When Romeo returned home Erza asked Juvia to keep him occupied once Minerva arrived and to keep it secret that his mother had returned. At least for awhile.

"I'll do as you ask but are you sure it's a good idea keeping this from him?" Juvia said when Erza made her request.

"We will tell him about Minerva and allow him to see her but not yet. Not until I make sure that seeing him is the only reason she's here." The red head explained.

"Has Romeo ever wanted to see her?"

"He's asked about her a few times but it's not really something he's persisted in. After all he was very little when she left. It's been so long, I wonder why she suddenly decided to come back now."

"Perhaps she's realized that she made a mistake and wants to make up for it."

"Maybe but I'm not taking any chances. Not until I find out what she's up to. In the meantime don't tell Romeo anything about this. I don't think I could bear it if he were to get excited about seeing her only for his hopes to be crushed if she ended up leaving again."

"I understand."

Later when Minerva came back to the house Gray and Erza sat down with her to have a little talk. When Gray got close enough to see really look at Minerva's face he couldn't help but notice something strange about her eyes. They were not as a human's eyes should be. Now of course the average human being would not be able to notice this but Gray was a vampire meaning his senses were far superior than human being's.

"Excuse me but who are you and why are you staring at me?" Minerva asked upon noticing his intense gaze.

"Minerva this is my cousin Gray Fullbuster." Erza introduced. "He's recently moved in with us and has been helping me with my financial problems."

"I apologize for staring ma'am." Gray said. "I was just looking for any physical resemblance you may have to Romeo."

"I see." She replied not entirely convinced that what he said had been the truth. "Well unfortunately my son ended up taking more after my ex husband than myself."

"Thank God." Erza mumbled.

"Speaking of which, when will I get to see my son?"

"As soon as you answer a few questions for me." Erza said.

"As you wish dear sister."

Erza cringed at the false sickeningly sweet tone of her voice when she said that.

"Why have you suddenly come back?"

"Erza I thought I made my intentions perfectly clear to you when I first arrived. I wish to be reunited with my son."

"Yes but why? Why now after all these years? Why not come back when my brother died? Or better yet why not come back after that day you left in the first place?"

"I was very young when I married Macao and had Romeo. I wasn't mature enough to be both a wife and a mother. It was a scary time for me. I had to leave and find myself."

"Oh please." Erza said rolling her eyes. "Don't give me that pathetic excuse. You were twenty-four when he was born, I was eighteen but somehow I managed to help Macao raise him while you were doing God knows what in Heaven knows where."

"I have acknowledged the mistakes I have made Erza and I want to make up for them. That's why I have come back now because it wasn't until now that I understood just how awful my actions were."

"I don't believe you. I think you have something else in mind."

"Erza are you implying that I have some ulterior motive?"

"Yes."

"Why on earth would you suspect that?"

"Because I know you that's why. Now what are you really after?"

Minerva looked like she was about to argue but then she took a minute to think before she spoke. Finally she responded.

"Very well sister dear. I'm afraid that you caught me, I do have a secret reason for coming here."

"I knew it. Alright what do you want? Money?"

"All I want is my son."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I would like to have custody of Romeo."

The very moment she said those words Erza felt as if she would drop to the floor right then and there. Gray sensed this and prepared himself to catch her should this happen.

"You what?" The red head said in shock.

"I do believe you heard me correctly but I'll humor you and repeat myself." Minerva said. "I want to have custody of Romeo."

"You want to take him away?"

"I am his mother. I have every right to."

"You have no right at all!" Erza argued angrily. "Before Macao died he wrote down in his will that I was to be Romeo's legal guardian in case of an early death."

"Yes but that can be overturned if his biological mother a.k.a me, proves to be a more suitable guardian."

"That wasn't in the will."

"Doesn't have to be. It's the law. The rights of the biological parents always trumps the rights of any adopted parent, relative, or guardian."

"But you can't just take him!"

"The law says I can."

"With all due respect Miss Orland." Gray said. "What makes you believe that Romeo would be better off in your care than Erza's?"

"I am his mother. Who better than me to take care of him?"

"But you haven't taken care of him."

"You never have!" Erza added. "Not even when you were still married to Macao!"

"Erza has been his primary care giver for the past five years." Gray continued.

"Yes but she's not exactly a perfect guardian. I've done a little research on you Erza." Minerva smirked. "If you've been taking such good care of my son then why hasn't he been attending school like other children? Why is he being homeschooled instead? Also why do you have him being treated by a live in therapist if you've been providing him with better care?"

"Romeo has some social and emotional issues." Erza said. "If you had been around five years ago then you would know that the death of his father upset him so much that he developed a way of coping that may seem unorthodox to most people."

"Really? Because it seems to me that this may not be a healthy environment for my son. Perhaps he would be much better off in my care."

"You can't have him Minerva."

"I can and I will. He is my child, mine and you have no right to keep him from me."

"Get out!" Erza demanded. "Now!"

"Fine but this is not over. You know that he is rightfully mine and I will be back to reclaim him and if you know what's good for you dear sister, you'll give him to me without being difficult."

"The hell I will! Leave!"

Minerva then turned to her heels and waltzed right out of the house. Erza slammed the front doors shut and fought the urge to smash one of the windows.

"Can she really take him?" Gray asked his extremely distant great grand niece.

"I don't know." Erza huffed. "I really don't know. Our family lawyer assured me that I would be Romeo's guardian until he turns eighteen but the law does tend to side with the biological mother."

"Not if she proves to be an unfit parent."

"She is an unfit parent but knowing how crafty and deceitful that woman is she's probably made it so that any court will see her as the loving mother who only wants a second chance."

"Is it possible that it's not Romeo she's after? Maybe she's just using him as means to get something else. Like money?"

"No." Erza shook her head. "No. I could tell by that look on her face. She wants him but not for the reasons a mother should want her child. Question is though, what exactly is her reason?"

"Well I can't say for certain what her plan is but I can say this. That woman isn't natural."

"What do you mean?"

"I could see it in her eyes. She had that little twinge in them, a twinge that's not of this world. I've seen it in Ultear's eyes many times. I don't know what in God's name that woman is but she's definitely not human. Not completely anyway."

Erza looked back at the doors, now more frightened than ever. She always suspected that Minerva wasn't as she appeared but she thought that she was at least human. How wrong she was. How terribly wrong.