When Juvia finally awoke she felt like she had been asleep for days and she couldn't remember even falling asleep. It took a few minutes for her to open her eyes and sit back up. When she did she woke Frosch who was at her feet.

"Juvia! You're okay!" He cheered before jumping up to nuzzle her cheek. "I was so scared! I thought you were going to leave us!"

"Leave you? What do you mean?" She asked still foggy on what had happened before she blacked out.

Suddenly she became aware that something was holding her hand. Looking to her left she saw Gray with his head sleeping at her bed side while holding her hand with his own. When did he get here? Or rather why is here? And why was he holding her hand?

She leaned over and gave his shoulder a few pokes.

"Gray." She called. "Gray. Gray wake up. Wake up. Wake up!"

"I didn't do it! You can't prove anything!" He said sitting up. Once he became fully awake and saw that Juvia had regained consciousness he smiled in relief. "Oh good. You're alright."

"I don't understand. What happened? How did I get back in my room? And why are you here?"

"You got very sick last night. You collapsed, your little cat friend here told me what happened so I brought you back here and had Mirajane nurse you back to health. Fairies are natural healers you know."

"Oh. Do you know how I got sick?"

"Yes." He said in an irritated tone. "You ate fruit from a belladonna tree. Those are highly poisonous. Just one bite and you're stricken with a deadly illness that you have fifty/fifty chance of surviving. You could have died you know?"

"Funny you almost sound worried for me."

"I was."

Juvia looked at him surprised and they were both blushing.

"You were? Is that why you were at my bedside?"

He didn't answer. He just looked away from her and tried to make his blush disappear.

"How...How did you even get that fruit anyway? I was sure that I had gotten rid of all those damn trees."

"I...I'm not sure if I remember."

Juvia thought back to her last memory. Let's see, she had been in the bog with her friends. They were trying to get back to the castle when Gajeel offered her that peach and- Oh no. Now she remembered. Gajeel have her the fruit. He did this to her. He actually tried to kill her. How could he do something like that? Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Hey what's the matter?" Gray asked. "Why are you crying?"

"Gajeel did this to me." She wept while burying her face in her hands. "He gave me the fruit! I thought he was my friend. I thought he cared about me."

Frosch brushed up against her side in a comforting manner. Gray watched her cry and in that moment he felt an unfamiliar pain in his heart. A pain he didn't like. One that he knew wouldn't go away as long as Juvia shed tears. He slowly moved closer to her and cautiously moved his arms toward her. When she didn't object or move away he gently embraced her.

"Do not cry." He said softly. "You shouldn't cry over someone who would hurt you like that."

"I can't help it. It's like it's impossible for me to have real friends. In this world or my own. It's one thing if people don't like me but why must they be so cruel."

Juvia was referring to the countless bullies in her life who constantly mistreated her for their own sick amusement. Why did her misery make so many people happy?

"I feel like no one would care if I lived or died." She sobbed.

"Don't say that." Gray pulled out handkerchief and used it to gently wipe her tears away. "That's not true."

"How do you know?"

"Because last night I was afraid I was going to lose you."

He covered his mouth with his hand, hoping that she didn't hear that. But she did and her sadness changed back to surprise. He quickly tried to change the subject.

"Listen I...I haven't really been nice to you since you arrived here and I want to make up for that."

"Why?"

"Guilty conscience I guess." He smiled nervously. "Here."

He made something appear in his hand. It was a beautiful white flower with a dash of purple in the center petals that took the shape of a heart. He presented to her and she accepted it.

"It's lovely." She said.

"They're called Cupid's Arrow Orchards. I would give them to my sister all the time when she was sad."

"Thank you. You're the second boy who's ever given me a flower before."

"Oh?" He said nervously. "Who's the first? A sweetheart of yours from back home?"

"No. My brother. You see on Valentine's Day all the girls would tease me and say that no boy would give me anything special but the lot of them had big crushes on my brother because he was the most handsome boy in our school. The more popular and pretty girls would brag about how he would give one of them flowers, chocolates, stuff like that. Then in the afternoon when everyone was giving cards and gifts my brother would show up after football-"

"Hold on a minute what's football?"

"I'll explain that later. Anyway he would show up with the biggest bouquet of flowers he could afford and announce that he was going to give them to the most beautiful girl in school." Juvia explained. "As expected most of the girls swooned, hoping he meant one of them but to everyone's surprise he would always give them to me."

"Guess you mean a lot to him."

"I do and he means a lot to me." She sighed as she thought about how much she missed him and her parents. "I shouldn't be babbling like this. I have work to do."

"No. I don't think so. You're going to take it easy today. Mirajane will handle your work."

"But our deal was-"

"I am willing to let you have a little help considering the circumstances. You just try to get some rest okay?"

"Okay."

...

Before today Natsu thought that underwear and socks worn by his teammates had been the most disgusting thing he had ever smelled in his entire life. Oh how wrong he was.

The Bog of Eternal stench was a nightmare he could inhale. It made his nose burn and he was certain that he had sniffed the face of evil.

"What is this place?" He asked clutching his nose.

"The Bog of Eternal Stench." Lucy said. "One of the last places you want to be sent to."

"Oh good Lord the smell!" He gagged. "It's inhuman! Has anyone died from smelling this place?"

"No but it does make you wonder how that hasn't happen doesn't it?" She said. "Now everyone follow me and watch your step. One false move and you'll smell like this for the rest of your life."

"No fear of that for me." Erza said. "I can fly."

"Well I can't." Natsu said.

"You'll just have to be careful then."

"Are you sure that we have to go through here to reach the castle?"

"If I knew of another way to get there do you really think I would be here?" Lucy asked.

Erza kept herself high up in the air while Lucy and Natsu did their best to stick to solid ground. Careful not to step in any mud, muk, slime, sludge, or bog water.

"Be extra careful here Natsu." Lucy said when they reached a part of the bog that had some stones sticking up for them to walk across. "The rocks could be slippery here."

"In that case I'll go first." Natsu said.

"Why you?"

"Well I know the phrase is ladies first but we don't know how slippery those rocks are so I'll test it out. If it's safe hooray if not well it's not so bad if I drink forever. I play sports."

"You don't need to worry about me." Lucy said. "I'm perfectly well balanced."

"Still my dad always says that the man should be the one to test things first. Avoid putting a lady in a dangerous situation if you can."

Natsu carefully jumped across the rocks one at a time. He almost lost his balance once or twice but he didn't fall in. Once he made it across Erza flew after and Lucy started jumping. She had just reached the last rock when she slipped and started to fall back. Natsu grabbed her arm and pulled her forward which ended with him falling backward and her landing on top of him. They were both face to face.

"Oops." Lucy said blushing. "I guess I'm not as well balanced as I thought."

"Don't be too embarrassed." He said blushing as well. "I've fallen off of lots of things. Even my own shoes."

"Thanks for the catch."

"You're welcome."

They both smiled shyly.

"Ahem!" Erza coughed. "Are we still going to the castle or are you two going to stay here and kiss?"

At once Natsu and Lucy immediately moved away from each other and stood back up.

"That's not funny Erza!" Lucy scolded.

"Who's being funny?" The fairy asked. "Hey I'm not against true love or anything. I'm a fairy after all but we do have to be somewhere."

"What's this talk about true love? There is none! But we should be going."

"Right!" Natsu agreed. "Lead the way blondie."

The two continued on while avoiding eye contact.

"Wow and they say fairies are the most complicated creatures." Erza mumbled as she followed them. "At least we're honest about how we feel."