A/N: Hey guys! So most of you asked me to update twice a week, so I figured Thursday was a good update day...or at least...it's Thursday UK time! Sooooo here's the new chapter :)
Erza pulled Natus a little way away from the guild before stopping. She gestured to a nearby bench. He sat, gulping.
"Listen, Erza, I know you're mad but I didn't mean to-"
"I know, Natsu. I know you didn't mean to. You never mean to. You can't help what your magic does. It's not your fault. I owe you an apology"
"Y-you do?" Natsu asked. Erza nodded, sitting next to him on the bench.
"I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, or said what I did. I am sorry, Natsu" Natsu stared at her.
"Um….thanks?" Natsu hadn't really been apologised to much before, so he wasn't sure what the etiquette was.
"I was tired, and frustrated, we'd all worked so hard for no reward. I know it was an accident, and I knew it was at the time I just snapped at you because I was exhausted."
"I'm sorry Erza"
"I know Natsu, I'm just worried. Our guild has a bad reputation, but it's not just you, Gray can be quite destructive…as can I…as can…many of our members. I shouldn't have taken out my frustrations on you. Yes….everything was on fire. But a lot of the structure damage before the fire was my fault, as well as Gray's"
"It's okay Erza"
"No Natsu, it's not. I feel terribly for how I treated you. How I upset you. I need you to understand that I'm worried about you Natsu"
"Worried? I can take care of myself Erza!"
"I know. But not against the Council"
"What do you mean?" Natsu frowned.
"Natsu I'm worried, on every single job, that you will go too far, cause too much destruction, and the Council will take you away and lock you up for being a danger"
"They wouldn't-"
"Yes Natsu, they would! None of us would be able to stop them!" Natsu peered at Erza's face…..was she? Oh no.
"Don't cry Erza, please don't cry!" Natsu panicked. "Wait right here, okay, don't move" Natsu raced back in to the guild. "JUVIA I NEED YOU!" He cried, oblivious to Gray's resulting scowl and Lucy's horror filled face. He actually jumped when she spoke from just inside the door.
"What's wrong Natsu?"
"Erza apologised to me but then she started crying, and I need help, I need her present!" Natsu was hopping from foot to foot.
"Calm down Natsu, Juvia will come with you, here" she handed him the sword.
"Woah where did you pull that from?"
"Juvia thought you might need it, so Juvia decided to keep it near" she smiled.
"You're the best Juvia! Let's go! I hate it when Erza cries, but this time it's my fault" Natsu said dejectedly as they walked back to the bench he'd left Erza on. He didn't get far before he was smashed in to a hard surface.
Erza's breastplate.
"It's alright Natsu. I have gathered myself. But you must stop making me worry, I know you can't help it, but please try to minimise the damage, it would break my heart if you where taken away" Erza sniffled. Natsu quickly started to babble before she could start to cry again.
"Well Juvia and I went on a mission and I didn't destroy anything, because Juvia used her magic to protect the buildings and stuff and Juvia's my friend now and she's my team mate, and I don't want to abandon her now that you guys are back so I was thinking she should join our team because she's my friend and she can help me" Natsu finished in one breath. Erza turned to Juvia.
"It's true, Juvia used water magic to protect the town from Natsu's magic in case it went awry. Juvia understands Natsu because Juvia's magic can be destructive too, we worked well as a team. Juvia is grateful to Natsu for letting Juvia be a team with him but Juvia doesn't want to impose on Natsu's usual team" Erza mulled things over for a few minutes.
"Juvia…you will have to join Team Natsu. I insist upon it. Not only are you a strong wizard in you own right but…you can help Natsu. I can see you have formed quite the friendship and it would be a shame to take it from either of you. I'm glad you have found a new friend in each other. Welcome to the Team!" Juvia found herself smashed in to Erza's breastplate. Natsu winced in sympathy, then started to awkwardly shuffle his feet.
"Um Erza?" she turned to him. "I um…..I got you a present. To say sorry for that last job…and make it up to you"
"You didn't have to do that Natsu" Erza said, a surprised smile lighting up her face.
"I wanted to, and then I saw the perfect thing…" Natsu handed Erza the sword. Erza unwrapped the paper, a stunned expression on her face as she took in the personalised sheath and the hilt. She stroked the engravings on the sheath with her fingers. "This is beautiful" she murmured.
