Wow, Can't believe I'm updating another story already! I'm so unbelievably happy to have my muse back, and my fingers shall remain crossed that she stays! lol

Great big hug to my Triplets, GemNika and LittlePrincessNana for reading over this and giving me the all clear. They are the other pieces of my brain and I love them dearly!

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

CHAPTER 37: STAND BY ME

Early the next morning, I set out for Lucy's house. After the conversation last night, I really felt like I needed to check on her. Levy, Cana, and I had given her a lot to think about, and I knew come morning, she'd either be more clear on her next step or she'd be panicking about how to get there. Either way, I wanted to be there for her as she moved forward with her plan to get Gajeel back.

Or more like getting him for the first time, I supposed.

And so, I set out for her house, determined to offer my assistance to my friend. After all, I was quite good at making battle plans. Surely, capturing a man would be no problem for me.

Humming a light tune, I made my way to Lucy's door and let myself in. As usual, the door was unlocked, and I took a moment to roll my eyes at her complete lack of attention to security. I'd have to talk to her about that again. It was wholly irresponsible for a young, single woman to leave her safety to chance.

I moved forward into the kitchen and found myself drawing to an abrupt halt. There, standing in front of the sink in just his boxers was Gray, reaching up into the cabinet above the coffee pot for one of Lucy's favorite mugs.

"Um...Gray?" I gaped for a moment, wondering what on Earthland was going on. Last I'd heard, he and Lucy weren't even speaking. How then, was he standing in Lucy's kitchen as if he belonged there? "What are you doing here? Does Lucy know you're here?"

The ice mage nodded his head and laughed lightly. "I'd hope so considering I spent the night here."

That very vague statement had my eyebrows winging up. He couldn't mean that, could he? "You...spent the night?" I squeaked, "...with her?"

Gray instantly rolled his eyes. "Why does your mind always go straight to the gutter, Erza? I just stayed here. As in sleeping."

"Oh," I nodded, immediately mollified. "That's good. I thought you meant...Well, you know what I thought. As long as you slept on the couch, there's nothing to worry about."

"Well, actually..."

My eyes narrowed to slits. "Well, actually, what?"

I watched as he swallowed hard, then lifted a hand. "It's not what you think. I wasn't trying anything."

"Have you lost your mind?" I huffed, reaching out to smack a hand against his bare chest. "You could have messed everything up for her!"

Gray took a step back, lifting a hand to the mark I'd left on his skin. "Hey! What the hell?!"

"She is trying to get Gajeel back! You can't be sleeping in her bed with her! What if Gajeel finds out and thinks something happened?!"

Couldn't he see what he was doing? How badly he could have ruined Lucy's plans? A friend always considered how their actions affected others, especially ones as sweet as Lucy. Like me. I had come with the intention of helping her, and here was Gray nearly destroying all our plans.

I went to grab for him again and found myself pausing as something flashed in his eyes. Something had happened. Dammit, something had already happened.

"He already knows, doesn't he? Oh Mavis, what are we going to do?" I mumbled, turning as I worriedly bite my fingernail.

How could we make this right? Surely, Gajeel knew Lucy well enough to know that she wouldn't simply change partners after dissolving things with him. Then again, their relationship had started as just a physical release. He could very well believe such a thing. He might think she'd done it out of spite. Or frustration.

Or maybe he'd think she'd always wanted Gray and had used Gajeel because she couldn't have the ice mage.

Oh...he might think she was addicted to sex and couldn't stop herself!

"Erza..."

The possibilities swirled through my mind at an alarming pace, and I found myself feeling dizzy. This was a disaster! How were we going to convince Gajeel that Lucy hadn't slept with Gray? Well, she had...just not in the way Gajeel probably thought.

"Erza..."

We'd have to find him first. A man like Gajeel wouldn't handle rejection like that well. He was probably at the guild right now getting a job so he wouldn't have to see them together. Or, I thought worriedly, he might leave Fairy Tail. He probably didn't want to share the same guild with the woman who'd betrayed him and the man who'd stolen her away.

Unless...

