A/N: Oh yeah, I only tagged Jerza in this fic at Chapter 6 becoz that was when I realized that Jerza actually had more development in this story compared to NaLu and GaLe. Initially I wanted to tag NaLu but I realized they won't be featured much and I don't wanna be misleading. And well, I love the trust Gray and Juvia had in the manga, that's why I tried to portray it here in this fic. I feel like they have this relationship that works both ways - give and take. They protected each other, and be protected in return. They trust each other, and be trusted in return too. It's what a relationship is all about. Of course, not all relationships are the same, which makes all relationships unique. But I think it's one of the reason why Gruvia is one of the popular pairing in Fairy Tail I guess.

Chapter 10

Erza looked around, recognizing some of the guest professors that were starting to fill the Crocus General Hospital Conference Hall. The huge screen was already pulled down from above, giving access to every corner of the hall to see. She took a quick look at the nearby mirror to make sure she was presentable. She was wearing a red sleeveless maxi dress with a black heels. Her hair was tied up in a bun, leaving her long neck visible. She smiled, satisfied with her own attire.

She looked around again. It seems like Jellal and Laxus haven't arrive yet. Since she came with Makarov, she was a little bit earlier. Some of the vice professors are already there too.

"Oh, look who we got here. The little red riding hood."

Erza turned around upon hearing the unfriendly greeting. She squinted at the black long haired woman with a pair of bun shaped loop standing behind her. "Minerva. What are you doing here?"

Minerva laughed, enjoying the uncomfortable expression the scarlet haired woman gave her. "This is a professor conference. My dad is a professor, remember?"

Erza didn't really like Minerva. She was one of the vice professors in the Crocus General Hospital, even though there had been strange rumors about her using her dad's power to rise. Some people said she didn't though. Either way she was a cunning woman. Erza knew better than to mingle with the likes of her.

"Oh look," Minerva faked a gasp as she flipped the brochure of the conference. "You're running for the professor election. I wonder who would want to nominate you," she laughed.

Erza gritted her teeth at that.

"I would want to nominate Erza Scarlet," a voice interrupted, successfully cooling down Erza's rising temper.

Minerva squinted at the figure behind them. "Professor Igneel."

Erza wanted to bow at the famous vascular surgeon who had carved a lot of useful research in his field, but Igneel had quickly raised his hand to prevent her.

"I think I would gain more fame and respect if I was able to nominate someone useful," Igneel grinned.

Minerva scoffed. "What's so useful about this bitch anyway?"

"At least she's more useful than you," Metallicana interrupted with a scowl. He wasn't one to be very polite with people he didn't like. "Speaking of which, it had been long since our team can assemble like this. Where's Skiadrum and Weisslogia?"

Igneel scoffed. "Just admit that you missed me."

"I do not!" Metallicana rolled his eyes in annoyance.

A soft looking woman with long pink hair reaching her waist approached them while slowly shaking her head. "Men. Why do they all have to be egoistic?" she clicked her tongue as she looked around. "Skiadrum and Weisslogia probably went off to greet Sting and Rogue. We're in Crocus after all."

Erza's eyes widened at the sight. It was Grandeeney. She was wearing her usual white fur around her neck, and she looked very pleasant. It was the first time Erza saw her. Of course, she had heard about their Dragon Team, consisting Igneel, Metallicana, Skiadrum, Weisslogia and Grandeeney. But Grandeeney was a bit more reserved compared to the other four. Rumors said that she was as kind as Weisslogia, if not more.

"Gentlemen, ladies, I hereby thank you for the time attending this conference. Please be seated. We will begin soon," Makarov's voice filled the hall.

Erza quickly excused herself at that, taking out her cellphone to dial Jellal's number. If they didn't hurry, they're going to be late.

"Shit," Laxus hit the steering. "Why does it have to be heavy traffic at this time?"

Jellal watched the congestion that stuck them between hundreds of cars. He leaned to the window, propping his hand on it leisurely.

"Can't you show some nervousness once in a while? We're going to be late for your nomination here," Laxus complained, drumming his fingers on the board of the unmoving car.

Jellal chuckled. "Will the nervousness help to speed up the congestion?"

"I hate you."

Jellal wanted to say something, but stopped when he heard his cellphone ringing.

"Must be your wife calling," Laxus wiggled his brows teasingly. "Must be worried sick of her lovely husband being late, probably having some affair or something."

Jellal scorned. "I'm not married, and I'm not having any affairs. Unless being with you considered sexual."

Laxus sneered. "That is so gay."

Jellal picked the call, didn't even bother to look at the caller's name.

"Jellal!"

Jellal frowned. "Cana?"

