AN: Yes, hello friends, and welcome to the final chapter of the surprisingly-somewhat-popular(?) Black and Blue. Or, uh, the last sort canon chapter? Today is a double-feature! The next chapter will be an epilogue of sorts, kinda a preview of a future event in my Raijinshuu story Days We Hold Precious. It's getting put in here as an epilogue since it would make a good cliffhanger/resolution for something in this chapter that has to do with our favorite Raijinshuu~

There's gonna be a really long Author's Note in the next chapter at the very end discussing some stuff to do with the epilogue, and of course, the sequel I am thinking about.

Thank you all so very much, those of you who have said this is one of your favorite fics ever. That means very, very much to me as a growing writer, and there's nothing I love more than entertaining people with my writing. Thank you to all of those who have supported me in writings this, provided constructive criticism, and I hope you enjoy this last chapter.

Also, I'm finally going to say what the inspiration for the story title was! Well, uh, Black and Blue, like their hair, but also one of my favorites songs is Black and Blue by Ingrid Michaelson (who I just got tickets for to see live in concert!) The song reminds me a lot of Gruvia.

FAIRY TAIL GUILD HALL

The Winter World had blessed them with a sunny day. A sunny day with clouds in the sky to provide shade, crisp, clean air, and cold that wasn't unbearable. As it should be. He deserved nothing less than the most perfect weather for the time of year.

The brunette was shaking a bit, Juvia noticed, shaking as she picked up flower stems and arranged them as needed. Evergreen had been so kind as to offer to do the arrangements, rather than go through the trouble of hiring a professional to do them. Juvia was starting to think that her new friend could be a professional, however, with the ease she placed them and quickness in which she did it.

"Evergreen-san, if you don't feel well, you mustn't push yourself." She put a hand down on the mage's. "Look, Evergreen-san is shaking. Juvia doesn't want that for her. Please take a break."

"No, it's fine," she mumbled, steadying herself and going back to work. "I just haven't been feeling well as of late. That will not prevent me from doing this job, though. Don't worry about me."

She pulled back, frowning at the woman. But she was firm in saying that she was fine, so she shrugged, sighed, and went on her way, poking her head into the guildhall's kitchen to see how the food was coming along. Mira smiled and waved her away.

"You have guests to attend to," she said. "You need to get to the Cathedral and help out over there."

She'd been dreading going there, though. The cemetery spoke of sadness that she didn't want to feel anymore. Part of her didn't want to see the headstone, the memorial arranged, none of it. It was a cold, bitterly cold reminder that he was gone, that she was putting on his funeral, and he wasn't going to come back.

But she had to once more accept reality.

"Yes, Mira-san." Juvia left the kitchen and grabbed her coat and scarf from the bar, sighing as she wrapped it around her neck. She tugged it up over her nose and headed for the door.

"Gajeel is already there," Gray said, walking up next to her and marking off something on the clipboard he was carrying. "The flowers are getting done, the guildhall is prepared… The service starts in an hour-and-a-half. Ready for it?"

Juvia sighed and pressed her face into her hands. "Juvia is going to cry."

"It's okay to cry," Gray said, tugging on his coat like he wanted to rip it off. "He was a close friend, after all."

"Juvia… still feels guilty about what he did for her," she said hushedly as they left the guildhall. "Even though he told her that nothing was her fault."

"Ur's death wasn't my fault," he said abruptly, overly-honest. "I still feel guilty about what she did. I think when someone dies for you, it's just never gonna sit well, got it?"

She sighed again and nodded. "Yeah. Fine."

He reached out and patted her back, then slid his hand back into his pocket. It wasn't like he'd ignored their rather intimate moment back in the previous week; they'd even arranged another… another date within the next couple of days. He'd told all who asked about the date, but nobody more, that they'd kissed. They were officially going out. And of course, though he didn't want it to be common knowledge to everyone yet, the moment Mirajane had found out, she'd screeched and just about told everyone who came for a drink.

"His students were invited. Some former friends from Phantom that Juvia was able to track down. And also-"

"Mademoiselle Juvia!"

She flinched, of course. Gray slid in front of her, throwing out an arm and glaring.

The Element Four was together once again.

Aria flinched back from the aggression Gray was showing, and Sol quickly shielded a shorter young woman behind him.