Oh heavens...what if he was planning on killing them both? Gajeel was a fiercely proud man. There was no way he'd let something like this happen without consequence. He might even be planning their demise right now!

Frightened, it took me a moment to realize someone was calling my name and that someone had their hands on my shoulders, shaking me. Without thinking, I threw out my fist and as the grunt of pain reached my ears, I finally understood that it was Gray.

"Jeez Erza, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Sheepishly, I moved over to help him up from the floor. "I'm sorry, Gray. I didn't realize it was you." I bowed my head in apology. "You may strike me once to compensate for my lapse of judgement."

He took my hand, and I barely heard him mumble, "One day, I'm gonna take you up on that." I arched a brow at that, surprised he'd said it out loud. Usually, he kept quiet when I offered him a free shot.

"Look, I don't know what you're imagining over there," he said, rubbing at his cheek as he looked across at me. "But Gajeel didn't find out I slept over last night. Actually, that would have probably been better."

I squinted at him, unsure what that last bit meant. "What do you mean? What happened?"

From the back, I heard the shower turn off, and I watched as Gray sighed and moved past me toward the coffee pot. He was quiet for a moment as he reached for the pot and poured a generous amount in the nearby mug. Then he turned and met my eyes, and I was stunned by the emotions I saw flickering across his face.

"Gray, what happened?"

He was starting to worry me.

"When I got here last night, Gajeel was here."

"Oh, so they talked?"

He nodded, and I waited for the inevitable. I couldn't believe for even a moment that Gajeel would deny her. Lucy was without a doubt one of the best women that I'd ever had the pleasure to know, and frankly, only a moron would reject her advances. As far as I could tell, Gajeel had already fallen for her at least physically, and I couldn't imagine he wasn't at least partially hung up on the rest of her. Who wouldn't be?

Still, Gray's face didn't change. At least not in the way I expected. In fact, if it was even possible, his expression grew even more grave.

"They did."

"And? How did it go?" Why was he being so cryptic?

He shook his head. "And I'll let her tell you."

At that very moment, Lucy came walking out of her bedroom, a pair of yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt on and a lime green towel wrapped around her hair. It was the type of thing she wore only when she was feeling her lowest, and I knew instantly that something was very wrong.

She looked downright dreadful. Her eyes were rimmed in red as if she had spent the night before crying rather than sleeping, and there, plastered across her face was the kind of devastation I'd only ever seen after a deep loss.

"Oh Lucy..."

Gray cleared his throat at Lucy's appearance, then moved toward her, placing the steaming cup into her hands. "I'm gonna head to the guild for a bit, give you guys time to talk, but I'll be back by later. Okay?"

Lucy looked up, biting her lip even as she nodded in understanding. Sighing, Gray opened his arms, and I watched as Lucy stepped into him, pressing her head against his shoulder like I'd seen her do a hundred times before. He held her for several long moments, and then he pulled back, being careful not to bump the coffee he'd just given her. "Call me if you need anything. I can be here in five minutes."

Once more, her head bobbed. "Okay."

Gray leaned down, pressing his lips to the top of her head, and then they separated. I looked up at him as he walked by and couldn't help wondering again what had happened while I'd been asleep the night before. Gray and Lucy had more than made up. They appeared closer than they'd been before, which then led me to Loke. Had he and Lucy worked things out as well? Did he also know what had occurred with Lucy and Gajeel?

For several long seconds, I wasn't quite sure what to do. Lucy looked so sad, and I was lost as to what would make things better for her. Then, as I stood there, a tear slipped down her cheek, and I knew it didn't matter what I said. All that mattered was letting her know I was here for her.

Without another thought, I moved toward her and wrapped my arms around her. I said nothing at first, simply letting her know she wasn't alone, then as time ticked by, I eased back and nodded toward the couch. "Come on. Let's sit down, and you can tell me all about it."

She nodded wordlessly, and that silence continued as we settled into place, leaving me curious if she had any intention of speaking again.

"So...things didn't go so well?" I prompted.

Immediately I wished to call the words back and replace them with something far more diplomatic when Lucy's face fell even further. "That would be an unbelievable understatement."

