Hello everyone, it has been quite some time I know but I am back for a little holiday season gift. As soon as this is published I shall be publishing another chapter straight away for its a 2 for 1 day! I have a defined plot for the story now and I plan to bring it to its conclusion before too long. but more details about that later, for now I present the latest chapters. I hope you enjoy them!

Lucy had not been mistaken in her assumptions; with the other two girls in attendance the night had proven itself to be far more interesting than she had originally planned. Far from her initial scheme to settle in for the night with a warm blanket and some kind of a lame rom-com, the three of them had sat up late into the night talking about anything and nothing.

Much to the blonde's surprise, her two friends hadn't launched into an unrelenting barrage of questions regarding her developing relationship with Natsu; nor did they discuss Gray and Juvia or even the new and mysterious Jellal character that Erza seemed to find some interest in. Rather, the hot topic of discussion was the future of the coffee shop and how Lucy planned to deal with the ever-growing influx of customers. Lucy wasn't sure that business was the usual topic for such gatherings, but she certainly didn't mind as long as it kept them away from the topic of romance.

To be frank, it was really an issue which had a steadily growing presence in the back of the blonde's mind. Each shift was becoming more and more difficult to manage with the current staffing, and it was getting harder and harder to match supply to the demand. With each day, she could feel herself growing more and more tired, even with Erza's seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy and enthusiasm she had the feeling that the situation was untenable and would ultimately leave them all burned out.

In this regard, Lucy was in two minds. She felt an undeniable degree of pride and satisfaction at having transformed her parents' little coffee shop into a bustling and lucrative business in the city, but at the same time she also felt the stresses that came as part and parcel to those same successes. There was an ever growing list of minor issues that cropped up and threatened to become a major problem for her. At best, it was starting to feel like her day to day was completely occupied with resolving the littlest of issues and headway had ground to a complete stop.

"Have you considered bringing on more staff? It would let you take a step back and manage the inflow and outflow of products from a more advantageous position." Erza suggested off-handedly.

"I have, but I can't just bring more people in like that. For a start the coffee shop isn't big enough to support any more baristas at once, and on top of that there's the problem of finding the right kind of people. Part of what makes the shop so successful is the personal touches, the love that goes into all of the coffee we serve and the efforts that we go to to ensure the satisfaction of the customers." Lucy sighed.

"Juvia can watch over the new employees and make sure they work to Lucy's standards." Juvia offered with a slight smile. "And Erza can help her do it."

Lucy smiled at her two friends, feeling grateful to have them both there supporting her. She had no doubt that under Juvia any new employees would find no room for slacking off, especially not if Erza was there to keep an eye on things beside her. Yet, as reasonable and logical a step as it was, a part of Lucy was truly loathe to finally letting go of the little café. She had worked there for years, and once her parents had passed away, she had shouldered the burden of building it up into what it was today. She had come to know the faces of the customers that came in, had memorised their orders and never once failed to meet them with a smile. To let go of her direct control after so long scared her. Regardless of how unsteady it made her feel, a part of her knew that it was the best move to make for the business as a whole, and perhaps for herself too.

'Besides' She reasoned 'It's not like I would be leaving it in the hands of total strangers. Juvia has been there with me almost since the very beginning, and Erza has quickly become a key part of the business. If I were to trust anyone with keeping things running smoothly, I would want it to be them.'

"You're right. I know you are both right about this. It is just a little daunting to take a step back after all this time. It kind of feels like if I ease up on my grip, then the whole thing will fly away from me and I'll lose it. That little shop is one of the last things I have of my parents'." Lucy explained. In her mind it all seemed like so much was happening all too fast, like she was already resigned to the leap of faith before having the chance to pause and think it through. Then again, the last few weeks had been much the same, she supposed, ever since Natsu, Gray and Erza had arrived she had been branching out more and more with an ever growing feeling of confidence.

"I guess I'll have to start looking for a new building for the café too. It won't be easy to leave the old building, but I suppose we will have to in order to get the space to deal with the new employees." Lucy said after a moment's thought.