"Listen, I just been called to Evergreen's ward, apparently her condition worsening. Gray's team is preparing to operate on her now. But she's still breathless. I need your order to administer some drugs here. You know as a medical assistant, I don't have the power to it unless you give me orders," Cana said, almost holding her own breath.

"Fullbuster is going to operate on Evergreen now?" Jellal looked at Laxus who looked equally surprised. "What happened to the Live Performance?"

"Gray said he'll complete it in one hour."

"What?" Laxus spat as he overheard the information. "There is no way in hell he could complete that in one hour!"

"I don't know, but he asked us to trust him. Jellal, I need the order, now!"

Jellal stared to the hundreds of cars congesting the road. What was Gray thinking? Macao's surgery wasn't one that can be done in that short amount of time. Heck, any heart surgeries would need at least two hours for the surgeon.

"Jellal!" Cana's voice pulled him back.

"Cana, go and retrieve the emergency drugs. Hold her until I arrive," Jellal finally said. "I'll be right there."

"What?" Cana almost gasped. "The fuck, Jellal! Don't you dare come back! You have your future awaiting you at Crocus. Go forward!"

"I'll be right there," Jellal turned to Laxus. "Drop me here, Laxus."

"Damn it, Jellal! Why the hell do you think I went through all those shitty courses? I've been working my fucking ass to live up for your dream, shit! If you come back, I swear I'm gonna kick your little ass. I said don't come back! I can handle this! You need to get nominated. You must get nominated! Go grab your future. Our future, damn it!"

Only Cana had the guts to scold and curse her superior like that alright. Laxus rolled his eyes. That's because Jellal is just too soft.

"Cana." Jellal's voice was low but firm, quieting Cana in an instant. "My dream, right now, is right in front of you."

It was then that Cana calmed down. Even though deep down, the rage was still sparkling lightly.

"I'll be right there," Jellal said again, and this time, Cana didn't oppose. Jellal was about to ask Laxus to drop him when Laxus suddenly turned the steering and made a U-turn. Frowning, Jellal gave Laxus a questioning look.

"That conference will be boring without you anyway," Laxus grinned cheekily. "Besides, it looks like there will be something interesting happening in Magnolia. I ain't gonna miss that. I'm going with you."

Gray had quickly took his position at Macao's right side. Natsu stood the opposite of him. Macao was already put to sleep by Juvia, and the scrub nurse was just done draping him, leaving only the operation site exposed. Juvia positioned Macao's head in a more comfortable manner.

But just as Juvia took her position at Macao's head, a few staff brought in a huge TV on a trolley, the screen connecting them to the Crocus General Hospital Conference Hall. They pushed the TV, looking around wondering where was the best spot to place it when they finally decided it was better to put at the patient's head. The staff quickly pushed it towards Macao's head, and Juvia reluctantly stepped aside.

Patient's head was anesthetist position in surgeries, alright. It was where all the lines for monitors and injecting drugs are there, and the place where they can clearly observe and protect the patient's breathing. But being shoved away like that had put her at lost. She sighed dejectedly, trying to say something but the words just won't come out.

Gray was telling something about the cutting site to Natsu and the second assistant when he noticed Juvia shifting uncomfortably. And that was when he noticed Juvia was standing quite far from him. Instead, the huge TV was place right at Macao's head. He could see the entire conference hall from it clearly. He recognized Igneel and Metallicana. And then he saw someone he really didn't expect right next to Metallicana.

Ul.

She was sitting and smiling, propping his chin on the table. Gray blanched. Shit. Why was she here? He thought she said she couldn't make it. Gray wanted to complain how she had put him in so much trouble by just being there without informing, but he realized Juvia was still standing quite far.

"Oi, you," Gray called the staff. "Remove this TV somewhere else."

The staff blinked. "But that's the best spot for everyone to see."

Gray snarled. "Put it somewhere else! Where do you want the anesthetist to stand? Outside the operation room?"

The staff was taken aback at Gray's sudden outburst, but quickly complied and pushed the TV at another corner. Gray heard Makarov's voice from the TV, saying they were starting and some other introduction he didn't even bother to listen. He turned to Juvia, nodding at her to come closer. Juvia carefully took back her position, standing at Macao's head, adjusting some things that she noted were displaced when they pushed the TV in.

"You should have claim that spot from them," Gray frowned at her. "It's yours, be a little more possessive about it."

Juvia bit her lower lip. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Gray shook his head then turned to Natsu and his second assistant, giving a sign that they are going to start. "We will now begin the surgery of Total Arch and Bentall procedure," he held out a hand to the scrub nurse. "Scalpel. Forceps."

The scrub nurse reached for a scalpel and forceps and gave it to Gray.

Natsu reached his hands towards the scrub nurse too. "Gauze. Diathermy." Quickly catching up with Gray right after he was handed the items in both hands, the surgery for Macao finally started.

