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For those of you that thought the story would end - think again. xD

Chapter 12.

"So...it wasn't…real?" Gray said slowly and tried to get what Lucy had just told him. Lucy nodded and looked at him with apologizing eyes.

"Oh man!" Gray said and smacked a hand loudly toward his forehead. "Well, this is awkward."

"We couldn't tell anybody, because it would ruin our plans," Lucy explained and couldn't help a little smile. She had let Gray run awaywith her, and they now sat outside the great area that was owned by her father, on a little hill, under a tree. Lucy still wore the white wedding dress, except she had taken a few layers off, so it was easier for her to sit on the ground. The layers she had taken off lay (neatly folded) on Gray's Jacket, so they wouldn't get dirty. Lucy herself sat on Gray's shirt – which he would have taken off anyway. Lucy had gasped when she saw the wound (covered in ice) on his forearm, but he had reassured her it was nothing.

"How would that have ruined your plans?" Gray questioned and looked at her with confused eyes.

"We couldn't leave the mansion, you see," Lucy began and pulled her knees up and wrapped both hands around them. "We were always watched, which meant that if we should have any visitors, there would probably be a dozen maids with their ears pressed against the door, probably encouraged by my father. I knew that, so I made Mako keep quiet. I made it a condition."

Gray didn't seem satisfied with that answer.

"But you could have told me, when I came to your room," Gray said and felt that the words came out wrong. Lucy blushed at the thought – that was the time she had completely realized her strong feelings toward him.

"I wanted to tell you that night, but…I didn't get a chance to," she mumbled into her knees. Gray sighed and leaned against the tree behind them.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done," he said and closed his eyes. His eyes twisted in pain under the lids; he had ignored the pain in his arm until now, but it was really starting to bother him. Lucy saw the change in his expression.

"Is it your arm?" she asked and reached out to take his arm, but he pulled it away when her fingers touched it. Gray's eyes snapped open.

"OUCH! Don't touch– I mean…it's nothing," he mumbled and looked away, embarrassed that he had whined in front of her.

Lucy rolled her eyes and leaned over to take a better look at the wound. Gray flinched a little when he smelled her perfume and shampoo that close. Lucy didn't notice his movement; she just raised a hand and gently took his arm, without touching the wound. Gray groaned quietly, but didn't pull away again.

He was drawn by the serious look in her eyes when she measured his sore arm. He felt like he should stop staring, but he couldn't.

"You're so beautiful," he mumbled under his breath and Lucy yanked her head up in surprise.

"Huh?" she said surprised. Gray widened his eyes in embarrassment. Had he said that out loud?

"Um…nothing," he hurried to say and didn't know where to look. Lucy's mouth curled into a little smile.

"You said I was beautiful, right?" Lucy said, teasing.

"I just meant the dress, and the smell and…" he cut himself off and gave a loud sigh. Lucy giggled a little before becoming quiet.

"It's my mother's dress. I found out today," Lucy mumbled. "If it wasn't, I would have probably just thrown it in a trashcan when we left the church. I miss my own clothes though," she said quietly.

"That's why," Gray said and now understood why his jacket had to suffer under the heavy layers. Lucy lowered her eyes. Gray saw it and almost panicked when he thought she would cry, but luckily she didn't.

"I miss her," she just mumbled.

"Who?" Gray said absentminded.

"My mom," Lucy whispered. Gray got surprised when she used the word ´mom,´ and not ´mother.´ He had never heard her call her father ´dad.´

Lucy gave a little sigh and then her lips turned into a forced smile and she hurried to reach toward the layers of the dress.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Gray asked flustered.

"Making you a bandage," Lucy said without looking at him.

"But…but I thought it was your mothers dress," Gray said confused.

"It is," Lucy mumbled and held the smooth silk in her hands, "but sometimes…you have to let go."

She clenched her hands and was about to rip the fabric, but Gray quickly leaned over and laid both his hands on hers.

"What?" Lucy said and didn't seem very surprised. Gray looked in her eyes; they were strong and sure, just how he loved them, but there was something else too. Even if her expression was strong, her hands were still trembling under his.

"Lucy," Gray whispered and gently pulled the fabric out of her hands, "you don't have to do that," he said and Lucy tightened her lips.

"It's just a dress…"

"But it's also the last reminder of your mom," Gray said and Lucy avoided his eyes. She was not going to whine over some dress. Gray was hurt and she wanted to help him; he was alive after all. He was still here, and she couldn't pick a dress over him, not even if it was the last reminder of her mom.

Gray groaned in annoyance when the ice started to leak, and blood ran in a thin stripe down his arm and ending in his palm. He hurried to shift his body, so Lucy didn't notice.

"Keep your dress, I'll be fine," he mumbled, but Lucy had already seen the change in his eyes and reached for his arm.

"You're bleeding!" she said and her eyes turned from sadness to concern.

"Stop worrying!" Gray said and pulled away, "I told you-!"

He cut himself off and widened his eyes in surprise. The sound of ripping silk echoed loudly, but Lucy didn't even blink.

"Lu-Lucy…" Gray said overwhelmed.

"I'm okay," Lucy said and reached for his arm. "Give me your arm."

Gray obeyed quickly and she hurried to bind the silk tightly around his arm, but there quickly spread a big red spot in the white silk, and Lucy hurried to rip another piece of the dress, while ignoring Gray's protests.

"Silk is not good," Lucy said after a while and reached for another layer. "Maybe I should use the cotton fabric…"

"Please Lucy, you've done enough – it doesn't even hurt anymore," Gray lied; he could see how much every rip cost her. If she continued like this, she would probably break down, but of course she didn't listen and grabbed another layer, made of beautiful cotton fabric.

Gray felt very guilty for using her mother's remains to cover up his wound.

