Even before she smelt his cologne, even before she heard the deep baritone of his voice, and even before her heart leapt as every cell within her rejoiced to be reunited with him, she knew he was there.

'It's good to see you again, Erza,'

CHAPTER 2 : THE GAMES WE PLAY

She took her time to turn around to face him. Not because she was afraid that any sudden movement might dislodge her bathrobe and expose her to him, or because she did not want to see him; quite the contrary actually. Her hand tightened around the letter opener as she turned around, drinking in his appearance, at the same time, keeping her face as still as possible. He would not know how much he had hurt her, how much she missed him, how much she wanted revenge.

He stood partially in the shadows of the waning day, and as he stepped fully into the light, she saw that he hadn't changed one bit. The same messy blue hair, the same tattoo, the same piercing green eyes which last she saw in sadness now held a guarded neutrality about them. He had come prepared.

He stood in a pure black three piece suit with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Up to that point she had never felt so self conscious about her clothes or appearance, but Erza blushed faintly and crossed her hands over her chest as his eyes roamed with unguarded hunger over her figure.

'You're not welcome here anymore,' she spat 'or didn't you already figure that out when you decided to leave me in the middle of that scandal to face all the humiliation?'

'It was a mistake,' he began evenly 'I was corrupted by the promise of wealth and power, and I acted like an idiot because of that,'

'I just hope the government finds enough evidence to put you behind bars for all you've done. Thanks to you and your friends, Fairy Tail is about to be destroyed,' her hands were shaking now.

He did not seem surprised by the revelation. He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

'I might have been the one who planned the whole thing out, but I wasn't the one pulling the strings,' he said softly as she looked away 'It was Zeref who-'

'Zeref?' she cut him off before he had the chance to explain further. 'The overlord of all drug cartels, mafia groups, and all things underworld?' this just kept getting better and better.

'You know, the Rune Knights questioned me about your whereabouts; and I defended you!' she screamed 'What did you tell them? That I was your freakin' scapegoat? You could've just strapped me to an altar you know. Drained my blood and make me a human sacrifice. Would've been more dramatic, don't you think?'

She pulled herself away from him and marched towards her room, making him follow behind her, exasperatedly trying to explain.

'I know it sounds bad, but I've cut all ties with them. Destroyed all evidence of my involvement. The government will never be able to prove I was involved,'

And she knew he was capable of that. He was cunning enough to be capable of anything.

He caught the door just before she could try to slam it in his face. With the two inches of space the doorframe provided him, he met Erza's stubborn eyes on the other side, they were tearing up again. But she was more determined than him, forcing the door shut, narrowly missing his fingers. In frustration, he slammed a fist against the door and cursed.

'Dammit Erza, I came back for you, alright. I want to start over, become the person you trust most in this world again,'

There was no reply, only the sound of shuffling of cloth.

'I love you Erza. Please give me another chance. Please,'

A few painful, pregnant seconds passed by. The door opened silently, and Jellal saw that Erza wasn't in the bathrobe anymore. Instead, she held a light pink strapless, sleeveless dress to her chest with her hands. She bit her lip, and although he had seen and memorized many expressions on her face before, Jellal could not decipher the look in her eyes; the shadow of doubt lingering somewhere in the pathway to forgiveness.

She suddenly took hold of his hand and pulled him inside the bedroom. His bewilderment and partial excitement faded slightly as she turned around and faced him with a halfway open zipper.

'I can't reach it,' she mumbled, so faint that Jellal almost didn't catch the words.

His hands found the zipper, giving the delicate material slow, even tugs as the zipper slid up the length of her back. Not by accident, he let his hands linger on her shoulders and back. And when she didn't shove him away, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him, enjoying her warmth and the smell of soap which still lingered on her skin.

….

She didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to do, heck; she didn't even know what to think. How was one supposed to react when the love of your life disappears for two whole years and suddenly appears in your apartment like nothing ever happened? Oh, and he was also the prime suspect for one of the largest financial felonies of all time.

But things happened, circumstances had changed, she had changed. What if he really was the mastermind behind the whole plot? What if he was lying about having changed for the better? What if he was the reason they would lose Fairy Tail? Was she obstructing justice just by being in his presence? What if the council found out? What if her friends found out?

She knew they didn't exactly have a high opinion of him, and she knew they believed that he was only going to make her life worse; but maybe they were right, and she was indeed a fool for trusting him and forgiving him so easily?

After all, isn't it the definition of insanity to try something over and over again while trying to expect a different outcome?

But what if they were wrong? What if she pushed him away and lost her one chance at true happiness?

