It's Monday! I'm really excited about this chapter. This is a fun one. :)

- K. Chandler


Up or down?

Juvia pulled her curls up in her hand, surveying herself in the mirror before releasing them. The gilding on the ornate frame made her reflection look like a painting, and she liked the effect. Juvia tousled her hair again. Maybe she should pull her curls over her shoulder and wear her hair like Lucy did.

Juvia smoothed the sheer fabric of her dress. It was the very same one that she had worn when she posed for the full-body portrait that she had sent to Gray. She was sure that he'd recognize it.

Juvia wondered what he'd say when he came for her.

Was he the kind of man who would dash in and sweep her off her feet, the white knight in one of her fairy tales? Or would he be the roguish knave, who would steal her heart and take her by force if she refused to surrender?

Heavy pounding shook the room. That must be Gray now. He was definitely the knave, no doubt about it.

Juvia adjusted her top, smiling at how her dress showed off her figure and emphasized her heaving bosom. Gray would surely enjoy that.

"Juvia!" he shouted.

Juvia could hear the way he panted. He was out of control, like an animal. She knew he secretly liked her, but she never imagined that his feelings were this strong.

"Gray, darling?" she cooed.

Maybe she'd be a little coy and make him wait. That would only heighten the passion and make things better when he actually saw her.

"Juvia! Open this door! Now!" Gray hammered on the door again.

"Coming!" she sang out.

Juvia squirmed in anticipation, slowing as she crossed the room. Juvia counted backwards from ten.

Nine. Eight. Seven…

Six.

Five.

Four…

Juvia unlocked the door, unable to wait any longer. But before she could shift into a seductive pose, the door burst from its hinges.

"What did you do?!" Gray roared.

Juvia recoiled. This was not going how she had pictured. "G-Gray?"

Gray's face contorted with fury. "You have some nerve!"

"I—I can explain." Juvia inched away. "I just thought—"

"You just thought you'd drug me and what? Seduce me?" Gray slammed his fist against the armoire, upturning bottles and trinkets.

Juvia flinched. "I… I don't understand… Why didn't it work?"

"You selfish, scheming, psychopathic—"

"You were supposed to love me…"

"What's going on here?" Lucy popped her head in the open doorway. "I thought I heard yelling."

"Aren't you observant…" Gray snarled.

"Gray, I need you to calm down," Lucy said.

"Calm down?" Gray repeated, his voice still holding a dangerous edge.

"Gray, you are a guest in my house. So is Juvia. I will not have you two fighting," Lucy said sternly.

For a moment, Gray met her eyes with a look of molten fury. Tension wound through every muscle. Gray let out a long breath, raising his hands in surrender. The scowl never left his face.

"That's better. Now, I want you to take a lap around the castle," Lucy said. "Cool your head. Get some tea from the kitchens."

"I refuse to touch anything from your kitchens."

Gray's jaw tightened.

"Please," Lucy said. "I'm sure we can work things out. I'll meet you in the blue room shortly."

With an impatient snarl, Gray stormed from the room.

"I don't understand…" Juvia whispered. She bit her lip. "I was only trying to…"

"Are you okay, Juvia?" Lucy asked. "Sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him. He doesn't usually yell."

Juvia sank to the edge of her bed, suddenly aware that her knees were shaking. Why had Gray yelled at her? Why was he upset?

"What happened, Juvia?"

"I sent Gray a nightcap and a note asking to meet him," Juvia said.

"Was that all?"

Lucy was, of course, jealous. Juvia smiled, hoping to throw salt in the wound.

"I may have added a little something extra to it… to put him in the mood," Juvia said.

"You didn't…" Lucy groaned. "I'm trying my best here, Juvia, but you're making it hard for me to keep defending you."

Of course, all Lucy was worried about was how hard Juvia was making things. Did she ever think about how hard she was making things for Juvia?

"I'll talk with him," Lucy said. "But please, try to use better judgement next time."

Juvia nodded, waiting for Lucy to turn her back before glaring. If she glared hard enough, would Lucy's head explode?


Lucy found Gray pacing the downstairs library like a caged animal. Apparently, the walk she had sent him on hadn't cooled him off as much as she had hoped.

"Sorry. That took longer than I thought," Lucy said. "Shall I send for some tea? Or warm milk?"

"I'm not putting anything in my mouth unless I know where it came from," Gray said, his tone clipped.

Lucy cringed. She should have expected this sort of reaction, given what Juvia had told her. But she asked anyways, partly to see if she had missed anything and partly to see if it would break through his frosty demeanor.

"Help me understand what's going on." Lucy set a gentle hand on Gray's arm.

Gray let out a long breath. "The lunatic had a bottle of wine sent to my room."

"That was nice of her," Lucy said. "Though I'm not sure what that makes her a lunatic. Why were you yelling?"

"The wine was poisoned."

"What?" Lucy asked. "Oh, my gosh! Are you okay? Should I get Wendy?"

This wasn't what Juvia had said at all. She'd made it sound so innocent. Could she have been lying? Was her version of events skewed?

Or was Gray seeing things again? He was often paranoid, but she'd never doubted his word before… until that thing with the knife.

