It was almost agonizingly slow. Their whole relationship being taken with baby steps; no kisses or 'I love yous' were exchanged. Tentative hugs and hand holding being the only real physical intimacy they shared. But they talked more, so much more, about anything and everything. They would spend whole nights sitting next to each other in the infirmary talking in hushed tones about what had happened in the time when she was gone.

That was what brought them to where they were now. Camilla sat next to Gray on the train, heading to Toledge, the town Camilla had stayed in while she was 'dead'. Camilla couldn't deny she was slightly nervous and worried to be returning to the small beach-side town. She knew Annalise would be safe. Natsu, Wendy, Erza, Gajeel, and Lucy were watching her like bodyguards. While she didn't want to remember her life here, she knew it was a necessary step to further and deepen their relationship.

The town was covered in snow, the scent of the snow mixing with the saltiness of the ocean. Camilla had her coat wrapped tightly around her body, burying her nose into her scarf and staying close to Gray as she didn't want to get separated. Her shop had been sold to another person and turned into a bakery soon after she left permanently for Fairy Tail so she didn't have to worry about closing it or selling it. Not that it had much business anyway.

The pebbles and snow crunched under their feet and she huddled further into her coat and felt the cold metal key to her house in her pocket. Gray was quiet next to her, taking in the scenery.

The small cabin came into view, snow covering the roof. It was the same as she had left it, Frost spiderwebbed across the windows and her hand shook slightly as she slid the key into the lock.

"This was your home?" Gray asked and she nodded, unsure of what to say.

"It's so…. small…." he said a moment after,

"I couldn't afford much the last 4 years.." was all she said, the wind rocked the rocking chair in the corner of the porch as she turned the key and opened the door.

It was the same, a thin layer of dust covered everything and it seemed almost dark with all the lights off. She walked in, almost in a trance. Her fingers trailed on the wall, disrupting the dust as she walked the hall and rooms of her old home. She heard the floorboards creak as Gray walked in the living room. She paused in the kitchen; there were still dishes in the sink, clothing still hung up to dry. It seemed like everything was straight out of a snippet of time or a painting.

"Is this after she was born?" Came Gray's voice and she turned to see him staring at the photos on the fireplace mantle. She walked over to see the photos he was talking about. He held the photo of Camilla cradling Annalise in her arms, garbed in a hospital gown and an exhausted smile on her face. She had just given birth to her, Annalise being cleaned up quickly and given to the exhausted mother.

"Yes, it was taken about an hour after she was born. I was in labor for almost 24 hours before she was finally born." She said, wiping the dust away, Annalise was red-faced and crying, her little fists waving.

"24 hours?" Gray looked at her in shock as she nodded in confirmation.

"There were some complications where I wasn't dilated all the way and then she got stuck in the birth canal." She said, grimacing as she remembered the discomfort, thankfully she couldn't remember the pain, but she remembered it hurt.

"I'm… I'm sorry…." Gray hesitated and she looked over,

"Why?"

"Because you had to go through that alone. I was supposed to be there." He said, hands tightening into fists. She turned and reached up to cup his face and pull him closer to her so she could look him in the eye.

"It wasn't your fault. I was dead to you Gray. There was nothing you could've done."

"But-" she cut him off by placing a finger over his lips.

"It wasn't your fault. I was dead Gray. There was nothing you could've done." She repeated, he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead on hers, simply allowing her to hold him.

There was a loud knock, more of a bang, at the door, freezing the both of them in their tracks and sending everything into silence. Camilla looked to Gray and he looked at her, just as confused as she was. She let go of him and walked to the door, peeking through the peephole and recoiled. It was him again; Doctor Steven, his hair was disheveled and he had abandoned any and all sense of manners. Camilla frowned, why was he here? Why now?

The doorframe rattled with the force of the man on the other side of the door and Gray grasped the handle and before Camilla could say anything, he was turning the knob and opening the door to peer out. It was quiet for a moment, all that could be heard was Steven's uneven breathing before Gray spoke.

"Can I help you?" Gray asked cautiously, Camilla could see his shoulders tense as Steven replied,

"I believe I'm looking for the owner of this establishment? I believe it is a….. Laurel Quincy? I have business to discuss regarding how my last visit here ended…" He trailed off, Camilla could see him peeking or trying to see inside the house but Gray blocked his view.

"I believe I can deal with this 'business'. My fiancée is out at the moment. Any information regarding this 'visit' can be discussed with me." Camilla saw his eyes dart to look at her out of the corner of his eye and she smiled, happy he was referring to her as his fiancée even if they technically were no longer engaged.

