To those of you who are Juvia fans, I'm not bashing on her. I love Juvia. She is one of my favorite characters. However, she is not destined for Gray in this story. I have decided to do an off-shoot story that picks up after the next chapter or so and goes into detail about how Juvia deals with the loss of Gray to Erza. If you would like, go to my profile and vote for who you think she should end up with!

Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 4: Erza's Decision

"Erza, please. This isn't the sort of thing that you tell just anyone." Gray looked for all the world like he was pleading for his life.

"I'm not just anyone, Gray." With the aura that was being emitted by Fairy Tail's Fairy Queen, anyone would assume that she was simply scolding the poor Ice Mage.

"I know that. That's not what I meant." The dark haired mage looked imploringly at Lucy.

She simply shrugged. Lucy knew better than to get between Erza and something she wanted.

Although Gray and Erza were now apparently intimate, Lucy's mind was still reeling at the way Gray was standing up to her. Usually he would bow to the enraged woman's every wish with a smile on his face out of fear of being beaten into a bloody pulp of human flesh.

"I give up!" Gray threw his hands in the air, and simultaneously discarded his shirt in a gesture too quick for the human eye to follow. The only evidence was the article of clothing that hit Lucy in the face as Gray made his way towards the Raijinshuu.

She removed the shirt just in time to witness the end of an incredibly short exchange of words between Erza, Bickslow, and Gray. Freed seemed to be a bored bystander, and Evergreen was at another table flirting with Elfman.

Erza nodded in a satisfied manner that sent chills up Lucy's spine, and marched over to the bar.

Lucy took a step backwards as she realized what was going on.

She didn't want anything to do with what she knew Erza was planning.

"She's crazy."

"Yeah and you're dating her." Lucy gave Gray a pitying look as he sidled up to the blond and joined her in staring at the lovely red-head.

"I think she's fucking hilarious." Bickslow grinned at Lucy, and she shuddered as certain repressed memories surfaced unbidden. "Anyways, thanks to her we all get to go on a crazy adventure together."

"We?" Lucy's large brown eyes grew even larger at the implication.

"Sure, Cheerleader. Gray and Erza are goin' out to the forest to have a little loopy time, and I offered to go as the sober one. Ya know..like a dd without the driving part?" She didn't reply. The bottom half of her jaw was busy lying on the floor. "Anyways, Freed practically forced me to invite him and Erza is inviting Mira."

This had turned into a class trip, it seemed.

"In that case, Juvia would like to go as well."

"Eeeek!" Lucy jumped so high she almost bashed her head on the ceiling. "H-how long have you been there, Juvia?"

"Long enough to know that Love Rival is going off into the woods with Juvia's Gray-sama. Juvia will not allow it." The glare that the water mage pinned Lucy with could practically melt skin. At the very least it charged the air with electricity.

"N-no!" Before she could explain further, Erza reappeared to drag Lucy away.

Bickslow was grinning with his tongue lolling lazily from his mouth, and Juvia was busy stabbing a Lucy doll. Lucy spared a moment to consider how Juvia had gotten the doll, and the psychological implications of the deranged girl's actions.

"Erza!" She didn't stop or turn her head. "Erza, who all did you invite?"

"A lot of people. It will be fun."

Lucy sighed in defeat. There was no winning with this chick. If you couldn't best her in battle, then you better be ready to give in to her demands with a cheery attitude.

"We must buy bathing suits," and with that, Erza drug Lucy into one of the many bathing suit shops in Magnolia.

Lucy picked her suit within five minutes of entering the shop. She chose a hot pink bikini with lacy black trim. She knew that the colors would accentuate her skin tone, and show off her breasts.

Erza, on the other hand, seemed to have a more difficult time choosing a bathing suit. After thirty minutes of browsing, she still didn't have one potential suit!

