A/N: Please re-read chapter 5. It was edited and new information was added.

(I do NOT Own Fairy Tail nor Special A)

S-Class Students:

Natsu Dragneel- Son of a Legendary Fireman

Lucy Heartfilia- Future Heiress of Heart Konzern

Erza Scarlet- Daughter of a Successful Lawyer

Mirajane Strauss- Eldest Child of a Stewardess

Gray Fullbuster- Youngest Son of a Police officer

Levy McGarden- Daughter of the city's head librarian

Juvia Lockser- Daughter of a marine biologist

Chapter 6: The Real Jellal

"Oh come on Erza!" Natsu whined from outside the track field. A few athletes continued their run, though it was clear from their looks they were interested in what the S-Class students were saying. "Let me run with them! They'll be more motivated to get faster that way!"

"Letting you train with them would be a reward and you need to be discipled for your actions." Erza commented as she continued to record the students' running times.

"Yeah, cause you totally didn't ditch by coming after me." The male teen muttered.

The redhead shot him a glare. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" He yelped. Ezra went back to writing while Natsu continued to pout on the sidelines.

"What were you planning to do once you found Jellal anyways?" The redhead asked, breaking the silence.

He snorted. "What else? Kick his ass and make sure he doesn't bother you again."

Erza smirked. "As if I need you to do that for me."

"I know." Natsu muttered, his eyes landing on some of the weeds by the track. "But that doesn't mean I won't protect my friends."

This time a genuine smile appeared on the woman's face. She's known him since she was a little girl and his compassion never ceased to surprise her. Before she could comment further, she felt a vibration in her pocket. She pulled her phone out and was surprised to see Gray's name on the screen.

"Hello?" She greeted, turning her back towards Natsu to give herself "more privacy." Not that that helped since the boy had heightened senses and could hear the call regardless.

"We have a problem." Gray's tone indicated it was urgent and that instantly worried the two students. Natsu subconsciously moved closer to Erza's device and the woman didn't bother to shove him away.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Lu-chan!" Levy's voice came through the speaker. "I saw her with Jellal and now we can't find her."

"WHAT?!" Natsu yelled, surprising all three. Gray and Levy didn't need to see his expression to know he was furious. It made them wonder if they should have asked if Natsu was there first before letting Erza know.

"I saw Lu walking outside the library with him. I tried chasing her but by the time I was downstairs, she was gone."

"Have you tried calling her?" Erza inquired before the man next to her could yell again.

"We did but our calls went to voicemail. She hasn't responded to our messages either."

"Thank you for informing us. We'll begin a search here and contact you if we find her."

Natsu sprinted towards the school's nearest exit before the redhead could end the call. He ignored her shouts, and continued his fast pace through the streets. His body was filled with regret, wishing he would have walked the blonde home like he originally wanted.

A vision of a small Erza crying flashed his mind.

He clenched his teeth harder and continued his run. If he found a single scratch on Lucy's skin or if her eyes gave any indication that she had been crying, he was sure to put Jellal in a coffin.

But not before giving him a long and tortuous beating.

'What the hell was I thinking?!' Lucy internally cried. This was risky; she cancelled her ride with Capricorn and even silenced her phone so she wouldn't be rude. She had no idea who Jellal truly was and her friends had already warned her to stay away from him since he apparently beat up a kid so bad he was hospitalized and made Erza cry.

Oh, and did she forget to mention she got in his car? Definitely not the smartest way to assure her safety.

She glanced at the driver, who had remained silent. If he sensed her nervousness, he choose not to comment.

'I wonder where he's taking us? What if he's taking us to his secret hideout where he plans to kill me? No, I'm too pretty to die! Or what if he plans to sell me to an underground mafia where I'll be forced to be a slave for the rest of my days?!'

She was so lost in her thoughts that she yelped when Jellal announced, "We're here."

Lucy looked out the window and noticed they were parked in front of a small coffee shop. She must have looked stunned as Jellal had to remind her they agreed to go for coffee.

"Oh," Her face flushed with a bright pink hue. "Right."

After stepping out of the vehicle, the two walked inside and found the shop empty of other customers.

The chubby shopkeeper smiled. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"I'll take a small dark coffee." Jellal turned to Lucy and asked about her order.

"Um…" Her brown orbs skimmed through the wall menu. "Can I have a small hot chocolate and a strawberry tart please?"

After receiving their items, they settled by a round table near the window. Lucy noticed that his eyes were on her dessert, and she would have assumed he wanted one as well if it wasn't for the distant look on his face.

The blonde cleared her voice, drawing his attention. She gave him a tiny smile and he returned it with a small one of his one.

