Chapter 7

-THE GUILD ENTRANCE-

"So Luce, what are you doing on Thursday? I understand that you'd probably want to stay at your house for a while tomorrow, but I was wondering if you like me to take you out sometime in the afternoon?" asked Natsu, hopefully.

He stood with his hands behind his back, and his fingers crossed.

"Um I'm sorry but, Gray invited me to try out this new restaurant down town, and I was going to help Mira pick out some new dresses in the morning." Lucy said apologetically. "But hey, I'm free all day on Friday."

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Happy and I had plans to go fishing anyway." he replied, trying to look happy.

Lucy smiled, and lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks for being such a good friend." she whispered.

Natsu flushed crimson as he watched her sprinting off. He saw her waving back at him, and he acknowledged her with a sad smile. It wasn't long until Lucy was swallowed up by the night.

-FAIRY HILLS (ERZA'S DORM)-

Thursday morning arrived and Erza was just having breakfast. She had planned to polish all her armour before going to the guild. As she cleared her plates away and went to brush her teeth, there was an un-expected knock at the door. She groaned, expecting it to be the post man who she always frightens away when sharpening her swords, or playing darts with the kitchen knives.

"Strange," she wondered.

She'd never asked anybody why they were scared of her. Even knowing Natsu and Gray for the last however many years, and they still seemed terrified of her. Reluctantly, she went and opened the door.

"Hello Erza," said a cloaked figure, "how are you?"

Erza slammed the door, and went to her store room. She returned a second later, with a sledge hammer and a sword in hand. She opened the door again. The cloaked figure was still there.

"You know who I am, don't you?" the mystery person asked. "What's with all the weapons? Were you expecting the grim reaper?"

Erza relaxed for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, "and why now?"

The figure paused.

"I came to talk to you," he or she replied, "to see how you're doing."

"Okay," said Erza, "we'd better take a walk then."

-ALONG THE BANK OF THE RIVER-

"I still don't understand why you need my help anyway." said Erza, suspiciously.

"Well, after Ultear died, Meredy said that she had to quit the guild. Without them, Crime Sorciere is nothing." said the figure, softly.

"What are you talking about?" Erza exclaimed, slapping the person with such force that they fell over.

"Sorry, it's just that I can't join Fairy Tail without your help. If you just explain to Makarov that I need a guild to settle down in, maybe I won't have to be on the run all the time." the cloaked figure replied.

Erza stopped and sat down for a moment.

"Okay, I'll speak to the Master. I mean, I've never thought of you settling down anywhere, least of all a guild," she smiled weakly, "you were never the loud one Jellal."

-THE WOODS-

Natsu and Happy were down in the woods enjoying (or at least Happy was enjoying) a peaceful afternoon fishing. That particular afternoon Happy was meant to be teaching Natsu how to fish, but they were making hardly any progress as Natsu was spending most of the time sulking, while Happy ate all the fish.

"Hey! Cut it out Happy! We were meant to be eating that for dinner!" raged Natsu.

"Aw, give me break," Happy moaned, "can't I fill my tummy just this once?"

"You ate half an hour ago!"

"Yeah well, I'm just trying to follow what that fortune cookie said to do. You know the ones that Juvia sent you for your birthday."

"Stupid fortune cookies." muttered Natsu.

"Oh I get it," said Happy, "this is about Lucy turning you down yesterday, isn't it?"

"What? You saw that!"

"Well duh, I was there."

Natsu huffed, and picked up his fishing rod.

"I'm going to the guild now, see you later Happy."

"Aye."

He trudged off in the direction of the pathway.

"And there better be some fish left by the time you come home."

"Aye." Happy replied.

-LUCY'S HOUSE-

Lucy had just finished changing into her outfit when there was a knock at the door.

"What? He's way too early. Was Gray expecting her to meet him now?" she said, panicking.

But the knock became more persistent, so Lucy ran down downstairs and opened the door.

"Natsu," she grinned, "what are you doing here?"

Natsu didn't say anything.

"Well I was surprised," Lucy continued, "you usually come in through the window."

Natsu remained silent.

Lucy fidgeted. Something was up, she could tell.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, "are you ok Natsu?"

Natsu grinned, "Yeah I'm fine, I was just day dreaming."

"Oh."

"Y-you," he stuttered, "you look beautiful by the way."

Lucy looked down at her dress.

"Thanks." she said warmly.

They both blushed.

"I better be off soon, I'm meeting Gray by the Solar Tree in the middle of Southgate Park." she winked.

Natsu smiled, but Lucy couldn't help thinking that it looked a little bit false, and ungenuine.

She smiled nervously back at him. As Lucy turned her back on him to collect her bag, Natsu stiffened.

"Get it together Natsu." he muttered to himself.

It wasn't her fault that she hadn't been able to hang out with him today. Natsu came to a conclusion.

It was Gray's fault. Stupid Gray asked her out in the first place.

"I'll see you tomorrow Natsu." said Lucy, rushing off.

Leaving him standing there, in bitter silence.

-FAIRY HILLS (JUVIA'S DORM)-

Juvia dried her eyes. They had gone all puffy and swollen from all the non-stop crying. She looked up and threw her damp pillow onto the already cluttered floor.

-FAIRY HILLS (ERZA'S DORM)-

After the unexpected visit from Jellal, Erza had agreed that she would talk to the Master. She'd made some space for a place for him to sleep in the living room, as Jellal would be staying in her dorm until he could afford to buy an apartment. Strictly speaking Fairy Hills was a girl's dormitory, but the landlord had accepted just this once for it to be alright for Jellal to stay. Erza had carried on polishing her armour after she'd returned home. She'd spent most of the day at the guild but weirdly not once had she seen Juvia. It was strange, she thought because Juvia was almost always around Natsu. Erza furrowed her eye brows, and had feeling that something wasn't right. When she'd finished doing her jobs Erza started to get worried. Of course something wasn't right. She locked her front door as she walked up the corridor and came face to face with dorm 309. She tapped the door knocker briskly.

No answer.

She tried again.

Not a sound.

She put her ear up against the door.

Absolute silence.

She started to get angry.

"Juvia! Open up!" she said getting out an axe, and hacking her way through the door.

There was a long gap, and then the door creaked open.

-FAIRY HILLS (JUVIA'S DORM)-

Juvia was lying on her bed looking up at the ceiling. She slowly shut her eyes.

There was a loud knock at the door.

Pause.

Another short knock.

Juvia forced her eyes away from the door. What if it was Gray? No, she couldn't face him right now.

There was a long silence. Juvia relaxed.

Suddenly there was an almighty crash, and the door shook, nearly coming off its hinges.

Juvia groaned. Of course it was Erza.

-SOUTHGATE PARK-

Down town, Natsu was hidden in the bushes nearby to the Solar Tree that stood in the middle of Southgate Park. It had been a rush to get there before Lucy did, and Natsu felt a sharp stitch from running. A few seconds later, he saw Lucy appear. She was dithering around for what seemed like forever, checking her watch and walking in circles around the trunk of the tree. Natsu looked at his watch chain. It read 6:31pm. Gray was one minute late.

6:32pm- Lucy continues to pace around the tree.

6:33pm- Ditto.

6:34pm- Same again.

6:35pm- Natsu starts to get restless.

6:40pm- Gray finally arrives holding a bunch of roses. Natsu saw Lucy looking dizzily happy (or just dizzy from plodding around in circles) and blush, her cheeks the same colour of the flowers. He clenched his teeth.

Through a gap in the leaves, Natsu could make out Lucy and Gray walking across to the gate. He quickly strode through the bushes, making sure to not to be seen.