Lucy huffed in annoyance, called Plue from the Celestial Spirit realm, and left him to guard her purchase near the front of the shop. As she made her way over to her friend, Lucy randomly snagged five suits from the racks. Once she was in front of Erza, she held up the first suit without looking at it.

"What do you think?"

"Lucy, that's ridiculous."

Looking down at the item that she held, Lucy's face burned bright red. She was thrusting a child's suit with a smiling cartoon character on the front at Titania. She must have grabbed it off a kids' rack. How embarrassing!

Quickly tossing it over her shoulder, she laughed nervously and held the second option up.

"This one?"

Thankfully it wasn't a child's suit. Unfortunately, it was a plain black one-piece that was designed to show minimal skin.

Erza frowned.

That swim suit joined the other in a flight over Lucy's shoulder to land somewhere behind her.

"Ohhhkay. Option number three!" She was really hoping this one wasn't a dud. She didn't want to die if Erza thought she was just fucking with her.

"Hmmm. That's a possibility."

This time Lucy held up a purple and black zebra striped two-piece for her friend to consider.

"Ok. We'll save this one then." If bathing suits were sentient beings, then this one would have sighed in relief at being hung gently over Erza's arm instead of being tossed to the floor in denial. "This one?"

The fourth bathing suit was a shiny gold one-piece. For some reason Erza shrieked and requipped a sword, slashing the material that had offended her into little pieces.

Lucy's heart was hammering from the fright, but she casually dropped the now barren hanger and held up the final suit.

"Oh, Lucy! I think we have found the one!" Erza's eyes sparkled, and Lucy looked down at the object that had caused such happiness.

For a mere second Lucy regretted that she had found this wonderful swimsuit for her friend. After that second, though her face burned with the effort of containing the grin that threatened to split her face. She loved seeing Erza happy.

This swim suit was also a one piece. The top of the black suit would be tied on with thick straps, and two very thin pieces of material served to cover a minute amount of breast which were held together by a silver chain that hung between the two. A long 'v' would expose Erza's stomach all the way to her belly button, and the bikini bottom was a simple triangle in the front that connected with the piece covering her rear with a silver chain on either thigh. The sides of the suit were also completely missing.

It was stunning, and Lucy couldn't wait to see it on Erza.

The two girls rushed to the counter to make the purchase, and Lucy closed Plue's gate as they exited the shop at a fast walk with their bags swinging by their sides.

After reaching Lucy's apartment, the Celestial Mage called forth Holorologram and discovered that they had about an hour left before they were supposed to meet everyone. If they were quick then it would be just enough time for both girls to shower, dress, and pick a cover up from Lucy's closet.

Lucy graciously offered the shower to Erza first, after the two girls scoured the apartment for Natsu and Happy and found that he was no longer there. While Erza was scrubbing the imaginary dirt from her glowing skin, Lucy put together a large picnic basket. If they were going to be out there for a while, then Lucy definitely wanted to be prepared this time.

Four large sandwiches, a huge garden salad with forks and a bottle of dressing, cookies that Mira had baked for her, and a box of crackers went into the basket. She was searching through the cupboards for drinks when Erza exited the shower.

The woman looked like an amazon princess with her scarlet hair splayed across her shoulders and clinging to her breasts. Her pale skin shimmered with left over moisture from the steam that rolled out of the bathroom in a ballooning cloud behind her. She stood at the exit of the bathroom with her hands on her hips.

Lucy covered her eyes and squealed in shock. Erza wasn't wearing a towel!

"Lucy! You should keep towels in your bathroom."

"I-I'm sorry!" She scrambled to retrieve one from her basket of clean laundry and handed it to Erza.

"Hurry up and shower, Lucy. We will leave immediately after you are dressed. Leave the rest of the preparations to me."

Without argument, Lucy raced to the shower and forgetting to grab a towel.

After a quick shower and bearing the embarrassment of exiting the bathroom naked, Lucy pulled on the sheer orange wrap that Erza had picked for her. It actually only covered the bottom half, and was more of a flimsy skirt that split all the way up one side and tied in a little bow. Lucy vaguely remembered borrowing the skirt from Levy.