"I….know you were friends with Erza." She started, watching him for any reaction. To her surprise, he didn't look shocked. "And Natsu and Gray when you were kids."

"And yet you're still here." He hummed. "Surely they would have told you what I did."

"Gray said you snapped and hurt another of Erza's friends so bad he had to go to the hospital."

"I did. I didn't like him so I wanted him gone." His dark green eyes narrowed, challenging her to question his statement.

"But you liked Erza." Lucy blurted. His gaze slightly softened, clear confusion reflected off his face. "So to hurt someone Erza was friends with, no matter how much you hated him, would also mean hurting her. And I don't think you would ever want that."

"And how would you know?" Jellal's facial features hardened. "You don't know the type of person I am; how twisted I can be."

"You're right. I don't know you well." She admitted. "We've known each other for less than a day and at first I really thought you were planning to hurt me.

"But thinking about it now, you never looked at me with hatred. You looked distant; even miserable at times. Erza gave me that same look today."

Their gaze locked. "Erza is polite and acts like a leader; but she's reserved and only lets few people into her personal life. Gray said you two were so close people would think you'd get married. I can't see Erza being that close with just anyone. Erza must have really trusted you. And somehow I feel you're the same."

Lucy gave him a warm smile before continuing. "You don't have to tell me what happened, but I think Erza deserves to hear why you did what you did. I don't know if she'll forgive you, but it's worth a try."

The man across from her sat in silence, possibly reflecting on her words. Lucy grew unease and when she noticed that the shopkeeper disappeared, probably to prep for tomorrow, she sipped some of her hot chocolate and waited.

After a few moments, she finally heard Jellal speak. "You're right about one thing…

"I didn't want to hurt her."

Jellal took a sip of his coffee, his gaze set on his mug as he continued. "Erza had always been kind. Though she was strict and commanding, she always tried to be everyone's big sister. Whenever she got her allowance, she spent it on gifts for everyone. She was always excited to watch everyone open the gifts she got them."

A genuine smile appeared on his face, his mind clearly reflecting the best moments he had with Erza as children. "Sometimes she would give others unusual gifts. Once she gave me a tie, insisting I wear it whenever I was in the presence of adults so they can take me more seriously."

Lucy snickered, imaging the proud look Erza must have given him when she came up with the idea.

"I treasured every moment I had with Erza. Unfortunately, not everyone did…"

An eight year old Jellal made his way across the park by his apartment. His adopted parents had asked him to buy ice at the nearest convenience store. As he got closer, he noticed two girls he and Erza hung out with regularly. He went to greet them when he caught a snippet of their conversation.

"Shouldn't we ask Erza if she wants to play with us?" The young brunette asked. She was playing with a kitten plush, had drawn whiskers on her cheeks, and wore a pair of cat ears Erza had bought her.

"Of course not." The other huffed. Her violet haired was tied with a white ribbon that Erza had also given her. "She's bossy, and always tells us what to do. I don't know what my big brother sees in her."

She took a sip of 'tea' from her play cup, part of a set that was scattered around her. "We'll ask her to play with us when she gets her allowance. I want another ribbon anyways. This one is getting dirty." She stated as she pointed to the accessory in her hair.

The boy clenched his teeth and marched over to the older girl. The younger one yelped when she saw Jellal and held onto the other's sleeve. "Kagura." She whispered in fear.

However, Kagura merely stared at Jellal with boredom. "What?"

"Are you saying you're only using Erza? That you only want to hang out with her so she can buy her stuff?!"

"No-"

"Of course!" Kagura interrupted her friend, her gaze never breaking from his furious one. "She's a pain to be around. Only bossing everyone around. Milliana and I don't want to hang out with people like that!"

"Then stay away from her!" The blue haired boy yelled. "You don't deserve to be friends with her!"

"Good. It makes it easier on us if you keep her away from us." Kagura took another sip of make-believe tea. Milliana looked like she wanted to cry but Jellal was too angry to notice. Frustrated, he picked up sand from the ground and through it to Kagura's face.

The girl screamed, and stood up so quickly he didn't have time for her attack. Kagura tackled him to the ground, throwing punches so hard Jellal felt he had no choice but to fight back.

While the two continued to fight, neither noticed Milliana left to get help until a new person tried to pull them apart.

"Stop!" The brown haired boy shouted as he pulled Jellal, who had switched places with the girl, off his sister.

"Simon!" Kagura smirked as she watched her enemy struggle against her brother's hold. However, seeing that expression on her face only pissed the tattooed kid further.

"You bitch!"

The older boy smacked Jellal across the head. "Don't call my sister that word!"

