Hey, Dark Gothic Lolita here!

So there's been quite a few of you who have been wondering when I'll update this story, and I just wanted to let you guys know that the update is finally here! Yes, I've been working hard on this story in the background, so I haven't forgotten about it! I'm still here! I'm just a little surprised that it's more popular than I thought it would be!

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I'll make sure

Chapter six

Juvia's POV

The 15th candidate for the Luna Princess had gone missing and it was making me so angry. As much as I never used to show it before, because I always so hung up on Gray, many people didn't know my pet peeve for failing a mission. In Phantom, you dare not come back to the guild if you hadn't completed your mission. That ethic just stuck with me and the fact that I can't do anything to stop Maria right now, it was getting on my last nerves.

"It's definitely Maria's doing, I know that much. If I know my rival well, she's going to come for me last and Juvia as well. She really wants this position, but if she has that much power, it's going to kill her and she doesn't even know it...Right now, that doesn't seem like a bad idea."

Sting smirked and I snickered from next to her. Sting caught my eyes and I could see nothing but mischief in his eyes, as if he were ready to go and make that become a reality right now. I could feel my skin flush red and I had to look at the floor in order to keep my feelings in check. Right now, there were more serious things at hand.

"We need to stop her now before it gets out of hand. What if we go over to her place at night or something? Plan some sort of overnight ambush, right Sting?" I saw him nod his head, the glint in his eyes gone, his face tight with a serious expression on his face. I could tell that in Sabertooth, failing a mission wasn't an option as well. In a way, it was almost as though Jiemma had gotten his teachings from Jose, because Sabertooth was a lot like Phantom Lord in a lot of areas.

"I'll go if that's the plan. You'll need to stay here and look after Hikari, can't have the both of us out there with no one looking after Hikari. We don't know if the rest of her henchmen are also mages, though I wouldn't doubt for a second that they are. It would be stupid of her to have this plan without working with mages."

I then looked at Sting in surprise. While I know he's not at all weak, I knew that him going over there by himself was something I didn't want happening. I couldn't help but feel the worry settle within my heart as I looked at him, as though I was trying to find another alternative.

"But...but Sting can't go by himself."

He turned his eyes from Hikari to mine and I found that I was no longer able to breathe. The emotion in his eyes were raw and it made me want to take everything back, but something was holding me back from that. His attention was just on me and it was like Hikari was no longer in the room. I couldn't really read his facial expression, but I could feel the aura he was giving off, a strong one, as if he was trying to prove a point to me.

"Have you forgotten who I am, Juvia? I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself." I frowned as he smirked at me, rubbing it in my face. I shook my head at him as I took a step forward. I didn't need his arrogance and pride to shine through at a time like this. It could get him killed if he decided that he wasn't going to take this seriously and I for sure was not going to to stand by and watch him do that to himself. We had been doing this job for around two weeks now, my crush on him was growing, and while this was all fun and games, I was already attached to him. I didn't want anything going wrong and for him to get hurt. I was supposed to be his partner for this job, not him having to look out for me all of a sudden.

"No. We're working on this mission together and there is no way that only one person will do one thing while the other does another. We can make a real plan that won't endanger Hikari-san as well. If what Hikari-san is saying is true, then Maria still has to get through a lot of girls before she targets Hikari-san. That and we still have another week or two before it's a full moon. Let's think rationally!"

I didn't know why I was making such a big deal out of this, but I was okay? I didn't want it to come across that I was thinking about him too much and that I actually did like him in some way, but at the same time, he had come to be a very good friend of mine, even if I wanted us to be more than friends. Sure, we hated each other for the first few days, but it became banter between us, like our little thing that we did to each other. I didn't know how strong Maria was and I really didn't want to find out.

Sting looked at me properly, as if he had me figured out before narrowing his eyes and turning his head away from me. I sighed quietly, though I'm pretty sure that with his dragon senses, he was able to hear that. I turned to walk away from the both of them as I gently whispered, "I just don't want you to get hurt, okay?" He paused in his words with Hikari, before carrying on like he hadn't heard anything.

I made it into my own room where I locked the door and collapsed on my bed. I hated having to do this and act like this, but it was the only way. Even I wasn't entirely sure of my feelings for him. I mean, the mission had barely gone on more a long time and we had near enough another 2 more weeks before it was to come to an end, but here I was falling in love.

