If Jellal was being honest with himself he had little idea how to manage a group this large. Crime Sorciere had more than tripled in number and Jellal struggled to keep cohesion amongst himself, Meredy and their new comrades.

It wasn't like when he had controlled his friends in the Tower, playing on their affection for him by interchanging gifts with guilt trips. Nor could he hide, lie, and impress like he had done on the council. He had years to cultivate a healthy, manipulation-free alliance with Meredy, which had warmed as she had grown-up.

He hadn't helped himself much by beating them into the ground their first meeting. It had been necessary for them to take him seriously, but now he saw that his show of strength had intimidated his new guildmates into compliance.

Jellal hated himself for falling back into bad habits.

As much as he didn't know, and perhaps didn't even like them, he didn't want to chain them down again. As he wanted for all victims of the Tower of Heaven, he wanted them to live well and freely. The fact that they had overheard Jellal say as much to Meredy once was possibly the only reason any of them had stuck around.

Though, if Jellal didn't think of a way to bridge the remaining gap soon it wouldn't matter much what he wanted.

Up ahead a single person pulling an overloaded wagon had turned onto the road and was heading for their group. Jellal was brought out of his brooding and pulled the hood tight over his head, looking back to make sure everyone else did the same. As a group they edged to the other side of the road.

It wasn't until he caught sight of the figure's hair that he realized there was nothing to worry about.

"Erza," Jellal greeted once she was close enough.

"Jellal." Her smile was congenial as always. She looked past him to shine it on the others, "Hello everyone."

There was a mix-match of greetings. Only Meredy felt comfortable enough to take-off her hood and approach.

"What are you doing out here, Erza?"

"I'm going to Cedar. I've been asked to interview for a security position."

There was a scoff from Macbeth who had pulled back his own hood and put his hands on his hips. "What's the point of an interview? Don't they know who you are?"

Erza shrugged, but even Jellal could see the slight twitch in the corner of her mouth from hiding a proud smile, "I suppose they'll find out soon."

"Isn't Cedar seaside?" Sorano asked.

"It is."

"Oh!" Meredy smiled wide, "Well we're heading towards the coast too! You should travel with us in the meantime!"

"No." Jellal refused vehemently, "It would be bad for us to have a such recognizable person with us and worse for Erza if she's caught amongst us."

"With or without me you're an easy group to spot," Erza argued. "It's suspicious to travel with this many in a clump, especially if you're all wearing hoods. Watch if we just…"

Erza, began to physically rearrange Jellal's guildmates. And because she was Erza, there was very little complaint. She had Meredy and Sorano change into a set of more casual clothes pulled from her wagon. She had Erik and Sawyer retreat several yards down the road with the command to turn their cloaks inside out, so the interior color showed on the outside instead. Then she told Richard to pull his cross out over his cloak and his bible where someone could easily see he carried one.

"Much better." Erza exhaled with her hands on her hips, "Now you look like people who just happen to be traveling in the same direction."

It's smart. Jellal admired her plan. I wish I had thought of it myself.

He, Richard, and Macbeth took the lead once everyone was in their final position. After they reached a certain distance, Jellal could hear Erza strike up a conversation with Sorano and Meredy behind him.

"I'm surprised you went with it," Macbeth whispered to him despite the fact that he and Jellal were supposed to playing monks who had taken a vow of silence, "I mean, aren't you mad that she took control of the whole group?"

Jellal considered his words carefully as this was the most Macbeth had ever spoken to him personally. "A good strategy is a good strategy regardless of who comes up with it."

"So, you don't mind that she totally ignored the fact that you don't want her traveling with us?" Macbeth pressed.

Jellal almost laughed at the realization, "Erza always has her way. I find that it's often better that she does."

Macbeth fell back into silence, but Jellal didn't mind. Jellal wasn't sure if he came out better in Macbeth's opinion for their little conversation, but it was more than nothing.

Erza camped with them that night. Which was why the next morning Jellal was surprised to see her sleeping bag missing. He glanced around and found that Sawyer and Erik's were also gone.

He didn't have much time to worry as Erza and Sawyer came jogging up to their camp site with sweat-drenched faces and heaving lungs. They were both smiling.

"I'll be sure to beat you next time." Erza huffed, "Now that I know your tricks."

"No tricks here." Sawyer raised his hands in mock surrender. "You're just slow."

Erza flicked some of the sweat from her forehead towards him in retaliation. Then she turned her attention to Jellal, who she had just noticed was awake.

"Erik not back from fishing yet?" She asked him.

Jellal shook his head and pretended as if he knew that's what Erik was doing. "Not yet."

"Well, I'll go get him," Erza decided on her own. "I want to rinse-off anyway."