Kagura laughed loudly, infuriating Jellal further. He didn't even hear Milliana and Simon tell her stop. His vision was red and all he wanted to do was hit someone. The boy jumped and smacked Simon's chin.

The pain was enough for Simon to release Jellal from his hold. The older boy covered his mouth, already feeling it bleed. However, there was nothing he could do as Jellal punched him in the face. Again. And Again. Even as he laid on the ground.

And no matter how many times Milliana and Kagura screamed at Jellal to stop, he didn't.

"I only stopped when I started to feel pain in my hand. But by then," He muttered darkly. "It was too late. I destroyed his face; it was miracle he could still breathe. I was so disgusted with myself that I ran away and hid in my room.

"Of course that didn't work. Later that day, Kagura's parents came over and threatened to sue my family. I was so frightened that I would lose my new family over this that I couldn't think rationally when Erza had stopped by.

"How could you Jellal? Simon was our friend! Why would you hurt him?!"

"At the time, I was so angry and afraid that in my mind it made sense to blame it on Erza. If I didn't know her, if I wasn't friends with her, none of this would have ever happened."

"This is your fault!" Jellal snarled, leaving Erza stunned. "I hate you! If I wasn't friends with you, this wouldn't have happened! I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

Lucy watched the man who brought her to this café start to crumble. Years of pain reflected off his face.

"I blamed her for the incident, and watched her cry. Once I saw her tears, I knew I messed up. I wanted to apologize but as a coward I only ran away again. I didn't get far. Natsu found me soon after."

An image of a young Natsu appeared in his mind; his eyes were fierce and furious. He could remember as child, he was frightened by Natsu's killer glare.

"Natsu threw punch after punch and I did nothing to stop him. I deserved it and wished he would done to me what I did to Simon. But he never took it that far."

"Stay away from Erza! If you don't, I'll kick your ass twice as hard!"

"I remember not being able to move for hours after that. I never interacted with Natsu and Erza again. My family and I moved a few days later to assure Simon's family that I would never bother them again."

Lucy sat quietly, reflecting on the story she just heard. It was a lot of information, and she wasn't sure what the best way to go around this was.

"So why did you come back? Did you want to explain it to Erza?"

"No," He sipped more of his beverage. "I only came to see how everyone was doing and find out if Simon ever recovered. After that, I'll leave again."

"Oh…" The blond leaned forward. "I still think you should tell Erza."

"I don't-"

"When I told her I saw you, she gave me this sad look. I don't think she's over you either and I know she deserves an explanation."

Jellal continued to look uncomfortable but Lucy was persistance. "You said you were a coward back then but that doesn't mean you should be a coward now. I can't promise Erza will forgive you but she will listen. That much I can tell you."

Though his expression never changed, the man nodded after a while and that was enough for Lucy to dig into her bag and pull out her phone.

"What the-?" Her mouth slightly dropped as she skimmed through all the messages and missed calls she had from her friends. It only now struck her it was night. Seeing that the last missed call was five minutes ago and from Erza, she quickly called her back.

The phone only rang once before a loud voice came through the device. "WHERE ARE YOU?! WHY HAVE YOU NOT BEEN ANSWERING OUR CALLS?!"

"AH!" The second ranked student yelled, clearly taken back by Erza's furious tone.

"WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU EVERYWHERE! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE HAVE BEEN? WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know anyone would be trying to get a hold of me!" The blonde shakily explained.

"TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!"

"Yes mam!"

Lucy gave Erza the address and the redhead informed her that she would be there in fifteen mins before hanging up.

"Well...at least she'll be so angry at me that she won't be angry at you." The girl joked. A small smile made its way to Jellal's lips.

"Or maybe it would be the opposite. Maybe she'll direct her anger at me and forget about you."

The two started shared a laugh and continued to talk as they waited for Erza. Lucy asked about his tattoo and was shocked to learn that he got that from his biological parents. Apparently they were part of a cult and all members had to have one, including children.

They were continuing their conversation when the shop's door, that was towards Lucy's back, slammed open. The girl jumped; she turned around expecting Erza but she was surprised to see a pissed off Natsu instead.

"Natsu-" She couldn't even get a sentence out before the number one ranked student charged towards Jellal. The blonde jumped out of her seat and stood in front of him.

"Get out of the way Lucy! I'm going to kick his ass for kidnapping you!" The angry male huffed, trying to move past her but she continued to block his path.

"I wasn't kidnapped idiot!" She brought her hands to his cheeks, forcing his eyes to lock onto hers. "Look at me. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me so there's no reason to be upset."