Maybe it's just my insecurities. Growing up without any love makes me beg for attention and love from any guy that comes near me. I thought Bora and I would last forever, but that was merely just a dream. Then Gray took away the rain and made me see the sun for the first time ever, but he didn't want anything to do with my feelings, it was quite obvious. Now there's Sting. I just don't want to keep on making the same mistakes over and over again. It was getting old, annoying, stupid and painful.

I stared up at the ceiling, wondering how there were no tears coming up. Usually I would be bawling out like a freaking waterfall. I just wrapped my arms around my pillow and drew it up to my chest as I curled up into a fetal position. Would Sting even care if I got captured and used? I mean, it's part of our job to care and make sure that Hikari is safe, even if it cost us our lives and with this woman now after my power and magic, it was most likely that that part of my job description would come true.

Actually, let's forget about Sting for now. Would Fairy Tail, my own guild care that I wouldn't be coming back from my job? Have they even noticed that I'm not even there with them like right now? I sighed and rolled over. I heard a knock at my door and I got up before unlocking the door. I opened it up a little bit to see Hikari standing there with a smile on her face. I smiled back as I opened the door further.

"Is there something you wanted?"

"Yes, can I come in? Don't really want to intrude."

That made me smile and I shook my head at her, beckoning her into my room. "This is your house, you're free to go where you want really.."

She laughed when I said that and I couldn't help but notice that Sting was no longer in the room. He must have obviously gone back to his own room. She waltzed right into the room that I was basically lodging in and she fell on my bed.

"Why are you so hesitant when it comes to Sting? I can see the longing in both of your eyes, but it's like you're not doing anything about it. What's happened?"

"I'm pretty sure you've got it all wrong, there's no longing in any of our eyes. You might need glasses Hikari."

She rolled her eyes at me and smiled at me, giving me that all knowing looks that she gives. I turned my eyes away from her, not able to look at her anymore. I knew that the longer I looked into her eyes, the more it would make me want to open about my true feelings towards Sting. I mean, at first I thought it was a little phase and a crush that would just go away, but he grew on me. He doesn't push me away like Gray used to, he actually likes being in my presence, but like I said, I'm still a little insecure.

"I've been hurt so many times in the past when it comes to love and I'm not sure if Sting really does like hanging out with me, or because I'm the only girl, other than you who is our boss, that he keeps on coming in contact with. Besides, I'm confused as well. Do I really like him, or is he my rebound because I feel like I need to like another guy to be over Gray? Or maybe I've transferred my feelings from Gray to Sting for the meantime and when I see Gray, all my old emotions will coming flooding back. I'm just so confused!"

I flopped onto the bed next to her, covering my face with my hands. Honestly, why were feelings this annoying to deal with? Sometimes, I wish I could just go back to the stoic girl that I once was, the girl who made her feelings numb, so she didn't have to feel anything, but ever since I met Fairy Tail, the floodgate to my emotions and the door just won't shut.

Hikari sat there as though she was trying to work something out from all that I've just said. Then she looked at me. "Okay, so tell me this. Why don't you want Sting to go by himself? It's still part of his job to protect me and, if that's his plan, why not go with it? It also doesn't help that now you're a target too, I need you to be safe as well Juvia. You're my friend."

I looked over at her as she shrugged when she said that. There was a warmth that spread through my chest when she called me her friend and I couldn't help but let a silly smile crawl up on my lips. Then I remembered what she had asked me about before she called me her friend and I sighed, covering my eyes with my arms.

"But I don't want him to go and get himself hurt! I care about him too much for him to go and do such a thing for me!"

"Then you just answered your own question. Stop being so scared and take a risk! Remember on the first day when the arrow went through your head and he immediately asked if you were okay? Then what did he do?"

I went silent before Hikari asked again. "Say it Juvia. I know that it's a little unnerving what he did and that I should be scared about it, but I'm grateful he got to them before they got to me. What did Sting do for you?"

"He jumped out of the window and went to beat them up himself," I said in a small voice. Okay, so maybe I had forgotten that he did that for me, but whatever. I looked at Hikari and she looked at me before she jumped up.

"I think it's time for dinner, don't you?"

I knew that she was trying to get me to think of something else because food always took these matters off of my mind. I walked behind her as she hummed a simple tune and I was dreading seeing Sting there already, eating. I didn't want to face him right now, because I don't think I can. I was being a bitch just because I didn't want to get hurt, but that's what life's all about right? It's all about picking yourself up whenever you fall down.