Without responding to his embrace, she pulled away from him and sat down at her makeup table. Pulling out various tubes and tiny bottles, she began applying foundation and concealer. She needed something to keep herself busy, something to do with her hands. For a moment, he stood there silently, weighing his options, considering the best possible course of action. He knew he couldn't force anything out of her, lest he wanted to unleash her violent side. But he also needed an answer, to know where he stood; to know if she still wanted the same things he did.

Hadn't he already made up his mind?

'Councilman Shinra's party?' he let the question linger in the air.

'Yeah,' she said softly, glancing at his reflection in the mirror 'you're going too?'

She began rummaging through her jewelry box under the pretense of looking for a necklace to go with her outfit. But her mind was distracted, counting each of his light footsteps as he approached her from behind.

'I'm friends with his son in law,' he said 'Ah, here, this one,'

He reached into the box and withdrew a classic Victorian style necklace; a string of delicate pink pearls made up the chain and hanging from its centre, a tear shaped pendant of a single large sapphire set in between a cluster of tiny red rubies. Her hand balled into a fist for a brief moment before she grabbed the necklace out of his hand.

'Jellal, stop,' she said, resting her hands on the dressing table.

'I just… I don't know how to act around you anymore,' she continued 'After all that has happened, after all this time, I'm just not sure if we can go back to the way we were,'

He looked into her eyes and knew she was telling the truth.

'I'm not asking you to marry me again,' he replied, though he knew he wanted nothing less.

Erza was surprised to find that something stung in her heart at those words.

'At the very least, I just want us to be friends. Don't shut me out Erza. Even if we don't talk or see each other, I just want to be a part of your life, and I promise I'll be content,'

She snorted, shaking her head.

'Don't lie to me Jellal, don't lie to yourself. You and I both know we could never be satisfied with that arrangement,'

A beacon of hope flared in his chest for a moment. However, Erza let out a groan of frustration and clasped her face with her palms, sinking back onto the stool in front of her dressing table. He was by her side in a flash.

'I can't think about this now!' she said 'The future of the company lies on my shoulders. I have to stop Zancrow from buying us over,'

His eyes darkened as he added two and two together, the picture forming in his head making his blood boil.

'Is that why you're dressed up like this?' he asked, the edge returning to his voice.

She glared at him.

'I have no idea what you're talking about. I always dress up nicely for occasions like this,' she turned around and began brushing her hair.

'And besides, it's really not any of your business anymore how I decide to handle things. Your two year absence proved that you couldn't care less about what happens to me,'

He grabbed the hand that was brushing her hair roughly and forced her to face him. It had been awhile since she had seen him in such rage, and her breath caught in her throat as she stared into the dark, now malevolent depths that were his eyes.

'I forbid you to go to the dinner dressed like this. Do you know what kind of a sadistic bastard that Zancrow is? He makes Midnight look like the prince of chastity! You will not approach him or else-'

'Or else what?' she yelled at him.

Her anger had shot through the roof. How dare he? Did he honestly think he had the right to go around telling her what to do? Did he think she was going to forgive him so easily?

She waved the hairbrush threateningly at him, wishing she hadn't left her re-equip lacrima at work.

'I'll do whatever I like, however I like, and there's nothing in the world you can do to stop me!' she threatened.

'I could tie you to the bed,' he sniggered 'It would be just like old times, don't you think?'

'Get out!' she screamed, her face turning the color of her hair 'Before I kill you myself!'

He dashed out of her apartment just as she slammed the door in his face. He stared at it angrily for awhile before pulling out his cell phone. It took a few tries, but finally, the person at the other end of the line picked up.

'Hey Sweets, it's me,' said Jellal, 'remember that favor you owe me?'

….

Back inside the room, Erza paced up and down as she tried to regain even a semblance of calm. Wringing her hands in frustration, she started popping her knuckles one by one. Finally, she counted backwards from ten and thought of the many ways which she could potentially murder Zancrow if he ever managed to steal the guild from her. When she reached disembowelment, she let out a cool, satisfied smirk and turned to check her reflection in the mirror.

Something was missing.

She picked up the pearl necklace that he had chosen and clasped it onto her neck. As she felt the solid weight of the pendant on her neck resting just above her heart, she felt calm and focused. She smiled to herself sinisterly.

The definitely decided to mess with the wrong member of Fairy Tail.

….

There probably had never been a grander party in the history of all Fiore. Or at least, that's what Erza thought as she gawked at the massive chandelier hanging above the dance floor of the ballroom. From the entrance of the grand hall, to the great sweeping circular marble staircases and the hundreds of intricate tapestries which hung throughout the elaborately decorated hallways, the Palace of Era which hosted the Annual Lunar Ball looked like a scene straight out of a Victorian romance novel.