Juvia put her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, staring at her old friends. "Stop. They're supposed to be here. They aren't under Jose's orders anymore. She hopes."

Gray stepped away, glaring as he normally did, and Aria stepped forward.

"Juvia-sama," he said, sniffling as he spoke. "Th-thank you for inviting us to his service. W-we do not des-dese-deserve it." He blew his nose into a handkerchief. "Tha-tha-THANK YOU!"

"He's a crier!" Gray said, stepping back from the waterworks pouring rapidly from Aria's eyes. "Do something!"

"Ar-Aria-san! Please calm yourself!" she sputtered, waving her hands as he continued weeping. "At least do it over the flowers!"

"Mademoiselle," Sol said far more calmly. "It is an honor to have been invited to this funérailles. Thank you so very much."

"You brought your families with you?" she asked gently, trying to put on a smile. She looked at the young lady behind Sol. "You must be Lueur-sama. Sol-san loves you very much."

The young girl was pretty, with a fuller face than Sol's, though her complexion was sickly. Her hair was silky and the same shade as his own. She wore a long, black dress that touched her toes, funeral wear indeed. She blushed and nodded, burying her face into the back of his suit.

Juvia smiled and turned to Aria, who had gone to sob over the flower beds, giving them plenty of water. "Where is Aria-san's family?"

"Si-sick," he sputtered out, pressing the cloth against his eyes. "Couldn't travel."

"Juvia wishes for their health," she said quietly, and she walked past them. "Kardia Cathedral is this way, if Aria-san and Sol-san wish to follow her."

Gray glared at them as they walked past him, muttering under his breath, "Don't put a hand on her, or you'll end up like Jose."

KARDIA CATHEDRAL CEMETERY

His students were in tears, the children, the oldest being fifteen. Romeo was bravely sniffling, holding back the fullness of his emotions while Natsu ruffled his dark hair. The Tenrou group had come for support, though they hadn't known Totomaru beyond the fact that he had once been an enemy.

And a savior for one rain woman.

"Set down the flowers, Romeo," she said to the young man, looking up to the darkening sky. It was almost 8 at night, the perfect time for what she had in store. "Go on."

The young Fire Mage stepped forward, blinking away scarce tears, and set the fire lilies onto the stone, right in front of his picture. The rest of Totomaru's students fell into line and each put down a single flower. Sol and Aria followed, their eyes filling with tears at the sight of the stone, the grave without a body.

Juvia came last, stepping slowly across the grass leading up to him. Her eyes flicked back and forth, taking in the small crowd; Totomaru had no family to invite. His parents had burned in a fire when he was only eight, she remembered him telling her. All he had were his small amount of friends from the old Phantom, the rest of the Element Four, and his students. Those precious students whom he had declared his own children.

She stopped in front of the memorial, looking down at it. She crouched, tucking her black skirt under her, and held the bouquet of red and orange flowers to her chest. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at the picture, a picture of him smiling at the camera, like the world had nothing to give him to worry about. It only had good things to hand him. Good things like his friends, his students. His soul mate.

Juvia couldn't help it. The sobbing started, the hiccupping, everything she had expected to do. With shaking hands, she put the bouquet atop the flowers already resting there, sniffing up mucus that was falling from her nose and swallowing the tightness in her throat.

One more thing. She had one more thing to do that she needed to be sensible and clear for.

The Water Mage stood, wiping tears from her eyes, and she turned to the solemn and weeping crowd. She surveyed the worn faces, the sad faces, the eyes that missed their beloved jokester and teacher. She surveyed the faces that were there only for her, to give her support, and she swallowed.

"Juvia is supposed to say something now. Something about Totomaru." Her eyes went to the ground, then lifted and found Gray and Gajeel sitting next to each other. Gajeel merely blinked at her and turned his head away, clearly trying to not look sad, and Gray gave her a small nod. "Juvia wants to say… so much about Totomaru.

"Toto was the first person in Phantom to truly care for Juvia… and probably one of the first in her life." She wrung her hands together. "A truly kind soul, that's what he was. He just… sat down next to Juvia and held out a hand to her. He gave her a smile. He made her laugh. Not even Gajeel-kun cared for Juvia when she first joined; everyone just wanted to use her magic. But Toto just wanted to know Juvia. That was all.