I wasn't even all that hungry, so I grabbed whatever we were given and immediately started pushing it around on my plate. I sighed as Hikari was sitting next to me, chatting away to all of her guards. It made me wonder, didn't she have any rich friends around her age? Wasn't it just like in the films where they had the rich girl clique? I hadn't seen anyone come for Hikari and it was almost like she was lonely.

I saw a flash of blonde and I looked up, hopeful that Sting might come and sit near me, but he went to go and join a few of his guard friends at another table and I slumped. Of course there was going to be no way that he wanted to see me. Not after the way I was trying to push him away. I just looked down at my plate and tried to take my mind off of him.

I saw a flash of blonde once more and I looked up to see him turn his head to catch my eyes as well. I thought of saying something, maybe even calling out to him, but he turned to one of the guards to talk to him instead. That hurt, but I knew it was my fault. He thought that maybe I was just playing around with him when really, I wasn't. I just didn't want to get hurt and now I see that I just hurt someone else instead.

Suddenly, I wasn't so hungry anymore. I shoved a few forkfuls in my mouth to at least please Hikari, but then I claimed I was going to the toilet before just walking out of there. Sting was in there with Hikari, so she was going to be fine. I was just so confused about everything. Every girl found Sting to be attractive, me included, even when I thought I was in love with Gray. It was only a matter of time I would fall in love with Sting, even though I knew that he could get any girl that he wanted to.

I took a deep breath as I could feel the cold night breeze on my arms. It took away the stuffiness that was the indoors and it felt like it was clearing my head on the whole Sting situation anyway. I heard a noise behind me and turned to find Sting staring at me. I gave him a quick smile before turning back around.

"Whachya doing out here?"

"Just thinking. I was getting a little claustrophobic in there, I just needed to get some fresh air in me."

I heard him move behind me and suddenly, his breath was on the back of my neck. My own breath quickened in pace and I was pretty sure that he could hear how my heart was beating within my chest. I wasn't usually this close with him unless we were asleep, and even then it barely registered in my head that he was close to me because of how tired I usually was.

His arms wrapped around me and his warmth spread throughout my body. His touch set me ablaze and I was pretty sure I was red everywhere.

"St-Sting?"

My voice was nothing but a mere whisper as the light evening breeze carried his name far away from the mansion. I heard him sigh in my ear, almost as though he had found peace or something. He didn't say anything and I didn't bother asking him what was up. I knew that something had definitely changed with us in the last two weeks that we'd been together on this job. I felt like I was getting to understand him, almost as though I needed to be by his side to know that everything was going to be okay.

It scared me.

It was a different feeling than when I was around Gray. With Gray, I just always wanted to please him, to show him that I'm thankful that we clashed, otherwise I would be out of a guild right now. With Gray, I felt like an overexcited puppy, and sometimes, it was hard to keep up that feeling.

With Sting, I was more mellow, more level headed. I felt like I was definitely safe with being in his arms every night. It was funny really, how Sting needed to have someone to sleep with because of his history, but I definitely knew that ever since this job started, we would no longer be the same. I wasn't even sure if there was any way where I would be able to sleep without him ever again.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I know I musta confused you, just know that I just want you to be okay, okay?"

I found myself nodding, not really knowing what to say. At least he was apologizing, I just wanted to know why he was reacting like that.

"In due time, I'll be able to tell you everything, but right now...I'm just not ready to tell you."

"Take your time, whenever you're ready..." Maybe it was something to do with his guild? Maybe he didn't know what his guild will think if he told them that he made friends with a Fairy? I'm sure they won't mind, I mean, it's not like I meant much to anyone anyway, I'm pretty sure they would be fine with it. I'm not someone who could pose any sort of threat to them anyway.

"Hey, let's go back inside, alright?"

I shook my head at him with a small smile. "I was thinking of staying out here a bit longer., take in the fresh air."

Sting looked really skeptical, almost as though he really didn't want to leave me out here alone, but when I gave him a certain look to tell him that I'm more than capable of looking after myself, he sighed and nodded his head.

"FINE, geeze. I'll see you later, alright?"

I grinned and nodded him, watching as he went off, very reluctant to do so. I giggled at his behaviour, it was so cute that he cared. My mind started to drift off about him and the differences between him and Gray. Gray was cold. He gave off a very indifferent attitude, as if he didn't care about many things. He was a nonchalant guy and I should have seen from the get go that he was never going to love me.

