CHAPTER:7
"We'll take it."
"Huh?"
"we'll take it."
"why?"To say that the agent was shocked was an understatement. The felling of being shocked was written all over his face.
The house had everything that Erza wanted. It was enormous, had more than enough room for the three and had good location where they won't have to face many people. It just needed some cleaning, amendments and mending which Erza was sure she could handle herself. In addition to Erza, Juvia also took a liking to the place though Natsu was reluctant..
"Wow! Where are we?"Juvia asked in excitment as Erza went to look for them after finalizing the deal though paper work was still there. "Our new home." Erza answered with a smile."Yay!" Juvia seemed pretty excited about their new place since they could barely go out in their previous one. The house had alot of greenry around it wide enough for a playground and also had a part of forest covering it. Juvia was runningg all over the place enjoying herself, giggling and getting entertained by her surroundings. "It's all tilted." Juvia pointed towards an old shed and went to explore it.
"Ooh! ants! Hello there!"
"Ooh! What is that!?"
"Slide! Slide! Yay!"
There seemed to be no end to her excitment. On the other hand Natsu kept quiet and observed Juvia the entire time. "Well do you like it?" Erza asked after watching them for a while. "I love it!" Juvia said with happiness written all over her face. "Lets go home already..." Natsu said weakly. Then Erza started looking all over the place searching for things that can be useful and fortunately found many.
"She said she wanted a place with nobody living nearby. I guess she is a bit eccentric..." the agent was still recovering from his shock while narrating the story to the neighbourhood whom he seemed prrettty fimiliar with..
"What about her husband?" an old man inquired.
"No clue."
"Her income?" another asked.
"No idea." the agent was sketching back of his head while wondering about the same questions.
"How is she going to provide for her kids and herself then?" the old men started wondering among themselves.
"Oh! Hey, Mr. Makarov!" the agent call out to the man working in the field nearby. "Be nice to the newcomers this time!" he requested rather cheerfully. The said old man only frowned and stared with his eye brows knitted.
Erza took no time in begnning to straighten the things up starting from cleaning while the kids played around. The floor had so many weak spots that when stepped on a hole was created on the wooden floor. The same went for the ceiling. On rainy days water would leak from many places. One by one Erza fixed all those. Rubbed all the rotten and dirty places clean. "Look! Look! Mom!" Juvia came with something in her hands the other day and put it down infront of Erza. "Noooooo!" Natsu ran shouting in the other direction while Erza half surprized stared at the insects and a frog that Juvia just brought. She figured some kids took interest in insects and animals and Juvia just happened to be one of them.
As day passed Juvia's interest in animals,= and insects of different kinds increased. While Natsu would just watch Juvia trying to capture birds, play with bees, chase cats from afar. Their lives began to change slowly but surely. Now Erza and the kids had more freedom than before and they seemed to like this new felling. The kids were free to chose between their forms anytime and play around. Erza also came upon the idea of measuring their heights against a wooden pillar while cleaning the other day. The cleaning and fixing the damages took a month but was now finally done.
After the final clean up Erza took Natsu and Juvia to the neighbourhood while cycling and enjoying the weather. Erza brought some groceries and greeted some people on her way. Before having meal of the day Erza would place Jellal's offering infront of his id card ( the only thing left with Jellal's picture on it) leaning against the flower vase set on top of a mini book shelf. Erza would change the flowers every day replacing with the fresh ones sometimes lost in those beautiful memories.
Soon Erza came to the realization that their savings were getting used up. "Better be as frugal as possible from now on." Erza said in a deep thought while bathing with Natsu and Juvia. "Frugal?" Juvia asked hopping to add to her vocabulary. "I was thinking we should atleast grow our own vegetables." Erza answered politely. "I'll help!" Juvia seemed enthusiastic about it.
The day after Erza went to the neighbourhood to buy some books on farming. Before going in and searching for the books in so called library van she instructed Natsu and Juvia to remain seated in nearby bench. But Juvia not being soo obedient of a child and an active one went after her and took interest in some children picture books and story books. "Here I'll have these." Erza placed some books on the counter. '"And these too." Juvia added and tip topped to place them on the counter as she was still short enough to reach it. "J... Juvia!" when Erza looked at Juvia her heart almost stopped beating as Juvia resembled a pup wolf. She was a bit relieved that she was wearing a hood but to be on the safe side Erza put a hand on Juvia's head and lowered it a bit.
That evening Erza decided to explain somethings to them with the help of some drawings to queer their interest a bit. "Juvia, Natsu, the fact that the two of you are wolf children is our own little secret."
"Yup!" they nodded.
"You'll scare everyone if you turn into wolves all of a sudden. So, you shouldn't turn into wolves infront of other people. Promise me, okay?"
"Okay!" both nodded and made a pinky promise with Erza.
"Also one more thing.." Erza slid to the next page of the draft that had drawing of some animals. "If you run into any animal near the mountain, you shouldn't act arrogant in front of them."
"Why?"
"Because that will make dad sad." and turned the page to show a rough sketcch of Jellal. "Got it?"
"Got it!"
Erza would read them stories at night from the book that Juvia bought the other day. She worked hard all day to dig the field and plant the seeds then watering them day after day by and taking care of them following the instructions written in the books. Sometimes Juvia and Natsu gave her a hand too. She worked hard the next few months and could see her efforts rippening with the seeds she had swon in their small field. But when the time of the harvest came the plants were all ruined. "Why?" Juvia asked in a disappointed voice looking at her mother for the answer who was searching the book herself. "Why, indeed?" Erza was all confused.
