AN: This is best read having first read the oneshot The Good Times. I would love to hear what you all think! Mirsanxox


The Bad Times

The rain was pouring down and the sky circled with rolling grey clouds so thick and foreboding. It was so dark that day it appeared night at day. Once again one of Fairy Tail's favourite elderly couples were visiting the guild.

They walked in side by side, smiling. "Can't believe how hard it's raining!" Gray commented as they entered.

Juvia frowned, "I hope Gray-sama doesn't think his wife is responsible, especially when it's the day before his sixty-fifth birthday."

He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her close for a brief moment. "No worries raindrop, you know the rain doesn't bother me."

She giggled, they took a moment to observe who was in the guild hall, and there were a lot of new faces. They brawled and teased each other; this was the reason the Fullbuster couple came here still, it brought back so many memories.

Then they noticed a gloomy aura from the corner, they knew that face…it was almost the same as her grandmother's. It was their granddaughter, Fuchsia Flynn, formerly Fullbuster…daughter of their son Blue and Lyon's daughter Violet. She was twenty-one years old and married the love of her life six months ago; there was no reason for her to be sad.

Juvia and Gray exchanged glances and wandered over to where she sat. They sat opposite her, the young woman's deep blue eyes looked almost shocked when she them there. "Grandma, Grandpa…hi, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Visiting" Gray answered, "your Grandma closed up the bakery today because of the weather, thought we'd come see everyone. Why the long face, Fuchsia?"

She looked away and guilty look in her eyes, Juvia reached over and placed her wrinkling hand over Fuchsia's and smiled. "Fuchsia …you know you can tell Grandma and Grandpa anything, maybe we can help?"

Their granddaughter sighed and thought of how to put her news. "Um…it's me and Harris…I think our marriage is coming to an end." She divulged.

"WHAT?!" Gray and Juvia exclaimed simultaneously, well this certainly explained the weather. Fuchsia had taken the water path of the family rather than ice.

"How can that be? You guys have been married like what…six months? How can it be over already? What happened?" Gray asked. Juvia laid a hand on his shoulder, wordlessly telling him to lower his voice when talking to their granddaughter.

"It's just, I didn't think marriage would be this hard, it should be easy. He chooses the most dangerous missions and I sometimes won't hear from him for days because of it! We argue sometimes and I can't help but feel this is life's way of telling me…Harris and I just aren't meant to be."

Her grandparents scoffed at her, "what a load of crap" her grandfather mocked, earning a scowl from Fuchsia.

Juvia laid a hand on her husband's forearms, "what your grandfather means is…you cannot just give up. Marriage isn't easy; it takes a lot of work. If it feels broken, fix it…don't throw it away. Marriage is hard…but worth it."

Fuchsia jeered and folded her arms, "what would you two know…you have the perfect marriage, you haven't ever had to work at it."

Her grandparents couldn't believe their ears, was she being serious? They had only ever shared the good times with others; they rarely spoke of all the hardships. But now they knew that it was time to relive some of those moments. They had to make their granddaughter see…you have to fight to keep a relationship going.

Gray looked to his wife for approval, she gave it to him in and nod. They intertwined fingers

Gray started…

….

Juvia and I had been on a pretty dangerous mission; it was a dark period…we barely made it out alive. However…we weren't unscathed. They cast a spell on Juvia to make her forget all that she loved. All she knew was that her name was Juvia, she was made of water and she was rain. She wasn't even supposed to be on that job, she only came out to find me because I was taking too long and she got worried.

When she first opened her eyes…she scowled at me like I was a villain and told me to stay away from her. I told her that we were married, had been for seven years, I told her about our six year old daughter and three year old son that were waiting for us.

I eventually convinced Juvia that I could be trusted and brought her back to the guild where Indigo and Blue were waiting with Gajeel and Levy. They ran to her and jumped all over her, clinging to her.

"Mommy, Mommy!" Indigo called as she pulled at her mother's arm, "I missed you mommy! I love you."

Blue could barely get out a coherent sentence at that age, he just reached up to her and bounced up on his little toes, "Mommy pick me up, pick me up!" he laughed.