Jellal wasn't awake enough to process what that would mean, but Sawyer was. He went slack-jawed at Erza's potential lack of modesty.

"You're going to bathe with Erik around?"

Erza gave him a pointed, if amused look, "Are you saying I have something to be ashamed of?"

"No. I just- You know what? Do what you want." Sawyer walked away, his hands up in defeat.

"He's fun to tease." Erza smirked at Jellal. "I was planning on wearing a bathing suit regardless."

She walked away. Jellal wondered two things. One, how friendly Sawyer seemed to be with her despite only spending one day together and two, whether the swimsuit she'd be wearing was going to be anything like the one she had worn to that waterpark.

Erza camped with them again the next night and Jellal fell asleep to the sound to her exchanging stories about Wally with Richard. The next morning she went running with Sawyer again. Then that afternoon she and Meredy trained with swords. When Erza realized that Macbeth had never had any weapons training she forced him to join them.

Another day had passed and the three of them were back at it. Jellal watched as Erza demanded Macbeth to go clean-up his bloody nose and called Meredy to prepare for her turn.

"You stare at her any harder an' you'll burn a hole through her armor."

Jellal averted his eyes towards the tree line. Erik snickered to his left and then joined him on the ground. They sat in silence, which Jellal had soon learned they both preferred. He, unlike Meredy, didn't mind that Erik could hear his every thought. Jellal was determined to be open and honest and it was a lot easier when there was someone around who could kept keep him straight. He was grateful to have the dragon slayer around.

"There you go, gettin' all sappy," Erik scoffed. "I swear you an' Scarlet are the sappiest people I've ever come across."

"I'm hardly sentimental."

"Right, that's why you brow-beat us into joinin' your crew while shoutin' about redemption and walking' the path of light and blah, blah, blah."

Jellal chuckled. When Erik put it like that, he sounded like a fanatic, violent priest. In another life, one with no Tower, no Zeref, he might have entered the priesthood. Jellal vaguely recalled a cathedral from the years before he was enslaved. He remembered a sense of calm within the hallowed walls more than anything else.

"There'd have to be no Erza either. No way you'd keep celibate with her around."

"Oops." Jellal brought the back of his hand down hard against Erik's mouth. He surprised himself by such a move, but he made no apologies. "Hand slipped."

"Hey! No fighting outside of the ring!"

Erza glared hard at him. She stood opposite of Meredy who was sticking her tongue out at him. They stood with wooden swords in what Erza had kindly dubbed the ring. It was nothing more than a patch of soft sand. Which was better than nothing when Erza Scarlet decided to train wizards in basic swordplay.

"Yes, Erza."

His polite deference didn't lessen the hardness of her stare. She pointed the practice sword at him. "You're next once Meredy gets her footwork right."

Erik crowed, "Oh, I've got to get everyone else to see this."

Erik went off in search of the rest of their guild and left Jellal to watch the remainder of Meredy's training. Meredy was ahead of all of them, including himself when it came to swordplay. She used her maguilty swords often enough, but she hardly ever wielded a real one in her hands. It was interesting to watch her recalibrate her balance to match the new weight.

He flinched when Meredy hit the ground a few seconds later.

"Alright, that's enough for now." Erza helped Meredy to her feet, "Go hand off your sword to Jellal."

Meredy nodded quietly. Jellal stood as she approached, noticing with concern that she was limping slightly.

"You alright?"

"I'm better than you'll be," Meredy grinned pushing the wood sword into his hands and began to walk away towards camp.

Erik and the others arrived, looking a little too eager to watch Erza school Jellal in combat. Sorano was the only one who noticed Meredy walking away.

"Don't you want to watch, Meredy?"

Meredy waved it off, "I've seen Jellal get his ass kicked plenty of times. I'm going to go soak in the stream while everyone's busy."

"Your confidence in me is very encouraging," Jellal muttered to Meredy's retreating form, when he received only the smirks of his new comrades, he moved to meet Erza.

"I assume that from all your observation you know what starting stance you should take?" Erza asked him.

He had been observing, yes, but it was more the instructor than the instruction. Jellal made an educated guess. Based on the huff of impatience from Erza, it was the wrong one.

"Close," She sighed, disappointment threading through her voice. "I'll show you."

She adjusted his arms, pushing one back behind him, softening the elbow of his sword arm. Her hands moved lower to angle his hips. Jellal couldn't help but smile. The words fell from his lips before he could stop himself.

"I didn't know it could be this easy to get you to touch me."

He found himself laid out on the ground a second later. Jellal looked up, slightly amused by the way she had stepped away from him again. Without a word she put herself into the basic stance. He stood and mirrored her.

