Nightmare

By: juvia0613 (aka FayeValentine00)

"This isn't happening! …. Juvia..."

Gray's tears were blinding as he held Juvia's lifeless body. He could feel the Water Mages warm blood flowing from the hole in her side. Juvia was the one person he'd wanted to save above all others and he'd never even told her. This was a nightmare. He was too late. He'd failed.

The scream that ripped through him did nothing to ease his pain, but there was no other outlet for his rage. He didn't know what to do with his grief; with his loss. It was wrong. Everything was wrong. It should have been him. He should have saved Juvia, but she'd saved him instead and now she wasn't coming back.

The Water Mage had done nothing but give him unconditional love and what answer had he given in return? Gray had told Juvia he'd "give her an answer when this was all over." What the hell was he supposed to do now?! It felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest.

"Juvia…" he whispered desperately. "I promise… I'll take your feelings more serious, so... please just open your eyes…" His voice broke. His breaths were coming in ragged gasps. "I'm begging you... Juvia…" No response. She wasn't moving and Gray couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

No. No. No. He couldn't accept that. He couldn't go through this... he couldn't lose someone else... especially not Juvia!

Gray woke up in a panic, heart pounding. He sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath and he could feel the tears streaming down his face.

A dream? No, a nightmare. How long had it been? This was the memory he tried so hard to suppress but, for the first time in many years, it'd all come back just a vivid as it'd been the day he'd defeated Invel. Gray could still feel the warm sensation of blood on his hands.

He needed a shower. He needed to wash away the memories and the evidence of his nightmare before Juvia woke up. Glancing over, he saw the Water Mage at his side. She looked so peaceful in sleep, her long hair hanging loosely around her face, one leg out from under the covers because "it was too hot to be all the way under the covers."

Just watching the blue-haired woman breathe evenly made the panic fade. Leaning down, Gray kissed his wife's warm forehead and felt thankful to Wendy all over again for keeping Juvia in his life.

Knowing the Water Mage would wake up if he lingered, Gray carefully climbed out of bed and went straight to the shower. He made the water a little hotter than usual and got inside. Maybe it would seem ridiculous to anyone else, but he scrubbed every inch of his body trying to cleanse himself from the memory of that day. He viewed that day as his biggest failure and, despite how good his life was now, it was an experience that he would never forget.

Nearly half an hour later, Gray finally shut the water off, put on some pants and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. He had just put the glass to his lips when a familiar female voice made him jump and he nearly choked.

"Dad, are you okay?" He hadn't even heard her approach but despite his frayed nerves, he forced a smile and turned to face his 16-year-old daughter.

"Haruki..." He said her name slowly, trying to compose himself. "Yeah. I'm fine. Why are you awake?"

The teenager gave him an exasperated eye roll as if the answer should have been obvious. "Dad, it's 2am. Nashi only left an hour ago." But after her characteristic sarcasm, her expression turned to concern. "You and Mom were asleep for hours and then you were suddenly taking a shower. You never do that. So... what's up?"

Father and daughter were at a stalemate, neither willing to give up. Haruki was stubborn like Juvia and the girls were close. If he didn't tell her something, Juvia would know everything the second she woke up. He thought about lying but the girl was smart too. She'd see right through it. Even Gray could admit that he was a terrible liar.

"It's no big deal. Honestly..." Gray muttered, sitting down with a cup of water. He could only assume that this was going to take a while. If Haruki could do anything, it was talk.

"Yeah, right!" The teenager snapped sarcastically but then her tone turned to concern. "Dad, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"I feel like I have."

Gray had muttered that last part, but Haruki heard him clearly and when she wasn't sure how to respond the room feel into silence. The Ice Devil Slayer was considering heading back to bed when Haruki asked gently.

"Does this have to do with Mom's scar?"

He was so surprised that she guessed immediately that he didn't even deny it. "How do you know that?"

"Slate and I asked about it a long time ago. She told us what happened. Dad, you should have seen Slate's reaction. He's so much like you. He got all mad like he was actually there. It wasn't until Mom told us how you beat Invel and avenged her, that he finally calmed down and his Dad hero-worship complex was firmly back in place." The memory made his daughter snicker.

