A/N: Sorry for the delay, everyone…if it's any comfort, summer's coming soon, so that should speed up the release of future chapters.

Also, I gave the chapters titles, so yeah. That happened. –shot-

Also, I'm going to start including the update dates to the end of every chapter… so you and I can both know where it was last updated. :P

"You ready?" Gray asked as he waited for Juvia on the other side of the door.

She hesitated for a moment, and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a difficult question; if he was asking if she was physically ready, then yes, she was. She had finished changing into her clothes and the only thing left for her was to put on her hat. But if he was asking whether or not she was emotionally ready, well, then… she didn't quite have an answer for that.

"Just… give me a minute," was how she replied, and proceeded to wash her face in his sink. After that was done and over with, she dried her face with one of his towels, sighing.

What was she even doing? She knew that deep in her heart, the thought of seeing her comrades terrified her, so… Why had she agreed? She knew that it was unavoidable; she felt obligated to do so after having seen Lucy's message for her, but… still. She didn't what to expect once she got there. Would they lash out at her, would she end up lashing out at them? It was hard to tell. She wanted more than anything to convince herself that everything would go smoothly, but… the negative voice that lurked in the back of her mind told her otherwise.

Adjusting her hat on her head, she took in a deep breath and gave herself one last final look in the mirror.

She was definitely not ready.

But there was nothing she could do to change that fact. She'd just have to endure it.

She opened the door, and exited his bathroom. "Let's go.

Something wasn't right.

As they started heading in the direction of the guild, after a minute or two, it soon became clear to Gray that Juvia was walking faster than usual, and that something about her was generally… off. With her footsteps hurried and gaze lowered, it seemed as though she was in a hurry to see the guild as soon as possible. After some time, it had gotten so bad that she was now walking in front of him instead of next to him, and that he had to quicken his own pace so that he wouldn't get left behind.

He frowned. He couldn't understand the reasoning behind it. He wasn't oblivious to the aura of fear that reeked off her, so why did it seem as though she was in a hurry? Was she only going to see them because of some personal obligation she felt? If that were the case, he couldn't see this ending well.

He halted in his tracks, expecting for Juvia to stop as well, but to his dismay, she hadn't even noticed him, and had continued walking onward. He sighed.

"Juvia," he said, voice cutting through the air, "Wait."

She stopped, noticeably stiffening at the way he had called out to her, and whirled around to face him.

"… Is something wrong, Gray?" she replied evenly.

Now he was certain that she was forcing herself to go and see them. The tone of her voice made it apparent that she was feigning calmness, and the way she froze at the utter of her name made it all the more obvious. Who was she trying to fool? While Gray was aware of the fact that he wasn't the brightest person when it came to observing others' emotions, he wasn't stupid, and he could easily tell when someone had something to hide.

"… Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

No response.

"If you don't feel ready to see them," he began cautiously, "you don't have to. Nobody's making you."

She bit her lip, allowing for her bangs to fall over her eyes for a moment or two, before she looked back up at him with a weak smile.

"I'm fine," she replied with a wave of her hand, turning around and continuing walking.

Gray's fists clenched. "Don't give me that crap."

She froze. For a heartbeat he wished he hadn't sounded so harsh, but forced himself to shake off any guilt he might have felt.

"You're scared, aren't you?" he said at last.

She was silent for a bit, before she took in a sharp inhale of breath. "What makes you say that?" She replied quietly, voice barely audible.

He approached her from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder. She visibly tensed at his touch, but didn't move away.

He sighed. "I can tell."

Juvia held her breath. Had her fear really been that obvious the entire time? She had tried everything in her power not to let it show, but… it hadn't been enough. Regardless of that fact, there was no point in hiding her feelings, now that Gray had noticed them.

"…I am afraid," she admitted, turning around, prompting Gray to let go of her shoulder. She continued. "In fact, I'm terrified."

Gray's eyes narrowed in concern. "So why—"

"But I'll be fine," she said firmly, cutting him off. She paused briefly, trying to think of something to say that would satisfy both him and herself. She diverted her eyes, playing with her hands.