She's such a flirt, but heaven forbid anyone flirt with her. Jellal thought back on the merchant they came across yesterday and how Erza had flirted her way into a good deal. It had stunned him at first, how easily she had bent over to reveal an eye-full of cleavage and had made her voice low and breathless as she negotiated price.

Erza swung and he blocked. Apparently, he had been paying some attention. She lunged for him again and he parried. He felt himself smirk. This wasn't so hard, if he just imagined the sword to be like an extension of his magic he could easily…

He was on the ground again. Erik and Sawyer cackled and there were more demure chuckles from Richard and Sorano.

"What was your mistake?"

Jellal picked himself back-up. "I forgot my footing."

"Exactly. You don't step back with only one foot, you go back with both or leave your stance wide and unsteady." Erza seemed happier now. "Again."

He managed to block a few more strokes before his sword flipped out of his grasp. Sweat began to gather under his clothes, his muscles straining, but he picked it back up. They went again and again until Erza called it to an end.

"Good work." Erza told him as she requipped the swords away. "But Richard's called for dinner."

"What?" Jellal panted for breath. He glanced around and saw everyone had abandoned them for camp. "When did they leave?"

"Some time ago. You didn't notice?"

Jellal ran a hand down his face, attempting to wipe away sweat and only succeeding in smearing it with dirt. "I was a little busy staying on my feet."

Erza expression softened, "You did an excellent job. Erik seemed disappointed that you didn't provide a better show."

"I'm sure he'll get a better show tomorrow." Jellal stretched his to his arms above his head, as they walked together towards camp. "I'll be too sore to be much of an opponent."

"Tomorrow?" Erza repeated. "I won't be here tomorrow."

Right. Jellal came to a stuttering realization. She's going to Cedar tomorrow. She's traveling with us because it's convenient. Jellal swallowed.

She was never going to stay.

"Right. I had forgotten," was all he could say.

They entered camp in estranged silence.

At the cross roads they abandoned their recent formation to form a crowd to see Erza off. Jellal was at a loss for what to say to her. She had only been with them a for three days.

Apparently three days is all it takes for Erza to integrate herself anywhere.

It was true. Dejection was written on all their faces. There was no time for her to go on a run with Sawyer today, and the disappointment was clear on his face. It had been just as much of a disappoint to the rest of them that she wouldn't be there later this evening, training Meredy and Macbeth, complimenting Richard on his cooking and giving Erik hell for being an ass.

With her there hadn't been as much tension between himself and his new guildmates. Perhaps it was Erza's natural ability to make friends. Perhaps it was how around Erza Scarlet he appeared more human, humbler. Either way, Jellal had Erza to thank for strengthening what little bonds they previously shared.

"Well," Erza started, biting her lip. "I suppose this is where we part ways."

"It is." Jellal hated himself for sounding so mechanical. "According to the map all you have to do is follow that road until you reach Cedar."

Erza nodded. Jellal noticed that the grip on her wagon handle had turned her knuckles white. This wasn't easy on her either. He wished he knew how to make it easier. He wished he knew how to make it absolutely impossible for her to leave.

"Thank you for letting me join you. All of you. It's been the best time I've had since…"

Erza trailed-off, but they knew to what she was referring. Fairy Tail's disbandment had shocked the entire country. It hadn't taken but a week after it's dissolvement that Jellal had heard word of it. Guilt clotted in his chest at the realization of why it was so hard for her to walk away from them, why she had been so insistent to travel with them in the first place.

Erza is lonely.

"Don't go," The words slipped his past lips and surprised himself and everyone around him. Jellal continued on anyway, "Your talents would be wasted on security. Join us."

Erza's hand moved to her other arm and rested over her guildmark, as if she were shielding it. "Are you asking me to join Crime Sorciere?"

Jellal felt the eyes of his guild on his back. Jellal shook his head and stepped towards her and gently pushed her hand away from her guildmark.

"I'd never ask you trade your mark for ours. It's part of you." Jellal assured her. "You have as little love for Zeref and dark guilds as we do. You can work with us, if you'd like."

"Jellal…" Erza sighed, her arms crossing before she looked at the others, "How do the rest of you feel about it?"

Jellal looked at them too, trying to keep his face neutral so they wouldn't feel swayed by his personal choice. Though, he had a good feeling as to what their response would be.

"Cedar's a shit town anyway," Erik said first. "And the boss here certainly wants you around."

Jellal bristled at the term but was happy nonetheless when the rest of the guild nodded in agreement.

"I suppose, I'll stay then." A smile threatened to crack her face and Jellal couldn't help the smaller one that appeared on his own face.

Erik teased him for it. Sorano smacked Erik and eventually they reformed their original groups and marched on.