The thing that I should have realised was that magic isn't just a separate thing, it aids our being. Take Natsu for example. The guy is a fire dragon slayer, a natural hothead, an open flame that can't be tamed. I should have known that an ice mage was going to be cold and heartless. Well heartless is a bit of a strong word to use to describe him, but being cold was the sort of guy Gray really was.

When I thought about Sting, I think about a cute cocky bastard. Being the white dragon slayer that can eat anything white, light included, he really did have a bubbly nature. He was like Natsu, crazy and everywhere. The only thing that really stopped him from being who he truly was, was his guild. A guild under the watchful eye of Jiemma was going to make a person dark in time.

If I were to suddenly burst out to Sting how I felt about him, even if he did like me, I really do doubt that it would work. It's not that we're from two different guilds, but he's from a guild that practically hates our guts. I'm sure that Master would have been okay with me dating someone from his guild, but Jiemma would never let Sting hear the end of it and I wouldn't want to make Sting choose between his guild and me.

Luckily, I doubt that we would ever be in that situation because Sting would never like me. It's not possible.

Time seemed to fly by before I realised that it was getting really late out. I started making my way inside when I heard a noise coming from the entrance. It was pretty quiet, so quiet that I doubt that Sting would have been able to hear it from inside, despite his dragon enhanced senses. I made my way over to the gate house where the guards who patrolled the gates stayed. I gasped when I looked inside.

"W-what is going on here? Who did this to you?"

I saw three of the guards swinging by their legs, gags in their mouths and they were all tied up from a chandelier on the ceiling. My eyes were wide as I came forward to release them from their restraints when the three of them started shaking their heads roughly, almost as if they didn't want me to. I stopped and their eyes were wide with fear. I set a straight expression on my face before I turned around.

"Juvia Lockser."

"Juvia is guessing that you work for Maria. What does she want, does she not know that this is going to end her fight for the Luna Queen?"

One of the two men laughed and shook their heads. "Don't you know, that as soon as Mistress Maria gets her hands your magic as well as Hikari's, that she's going to have enough power to overthrow the current Queen now?"

I was taken aback when I heard that and I gritted my teeth. "Oh, and you can't release those men. If you do, it will set off the bomb that we have planted on them. Why don't we just get you to come along with us willingly, eh?"

I looked at the three men who had tears in their eyes and noticed that there was indeed a bomb that was attached to their feet. I ignored the other two men who seemed a bit annoyed that I was doing so. I bent down to the ear of one of the men and whispered to him.

"Juvia can get you out of this safely. What Juvia would need you to do is find Sting and Lady Hikari. Tell them that Juvia is about to make a deal that would require for them not to find Juvia. Juvia is going to break Maria from the inside out, Sting can think of a plan to get in, okay?"

The man nodded his head vigorously. Their lives were in my hands right now, so I had to get this right. The men weren't going to be strong enough to stop my movements, but it was okay. I wasn't going to resist. I was just going to go with them. I knew what it was like to be captured and held hostage, so whatever Maria had in store for me was okay for me to bear.

I jumped at the hostages, surround them all with water as the bomb went off. I protected them from the blast as well as letting it go through me. I unravelled the ropes from their body and nodded to them before they ran on. I looked back at the other men who were surprised at what I had done. I gave them an uninterested look.

"Let's get going. You let them go and Juvia will come with you. Seeing as Juvia has let them go already, let's go. Please, lead the way."

They looked at one another, sharing a worried look with one another. It was almost as if they were surprised that I was going so willingly with them. One of them shrugged and as he came forward to grab me using for force to assert his dominance over me, I made his hand slip right through my arm.

"What the-"

"Juvia is leaving willingly and yet you still choose to act as if this is a hostage? Juvia will not allow for that to happen. Juvia is faster and stronger than you, hence why Maria needs Juvia's magic. Do not anger Juvia and just show her the way like she asked, otherwise, Maria will be forced to think of another plan to get her hands on Juvia."

I was extremely threatening when I wanted to be. My Phantom days were over, so there was no way that I would kill anyone, but when pushed to the edge, my threats sounded extremely promising. Also, I used her old reputation to back me up to make it sound like my threat was actually no more than a promise waiting to happen.

The men nodded quickly as they set off with me walking calmly in the middle of them. I looked back at the mansion with a smile. I had my part to do now. I had to remember that this was a job and not a romance building holiday. I couldn't let my feelings for Sting get in the way of the job that I was assigned to do. Either way, I trusted Sting to come and find me.


Sow how was that chapter? Was it okay? It's all starting to build up now, getting a little more love thrown into the mix!

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Lolita-chan