"Not necessarily. Why doesn't Lucy open up a second shop in the city? Many of the customers come from quite far away to get their coffee because they hear it is so good. Perhaps opening another shop offering the same products would work better, that way Lucy can still keep her parent's old shop open." Juvia suggested with growing excitement.

"That might work, and that way your more local customers can keep coming to the same shop as they always have." Erza agreed.

Lucy had to pause for thought after that. It was an option that she had never really given thought to. Yet now that it was presented to her it did make a certain kind of sense. The idea of starting up her own coffee franchise was one which excited her a great deal, after all, who could have seen it coming? Her parents had only ever dreamed that their business could grow to such a size, and yet here Lucy was in a position to make those dreams a reality. It was an idea that sent icy shivers down her spine.

"I suppose… that it might be something to look into…" She admitted slowly, "But I would need the two of you to help out every step of the way. I don't think it's something that I could really manage on my own."

"Lucy, you know Juvia will do whatever she can!" Juvia chirped.

"And don't you count me out just yet either. It wouldn't do for me to push you towards this and not at least help in making it a reality now would it?" Erza said.

"Then it's settled. We won't stop until 'Love and Lucky' is the premiere place for coffee in all of Magnolia!" Lucy finished, her words hitting like hammer blows. Already everything felt different, like she had taken a step out into a whole new and uncertain world. It was both exhilarating and terrifying all at once, but it didn't matter. She knew that she had her dearest friends with her every step of the way.

After that, talk lingered around the finer details for some time as they considered the best times to look for properties around the city as well as how to go about the recruitment process for their new staff. The more they talked, the more it began to dawn on them just how big a task that they had actually taken on and just how daunting it would ultimately be.

Yet as time wore on, their conversations drifted from such serious topics to the matters of the heart. It was something that Lucy had anticipated from the moment that the two other women had arrived on her doorstep, and yet it still caught her completely off-guard. Perhaps in all the talk of business, the blonde had hoped that the subject might have been pushed from their minds completely, but it simply wasn't to be.

Lucy tried to resist at first, redirecting the conversation away from such matters in the hopes of keeping her date night with Natsu as much of a private matter as possible. But every time that she tried, Erza would get a gleam in her eye and thwart her efforts with a ruthless degree of efficiency. In the end, the blonde had been forced to declare her defeat and submit to the redhead's ironclad will. With a sigh she finally gave in and resigned herself to answering their questions.

"It wasn't anything too outlandish really; he came over and surprised me with the key Juvia gave him." She said with a tired sigh, shooting a withering look at her best friend "By the time that I got home he had cleaned the whole house and prepared dinner for us both. After that we kind of just sat up talking about whatever came to mind until the early hours. It was great to finally get to know him a little more, up until now I didn't even really know what he did for a living! I honestly think I understand him a lot more now than I ever did before. It just felt so natural to talk to him, so comfortable to tell him everything that worried or bothered me… and then we… well, we fell asleep on the couch together…"

Catching the look in the others' eyes she hastily added "But it wasn't anything like that! We just stayed up too late and both kind of drifted off together!"

When she finished her face was a brilliant shade of red. She realised that she had gotten completely carried away in her story, feeling swept away in what she perceived to be the romance of it all. By the time that she realised just what she was saying it was all too late to stop. The others sat there looking at her with mouths slightly ajar and saying nothing. Lucy shifted uncomfortably and for a moment wished that the ground would just swallow her up. She didn't even truly understand why it felt so embarrassing. After all it wasn't as though she and Natsu had gotten up to anything anymore raunchy that a lengthy cuddle on the couch.

"That is so sweet! Juvia wishes that she had a lover coming to surprise her in her apartment. How romantic!" Juvia chirped, breaking the silence, much to Lucy's relief.

"That sounds like Natsu. He may seem a little foolish and juvenile at times but it has to be said that his heart is made of gold, and you say he cooked for you? That's quite the honour; in the whole time that I've known him, he has only ever cooked for three people before and they have always been people he is very fond of. I think he likes you more than you realise Lucy~" Erza added. Her tone was sweet and her words touching, but it failed to cover their mischievous intent.

