A gentle breeze moved gently through the trees. Erza leaned in the shade of the Southgate park tree, she ran her fingers over the black box she held in her hands. She slowly traced the silver logo, which was engraved into the face of the box. She studied and felt it carefully, almost to convince herself that it was really there. She hadn't opened the box yet, though it had been a few hours after receiving it and taking off out the door of Fairy Tail. Erza ran her thumb over the silver clasp locking the box closed. She was lost in her own thoughts.

"I really hate goodbyes."

Erza stood at the edge of a large lake. She watched as the gentle waves splashed against the small disk-shaped rocks at her feet. She felt hallow, her mind filled with the many words she wish she could say but couldn't. Her fists clenched, her grip tightening around the rock she held in her hand. She wanted to throw it out of frustration.. or sadness.. anger.. all of it. All of her emotions in one throw. But that was before she felt his hand gently touch her wrist. She shut her eyes tight. A single tear ran down her cheek. Her white knuckle grip tightened before relaxing, the rock falling out of her hand.

"I don't want you to go," she choked out.

He slipped his fingers into the palm of her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Erza," a familiar voice called out to her.

Erza looked up from the box to see Lucy on the landing above the park. Lucy waved to her, she stood at the top of the steps leading down into the park. She was smiling and, through watering eyes, Erza managed to smile back. Lucy descended the steps quickly, making her way over to her friend. Erza stood up straight, wiping the tears from her eyes. She lowered the box to her side and looked to Lucy.

"Erza, you left so quickly," Lucy said, "is everything okay?"

The armored wizard wouldn't be able to answer the question honestly. She didn't know how she felt. Her emotions were flustered and she couldn't settle on how she wanted to feel. She was excited for Reece to be coming back home, but it's been so long. Three years. Three years with very little contact. She understood the situation and respected that the silence was because of the mission but it still hurt her that she didn't even receive a letter. Her grip tightened on the box in her hand, the only proof to her that he didn't end up captured. Or worse.

She didn't want to lie to Lucy, so she didn't, "I don't know."

"Everyone told me about Reece."

Erza could feel herself choking up but she forced a straight face, furrowing her brow slightly and looking up at the celestial wizard. She didn't realize she was staring at Lucy's feet. Erza closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before responding to Lucy.

"What did they tell you?"

"Just their own stories about him," Lucy answered, "they also told me you two were pretty close."

Erza's gaze lowered again. Her emotions were flustered again. She was trying to stay strong just for the sake of embarrassment but it was becoming increasingly more difficult for her to do so. Just this conversation alone was reminding her of the times they spent together. Times that she sometimes forgot. Not on purpose but her daily life usually distracted her enough to stop from going into a depression. What would she say to him? After all this time. After all the silence. After all the pain of him leaving. What could she say to him?

"They said you were the only one to see his face," continued Lucy, "I just think that's so incredibly sweet."

Erza blinked and looked at Lucy with a bit of surprise. Not by what she said but by how she was thinking. Erza suddenly realized she was focused on the wrong aspect of his return.

"Though I don't know him, I bet he's crazy excited to see you again."

She was so focused on the fact that he left, she didn't really decide how she felt about him coming home. She was excited to see him. She looked down and held the black box in her hands again. It was a gift that Reece sent ahead of himself to show her how much she meant to him.

Lucy looked down at the box, "did you see what was in it yet?"

"No I haven't," Erza responded.

With a flick of her thumb, the clasp unlocked, she slowly opened the box. The inside was lined in red velvet cloth, in the center was a necklace. The necklace sat in a pillowed bed with small silver brackets holding it in place. Tears ran down Erza's cheeks. Lucy leaned over to see what was inside of the box.

"Wow," she whispered quietly.

Erza's eyes sparkled as she took the chain with her fingers and held up the necklace. It was a heart shaped necklace. The heart was drawn out in a single strand of silver that ran from the point, through the loop at the top and not quite completing the heart on the other side, the silver line, instead, stopped about half way down the side. In the center, hanging from the top, was an oval shaped, scarlet colored jewel.

"It's beautiful," Lucy nearly yelled.

Erza placed the necklace back into the box and snapped it shut. Lucy jumped at her quick movements, letting out a soft yelp. She didn't know what she did. I was just complimenting the necklace, she thought. Erza's eyes furrowed and slowly closed. She breathed in deeply. Lucy, slightly frightened, began to step away from Erza. She yelped once more when Erza hand grabbed her wrist tightly. Lucy looked at Erza, her eyes snapping open and looking at the blonde. Lucy shivered, not knowing what was going to happen.