Slate was Gray and Juvia's oldest. At 18, he was gone on missions a lot these days but the one thing that Haruki always loved to tease her brother about was their dad. Slate and Gray were very close, but Haruki wasn't wrong. Sometimes, Slate viewed his father with rose-colored glasses.

"Hero." Gray scoffed and felt about two inches tall. "I'm no hero."

"But Mom's still alive." Haruki was trying to cheer him up, but it wasn't getting through.

"Mom's still alive because of Wendy and Carla. I had nothing to do with it."

Later, Gray would muse that this was the first time that Haruki had seen him in a depressed slump but, being so much like her mother, the teenager took it in stride and forced her father to hear her point.

"Do you know what Mom says?" she began, not waiting for an answer before continuing. "Mom says that you were brave. She says you both chose to kill yourselves instead of hurting the other. ... Dad, that's a real-life fairy tale! ... Mom also said that you were so distraught when you saw her again that you passed out cold."

That made Gray groan. "Why would she tell you all of that?"

"Because it's romantic. Duh!" Haruki rolled her eyes again, explaining as if he was a bit dim.

"It's not romantic. It was horrible." Gray muttered again, but he knew it would fall on deaf ears.

"No, Dad. The situation they put you and Mom in was horrible. The way you dealt with it was romantic. ... Admit it. You could have easily killed Mom... but you didn't. You fought it and chose her life over yours, right? … That's why it's romantic."

His defenses finally broke down and, for the first time, he opened up to his daughter. "It was horrible. I can still feel Juvia's blood on my hands. She wasn't moving or breathing. She was gone and there wasn't anything I could do."

Haruki could see her Dad's hands shake as they clutched his water cup. The teenager knew that nothing else she said would make him feel better. So instead, she walked around the table and hugged her Dad around from behind.

Gray put his cup down and squeezed her arms. "Thanks, kid."

"No problem." They stayed like that for a while, the daughter trying to comfort the father until Haruki finally spoke again. "I'll just say one more thing... I'm glad you and Mom made it. ... Just image… a world without me in it. How awful would that be?!"

She sounded so mock aghast that Gray laughed and nodded. "You're right. That would be awful."

"I'm glad you agree." She laughed too, squeezing him tight one more time. When she let go, Haruki noticed the worst of Gray's worry lines had faded so her work was done. "That's my cue. Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Haruki."

When the teenage girl left the room, Gray got to his feet. Haruki was right. Regardless of anything else, he still had Juvia and he'd had her for nearly 20 years. He should focus on that and not the one day when he'd nearly lost it all.

He put his cup in the sink and turned to head back to his room but immediately stopped dead in his tracks. Juvia stood in the doorway and one look at her misty eyes told him that she'd heard everything. He didn't know what to say. He truly hadn't intended to tell her about his dream so now he was in a bind.

Gray shouldn't have even worried about it because Juvia being Juvia, made the first move. Crossing the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around Gray's neck and softly touched her lips to his. Then she hugged him, but she didn't say a word. She held him tight and just let him hold her in return.

Gray could feel Juvia breathing. He could feel her pulse on her wrist. He could smell her shampoo. He could take in every aspect of her being to reinforce that it had only been a dream. They were older now, hopefully wiser and definitely happier. Haruki was always telling them that everything happens for a reason and he was beginning to think she was right. If that day had to happen so he could have this, maybe it was worth it. Who knows? But what Gray did know was that he wouldn't trade his now for anything in his world.

*CLICK*

A bright flash lit up the kitchen making Gray and Juvia spin around.

"Awesome! What a cute picture! I'm gonna make Nashi show it to Lucy!" Haruki sounded very proud of herself as she ran back to her room and locked the door behind herself.

"Shit." Gray muttered.

"Juvia thinks the whole guild will see that by morning. ... Sorry, Gray-sama. Juvia should have waited in the bedroom."

When Juvia shifted to move away, Gray pulled her back into the hug. "It's already done so don't worry about it. ... Besides, I don't think I'm done with you yet."

Gray's tone of voice made Juvia snicker, and he was sure she was blushing. "What does Gray-sama have in mind?" she asked coyly.

"Follow me and I'll show you."

So, she did. Juvia followed her husband all the way back to the bedroom and Gray dared Haruki to try to take a picture of them after that.

The End