"And he made everything happy. He did these stupid magic shows every single day… he'd make dumb puns all the time, and he'd always sit down and listen to you. And he was such a strong mage. I never saw him lose a fight when it really counted… except for Natsu-san's fight, though. Natsu-san is too much for anyone."

Laughter came from the crowd. She smiled a bit.

"Toto was almost happy when Phantom fell. He said he was free to go do whatever he wanted without worrying about Jose. So, he went to be a teacher. And he was a good one, wasn't he?" His students nodded solemnly. "Yes, he was. Juvia… only wrote him one letter while they were apart. And then she disappeared for all those years.

"But when they met again, under the worst circumstances, where Jose was trying to control him again, he knew. He said he knew that Juvia was strong and that he knew she was alive. And he just wanted to help her. Totomaru's love for his friends outweighed his fear of Jose. Who couldn't respect that?

"But that day, it was…" She swallowed, rubbing underneath her scarf to loosen the lump. "His last. He fought bravely, displaying the strength he was infamous for. He stood up to his fear to protect his friends. And that was his downfall. It was my fault. I was trying too hard to be the hero, and he just-" She covered her mouth, looking down and breathing. She remembered too well. Blood in his eyes, smile on his lips, and his body being crushed to a bloody pulp because of her rage and destruction. "He just saved me. Like he wanted to.

"Toto was the most loyal friend anyone could ask for. The best friend. And most of us here know that. Know how wonderful he was, and we will miss him every day of our lives. The world simply isn't as good of a place without him in it. At least, it feels like that."

Natsu and Romeo stepped forward, standing on either side of the cemetery.

Juvia smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes, managing a laugh. "And he was always so good at fireworks. And so, in memory of his lovely firework shows, Natsu-san and Romeo-kun have offered to put on one for us. Boys, go ahead now."

She stepped back to Gajeel and Gray as the lights in the show started, bursts of flame and light that lit up the sky for miles, she was sure. Flowers, shapes, patterns of any sort they made, and she collapsed back against Gajeel and Lily watching them all. Her heart felt warmer, as though the flames of the show were infiltrating her chest.

The crowd had started to cheer, call for certain things to be done, and almost all of the sadness was forgotten, just as he would have wanted it to be. Romeo seemed to be having even more fun with Natsu, and that was saying something. Natsu had to work extra hard to keep up with him and his enthusiasm, and they seemed to be loving every second of entertaining their audience.

Juvia smiled and looked up past the fire and into the starry heavens, wondering if he was smiling and laughing at the joy they were all feeling. He was. He had to be. This was what he had wanted. A memorial where all of his friends were together, where he was placed in Magnolia, so close to Juvia, just as he wanted.

And when the two Fire Mages started to tire, the show stopped, people picked up their things, and they headed towards the guildhall to finish off the night with food and drinking. Juvia held Gajeel's hand and Lily in her other arm, smiling as they talked about good times they'd had with Totomaru.

The Raijinshuu was off the path that everyone was walking on, and Bickslow was leaned over slightly, hands on Ever's shoulders. She was wobbling, had one hand pressed up to her mouth, and looked very out of it. Freed and Laxus were standing on either side of her, watching her carefully.

Juvia released Lily and Gajeel, rushing over to them. "Evergreen-san? What's wrong with Evergreen-san?"

"'m fine!" she nearly shouted, turning away from all of them. "I'll be fine. I'm just… not gonna go to the party."

"Ever, there's cake there, though!" Bickslow protested, trying to grab her shoulders again. "C'mon, at least go get a slice! Please?"

"No," she said, straightening up and fixing her coat. "I'm just gonna go back to the apartment. I'll see you guys there."

She was slurring her words, still shaking, and Juvia reached out to her. "Evergreen-san-"

"Go without me," she said, putting her hands in her pockets. "Bring me home a slice of cake, mm'kay, Bickslow?"

He pouted and looked dejected, but nodded. Laxus almost looked ready to go with her, but the prospect of good food and good alcohol must have gotten the better of him. He turned away, and Freed went with him. Casting one last look back at Evergreen, walking towards the center of town, Juvia followed them.