Once again Lucy was silent, her face remaining a vibrant shade of red. In her chest her heart pounded and butterflies swirled around in her stomach. Despite this, and her clear feelings of embarrassment, she couldn't deny an underlying happiness. If what Erza had said proved to be true, then Natsu liked her, and well… maybe she liked him too. It would certainly explain the frequent burst of nerves that she felt whenever he was around. Yet still a part of her resisted the idea. She couldn't be falling for him could she? They had only just met! It all seemed to be moving overwhelmingly fast and she wasn't ready to deal with it all right now. Desperate to move the focus of attention away from herself she latched onto the first idea that came to mind and blurted it out.

"Yeah? Well I hear that Gray and Juvia are getting along just as well, if not better than Natsu and I!" she spoke almost before she could think it through, it was perhaps a low move to throw Juvia to Erza's mercy, but it was the only option that remained to her in the heat of the moment. Regardless, it had the desired effect. Juvia had clearly been knocked onto the back foot and it showed.

"What? N-no! Juvia and Gray are no closer. Juvia sees him quite often around Juvia's apartment building but we haven't really been on any… dates." She quickly stammered, holding her hands up defensively.

"That's not what I heard~" Lucy teased, a mischievous gleam in her eye. It was a rare occurrence that she had Juvia at her mercy and the more devilish part of her simply couldn't pass up on the opportunity. "A little birdy told me, that you and he shared a rather intimate moment that weekend. Maybe you both shared a little kiss?"

At hearing that Juvia went into a complete meltdown. Her eyes glazed over and a happy smile settled on her lips. She had the expression of someone recalling a far off time and place. The only indication that Lucy's words had had even the slightest effect was the fact that her porcelain complexion had taken on a deep shade of beetroot red.

"You really kissed?" Erza asked incredulously, shaking Juvia back to reality. "You have to tell us! Every detail; what led up to it? How was it? Was he shy?"

"W-well, we were walking through the hallways of the orphanage and we stopped by one of the windows to watch the rain come down. Gray was quite shy and bashful so Juvia tried to reassure him. Then he shuffled over to Juvia and looked Juvia right in the eyes and then it just sort of happened… When the kiss came to an end Juvia felt sad. Juvia wished it could have gone on forever but then… then the sun came out and Gray just held Juvia close. It was perfect…"

Lucy and Erza sat in silence, intently listening as Juvia recounted the tale. Though perhaps they were loath to admit it, there was an undeniable feeling of envy between them. Lucy couldn't help but wonder what it might have been like if Natsu had kissed her. She imagined the warm and welcoming scent of his spiced aftershave and the soft feeling of his lips as they brushed against her own, moving to her neck and…

She cut herself off, feeling warmth bloom in her cheeks. That was a train of thought that she was in no way prepared to ride any time soon. She slowed her breathing and fought against her fluttering heart rate. She sighed, knowing that even her own mind was beginning to turning against her. This simply wouldn't do.

"W-well, it looks like the two of you are doing just fine together" Lucy stammered, trying to shake the lingering mental image from her mind but not managing quite so successfully.

"Perhaps… Though Juvia still hasn't been asked out again since, it's like Gray is just continuing on as if nothing actually happened. Maybe he just doesn't see Juvia in that light?" As she spoke, the doubt was clear in Juvia's voice. Lucy felt sympathy well up in her heart; despite being a truly wonderful person, it was no secret that Juvia lacked any real measure of self-confidence.

"I'm sure that's not the case. He's probably just a little unsure of how to go about moving your relationship along. You said he was a little bashful at the time, maybe he is still trying to work out what to do." Lucy replied, the argument seemed a little weak in her mind, but she had to do something to try and turn Juvia back towards a positive frame of mind.

"Come to think of it, that might not be so far from the truth." Erza said pensively "In all the time that I've known Gray he has only really shown interest in two people, Juvia included. The last one, Daphne… well, let's just say that she wasn't exactly the best kind of person. She took Gray for a bit of a ride and really hurt him in the end. He still has great difficulty moving on after that and as a result it has greatly affected his ability to deal with people."