Levy! Oh god. If she knew about her and Gajeel…Would she hate her forever?

Erza was standing at Lucy's open door with the picnic basket in hand, and a sheer white and sleeveless mini-dress cover up over her swim suit. She had slid her feet into a pair of plain black flip flops, and she couldn't have looked more beautiful with her hair pulled into a simple pony tail.

"Lucy. What's the matter?" Lucy's face contorted into a look of pain.

"When Levy gets back from her job..I'm afraid."

Erza smiled softly at her friend and gestured towards the pink flip flops waiting by the door.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't do anything wrong. Levy is your friend, she will understand."

The blond nodded in agreement and slid her feet into her flip flops and followed Erza out the door. They were running a bit late, and it was likely that everyone was already waiting for them at the glade. Their steps were hurried and bordered on running.

Erza requipped a longsword and slashed at the offending brambles.

"Are you sure this is the way?" A frown marred her pretty face as she turned back to frown at Lucy.

"Well I'm pretty sure this is the way Natsu took me." Erza nodded and the two girls started forward again.

Suddenly they were both tumbling down a hill. Lucy barely had the time to register the familiarity of the situation before she found herself landing roughly on top of another body. Thankfully her face was cushioned by the large breasts of Erza's chest.

The two girls lay sprawled on the forest floor in a tangle of limbs. Erza had somehow managed to save the picnic basket, and both mages seemed no worse off from their little tumble other than a few minor scratches.

Both girls were blushing, and quickly moved to separate themselves and brush the grass and leaves from their clothes and skin.

"Erza! Lucy!" Natsu came rushing at the two women. Both of their auras darkened considerably and Lucy's was downright murderous.

"Lucy Kick!" the pink haired Slayer flew backwards into a tree with a loud crack. He slumped against the trunk and remained there looking dazed.

"What was that for?" This guy was just too dense sometimes.

Lucy angrily stomped forwards without replying. She would have pummeled Natsu's very sober face in if Erza had not restrained her with a look that said 'enough'.

Well at least she had gotten one good kick in. Hopefully he would think twice before leaving her out in the middle of the woods alone.

Gray approached the girls with Juvia clinging to his arm, as they stood above a recovering Natsu. Happy was cowering behind the tree and shaking with fear. He kept muttering "how mean. Lucy is so mean." Lucy nervously glanced between the obviously unknowing Water Mage and Erza. Things could potentially get bad right about now.

"Gray-sama you were so amazing!" Hearts throbbed in Juvia's arms as she rubbed her chest against the Ice Mage's arm. Her navy blue bikini barely covered anything, adding to the awkwardness of the situation.

"I didn't even do anything." Even as he protested he tried to pull his arm free of her unrelenting grasp.

"Gray-sama is always amazing."

"Juvia." Uh-oh. This was the confrontation Lucy had been dreading.

Juvia's head whipped up, and the hearts in her eyes immediately disappeared at Erza's tone.

"Yes?"

"I need to speak privately with you."

"Erza-san can speak to Juvia in front of Gray-sama. Juvia does not hide anything from Gray-sama." She squeezed his arm tighter and blushed. Gray tried to remove his shirt, but found that he wasn't wearing one and was only in his swim trunks.

"Very well." Without another word, Erza turned on her heel and the other two mages immediately followed.

Gray looked worried, and Juvia was just happy to be attached to Gray.

Lucy stood on her own, staring after them. She was worried for Juvia. She knew that the Water Mage would be devastated. Gray was everything to her. She didn't know what would happen if Juvia was unable to move forward. How would she react to seeing the one that she loved showing affection to another woman? Lucy knew that Juvia was in for some rough days after Erza revealed her relationship with Gray to her.

