Chapter Eleven: Tears

As we returned to the castle, the guards let us in without any issues this time. We walked through the big corridors with the huge portraits. We sat down with Chantelle and the King talking and us sharing our stories until we had to leave. We walked down the hall when Natsu suddenly jumped in front of us and started begging.

"Can I go exploring?" asked Natsu excitedly, "Please, please, please?"

"Aye!" said Happy.

"Natsu, you can't—" I began.

"Go nuts," said Erza surprisingly.

"What? Erza—?" I said.

"Whoo-hoo!" shouted Natsu, running away, leaving a trail of dust. Happy was right behind him.

"Don't break anything!" I yelled after him.

"Lucy," said Erza.

"Nani?" I asked, turning around.

Erza and Gray both looked sheepish but Erza spoke first, "Sorry."

"For what?" I asked, my eyes widening, "You didn't even do anything."

"If I had just ignored the idea of covering up our marks, you would never have nearly died or got shot," she looked away, guilty.

"Same with me," said Gray, "I'm sorry you got shot because of me."

"What?" I cried, surprised, "Seriously? Why do you guys think I'm so fragile? I can take some damage too."

"You nearly died," Erza emphasised, "I nearly let you die because of covering up your mark. What if that bullet hit somewhere fatal? We probably wouldn't have had enough time to save you."

"But I'm fine now," I said, "And it's OK. Even if I did die, at least I would have died with my friends and I would have accomplished one of my dreams of joining Fairy Tail."

Erza smiled, "This is why you're a great teammate, Lucy."

Gray was quiet the whole time. I opened my mouth to speak when there was a crashing sound downstairs.

"Oh my God, NATSU!" yelled Erza, running in that direction.

"OK…" I said, sweat-dropping a bit. I turned around to speak to Gray but he spoke first.

"I just really worry about you," said Gray, letting a hand resting on my cheek, "Out of everyone in our guild, I worry about you the most." He let his fingers trail down my cheek before resting it back at his side. My face felt warm where he'd touched.

"Just promise never to do that again," said Gray, taking my hands in his, "If you had died in order to protect me, do you know how I could ever live with it? I would see it every day; you getting shot in front of me and when Fallen Dark had to take you to the infirmary. During that whole time, five minutes seemed like five years until they told us you were breathing."

"I'm sorry, I never realised…" I said, "… But I can't promise that I would never take a bullet for another teammate, including you. I just don't work that way." I slipped out my hands and walked down the stairs to where Erza and Natsu were. I saw Natsu standing in a pile of smashed vase pieces. I recognised the colour and pattern.

"Nice," I said, smiling, "A genuine sapphire family symbol vase."

"What?" said Erza, who was kneeling on the ground with a dustpan.

"Each royal family has a vase to represent their family," I explained, "They each have their own unique colour and pattern. Only one has been made especially for each family so it's actually really valuable."

"Great," sighed Erza, "Great job, Natsu, now we have to shell out a bajillion jewels for a vase. How the hell did you break this anyway?"

"I was practising my Wing move," said Natsu, "Maybe Gildarts will be back and I can challenge him!"

"You're probably going to have to defeat me before you beat Gildarts," muttered Erza.

Suddenly Chantelle rounded the corner and her eyes bugged out at the vase on the floor, "Wow. How'd you guys do this?"

"We're cleaning it up," I said, "We'll pay for another one to be made."

"No, no," said Chantelle, "I'm going to run things differently around here. I don't want anything to show I'm anymore superior than my people. Although that vase would never break. Great job on breaking it," she said to Natsu, then to all of us, "Thanks. That's one worry off our hands. You guys won't take the money for your original mission, so here." She fetched out a wallet from her dress pocket and tipped it upside down. A whole wad of jewel notes fell out. She handed the notes to Erza, "This is the money for the help with my father, for completing the original mission: getting me home and breaking the vase. Arigato Gozaimasu," she bowed a little and put her wallet back in her dress, "I hope that's enough for your troubles."

"More than enough," said Erza, flipping through the money, "I can't believe you keep this much in your wallet."

She smiled, "Sunsuke-san!" she called, "Can you clean this up, please?"

A butler came into the room and started dusting up the broken pieces, "A pleasure, Chantelle."

Chantelle smiled, "Oh yes." She left the room and came back shortly after, carrying a fancy box, "These are your gifts in there."

"Gifts, too?" cried Natsu, "Thanks! Yay!" He took the box and opened it, "Hey…"

He lifted out a little figurine type thing. It sat on a black platform and was beautiful.

"Igneel!" cried Natsu, grinning at the figurine.

"When you told me about Igneel," said Chantelle, "When we sat down and talked, I figured out your gift. I love art and carving little figurines. When you told me about Igneel, it was the spitting image of the one I've made. So I'd like you to have it."

"Arigato!" said Natsu, hopping about excitedly.

"Fish!" yelled Happy, pulling out a big fish, "Yay!" He started nibbling on it.

Erza lifted out a smaller box and opened it, "Shortcake!" she said in delight.

I lifted out a smooth black belt with lots of little hooks. I could hang my Celestial keys on it without having to sort through them all the time. There was also a hook for my whip.

"This is great!" I cried, trying to hang a few keys off the belt. They fitted perfectly. There were even little carvings behind each one with the star sign, "I love it! Thanks, Chantelle!"

Gray came walking down then, "Hey, what's going on?"

"We're getting gifts," I said. I handed him the box, "See your present!"

Gray picked out a couple rectangular shapes, "Hey, it's exactly like I wanted! Thanks Chantelle!"

"What is it?" asked Natsu, still holding his figurine.

"Photo frames," said Gray.

"For what?" asked Happy, looking over at me in a knowing way and mouthing, he llllikes you!

He does not! I mouthed back.

"I thought of this idea a while ago," said Gray, "I wanted a couple frames for pictures of IU I got. She's special to me you know. Maybe I'll slide in a picture of Lyon, too."

"Oh," I said, relieved. But then I thought, but would I be happy if he told me he was putting a picture of me in one? Wait, why the hell am I thinking this?

'OK, now we actually really have to go now," said Erza, closing the box after we all slipped our gifts in, "Thank you for everything, Chantelle."

"It's OK," smiled Chantelle, leading us to the doors, "Bye!"

As we walked away, Chantelle waving, I thought about the mission and everything I've discovered as well as the things that happened with Gray.

…

Back in Fairy Tail…

"Did you say anything?" asked Mira, wiping the bench top and passing barrel of alcohol to Cana, "About… you know."

"Nope," I said, "But… I actually feel different about him now… Like… I think I love him."

"Oh…" said Mira, "That's so adorable!" she cried.

"What?" said Juvia, suddenly sitting down in the chair next to me, "What's adorable?"

"Lucy loves Gray!" said Mira happily, "So cute!"

"…Oh…" said Juvia.

"Mira," I hissed, looking over at Gray the same time Juvia did. He thankfully didn't hear and was talking with Elfman but as soon as he saw me, he smiled and went back to the conversation he was having.

"Whew…" I said, "Lucky…"

Then Juvia was suddenly gone.

"Huh? Juvia?" I asked, looking behind me. I saw Juvia walking towards the balcony of the guild, something shining dropping off her face.

Wait… I thought, Is Juvia crying?

Mira must have noticed too, "Was it what I said?"

"I'll go see," I said.

I leapt off my chair and went after her, "Juvia!"