I could see the confusion and panic all over her face, I could see what she was about to do but before I could stop it…I was too late. Juvia pulled away from both of them so quickly and with such urgency that she unintentionally pushed them down. Their big sparkling eyes were staring up at their mother; it was like she'd slapped them around the face.

"M-mommy?" Indigo uttered, heartbroken.

I rushed to the kids; they came into my arms but didn't stop looking at Juvia, who stared down at the three of us with so much venom. The other guild members watched in awe. This was Juvia…this was a woman who loved with every inch of her heart. She'd stare at me and kids for hours with so much joy; the woman glaring at us now was a stranger. Well more correctly, we were the strangers….Juvia was lost, scared and confused. It was killing me, there was nothing I could do for her…I couldn't save my own damn wife!

"These are not Juvia's children…Juvia has no children, she does not know these two." She stated as she looked at them both, I held them tighter. She then looked at me, "and Gray is not Juvia's husband…she does not love Gray…she never has and never will."

With that she turned and started walking away.

"Mommy no!" Indigo screamed and reached out for her, I held her back.

"Mommy stay!" Blue pleaded.

This wasn't affecting her one little bit; she didn't care because she felt nothing for us….she didn't know us. I didn't know what I could do to bring her back…to make her stay. It was tearing me apart, it was making me cry and she didn't care! She COULDN'T care!

"JUVIA!" I roared with pain and sorrow…

..

A tear hit Juvia's hand; Gray put his arm around her once again and kissed her head.

"Juvia can still remember how their faces looked, how much she hurt them!" she whimpered.

"All in the past now rain drop, we got you back." Gray assured.

"How?" Fuchsia asked her eyes wide and filled with wonder, "how did you get her memory back?"

Gray smirked, "Because Fuchsia, I didn't give up…I kept searching for her, took me a month…but I found her. And then…now you may not wanna hear your grandpa say this…but when I finally found her I kissed her like never before…and she remembered everything."

"Really?" Fuchsia mouthed.

Juvia nodded, "Sometimes a kiss can fix everything…not always…but sometimes, it's all it takes to remind someone of how much they are loved and needed by you." She then looked at her husband. "Should Juvia tell her about…about Azure?"

Gray hesitated, "Only if you feel you can."

"Who is Azure?" Fuchsia asked, her eyes filled with pleading.

Juvia took in a deep breath.

…..

We had just returned from the doctors…Juvia cried the whole way home, Gray-sama was silent, but his arm remained around Juvia, he let her soak his shoulder.

We finally reached the house, by this time Juvia was just numb and her eyes were red and sore. Wendy was babysitting the children, Indigo was four, Blue was only a year old. Juvia wanted to rush upstairs and hold them both… but then she didn't want them to see their mommy so sad…I was in pieces.

"Hey Wendy….how about ten jewels? Will that about cover it?" Gray-sama offered.

Wendy waved him off, "Oh no really, it was my pleasure! I loved taking care of them…but I better get going now, I have date with Romeo, I can't be back too late or Carla will kill me! Bye, let me know if you need me again." And she left.

Juvia stared into the fire; she wrapped her around herself, trying to stay together. Gray-sama placed his hands on Juvia's shoulders.

It was unintentional but Juvia flinched, Gray-sama backed away with his hands held up. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He apologised.

Juvia looked at him, "Gray-sama's touch is so cold to Juvia right now…she is sorry."

Gray-sama closed his hands, he looked annoyed…not at me but at himself because at the moment I could not stand him touching me right now.

"Well…let me make you something warm to drink. How about tea?" He offered.

Juvia could not help it, but she let out a cry and more tears came flooding down, outside a storm raged like the one inside Juvia.

"Juvia does not want TEA! Juvia wants her BABY BACK!" I sobbed brokenly as I fell to the ground. Gray-sama caught Juvia and cradled her.

He was crying too and he held her, he placed a hand over her now vacant womb. "I know…I know…I want her back too, I do and I would give anything to bring her back."

A moment of silence passed, "Juvia lost our baby….now Juvia can never have another! Gray-sama…will leave Juvia, because she is not worthy anymore. Juvia is not complete anymore; this family is not complete without our little baby girl…Juvia will never be whole again. It's like she never existed…baby is just gone."

