I don't own Fairy Tail. It belongs to the king of Trolls.

"Juvia?"

The water mage blinked. She was surprised to see her favorite ice mage starting conversation with her. "Yes, Gray-sama?"

He looked at her, straight-laced as usual, "Do you have anything planned tomorrow?"

"No. Juvia has nothing," she cocked her head to the side, wanting to know where this was leading. She was trying to suppress her fantasies. After the battle with Tartarus, Juvia had wanted to become someone her beloved Gray-sama would look on with pride. Someone who could deserve Silver's trust in her. The results were a less clingy and less excitable Juvia, which Gray both appreciated and found he disliked.

He never thought he would miss her glomping him whenever he walked in the guild. On the other hand, he really liked it when she would flit to his side with that beautiful smile of hers. At first, he'd found her attempts amusing because she would often express her inner struggles aloud. He had gotten a kick out of teasing her for a while. He had been sure it would only last the first two weeks at best, but it had been six months since she'd started this. In that time, she'd only improved in her goal.

It was rare that she tackled him with hugs, and when she did, it rarely lasted for more than a few seconds. Juvia almost never went into that daze she used to have whenever Gray said something she could easily twist. She'd even stopped giving him creepy presents, except for the occasional Gray or Juvia-shaped food item. She had started wearing this smooth mask of calm, and he had taken it as a challenge to break that as often as he could. That's why he'd started inviting her on more and more missions. And today, there was yet another chance for him to break her calm. The mission had asked explicitly for mages the were good against fire. Natsu had make him take it on a dare, but it was a good excuse for him to ask Juvia to back him up on the in case.

Knowing that he was asking more as a formality than anything, Gray says, "Then you won't mind accompanying me to Suun Fair Town?"

Juvia stiffened at the name of the town. That name brought on the a rage she had not felt in a long time. She suppressed a shiver of disgust before blatantly spitting, "Not a chance in hell!"

The entire guild fell silent and looked at the two in complete shock. Their eyes only grew wider as Juvia fumed and stalked away from her favorite mage. She would have left the guild that very second if Gajeel hadn't grabbed her arm, "Oi, what's got you so worked up, rain woman?"

Juvia won't meet his eyes and began trying to wrench her arm away. "Let me go."

Gajeel noted that she had dropped her third person. He knew something was seriously bothering her. "Juvia talk."

Juvia tried again to pull her arm free, but the dragon slayer's grip was as iron as he was. Still not meeting his eyes, she stared at the floor, letting her bangs cast shadows over her eyes. He felt the water mage tremble and her voice laced with disgust. "I will never again set foot in that place."

Gajeel's eyes narrow. In all the time he's known Juvia, he only knows of one place she talks about like that. He released her arm and simply said, "You go home and think more about taking this mission. I'll talk to the ice princess about it."

She nodded, adding in a low voice, "Also, please let Gray-sama know Juvia is not angry with him."

With that, the guild looked on with confusion as Juvia ran home. Gray was especially flabbergasted. He had never expected a flat-out rejection, let alone her sudden anger. He was still in shock when Gajeel put his hand on his shoulder, "Don't take it personal. She would have done that to anyone else."

"She- she just-" Gray couldn't find the words to express the confusion.

"Yeah, I know. Just sit down and get yourself a drink," Gajeel said, taking the empty next to where the water mage had been. "

Knowing that this was definitely not what he had come to know from Juvia, Gray began listening intently to Gajeel.

"Have you ever wondered why Juvia always talks in the third person?"

Gray shook his head, "I always just took it as a habit."

"That's what I thought too at first," Gajeel took a swig of his drink, "but I remember this one night right after she joined Phantom Lord. We were on a mission, and we had to share a room. I woke up to take a wizz, but she was already in the bathroom. While I was waiting, I kept hearing her chant to herself over and over like she was trying to convince herself of something. She was saying it so long, it's still stuck in my head."

Gray cocked his head to the side, "What was she saying?"

Gajeel looked down at the drink, his grip tightening a bit. "'Juvia is needed. Juvia is not a curse. Juvia can be loved.' I think she actually went on like that for a solid hour, and who knows how long she'd been going before that."

