Erza found it impossible to sleep that night. With what happened to Gray and finding out so much about the pasts and secrets of her agents, was overwhelming her. It was amazing really. How in the beginning Natsu and Gray had started out as two unholy beings of darkness commanded to serve her yet as time went by she had grown to care for them like they were members of her family. She worried for them so much and she often wondered what would happen to them if she wasn't there anymore. She knew that most likely they would both outlive her due to their immortality and that made her eventual death something she feared greatly.
Unable to sleep, she decided to call the one person who would probably be awake at this hour and be willing to hear her out. She got out of bed, put on a robe, left her room and went downstairs into the area where the bureau kept their weapons and technology. Now despite it being the 1930's, the bureau had access to incredibly advanced technology and inventions due to both it's vast wealth and connection to the government. One of those advanced inventions was a phone that could call and receive calls from other countries in the world. This was established by building a special tower that harnessed sound waves and echo location from bats, courtesy of Natsu to then project and carry phone signals back and forth.
The call was made to Ingolstadt a city in Bavaria, Germany. Directly at one of their clinics wherevaccinations for small pox were being distributed by doctors, nurses, and volunteer scientists. Among them was Erza's fiance Dr. Jellal Fernandes, an ambitious, intelligent, and hard working scientist. He had been a child prodigy in both anatomy andelectromagnetism, was the top of all of his classes and attended the best universities. Everyone expected him to become a surgeon like his father but Jellal wanted more than that.
Yes he wanted to be able to cure diseases and aliments, heal injuries, and save lives but he also wanted to change them for the better. He studied medical science along with mechanical science, chemistry, electrical science, and hematology. He was not only a doctor but an inventor and hematologist. He was the one who had chosen to revive the theories and studies of curing human victims of supernatural plagues that tainted their D.N.A such as vampirism. Many rational scientists and medical professionals thought he was mad but Erza always believed in him. She believed if anyone could somehow discover how to use science to turn a vampire back into a human it would be him. However just like with Erza's cause to help humanity, his was no easier.
"You're not sticking that in me!" One deluded drunkard said as he was being held down by Jellal's assistance so he could inject him with a vaccine. "There's pox in that!"
"It's not pox it's vaccine that will prevent a plague." Jellal explained cleaning the needle of the syringe. "It's a harmless amount of serum that will ensure neither you or anyone you come in contact with gets infected with small pox."
"You doctors kill people! I don't care what you say! You're not sticking that in me!"
"Yes I am. It's the law."
"It's poison! All this is poison!"
"Nurse. Morphine please. This man needs to be sedated."
Once he managed to get the vaccine into the man's system the head doctor of this operation decided to have one of his associates takeover for the rest of the day. Jellal retired to his office and took a moment to clear his thoughts.
"Lord help me, these people who are against doctors and science should either be educated or committed."
"Dr. Fernandes." A nurse said. "I apologize for intruding but you have a call."
"Is it a life or death matter?"
"No."
"Then take a message."
"Are you certain? It's your special phone. The one that gets calls from America."
"Oh! Never mind then. I'll take it." He picked up the phone. "Hello Erza."
"Hello Jellal. I hope this isn't a bad time."
"It's never a bad time when you call. In fact hearing from you would probably make me feel better."
"Tough day?"
"I volunteered to distribute vaccines and as usual there were plenty of loons raving about how doctors are evil and science being the work of the devil. I tell you the extreme lack of uneducated people in these countries are disturbing. You know they only believe this because they can't read and they rely on the words of religious mad men or con artists."
"Well remember Jellal, not all of them came from families who could afford to send them to school. In a way they can't help but be uneducated."
"Still there are ways to change that. Like my father used to say, you be educated in anything if you will yourself to learn it. That's the problem with these people, they don't will themselves to learn."
"It is what it is I suppose."
"I guess. Now then tell me what's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can tell by your voice that something's bothering you and you called me because you don't know who else to talk to about it with."
Erza chuckled.
"Even after all this time we've known each other it still amazes me how well you know me."
"Well we are to be married so it's only natural that I know every little detail about my wife to be."
"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I've been thinking-"
"I know what you're going to say and yes I know I've been away for a long time but I promise you this will be the last trip before the wedding. When I return we can set the date and make preparations."
"It's not that. It's just..."
"Are you having second thoughts?"
"No but...I...I...I haven't told anyone we're engaged yet."
"You haven't? Erza I proposed to you before I left a month and a half ago. You mean to tell me you've told no one? Does anyone know about it?"
"Only Makarov."
"Why haven't you said anything? You were so excited when I popped the question."
"I was. I still am but I'm worried about how Natsu and Gray will react to the news."
"Erza not this again. You know you're going to have to tell them eventually."
"I know and I know that I shouldn't be putting it off like this but once we get married I won't be there for them as much as I am now. We probably won't even live together anymore and we've become so close over they years, I just...I just need the right moment to break it to them. I'm also terrified that I'll end up hurting them."
"It might be a blow to them but nothing they can't withstand I'm sure, and to tell you the truth this shouldn't come to a big shock to them. Do you truly believe that the idea of you getting married and starting a new life never occurred to them? That they never acknowledged that one day you'd have to leave them?"
"I suppose not."
"Erza it's going to happen. Inevitably you will leave them, if not through marriage then through death."
"I know. I'm just not sure if they'll get along without me and I'm not talking about living. What if they go back to how they were before I woke em up?"
"You'll have to trust that they've reformed enough to not relapse. Erza I know they love you but I love you too. I've loved you longer than they have and I want to spend my life with you. I don't want to put off a life of happiness because of what if's." He said. "I understand your predicament and when I return we don't have to get married right away. I'm willing to wait but please at the very least tell them."
"I'll tell them before you come back. I promise."
"Good and once we have finished our service to humanity we can retire to a more peaceful setting like the countryside."
"I'd like that but what would we live in?" she chuckled. "Proper housing in the country is not easy to come by anymore. Would we live in a shack?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of that old house you and I used to play in during our youth. The one at the edge of the peak where you can look over the seaside."
"Oh I always loved that house but you know it's to be condemned."
"Not anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"Call it an early wedding present but I bought the deed to the house."
"Oh Jellal." She said touched. "You shouldn't have."
"But I did and we will remodel it to be the perfect home for us and our five children."
"Five?" Erza almost burst out laughing.
"Yes. Five children that will we spoil and dote on."
"A small family never did appeal to either one of us did it?"
"Well when you're an only child and you have parents that are often away doing medical business it gets very lonely."
"Then I suppose that it is my womanly duty to bear you five healthy sons correct?"
"I am not picky about gender but I must admit I always picture us having two boys and three girls."
They both laughed lovingly.
"I love you." She said.
"I love you too." He replied.
"I miss you everyday."
"So do I. But I won't be gone much longer."
"Goodbye until then."
"Goodbye."
And they both hung up.