"I'll be fine," she said once again, although this time more meekly. "I can't keep running away from my friends… and besides… I… I think I'll be able to face them… if you're with me."

The last part of her sentence came out unintentionally, prompting her face to redden slightly, but she wasn't going to take her statement back; it was partially true, after all. The thought of facing her guildmates alone was incredulous, and an idea that she'd never agree to, but… going to see them with Gray alongside her made the idea… tolerable. And comforted her, somewhat.

Even if she was still internally panicking over the thought of it.

Gray's face slightly reddened at the remark she had made regarding him, caught off-guard by how blunt she'd been, but then coughed, forcing himself to regain his common sense. After staring at her for another moment or two, he frowned slightly, lost in thought. He really didn't know what would be the best course of action in this scenario, and while he still doubted that things would go smoothly, he eventually decided to put his faith in her.

"Alright," he conceded, and started walking again, "If you say so."

Juvia gave him a small smile in return, but to his dismay, only after a minute later, she gradually returned back to previous pace of walking. He groaned, catching up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder again. She stopped, turned around, and blinked in surprise.

"Slow down a bit, will you?" he said in exasperation. While he certainly wouldn't be exhausted from this pace of walking, they had a long way to go, and walking this fast would only drain their energy early on. Not to mention, it was unnecessary. It wasn't as though the guild was going anywhere.

Juvia blinked again, her cheeks slightly reddening, and sighed. "Sorry," she said sheepishly, "It's just that…" she trailed off.

"Yes…?" he pressed.

She hesitated before she let out another sigh. "Never mind," she mumbled gloomily, and started walking again, albeit more slowly, "It's not important. I'll walk slower, alright? Let's just keep walking."

He stared at her briefly, eyes narrowing, but continued walking, deciding not to pursue the subject for now.

Promptly afterward, they were mostly quiet as they trekked onward towards the guild. Ten minutes soon passed, and they had yet to utter a single word after their previous quick exchange. Surprisingly enough, though, the silence didn't bother Gray. He was too busy caught up in his own thoughts to have even noticed.

Part of him was frustrated. The truth of the matter was, he didn't really want to be there with Juvia at that moment, nor did he want to go to the guild with her. The only thing he really wanted to do then was to search for her rapist, and to make him receive punishment for what he'd done. And he was annoyed, annoyed because while he was there trying to help Juvia return to her previous self, (which had proven to be incredibly difficult and nerve-wracking, for the most part), his guildmates were out searching for her rapist and probably not even making that much progress. And dammit, it wasn't fair. He wanted to be the one to find the monster and to make him pay, not anyone else.

He sighed, feeling a bit ashamed at the thoughts passing through his mind, and tried rationalizing his thoughts. He knew that in the grand scheme of things, Juvia's safety was what mattered the most right now, not revenge. But in spite of that… how could anyone feel safe, knowing that such a monster was still out there, and possibly raping more women as he now spoke?

"Are you okay, Gray?"

He blinked, Juvia's voice snapping him back into reality, and looked at her. She was eying him worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

She frowned slightly, and looked at the ground as they walked on.

"You've… been shaking for the last couple of minutes," she answered quietly. He had? He thought in mortification. "Something just seems to be on your mind."

He inwardly cursed. Well, he'd never been good at hiding his feelings. He took in a sharp inhale of breath, wondering how to reply. There was really no point in lying to her now that he was found out.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing his eyes, "I'm… I've just been under a lot of stress lately. This last week has just been… hard for me. Emotionally."

Juvia's face saddened, and she diverted her eyes. "I understand," she murmured timidly. "I… I'm sorry. I must be a burden on you. " Gray blinked, and suddenly realized the implications of what he'd said.

"I—I didn't mean it like that. You don't have anything to be sorry about," he said quickly, "None of this is your fault. I've told you before." He sighed, rubbing his temples. It had sounded as though he had put the blame on her. When he started speaking again, his voice had considerably leveled.

"What I meant was…" he began once again, trying to find the words to explain how he was feeling, "I… I just feel… a lot of personal guilt for what happened to you, and… I feel like I should be doing more to help you." That was a good way of explaining how he felt without getting into any inappropriate details.