Gray held a hand up, continuing in a clipped voice. "The wine was drugged. Juvia laced it with a love potion – some sort of aphrodisiac or something."

Lucy let out a sigh of relief. "Is that all?"

At least this time Juvia and Gray's stories matched.

But she was being the worst kind of friend. She had jumped to conclusions about Juvia again. She needed to have more trust in Juvia. Next time, Lucy promised herself. Next time, she'd stand by her friend.

"What do you mean, 'is that all?'" Gray demanded.

Okay, maybe it was a poor choice of words.

"Are you okay?" Lucy said. "That's what's important."

Gray clamped his jaw tight, sighing through his nose. "Erza's the one who got caught in the crossfire. She was exposed to the drug."

"Erza? Is she all right?" Lucy asked.

Now things were making sense. Gray was someone who saw all of his servants as family, since he had none of his own. Having his personal attendant drugged probably hit too close to home.

"Wendy's with her," Gray said. "She says that everything's going to be fine."

"Oh, good," Lucy said. "That's what really matters. Look, I know the adjoining servant's areas aren't the nicest. We can move Erza someplace more comfortable while she recovers. Maybe get her set up in her own suite. I'll have someone set up the—"

"Thanks, but no thanks. Not to be blunt, but I don't have a lot of faith in your castle's security," Gray retorted. "Erza's a member of my staff, and I'm responsible for her. I'll look after her. At least for tonight."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We're going back to Isvan as soon as Erza feels up to traveling."

"You're leaving?" Lucy said. "Now?"

Lucy couldn't help the swell of disappointment. Her own father couldn't even be bothered to celebrate her birthday with her. Why would Gray? That was expecting too much from a friend.

Lucy knew she knew she was being petty and unfair. Of course, Gray had every right to be upset. This was traumatic for him. And she was worried about some silly birthday party.

The tragedy that befell the Isvanian Royal Family had been a dark time in all their lives. It had been devastating for Gray, who had locked himself away right after it happened. But Natsu wouldn't have it, threatening to burn Gray's palace down if refused to see them.

They had found a sleep-deprived Gray pacing the room, the ink smudged across his too-pale cheeks emphasizing the shadows beneath his eyes. He studied them warily before letting them in. His bed was covered with frantically scribbled notes and crumpled papers had littered the floor. He clearly hadn't slept in days, and he probably hadn't been eating either. He was like a different person, manic energy fueling his plans to bring his parents' killer to justice. She remembered being afraid for their friend.

He'd come a long way since then.

Lucy was still a little bit afraid of what Gray would do now. Would he shut himself away again? That was no way to live.

Lucy couldn't let that happen. Not again.

If she downplayed the incident, Gray might not think of it as a major threat.

"Look. Gray. I understand your frustration," Lucy said. "But you know how Juvia gets. I'm sure she didn't mean for things to get so out of hand. She just has to learn to—"

"Not be a lunatic?"

Lucy frowned. "Gray, that's my friend you're talking about."

"You might need better choices in friends."

"It was poor judgement on her part. No argument there. But I don't think she meant to hurt you. You don't give a love potion to someone you want dea—that you hate," Lucy said, correcting herself.

"That's your opinion."

"She just wants your attention. That's all it is."

"Well, I'll sure pay attention now."

Lucy barreled forward with the conversation, determined to set things right.

"She lives in the middle of nowhere," she said. "You, of all people, should understand how lonely that can be."

That made sense, right? Right? Maybe? Lucy fought the urge to cringe.

"I live in the middle of nowhere," Gray said. "You don't see me drugging people."

"What I meant is that she doesn't get to interact with other people often, so she doesn't always know how to behave," Lucy backpedaled. "Juvia isn't very good at social norms. Who am I kidding? She's awful at it."

"I can't believe how little this bothers you. She. Tried. To. Poison. Me," he said, articulating each word clearly.

"A love potion isn't poison. Nobody was seriously hurt. Right?"

"Call it what you want," Gray said. "Either way, that lunatic spiked my wine."

"Juvia's a friend. She's misguided, but she didn't mean it. Can't you forgive her?"

"Whose side are you on, anyways?"

"Nobody's," Lucy said. "You're both my friends, so I don't want to have to pick a side. I just want what's best. For both of you."

Gray snorted. "You're lucky I don't plan to hold Magnolia responsible for what happened."

As Gray swept out of the room, Lucy couldn't help the growing sensation that she should have handled this differently. Maybe Gray wasn't the one who she needed to have words with.


Gray returned to his room, anxiety ratcheting as he approached the door.

Silence.

He knocked gently. "It's me."

"You can come in," Wendy said. She had pulled a chair up next to the bed.

"How is she?" Gray asked.

"See for yourself," Wendy said.

Erza lay in Gray's bed, her expression calm. Her breathing was full and even.

"She's all right?" Gray asked.

"She just tired herself out." Wendy smiled. "She's sleeping now. She should be back to normal when she wakes up. She'll want to take things slow tomorrow, but there should be no lingering effects."

"I'm glad," Gray said. "Can I…?" He opened helpless arms in a tentative shrug. He didn't know what he was doing, but he wanted to be here. He needed to be here.