Pulling Lucy close, Erza spoke, "I need you to help me shop for a dress."

Lucy blinked, "What about the dresses you have in your armory?"

Erza shook her head quickly.

"They're not good enough. I need a new dress."

Erza started moving quickly towards the steps, pulling the celestial wizard with her.

"Wait, wait! Slow down," Lucy pleaded.

In the center of Magnolia, there's a small shop that sells dresses tailored made for special occasions. This is the shop Erza dragged Lucy to. The two women stood on opposite sides of the shop, looking through the very large assortment of dresses available. The very old, very small shopkeeper, stood in the center, happily smiling through very tired eyes. His legs shaking, mustache twitching, and bald head very shiny.

"Shopping for a special occasion," asked the old shopkeeper in a soft voice.

Lucy spoke up, "yes, we are looking for the perfect dress for tomorrow night."

"Well, you two make a fine couple," the old man turned to Erza, "you are a lucky man, she's very beautiful."

Erza, holding a dress out in front of her, nearly collapsed. Her hands snapping the hanger she was holding.

"What did you call me," shouted Erza, only restrained by a very terrified Lucy.

"Stop," she pleaded, "it isn't worth it."

The old man kept smiling, not really looking at them, but in their general direction.

"Just come get me if you need any assistance," he said, making his way to the front of the store and standing behind a counter twice his height. He hummed softly. Erza on the other hand, huffed and puffed, still being held by Lucy, who was visibly shaken.

Slowly letting go of her, Lucy gently consoled the scarlet haired wizard, "okay now.. we have a lot of dresses to go through and not a lot of time. Let's just focus."

Erza straightened up, huffing again. She closed her eyes and brushed down her armor.

"Who does that guy think he is, calling me a man?"

"Maybe it's the armor," Lucy guessed, laughing nervously, "I bet seeing you in a new dress would knock that guys socks off."

Erza opened her eyes and scanned the wall she was facing. She studied each and every dress in the three rows hung up on the wall of the shop. They were all visibly unique dresses but none of them really called out to her as something Reece would like. Or even something she would wear.

"I'm not looking to knock his socks off."

"Right," Lucy acknowledged.

Lucy and Erza spent the next hour going through dress after dress. Each suggested dress by Lucy being quickly dashed by Erza for one reason or another.

"Too Flashy – Too Plain – Too Long –- Too Short – Too much cleavage – Not enough cleavage."

"You're impossible," whined Lucy.

The two continued looking through dresses, each moving down the line in opposite directions. Lucy was about to give up on helping the picky Erza until she found a dress at the end of the rack. She pulled it out and took a look at it. From the neckline, down to the end. It wasn't too flashy, was single colored but had an interesting enough shape to not be boring, plus it had the perfect amount of cleavage. Lucy turned to Erza who was picking apart the other side of the store. Throwing dress after dress to the side, she was beginning to look frustrated. The old shopkeeper continuing to smile at nothing in particular.

"What about this one?" Lucy asked, holding out the dress.

Erza stood up straight the turned to Lucy. She looked at the dress longer than she did any other. It's the first dress she didn't immediately say no to. But she looked really unsure. Maybe not in the dress itself but in the thought of her wearing the dress.

"I don't know," she mumbled slightly.

"Come on," Lucy complained, "at least try it on. It's better than anything else we've found."

Erza looked around the shop and the dresses scattered across the floor. She nodded and took the dress to the dressing room. Lucy began to pick up the dresses and noticed the shopkeeper looking in her direction. This would normally creep her but she wasn't sure if the old man was even looking at her. She didn't think he really knew what he was looking at either. She smiled at him to test it out her theory and he only looked away, continuing to hum.

Yeah, he wasn't looking at her.

Behind her, Lucy heard the dressing room door open. She turned around and dropped the dresses she was holding. Erza stepped out wearing the wrap around dress. The dress was black with capped sleeves, the bottom of the dress opened up slightly like a tulip, with her long legs being shown off from the lips. Erza posed slightly, her hand by her neck, showing off that she was wearing the necklace with it too. The necklace was a perfectly length, ending slightly just above her cleavage which, Lucy called it, was the perfect amount.

"Erza," Lucy spoke, blushing, "you look beautiful."

Erza smiled shyly and blushed in return.

"I feel beautiful."

"You look wonderful, young man," said the old man, staring out the window.

Lucy and Erza collapsed.

"How can he say that," Erza cried.

"Let's just get some lunch."