Chapter 38

As Cana clutched her walkie-talkie, she ran heading towards the ignited helicopter waiting seconds to fly. Eyes trailing towards their team's medical engineer, she slipped her walkie-talkie in her breast pocket. One hand extending to reach the huge rucksack the bluenette was holding out to her.

"I put in things that you might needed. All maintenance done!" Levy reported, pushing the rucksack to the medical assistant while her legs trying to catch up with Cana's long legs.

"Roger!" Cana grabbed the item and quickly stepped in the helicopter, just about the same time Juvia climbed in.

"Three minutes up," Mirajane's voice echoed, rivaling the helicopter engine noise. "We're departing. Taking the north route via west. We're landing on a nearby school field. I'll be monitoring the route."

As the helicopter ascended to the blue sky, Juvia and Cana buckled their belts and put on their headphones. Watching down as Magnolia Hospital slowly inched further, Juvia stepped on the communication button.

"Magnolia Flight Team Juvia Lockser here. Kindly please tell Juvia the situation," she finally got to the point.

Mirajane pulled her note board, fingers twirling the marker pen she had been holding. "Patient is a 37 years old male, working at the construction when a pile of iron bars fell down on him. He was reported to be stacked under it in the process. There was bleeding over his head and right arm, other injuries are unknown. Conscious and orientated. Blood pressure recorded as 117/74, pulse 116, narrow pulse pressure. No emergency treatment delivered yet."

"Do we have anything to remove the bars?" Cana asked, glancing at the rucksack Levy had given her.

"Levy packed an electronic iron saw."

"Resuscitation fluids?" it was Juvia's turn to ask.

"One pack of emergency blood and two liters of crystalloids."

Juvia nodded. "Lucid interval?"

"None."

As the helicopter flew across the city, the two let the pilot and Mirajane led them to the patient and destination.

Flight Team, the latest innovation of the medical quality service, was derived from the more critical concept of emergency response and rescue. Unlike the emergency room, Flight Team dispatched with limited experts and resources, relying wholly on the team's personal judgment. Magnolia Hospital being the first in Honshu, once again brought us to take a peek on how complex this system works. Created by the famous member of the Fairy Team, Professor Dr Jellal Fernadez said it took his years to train and finalize the members of the team. The chosen Flight Team's first director as well as the flight's doctor Dr Juvia Lockser is probably no longer a foreign name in the industry. With her quick judgment and precise calculation, it is a given that she would be able to assess the emergency of a situation and act accordingly. Assisted by the Medical Assistant Cana Alberona, whom surprisingly is a daughter of Professor Gildarts Clive, they fly off to a scene before even knowing the situation. Since the flight would be dispatched in three minutes after emergency call, they only have time to ask about the situation when they already fly off, which make them very dependent to the supporting team. Here comes the two supporting core of the Magnolia Flight Team; CS Mirajane Strauss and ME Levy McGarden. Mirajane is our beloved celebrity that had announced to us a year ago that she was quitting the glamorous world to join this team as CS and she did an excellent job at it. She was the one accepting the call, asking the brief and important situation of the emergency—which require certain amount of medical knowledge—, while assessing which route the helicopter could take to reach the place, together with determining where the helicopter could land. This information will then be relayed to the Medical Engineer Levy McGarden for her to prepare the necessary tools and apparatus to be packed with the limited space in the helicopter. Sounded easy? Wakaba and I decided to bring you along the journey as we interviewed everyone in the team.

"Oh," Erza drawled, eyes concentrating on the words written by Macao in the magazine. Macao's articles had been rather positive since he changed publisher. And it reflected by how many patients requested to be transferred to their hospital. The hospital that was once empty because of controversies had now been flocked with overloaded patients. Well, not that she was complaining though. She flipped the page to read on the interviews, and she saw the two pages filled with the faces of four beauties in the team together with their interviews.

"Erza."

Erza looked up before having the chance to read. "Jellal. Are you done?"

Jellal flashed her a soft smile as he held up his flight ticket. "Yeah. I'm dropping in my baggage. Do you want to wait here while I'm at it?"