She nodded. "That's… understandable, I suppose." She replied at last, before regarding him with a somewhat distressed expression.

"But… You don't have any reason to feel guilty for what happened to me. It wasn't your fault."

He scoffed. "Yeah, sure I don't…" he replied darkly, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Her brow furrowed in slight irritation. "I'm serious," she insisted, "I don't blame you for anything that's happened." She paused. "It was… It was just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. And… no one's to blame for that,"

Gray stared at her for a moment or two, taken aback at how nonchalant she seemed to be towards what had happened to her. It almost sounded as though she was defending the bastard who had raped her. His fists balled, although not out of anger towards her.

I swear, Juvia, I'll find the man who did this to you and make him pay.

When he realized that Juvia was watching him with wide eyes, he forced his mind to calm down. He hated the fact that his emotions were able to be read like a book.

"…What about you?" he asked casually, opting to change the subject.

She blinked. "Huh?"

"How are you holding up?"

She blinked again, "Oh," she said awkwardly, blushing for a moment in what appeared to be embarrassment.

"I'm… well, I guess," she said uncertainly, "as well as I can be." She sighed again.

"…You know," she started, a bit tentatively, "the reason I was walking so fast early on is because… I wanted to get to the guild as soon as possible, because I knew that soon enough, I'd probably regret the decision and turn back."

Gray's eyes slightly widened. If that were the case, then why were they even going to the guild?! Before he could react appropriately, Juvia quickly added,

"I'm still afraid to see them, I'm not denying that," she admitted, "But if I don't do it now, I know… I just know… that I won't have to courage to do it ever." She paused. "Or for a while, at least."

He hesitated. It was a fair argument on her part, but… part of him still had his doubts.

"… If you still end up deciding to turn back, I won't hold it against you." He said cautiously. "The last thing I want to see is for you to get hurt."

She smiled a bit. "Thank you for the concern," she replied warmly. He wasn't going to lie, she was actually somewhat cute when she smiled. Not one of those over-the-top smirks and grins that she displayed in the past when attempting to earn his love, but when she actually, sincerely smiled. He noted to himself to remind her in the future to do it more often.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long, her features darkening.

"…To be honest, I'm more scared of how they'll react once they see me." She trembled slightly. "I… I just don't know what to expect."

Neither did he, but he decided to keep that tidbit to himself. Realistically, there were only two reactions he could see coming from his guild mates: either they would actually use their head and keep their distance from her while offering comforting words, or they would probably keep caught up in the moment and do something foolish. Considering that Fairy Tail was… Well, Fairy Tail, the latter outcome seemed to be the more likely of the two, to his annoyance. But, in all honesty, he wasn't too concerned with how his guildmates would react; it was Juvia he was worried about.

She played with her hands. "They must be furious with me."

He stared at her, incredulous. "You're not serious, are you?"

Her lack of response proved him otherwise. He groaned. That was probably the only reaction that he was certain would never happen— and in the very, slim chance that it did, he wouldn't stand for it. Why was she so insistent on belittling herself?

"Juvia, nobody's angry at you for anything. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this."

She tensed. "But… still… they must be disappointed in me."

He hesitated for a bit, rubbing his temples in exasperation. "While I don't know what to expect either, I can tell you for a fact that they won't be angry with you. Or even disappointed with you."

"You think?"

"I know."

Juvia seemed to have relaxed at his words, but part of her still seemed to remain doubtful. He frowned.

"You don't believe me?"

"Well… I don't see why they wouldn't be angry. I intentionally ignored them for a good week or so, and then I tried to run away without another word. If I tried doing that any other guild… They wouldn't tolerate it."

He pondered over which words to say that would reassure her. "…You seem to forget that Fairy Tail isn't like other guilds," he said at last, "When one of their comrades get hurt, they never put the blame on the victim. They'll go to whatever lengths it takes for help him or her. That's what being in a guild is all about."