"What happened to her?"

"Nothing that anyone could ever prove…" The redhead answered with a devilish grin. "I simply had a few words with her regarding her actions and she made the excellent decision to leave Gray alone and move one of the other kingdoms… a continent away."

Silence endured between the three of them for several long seconds before the stern expression on Erza's face cracked and the façade dropped. Before any of them quite new it, they were laughing uncontrollably until tears rolled freely down their cheeks and their sides began to ache. Not for the first time, Lucy realised just how lucky Natsu, Gray and indeed the rest of the Fairy Tail family were, having someone as passionate as Erza watching over them. Although, in the back of her mind a single question remained; if Erza was forever watching over her family, then who was watching over her? It seemed unlikely that she would be so forthcoming in sharing her problems with the others, so neither Natsu or Gray were likely to even know if something were really up until it was already too late to help with.

With that in mind, it was there and then that Lucy silently vowed to watch over the redhead. It may not be in the most active manner, and perhaps she wouldn't manage to be all that helpful or effective but she would try all the same. She would become a guardian angel, a celestial protector of sorts.

"Honestly Juvia, Gray is a little oblivious when it comes to matters of the heart. To be honest I think that you would be best to press the attack yourself. Ask him to join you for something. It doesn't have to be anything too elaborate or fancy but it would do you both some good to spend a day in each other's company and partake in some kind of mutually enjoyable activity." Erza offered, waving her hand in an explanatory gesture.

Across from her Juvia's expression was set into one of determination, a hundred situations already running through her mind as it kicked into overdrive. Lucy looked at her friend with a knowing smile, she had seen that expression many a time before and knew all too well that it meant Juvia was concocting a half dozen plans and back-up plans and weighing up each and every one of them to gauge their viability.

"That's enough of all this serious talk! Didn't you both come over here to relax?" Lucy laughed, pulling them all back to the present moment with a grin, lightening the mood significantly. Conversation continued as the night went on drifting from one topic to another in a natural and meandering fashion until at last fatigue caught up with them and they collectively dozed off where they sat.

Juvia stared at the clock with tired eyes and noted that only a half hour remained of her shift. Ordinarily she wouldn't have so much as looked at the clock, losing herself in the work without any issues, but today wasn't an ordinary day. Today, she was on a mission. Her eyes darted to the clock again as she served up yet another coffee, lamenting that no time had passed.

Ever since coming into work that morning, and indeed much of the night before, Juvia had been mulling over Erza's words and frantically trying to come up with an idea that truly held water and would be enjoyable for both she and Gray, but that was proving to be a much more difficult task than anticipated. Already, she had come up with and disregarded some one hundred and twenty six separate plans, either because they seemed to dull or as though she weren't putting enough effort into it.

Of course, the key issue that she was facing was the fact that despite having spent a good while in his company, Gray remained a complete enigma to her. She still had very little idea of what his hobbies might be or what kind of activities he would find enjoyable and it was beginning to drive her a little insane. Throughout the day, both Erza and Lucy had been offering ideas and advice but none of it had seemed to fit quite right. She had considered going with the tried and true date plans like dinner and a movie but quickly dismissed them as being a low effort alternative. No, if she was going to ask Gray out then it would be something well thought out and considerate.

At least, that was the idea, but it was only a half hour before the end of her shift and she still had no idea what to suggest. With her mind still fumbling for a solid idea, she set about her final chores for the day and began to clean down the work surfaces. She contemplated the first date that she and Gray had been on and tried to glean something from it, whether that be some key piece of information or perhaps even the beginnings of an idea for the follow up.

Yet whenever she tried, her mind was always drawn back to the same moment; the two of them in the light of the sun, lips pressed together. She still recalled just how warm his had been, and how her hands had trembled with suppressed excitement. It had been a moment of unparalleled romance. Their very surroundings had felt like an extension of Grey himself; the place he had laughed, cried and grown into the man that he was today.