The conference hall had been bustling with whispers between the audience, probably talking about the personals that were selected in this surgery. But they were all obviously engulfed in it too.

Makarov took the microphone and asked. "Dr Fullbuster, what is your target time frame for today's surgery?"

Gray's hands were working to cut the chest as he answered. "One hour."

The conference hall became louder at the answer, mostly gasping in disbelief at the fact that he was attempting a Total Arch and Bentall surgery in one hour, which by logic was not even possible.

"One hour?" Makarov asked as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"Yes," Gray said, handing back the scalpel and asked for a harmonic to the scrub nurse then quickly resumed his work. "If you have any questions, you better ask now."

Ul who was sitting idly beside Metallicana's seat finally straightened herself a bit. "That boy," she scoffed. "He's rash as usual."

"That aside, when did you came back, Ul?" Igneel asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Ul laughed. "My boy is showing off his skills, I have to watch no matter what."

Erza was sitting at the front row, staring up at the huge screen. What the hell, why was Gray in a hurry? She frowned at his answer. Then her eyes wandered around the hall. Where is Jellal and Laxus? She couldn't reach them by phone. Each time she dialed, it reached the voice mail. Erza bit her lower lip. Something is wrong that she doesn't know. And she doesn't like it.

Jellal rushed towards Evergreen, who was still breathless under the mask they had given her. Jellal quickly discard his suit, tucked up his sleeves as he turned to Cana. "How's her condition?"

Cana was busy doing something at Evergreen's lines but she had the reluctant face obviously plastered. "You do realized you just threw away your dreams your worked for years right?" she sighed. It was true. Jellal had put so much effort to become a professor. He had travelled to all hospitals just to seek for experts who can help him increase his success rate, he had spent hundreds or dollars sending his underlings to courses, he had everything – just to be nominated this day. And with all those efforts, he just let the conference go.

"Let's not talk about it now, we need to buy some time for Fullbuster," Jellal took a few injections and prepared some emergency drugs. Laxus had joined to help too.

Evergreen shifted uncomfortably, her head was propped up a bit to relief the breathing but it didn't help much. She was struggling to take a breath, but her lips were moving, as if she was mumbling something. Jellal, Laxus and Cana scooted closer to listen.

"My baby…"

Jellal stared at the pregnant woman. For a second, the tough exterior she had put up all this time was crumbled. She looked fragile, and Jellal felt as if she was going to break anytime soon.

"Cana, go and take Dexamethasone drug. We need to inject it to help the baby's lungs mature a little more," Jellal ordered. Cana quickly obeyed.

Laxus turned to the nurses. "Bring out the stretcher. We'll stabilize her in operation room. Call Gray and tell him we already prepared her there. He just need to come and do the surgery later."

The nurses complied as each of them started to scramble to do their assigned tasks.

Gray had opened the chest and made the beating heart visible, putting a self retractor to hold the chest open. "Pliers," he requested and the scrub nurse quickly reached for the item and handed it to Gray.

"Suction," it was Natsu's turn to request and the scrub nurse quickly put the requested item on his hand.

There were a few questions asked from the professors about the heart cells and the aortic valve replacement, and Gray had answered them while his hands are working, entertaining the higher ups about what he had in mind.

"Bed adjustment," Juvia said, pushing a button in her hand. "Head down, rotation to the right." She then turned to the medical engineer. "How much is the temperature in the machine now?"

"80 degrees Fahrenheit, Dr Lockser," the medical engineer answered.

"After Gray-sama connected the heart to the machine, reduce the temperature to 70 degrees then stop the circulation immediately. Don't get left behind," Juvia ordered.

"Okay!"

"Hmm," Ul watched the surgery intently, then her eyes darted down to her pamphlet, reading the lineups of the surgery team. Her eyes particularly read the information about Juvia. "Juvia Lockser. I never heard of her. Metallicana, did you know her?" she asked the famous anesthetist professor sitting by her side.

"She's Gajeel's best friend," Metallicana shrugged. "He won't admit though, but I know him like the back of my hand, so yeah."

Ul looked back at the screen. "She's good. She catch up with Gray quite fast, and very attentive too."

Metallicana looked at Juvia. "Is that so? If you ask me, Gray is having a hard time catching up with her too," he chuckled. "Juvia is clearly speeding the surgery, and Gray had to catch up with the time he is connecting to the machine before the temperature goes down. It goes both ways for the two of them."

"Hmm," Ul smiled knowingly, propping her chin back on the table. "That brat has gotten himself a very interesting girl."

Gray's hands were fast, connecting the tubes of the machine to the blood vessels. His hands were suturing fast, thanks to Juvia's assistance at providing him a better view with the table rotation. Finally filling some sterile fluid into the tubes, the heart was connected perfectly.