"No, I'll go with you," Erza quickly stood up from the chair, taking the airport trolley with Jellal's luggae. "Is this all you're bringing? Did you bring along your toiletries? And your mug? Did you pack in some coffee and water?"

Jellal's brows raised before laughing. Erza's idea of packing could rival one of moving. Somehow, he could understand why Erza always travelled with tenth of luggage. "I can use the hotel's stuff during the conference, Erza."

"But you should bring yours. You never know when they might have an abduction or water pollution and you cannot drink water and you'll die—"

"Erza," Jellal cut her ramblings, hand ruffling her hair gently. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. It's just a two weeks conference. It wouldn't be that long."

Erza pouted, letting herself being pampered by the guy before her. "You always say that but after the conference finish, you might go for another trip again right after. It had always been like that since this past year."

"And I never died in any of those trips, no?" Jellal said, his smile still on his lips.

"Yes, but—" Erza looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "I would feel lonely."

Jellal chuckled. "If that's the case, I'm not the only one guilty, right? We're both professors now. You have your own meeting conference next week, which is why you can't join me in this one. And I thought you mentioned before that you are okay with long distance relationship?" his tone sounded teasing, as he arched a brow.

"Well, I did say that, but—" Erza suttered a bit. "That still doesn't stop me from missing you."

Jellal blinked and blushed slightly at her blunt confession. "I'll call you when I reach there. I promise," he smiled warmly. "But then, would you mind if I make a reservation?"

"What reservation?" Erza looked up to him in confusion.

Jellal gently reached out to her left hand, while his fingers took her ring finger. "I'd like to reserve this finger until I come back later. Would you reserve this for me until then? I promise I'll put on a worthy band on it."

Erza's eyes widened. Did he just propose to her? And it was so Jellal-like proposal too. So well calculated, so reserved. He gave her the right to refuse before he even officially proposed. Erza chuckled lightly. "Are you silly?" she smiled, her blush intensified. "That finger had always been reserved for you since the first time we met. Always."

Jellal was slightly taken aback at the response but he was visibly happy nonetheless. "Then, I'll be taking that reservation once I come back. Is that okay with you?"

Erza nodded bashfully. And Jellal smiled, stepping in to give her a gentle kiss. She was going to miss him, yes. But she had never been happier. Kagura and Milliana were doing well at work, and Kagura remained healthy with her new heart. She was being a tsundere at forgiving Jellal though. But the fact that she was willing to drop the lawsuit against him was enough for Erza. They could go slowly from that point—slowly but surely. And Erza was sure too that somewhere, Simon would be glad to be the inspiration to the now famous Magnolia Flight Team.

"Mira-nee! Laxus said he's leaving!" Lisanna called out from outside the door.

"Tell him if he leave now, I'm gonna smash his pretty face tonight."

Laxus could feel his vein popping from anger at the response. "Lisanna, tell your sister if she wants a fight tonight, I'm not letting her go with minor injuries."

Lisanna blinked, looking at Laxus and Mirajane's bedroom door alternately, totally at loss at what to do. Luckily for her, before she was pulled deeper into the lover's quarrel, the door swung open, revealing a very angry Mirajane—despite the pretty make up on—glaring at her boyfriend.

"Seriously, Laxus, is it so hard for you to wait a while for me to get ready? Magnolia Hospital got thousand of emergency calls today and I barely had time to rest, let alone to prepare myself for this party," Mirajane grumbled, snatching her clutch as she walked out of her bedroom.

"I've waited for an hour for you to get ready. How is that 'a while' for you?" Laxus rolled his eyes.

"How do I look?" Mirajane spun slightly, deciding to ignore his remark.

"Good, I guess," Laxus fished out his car keys.

"You guess? I spent time to dress up for you and that's all you have to say?" Mirajane's voice rose slightly.

Laxus raised his brows at the change of tone. Okay, this might not just be a normal banter between them. Turning towards Lisanna, Laxus tossed his car keys to her. "Lisanna, get into my car first. Your sister and I will get there in a few more minutes."

Lisanna caught the keys and nodded. She knew better that she shouldn't meddle much into her sister and Laxus relationship. Their relationship was odd in Lisanna's eyes, but there were no other guys who could keep up to her sister other than him.

