Hey. ;)

I have been on vacation, so I haven't been able to upload as much as I wanted - but I'm back and ready to write. ^^

Hope you'll like and please review afterwards. :D

Chapter 5.

Natsu sat in his seat. His face was a light green and his eyes swam around. Gray tried to ignore him and looked out of the window – his shirt had disappeared and he couldn't remember were it was, so he was in a bad mood.

He saw how the streets turned into fields and cows, and sighed. The train was almost filled up with people, but everyone had kept away from the two boys – a/k/a: the sick boy and the boy without a shirt on. A little girl had pointed at them and whispered something to her mother, but her mother had shook her head and made the girl look away.

But suddenly a person stopped beside them, anyway.

"Excuse me." A little voice suddenly said.

Gray turned his head (Natsu was too paralyzed and didn't even notice the person). The person was small, and was definitely a girl – though she hid her featured good in her long brown cowl.

She obviously waited for Gray to say something, but he just looked at her, and she hurried to ask;

"Could I sit here?" She asked with a light voice and wrapped her hands together. Gray just kept looking at her, and she hurried to say, "The other seats are taken."

"Sure …" He said and made a little nod toward the seat.

"Thank you so much." She said polite, and sat beside him. She made sure to sit at the edge of her seat and looked down. Gray almost felt like he should say something.

"Why do you wear that?" He asked and looked down of her. She flicked a little when he spoke and hurried to warp her hands together. She didn't answer – Gray first thought she was rude and ignored him, but then he heard a little sob from under the hood.

He flew back in his seat. He hated when girls cried. His eyes tried to catch Natsu's gaze, but he was long gone.

"H – hey," He said and didn't dare to touch her.

"I'm sorry," She sobbed and hurried to wipe her eyes under the hood, "everything's just messed up. I can't figure anything out anymore." She lowered her head more.

"D – don't cry." Gray mumbled and laid a hesitating hand on her shoulder. His touch made it even worse. When his fingers touched her shoulder she cried out loudly, and started to sob even more and now people started to turn their heads.

"I – I'm sorry!" He yelled and yanked his hand back. Even Natsu lifted his head a little, and gave them a tired look.

"What did you do?" He said with a sick voice.

"NOTHING!" Gray yelled and got to his feet, "She just … started crying."

They both looked at the girl, and Gray sat down again, and gently poked her on the hood.

"Um … girl …" He mumbled, but suddenly she turned her whole body and buried her crying face in his shoulder. He lifted both hands over his head in surprise. She cried harder and tears ran down his bare chest.

"Na – Natsu!" Gray cried out, "Remove her!" He demanded, but Natsu just smirked trough the sickness, and shook his head.

"Bastard." Gray mumbled and turned his attention to the girl again. Her hood had fallen off and showed her dark raven-hair, but he still couldn't see her face.

´Why didn't Ersa come? ´ He thought, but made a groan when he remembered:

"Hallo Ersa." He murmured and robbed his sore spot, "when did you get back?" He asked while he got to his feet.

"Just now," She answered and lowered her punching hand.

Her expression was hard, and he had no idea, what she was thinking.

"Why didn't you go with Natsu?" She asked and laid a hand on the hip, "You don't use to let your friends down."

Gray didn't answer, he just got to his feet, and brushed a little dust from his shoulder. His eyes flicked a little.

"You're in love with her, right?" She said and learned a little forward. He made a little gasp in surprise by the question, but regretted it immediately, when he heard Ersa's quiet laughter.

"I'm not." He lied and looked away.

Ersa stopped laughing and suddenly became serious.

"You should be there to get her back too," She said and took his cup from the table and took a little sip.

"Hey, it's mine!" Gray said loudly, and reached a hand toward the cup, but Ersa ignored him and emptied the cup. She send him a smirk.

"She'll never know your feelings if you hide here – maybe she'll even fall in love with another," She smiled amused when she saw his pained expression, "Maybe even Natsu."

