Upon arriving home Juvia went straight into her room, threw herself on to her bed, and started crying. Ur had gone out to look for her earlier and after talking with Mr. Neekis, she was relieved when he confirmed that Juvia was telling the truth about helping a sick dolphin but worried when he explained what happened when Gray arrived. By the time she came back to the house she found Gray sitting on the porch, drenched and hanging his head in shame.
"Gray." She said giving him a look of disapproval.
"Oh I did it again Ur. I acted hastily." He said.
"Mmm-hmm and whenever you act in haste disaster is just around the corner. Is Jellal's father threatening to press charges?"
"No. Jellal accepted my apology after he punched me in the jaw."
"Serves you right. How's Juvia?"
"She hates me now."
"I'm sure that's not true."
"Yes it is. She said that she never wanted to speak to me again. She hates me."
"No Gray. She couldn't hate you even if she wanted to. Believe me I know."
"I didn't mean to embarrass her. I just...I just didn't want Jellal to hurt her."
"Still her bodyguard I see."
"What?"
"When you two were children you always talked about how much she annoyed you and yet you would never let her out of your sight and you would always chase away the other kids who bullied her. You called yourself her bodyguard. Said it was your job to protect her."
"I really said that."
"Yes and some nights she would sneak into your room and crawl into bed with you."
"That I remember but it got on my nerves."
"Then why didn't you ever complain to me? If I had known earlier I would have stopped it sooner."
"Well...She...She...Whenever she came into my room at night she said she was scared. Scared of a storm or a bad dream she had. I guess I just didn't have the heart to tell her to go away. You know it stopped once we hit puberty."
"I know but you know she still goes to you whenever she's scared."
"I know. But she probably won't go to me for anything anymore. I messed up real bad this time."
"Yes you did. But not so bad that she would never forgive you."
"How do you know?"
"Let's just say that I've been in a similar situation. When I was younger I knew someone who cared a great deal about me and some would say he cared too much. One day he did something really stupid, something that really embarrassed me, and I was so angry that I told him I would hate him for the rest of my life."
"Did you?"
"No. No matter hard I tried and believe me I tried, but I just couldn't hate him and eventually I forgave him. She'll forgive you, she just needs to understand that despite how stupid and idiotic your actions were, your heart was in the right place. Now why don't you go upstairs and take a bath? You smell like sardines."
Gray did as he was told while Ur went into the kitchen for a few minutes. After that she went upstairs and gave a gentle knock on the door to Juvia's bedroom.
"Go away Gray!" Juvia cried. "I said I never wanted to speak to you again!"
"It's me." Ur said walking in. "I made you something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Are you sure? They're mochi snow rabbits. You're favorite." She sat down next to Juvia on her bed and offered one of them to her. She couldn't resist the mochi treat that was made to look like a rabbit. "Do you remember the first time I made you these?"
"Yes. It was when Gray and I first came to live with you. You made us some mochi to cheer us up but I missed my parents too much to eat anything so you made them look like snow rabbits to make me smile."
"And it worked didn't it?"
"Yes."
"And ever since then whenever you cry I would make you these to cheer you up. Is it helping this time?"
"A little."
"I'm sorry about not believing you earlier. You're an honest girl, you'd never lie to me."
"It's okay. At least you didn't do anything to humiliate me or spy on me."
"Oh yes I know what Gray did."
"Why would he do this to me?"
"I don't think he did it to hurt you. He was just worried that someone was trying to take advantage of you."
"If he was worried then why couldn't he just talk to me about it?"
"Because he was a teenage boy and pretty much all teenage boys act before they think. But you have to believe that Gray would never do anything to hurt you. Not on purpose anyway. He cares so much about you."
"No he doesn't. He's annoyed by me. When we were kids he couldn't stand me."
"That was just an act. You know how little boys are, they think it's weird to like little girls."
"Still I'm just a pest to him."
Ur sighed.
"That boy cares about you more than you realize."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Well...Gray wouldn't like it if I told you this but I think you should know."
"Know what?"
"Do you remember when that couple from Clover town came here and decided to adopt him?"
"Yes but they changed their mind."
"And do you know why they changed their mind?"
"No. But Gray always said they thought he was too much to handle."
"Yes that's what he said but that's not why they left him."
"I don't understand."
"At the time you and Gray were the only kids in my care. Gray was worried that if he had been adopted you would be all alone. He begged that couple to adopt you too. But they only wanted one child, a boy. So Gray decided not to go with them. He just couldn't bear leaving you alone."
"He really did that?"
"Yes he did."
"Why didn't he ever tell me?"
"He thought that you would feel guilty. That you would blame yourself but it was his choice to stay behind. He told me that he would rather stay in foster care with you then be adopted into a family without you."
Juvia found herself being greatly touched by this knowledge. Her anger toward him earlier vanished completely and now she wanted to see him more than anything else.
"Don't get me wrong what he did was stupid but he only did it because he cares so much...And maybe because he was a little jealous."
"Jealous? What could he be jealous of?"
"Well he didn't like the idea of you having a boyfriend."
"You mean he was jealous over me? But why? I don't understand."
"I guess over the years he's started to look at you differently." She smiled.
The next day was a weekend so there would be no school. Juvia went to look for Gray as soon as she woke up and she found him at his special fishing spot. He didn't just go there to fish he also went there to think about stuff and clear his head.
"I knew I'd find you here." She said.
"I thought you were never going to speak to me again." He said.
"I know. I lied." She sat next to him.
"Look I really am sorry. I just...When Chelia told me you were eloping and I saw him on top of you I just...I just couldn't think. He's harassed me pretty much everyday of my life and I can deal with him but I can't deal with him hurting you."
"I know and I think it's awfully sweet that you feel that way."
"You do?"
"Yes. I still think it was dumb of you to just attack him but I understand and I forgive you."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I was worried that you were going to hate me."
"I could never hate you. After all you're my best friend in whole world."
"And you're mine."
They smiled at each other and she placed her hand over his. He blushed a little but he didn't pull his hand away.
"But from now on when you're worried about me just talk to me okay? Don't do anything like that again alright?" She said.
"Alright."
"And will you respect my privacy and never send Chelia to spy in me again?"
"Yes I will respect your privacy and I'll never spy on you or send anyone to spy on you again."
"Good. By the way you're lucky that Jellal was so understanding about all this. You know he could have had you thrown in jail for attacking him."
"Yeah. I'm actually surprised that he didn't call the cops on me. I guess you were right about him not being such a bad person. But you're not into him are you?"
"No. I think Jellal can be a good person but he's not my type."
"What a relief."
"Besides I've already got my heart set on another boy. One ten times better than him."
"Who?"
"Sorry but that's my little secret." She said with a mischievous smile.
"Oh come on who is he?"
"No. I'm not telling."
"I can be trusted. I keep all your secrets."
"Okay I'll tell you." She said. "If you can catch me."
She then pushed him down and started to run away.
"Hey that's not fair! You know I'm not athletic!" He called as he chased after her.
"I know!" She giggled.
"You never play fair Juvia!"
"Who told you life was fair?!"
From a distance Ur chuckled as she watched them chase each other around and around the beach. She was glad to see that they had made up. She's hate to see two people who were so close be torn apart by a misunderstanding.
"Oh Alec were we ever that happy and carefree?" She thought to herself in a bitter sweet manner.