The next day Erza decided to go to the neighbourhood to pick some dry leaves that might be useful next time. "Um.. excuse me?" she called out to the farmers working in field nearby. "Huh?" the turned around to face her. "Can i take fallen leaves from the woods?" she said a bit louder than normal. "Say what?" the farmers asked as they were working at a fair distance from where she stood. " The fallen leaves!" she tried a bit louder. "Nobody asks if they can take those!" one of the farmers exclaimed. "Thank you!" she bowed and continued her way.
"I wonder how long she'll last." one of the farmers said clearly knowing more that she did being ahead of her in experience called life. "She's gonna start winning about how there are no convenience stores or karaoke places soon enough." they continued to talk among themselves. "You can say that again." Among the farmers she called out to was Mr. Makarov who kept quiet and observant the whole time.
Erza kept trying hard with different techniques and different plants every time but in vain. "This time for sure.." Erza was completely engrossed in her task while sowing new seeds again when a rather shaken voice broke her concentration. "Mom..." Erza moved her attention toward Natsu and was surprized to see him badly injured and being unsuccessful in holding back in his tears. "Natsu! What happened!?"
"It was a Calico cat." later that day Juvia explained the events that occured earlier regarding Natsu to her mom. "He's being targeted because he is too weak despite being a wolf."
"They're just scratches. It's nothing." Erza tended to his wonds. "He's not gonna last long if he stays that way!" Juvia complained.
"Juvia." Erza called out to her sofly. "Tell me it's all fine." Natsu laid on Erza's lap seeking comfort in his mother. "It's okay. It's all fine." Erza patted his back. "I wouldn't even loose to wild bears!" Juvia continued while while chomping a chip in her mouth. "You saw one?" Erza asked, curious. "I did! I saw a monkey and a serow too! But they're not scary at all! It's funny how they run away when you chase after them. Also..." Juvia got more enthusiastic and excited as she told stories of her bravery."Juvia." Erza called out to her again. "Remember what I told you. You shouldn't act arrogant infront of animals."
"But.."
"Please." Erza requested hoping she would listen to her. "Okay." Juvia answered after a pause a bit disappointed.
"Tell me it's all fine again." Natsu wanted to be spoiled a bit more in in his mother's lap. "It's okay. It's all fine." Erza told him while patting his head. "But really how on earth do wolf children grow up?" Erza wondered while looking at Jellal's picture.
A few days after Erza decided to take a stroll in the jungle with Natsu and Juvia. "Wait Juvia!" Erza called out to her as she was running ahead. "Piggyback" Natsu said while holding one of Erza's sleves. "Already?" It seemed that Natsu was not good with physical exercises. "You're slow. Hurry up!" Erza picked Natsu up on her back.
"Wolves start hunting four months after they are born. They learn how to hunt small animals like mice at start, then form teams with adult wolves as they grow." Erza read out loud from a book about wolves. And it was the main purpose of taking a stroll in the jungle that day. "Team!" Juvia said excitedly while tangling her arm with Natsu's who was feeling down and tired. "Don't wanna." Natsu pulled his arm back. "Fine, then." Juvia had her pwn pride to protect and immediately started off with her mission. While Natsu decided to sit back. "Don't go far away!" Erza warned Juvia. "Okay!"
"Let's go back home." Natsu said in a bit pleading tone to his mother who was engrossed in her own activity. "Look Natsu. Do you think this wild grass is edible? Um..." after realizing his mother wasn't gonna listen to him, he pouted and sulked on his own while playing with a broken branch. Juvia enjoyed herself to the fullest. She caught a mouse, then a snake and continued to hunt something bigger. Meanwhile Erza decided to look around a bit more and Natsu followed her.
"Look at that, Natsu." Erza saw something and pointed it out to him but heard some disturbing noise in response. When she turned Natsu was vomiting near a tree. While Erza was patting Natsu's back and saying calming words to him Juvia came up to them with something rather large in her hand. "Look, look, mom!" she came rushing in her own excitment and failed to see sick Natsu sitting beside Erza. "I caught a Great Cormorant!"
"Shh.." Erza pointed her finger towards her lips still patting Natsu's back with the other. Tears were coming out of Natsu's eyes, maybe it was because he was not feeling well. "Mom, why are wolves always the bad guys?" Natsu asked weakly while remembering the stories Erza had read to them. "The bad guy? Are you talking about the picture book?" Natsu looked at Erza while tears ran down his innocent face.
"Everyone hates them, and they're always killed at the end. So, I... don't wanna be a wolf." After looking at Natsu for a while Erza smiled. "You're right, but... I like wolves. It doesn't matter if everyone else hates them. I will always be on their side." Juvia listened quietly from a distance.
I am soo soory for being inactive for 2 years or so. Those years have been a bit unfortunate for me.
To all the readers thank you for waiting patiently. I hope you all continue reading it.
And I will absolutely never abandon my stories. As for common readers of both my fanfics I am thinking of rewritting "What Marriage Means" with a few amendments in the already written chapters, they won't change completely. I felt that I lacked at many parts and failed to deliver what I wanted to. So if any of you have any new ideas or scenario you have in mind or something in related to future chapters please share it with me.
Thank you :)