For some reason, he didn't really like the words that had come out his mouth, because they felt like lies to him. While Fairy Tail was known for preaching about how they'd die for their comrades, had they really cared all that much about Juvia through all of this? Hell, few of them had actually gone to try and visit her, and none of them were willing to offer her a place to stay. In fact, why was it that only Lucy had come to his doorstep that morning, and none of his other comrades? Even now, he could easily beat that a majority of his guildmates weren't even searching for her rapist as he spoke. It wouldn't be hard to imagine them goofing off in the guild, as though nothing had happened, nor would it be an understatement to assume some of them were out doing other jobs, and that catching Juvia's tormentor was just an afterthought to them, not their top priority.

Part of him hoped he was wrong, and that his inner-self was simply being pessimistic, but regardless, telling Juvia about the doubts he had was out of the question.

"…So you shouldn't worry," he said at last with a wave of his hand, "They'll most likely just be happy to see that you're okay." Hopefully they'll be able to control themselves.

She didn't seem all too convinced, though. "Still… If I pulled a stunt like that at my old guild, then, well… There's no telling what would happen."

He gave her a long, thoughtful look. It was the first time that she had mentioned her previous guild since she had joined Fairy Tail.

"What was Phantom Lord like?" he asked before he could stop himself, his curiosity piqued. Truthfully, he'd been wanting to know more about her experience at her old guild for a while now, but there had never been a right time for him to ask, especially considering that Fairy Tail was directly responsible for its disbandment. The only things he knew for certain about the guild were that one, they had openly feuded with Fairy Tail on a regular basis, and that two, they weren't above kidnapping others to obtain money. (Lucy being a prime example of this.) So, generally speaking, those facts alone were enough to leave him with a negative opinion of the guild, but considering that someone like Juvia had once been a member there, there had to have been something that drew the water mage to it. Part of him even wondered if Juvia had ever felt resentment towards Fairy Tail for having dispersed her guild.

She was silent for a moment or two. "It was… different from Fairy Tail… very different. My relationship with my guildmates was very different, for example."

"In what way?"

She bit her lip, pensive. "We… just never was that close with one another," she said at last, in a very casual manner, "No one was ever really concerned with forming bonds and friendships at Phantom Lord. The only things that were really ever on our mind were fulfilling our missions, and that was it. Friendships came second. So… I never really allowed myself to get too attached to anyone."

He felt a pang of sadness at this knowledge. He couldn't fathom the thought of being in a guild that treated him indifferently. To him, a guild was the equivalent of having a family, so to learn something like this… He didn't know what bothered him more, the fact that she didn't even seemed daunted by what she was saying, or the fact that he had asked the question in the first place.

"Didn't… that ever bother you, though?" he asked steadily. "The fact that you weren't close with any of your teammates?"

She blinked, almost as if that notion had never come to mind. "Well… not really," she admitted, "I was used to being a loner beforehand, and the time, making friends was the last thing on my mind, so… If anything, the fact that my relationship with my comrades was strictly professional wasn't anything new."

He took in a sharp inhale of breath, having regretted even bringing up the subject. Why was it that every time he wanted to know more about her, he only ended up finding out depressing details about her life? Was there not anything happy about her past?

Juvia appeared to have noticed Gray's internal distress, for she then regarded him with her brow furrowed.

"I know it probably sounds bad to a veteran Fairy Tail member, but it wasn't," she clarified sharply, and Gray was a bit taken aback on the sudden ferocity of her tone. Juvia seemed to be as well, for her eyes widened slightly before she cleared her throat and shifted her gaze to her feet.

"...Even if I wasn't too close with anyone there," she started once again, albeit more meekly, "I was still proud to call myself a member of it. Besides... I mean... The people at Phantom Lord were the first to ever accept me for who I was. They didn't care that it rained constantly whenever I was around. They didn't view me as a burden. They viewed me as a commendable mage, a valuable ally. They... were the first to accept me for who I was,"

The water-mage breathed, and when she spoke again, her voice had fallen into a murmur.

"And at the time... it was more than I could ever ask for."

Upon observing her wistful expression, he stared off into the distance, and there was a fleeting moment of silence between the pair that felt as though it lasted an eternity.

"You must miss it sometimes." Gray said at last.

"No." The rate at which she answered was astonishingly quick, prompting Gray to glance at her, blinking. Her expression was unreadable, although… Gray realized that her pace had quickened, if only subconsciously.

