It's Monday! Thanks to all who left reviews; getting to hear from you made me smile.

On another note, Gajeel's back! (I've noticed that he's a fan-favorite, lol.) Completely forgot to mention that last week with all the crazy going on in-universe.

Guest: You've got it! But Lucy won't make her move until we're done wallowing in as much angst as I thought I could get away with. :) Let's pretend that she's got a pretty significant mental-block holding her back from making that decision quite yet. (Plus it's only a week in-universe.) She'll need a little push to help get her over it.

Guest: Thanks! ;)

darling spider: It's all good. I'm fluent in emoji too. XD Actually, no I'm not... I end up having to google the more interesting ones that people put in their PMs. ;)

Guest: You are right. The clock is ticking and Juvia's time is running out. This chapter marks the end of Week 2. She only agreed to three weeks, which Jose convinced her would be Plenty of Time. Given how things were going, it shouldn't have been a problem... but then this happened. And now she's only got one week left.

- K. Chandler


It had been a few days since that disastrous dinner party. The prince was on the mend and, miraculously, the rest of the castle was none the wiser.

Juvia hadn't seen Gray since that night either, since he took Lucy Heartfilia back to her room. Juvia hoped he was all right.

The whole thing still unsettled her, though. What was that witch doing with her magic? There was no doubt that the ring that Lucy was wearing contained Juvia's powers. Juvia would have recognized her own magic anywhere.

That revelation was enough to create the stirrings of doubt in Juvia's heart. She had started to believe that the Surface-Dwellers were good and kind, but the evidence was staring her in the face. They had to get their powers from somewhere.

Juvia ignored the unsettled feeling in her stomach. With a week until her contract with Jose expired, this was not a good time to be feeling uncertain.

Juvia looked out her window, hoping that the sight of the sea would clear her head. The moon was low on the horizon tonight, its milky glow emphasizing every single ripple and wave on the water's surface. A couple was walking along the beach hand-in-hand. With the way the moon was coming out of the sea, they were only a pair of silhouettes against a star-filled backdrop.

A smile pulled at her lips. Juvia closed her eyes, imagining herself walking alongside her darling Gray that way.

"Listen, I know this isn't what you wanted," the man was saying.

Juvia's heart stopped. She recognized that voice. That was Gray.

A chill filled Juvia to the core when she recognized his companion.

That witch...

"And honestly, Lucy, I hadn't been planning on this either," Gray said, taking hold of the Lucy's hands. "But I do think that we can be happy together."

"Do you really think so?" she asked, her voice so soft that Juvia could barely hear her.

Gray brought Lucy's hands up, bowing his head to kiss her knuckles.

"I want to show you that I'm serious about you," said Gray, looking deep into Lucy's eyes. "You'll let me do that?"

There was a long pause before the girl answered.

"Okay," she whispered. "So we're really doing this? We're really getting married?"

Married?

Juvia felt dizzy. She shook her head, refusing to believe it.

What was he doing? What was he doing with her? That witch! This was her fault. Gray would never do something like this. Never!

"We're really getting married," said Gray quietly.

Anger flared in Juvia's chest, like a fire around the shards of her broken heart. She thought that she and Gray had something special. That other night, when they had danced together, it had been so right, so perfect. But anger soon melted away to be replaced by a dull, empty ache.

Why was he doing this?

Why?

Too shaken to even cry, Juvia let herself slide to the floor, her back against the wall.

It was coincidence that Meredy arrived that same night, with Gajeel in tow. Juvia didn't come to the window. She didn't want to talk to Meredy. Not tonight.

"Juvia! Juvia, it's us!"

"Maybe she's asleep," came Gajeel's voice.

"No, I can feel her. You should be able to, too."

Juvia felt a familiar pull as Meredy activated the Sensory Link. She heard Meredy's gasp as Juvia's feelings of despair flooded the link.

"Juvia, what's wrong!" cried Meredy.

"What is this?" demanded Gajeel.

"They're her feelings," said Meredy quickly. "We're feeling her feelings," clarified Meredy.

"I thought you said she was okay," growled Gajeel.

"I thought she was! Something must have happened. Juvia! Juvia!"

"Oi! We ain't leaving until you come and tell us what's up!" shouted Gajeel.

"What's that going to do?" asked Meredy.

"Now she'll come."

"What if she wants to be alone?"

"D'you want her to be alone?" asked Gajeel. "She'll come out now. You'll see."

