I know this came out a little late for Gralu week, but for some reason I was thinking it started on the seventh. I am incredibly sorry, but better late than never. This is my first time doing Gralu week so I hope I do it some justice.
Fairy Tail Fanfic
Disclaimer: I own this story
Chapter one: Whispers
Gray was not a man of many words. He was silent and reserved, and was filled with inner peace as he worked silently in conviction of the greater good. He was good at what he did. The best in his unit, and recently promoted as the 'boss' of the Homicidal Unit. Under his jurisdiction more people were let in.
And boy did he regret that. There was nothing wrong with Gildart's, the beloved old geezer that had been around when Gray's father worked and leaded where Gray is now …. God bless his soul. And there was nothing wrong with Laxus, besides being extremely temperamental. But more people came in, and this is where the raven haired youth believed was his downfall.
Young blood filled with self-righteousness, and a strong will to do some good in the world, just like Gray - but they were not like him. They were loud and boisterous and sounded their victory cheers for every small little thing.
... Natsu got a raise … Erza made her hundredth arrest … Lucy, Natsu childhood friend who had been struggling to get into the policy academy finally passed (she was no fan of the physical work and failed the first two times for being too compassionate).
Gray gritted his teeth when they broke his personal space, again and again and again and again! Sure, Magnolia was probably a little more safer since the new additions to the homicide team but for dear god, and everything holy couldn't they be … be … for better lack of description, less!
A presence neared him and thankfully one that understood his boundary issues, Erza.
"I wanted to say thanks on that last case, I can't believe I didn't suspect the wife. It was text book. Wife kills husband … but I really thought it was it was the husband's sister. She had no alibi and had always been vengeful towards her brother since he moved onto the lavish lifestyle and didn't take her with him."
Gray smiled, looking up to his favourite pupil. "No biggie, I'm just sad your own partner couldn't have been more useful to you."
He was disappointed. He drove his unit hard, forcing them to work and accomplish everything at the best of their ability.
Erza blinked, unsure how to handle his words. Surprised at the least, "L-Lucy?"
"Mmm," Giving the vixen a pointed look, "She's smart and talented. And I don't hold anyone to a stereotype, but I wouldn't want to call her a blonde. From what I had read from her reported documents in that last case, she had all the pieces but couldn't put them all together. Like I had said before, she is smart. I just hope in the future she will apply herself better –"
"She does!" Anger bursting out quickly, Erza would not listen – no, not bare his words on her friend.
"Pardon?"
"She works hard, she really does, so don't count the numbers of her success instead of the amount of effort she puts in. You would be doing her a discredit. And on her behalf, you insult me."
Seeing the passionate gaze in the woman, a smile twitched at the corner of his lips. Interesting.
"Name me something about her that is different than the rest of you. What makes her like no other here?"
Now it was the woman's turn. "Pardon?"
"Name me a quality that is stronger in her then the rest of you."
Eyebrows raised, fingers entwined on her own wrist nervous habit. "Well, she can read people, better than anyone I know. She's like a walking, breathing, lie detector. She knows when people are telling shit, and she knows how to corner people and make them spill the beans. She … I don't know how to explain her to you. You need to know her to get her, you need to work beside her to really be able to find even the barest amount of sense of how to understand Lucy. Lucy is not a person you can describe. There are a million terms that would suit her, but, to ask me to explain something about her, even a trait, it's hard."
A silence filled the small office. The blinds were down, so no one saw Erza beet red face glaring down at her Boss.
"Miss Heartfilia is your partner in here, you have to trust she has your back, and that's a lot of trust. And from what you're telling me, reading between everything you said, and you're not aware you said it is this: you don't know her very well."
Gray's lips thinned in disappointment.
Storming out of his office and dropping into her desk chair, startling her friend from her morning break cross word. "Something went wrong in the praise?"
"Yes."
The red head turned on her laptop, eyes staying fixed on the screen.
"Bad, huh?"
Scrunching her hands up, "He can just be so rude. He's a good man, but he's rude. A complete and utter jerk!"
An audible chuckle was heard from said man's office.
Ears turning pink, and now silent tirade.
"I know he's meant to be our Boss first and friend second, but he could have been at the very least tactful with what he said –"
"Well," fiddling with her hands, large brown eyes tried to make contact with Erza's. "What did he say?"
Snapping out of it, inhaling one large breath, and opening her palms to lay flat on her legs, "Nothing. He can just be a jerk."
And that was the end of the discussion.
XXX
The lights were slowly clicking of in the Homicide unit. Gildart's snored over a few desk, who was looking for a woman named Cornelia. Lucy suspected, from what she had accidentally overheard a few days ago, that Gildart's Clive may have a long lost daughter.
