The next day after class, Juvia pulled Ciel aside to have a private chat with him.

"Am I trouble?" He asked her.

"No. You told me that you didn't know how to read the other day so I decided that I would teach you to read. You could come over to my house after school and we would do our lessons there."

"Don't waste your time Mrs. Fullbuster, I'm too stupid to learn how to read."

"Nonsense. I'm sure that you can learn if you try."

"I'll try but I'm telling you it's a waste."

"Wonderful. Of course I'll have to discuss it with your parents."

"They won't care trust me."

"Still I'm going to give them a call and ask for their permission. You wait here."

Juvia went to the office to get the number for Ciel's mother then grabbed the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang for quite a while before it was answered by a woman who sounded rather cranky.

"Hello is this Mary Hughes?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah what do you want?" The woman on the other end of the line huffed.

"This is Ciel's teacher-"

"Oh great! What has the little runt done now?"

"Oh no nothing. He's done nothing wrong but I was wondering if I could bring him over to my house after school for tutoring sessions? You or your husband can come too."

"You plan on giving him back?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I don't care."

"Wonderful. Would you like to come with him the first few times?"

"Why would I wanna do that? You're a trust worthy lady aren't you?"

"I'd like to think I am."

"Close enough. Bring him back whenever."

She then hung up.

"Rude much." Juvia thought to herself.

She went back to her classroom to get Ciel. They went out to her car and she drove to her house. Once inside, she sat Ciel down at the kitchen table and went to get a few learning books from her closet. They were books used to teach reading to younger kids so Ciel was a little embarrassed to be studying them at first but she assured him that it was nothing to be ashamed of.

"You promise not tell anyone at school about this?" The boy asked her.

"It'll be our little secret." She smiled. "I promise."

He looked up from the learning book and started to observe their house.

"Nice place you got here. Much better than the dump I live in. You rich?"

"It's pronounced are you rich, and no I'm not."

"Well compared to my place you're rich."

"Oh I'm sure it's not so bad. Now since we've been studying this for about an hour why don't we take a break?"

"Fine by me."

"Are you hungry? I made some cookies."

"Uh...Sure."

In five minutes she laid a plate with four chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk in front of him.

"I hope you like chocolate chip." She said.

"I don't know. I've never had em before."

"You've never eaten chocolate chip cookies before?"

"I've never eaten any cookies."

"Oh come on, I'm sure your mom makes some for you once in awhile."

"Yeah right, I'm lucky if she makes me dinner once in awhile."

He took a bite of the first cookie and chewed it slowly then out of nowhere he started wolfing the rest down as if those four cookies were his last meal.

"Take it easy Ciel, you don't wanna choke do you?"

But he ignored her and continued to scarf down his treat. He was in such a rush to eat them all up then when he reach for the fourth one he accidentally knocked over the glass of milk causing it to fall on to the floor, the glass breaking and spilling all the milk. Ciel immediately jumped from his seat and started to back away from her.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He cried out in a panicky fit.

"It's alright it was an accident." She said gently.

"I'll clean it up!" He bent down to pick up the shattered remains of the cup.

"No don't do that." When she grabbed his arm to stop him he flinched and held his arms up to block his face as if he expected her to strike him.

"Please don't be mad! I said I'd clean it up!"

"But I don't want you to clean it up. Ciel that's broken glass, if you touch it with your hands you might hurt yourself."

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"It's okay Ciel. Really it's just one glass."

"You're not mad?"

"No silly but are you feeling alright? You're shaking like a leaf."

"I...I just thought that you would be mad at me."

"Well I'm not. Now you go sit down in the living room while I sweep this up."

Ciel nodded and did just as she said. As Juvia was sweeping up the broken glass and wiping away the spilled milk she couldn't help but wonder why Ciel had been so frightened. The way he apologized in such a panic, the way he trembled, the way he flinched and held his arms up. He was acting like she was going to beat him with an inch of his life. She couldn't recall the last time she had ever seen a child so afraid.

After she had finished cleaning up the mess she went to the living room and found Ciel looking at some of Gray's paintings hanging on the walls.

"Do you like them?" She asked.

"Uh-huh. Where did you buy em?"

"Oh I didn't buy them, my husband painted them. He's an artist."

"Really? I'm an artist too...I mean I want to be someday."

"Oh well I'm sure Gray would love to give you some pointers in your free time. What kind of art do you like?"

"I paint but some times I sculpt too."

"That's neat, I'd like to see some of your work one day."

"Okay but it's not very good."

"I bet it's great."

Juvia glanced over at the clock and saw that it was almost seven o'clock.

"Oh my it's awfully late. I better get you home before your parents start to worry."

"They won't worry trust me."

"That's what all kids say but the truth is parents worry all the time. Now where do you live?"

Ciel told Juvia where he lived, they got back in her car, and she drove him home. Ciel lived a very poor and dangerous neighborhood, the kind where people on welfare lived. Juvia could see dirty and mean looking thugs standing in all corners of the neighborhood.

"You sure this is where you live?" She asked him.

"Why wouldn't I know where I live?" The boy replied. "My apartment is over there."

She pulled up in front of an apartment building that had windows that were either cracked or broken. Juvia wasn't sure about leaving Ciel him but she couldn't just take him.

"Thanks for the ride Mrs. Fullbuster." He said getting out of her car.

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow."

"You too."

He then went into the apartment building. After waiting for a few minutes she drove home.