Chapter 42- Betrayal, confessions and apologies

He stood by the river bank. The breeze was hitting his face and gently blowing back the bangs covering his eyes. She didn't remember him. He finally brought himself to the conclusion he was in love with her, and now she couldn't return his feelings. Just fabulous. In a way, despite the emotional pain, he supposed it was okay, this is probably what he deserved after neglecting her for over what seemed like a year. (Perhaps it was that long?). He finally understood how strong her emotions for him were, and why she'd been so persistent- and annoying to an extent. He has no right to sulk after everything, he couldn't even save her that day… That moment replayed vividly over and over in his head. The shrieks of pain, the screams, her gratitude… the explosion. It's almost like she had died. The real her.

"Gray?" mumbled a certain red-head, as she wiped her own tears dry.

Gray turned his head away from the wind and his eyes widened on Erza. The Titania looked so… vulnerable. Vulnerability and Erza were best friends usually never seen together.

"Erza?" he replied in turn.

"Are you okay?" she asked him,

"I could ask you the same," he said.

Erza let her gaze fall.

"I have a feeling we'd have the same answer." she smiled weakly.

"I think you can guess what's going on with me, but what about you?" Gray asked.

"Jellal." she answered.

"Why am I not surprised…" he responded.

"I'm tired of waiting… I just want him back… and with me… I know that's selfish, because the world needs him to, and he has responsibilities but…" Erza began.

"It's that you need him." Gray finished her sentence for her.

"I don't need anyone-" Erza began in frustration.

"Erza, even great people need someone, someone who is able to make a commitment and share the joys in life with you…. and someone who to you, is more than nakama." Gray explained.

"What do I do Gray? He's leaving… I don't know how much longer I'm prepared to act like I'm happy without him here." Erza's eyes were glassy still.

"All you can do, is make him stay, or go yourself. Don't let something good with the potential to be great, go." Gray told her, glancing down at his own feet.

This statement was once of both advice, and self-reflection.

"Thank you Gray." Erza whispered softly.

"Come here." Gray said with a hint of reluctance, gesturing for the Titania to hug him.

Erza hugged into his arms gladly. It was a kind reminder of the close friendship they shared.

~o0o~

Lucy drummed her fingers in cannon effect on the table, over and over. There was an awkward tension in the air. There was a lot of exchanged sideways glances. A silence hung over the single table whilst the rest of the guild partied freely. Sting was sitting to her left, and his exceed Lector, who'd returned was standing paws folded on Sting's shoulder. Rogue was sat opposite him with Frosch on his lap. To Rogue's right, and also opposite Lucy, was Yukino. Next to Yukino, was Natsu. Across from Natsu, and next to Lucy, was Lisanna. And sitting on the end, was next to Lisanna was Juvia. The silence remained uninterrupted. Lisanna bit her lip ever so slightly, glancing from Lucy to Natsu, she noticed Lucy was glancing between Sting, Yukino and Natsu. Natsu's eyes flickered between Lisanna, Lucy and Sting. Sting looked between, Yukino, Lucy, Natsu, Rogue, and Lector. Lector's look was not approving. Yukino's gaze went between the table, Sting and Lucy. Rogue's stare shifted between Sting and Yukino and occasionally Frosch. And Juvia sat there twiddling her fingers. Everyone else was eying either a crush, a lover, an ex, the competition, a friend they were concerned for, friends they were caught between, and friends they were hurting.

"Everyone looks like they have betrayed someone they care about dearly." spoke up Juvia.

All heads turned to the bluenette, mouths agape, shocked expressions, nonchalant looks and all.

"What do you mean?" the words tumbled from Lucy's lips.

Of course she partially knew what Juvia was on about. She just didn't get how Juvia meant it.

"You are all looking at each other like your waiting to see the next backstabber. You are all friends yes? Yet everything is awkward, because you have all done something, even if only little, to betray one another's friendship. Juvia can see the relationship web just by looking at you all, looking at each other!" explained Juvia.

Nervous looks were now being exchanged between everyone.

"Juvia thinks that everyone should clear up what is misunderstood, and clarify their feelings so everyone can move past it and stay good friends. Juvia doesn't remember everyone well, but Juvia knows that you are all very important to each other and that misunderstanding and broken bonds might affect your team work and friendships." Juvia shared.

"How do we…. clarify?" asked Yukino.

"Juvia thinks… you should all take in turns, asking each other questions which you must all answer truthfully, for the sake of your friends." said Juvia, "Juvia will start for you."

"Rogue-kun, I have three questions for you. Firstly, is there anything you've done to betray a friend you want to apologise for? Secondly, who do you have romantic feelings for? And lastly, what are your intentions?... Juvia thinks everyone should answer the same questions, but Rogue-kun will start." stated Juvia.

Rogue took a breath and swallowed.

"If we all agree to answer this in full truth, I will agree to be nothing but honest." said Rogue.

Slowly but surely, everyone at the table nodded in agreement.

"Juvia will hold you all to that." she said with a glint of evil personality in her eyes.

Several of those at the table gulped, and then the confessions began.

Rogue- "Sting, it is you I have betrayed. I've not been flirting with the girls you have feelings for behind your back, but right in front of you. For that I sincerely apologise. Just know, it was with good intentions that I did this. I wanted you to see through the way of jealous, that there are feelings there, and sometimes, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. As for who I have romantic feelings for. I believe I have feelings for Yukino Aguria. As for my intentions, I have none to pursue her."