Lucy gave him a bright smile, hoping it would be enough to calm him down. It seemed to work; though his gaze was still intense, it lost all its hostility.

Before she could sigh in relief, the woman was lifted and placed on the shoulder of the pink haired student like a stack of potatoes. Her face exploded with color.

"Natsu! Put me down!" She screamed in embarrassment.

"I never want to see you with Lucy again." Natsu informed the other male, ignoring Lucy's command; though there was no verbal threat, it was clear there was one and Jellal would be foolish to go against his orders.

The Fairy Tail student turned around and gave a thumbs up to the redhead waiting by the door. "He's all yours Erza."

With that, the teen sprinted out of the shop, still carrying the yelling blonde over his shoulder.

Once they left, Erza strolled inside and sat in the chair Lucy had occupied.

Jellal continued to watch her with caution eyes. His fists clenched under the table as he held his breath. He waited for her to speak but after a minute of silence, he spoke. "Erza-"

"It seems Lucy never took a bite of her dessert. It would be a waste to leave it as is." The redhead interrupted, shoving the pastry into her mouth as soon as she finished her sentence.

The tall male blinked in astonishment. He was prepared to have a berserk Erza scream at him and punch him until he was black and blue. He wasn't, however, expecting her treat him like an old friend.

"I can't promise Erza will forgive you but she will listen. That much I can tell you."

A soft smile appeared on his lips and he unconsciously sent the redhead a loving gaze.

"Well Jellal," Erza said as she wiped the crumbs off her face with a clean napkin. "I believe you owe me an explanation."

"Yes…yes I do…"

"Put me down!" Lucy yelled. She punched his back but the male must have been made of steel since he never complained about her hits. Once they were a good distance away, the pink haired teen finally placed the blonde down. It was less crowded area, not that she noticed.

"Finally! I would could have-"

She stopped talking when he threw his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Her eyes widened as he tucked her head underneath his chin.

"Do you know how worried we were?" He muttered, arms tightening around her. "You were with a man who I last saw as a dangerous kid. You weren't answering your phone; we thought he had done something bad to you."

Though she was still blushing, her expression wasn't one of embarrassment anymore. Her features had softened, finally realizing just how her actions had negatively influenced those who cared about her. Ignoring the warm feeling in her stomach, she slowly slid under arms underneath his and returned his embrace.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

They stayed in each other's arms, ignoring the scandalous looks of bystanders walking past them. Lucy's thoughts drifted back to Erza and Jellal. She wondered if Natsu and her would be separated in such a way. Thinking it over, she decided that would never happen. After all, Natsu was Natsu.

When they finally broke away, Lucy shot her friend a beautiful smile. "Thank you Natsu. I'm so lucky to have you. We'll always be friends, won't we?"

In a blink of an eye, their blissful atmosphere disappeared. Even though Natsu smiled and assured her they would always be friends, he had a gloomy aura that only confused the girl.

What Lucy failed to realize is that she had unconsciously friend-zoned the poor boy. Again.

A few days passed since the incident with Jellal. Erza never told her what happened at the coffee shop but she guessed they must have rekindled as Erza messaged more frequently. And with a soft expression on her face nonetheless.

Lucy stretched from her spot; she had been studying for a test and was grateful no one else was on the third floor. She couldn't have any distractions.

'This time I won't lose to Natsu.' She vowed. 'I'm going to ace this test so hard he won't know what hit him.'

She laughed evilly in her mind; determination filled her and she was prepared to study another chapter when she heard a voice call from behind.

"Lucy!"

The girl looked up from her book and saw a nervous looking Gray in front of her.

"Oh hey Gray! Was there something you needed?"

The black haired teen looked around in all directions, making sure that the room was truly empty aside from them.

"Gray?"

After a few seconds, the boy suddenly bowed down, startling Lucy. He refused to meet her gaze, settling to close his eyes instead. Then with a bright pink face he blurted out a request that left the girl speechless.

"Please go on a date with me!"

A/N: I don't know if anyone is still reading this since it's been years since the last update. If you are, thank you and thank you if you reviewed in the past. I'll try to keep this message short: I fell out of the Fairy Tail fandom due to some toxic people and not enjoying the FT manga/anime anymore. That in return caused me to be distant, bitter, and unmotivated to write. So I had to leave. I didn't think I'd come back but I was moved by readers who continued to ask me to update. I also owed this chapter to a friend, who had requested this a long time ago. If you're still around, I finally did it!

If anyone still wants me too, I'll try to update new chapters. There are no promises and I'm not sure how OOC the characters will be since I don't keep up with the series anymore. But if you still want me to write, then I'll try and finish this story.

Thank you,

Dark Shining Light