Juvia turned to the medical engineer. "Pump on. Now."

"Okay," the medical engineer quickly did as ordered, turning a button to pump the machine on.

"Alright, external circulation begun," Gray nodded. "Next is the Total Arch and Bentall procedure."

"But Total Arch and Bentall procedure would need at least another two or three hours," the second assistant interrupted. "And it has already been 50 minutes from your target time."

"No," Gray stepped back, taking off his surgical gloves and loops. "I'm done here."

The conference hall once again bustling with gasps and whispers. "What do you mean? The surgery is nowhere near done."

Gray looked up at them. "Who said I'm going to be the head surgeon until the end?"

It was then that the door opened, and a figure of Gray's height walked in, completely in a sterile costume, ready to join the surgery. All eyes fixed on the new guy before turning back to Gray questioningly.

"Change of Head Surgeon," Gray announced. "The next Head Surgeon will be the guest vice professor from the St Vincent Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, Lyon Vastia," he introduced. "He just arrived as I called him here. Of course, the patient, Macao Conbolt was already consented for changing the Head Surgeon before the surgery."

Juvia's head shot up to the man who just came in. Her eyes widened, almost couldn't believe her eyes. Lyon Vastia was standing right in front of her? She could feel herself frozen in her spot, as Lyon made his way towards Gray.

Ul sat up. "Lyon?"

Igneel laughed. "Your students are pulling out a prank on us, Ul!"

Ul glared at them. "Don't lump me in their selfish pranks. I've got nothing to do with this."

"I see," Grandeeney placed a finger on her chin in a thinking pose. "So what he meants by one hour is about changing the head surgeon."

"But I'm surprised, why did they do that?" Weisslogia interrupted. "There must be a reason behind it."

Lyon smiled at Gray, urging him to step aside so he could walk in. "The show you did was all about connecting the heart to the machine. It was an easy task, but you did it in 50 minutes. I'll give you a passing mark."

Gray groaned as he stepped back. "Don't get so full of yourself. That wasn't even my full speed."

Lyon laughed as he took his spot, turning towards Juvia who was still staring at him with awe. "I've been admiring the work of this fine lady for a while. But sorry, Miss Lockser. Since I'm taking over, this surgery is no longer the battlefield for the vice professors. I demand the change for the whole team."

And then the door opened again, and a few personals came walking in as they took their respective spots. Juvia almost cowered when a tall muscular man with beard approached her, smiling and bowed a bit.

Jura Neekis. Juvia had heard of him. The anesthetist who rivaled the knowledge of the professors. It was the first time Juvia met him. Heck, it was the first time she ever met Lyon's whole team, and she was already overwhelmed by the members themselves.

Yuka went up to the cardiac-lung machine, giving a sign to the medical engineer that he was taking over. Sherry took her place as the scrub nurse, and Toby took the place as the second assistant.

"Excuse me," a voice called up to Natsu. Natsu turned to see a petite pink haired girl behind him. "We're taking over, Natsu-san," she said with a polite smile.

"Chelia, Total Arch procedure would need a lot of micro-suturing. Prepare your surgical loop," Lyon said.

Chelia nodded happily as she asked the nurse to get her one. Natsu stepped back, letting the pink haired girl took over his position as the first assistant.

Lyon glanced back at Gray. "Go. You have another life waiting for you, right?"

Gray nodded at his fellow disciple, then turned to Juvia and Natsu, giving a sign they need to hurry. "Jellal's team already prepared the operation room. Let's head there."

A/N: Yay, it was Lyon! It was fairly an easy question, hehe. And with this, all the important characters are finally introduced. I feel so relieved to reach this point of the story. It took me 10 chapters, I can't believe myself. Anyway, about the 'Dragon Team', I don't even know how to describe their appearance since they are dragons in the Fairy Tail universe. I'll leave their human form to your imagination. I described Grandeeney like Porlyusica though, with a fury shawl around her neck becoz Grandeeney had that fur around her neck in her dragon form. Anyway, here's the list for Lyon's team, in case if it was confusing in the story. They're basically consist of Lamia Scale guild members:

Head Surgeon: Lyon
First Assistant: Chelia
Second Assistant: Toby
Scrub Nurse: Sherry
Anesthetist: Jura
Medical Engineer: Yuka

And thanks again to everyone who had gave me courage to continue this fic, thank you for the reviews and inputs; ProjXPsyClone, Medaka-chan, TheLittleKittyMeows, dorac, elle003, SeptemberGurl, IndigoHailstorm, QuirkyyMist, Weeirdinwonderland, gruvialover, superduperizee, Shadow Mystery, mgaa, Ajerzaaddict and Mango.