckling and handing him the tome, she pulled herself from his embrace and turned swiftly, walking toward the exit doors.

"I'll see you in an hour, then," she called. Jellal faced the windows, arms folded behind his back and waited for the sound of the door clicking shut. The panoramic view overlooking Era was breathtaking from the colossal library window; it was especially beautiful at night, when a myriad of lights would envelop the cityscape. He was sure Ur wouldn't mind him being a little late –for once he had no responsibilities to attend to and was most definitely not about to miss out on this one chance to view Era at night.

Little did he know, tonight he was about to meet the girl he first fell in love with for the first time in seven years.

Drop in a review if you have the time, and thank you lots for reading! :D