This story idea has hounded me ever since I heard the song, "In Case" by Demi Lovato. In the beginning, it started out as a GrayLu, where they'd broken up and Lucy was struggling to let him go, and then I realized that the words matched Erza and Jellal so much better. And that's when this happened. Hope you enjoy - read, review, fave...whatever. Just wanna hear from you!

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

IN CASE

The sun was slowly sinking in the sky as Erza made her way into her newly acquired home at the edge of town. The light was fading, leaving the large space in shadows, but it was all peripheral to the stern-faced mage. She had other things on her mind.

She moved to her bedroom to change and stopped at her dresser as something caught her eye. Sitting there in the corner of her mirror was a photo, one faded from an unfortunate trip through the wash with her clothes. The edges curled, and the picture had begun to crinkle, but she couldn't bring herself to throw it away.

A faint smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she studied it, her finger stroking lovingly over the half-covered face etched there in the center. No, she couldn't get rid of it. It was the only picture she'd ever had of Jellal, of the two of them together.

Lucy had snapped the photo during the Grand Magic Games. It was the day they'd all gone to the water park, and somehow, the blonde had managed to capture she and Jellal in the water. Their faces had been turned toward each other, and for that one moment, his eyes hadn't hidden what he felt for her. There, in that one photo, he'd been honest.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she set it back down, turning around to carry on...just like she always did.

He'd made his decision, and it hadn't included her. She knew he loved her. She'd seen it, felt it, but that seemed to change nothing. He still couldn't bring himself to accept her love in return.

It broke her heart every time she thought about it. He was so tied up with his past, so determined to find a way to redeem himself that he couldn't see how unnecessary it was now. He'd already faced so many of his demons...her, Milliana, Kagura, Sho. She'd forgiven him for the pain he'd caused her. Why couldn't he forgive himself?

He didn't do the things he'd done because he was evil. He'd been controlled, his mind hijacked to believe he was doing the right thing. Why didn't he see that he deserved a new start? A chance at happiness...

A sigh pushed past her lips as she requipped into a night gown, her armor appearing across the room on its proper stand. She didn't know why she continued to do this to herself. There was nothing she could do. Jellal was a stubborn man, and he would never stop trying to erase his wrongs.

She knew how much it meant to him to make things right, but she was no fool. She'd learned long ago that some things could never be erased, never forgotten. Like Simon. No amount of repentance could bring him back, and as much as that hurt, she knew Simon wouldn't have wanted Jellal to live this way. They'd been friends before, and she had no doubt that somewhere Simon was looking down and frowning at what Jellal was doing to himself.

Erza made her way into the living room and dropped wearily on her couch. She still hadn't gotten used to the quiet of this place. After so much time at Fairy Hills, she'd grown accustomed to hearing the other girls tinkering in their own rooms, laughing together out in the hallway. It had always felt so comforting, like even when she was on her own, she was never truly alone.

Now that she'd bought the house she'd admired for so long, she found herself missing it. There was something so lonely about coming home to absolute silence. She'd thought she wanted space, a place of her own, but now...now she felt empty. What was a home without someone to share it with, without someone to make memories with?

She sniffed as her mind once again turned to Jellal, and unerringly her hand found the cape she'd draped over the back of the couch. He'd left it with her after the Games saying he would get it later. That had been six months ago, and she still hadn't seen him. There'd been no word from him, and every day that went by without a call made it all the more likely that she'd never see him again.

The truth was she was afraid. He was out there, hunted by the Magic Counsel, despised by dark guilds, and at any moment, he could be captured or killed. She worried all the time. He had to know that, yet he never called.

She was sure he thought he was keeping her safe by distancing himself, but the truth was it hurt. She loved him, needed him in her life for real. She wanted a future with him, a family. It was something she'd dreamed of for as long as she could remember, but how would she have to wait?

Maybe it was time to give up. There was a chance he was never going to leave this crusade of his, and where would that leave her?

She drew the cloak around her shoulders and tucked her head into the collar, wishing it still bore his scent. How would she ever let him go? Her heart ached at the thought of their happily ever after disappearing. Even the pitifully distant hope of their future was too precious to abandon.

Her eyes teared as she fingered the soft fabric. She had to hold on to it for a while longer. Maybe it wasn't meant to be, maybe fate had other plans, but she couldn't give up yet. She just needed to stay strong, keep the faith...just in case.