That bad? My stomach knotted as I scooted closer. "Why? What happened?"

Her eyes filled as they met mine, and I felt my heart clench in my chest at the depth of pain there.

"It's all so pathetic," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm pathetic."

"Lucy, don't say that."

A watery laugh filled the room then, and I felt my own eyes begin to water. "It's true. I was so sure I was done with all this. With love. With Mr. Right. I'd given up on him." She sniffed loudly then whispered words that had my chest tightening painfully. "And he was right here all this time."

My eyes widened. "You mean..."

She nodded and laughed again, the sound rife with agony. "How pathetic is that? I quit looking for him and find him, only to lose him for good."

"Oh Lucy..." I didn't know what to say. What words existed that could erase the pain in her soul? "I'm so sorry."

And wasn't that the most useless thing to say? But I was sorry. I hated that she had to go through this, that this had hurt her so deeply, but there was nothing I could do to save her from it. "Maybe he'll change his mind?"

When Lucy made a sound between a snort and a sob, I knew I'd said the wrong thing.

"He won't," she whispered, shaking her head. "He won't. I love him, and he can't even stand the thought of dating me. It's over, Erza."

"Oh Lucy," I sighed sadly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Just give it time. It'll get better."

For a second time since I'd arrived, Lucy gave a humorless laugh. "I don't think so."

"Of course it will. You just need time to...adjust...to move on."

Even as I said the words, I knew it wasn't exactly the truth. Time would help dull the pain. It had done so with me in the years I'd spent waiting on Jellal, but nothing had erased the emptiness I felt. No one had ever been able to take his place in my heart, and I'd lived with the pain of knowing I'd be alone for the rest of my life all because he couldn't forgive himself and accept my heart.

Now, I feared the same would be true for Lucy. Looking at her, I could see the same defeat that had nearly swallowed me whole so many times before. It broke my heart for her, and I swore in that moment that she would never have to do what I had done. She'd never have to face that pain alone. I'd be with her the whole way. I'd comfort her, watch over her, and be whatever she needed me to be to help her get through this.

And maybe one day, she'd get what I'd finally found after all this time.

Her happy ever after.

I made it to Fairy Tail in record time, and as I walked through the double doors, I knew it was time to bring Natsu into the situation. If there was anyone capable of pulling Lucy through this situation with Gajeel, it was him. It burned a bit to acknowledge the fact that he was better equipped for something like this than me, but considering that I'd only just gotten Lucy back as a friend last night, I was perfectly willing to accept that facts were facts.

And the fact was that she needed Natsu.

So, I sucked up my pride and headed in his direction. Even before I realized that I had feelings for her, I would have done anything for her, and that certainly hadn't changed now that I was even more invested in her.

The pink-haired man looked up with a devious grin as I walked up, and before I could even warn him against it, he'd launched a fire ball in my direction. Annoyed, I brought up my ice shield and walked through the raining ice to grab him by the shirt.

"I don't have time for this today," I grumbled softly as I hauled him up to his feet. "And neither do you."

Something about me seemed to catch his attention, because he stilled all of a sudden. Maybe it was my words; maybe it was the tone of my voice. I didn't know, but I found myself grateful for his unusual ability to see things that others didn't see.

"What's wrong?"

That was Natsu. The man was goofy as hell and sometimes, I was certain he was still a 10 year old boy, and then he did something like this to remind me that there was actually a fairly intelligent being in there.

"It's Lucy-"

I didn't get any further than that before his brow wrinkled and he glanced around furtively. "Is this about Gajeel?"

My eyes went impossibly wide, and I had a moment to wonder if they'd actually pop out of my head. "You….how do you know about Gajeel?"

Natsu gave me a bland look, then lifted a finger to his face. "Dragonslayer?"

He made a good point, and I couldn't believe I hadn't thought about that sooner. He'd played dumb so well that I'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. The only question now was why he'd done it. Well, that and just when he'd learned the truth about his fellow Dragon Slayer and his partner.

