Chapter 2

Juvia awoke early the next morning to roaring thunder. She groaned when she saw it was still dark outside. Flashes of lightning from outside flickered to her from outside her small bedroom window. She stared at the clock on her wall, hoping to make out the numbers using only the light coming in her small window with each bolt of lightning that struck in the distance.

6 a.m.

She laid in bed for a while, hoping to get a little more sleep. However, after laying in bed for a while and having no luck, she got bored quickly. She sighed and rolled out of bed. Juvia felt around for the lamp she had set on her bedside table and carefully lit it.

The clouded morning light slowly began to seep in through her bedroom window as she read. Eventually the storm passed, but the rain did not subside. Not that Juvia expected it to.

"Juvia! I hope you're getting ready for school!" her aunt called from downstairs. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Juvia scrambled out of bed, practically throwing her book onto her end table, and hurriedly dressed for the day. Her aunt stood on the other side of the door. "Juvia?"

"Yes, Juvia is all dressed, Aunt Alice?" she said as she was slipping on her shoes.

"Good," Alice said, walking back downstairs. Juvia sighed, her aunt was a stickler for timeliness. Juvia had learned this the hard way. Juvia will never be late to school again after that, Juvia was pretty sure she was going to kill her. Juvia shuddered at the memory of her aunt screaming at her one morning about 4 months ago, "Juvia Alice Lockser! Do not make me kick you all the way to school! Get your shoes and coat on right now!"

Juvia grabbed her bookbag, stuffing the book she'd been reading in as well, and took off down the stairs. The kitchen in the small house was cozy. Just enough room at the table for the 3 of them, a small refrigerator, stove, sick, and just enough counter space and cupboards to cook a decent meal without feeling too cramped.

As she wandered down the stairs, she could smell something delicious, but couldn't place what it was. "Good morning, Juvia," Alice said to her as she walked into the room. "I made some breakfast."

"Thank you!" Juvia sat next to her aunt in front of the plate of 2 fried eggs and a cup of apple juice that her aunt had set out for her. This was out of character. Alice rarely made breakfast, and when she did it was for holidays or on weekends. On school mornings, Juvia and Wesley would just eat a small bowl of cereal, or nothing at all. Juvia wonders what's going on… Juvia thought as she

Alice and Juvia heard the staircase squeak, and they both turned to see Wesley trudge down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Morning…" he grumbled as the 2 smiled at him. He looked at them confused.

"Mom? Did you cook breakfast?" he said, his voice scratchy from having just woken up.

"Why yes I did, Wesley. Come sit and eat with us!" she said, laughing at his confusion.

"Okay…?" he said, sitting in the last empty seat, and the 3 ate breakfast together. They made small talk about school and classes. As it got to be time for Wesley and Juvia to leave, the 2 placed their plates in the sick. Normally, they would have to wash their dishes right away, but Alice insisted on them not being late to school and that she would clean them that day while she was at home on her day off.

She stood on the patio as the 2 left for school, hugging and kissing them both goodbye as they walked out the door. Wesley noticed a couple of his friends walking down the street ahead of them and ran to catch up. Juvia had her pink umbrella in hand, and hadn't walked very far when she heard her aunt call from behind her, "Juvia!"

Juvia turned around in response, and her aunt called, "Don't forget that letter!" Juvia nodded and waved to her aunt with a smile. As she turned around she just barely saw her aunt reach up to wipe her eye; her mouth moved as if she was speaking.

When Juvia finally got to school, it had begun to rain harder, so students of the small school were rushing into the building to try to escape the heavying rain storm.

Juvia went through her regular school routine. The kids in her class were quieter than usual. Maybe because during recess they were able to all play in the gym rather than just stay in the classroom. After school, all the kids packed up their things. Juvia did the same and once she was ready, she walked to the front of the class and set the note on Ms. Teppen's desk.

"What's this, Juvia?" Mrs Teppen asked her, picking it up and peeling it open.

"It is a note from Juvia's aunt. She wanted Juvia to bring it to you today and Juvia promised she would."

"Well then, thank you, Juvia," she said. "I'll read it right now. Tell you aunt hello for me when you can."

Juvia walked home quickly, eager to not be at school anymore. When she arrived, she knew something was right. She her faint sobs and saw that one of the front windows was shattered to pieces.

