Hey, guys. I'm so sorry this is late – there's been a lot of crap in my life lately, so I don't really have any time for stuff right now. That's also why this chapter is reeeeeeally short. Sorry! I'll make sure to publish an extra long chapter on Sunday. Or not. I tend to break promises like that. I'll try my best. Enjoy chapter 6 (short as it may be)! Oh, and I'm really proud of the quote this time. I think it fits Juvia perfectly in this scene.

Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling enemies. - Elizabeth Bowen

Juvia marched through the streets of White Pine, her thoughts a blurry haze. The dream was haunting her, flickering in the edges of her vision. She could have sworn there was steam wafting from her skin, but when she turned her head to look, it was gone. The only part of her body that felt real, solid, was the hand gripping Gray's wrist tightly.

"Hey, Juvia?"

"What is it, Gray-sama?"

The ice mage jogged a little to catch up to her so he wasn't trailing behind. "Do you know where we're going?"

Juvia pulled up short and looked around. They were in what appeared to be downtown, although it wasn't much more than a few cafes and little souvenir shops. "Juvia thinks…this is the right direction…" she said doubtfully.

"The client said to meet in the coffee shop on the corner of Main Street and Rowan, right?" Gray said, searching for a street sign. "Over there." He pointed to a narrow, dim storefront across the street. Dirty white letters above the window read White Pine Coffee. "Let's go, we don't want to be late." Juvia nodded and crossed the street with him, blinking hard to chase away the bright lights dancing in the corners of her eyes.

A bell rang over their heads as they stepped into the dusty coffee shop. All the tables were empty, except for one in the far corner that was occupied by a man in dark sunglasses. Juvia approached him cautiously. "Sorry to bother you," she said softly. "Are you the one who sent out a job request to Fairy Tail?" The man frowned up at her.

"What would I do that for?"

"Ah, Juvia is terribly sorry!" she exclaimed, backing away and bowing. Someone laughed from the shadowy counter.

"You're adorable, aren't you?" Gray was immediately on guard, moving in front of Juvia and setting his fist in his palm. A figure hopped off the counter and sauntered toward them, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across their face. "Relax, sweetie. I'm the one who sent out that request. Thanks for coming."

Gray eyed the woman who emerged into the dim lighting with suspicion, loosening up slightly but not dropping his hands. "Okay," he said slowly. "Any explanations, or should we get right to it?" The woman blatantly looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on his torso, and licked her lips.

"No, I'm ready to get started," she purred.

Every hair on Juvia's body stood up on end. Love rival, a voice hissed in her head. This woman was a threat. Juvia appraised her from her position behind Gray. Long, tanned legs stretched out from under a pair of impossibly tight black shorts. A white t-shirt with the sleeves cut off that looked at least two sizes too small outlined a figure that rivaled Juvia's. Her eyes were the clear blue of tropical oceans, framed by long auburn lashes the same color as her thick hair. She had a straight nose and full red lips. The longer she looked, the more Juvia was convinced: this woman was TROUBLE with a capital everything.

"I'm Lisbeth," TROUBLE said, stepping forward to wrap a hand around Gray's forearm. "Let's be friends." Juvia's eyes slitted. A woman other than herself was touching her Gray-sama. And now this woman was running her manicured talons along his arm. And Gray wasn't saying a word.

"Juvia would like some details before beginning," she announced loudly, glaring daggers at the TROUBLE that had just become a CATASTROPHE. Lisbeth the man-stealer smiled with red lips back at her.

"There's something that's living in the sewers. We're not sure what it is, but we'll pay you whatever you want if you get rid of it. It's only eaten pets and the like so far, but it's only a matter of time until it develops a taste for people. It was spotted in this area yesterday so it should still be around here."

"Where is the nearest sewer entrance?" Juvia demanded. The CATASTROPHE smirked.

"Just outside the shop, to the left. You'll spot it pretty quick." Juvia turned to her partner.

"Gray-sama, come with Juvia. Juvia wants to finish this quickly."

Gray glanced at Lisbeth, who was still glued to his arm. She didn't seem inclined to let go any time soon. "Why don't we stay a little longer, get a coffee or something?" he suggested, not wanting to spend the next ten minutes prying the tenacious woman from him. Once she let go of her own free will, they could make a run for it.

Juvia scowled, not caring what kind of lines it would leave on her face. She would be gone soon, anyway. "Juvia doesn't drink coffee," she said tersely. "If Gray-sama wants to stay here, then Juvia will do the job by herself." She left the shop, slamming the door so hard years of dust colonies were detached from the window and drifted to the floor in a cloud.

"What the hell?" Gray muttered, staring perplexedly after her.

"Ignore her," Lisbeth said, pressing herself into Gray's arm. "She's just jealous. It's obvious that girl is madly in love with you. Oh, oops," she giggled. "You didn't know, did you? Sorry."

Gray stared at her blankly. "Do I look stupid to you?" he asked. "Of course I know. She's told me countless times. I get at least three confessions a day from her."

"Wh- What does that mean?" Lisbeth stammered, looking dumbfounded.

"It doesn't mean anything," Gray said, wrenching his arm out of her grip. "But I'll tell you this: I'm not interested." He headed for the door, stopping halfway into the street. "I'll be back for my money later," he called, before letting the door swing shut behind him, dislodging another few years of dust.

Juvia trudged through the sewer, listening to the sludgy water swish and gurgle past. Luckily, there was a narrow maintenance path along the side of the tunnel, so she was spared the horror of wading through the thigh-deep slop. Nothing could protect her from the stench, though – a combination of human excrement, rotten fish, and week-old vomit. Juvia had gagged when she first dropped down from the street above, overpowered by the smell.

But she could have dealt with anything if Gray had come with her. "Gray-sama," Juvia sighed.

"What?"

"Why didn't you come with Juvia? You said–" Juvia pivoted to stare at the man standing behind her. "Gray-sama?!" He cracked a smile.

"Hey there."

"B-But, Juvia thought–"

"You thought wrong," Gray said, shrugging. "Now come on, we've got a monster to catch." He walked past Juvia, and then stopped and looked back. "You coming or what? I'll leave you behind."

"Juvia is coming!" she declared hastily, lunging forward to join Gray. He laughed.

"Then let's go."

Again, I apologize for the lateness and the length. I'll do my best to make sure Sunday's update is on time and long. Thanks for being patient! To pass the time, I suggest writing long, thoughtful reviews... I love reading those!