Gray-sama squeezed Juvia and gently rocked her back and forth; she felt his wet cheek against her own. "I will never leave, we've still got Indie and Blue…we gotta be strong and grateful for that. I feel this way too, I feel like there will always be something missing…but she did exist Juvia….our baby existed inside of you; you even knew it was a girl…like you just knew with Indigo and Blue. You knew their likes and dislikes before she they even born and through you I knew them too, just like I now know her."

He sat us up, Juvia was speechless, he looked into her eyes. "She did exist" Gray-sama repeated, "Her name was Azure…she would have black hair but with a tint of your blue, that blue would be more obvious when the sun caught it. She'd have impossibly dark blue eyes and your smile. Tell me more about her…."

Juvia gulped down the lump in her throat and steadied her breathing so she could talk. "Her favourite music…was the noise Gray-sama likes…even though Juvia tried so hard to get her to like classical. She was a mischievous child…and because she was foolish in her youth she would have grown to be a wise and powerful woman. Her favourite food would have been caramade franks, because she noticed that her mommy and daddy ate them every year on their anniversary."

"…What about Indie and Blue…bet they would have loved her." Gray-sama prompted Juvia to continue.

She nodded, "They would have been very protective of their little sister, they would have been best friends."

"Ice or water, what powers would she have?"

"Both…she'd have mastered both."

Gray-sama smiled at Juvia through the tears, "you see…we are complete, she did exist…she isn't really gone. Azure is forever a part of us…we are whole because of her."

Juvia spent the rest of the night crying into Gray-sama's shoulder.

….

Now Fuchsia could not hold back her own tears, "Grandma…I-I didn't know, I'm so sorry."

Juvia patted her hand, "it's okay…our family still grew and now Juvia and Gray-sama have Fuchsia among other precious grandchildren."

"The point is sweetheart…we only got through that because we stuck together, we united and didn't fall." He was now holding Juvia's hand, "There has been times when we had to trust each other and have faith in what we have…because there were some who tried to break us apart…"

…..

The kids were old enough to start going on missions on their own so I was glad they were out of the house at this time. Some of the Magic council's guards invaded our home. They cuffed me and restrained Juvia when she struggled.

I growled and clenched my jaw when I saw her wince in pain as they supressed her, "Get your damn hands off my wife! Don't touch her!" I yelled at them, "What the hell do you want?"

One of the guards approached me, "If you wish for your wife to remain unharmed then you will come quietly. If you don't we'll arrest her for assisting and harbouring a fugitive."

I looked at Juvia who was pleading with me to tell her what was going on.

"Fine, I'll come quietly…just let my wife go and tell what it is you're arresting me for?" I asked more calmly.

He smirked at me and I wanted to punch him. "Are you sure you want me to say in front of your wife? She may not be so eager to fight for you if she knows."

"Gray-sama keeps nothing from Juvia!" Juvia shot at them with so much confidence, she was right I didn't…they could say what they like.

"Very well…" the guard began, "Gray Fullbuster…we arresting you under the suspicious of buying and selling off young women for the most unspeakable acts. You are to be put before the council itself and judged for these crimes."

I felt fear and perplexities grip me around the throat; I looked to Juvia who was paler than I had ever seen her before. "It's not true Juvia, I swear to you it's not true!" I called as they started dragging me away.

They had thrown Juvia on the couch and she was staring after me, her hands over her mouth. "I know Gray-sama!" she assured, "Juvia knows you didn't, Juvia will not stop until she has proved you innocent and Gray-sama is back home with his family!"

I knew she was telling the truth, she'd get me out of this…I had as much faith in my wife as she did in me. Juvia knew I was innocent but still being taken from my own home and separated from my family was awful and humiliating.

The cell was cold, all I could think about was the look on Juvia's face as the man handled her, snatched her away from me and took me away from her. I have to admit…I was scared, whoever was setting me up was doing a hell of a job of it, I wondered how long it would take Juvia to succumb to the lies about me…

….

"But, Juvia never did" Juvia clarified with so much pride, "Juvia, with the help of the guild proved Gray-sama's innocence; she knows her husband is a good man."

Gray smiled and kissed the back of her hand. "She's always had my back…and I've always got hers, that's what you do in a marriage, you support each other and back each other up, you stand together no matter what."