Lucy ripped another piece of the precious dress off and hurried to bind Gray's arm further. He sighed in concern, but she ignored him.

Finally it seemed like the fabric had done its work.

"Done," Lucy said and Gray could hear the tortured sound in her voice. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked nursing.

"NO!" Gray hurried to exclaim a little too loud. Lucy's mouth curled into a smile and she made a quiet laugh that made Gray smile too.

"You're so overprotective," Lucy told him as she lowered her eyes.

"You know it's more then that, Lucy," Gray said, finally seeing his chance. Lucy looked up at him with big eyes. "Of course I'm overprotective. Why do you think I crawled to your room in the middle of the night? Or crashed your wedding?"

"Because we're a team," Lucy said quietly.

"No," Gray said and he felt the nervousness build, "I didn't crash your wedding because you're my team-mate. I did it because…because I…I lo-"

"Luuucyy!" Natsu's voice called loudly.

"Natsu?" Lucy said and rose to her feet to wave at the fire mage that was looking around the area with worried eyes. His lips widened into a grin when he saw Lucy, and he began to run up the hill toward them.

Lucy didn't see Gray's fist clenching so hard that the knuckles were almost white, and his eyes and teeth clenched together in anger.

Natsu came up and turned to Lucy. "Hey Lucy!" he said, completely ignoring Gray. "Everyone is out looking for you two. You just ran off. I followed my nose and found you first though," he continued proudly. "Aren't you coming back? Everyone is excited to see you again."

"Sure," Lucy said with a little smile.

Gray now rose to his feet and gave Natsu a deadly glare. Natsu looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's your problem?" he asked and tilted his head.

"Right now, you're my problem!" Gray said furious and attacked with all his anger. Natsu exclaimed a surprised sound when all air was punched out of him.

"Gray!" Lucy said annoyed, but not surprised.

"You want to fight?" Natsu said and jumped to his feet again. He walked angrily toward Gray. His palms lit up in flames, and Gray's in ice.

Lucy sighed loudly and didn't even bother stopping them when they jumped toward each other with deadly blows, which would probably have killed any other opponent.

"Natsu?" she asked.

"What?" he yelled angrily from inside the storm of attacks.

"Where are the others?" she asked calmly.

"Um…I think they talked about going to a local bar," Natsu said and sent a fireball after the ice mage, but he dodged and returned the attack.

"Thanks," Lucy mumbled and began to head back to the city. They would probably go on for a long time, anyway. She looked at the torn up dress for a second. Her eyes filled with sadness, but then she hurried away, leaving the dress remnants behind.

Mako groaned in pain when his father's hand hit his cheek with so much force that his world began to spin. They were in the room that Mako hated the most in the world: his father's office. He only allowed Mako to enter when he had to take his anger out on someone – and that someone was often Mako.

"How could you do it to our family – to our good name!" his father spit out angrily. Mako took his gaze with calm eyes; he didn't even hesitate to say his answer.

"Love."

His father's hand hit again and this time Mako's head spun so he faced the wall and his vision became blurry. He had to take a few deep breaths before he turned his head back. His eyes were hard again.

"I love her," he said and another blow hit his face. He hurried to recover and continued, "Where did you take her? Where is Alica?"

"Don't talk so disrespectfully to me," his father said angrily, his eyes shining with fury. "The girl has been taken into custody and will be taken care of-"

"What?" Mako said horrified. "You can't…you can't do that! Where is she?"

"Don't ask me questions," his father said threatening. "You have been a bother since you were born. I thought you would do something right, for once."

"I-I didn't…it wasn't my fault," Mako said and got a pained expression in his eyes. Should they really go through that again?

"Yes, it was," his father said and his teeth clenched in anger. "You killed her! Your own mother!"

"She died in childbirth!" Mako protested frustrated. They had had this discussion hundreds of times.

"Your birth! You killed her!" his father said and Mako felt the pain in his chest come back. His father had always hated him because his mother died when she gave birth to him. He had made Mako's life a living hell since he was very young. It was only in the time, when he was 'engaged' with Lucy, he hadn't been reminded of his 'murder.'

Because of that, Mako had been a very twisted kid. He had avoided most people, especially girls. But then he meet Alica by accident, when she was on a mission for her dark guild, and they had fallen in love, they had got each other back on track. He would never let her slip again.

"If you were never born, she would still be alive!" his father hissed between his teeth. Mako had to take a deep breath and close his eyes for a second.

"Where is Alica?" he whispered.

"If your mother hadn't begged me to take care of you, I would have killed you a long time ago!" his father said, and Mako bit his lip in pain.

"You didn't do a good job on her last wish," Mako whispered almost soundless.

"Don't you dare talk about her!" the duke said and let another blow echo in the room. Mako had had his mouth open and cried out in pain when he bit his tongue. The duke didn't show any pity in his eyes.

"You're pathetic," he said icily. Mako wiped some blood away from the corner of his mouth and clenched his eyes shut.

"Please, just tell me where Alica is," Mako said quietly.

"Oh, she's in a bar," a new voice suddenly said and Mako turned his head in surprise. A new person had just entered the room and Mako widened his eyes.

"Mr. Heartphilia?" he said and didn't know how to react. Then his words finally gave meaning in Mako's head. "What do you mean a bar?" Mako then said, suddenly suspicious. Why would Alica go to a bar at a time like this?

"I mean," Lucy's father continued, walking across the room with his hands behind his back and a very business-like expression, "that she is the exact same place as all those…Fairy Tail mages." His eyes showed the anger when he said the last words.

Mako didn't get what he said at all. "So…she's safe?" he asked hopefully, but judging from the man's serious expression he was wrong.

"No, she's not safe – but she's just were she's suppose to be."

So what did you think happened to Alica and the others? Ö

Hope you liked at please review. :)