"Natsu!" Gray said and widen his eyes, "She have better taste then that!" He yelled and clenched his fist.

"So you are in love." Ersa said with a new smirk.

Gray swore silently and turned his back to her. How did she do that?

"Fine I'll go," Gray said, still with his back toward her, "But not because you OR that – flamespitting – Natsu told me to." He said and turned around to face her again. His eyes shined with stubbornness and – just a little – hurry.

"Glad to hear," Ersa mumbled and tried to suppress a smile.

"Are you coming?" He asked and was already on his way toward the door. Ersa shook her head.

"I'm exhausted after the last mission," She said shortly and waved him away. He made a little groan and disappeared out of the door. Ersa lowered her hand and made a little smile, "I'll let you have this one, Gray." She whispered.

Gray gently poked the girl on the head, again.

"I – it's alright." He mumbled and began to stroke her hair, "What's your name?" He tried. That woke her up. She immediately stopped crying and hurried to sit up – her cheeks was dark red.

"I'm so sorry!" She yelled and Gray raised his hands again by her sudden shouting, "I didn't mean to soak your shir – um … chest." She blushed even more and pulled the hood back on.

"Do – don't worry about it." Gray mumbled and felt embarrassed too. He hurried to change the subject, to suppress the moment, "You didn't answer my question."

"Alica," She said and turned her head away.

"Fine and now – what has happened to you?" He said. Natsu tried to listen too.

"It's a long story …" She whispered and pulled her dark clothes closer to her little body. Gray didn't accept that answer.

"I can listen – it's a long ride."

"It's none of your concern!" She said rejecting, and for the first time she sounded strong, but Gray just became more stubborn.

"You just cried all over me!" He said, "You owe me an explanation!"

She didn't answer. Her gaze searched for another seat in the train, but to her regret there was nothing.

"Miss," Lucy heard outside the door. It was Supetto's calm voice, "Dinner's ready – young master Makoto is waiting in the dinning hall."

"Thank you – I'll be there … soon." She yelled back and didn't move. She had stayed in her room all the time, since her and Mako's – almost – kiss. Just the thought made her blush.

She heard Supetto's steps disappear down the hall. She whished she could talk with the old woman about it, but that would reveal the plan.

"Get a hold of yourself, Lucy." She suddenly said to herself and rose to her feet. This was ridiculous – she had no feelings for Mako. Or had she? NO! Stop doubting! She hurried to cross her room and laid a hand on the door.

Something fell out of her pocket and landed on the floor with a loud noise. She turned her head in surprise and looked down. Her keys lay spread on the floor. She kneeled and clenched her fingers around the familiar shapes. She hadn't used them in a while now.

"Lucy!" She suddenly heard from the hall. She opened her eyes in surprise by her fathers voice, and opened the door. He stood in the hall – impatiently.

"I'm coming," She said and stepped out of her room. Maybe she could summon a spirit after dinner - to talk to someone.

"You can't make your future husband wait, what was you do-" He stopped when he saw the keys hanging from her fingers. She made a gasp when she realized his gaze and hurried to hide them behind her back.

"Give them to me." Her father said and reached a hand toward her. She shook her head and clenched harder of her precious keys.

"Lucy Heartphilia, give me those keys!" He said and his eyes turned a little wild. She was about to reject again, but stopped herself and sighed. She couldn't ruin everything now.

"I - I want them back," She whispered. Her father didn't answer.

She took a step forward and hesitating handed the keys toward her father's palm. Before she could lay them in his hand, he made a quick movement and yanked them out of her hand.

She made a quiet gasp, when she saw her precious keys disappear down her father's huge pocket. It was like he had taken a part of her. Then a horrible thought ran trough her head.

"Aquarius is going to kill me."

Gray, Natsu and Alica is about to face - Mako, Lucy and the fathers. That'll be a crash. xD

Hope you liked and please review. :D