Because there was a chance, no matter how small. She had to believe that one day he would realize that he couldn't find what he was looking for out there, that all he needed was right there in her arms.

She fought down a sob. So many nights she'd longed for him, wished he would walk through the door and say he'd missed her. And every night it didn't happen, it ripped another hole in her heart, but still she didn't quit. She couldn't. She was strong. She knew that, but when it came to Jellal, she was something else. He made her weak, made her need him more than she needed to be happy.

It was foolish, but she couldn't seem to quell her emotions. Her heart could never say goodbye no matter how many times he left, no matter how many long he kept himself from her. Because she was still waiting.

She was always waiting just in case he changed his mind... in case he wanted to come back home to her...

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, and Erza's head jerked up with a start, wondering who could be calling on her so late at night. Her mind immediately went to the guild, her heart clenching at the thought of one of her friends hurt, and she brushed a hand beneath her eyes and hurried to the door.

She reached the thick wooden front door only moments later and threw it open only to come to an abrupt halt. The words she'd planned froze in her throat at the sight of Jellal standing there on her front porch. Somewhere deep in her mind, she could hear herself demanding that she talk, but she couldn't seem to make her tongue work.

"Erza..."

His voice broke through her stunned state, and she found her mouth working at last. "Jellal..."

They stood there in silence for several long seconds with Erza wondering what he had come there for. He's here for you...That part of her that kept hoping for the impossible whispered, trying to convince her of something that couldn't be happening, but Erza forcefully shoved it back down.

Pushing the errant thought away, she asked, "Wha...what are you doing here? Are you and Meredy hunting someone?" She glanced around him, expecting to see his pink-haired comrade in the darkness behind him, but he shook his head.

"No, Meredy isn't here, and I've already found who I was looking for," he said, a hint smile on his lips.

Erza fought a flash of disappointment at his explanation. Though she'd tried hard not to think crazy things, that foolish heart of hers had hoped he'd come for her. Pasting a bland look on her face because a smile wasn't quite manageable right then, she nodded. "I see. That's...good, and what criminal were you after this time?"

Jellal chuckled, then stepped forward, growing serious once more. "The worst kind...the one that stole my heart."

The redhead drew back at his softly uttered words. "What?"

He couldn't mean what she thought he meant. Maybe she'd heard him wrong. Maybe all the missing and wishing had caused her to hear what she wanted.

But then he lifted a hand to her face, his fingers sifting into her loose hair. "I had to see you," he whispered, taking another step closer.

Her heart went wild in her chest, pounding so hard she was certain it was slamming against her rib cage. He was still coming, his face inching its way toward hers.

"I missed you," he continued, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that she'd yet to respond to his previous statements. He brushed a thumb over her cheek. "I'm tired of trying to stay away."

Erza blinked owlishly at his words, struggling to make sense of what he'd said, and when she did, tears pooled in her eyes. "W-What are you saying, Jellal?"

She wanted so badly to believe that he was there to stay, that he had finally chosen to give up his quest, but she was so afraid to get her hopes up.

"I'm saying...I want you," he began, his left hand coming up to cup her other cheek. "I want another chance...even though I know I don't deserve it."

Her heart near to bursting, Erza stopped him with a shake of her head. She couldn't quite believe it was all real. It was like something out of a dream, one she'd waited so very long for, and she didn't intend to wait any longer. With a happy cry, she launched herself at him, slamming her lips down over his.

She kissed him hard, pouring everything she had into it. Every ounce of longing she'd borne, every painful moment of life without him, every drop of passion she'd carried. She gave it all and then some until they were both breathless, air puffing out over each other's lips.

Looking up at him, she smiled. "I've waited so long to hear you say that."

"I know." All at once, his face filled with guilt, and he looked down. "I'm sorry, Erza. I know it isn't fair of me to do this now."

Once more, she shushed him, placing a finger over his mouth. "Stop...no more regrets, no more looking back."

He gave her a pained look, then nodded, and Erza sighed. "Good, because I've been waiting a long time to say something to you." She watched as his brow wrinkled, and she gave a soft puff of laughter. "I love you."

His eyes grew wide at her words, and then they filled with emotion, one she recognized from that picture of them together.

"I love you too."

A/N: My first Jerza...sniff... Can't believe it's taken me so long...