Yukino- "If I've betrayed anyone, it's you Lucy, and I'm really sorry, I told Sting how I felt about him while you had feelings for each other. With that being said, I have romantic feelings for Sting Eucliffe and I think they've been there longer than I knew until I realise that now. Again Lucy, I'm sorry, and I have no intentions of being with someone I know you love, especially when I know he loves you to."

Natsu- "I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry everyone. I have betrayed so many of my friends, and my comrades, that I feel like I don't deserve anyone anymore. To Lisanna, I'm sorry for everything that I've done to hurt you. I'm sorry that I overreacted, I'm pretty sure I betrayed your trust or something, by leaving you when you needed me most. To Lucy, I'm sorry that I never truly told you the truth about how I felt about you, instead I buried those feelings because I was afraid. I feel I've betrayed you by hiding them from you. I have and always have, feelings for Lucy Heartfilia, I'm really sorry Lisanna, what's worse is that I think you already knew. I intend on repairing my friendship with Lisanna, that I look forward to more than anything. I don't intend on asking Lucy to leave Sting for me, because I know now, that after everything I've done, that would be too much for me to ask, let alone be a betrayal to Sting- who even though he is a rival- is my nakama to."

Lisanna- "I'm sorry Natsu, for betraying you in the worst way possible, I should have just told you how I was feeling and confronted you face to face. I'm sorry for damaging the relationship that we had, and so to make up for it, I'd love more than anything to repair our friendship to. I'm sorry to you Juvia, for reasons I think I'll have to tell you once you've regained your memories, I betrayed you so badly I'd be amazed if you found it in your heart to forgive me. And so I hope when the day comes that you remember, you'll be able to hear me out, and at least understand if not forgive me. I have romantic feelings for Natsu Dragneel still, but I'm not sure that'd we'd work anyway. For far too long, I've been like a sister to him, and thinking I could change that so quickly, was certainly absurd of me. I have no intentions on hurting anyone, and I think I'll give romance a break for a while at least. All I want is for things to go back to the way they were before things got complicated."

Lucy- "Wow. This is all a lot to take in…. Firstly I'd like to apologise to Lisanna. I always thought we would make great friends so close we'd be like sisters, and so I don't want any of this to get between us. I'm sorry for all of the hurt I must have caused you, I never wanted this to happen, I love you like everyone in Fairy Tail, I'd never wish such pain upon you. Next I apologise to Sting, for the times we fought and ran away from the problems instead of facing them head on. I'm sorry for the times where things weren't and still kind of aren't working between us… And Natsu, I'm sorry… for not being able to tell you how I felt as well, perhaps I betrayed our friendship to. Truth is, I have feelings for both Sting and Natsu, equally as strong, and completely conflicting. The only thing that sets my feelings toward them apart, is how I see it working. Sting, I worry about how we'll work because of our own heated issues. And Natsu, I don't know how we would work either after the mess we've got ourselves in here. I'm sorry Sting, for not telling you the truth about how I felt about Natsu, I didn't want you be angry at me or yourself, this is my fault solely, I thought if I hid my feelings, no one would have to know and everything would be okay. But now I see, getting everything out in the open seems to make everything clearer and make more sense… for everyone. I have intentions on repairing my friendship with Lisanna and Natsu, I feel like these problems may have been setting us apart and I don't want that. I intend on discussing with Sting, how we will deal with our relationship."

Sting- "You all want the full truth. Here you have it. I'm sorry for Lucy, for being in love Yukino at the same time I was in love with you… and I still am… with both of you. I'm sorry to Yukino to. I know that it's not fair on either of you. I'm sorry Rogue, I should have realised how you felt about Yukino earlier, but I was too self-absorbed in my own problems to see it. I'm to everyone else, I'm sure I must have somehow hurt you all in some way, as much as I hate to admit it, I can be selfish and forget about others and how they feel. I have romantic feelings for Lucy Heartfilia and Yukino Aguria. I have intentions on discussing the direction of our relationship with Lucy, and Yukino I intend on making up for everything I did to look down on you and put you down during our time in Sabertooth. I intend on one day, repairing the friendship between Natsu and myself, and I intend on being less selfish in the future. And I hope you all heard that, because I won't be repeating all of that again."

End of chapter. Now I feel like I've cleared up some things! But seriously, they all needed that.

Now I have this particular reviewer I'd like to respond to if he/she made it to this chapter.

Dear StellarCaster,

I'll begin with saying, swear at me with *** all you like. Doesn't actually bother me at all. But if you say you hate this story and then review again a few chapters on, it leaves me to wonder, why are you still reading it if it's that bad. I understand this isn't my best fanfiction, in fact it's my first, but you don't have to put hate on it just because of the ships. I do believe I listed NaLi as one of the featured pairings in the summary. Although, thank you for taking the time to review this story, with the help of you, I'm nearing 50 reviews more and more. If you are reading this, then I thank you for being super tolerant with my story. Happy Christmas to you and keep shipping NaLu. They are forever cute. I believe I've made me point, good day to you.

Sincerely from, Hermit.

Now to everyone in general, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A GOOD ONE! :D ! This chapter is my Christmas present from me to you, I'm updating every single fanfiction by me tonight at approximately 11.59pm for the pure hell and awesomeness of it. This one is the first of all the fanfiction chapters to be released! Some fanfictions' chapters will be posted late though, because at this rate I won't finish them in time! D:

Please leave a review, if you have something interesting to say, I might leak an ending pairing or two next chapter's Author's Note.

I can already leak to ya'll, something very special will take place next chapter! So fingers crossed for what you're hoping the special surprise is!

Love you all, haters and lovers alike ;)

~Hermit