Juvia smiled at him and he smiled back, "Your grandfather has stood by Juvia too, even when things didn't turn out the way she wanted…"

….

Juvia screamed in anger and outrage, it was all a lie! Juvia had heard from a former member of Phantom Lord that they had heard of a water mage couple…who thirty years ago, had to give their daughter away to an orphanage. Bad people were after them and they wanted to keep their little girl safe…that little girl was called Juvia.

After months of searching, Gray-sama and I were lead to an abandoned cottage …when we arrived, we saw it was hardly any more than a pile of cinders. The wreckage was black and filithy…a fire had to have caused it.

A nearby priest had come by and asked why we were there.

"We're looking for an elderly couple, Vidia and Kain Lockser…we were told they were here?" Gray told him, Juvia was still too stunned to speak.

A grave look cast over the priest's face, "Ten years ago they were burned alive in this house…some bad people were after them for so long, eventually they found them…they got them."

Juvia chocked on her own breath she thought she was going to be sick, "Did they really die in the fire?" Juvia had to ask, Gray-sama held her up.

The priest nodded, "I buried the bodies myself, they lye together beneath the tree in the cemetery."

Juvia ran all the way there and sure enough…there were the graves, Kain and Vidia Lockser…taken by the flames of hate.

Juvia fell to her knees and cried…she sobbed and chocked so much it was painful.

"Juvia" Gray said gently, he sat behind her and placed his arms around her. "Juvia…I'm sorry."

"Juvia never got to meet them" I whimpered, "she never got to thank them for doing all they could to save her, they never got to meet their grandchildren…they never got to meet Gray-sama and see how happy Juvia is with her life! All because of them."

She felt Gray-sama bury his face in Juvia's neck and she leaned her head back so it rested on his shoulder and she was staring up at the clouded sky. Once again Juvia was to cause rain.

"I'm here for you" he told me, "I would have loved to meet them and thank them too…they saved you and in saving you they saved me. We should go home Juvia…you need to see the kids."

I shook my head, "No Gray-sama! We need to find the people that did this…we need to avenge my parents!"

"No…Juvia, I understand your pain, I lost my parents too. I wanted revenge too…I went after Deliora, but in my pursuit of revenge I ended up hurting others and my parents sacrifice was almost committed in vain. Come back home with me and enjoy the life they gave you. But we won't forget them…they are with our little Azure too, they're all together. Kain, Vida, Azure, Ur and my parents…they're together and I know we'll see them again."

"B-but I can't let them get away with it!" I argued.

"You go after them and they kill you too then your parents would have died for nothing. You'll be putting our children at risk and then we may have to send them away too, don't let the cycle repeat itself. You're with me…and you're safe, let's go home."

"Y-yes, Gray-sama…let's got home."

He outstretched his arm…the graves were being covered by his ice, they glistened and then turned to crystal, crystal graves…they were beautiful ad I was grateful.

…..

Fuchsia frowned, "How could you just leave it? How could you just let them get away with it?"

Juvia looked away, "Juvia's parents gave their lives to keep Juvia safe…Juvia as a mother knows that sometimes we have to think about what is best for the family and not just herself. If she went on that rampage her life would be so different. It was for the best...because the best way for Juvia to show her gratitude was to live her life happily…the life her parents gave her."

Gray smiled proudly at his wife, "She's had to talk me outta some pretty bad stuff too."

….

I was so set on this…I had to make him pay! No one touches my wife…NO ONE! She was carrying my first child, how dare he! I don't care if he's practically my brother, Lyon was a dead man!

"Gray-sama please!" Juvia pleaded, "Lyon-sama is in a really bad place. His girlfriend broke up with him, he was in pieces and Juvia was comforting him…it's my fault, Lyon is just confused at the moment. He needs a friend."

She pulled at my arm, "I don't care! Who the hell does he think he is? Your my wife, he has no right kissing you."

Juvia took my face in her hands, "Gray-sama knows that Juvia loves him and only him. That is why she instantly pulled away from Lyon, slapped him and ran to tell Gray. He has been dealt his punishment, talk to him…tell him how to fix things, be understanding."

I breathed in and out to relax myself, "fine…but if he ever pulls anything like this again…I'll kill him."

Juvia nodded "Yes understandable but he won't."