She sprinted inside the house, "Aunt Alice! Weasley! What happened-"

Juvia choked on her words and stopped dead in her tracks. She looked down at the floor to see a terrible sight. There laid Wesley draped over his mother's unmoving body, quietly sobbing. Her eyes welled up and she began shaking uncontrollably and dropped to her knees. Noticing the floor squish below her. The sound took her by surprise, so she glanced around the room.

Everything in the living room was drenched in water, including Wesley. There was stuffing coming out of the chairs and couch. Glass shards from the windows and overhead light littered the floor.

Juvia attempted to stand up, but found she was still shaking too badly to make that work, so she crawled to the side of her cousin. The floor squished loudly and splattered water with her every move. When she finally reached his side, she placed a small hand on his back. He bolted upright, and looked at her with terror in his eyes.

He composed himself quickly upon realizing who she was, and hugged her. She hugged him back as tight as she could, both were trembling.

"Wesley…? What happened…?"

"I-" he started to speak when a knock came on the door. They both jumped from the sound. Juvia let go of Wesley and they peered at the door. There was a small frosted window in the front door, but neither could make out who was outside.

"Wh-who is it...?" Juvia's voice cracked as she hesitated standing up. The mystery visitor didn't answer.

She felt a strange surge of power within her and noticed the water surrounding her beginning to almost vibrate. She held both of her hands out to her sides, feeling a slight tingle in both of her palms. She glanced over at Wesley who looked about as confused as she probably did. He quickly stood up, slightly behind Juvia.

"I said, 'Who is it?'" she repeated, louder than before.

"Juvia? Is that you! Juvia! It's Ms. Teppen!"

Ms. Teppen? Why was Ms. Teppen here? Juvia thought, and bolted to the door, opening it so quickly the door bashed into the wall behind it, scaring Ms. Teppen. The surging power evaporated and the water on the ground began to still.

"Juvia! Why are you soaking wet! What happened! I got here as soon as I could! I-" Ms. Teppen pushed past Juvia and stumbled into the living room. "Alice! What happened to you!"

Ms. Teppen knelt down beside Alice in tears. Juvia noticed Wesley open his mouth to speak out a protest against Ms. Teppen's behavior, but quickly closed it and walked to stand beside Juvia.

Juvia looked down at her teacher with confusion, "Ms. Teppen? Why are you here?"

Ms. Teppen did not turn to face them as she spoke. "Your aunt asked me to come over today," she spoke softly, almost in a whisper. "She was concerned something was coming, and wanted me here to help her make plans for-" She was cut off by a sound upstairs.

The 3 of them froze. Who else is in the house? Juvia thought, her body began to freeze up. There was another sound from upstairs, it was a familiar loud creak in the floorboards upstairs. Juvia knew that the floor creaked that loudly in one spot of the hallway. Directly at the top of the staircase.

Ms. Teppen, out of nowhere, was upright and standing in front of Juvia and Wesley, protectively. She glanced back them, fear and worry written all over her face, and she had tear stains down her cheeks. Juvia noticed her hands were extended to each side of her fearfully shaking body, and the water at their feet began shaking again like it had before.

Juvia looked down at it for a second, and then up at Wesley. He hadn't seemed to notice the water moving this time. There was a flash and immersed the room and a loud crack of thunder very shortly followed it, and suddenly Weasley, Juvia, and Ms. Teppen were surrounded by water on all sides of them.

"Ms. Te-" Juvia began to whisper, but was cut off by Ms. Teppen quietly shushing her.

Juvia peared around Ms. Teppened's side and saw a dark figure walk down the stairs and out the door, shutting it it behind them. Juvia couldn't make out any details about the figure because the water around them obscured her vision as though she were looking into a pool. They heard the figure's footsteps walk down the patio stairs and then a car down the street started and skidded off.

It wasn't until the car was out of earshot that the water barrio surrounding them disappeared.

"Ms. Teppen…" Juvia spoke quietly.

"Before you ask, what I know you're about to ask, I'll explain. I am a water mage and that power just now is called Water Dome. It camouflaged us so that we could be unnoticed. Though it is unlikely the intruder was unaware of our presence. They had to have heard us speaking down here. I wonder why they didn't attack…? What was their motive for leaving us be…?"

"A water mage…" Juvia whispered to herself.