"Wait until you see the blade!" Natsu said, starting to hop around in excitement, his confidence returned. Erza unsheathed the blade and the expression on her face….was priceless. Natsu beamed.
"Oh my…" she breathed, as she studied the details on the blade, brushing the Fairy Tail guild mark hidden among the swirls.
"Thank you Natsu, this is an incredibly thoughtful gift"
"I knew you'd love it!" Natsu said, dancing about. Juvia watched as Erza smiled at Natsu with fondness. While Natsu was distracted celebrating his success Juvia leaned in to whisper to Erza.
"Juvia wants Erza to be forewarned…Natsu named the sword already. Juvia would like it if Erza could pretend to like it, so Natsu's feelings aren't hurt. It's name is on the hilt" Erza moved the hilt closer to examine it.
"Salamander? He named it after himself!?"
"Natsu didn't mean any harm, Natsu just wanted you to have something you'd love and Juvia thinks he wanted you to be able to remember him with it. He thought it was a good name for a sword and-" Erza cut off Juvia's hurried whispering.
"It's okay Juvia, I know. I actually quite like it"
"You…..you like it?"
"Yes. Natsu is admirable. He never gives up. The sword will remind me of that in battle" Juvia just nodded, surprised. She had thought Erza might have been a bit….mad. Juvia knew she was very particular about her swords.
"I NEARLY FORGOT! Check out the name on the hilt Erza! I named the sword for you, it was between me and strawberry cake, but cake isn't scary, and-"
"Salamander is a fine name for a sword, it will strike fear in to the hearts of my enemies" Erza smiled at Natsu, genuinely pleased. Natsu looked like he was going to burst with happiness. Until Erza slammed him against her breastplate again in a bone crushing hug.
"Let's return to the guild shall we? I want to show off my new sword" Erza said, starting to head back in with Natsu and Juvia following her.
"Hear that Juvia? Erza wants to show it off" Natsu said gleefully. Juvia smiled indulgently.
Natsu didn't make it far in to the guild before he was stopped by a voice saying his name hesitantly.
"Natsu?"
"Hey Wendy" Natsu smiled. He dropped his smile when she didn't return it. "Wendy what's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry Natsu, I should have gone with you on the last job, I shouldn't have let you walk home all by yourself. I knew you where upset and nobody was being fair to you but I just let you go by yourself" Wendy started to cry, but before Natsu could say anything she carried on speaking, "And-and-and" Wendy hiccuped, "I shouldn't have gone on the job with the others, I wanted to stay behind to make sure you came back okay, and so you'd…you'd….not be by yourself. I knew you'd be upset but I let them convince me and…and Mira said you where so down and not like yourself and it's my fault" Wendy threw her arms around Natsu's waist and started to cry harder in to his chest.
"Wendy's been worried about you the entire time we've been gone. She feels awful for abandoning you. It's not her fault, I helped convince her to go. I apologise Natsu" Carla said as she came trailing behind Wendy.
"It's okay, Carla, I get it" Wendy cried something that sounded similar to "But you shouldn't have to" and then something unintelligible.
Natsu brought his arms up and around the younger dragon slayer, he looked at Juvia, who nodded at him encouragingly.
"Wendy, it's okay. You need all the experience you can get! You're not gonna get that hanging around the guild waiting for me to walk back. You don't need to apologise to me. Besides, I wanted to be alone, I'd have been bad company! I guess I was upset that you guys had gone, but I wasn't upset at you Wendy. I was sad that I'd ruined the job for everyone"
"But it's not your fault, you can't h-help it. M-my magic is as d-d-destructive as yours, I shouldn't have left you" Wendy wailed. Natsu looked confused.
"Is this to do with the brother thing?" Natsu whispered to Juvia.
"Juvia thinks so. Juvia thinks Wendy feels that Natsu and Gajeel are more family than the others, you are all dragon slayers. Juvia thinks Wendy feels that she let you down by not defending you, or making sure you where okay. Juvia thinks Wendy thinks she has been a terrible sister" Natsu nodded.
"Wendy, I wasn't alone, I had Happy with me! Then when I got back to the guild, I had Juvia! Juvia's my new friend, she cheered me up and made sure I didn't feel bad for too long. It's okay Wendy, really. I woudn't have Juvia as a friend otherwise." Natsu smiled down at Wendy. Wendy just sniffled in to Natsu's chest.