But first, we probably needed to go somewhere we could actually talk. I didn't think it would be such a great idea to have this conversation where anyone could walk up and overhear us. Like Gajeel. After last night, I was fairly certain I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to pound his face into the dirt the moment I saw him, and I was equally as sure that Lucy wouldn't want him to know just how upset she was about what he'd said to her.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

Natsu nodded, following me out of the guild with a word to anyone other than a quick stop to offer an explanation to Happy. Then, with a wave over his head to the rest of the guild, we slipped out the front doors.

We kept our quiet until Natsu deemed we were far enough away to avoid detection, and then he turned to me with a grim look on his face. "How is she?"

I paused in step at his question. "You don't want to know what happened first?"

"I know what happened. What I always knew would happen with them," he said softly. "She started caring about him, and he ran."

His words were completely accurate, far too accurate for someone who seemed to have no idea anything was going on in the first place. Clearly, Natsu had never been in the dark.

"How…how the hell could you know that would happen?"

"Cause I know her. Lucy's too damn sweet to have that sort of relationship with someone. I knew it wouldn't stick," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "She just loves too easy."

I nodded my head. When he put it like that, I had to agree. Loke and I had just been talking about that, about Lucy being too kind, too wonderful . But I hadn't been thinking about that in reference to her falling for someone. It had been more about her being too good for Gajeel, too good for most anyone really, but it made sense.

And now, because of that loving nature she possessed, she had given her heart away to a man who didn't deserve it.

"She loves him, doesn't she? Like really loves him…" he asked suddenly, his hands finding their way into his pockets as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with them.

"Yeah, she does, and the sorry bastard doesn't even deserve it."

I knew my voice was gruff, and if Natsu was half as observant as he appeared to be, he'd know without even trying how I felt about Lucy being with Gajeel. I wasn't even sure I cared anymore, but to my surprise, he didn't even mention it.

Instead, he startled me by defending the man responsible for making Lucy cry.

"You're wrong about that."

Completely stunned, I pulled him to a stop. "What? How the hell can you defend him?"

"Come on, Gray. You know Gajeel's not a bad guy. He's just scared."

The fact that he said it with such conviction pissed me off. Here he was, making excuses for Gajeel's behavior when he hadn't been around to see any of it. How could he defend him without any idea what had happened?

"You wouldn't be saying that if you'd heard what he said to her last night!"

"Maybe not," he acknowledged easily, but it didn't seem to make a difference to his opinion. "But it doesn't mean that Gajeel's bad. Just means he messed up."

I didn't know if I'd ever been more annoyed at Natsu. Only minutes before, I was thinking how smart he was sometimes, and now, all I could think was how much I'd like to knock his stupid ass into the canal.

"You know what? I don't get you. She's your partner, your best friend, and this guy just broke her heart. And all you can say is he's not a bad guy. What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted, feeling fury billowing up inside me. "The Natsu I know would destroy anyone who hurt her. Or is it okay as long as it's another Dragon Slayer?"

His eyes narrowed to slits, and he stepped forward with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You son of a bitch…" he growled, his fists balling up at his sides. "How dare you act like I don't care about her! I ought to kick your fucking ass for that! Don't take your shit out on me just because you're pissed that Gajeel got to her first!" He paused, sneering at me and shaking his head in disgust. "You can act like you're better than him, but as far as I can see, you're both jackasses!"

"I'm nothing like him!"

"Oh yeah? So you've never made her cry? Never said or done something to her you regretted later?"

My mind went instantly back to the day I'd watched her with Gajeel, then next to the day she'd left on her mission with Gajeel. I'd hurt her with my mistakes over the years we'd known each other, but none had ever come close to the pain I'd seen in her eyes that day in her bedroom.

I couldn't deny I'd done what Natsu had accused me of, but I'd never talked to her the way Gajeel had. I wouldn't have ever treated her the way he did.

"You have. Don't bother denying it. I can see it in your eyes," he said evenly, the words hissing out from between clenched teeth. "And yet, no one questions whether you care about her. So why can't it be like that with him? Why should he be treated like a criminal for making a mistake?"