Wendy stood up, surrendering her chair. "Call if you need anything."

"Thanks for your help. And thank Natsu for me," Gray said.

Wendy had said that Erza would be fine, but that didn't keep Gray from holding a bedside vigil. Was this how Erza felt watching over Gray during the poison trials? No wonder she hated it so much.

It was selfish asking her to bear that burden, but no more than acknowledging the feelings between them. Gray would be lying if he said that he never imagined what it would be like to kiss her, to hold her, to be just Gray and Erza instead of the Prince of Isvan and his loyal servant.

Gray swallowed a bitter laugh. The one thing he wanted most, dangled in front of him and corrupted beyond recognition. Nothing could come of these feelings now. Any hope he had for the future was tainted, like that wine. Destroyed by a kiss that tasted of poison.

Memories of Erza in her drug-induced arousal crept back into his head. Gray shuddered. That poison was intended for him. Juvia clearly didn't care what she had to do—she was happy to drug him out his mind to have him.

The rising sun sent the first glow of pink through the window, bathing Erza in its golden glow. It felt like a weight had been lifted from Gray's chest when she finally opened her eyes in the wee hours of the morning.

"Wha—? Where?" She looked around, frowning.

"Easy. You're all right," Gray said. "Don't try to get up."

Erza ignored him, pushing herself into a sitting position anyways.

"Are you feeling any better?" Gray asked.

"I'm fine," Erza said quietly.

"Good. I was worried. Do you want something to drink? Water," he added quickly.

Erza nodded, still starring down at her lap. "Thank you."

"Not too fast, okay?" Gray handed her a glass, steadying her hands as he passed it to her.

Erza made a startled noise as their hands brushed. Gray pulled away quickly like he'd been burned.

Of course, she'd be uncomfortable. Even a simple act of comfort had become off limits to them now. He'd never forgive Juvia for that.

Erza took the water but didn't drink it, glass clenched in white-knuckled fists. "About last night…" Erza wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You remember?" Gray asked.

"Only bits and pieces," Erza said.

"Nothing happened. I swear," Gray said. "I called Wendy right away."

"I know."

"What's wrong, then?"

Erza just shook her head.

"Don't make me pull rank," Gray said, his tone forcibly cheerful. "What's on your mind?"

Erza bit her lip. "…I'd like to apologize."

"Apologize? What for?" Gray asked.

"For my behavior last night. It was… inappropriate." Erza hung her head, shrinking into hunched shoulders. She didn't look afraid, she looked… ashamed.

He wanted to reach out to her so badly, but he fought he urge to pat her on the shoulder or brush his knuckles against her cheek.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Gray said. "It wasn't your fault. You were drugged."

"But I could tell you were made uncomfortable by it."

"…What makes you say that?" Gray asked.

"It was obvious. The way you pushed me away. And then you… fled. Like you couldn't stand to be in the same room as me," she mumbled, her voice catching. "I should never have expected…"

Gray was quiet for a moment, trying to process the accusation. Then he sighed, reaching out for her hands. His own hands were shaking, and Erza looked like she was trying not to flinch.

"Erza, you're the one who takes care of me during my poison trials. You've helped me weather some of the most difficult times in life," Gray said. "You should know that I care about you too much to… let anything happen. You're too important to me."

"Is that why you didn't stay?"

Gray winced. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I'm not sorry for leaving. I'd do it all over again if I had to. I know it was selfish, but I refuse to let something so unnatural jeopardize our bond. You're too important to me."

"I… I understand," Erza said.

"But there is something I should apologize to you for," Gray said. "Last night, the fault was mine. I let my guard down. I didn't check the wine like I should have. If I had done my due diligence, you never would have been put in that position. I failed you. I'm sorry."

Maybe this newfound awkwardness was for the best. The distance was a fitting punishment for his mistake. It would be safer for all of them this way.

Gray started to pull away, but Erza's grip tightened against his fingers, surprisingly strong.

"There was no way for you to have known, Gray," Erza said.

Gray did manage to pull away this time, freeing himself and balling his fists in his lap.

"My negligence could have had serious consequences. What if that had been poisoned? You could be dead right now." Gray tightened his jaw. He could have lost Erza, just like he had lost his mother.

"Perhaps I'd better start building up a poison immunity as well," Erza suggested, a slight lilt in her tone suggesting that she was teasing.

"Don't joke about that," Gray said. He hoped that she—that none of his friends and family—would ever be put in a position where they felt like a poison immunity was their only defense.


So, how cathartic was it to see Gray blow up like that? XD It was a toss-up as to whether Gray was saintly or just plain stupid for being as patient as he as been. But I figured, after this, he almost deserved to let loose and say his piece.

Now that the whole Juvia situation has escalated, you can see that her focus is shifting, and dangerously so. Which brings us to our main attraction...

But first, let's see if we can make things more complicated for our heroes, shall we?

Next time, in Toxic: Lucy only hesitated for a moment before taking Natsu's hand. His touch was warm and steady as he led her out onto the dance floor. Her hand fit perfectly in his, like it belonged there.

Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.