When Lisanna hurried out, Laxus turned back to his girlfriend. "Now what is this all about?"

"You and your selfish act. Is it that hard to wait for me to get ready and give some compliments? I bought this new gown for you. And what's with you leaving Magnolia Hospital at our peak especially when you were offered the Hospital Director position? Why did you decline Prof Makarov's proposal and leave to join your gay friends? And now that you're with them, you don't even have time for me anymore!" Mirajane ranted, eyes wet with unshed tears.

"You're changing topics that it doesn't make sense anymore. Are you on your period or something? You're always unstable during your mood swings," Laxus guessed.

Mirajane huffed in annoyance, looking away to avoid answering his spot on guess. She hated how he could always understand her. Well, not really.

Laxus sighed. Figuring that he was right, he pulled Mirajane into his tight but gentle embrace, just the way she liked it. "I'm sorry. You look pretty, I feel a bit nervous tonight. You know, you shouldn't try so hard to look pretty during the time of the month when I cannot take you to bed. That's just cruel."

Mirajane frowned in his hug, pinching his waist hard at his dirty joke and Laxus chuckled.

"And didn't I tell you that I'm not yet ready for the Hospital Director position? Being a director is not just about being a good doctor. It's about being a good leader. And a good doctor is not necessarily a good leader. I've learned this as much. I want to lead my team good enough before I accept the position. If that position is meant for me, it will be mine. Also, Freed and Bixlow are not gays," Laxus grinned. "Well, Freed might be bi though."

Mirajane tightened her hold around her waist, resting her head on his broad chest. She loved him so dearly. She never thought she would feel this strongly towards him. Along the time they dated, Mirajane was surprised how loyal of a lover he was, despite him flirting with almost all the living things. She learned that he didn't mean most of his flirting that was directed to those other than her. And he took effort in trying to understand her. He answered her insecurities every single time without fail despite him repeating them thousand of times already. And she appreciated that so much. Since her mood swings were kinda annoying to her.

"But you already taken care of the Fairy Team very well when you saved them before."

"Nah, that's because you love me. There's still a lot more for me to learn," Laxus shook his head, loosening his embrace as he looked down to her. "I might have helped, but the one who saved us was Lyon and Ultear. I can't forever walk behind Erza and Jellal. I can't forever lead Gray and Gajeel either. I want us all to rise together. Sooner, the new generation will rise higher than me," he smiled as he patted her head. "But for now, let's go to the party. Lisanna is waiting, and I'm pretty sure Gajeel and Levy wouldn't be pleased if we're late."

"Gray-sama, is this good?" Juvia asked, parading the necklace around her neck. "Will Juvia ruin Gajeel-kun's wedding party?"

"Don't be silly. Of course you won't," Gray tucked his hands inside his side pockets, patiently waiting for his girl to get ready. "It looks good on you."

"Is that Gray-sama's way to tell Juvia to hurry up?" Juvia giggled, tucking a strand of her loose hair behind her ears. She had pulled her hair up in a side bun, revealing her long slender neck that never failed to entice Gray.

"Part of it, yeah," Gray grinned, eyes lingering around her face down to her neck. He always thought that he loved her long slender legs the most—especially when they were wrapped around his waist—but right now he certainly wasn't even sure if that was rather accurate. "Your earrings are nice."

Juvia's fingers instinctively shot up to caress the accessory. "Juvia bought it when she went to Kyoto for meeting."

"The one when they asked you to join the Royal College of Anesthetist in London?" Gray remembered when Juvia told him about their meetings with those from Europe. It kind of ticked him the wrong way when it reminded him that Lyon was somewhere there too. "The offer is good though. Who knows you might end up being a professor yourself."

"Juvia is still trying to get a grip at teaching Meredy-san as her apprentice. Being a professor is still too far away," Juvia pouted slightly.

"Meredy joined you because she adores you. You can do both at the same time. Besides, it gives your name a nice ring to it. Professor Dr Juvia Fullbuster, Director of Magnolia Flight Team," Gray drawled slightly.

"Yes, but Juvia wants Meredy-san to be a better anesthetist by—" she paused when his words sank in. "Gray-sama."

"What?"