"Drink up!" Lisanna and Mira chirped, serving trays of beer. "There's lots more, courtesy of Juvia's family!"

"This is probably some of the best beer I've ever had," Gray said, grabbing his second mug. "You and your grandma have it good."

"Only through her hard work," Juvia said with a slight sigh. "I can't believe how much Gran gave me to throw his whole thing."

"Prolly was just a pilea' cash she had lyin' 'round," Gajeel said around a bowl. That was it. Not a bowl of shrimp, just a bowl. "Just lyin' round, waitin' ta be wasted."

"This isn't a waste," Levy scolded, munching on the shrimp that Gajeel had taken out of the bowl. "This is very nice, Juvia."

"Juvia thanks Levy-san," she said with a smile. "Shrimp was Toto's favorite, so she just had to order some for this party."

"Juvia-sama!"

"Mademoiselle Juvia!"

Aria and Sol had clearly had too much to drink; throwing themselves at her, she was knocked off of the bench and onto the ground, where they drunkenly smothered her, sobbing over something that she couldn't comprehend.

"Please get off of Juvia! This is so embarrassing…"

"Tha-thank you for doing this for him!" Aria sobbed, blowing into a handkerchief. "It-it's so wonderful!"

"We don't deserve to be here!" Sol wept, drunken blush enhanced with tears. "Pas à al!"

"You two…" Juvia started. Her face twisted into an equally sad expression, and she hugged them back. "Have every right! It was just Jose threatening your families that made you do bad things!"

"...Ever seen such huge dorks?" Gajeel muttered, tearing off another piece of bowl. They watched as the remainder of the Element Four cried and hugged each other on the ground. "Morons."

"Awww, you wanna join in, dontcha~?" Levy teased, hiding her mouth behind a hand. "I just know you do~"

"Shut it, shrimpcake!" he barked, tossing a shrimp at her. "Here, eat some of your cousins."

"Why are they my cousins?!"

"They're shrimp, aren't they? Dork!"

"You're too mean! Stupid-Gajeel!"

"Now that Gray and Juvia are together, I wonder how long it will take for everyone else to follow in suit," Mira said with a smile, passing by. "Especially these two cuties. They lllllllliike each other~"

"We don't!"

The party continued in peace for an hour. Then two. It was almost ten o'clock, and everyone was getting probably far more drunk than they should, and so of course-

"Bar fights are manly!"

"Oh, here we go," Juvia said into her hand.

A bar fight broke out.

"This is a common occurrence within your guild?!" Sol asked, shielding Lueur from the violence.

Juvia, Aria, and the two siblings had taken shelter behind an overturned table, though it was hard for Aria and his great mass to be fully covered. Chairs kept hitting his head, but sturdy man he was, he didn't seem to mind.

She laughed nervously. "Yup. But, don't you think this is the kinda air that Toto would have liked?"

Because it certainly felt like someplace that he could have found to be a home.

He was certainly drunk to do it in public.

Well, everyone was drunk. Really drunk. But Gray leaned down slightly and gave her a kiss on the lips, right in the middle of the guildhall, though everyone was too preoccupied to even notice.

"I'm sure he'd be happy that you threw such a nice party," he said, sitting down next to her and drinking a glass of ice water. "Ain't seein' much sadness here."

"That's right," Juvia said, putting her head on his shoulder. Gray put his head on top of hers and kept drinking. "He never liked sadness. And Juvia doesn't like sadness either."

Gray was silent, and then he put down his glass, staring at the slowly calming chaos of the infamous Fairy Tail Bar Fight. "Sadness will always come back to you. But it's good if there are people walking next to you to help fight it off. Don't isolate yourself again. Let us all help when that sadness comes back to you. Okay?"

Her dream. This was her dream. Being so close to him, the coolness of his skin, in such a place that was exceedingly intimate for him. Her dreams had once included nothing so calm like this, though; she had always wanted whirlwind romance, where they were always touching, always kissing, always being so passionate.

But that was an unrealistic dream.

This was the real one.

With her head on his shoulder, a smile on her lips, and a calm understanding between them.

They were one. They were together, and they would try to always be that way.

"Gray…"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing. Juvia just wanted to say your name."

"Weirdo."

There they were.

Together.

Black and Blue.