Steven seemed to get more upset,

"Well you better tell your fiancée that I still demand payment, I should charge her extra for what she pulled. She deemed my treatment unsuitable for her daughter and proceeded to throw me out of the house! Very unladylike, it's proof that woman should just stay in the kitchen and be quiet and obedient."

(I DO NOT CONDONE THIS OPINION WHATSOEVER)

Gray glanced at Camilla once again and she nodded, she had told him about the previous meeting she had with this man and had to talk Gray out of hunting him down and hurting him.

"When will Miss Quincy be back?" Steven demanded and Gray tightened his grip on the door,

"I'm sorry but that's private information. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He said coldly and tried to close the door but Steven shoved his hand in between the door and the frame.

"Where is she?" He snarled and Gray was struggling to shut the door. Camilla started from her spot by the fireplace and that's when Steven spotted her. His eyes bled black and red before Gray was thrown away from the door.

….

Gray crashed through a wall as 'Doctor Steven' seemed to grow stronger and shove the door off its hinges. Glancing up as the dust settled, he saw flashing red wing-like objects and froze. A ghoul? He didn't have time to think as red shards exploded from Steven's wings and raced towards him.

They didn't hit however, a glowing yellow shield appeared in front of him and the shards shattered against it. He looked to the side where Camilla lay after the blast, hand extended and a golden magic circle swirling around her hand and her hair floating around her face like she was underwater. Her eyes had a faint glowing hue to them, her teeth gritting as she clenched her fist and swiped her hand away. The forcefield moved and catapulted Steven out of the room.

Gray scrambled to his feet and over to Camilla, her magic dimming and hair falling. She let out a sigh of relief as they got to their feet.

"He's a ghoul?!" Gray asked and she looked at him incredulously.

"I didn't know! I don't have enhanced senses anymore!" She hissed and yelped as the front of the house was torn to shreds, Gray made a shield of ice, Camilla creating a forcefield at the same time. The force hitting the ice shield jarred his arms, shaking him to his core as the shards seemed never ending. He pushed Camilla away from him and out of the line of fire, ignoring her shouts at him to let her help. He couldn't let her get hurt, he couldn't risk losing her again.

The forcefield fizzled out as a stray shard sliced Camilla's cheek open and she held her hand over the bleeding wound. Gray grit his teeth and put his hands together, summoning his magic to create a shield over Camilla.

"Gray?! What are you doing!?" She demanded, getting up and pounding on the shield. Gray faced away from her, keeping his eye on the recovering Steven.

"Gray let me out!" Camilla was screaming as he dodged a barrage of the Kagune shards.

"I can't do that Camilla," She looked at him in fear and shock, eyes wide.

"I love you too much to lose you again." Was all he managed to get out before something hard collided with his chest, sending him backwards and everything went black.

….

"GRAAAAAY!" Camilla's magic exploded, turning the ice shield to dust and surrounded Steven in a golden sphere. He shrieked and screamed, pounding at the shield but her magic was much stronger when fueled by her emotions. Camilla watched as Gray's body crumpled to the floor mere feet away. She glared and bared her teeth at the struggling ghoul in front of her, anger surging through her body like fire.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now?" She snarled and he didn't pause, spitting his response immediately,

"Because you're too weak to do- ACK!" The sphere shrunk until he was gasping for breath,

"Don't test me." She growled and he stopped for a second before a wicked smile crossed his face and twisted his features into a horrifying expression,

"If you pay too much attention to me, then your little fiancé will die!" He snarled back and she froze, her forcefield shimmering before hardening again.

"Get out of here. Get out of here and NEVER COME BACK!" She finally screamed, her hair whipping around her face and sending the sphere rocketing away until she couldn't see it anymore.

Immediately, she dropped her magic and turned back to the fallen form of her fiancé. She skidded and knelt at his side, brushing away debris from the now ruined house.

"Gray are you okay?" She said, brushing a strand of hair from his face. He didn't move, didn't reply. A cold feeling settled in her stomach as she cupped his face, his head lolling to the side.

"Gray?" She whispered and when he didn't respond she frantically felt at his neck, trying to feel for a pulse. She lay her head on his chest, like she used to do before he proposed, trying to hear the familiar steady beating of his heart.

All she heard was a gaping, empty silence.

…

I'M BAAAAACK!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMILLA I'M SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER AND SORRY FOR LEAVING THIS FOR ALMOST 6 MONTHS!

I PROMISE I WON'T LEAVE THIS STORY FOR THAT LONG NEXT TIME! OKAY I'M NOT YELLING.

Please comment and tell me what you think! I love to hear from all of you!

Until next time!

FairyTailWzard over and out!~