"Not… even a little?" he asked in awe.

She shook her head. "There are times when I've asked myself what it would have been like if I had stayed a member there, and I've always ending up realizing that it was for the better. I don't regret the time I spent with my guild, but… I'm glad I met Fairy Tail. I'm glad with how things turned out."

With how things turned out.

Right. If Lucy hadn't been kidnapped that one, fateful, day... All of the events leading up to now would have never happened. Phantom Lord would have never disbanded, Juvia would have never joined Fairy Tail and she would have most likely spent the rest of her days never knowing who he was and he never knowing who she was. It was by pure coincidence that all of it had happened, and yet… It was almost as though it was meant to be.

He felt another wave of guilt wash over him. Right.

If Juvia had never met him, none of this would happened. She would have never gotten raped, would have never tried to kill herself, nor would she be there, right now, walking alongside him to visit their comrades, in the hopes that she wouldn't have an emotional breakdown upon seeing them.

And yet, here she was, telling him that she was happy with how things turned out, but… Was she even aware of what she was saying? Did she even consider that maybe, if she hadn't joined Fairy Tail, none of this would have happened?

Realization hit him like lightning, and he felt rage surge through his veins again.

Right. That's because it wasn't Fairy Tail's fault that she was like this. Nor was it his fault, for that matter.

It was that bastard's fault.

Gray bristled at the thought of him coming back into mind, and gritted his teeth subconsciously.

I'll avenge you, Juvia… I swear it.

He was doing it again; allowing himself to get consumed by his thoughts of vengeance and unbridled hatred. Once he started, it was hard for him to stop. He wasn't even aware of the murderous aura that had started seeping out of him like blood out of a wound.

"Stop it, Gray."

Juvia's voice cut through the air, loud and clear, and Gray snapped out of his thoughts, regarding her with confused glance.

"What?" he asked breathlessly, not even aware of how he'd appeared to Juvia a second ago. She was staring at him with concern, and… To some degree, with fear. But oddly enough, the fear didn't seemed directed towards him… It was almost as if it was fear… For him.

"… Gray," she began more quietly, and took in an inhale of breath. She paused, trying to think of how she'd be able to get through to him. While she was still cautious around him, (not willingly, mind you), her better judgement knew that in reality, part of her still cared about him. Whether or not it was a result of the romantic feelings she once had for him was something she had yet to determine, but regardless, he meant something to her. She still considered him a friend. So this was necessary for him to hear.

"…The only thing that can hurt me more than anything that… monster, did to me … is you."

Gray stopped in his tracks, prompting her to stop as well. He stared at her, expression unreadable, and she swallowed, she taking it as a sign to continue, albeit less confidently.

"I… know all too well, how it feels to have darkness consume your entire being," she started slowly, her hair falling over her gaze. "I know all too well." She bit her tongue, but continued. "So promise me," she said clearly, staring at him unwaveringly. "Promise me that you won't let yourself get consumed by it."

The expression on his face after that was a mixture of various emotions— but in spite of that, it was impossible to figure out exactly what was going through his head at that moment. He didn't say anything initially—all he did was stare at her, gaze vacant, unable or—perhaps unwilling—to give her a direct answer. Soon enough, she became uncomfortable by the distant look he was giving her, so she shifted her gaze to the ground, and wrapped her arms around herself.

"To me… that would most painful thing… to see you… go through the same emotional stress that I'm going through." She hoped he would find the means to understand what she was trying to say.

She was caught off guard by the hand that he had placed on her head, and she looked back up at Gray, who was off staring in another direction.

"Fine." He grumbled.

"Thank you." Juvia told him, smiling slightly.

He retracted his arm and continued walking, with Juvia trailing alongside him.

A/N: Kind of an uneventful chapter, buuut it's important for character development and stuff. So yea.

Also, do you guys think that the pace I'm going with regarding the romance between them is fine as it is, or that I should speed it up a bit? I'm trying to keep the pace as natural as possible, considering all that Juvia's been through, because I don't want their romance to come off as forced. So… what do you think?

As usual, reviews are always appreciated!

Updated: June 6th, 2016