It was admirable, that the old geezer (but a secretly soft, big, teddy bear) like Gildart's would want to connect with his daughter – If he did in deed have one.
A meow sounded from the ground. Lucy looked down, bending over to scratch the feline behind the ears. Happy purred.
"I don't know why I turn a blind eye to that cat. And what type of cat is blue?" Said the captain incredulously. Miffed about the strange cat. Within the department there were two roaming male cats.
Don't even get Gray started on Gajeel's cat. That thing was a demon in the office, volatile to almost everyone except his owner and the blue haired woman that visits Lucy from the Crimes Department. The raven haired man was almost certain it was Lily that peed in the corner of his office on New Year's.
Lucy whirled, surprised Gray was still here. "A special one?"
Gray chuckled, "I suppose so. I wanted to commend you for your work on that last case, I know you would have put your best effort in."
It was insincere, Lucy could tell. "Thanks, Sir."
"And there is something I want to ask." Calculating eyes stared into her own.
"Yes! I mean … sure." Face flushing.
"Why did you want to join the police force so badly? Don't take offense –"
"-That means I'm going to take offense –"
"But why would you," giving her a pointed look, "a girl who had so much going for her suddenly change directions and came here. You could have been anywhere you wanted. Why stop for brutality and crimes?"
It was a heavy handed question.
"Well," thinking carefully, "I was good in school I'll admit, but that doesn't mean I know what to do with my life. I still don't know."
"So this is not your drive, your goal to be here, but a stop along the way to whatever your destination is?" Holding his hands out in front of him and looking around the brightly lit room.
Face darkening, "I hardly think it matters now. I'm in." Stubborn edged guided her words like a warning.
Crossing his arms, Gray frowned. "Would you leave here?"
"Yes."
"Soon?"
"I don't know."
"Do … do you now know what you want to do?"
Shrugging dismissively the hard tone left her voice. "I didn't know what I wanted when I left collage – I still don't. But I was seeing everyone moving on with their ambition and I was still stuck. Natsu always knew what he wanted to do, and I followed him, even if this is a temporary wait-out to give me time, I wanted to be around a friend." Looking up from her hands. "But I need time. Not everyone knows who or what they want to be when their five."
Turning the words over in his head. "Well, what are your interests?"
The soft tone, not degrading for her choice of temporary profession.
"I-I … want to write, maybe. I do it, but as a hobby, nothing serious."
"What else?"
"Astrology, I like stars. But I can't do anymore but point them out and say their names. But I love the planetarium here."
The silence flowed in but not one that felt awkward, but rather a bitter sweetness.
It was broken by Natsu, "Lucy! Are you ready?" Head turning around until it fell in her direction and his face lit up.
"Yeah! Coming!" Lucy called/
Standing up from the desk he had started to lean on, "You ride with Natsu?"
"My car is broken, I need to get it fixed, Natsu is giving me lifts to and from work."
"Oh."
"Yeah. But it feels nice to be on a bike, I didn't think I would be the one to enjoy it." Turning back to her desk to shove a few things in her messenger bag.
"I see the appeal." It was a tiny babble but the Boss looked at her appreciatively.
Grabbing the last of her things and shoving them into a backpack Lucy then turned off her desk lamp.
"Have a safe night Lucy." He said as she left.
X
For Gray, the night dragged on. Barely broken apart from the stray calls that sometimes came in.
On the desk in front of Gray, laid the yellow folder where the edges were bent and slightly torn from frequent use. The white crisp pages dirtied and worn with age. Eighteen years of use.
Around one O'clock the shrillness of the phone broke the silence of Gray's office.
"Gildart's answer that!"
The assistant grunted and picked it up, "Hello –"
A brief silence filled the place.
"I'll send you through," Gildart's voice more serious and formal. "Gray, you need to take this."
Sighing, he pressed a button and picked up the phone.
"Gray!" a man's voice yelled through the speaker before the raven haired boy had a chance to speak.
"Bob?" Thinking of the Club owner downtown.
"I have some news for you, you should come down here immediately."
News. Not murder.
"What is this about, I can't just stroll down there whenever I please. I'm working right now."
The lines were silent, until.
"It's your father. I have news on your father. I think you might have a lead."
Not breathing, not moving, and in carefully strained voice.
"I'm coming."
Author's note:
I hope you all enjoy this. For Gralu week this all was meant to be coming together as one-shots, but then a story bloomed inside me head ... and well, as you Writers know, when a story creates itself in your head, you must be obedient and write it. It's just what Writers do.