"Plans for what?" Wesley whispered. Ms. Teppen looked at Wesley in confusion. "Before that thing with the other person happened, you said something about Mom's letter having plans for something."

"Plans for you two…" she spoke quietly, and somberly looked down at Alice. "So that's what you meant…" Ms. Teppen sighed, more tears welling up in her eyes as she knelt back down beside her. "Alice, you could've reached out to me weeks ago, but you waited until today…" Juvia heard Ms. Teppen's voice get very soft, so soft Juvia could barely make out what she said, "Were you still that angry with me…?"

Juvia wondered what her aunt could've possibly been upset with Ms. Teppen for.

She was so lost in her curiosity that she jumped when Ms. Teppen sniffed hard and stood up. "You two are coming with me. Pack a suitcase of your things quickly. We need to leave now. There's a good chance someone else is coming."

"But, Ms. Teppen...Juvia does not understand."

"Juvia, I must say, I don't quite understand what's going on myself. But call me Josie. Now, go. Both of you. Pack your things. We need to get out of here."

Juvia and Wesley both ran for the stairs and up to their bedrooms. Juvia had tears in her eyes as she pulled her small blue suitcase out from under her bed, and began stuffing everything she could into the case. Juvia could not believe she was once again losing her home. She may have only been 5 years old, but the memory of being picked up by her aunt and jumping out of a 2nd story window has stuck with her.

Juvia had really come to think of Alice as her own mother. She was grateful she still had Wesley by her side through this. Without him, she would have no family let to speak of.

Juvia looked down at the teru teru bozu doll that was sitting on the bed. Her aunt had made it for her and gave it to her for her sixth birthday.

"What is it, Aunt Alice?" Juvia looked down at the white fabric doll. It had a small face stitched into its head with black thread and ribbon, blue as her hair, around its neck.

"It's a teru teru bozu doll. They have magical powers to bring good weather and prevent rainy days."

Juvia smiled, "Really? That's amazing!"

As far as Juvia could tell, it hadn't helped one bit, but her aunt made it special for her. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the memory. She packed the doll in her bag along with her clothes and a couple of her favorite books, and ran downstairs. Wesley, across the hall, was just finishing packing his things too and followed behind quickly behind her. Juvia and Wesley both made a point to avoid the squeak in the floor for the sake of their own sanity.

Juvia looked around the living room, and noticed that Alice was gone. Wesley saw this too. "Where's my mom…?"

"I turned her into water," she held out a jar of water to Wesley. "She wouldn't have wanted you guys to see her that way."

"Turned her into water...?" Juvia asked.

"Juvia, you may not realize this, but your father was actually my older brother," Josie smiled to her. "And Alice used to be one of my very close friends, but there were some personal differences that lead to a long-term grudge we both held against each other."

"Juvia didn't know Dad had a sister…"

"That's not too surprising your mom and I didn't get along, and your dad passes away when you were a baby. Now, come on," she led the two out of the door and walked a couple of blocks to a small blue house. She lead them inside the front door. The house was small, and the front room felt cramped even with just three people. To the right of the front room was a kitchen. There was one small bathroom and two bedrooms.

"I'll have to get another bed, but in the meantime, you two can either share the guest bed or alternate sleeping on the couch."

Juvia and Wesley nodded. They walked into the spare room. It was rather cramped. There was a full-size bed in the corner, a small end-table. Both set their things on the bed and began unpacking their stuff and placing it into a small dresser. Juvia was too scared to sleep on her own, so Wesley decided to stay with her. Knowing she would get no sleep otherwise.

By this time, it was already beginning to grow dark outside, and tomorrow was a school day. Juvia and Wesley took turns changing into their pajamas, and turned in for the night. Juvia hugged her teru teru tight all night long hoping the rain would be gone come tomorrow morning.


A/N:Thank you everyone so much for reading! I'm glad I finally got chapter 1 & 2 finished and uploaded! I've got big plans for Juvia, but next chapter she will likely still be the 7-year-old she is at this moment. I'm planning for a time skip between chapter 3 & 4. I hope to update again soon! I'm hoping to get it up in at least a week! Let me know how I'm doing and what you think in the reviews!

Also! If anyone was curious, according to Wikia, Juvia was born in X767, but September 15th is just a random day I chose to use for her actual birthday.

: Thank you so much for reading and leaving me a note! I really appreciate your encouragement!