"That's not Juvia's name."

"It could be if you want to."

Silence.

"Gray-sama, if that's a proposal, it is so not romantic," Juvia chuckled. She would have wanted a different proposal, but she knew Gray enough to know that he wasn't some kind of a romantic guy to begin with.

"Shut up," Gray blushed, raking his fingers across his hair as he looked away.

"Aren't Gray-sama supposed to like go on one knee and present a ring when he's trying to propose?" Juvia bit her lower lip in a thinking pose.

"We can shop for it. What's your ring size?" Gray shrugged.

Juvia rolled her eyes. "Gray-sama is totally ruining the surprise. He shouldn't tell Juvia if he is buying a ring for proposal. Geez, Gray-sama really needs to learn being a bit more romantic."

"Oh, really?" Gray sighed—dramatically—, as he slipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a red velvety box and casually handed it to her. "How about this one then?"

Juvia blinked, looking at the box dumbfounded. "Eh?"

Gray looked into her eyes, opening the small box revealing a sapphire engagement ring. "Marry me, Juvia."

"Eh?" Juvia blinked again twice. How did that escalate to this? Didn't he just like nonchalantly bring this topic like a few moments ago? "G-Gray-sama, did you already plan to propose before this?"

"Do I still have to go on one knee?" Gray grinned. "There's no way I would propose without planning anything, right? Especially considering my girlfriend is quite an eccentric girl."

Juvia chuckled, reaching up to give him a gentle peck. "Isn't Gray-sama far more eccentric to propose right before Gajeel-kun's and Levy-san's wedding party?"

"I actually planned to do it after the party but I guess I got carried away," Gray smiled softly. "Well? Would you marry me?"

Giggling, Juvia nodded as she held out a hand. Gently, Gray took the ring and slipped it onto her ring finger. It was a perfect fit. Juvia was amused at how prepared he was for this. She totally didn't expect that. She was ready to squeal tonight. But for now, they had a party to go. And she surely wouldn't want to ruin her makeup for tonight.

Gray chuckled at her contained excitement. From now on, he was sure that the roads would be rocky. There will be times when they would fall down the path they have chosen. There will be times when the future would be blurry. Or when the world unfairly snatched away their dreams. After all, life was never a fairy tale. But as long as you keep going, you would never know what actually awaits you at the end of the journey. In those hardships, he'd gladly recall the days when he first met Juvia. And he will constantly remember how lucky he was for that one short encounter.

Patting Juvia's head softly, he steered her out of her house. "Stay by my side, Juvia. So long as you make my heart beat, I'd be able to do anything," he whispered to her hair.

"Eh? What did Gray-sama say?" Juvia turned slightly to see her—currently—fiancé.

"Nothing. Let's go. Gajeel and Levy might get mad if we're late. It's been a year since we meet the rest of the complete Fairy Team, don't you think?" Gray quickly diverted the topic.

"Because everyone are busy with their own training and projects. And we have a lot of new members too—" Juvia kept talking excitedly about their friends as they head to his car.

Yeah, from now on too, make my heart beat, Juvia.

Because you will forever be my personal anaesthetist of my own heart.

The End.

A/N: Finally, the final chapter is here. It's been three years since I started this and I feel so happy that I managed to finish this story. I wanna thank everyone who had supported this fic since the beginning until now. Words cannot express the joy I have in delivering this story to you. Thank you so much for the awesome journey! Also, for the final part, let me just convey this message to you. If you have a dream but were crushed and you feel like giving up like Wendy, keep going. If you feel like you're such an average person who keep on doing mistakes like Juvia, keep going. If you thought life fated you to fall into despair and you feel hard to move on like Jellal, keep going. If you thought whatever you're doing can never be enough like Minerva, keep going too. Keep going, because there are no better teachers than life itself. Don't give up. In the end, the success wasn't all that matters. In the end, the journey would mean more to you than any trophies. So that by the end of your journey, you could proudly say "I tried". :)

Remember, it is possible to make no mistake and still failing. That is not weakness. That is life.

Just a small note, every time I write a dialogue, I always imagine the character saying it in Japanese. LOL. So some dialogues might not sounded so 'english' after all.