Gray stared at his own drink. Part of him couldn't believe that Juvia would ever need to give herself such encouragement. He had always seen her as a proud, confident mage.

Gajeel continued, "I don't know all the little details about her time before she came to Phantom Lord, but I do know she was recruited from her hometown, Suun Fair Town. Rumor has it that she hated the place so much, she always tore the requests from there to pieces. To this day, she's never told me the full story, just bits and pieces. But from what I gather, no one in that town has ever called her by her real name."

Gray's eyes widened in shock, "How's that even possible? Surely, her parents-"

"Juvia has no idea who they are or what they called her because they dumped her in the orphanage before she could crawl." Gajeel took another swig of his drink.

Gray quieted. He looked at his mug, expression unreadable. He wondered if Gajeel's suspicions held any weight. It would certain explain the water mage's extreme reaction. She was rarely so vocal about what she didn't like. Gray decided he needed to know for himself, so he left his drink at the bar and headed after her.

Juvia was sitting on her bed, both in deep regret and hurt. She was hurting because the very mention of that horrid place brought out a side of Juvia she'd tried so desperately to crush, and she felt regret for how she had treated her beloved Gray-sama. She pulled her knees to her chest, sighing heavily. She really wished she could apologize to him.

Juvia jumped a little when she heard a tap at her window. She glanced to her side so that she could see what had hit her window. She felt her heart jump into her throat when she saw the raven hair and deep blue eyes waiting expectantly through the window. She quickly scrambled to open the window. "Gray-sama! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here," he said, climbing into the room, "because I think you owe me an explanation for why you went off on me."

Juvia tensed. She avoided looking directly at him. "Gajeel-kun should have told you what you needed to know."

"Gajeel can only tell me so much," Gray said while he tried to get her to look at him again, "there are things I need to hear from you."

"Juvia has no wish to speak about this," her voice raised an octave along with her anxiety. She could already feel that terrible ache in her heart again. She would lose her grip on the happiness she'd managed to achieve. She wouldn't be the Juvia she'd always wanted to be.

But Gray was persistent. "Juvia, no one can help you if don't tell us what's troubling you."

"Nothing is troubling Juvia, so please drop this topic - Gray-sama!?"

Gray had taken hold of her shoulders, forcing her to look directly into his intense eyes. Juvia felt her face heat up under his intense gaze. "Juvia, you can talk to me. I'm your guild mate, you can trust me."

Juvia swallowed thickly, once again reverting her eyes. Her voice had a tone of forced playfulness, "Juvia doesn't know why Gray-sama is being so persistent. Juvia said she's fine."

"Then why don't you look me in the eyes?"

Juvia began to worry her bottom lip. "Juvia's very sorry for how she acted, and she is very happy Gray-sama came to see her. However, Juvia does not wish to speak about this."

Gray studied the water mage's face. He watched as she grit her teeth. Despite the blush on her face, there was also determination. She wasn't going to give an inch to him. He tried a softer tone, "I know it was hard for you there. I can't imagine how they treated you, but you can always come to me. I'm here with you."

"Gray-sama..." she said, tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for being so kind to Juvia, but please, Juvia- I'm begging you. Please, don't make me talk about that place. Please don't make me go back there."

He watched her beautiful face as it broke down. He hate seeing her features marred with such sadness. With a sigh, he released her shoulders and turned back towards her window.

"Fine, you don't have to talk to me," he spoke, "but I want you to listen to me. I know that you faced a lot of stuff in the town, but I think the only way for you to get any better is for you to face them again. You have to show them just what there missing. Face them as the proud member of Fairy Tail you are."

Juvia felt awestruck hearing this. She said nothing though. Fear still clutched at her heart, fear of the place that once rejected her very being.

When she said nothing, he continued, "Tonight, I'm taking the last train out at ten. If you think I'm wrong, then I'll leave without you. But you and I both know you're a damn good mage, and it's about time you got a chance to show them that."

With that, he leapt back out of the window. She rushed to be sure that he landed alright. Juvia watched him as he left, noting that he'd left his jacket on the window sill. She folded the jacket and squeezed it while she thought about what Gray had told her. Gray believed in her. But did she really have the will to prove him right?

So? What do y'all think? Please review!