That's when it hit her. The idea was so simple and yet perfect. She groaned in frustration as she realised that the whole time she had been thinking about things entirely the wrong way. Rather than big and flashy date plans which held little real meaning, she should have been thinking of something that would carry the same kind of meaning that the visit to his childhood home had done. A wide grin spread across her face as the plan began to flesh itself out in her mind.

"I know that look, you've finally come up with something haven't you?" Lucy asked from across the counter as she carried yet another tray's load of dirt cups back to the café's dishwasher.

"Yes, Juvia has finally come up with something that she thinks Gray will enjoy." Juvia replied in a cheerful and almost melodic tone.

"Well, let's hear it then? What's your big idea?"

"Juvia will tell you all about it after Juvia has asked Gray." The rain-woman beamed, returning her attention to her tasks and continuing with a renewed sense of vigour.

"Well okay, you keep your secrets~" Lucy laughed "You'll have to tell Erza and I all about it afterwards though."

"Of Course!"

By the time Juvia reached her apartment that evening, her excitement had converted almost entirely into nerves. Butterflies were swarming in her stomach and her hands trembled almost uncontrollably. She tried telling herself that it wasn't anything to be scared of, but still a part of her still whispered doubt into the back of her mind; 'what if he says no?', 'what if he doesn't really like you like that?'

Yet despite her mounting doubts and fears, she resolved to ask him out all the same. She had come too far to back out now. Draining her cup of tea and trusting it to help sooth her nerves, she made her way down the hall and out of the door. Crossing the hallway towards the door to Gray and Natsu's apartment, she paused in front of the door. Her knuckle hovered above the wood for a long moment as she played out a pre-rehearsed script in her mind for the thousandth time.

"Juvia? Is that you?"

She uttered a surprised squeak at the sudden voice behind her and wheeled around, only to be met with the very person she had come to see. There, in a well fitted shirt and tie was Gray himself. She looked at him in a mixture of shock and horror, knowing that she had already been knocked well and truly off of balance. Still determined to go through with her plan she frantically tried to recover.

"Gray! What are you doing here?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she cringed internally.

"Well, I sort of live here…" He replied with a slight look of amusement twinkling in his charcoal coloured eyes.

"O-of course you do! This is Gray's apartment after all… Juvia knew that." She replied, fumbling for words even as her face grew ever redder.

"So, was there something you needed?"

This was it, it was now or never and never simply wasn't an option. The problem was that Juvia's plan had fallen to pieces before her very eyes. He was meant to be at home and open the door, not randomly catch her in the hallway.

"W-well… Juvia was wondering if Gray was free this weekend at all. Lucy gave Juvia a couple of days off of work and was wondering is maybe Gray would like to spend some time together… maybe…"

Now it was Gray's turn to be surprised. He looked at her for a long moment as the words sank in and their ultimate meaning dawned on him. He supposed that it shouldn't have been so surprising that she would ask him out, but he had been convinced that their kiss had been a little too much. In truth he feared that perhaps he had put her off entirely. They had seen each other a number of times around the apartment building since, but each time he had contemplated maybe asking her out again, his courage had always failed him at the last moment. To have her take the initiative was quite the surprise.

"Juvia, do you mean a… uh…"

"Y-yes… Will Gray go on a date with Juvia this weekend?!" She asked, perhaps a little more forcefully than she had meant to.

"I… uh… well, yeah! I'd like that. When should I meet you?" He said, glad to have confirmation that he hadn't completely put her off.

"That is great! Juvia will meet you at your apartment for eleven this Saturday!" She replied with a happy smile before turning and dashing back into her apartment before her composure deserted her entirely. She closed the door and slumped into a heap at its foot, a wide smile plastered across her face. Her whole body was trembling and the adrenaline was pumping but she had done it!

And there you have it, the first of two chapters. What did you think? let me know and drop a review. if you enjoyed this and you haven't already, please do follow and favourite. As always thank you all for your continued patience and support in regards to this project. If any of you follow my other works, rest assured that updates are soon to follow for those as well. I hope that you have all had a great holiday season and I look forward to publishing a few new ideas in the coming year!