With a sigh, Juvia did look out the window. The sooner she said hello, the sooner they would leave.

"Told ya," said Gajeel.

"Juvia!" cried Meredy. "Talk to me. Did something happen?"

Juvia closed her eyes, letting all the pain of her aching heart wash over her friends.

"We know," said Meredy. "But why?"

Juvia thought about the witch. Her love rival who had caught Gray like a fish in a net. Anger bubbled within her.

"Your captain. Did he do something to make you mad?" asked Meredy.

"You caught him with another girl, didn'tcha?" said Gajeel.

Juvia couldn't hide her surprise at Gajeel's comment.

"Thought so," growled Gajeel. Through the link, Juvia felt a brief surge of protectiveness.

Meredy blinked at Gajeel. "How did you know?"

"You think she'd be crying like that if he forgot her birthday or didn't bring flowers or something?"

Juvia rubbed at her cheek, surprised to find it damp with tears. She hadn't even realized that she was crying.

"Oh, Juvia!" said Meredy, her distress for her friend evident through the link.

Gajeel sighed. "Look, I get that you're upset. But there's no sense cryin' over this. It won't change anything. Why don't you just come home with us? Then next time we run into your dunderheaded captain, I'll even let you get the first hit in before I run my fist through his ship."

"Gajeel!" scolded Meredy.

But Juvia gave a watery chuckle.

"See, good plan, right?" said Gajeel. "Now, come on."

Gajeel's suggestion was a good one. At this point, she had gotten quite enough of these humans. Juvia didn't know if humans could love, but she certainly could, and her broken heart had the scars to prove it.

Despite this, Juvia shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to go. She couldn't. Not when her deal with Jose was still in effect.

"Huh? What d'ya mean 'no'?" asked Gajeel.

Juvia held up her hands above her head to signify the Phantom Lord. Then she held up seven fingers.

"Do you know what she's saying?"

"I don't," said Meredy.

Juvia started to sign again, but Gajeel and Meredy still didn't understand. Finally, Juvia held up a finger, asking them to wait until she could meet them out on the beach.

Juvia snuck outside on silent feet, waiting until she reached the beach to break out in a run. Meredy and Gajeel were just off the shore where the water was a little deeper.

"You look way different with legs," said Meredy.

Juvia gave a half smile and shrugged. After two weeks, she didn't spend a lot of time thinking about her legs anymore.

"So, what's this about you not coming back with us?" asked Gajeel.

Juvia picked up a twig, tracing letters into the sand.

I made a deal with the Phantom Lord.

"What?" spat Gajeel. "I thought you were smarter than that!"

Juvia gave an apologetic shrug.

"And you let her?" snarled Gajeel, turning on Meredy.

Juvia shoved him in the arm.

Not her fault. My choice, she wrote.

"Do I even want to know what you promised him?" asked Gajeel.

Juvia wiped away the words before tracing out: I have seven more days to get Gray to fall in love with me. If I can't, Jose gets my soul.

"Your soul? And you agreed to this?" asked Gajeel incredulously.

Juvia was starting to feel silly, but she nodded.

"For crying out loud, Juvia!" snarled Gajeel, slapping the surface of the water in frustration.

"He's the reason you can't talk, too, right?" asked Meredy.

To keep me from telling Gray.

"Did he take anything else?" asked Gajeel.

Juvia gave a sad smile.

My powers and my tail in exchange for legs. I'm completely human now.

"It'll be okay. We'll save you," promised Meredy. "Somehow…"

"I'm going after him," growled Gajeel. "He's not getting away with this."

"You can't!" said Meredy.

"Oh, it'll be fine," said Gajeel. "I'll just make sure I don't agree to anything. I wouldn't promise him my soul."

Be careful.

"You just worry about you," said Gajeel dismissively. "I can handle Jose."

And how Juvia wanted to believe him!


Poor Juvia! She's a little bit vicious towards Lucy at the beginning, but she's shocked and she's trying to process. (And I couldn't help throwing in "Love Rival" somewhere.) I don't think she senses Lucy's reluctance (I tried to make it clear to you, but have Juvia pick up on it). And Gray, of course, is playing his part well (I mean, he could have gone much farther, but he doesn't actually want to).

Next time, in Silence, Natsu smells a rat: "Seriously, think about it. First, he says he's marrying Lucy. Then he's inviting Erza Knightwalker to his wedding! And he doesn't say a word to us about it!" Natsu snapped, gesturing wildly.

Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.