*Violet's POV*

The train bumped along cheerfully, taking me and my body guards towards the answer to the job request mystery. Most of the fairies were hidden from my view, far enough back that I could only hear them by straining, and even then most of the conversation was obscured by Natsu's pathetic moans every time we hit a bump.

Grey was sitting next to me, slouching in the aisle seat, I felt him looking at me from time to time. I kept my eyes straight ahead, staring at the bottom of the seats in front of me. I didn't want to talk to him.

I had planned to sleep on the train, but now that I was actually here, I wasn't sure I could force myself to do it. This wasn't like when I napped on the way to jobs with August at my side. The fairies were not my friends, and even though I knew in theory that they probably wouldn't attack me, I didn't like the idea of being vulnerable around them.

To sleep would mean letting my guard down. To curl up against the cool window would expose my back to Grey, my enemy. It was as though my body itself was opposed to the idea.

I was using my silver tongue to keep close tabs on Grey, mostly out of boredom. Every few minutes or so, he would glance over at me, hoping I would meet his eye, and then give up and glare at the floor.

Just as it had the night before, I could feel impatience stirring inside him, if I didn't talk to him soon it was going to burst, and he would be the first to speak. I wasn't sure which option I hated more.

When he looked over to me for what must have been the fifth time, a sigh escaped my lips, and I leaned forward, hiding my face in my hands. As I did so, Lucy's ponytail slipped across my neck, a reminder of her kindness the morning before. I had been able to talk to her then. And even Ezra hadn't seemed quite as scary when we had gone to my apartment. Why was Grey any different?

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt a change in the fairy next to me, a sudden repulsion. My immediate assumption was that the creep from before was back, and I looked up before thinking logically.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

When my eyes found Grey's I noticed that he was frozen, his arm half extended to touch me. I immediately shrank back. What was his problem?

Upon seeing my reaction, Grey retraced his arm sheepishly and mumbled out an apology. But it didn't answer my question. If no one was there, then why his sudden discomfort?

"What's wrong?" I repeated, a little louder this time.

Grey's uncomfortableness increased. "I didn't mean to touch you." he said, "I just…"

It was my turn to grow impatient. "Spit it out."

My abruptness startled him, thought not in a bad way. A little smirk inched its way across his face, but then retracted just as fast when he realized I wasn't going to let it go.

He took a deep breath, accepting defeat.

"I saw the scars on your back."

My heart dropped like a stone, shattering as it hit my stomach before melting away into bile. I was wearing Lucy's shirt. Of course it wasn't enough enough to cover them. And with my hair tied up, unable to hide my neck..

I swallowed hard. If Grey had seen them, that meant Lucy must have to. As well as Erza. and no one had told me. I tried my best not to hate them for it.

August would have warned me. August would have told me and then I could have hidden them. but the fairies had let me go out without a way to shield myself.

Grey seemed to have realized his mistake, and quickly backpedaled. "I mean it's no big deal." he said, "must have been some fight."

His attempt at comforting me fell flat. But he kept on digging himself deeper.

"Look," he pushed a hand up under his bangs, exposing the remnant of what must have been a nasty gash on his forehead. "And I've got plenty more where that came from. All of us do. You should see that pyro maniac topless, he's got more scars than skin."

I was honored that he was trying too hard to cheer me up. But none of it mattered.

"You can't lie to an empath, Grey."

Confusion. Guilt. Self assurance.

"I'm not."

"I know what you felt when you saw them." I said, looking away again. "We both know that my scars didn't come from any fight."

Anger.

But not for me.

And I realized now that his light hearted banter hadn't just been for my sake. Grey had been trying to comfort himself as well. He wanted to believe that the whip marks on my back had been from some fight or maybe a freak accident. But deep down he knew what I knew. My scars were not the same as his.

"Your guild…" he said, "Justice Valkyrie… they did this."

It wasn't a question.

"Why?"

I reached out to pull Lucy's shirt up, as if the thin fabric could protect me from Grey's interrogation.

"I was late." I shrugged. "I lost a practice battle, I took too long on a mission."

There were plenty of reasons. There had been a time when I thought they were good ones. That was before I had seen Fairy Tail. A guild where the members picked their jobs, and could come and go as they pleased without fear of consequences.

When I first arrived I had told myself that light guilds where the outliers. Obviously our ways were superior. But it was clear that Grey wouldn't agree. And or the first time, I was beginning to wonder if even I did.

I felt his eyes on me again. Glaring at the tips of the long scars peeking out from under my shirt. Every time he looked at them a new cut of rage seemed to open in his heart.

"Sorry." I mumbled, reaching for the elastic band that was holding my hair up. "I can hide them."

He said nothing, but just before my finger touched the base of the pony tail, a hand shot up and circled my wrist. Freezing me in place.

I didn't pull away, not at first. Perhaps Grey would calm down if he read me. Then he could know that it really wasn't a big deal. But after a few seconds he dropped my hand in disgust. I didn't know what it meant, and I was far too scared to ask him, so I turned away, leaning me head against the window.

"I'm going to take a nap." I announced.

He didn't answer.