Finally they were here, the water mage's eyes hit the pavement before anything else, dragging along the stones before they moved to look at the wooden door. The place hadn't changed one bit, even after so many years; she had to admit the sight had some sense of nostalgia to it- though the memories were a mixture of both good and bad. After all, she had lived here all throughout her childhood until finding her home at her first guild.

She hadn't realised she'd frozen at the bottom of the stairwell until a familiar voice pulled her out of her reverie.

"Juvia. Are you okay?"

She glanced back at the ice mage, her eyes glassy from her thoughts.

"Juvia is fine. Sorry, Gray-Sama."

"Mh… you look like you've been here before…" He whispered, coming up behind her to ascend the staircase. She followed close by, fumbling with the hem of her sleeves; she didn't reply though. She wasn't ready to explain herself just yet, but she knew she would have to after entering.

He reached the door much quicker than Juvia did, his hand playing upon the door like a drum.

It wasn't long before the door swung open and Juvia's pace grew slower as she kept her head down. After all, she hadn't been planning this, when Gray had mentioned the place, it hadn't clicked until they had gotten there. Though as the front door opened, an old lady greeted Gray; Juvia's eyes widening as she practically trembled. She knew this old lady very well and she begged for her not to remember the water mage herself, because then it would make things easier. But then again, that was wishful thinking. How could anyone forget the sad little rain girl?

"Hello? Can I help you?" The old lady asked, her originally brown hair now coated in a soft grey as she pulled her cardigan tighter to her large frame.

"Hey, I heard this place used to be a pretty big magic ground…" His voice trailed off, explaining their reason for the visit; but he cut himself short once he realised the lady was completely ignoring him; her eyes glued to Juvia in an almost scary way.

She blinked, her expression insane as she glanced up and down the blue mage; Juvia even felt Gray tense at the newly found awkwardness.

"Hey. If you don't wanna talk to me that's fine, but stop staring at my team mate like that." Gray growled, bringing himself in front of the old lady's view. Juvia's heart fluttered a little at the gesture, her brown eyes flicking transferring themselves to look at Gray's back as she noticed rain droplets begin to ruin it's clean leather surface.

It wasn't hard to know that it was raining, and Juvia knew fully well that her nerves had triggered it.

"Juvia? It really is you isn't it…" The lady said, her eyes welling up with tears on her chipmunk cheeks; moving her arm out to push a slightly confused Gray aside.

"What?" He whispered, yanking away so that her could watch Juvia carefully. "Do you know her Juvia?"

Juvia kept silent, her throat catching her words and forcing them to stay where they were; and she so badly just wanted to blurt all honesty out at her love. But it was so complicated…

"Juvia… it's been so long-" The lady started, but that was all she could fit in before Gray barked back.

"Can you give us a moment, Lady?!" With a quick movement, he practically yanked Juvia away.

"Is this why you're acting so weird? Who is she?"

"Juvia…"

"Tell me, come on, it could help."

"Juvia used to… used to live here…"

"What?!"

"Juvia grew up here."

He glanced back at the building, the golden letters right near the old lady's head on the brick wall.

Orphanage.

"You grew up with this lady?"

"Yes."

"Did something bad happen, why are you being so quiet…"

"Juvia… ran away. Many years ago."

"Y-you ran away? Why?"

"No one wanted the sad little rain girl." She said simply, training her eyes on the boy as he flinched slightly at her newly found aggressive look. Though the rain trickled heavier, her confidence did not last long.

"Juvia ran away… joined Phantom Lord… found herself somewhere new… Juvia hasn't been here ever since…" The tears poured down her cheeks now; the rain helping it force down her rosy face.

"Juvia does not deserve to step foot inside…"

"Hey, hey, this isn't your fault-"

"Juvia ran away from them… they gave Juvia so much; even if I was never good enough to get another family…" She choked gently, hugging herself with her arms.

It was true, all of it. She had never gotten on with any of the other kids, practically got teased every five minutes for her habit of making it rain; but it wasn't her fault. She had always felt so sad and alone. So many times she had been rejected by families adopting, so many times she sat in her room with her rain doll, wishing that her mother would come back to life. But of course… that could never happen. Not now. And as much as the people who raised the children were good to her, they never took the moment to truly care for her and thus she still felt alone. It's what had motivated her to leave in the first place and at the time it had been a fantastic idea.

Her eyes widened at a new touch, Gray's scent so close that she could taste it, his arms around her as the fur on his leather jacket tickled the side of her face and absorbed her tears.

"You don't owe them anything… Did they come looking for you?"

"Juvia doubts…"

"Then so? It was years ago."

"But-"

"You have a family now. Right?" He said, pulling back so that he could see her face. She sniffed, wiping her eye, even though it had no effect, watching Gray with his hair sticky against his face. His smile could heal most of her worries. She hoped it was powerful enough to heal this one.