"Natsu, you don't understand!"

His expression went thunderous, and when he spoke again, it was with barely concealed anger. "What the hell is it I don't understand?!"

"What he said to her!" I shook my head, frustrated that I couldn't get Natsu to see what Gajeel had done to our friend. "He told her that the only relationship they had between them was physical, that-"

"Considering how they started, how is that so bad?" he asked, exasperated.

I wanted to yell at him, scream at the top of my lungs that he was a fucking moron, but I refused to let everyone hear what that bastard had said to Lucy. I wouldn't embarrass her like that. So I leaned in close and hissed the words out at him, "He said that everything was just an arrangement between his dick and her pussy, you dumbass! How bad does that sound?"

I had the pleasure of watching his eyes go wide as the vulgarity of it all finally hit him, and with one final message, I stalked off. "Yeah, he's a real fucking prize."

I watched Gray walk off and couldn't help feeling a little guilty. I'd come down on him kind of hard, especially considering what he'd just told. The truth was he was just worried about Lucy, and I'd acted like he was just jealous.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Lucy's house. She was my priority right now. I'd need to work things out with Gray at some point, but right now, he was too pissed. Maybe after I went to see Lucy, I'd swing by his place. By then, he might have calmed down enough to hear me out.

Putting all that out of my mind, I hurried the rest of the way to Lucy's.

Her window was unlocked as it usually was, and with minimal effort, I slipped into her house. The moment my feet the floor, I knew it was the right choice to come here first. I could hear her in there crying and Erza very awkwardly trying to calm her down.

If Lucy hadn't sounded so pitiful, I probably would have laughed at the redhead, but the longer I listened to Lucy's sobs, the more painful it became.

I made my way into the sitting area and found the two of them huddled up on the couch, Lucy's head in Erza's lap and Erza looking panicked while patting the blonde's head. She was seriously struggling, and I found myself feeling bad for her. I rounded the couch and nearly laughed at the look of relief on Erza's face. She never was any good at dealing with tears. She always felt so bad, and once that happened, she got so nervous, she ended up saying random things that didn't make any sense.

"Oh thank Mavis," she sighed, giving Lucy a little shake. "Lucy, Natsu's here."

I tried to smile at her as she brought her head up, but the minute I saw her face, I felt my heart catch. Her eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks soaked with tears. She looked just as broken as Gray had described her, and I wished all of a sudden that I'd listened to him.

I'd made the mistake of thinking he was exaggerating things so I'd be angry at Gajeel. And it made sense seeing as Gray had finally realized he had a thing for Lucy. But now, after seeing her, I was beginning to understand that he was just preparing me for the reality of things.

Sighing sadly, I stepped closer, waiting for Erza to leave her spot before sitting down in her place. I reached for Lucy, and she came with a pitiful sob. I wondered if she knew that I knew the whole story now.

Erza straightened as she glanced back at us, and I nodded to let her know she could leave.

"I…I'm gonna let you two talk," the redhead mumbled softly, mouthing where only I could see, "Thank you,", then turned tail and all but ran out of the house.

I shook my head and chuckled a bit. "She means well."

Lucy sniffed loudly. "I know, but…"

"But?"

"But she's not you."

I snorted as I leaned back into the cushions behind me, pulling Lucy's limp body along with me. "Well, she's a girl. A weird girl, but still."

Lucy gave a watery laugh. "Not exactly what I meant."

"No?" I hummed, amused, "Well, what'd you mean then?"

She gave a soft sigh, snuggling further under my arm. "You're warm, and your hugs are always so tight….And…" She stopped for a moment when a light shiver worked its way through her body. "And it feels like nothing can hurt me here."

Her words had me drawing in a deep breath, both touched and saddened by what she said. I pulled her in tighter, raising my heat another degree or two until the fine tremor that wracked her thin form was gone.

I hated to hear that tremble in her voice. She sounded so uncertain now, and the fact that she felt like she needed to hide out with me let me know just how much Gajeel had hurt her. It wasn't just her heart he'd broken; it looked like he'd also taken a piece of her confidence.