Sighing, Lucy turned around and found that Natsu had run off with Happy to annoy Bickslow, Erza, and Freed. Glad to have a moment to herself, she circumvented the tree and sat against the base where no one could see her.

She ran her fingers through the cool grass and reveled in the dying warmth of the setting sun's rays against her pale skin. A few birds still chattered above her, and she could hear the lively voices of her guild mates. A bit further off she could hear the serious tone of Erza, but she worked to block that out. It was depressing to think that Juvia was about to have her heart broken.

That was one reason why Lucy was afraid to fall in love. What if the other person didn't reciprocate that love? She imagined that it would be an awful feeling. She didn't think she was strong enough to watch the man she cared about fall into the arms of another woman. No. She would rather remain the way she was.

She had so many friends that every day was interesting. The guild kept her busy with jobs, and when she wasn't working, she was relaxing or partying with her friends. Her life was fine the way it was. She didn't need to complicate it with anything silly like love.

Her novels had romance in them; a lot of romance. Lucy liked to think of that as her lack of a love life's outlet. To her, fantasizing was better than the real thing. This way, she wouldn't actually get hurt. She controlled the characters. The men in her stories weren't always perfect, but she certainly made sure the heroine had a 'happily ever after'. After all, that's what all women deserved.

Unfortunately, she had seen too many good women get hurt by rotten men. It seemed be all around her every day. Granted, she had certainly seen that there were men out there that weren't like that, but the chances didn't seem worth it to her. The few men she had dated had been assholes, and she was glad when things ended early. At least she hadn't developed feelings for any of them.

"Oi. Oi! Bunny Girl!" Lucy was ripped back to the present by the guttural voice of none other than Gajeel Redfox.

The grass that she had been gently plucking from the earth had stained her fingers green. She casually tossed it to the ground and glanced questioningly up at Gajeel.

His feet were bare, and he was clad in nothing but his plain black swim trunks. Lucy forced herself to stare into his crimson eyes. It was a brutal battle between her rational mind and the pervert that resided within it. Part of her wanted so badly to peruse the body of the Iron Dragon Slayer before her; even if it was only with her eyes. The other part of her screamed that she was embarrassed enough from the other night, and not to add any more awkwardness between the two of them.

"Hey." She intened for her response to be casual, but she knew it came out breathy and embarrassingly husky.

She could feel her cheeks heating, and she began plucking grass again in a nervous gesture.

"So…umm…I just wanted to apologize for last night." His response came out rushed and strained as he stood before the Celestial Mage with his arms crossed and his gaze defiantly locked on hers.

"Oh!" Her cheeks burned with the memories of waking up half naked in his bed. They felt positively on fire as she crossed her arms protectively over her chest in an attempt to cover her very exposed breasts. "It's ok. I-I mean, thank you for not leaving me alone." She averted her eyes to the ground to hide her shame.

"Gihi." Her eyes darted back to Gajeel's face at the sound of his odd laugh, and found him grinning down at her.

"W-what's so funny?" She was afraid to hear the answer.

"Your suit reminds me of your panties. Does the bottom match?" He audaciously pointed to her cover up as if demanding that she remove it.

"P-pervert!" She shouted and leapt to her feet while trying to keep her breasts concealed.

Gajeel continued laughing and Lucy was about to launch into a lecture when an earsplitting wail cut through the air. It was so agonizingly full of pain that tears pooled in Lucy's eyes and the grin dropped from Gajeel's face. Both of the mages glanced at each other nervously.

"Juvia." Lucy whispered around the lump in her throat.

There will be a lot of GajeelxLucy in the upcoming chapters. I may throw in some more Graza as well. Let me know what you think!

Reviewing does have an impact on chapter updates and content. The story line will remain the same, but I am willing to bend to the wills of my readers on many things!

I would also like to take this time to thank leoslady4ever for reviewing every one of my chapters! Go check out her profile for some amazing FT stories. You will not be disappointed. Also, thank you to everyone else that took the time to review! I really do appreciate it.