However I could not deny that I was a little mad at her, how could she be so naïve, "I want you to wise up…don't let anything like this ever happen again…or next time…there better not be a next time, for the sake of our marriage and my kid you're carrying." I stormed off, instantly feeling guilty.

Juvia rested her hands on her swelling stomach and whimpered a little, "I'm sorry…."

I went and found Lyon, we didn't fight…we talked just as Juvia wanted.

"If Grandpa fought with your Grandpa Lyon, he wouldn't have fixed things between the couple. That woman was Lina…if Lyon-sama didn't get Lina back then thy wouldn't of Violet and if there was no Violet, Blue would have met someone else nowhere near as good and we wouldn't have you, Fuchsia." Juvia explained.

Fuchsia shook her head, "that whole thing between you guys and Grandpa Lyon still kinda creeps me out."

"You and me both" Gray agreed. "There is one more story we'll tell you, it's the worst one…I'll never forget or forgive myself for it."

…..

She was trying to out run me; the warehouse was big, dark and scary…like something from a child's nightmare. I ran after my pray…my head screaming one command… kill, kill, kill.

The woman I was going to kill was my own wife…Juvia Fullbuster, she was already beaten pretty badly by the others, I had yet to get my hands on her. My new master placed a device around her ankle that made her unable to use her powers…she was weak and helpless; all she could do was run.

I bet her legs were feeling heavy from the sedatives they forced into her blood, and I bet she could barely see out of those two black eyes, now it was up to me to finish what they started.

"Where you going rain drop? Why are you running from your husband?" I called, my voice echoed throughout the warehouse, she couldn't see me, she didn't know where my voice was coming from and it scared her.

"Please Gray-sama, please don't hurt me…this will kill you when they release you from this spell, please fight it!" she wept.

I leapt at her from the darkness and pinned her, my had wrapped around her slender throat.

"Gr-ay-sa-ma" she wheezed her hands wrapped around wrists, trying to pull them away from her neck. "Pl-ease…J-uvia….loves…you." she let out another gasp.

I was staring into her eyes, the life was fading…as her life began to fade, so was the spell, it would break the moment Juvia was dead. She was dying, I was killing her. The part of me coming back was roaring at the other part, begging me to let her go, because I love her…I love my wife, the mother of my children. But the other part just kept saying how much I loathed her and how much I wanted her dead.

"Please" she choked. "You're killing…Juvia!"

Ice was crawling up her throat, I was freezing her and strangling her to death, she'd be nothing but a frozen statue once I was done.

Juvia…no…I'm sorry! She was in so much pain and I was causing it, I could feel her life slipping away in my hands.

…..

Gray broke the glass he had been given in his hand, he looked so angry, he was. It was his most shameful memory, Juvia almost died by his hands.

Juvia wrapped up his hand and kissed it, "It's okay Gray-sama, it wasn't your fault…Juvia knows that."

"What stopped you?" Fuchsia asked, "How did you break the spell without killing her?"

Gray was looking right at Juvia, "I fought it, I overcame it…because I had to, I couldn't imagine life without her. I'll never forget it or forgive myself, but because of Juvia I got through it."

Juvia continued, "You see, your Grandpa and Grandma have been through so much…but are better for it. Still we do not dwell on those times. I you love someoe deeply enough, there is no obstacle you cannot overcome."

Fuchsia dried her tears clean away, she hugged her grandparents, "I love you both so much! I have to go, Harris is at home waiting for, thank you for making me see, you inspire me!" And she ran out.

Juvia and Gray sat back in their seats and sighed. "That was a mood killer huh?" Gray teased a little.

His wife nodded with agreement, "Yes, it was just a little…what would Gray-sama like to do now? It's still raining."

Grau smirked, "well there's a bar…wanna get drunk, make-out and make the kids here uncomfortable?"

Juvia let out a laugh, "Gray-sama! We're too old for that!"

He placed his lips on hers for a long, slow kiss, when he pulled away her eyes were still closed and her lips pursed. He chuckled, "Nah…being married to a loon like you has a way of keeping me young. So raindrop, still got the hots for me even now I'm old and wrinkled?"

Juvia kissed the tip of his nose…"always, Juvia will always be Gray-sama's number one fan girl!"