"I've got something that'll cheer you up!" Natsu exclaimed, digging in his pocket. "I got you a present after Juvia and I got done with our job!" Wendy peeked up at him as he held out the necklace to her. She reached up curiously, and took the necklace.
"It's beautiful" she breathed, "I've never had real jewellery before!" Natsu beamed.
"That's not the best part, see the orb? It's a lacrima. I already put my magic in there, you just gotta get Gajeel to put his in there and then you can have us with you wherever you go! We'll be with you in spirit to cheer you on!" Wendy's eyes filled with tears.
"What did I do?" Natsu panicked.
"Nothing, it's-it's-it's…..PERFECT" Wendy wailed. Natsu patted her on the back.
"Making little girls cry…nice goin' Salamander" Gajeels voice rumbled from the side. Before Natsu could start a fight, Juvia intervened.
"Gajeel, Juvia knows you've been eavesdropping on the entire conversation with your dragon slayer hearing. Juvia knows you want to be a part of your family's moment but are just too...gruff to admit it" Juvia said bluntly. Natsu looked like he was going to make a comment so Juvia nudged him in the ribs.
"I don't know what you're talkin' about. I don't have any family, least of all Salamander and the kid" Gajeel grumbled. Juvia gave him a look that said she didn't believe a word he was saying.
"Juvia thinks you're ridiculous." Gajeel mumbled something unintelligible before catching sight of Wendy's necklace.
"Let me see that" Gajeel said, carefully taking the necklace from Wendy, who was still clutching Natsu, who was mouthing at Juvia for help. Gajeel mumbled a word, and a thin stream of grey started to flow in to the lacrima, mixing with Natsu's red fire. The two magics swirled around in the lacrima.
"Pretty" breathed Wendy.
"Yeah well…Salamander went to all that effort to make a nice gesture, couldn't let him hog the moment, thought I'd add some sensibility to it. Besides, Shrimp'll get mad if I don't help him out" Gajeel grumbled. Wendy let go of Natsu and threw her arms around Gajeel.
"Thank you! Now whenever I get scared, I'll have you with me to remind me to be brave" Wendy declared. Juvia and Natsu had their hands over their moves to muffle their laughter at Gajeel's expression. Surprised didn't begin to cover it. Neither did embarrassed or uncomfortable. They watched as Gajeel flushed bright red, then managed to do the unbelievable and go even redder when Levy "Aw'd" as she passed the scene.
"Not a word Salamander" Gajeel ground out before hugging Wendy back.
"We'll leave you to it" Natsu snickered as Juvia shoved him past a glowering Gajeel.
"Where did Mira say Lucy and Gray where?" Natsu questioned Juvia.
"Over there" he followed her finger to a booth tucked out of the way.
'Let's go! I wanna give Lucy my gift!" Natsu said excitedly, leading the way.
Juvia followed behind, bag in hand, and she would have stopped entirely if Natsu hadn't grabbed her arm and pulled her along. "C'mon Juvia, I need moral support!"
"Natsu, Juvia doesn't think-" she started to say, staring at Gray…..and his facial expression. Normally he looked indifferent, right now he looked…..furious. She swallowed. Natsu was oblivious, his gaze fixed firmly on Lucy, who had pasted a smile on her face as Natsu started to approach. Juvia doesn't think this is going to end well.
Over at the bar, Mira watched on, that glint back in her eye. "Finally, everything's falling in to place!" Mira chirped. Erza, who was sitting nearby and talking with Jellal, turned away from him to focus her attention on Mira. She didn't like the tone of Mira's voice or the look in her eye. At all. She followed Mira's line of sight and spotted Natsu making his way over to Lucy and Gray with Juvia. She could pick up on the tension between the four of them clear across the room. She slowly turned back to Mira.
"What did you do?" She demanded.
"Oh, nothing. Here" Mira placed a slice of strawberry cake in front of Erza, "Just sit back and watch the romance blossom"
"Mira, you didn't" the bar maid ignored her, avidly watching Erza's team mates. Erza glanced back and forth between Mira and her team.
Something's going to be blooming, but it isn't romance.
"If my cake gets damaged I will end you Mirajane" Erza growled, pushing the plate along the bar until it was shielded by Jellal's body. No-one was going to harm her cake.