I knew most believed Lucy had never been anything but confident, but the truth was she'd always struggled with it. After how her father had ignored her and used her, she'd felt unimportant and worthless. It had taken her a long time to realize that the problem was him and not her.

Now, seeing the way she was gripping my vest, I was beginning to wonder if some of that old stuff was coming back up again. If what Gray said was true, and Gajeel had said all that crap to her, it just might cause her to feel like she didn't really matter again.

"You wanna tell me about it?"

She tensed against me for an instant, and then she whispered, "I lied to you."

I tucked my head down over hers and whispered back, "About what?"

"I…I've been seeing someone," she began, shuddering as her tears started anew. "Actually that's not true. I…I've been sleeping with-"

I cut her off before she went any further. There was no need for her to say it all, not when I could see how hard it was for her to admit. "It's okay, Lucy. I know."

Her head raised a couple of inches, and she stared at me wide-eyed. "Y-You know?"

"About Gajeel?" I asked, then nodded. "Yeah I've known about it for a while."

"Since when?"

Feeling sheepish, I lifted a hand to the back of my head. "Um…the beginning?"

She sprang up at that, her mouth dropping open for several seconds before she was able to form words. "You...you've known this whole time?" At my nod, she shook her head in disbelief. "But what about that day, in the shower? You knew what…what we were doing?"

I laughed. "Of course, Luce. I'm not an idiot."

"But…."

She trailed off as she continued to stare, her eyes holding on to their overlarge size, and I couldn't help but chuckle again. "Your eyes are gonna get stuck that way." Reaching out, I brushed my fingers over her face, forcing our gazes to break. "And just so you know…sucking dick is gross."

Her mouth opened and shut once more. "What?"

"Well, unless it's mine. Then it's awesome!"

"Natsu!"

Her eyes were impossibly wide again, and she was staring at me like she'd never seen me before. And I guess, in this way, she really hadn't. I kept my sexual stuff to myself most of the time. Not that there was a lot to know in the first place, but I just felt like that wasn't something anyone needed to know about.

But this was Lucy, and she looked so damn pitiful over this thing with Gajeel. I didn't mind using something so private to help get her mind off things. Besides, there was no one more trustworthy than Lucy. My secrets were always safe with her.

"What?"

She huffed, tipping her head. "You've had a blow job before…"

"Yeah."

She was silent for a minute, and then she smacked me on the arm. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

I laughed as she moved to smack me again. "I didn't realize you wanted a report every time I got sucked off!"

"I swear…I can't even believe what I'm hearing right now."

"Why? You don't think I can get any head?"

"Oh my God…what the hell?" She gaped at me, her head shaking once more. "How do you even know all this stuff?"

I smirked at her. "You really wanna know?"

"On second thought, maybe not."

"You sure?" I asked, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "It's pretty hot."

She pushed me back with a scandalized gasp. "Who are you, and what have you done with my Natsu?"

Another laugh billowed up out of my mouth at her reaction. "Hey, you're not the only one with secrets."

"Clearly," she muttered, sinking back down into my side and wrapping her arm around my waist.

I draped my arm across her shoulders and grinned, knowing we'd be continuing this conversation later after she'd had time to figure out she should have asked who.

Minutes passed in silence, and I was just about to check to see if she was asleep when she shifted in place and whispered, "I'm sorry, you know. I should have told you the truth about us."

"Don't be." I dropped my chin down onto the crown of her head and sighed. "You had every right to keep that to yourself, Luce. It's nobody else's business who you date."

"But we didn't date."

She sounded so guilty, as if she'd committed some crime and I'd look down on her. "Well, that's your business too. Nothing to get all worked up about."

"You…you don't think bad of me?"

"You'd have to do a hell of a lot more than that for me to think bad of you, Luce." I gave her a quick squeeze and smiled. "What I think is you're my best friend and the best girl I know. And if Gajeel is too dumb to see that…well it's his loss. Right?"

She sniffled against me, and I could smell the tears coming again. "Thanks, but…I'm pretty sure it's not much of a loss to him."