The dark-haired young man ran across the roof tops, his face a mask of fear and rage. The men behind him were catching up, if they caught him, he would wish he was dead.

The man glanced over his now bare shoulder and saw that he had no chance of getting away, but then he smiled as the sea came into sight.

"Juvia, you'd better be there!" He huffed as he hopped the last building with the suits right behind him.

They stayed with him right up until he jumped, narrowly missing the pier and the boat tied there, and as the suits looked over at the water, they found a thick sheet of ice blocking them from the water. * "Grey-sama!" Screamed the light blue haired girl as they pulled themselves out of the water.

"Grey-sama, if you EVER scare Juvia like that again, Juvia will kill Grey-sama!" Shouted the irate woman.

Grey flinched, he had really scarred her, she only slipped into third person now was when she was near hysterics. There was only one way to calm her when she was like this.

He walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, and kissed the top of her head.

"To hell with that!" Juvia almost snarled, pulling his head down for a proper kiss.

They broke apart as a man cleared his throat, loudly.

Grey glared at the man with brotherly hatred. "What's the big idea Natsu?" He shouted.

"We have rules, frostbite, or have those two brain cells of yours become ice cubes?" Natsu shouted back.

"You wanna go flame brain!" Grey yelled, readying himself.

"Love to, but Luce and I got a meeting with some big wig so you guys gotta meet gramps tonight." The pink haired wet boy grinned. "Besides it's your turn to fork over the cash." With that said, Natsu ran towards the street level exit.

"Shit!" Grey growled.

"Damn him." Juvia spat. * The two sat in the living room of the house that was built on top of the lair to cover it.

"How long till that geezer gets here." Grey griped.

"You know the Ten, they make they're own time." Juvia pointed out.

"And waist ours." Grey grumbled.

They continued waiting for a few minutes until the doorbell rang.

Grey went to the door, and let a short old man in. Grey looked at the new comer, he was balding and that hair he did have was wight as snow. The old man turned to greet Juvia, the symbol of the master of blood shone like silver fire on his back.

"Bin a wile hasn't it, Master Makarov." Grey's voice was calm and filled with a huge respect for the man, a respect that none of the other Nine Masters had ever known.

"I've bin busy." Makarov said, gruffly. "And to tell you the truth, I've bin avoiding doing rounds recently."

"Why is that?" Juvia asked with the same note of respect in her voice as Grey had had in his, in fact the same note as most wet workers had when talking to the master of blood.

"Mostly because the King has bin cracking down on our activities recently." Makarov smiled grimly. "I'm thinking of putting a knife under his royal pillow, and maybe a tack in his seat cushion for good measure."

Grey and Juvia grinned, there was a reason this man had few enemies, even if it was just a tack, the king would never dare move against the master of blood again. Not for any reason.

"That ought to shut him up." Grey laughed.

"Exactly what I thought." The master smiled, his grin made him seem foolish, which he had always used to his advantage. Then the smile faded, replaced by a more serious expression.

"I didn't just come for pleasure though." His look turned a little sad as he said: "Mako's dead."

"Who was it?" Juvia asked, she had a dangerous gleam in her eyes, no one got away with killing a wet boy. No one.

"The Grand Duke Nori asked him to a meeting and knifed him when he wasn't looking." Makarov's face turned bleak. "Some one already has a claim on him. But that's not the point, you remember Romeo?"

"Of course." Juvia answered. "Lucy and I used to watch him when he was younger."

"Well Mako took him as an apprentice. He needs a new mentor."

Grey glanced at Juvia and saw the answering smile. "We'll take him on as ours." He said. "What's his talent anyway?"

"Rainbow fire." Makarov answered, picking up his hat to leave. "He has almost no training at all so you must teach him all you can."

"We'll make him the best we can." The pair promised as Makarov turned to leave.

"Oh, by the way, taking an apprentice exempts you from the usual payments. To me anyway. When will you pick him up?"

"Who's he with?"

"The Mistress of Pleasure." Makarov replied with a faintly disapproving look.

"I'll get him tonight!" Juvia stood and walked out the door. She popped her head back and asked: "Which location?"

"Her home, do you really think I'd leave him in a brothel?" Makarov looked faintly injured. "Mako would skin me in hell if I did."

"No but he would climb back in his skin to get him, or would intend to anyway." Grey grinned.

"That old fool was a pervert to the end." Makarov said smiling. "May we all be so lucky." * The house of Momma M was small for one of the Ten Fallen Saints, but it was still a large house, and it had a surprisingly comfy feel. Not something you'd expect from the queen of whores.

Despite all that, Juvia had always hated it here. The homeliness of it had always seemed to be a mockery of all the suffering that had payed for it, including that of her own mother.

She knocked on the door and waited.

"It's open!" Shouted a musical voice.

Juvia went inside, greeted Momma M politely and asked: "Where's Romeo?"

Mamma M's face fell. "The poor boys upstairs, might be asleep by now but I doubt it."

"May I see him?"

"Of course dear, he's in your mothers old room."

Juvia nearly blanched, she hadn't bin in that room since her mother had passed, but she had a job to do. She had to collect the son of a friend, as well as an apprentice.

"Thank you."

"Be strong dear." Momma M said softly to Juvia as she climbed the stairs.

Juvia walked down the hall to the last door on the left, and had to steal herself to go in.

Romeo was sitting on the bed starring at the floor as she walked in. He looked so small sitting like that, and far to sad for a seven year old. Juvia silently swore that he would never be so sad again.

"Romeo?"

He didn't respond.

"It's Juvia, I'm here to take you to my place."

"Go away." He said in a dead voice.

"No. Your going to come with me, and then when your ready you will get the basterd that stole your father from you."

Romeo looked up sharply at her. "What?"

"You heard me, Makarov has all but promised the Grand Duke is yours."

Romeo's eyes lost that dead look and took on a look of startling determination.

"His heads mine?" He asked.

"Unless you ask me to kill him, or any other wet worker, for that matter. I doubt most would even charge you for it. Your dad was loved by most of us, and well respected by the rest." Juvia answered.

"Then he's mine!" He growled.