Ring-ring!

"I got it!" Juvia said picking up the house phone. "Hello? Oh hi Ur, how are you?...Really?...Oh that's wonderful! They'll be so excited! Yes I'll tell them! Goodbye!"

She hung up and quickly went to tell everyone in the house the wonderful news. Ur was coming back from her trip and when the other foster children heard the news they were very excited. She then met up with Erza and Lucy at Tendrou Island to tell them.

It was the perfect hang out for the three mermaid turned girls. There they would swim with dolphins, climb the trees, collect shells, surf the waves, and occasionally have swimming races. But what they did most of the time during their visit to the island was meet in the moon pool at the center of the dormant volcano and talk about things together. Things like family, friends, school, crushes, problems, ect. All in all it was their own private sanctuary where they could share each other's secrets without anyone finding out.

"Glad to hear that Ur is coming home. When is she supposed to be back?" Lucy asked.

"Next week, we can hardly wait." Juvia said. "She's been gone for so long and when she comes back we're going to cook a big dinner for her. Also I think that I'm going get her gift."

"What kind of a gift?"

"Not sure yet." Juvia thought for a moment then she came up with an idea. "I know she's always taking pictures but she has trouble finding a place for all her photos so I'll get her a scrapbook kit."

"That's not a bad idea." Lucy said.

"If she's the photography type why not get her a new camera?" Erza suggested.

"That's what Gray wants to do. There's this brand new camera that's coming out and he thinks that it would be a perfect gift for her unfortunately it's very expensive and he's never had much luck when it comes to money."

"Here's an idea, why doesn't he just get a job? What is he a lazy bum?"

"He is not. As a matter of fact he's recently started applying for work at several places including the juice bar. He's just waiting for a callback. He's very smart and hardworking so he's bound to be hired by someone. He really wants to get Ur that new camera."

"Ur sure does mean a lot to you two."

"Well after we lost our parents she became the closest thing we had to a mother. She loved all of us like we were her own children."

"Did she ever think about having any of her own?"

"Actually she had a daughter once but she and Ur were in a car accident years ago, the poor thing was killed in the crash and Ur was injured so badly that she had to have an emergency hysterectomy. She could never have anymore children."

"That's terrible. You never told me about that." Lucy said.

"You never asked about Ur's past."

"What happened to her husband?" Lucy asked. "That is...Did she ever marry?"

"She married but he abandoned her after she got pregnant. He didn't want kids. After her daughter died she was all alone until she decided to open a foster home. She felt that the best way to ease her pain was to give orphan kids like me a home until they were adopted. Funny thing is Gray and I were never adopted."

"Wasn't Gray almost adopted once?"

"Yes. When we were kids a couple from Clover town wanted to adopt him but shortly after they arrived to pick him up they just changed their minds. Right out of the blew."

"Really? How come?"

"I don't know. I asked Gray once or twice, he said that after talking with hin the couple decided that he was too much trouble for them to handle."

"Well what did they expect?" Erza asked. "A child who would never cause trouble? That's impossible."

"I guess they weren't ready to be parents or something like that."

Little did Juvia realize that what Gray had told her was a lie. The real reason why he wasn't adopted by that couple was a secret that he planned to take to his grave and Juvia was the last person he would ever tell it to.

"You know after Mom died I kind of wanted to live with you guys." Lucy said.

"Why?" Juvia wondered.

"Because Dad pretty much ignored me after we lost Mom and you and Gray always looked so happy in Ur's care. Sometimes that I wished that I was an orphan."

"Lucy you should never wish for that. You're very lucky that you still have your dad. I know he's not easy and that he makes things difficult for you but that's only because he loves you so much."

"And you should be grateful that he does. Some dads never love their children." Erza mumbled while swishing her tail through the water.

"I know he loves me I just wish that he wouldn't be so overprotective." Lucy sighed. "He treats me like I'm a defenseless little girl. I just wish that he would let me be more independent."

"Did you ever think to tell him that?" Erza asked.

"No point, he wouldn't listen. He never listens to me. It's like he doesn't care about what I have to say."

"Still you should at least try." Juvia said. "I'm sure the sooner or later he'll hear you."

"I hope so."

Just then they heard a beeping noise coming from Erza's bag. It was a reminder that she had set up on her phone.

"I have to get going." Erza said. "Miss Stellar gave me some extra credit to do after school and I really need this credit. Especially since I didn't do so well on my last test, I haven't had much time to study lately. "

"Alright so we'll see you later?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. I'll see you around."

With that said Erza swam back to Magnolia and went to the school for the extra credit assignment Miss Stellar had given her. Apparently the assignment was to help some younger students with their homework. Now Erza was a very smart student but due to her chores and now her secret life as a mermaid she had a very hard time keeping up with her school work. Now Sonya Stellar didn't like it when her students didn't get their work done but she understood that Erza didn't do it out of laziness, she knew about Erza's home life and that she had a lot of responsibilities so she helped her out by giving her extra credit assignments whenever she could.

"Thanks again for this Miss Stellar." Erza said. "I really need this."

"Think nothing of it Erza. You're one of my best students and I know how hard you work to support your mother and your sister."

"Do you give extra credit like this to all your students who struggle?"

"Of course but you're the only one who actually tries to earn the credit. You wouldn't believe how many times Minerva has tried to bribe me into giving her a passing grade."

"No way. She does not actually try to do that."

"She does."

"She's unbelievable. I garuntee that she's going to get held back next year."

"Nevertheless I will still do everything I can to help her succeed as I do with all my students. Speaking of which, Erza you're friends with Jellal right?"

"Friends? Ha! That's a laugh. No we're not friends, far from that."

"Oh..."

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just that something seems to be troubling Jellal lately and I assumed that you were a friend of his because I saw you with him the other day. I was hoping that you would be able to tell me what's bothering him."

"Little rich boy has troubles? There's a shocker."

"Everyone has troubles Erza, rich or not."

"As far as I know the only trouble Jellal has is that he's a great big jerk to everyone around him. But if you really want to figure out what's going on with him should talk to Minerva. She's his girlfriend."

"Really? I didn't think he liked her all that much."

"Seriously? I mean she's always with him. Clinging to his arm and kissing him, she can't keep her claws off him. It's disgusting

"If I didn't know any better Erza I'd say that you were jealous." Sonya said with a teasing smile.

"What?! Yeah right! I'd have to like Jellal to be jealous of Minerva."

"And you don't like him?"

"No I don't."

"Hmm..." Sonya said as she started to organize the books on her shelf. "That's too bad."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he likes you."

"What?"

"It's true he does."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Not in words."

"What does that mean?"

"I was a teenager once and if there's one thing I've learned during those rough and very emotional years of teen hood is that boys never say how they feel."

"I don't understand what you mean by that."

"You will. Eventually you'll learn how to tell how a boy feels without him telling you."

Erza didn't have the slightest idea of what Sonya was saying but in time she would. Sonya really liked Erza, not just because she was a good student but also because she was a hard worker and that she tended to remind her of herself when she was a teenager. She wasn't always this calm, collected, and responsible. In her youth she was very carefree, laid-back, and a bit of a thrill seeker but times had changed. She wasn't a teenager anymore, she was an adult and growing up made her have to let go of a lot things in her youth. Things that she really missed and hated to have given up.

"Are you alright Miss Stellar?" Erza asked her teacher when she went silent for a moment. "You seemed to have zoned out."

"Yes I'm fine. I was just thinking about old memories. Silly of me." She giggled. "Would you mind helping me take down some of these books?"

"Sure."