Earlier, they dined on fine cuisine in the massive and richly decorated dining hall, and now, Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Gray and Juvia stood at a corner of the grand ballroom, sipping champagne while keeping an eye out for members of other companies. Occasionally, an ally would approach them to offer their condolences, and on other occasions, Natsu and Grey needed to be held back as rivals and business competitors jeered and mocked their loss. It was no secret that once Fairy Tail was gone, a major niche would be cleared up in the market, and the other companies would flock like vultures to take over their spot.

Erza hadn't spotted Zancrow yet, but she knew he was probably lurking somewhere here. She knew this since she had heard two women discuss him rather… ardently in the women's room.

'Ooh, what were they saying?' asked Lucy, her eager eyes wide with interest.

'Let's just say his family jewels won't be so secure if those ladies ever manage to lay their hands on him,' giggled Erza.

The others didn't know about Makarov's request. Neither did they know about Jellal. But as Erza scanned the ballroom once more, she let out a sigh of relief to note that he wasn't there. It was best if he didn't interfere tonight. She could always deal with whatever residue of feelings they had for each other once this chaos about the company was settled.

Just then, a tiny blue haired girl with a bandana through her short locks approached the circle of friends, following behind her was a tanned, heavily studded man decked in all black. The rest made room for them, as Levy grasped Lucy's hands excitedly and began to jabber excitedly.

'Oh my god, you guys, you'll never believe what we just heard!'

'What happened?' asked Gray, laying an arm on Levy's shoulder, trying to get her to calm down.

But Gajeel sent him a penetrating look and continued with the news.

'Overheard Laxus and the Chairman discussing some things just now,' he said 'we heard em' mentioning the two potential buyers for the company,'

'Wait,' said Erza, her nervousness climbing 'There are TWO buyers? Are you sure?'

Levy looked at her somberly.

'Yeah, the Chairman's exact words were "both buyers are present tonight, we've got to make sure nothing goes wrong",' she said.

'Did Chairman say who they are?' asked Juvia

'Nope,' replied Levy 'They clammed up as soon as they saw that we were listening,'

There were a few heartbeats of silence.

'You sound like you're hiding something from us Erza,' said Natsu

'Correction, I know you're hiding something from us. Now spill!' the pink haired man looked at Erza crossly. They had been friends since high school, and he realized it had to be a pretty big deal for Erza to keep such a secret from him.

'Yeah, tell us what's bugging you,' said Gray 'I think we should know if it concerns the future of the company,'

And they were right of course. They were all responsible for the company, and they all had to work together to protect it.

'Makarov told me that the potential buyer of the company would be here tonight, but he only mentioned one buyer; Zancrow, of Grimoire Hearts,'

Erza took in their angered and aghast looks as they processed the new information.

'Natsu, Gajeel, come with me,' said Gray, cracking his knuckles 'That self absorbed rooster wannabe is so dead,'

Levy blocked their path and spread her arms open with a cross look in her face.

'Stop it you guys! This is exactly what the chairman was afraid of. We can't just go about bashing people up like barbarians!' said the blunette.

'Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing,' replied Natsu.

'We will do something,' said Erza 'Just…not right now,'

'Right,' said Lucy, clasping her palms together 'Let's all think of a plan,'

'I'll go scout the area and ask around and see if I can figure out who the second buyer is,' said Gajeel.

And they did just that.

….

It was much later in the evening when Erza found herself deep in conversation with Madame Porlyusica. The Madame was a rich, no-nonsense matriarch who was apparently, an old comrade of Chairman Makarov. Although no one really knew what their connection was, she was extremely loyal to the company and had personally contributed funds to them over the past few years.

She held a glass of wine daintily between her fingers as she scrutinized the party guests, having heard of the company's predicament.

'If you ask me, it's definitely that Ichiya fellow over there,' she said in her hoarse voice.

Erza looked over at the aforementioned man, standing beside Ren Akatsuki and gossiping voraciously with the younger man. He had come to the party in his usual white suit and tie ensemble and every once in a while, a lecherous grin would spread on his broad face as he ran a heavy palm through his thick orange hair.

'Do you really think so Madame?' asked Erza, sipping her wine 'Sure, he has his perverted moments, but he doesn't strike me as a threat,'

'Tsk, tsk child!' the elderly woman frowned 'Look at his eyes! Those shifty, beady, untrustworthy eyes are those of an opportunist! I can tell from here that you can never let your guard down around him,'

Well, that was true.

'You can always tell the intentions of a man through his eyes,' continued Porlyuscia.

Emerald green; sometimes filled with mirth and happiness, as clear as the morning sky, and other times, dark and dangerous, twin serpentine orbs that could bring even the most evil foe trembling to his knees.

Oh god, she missed him.

Suddenly, Porlyusica's eyes narrowed as her lips tightened into a straight line. She looked like she had just smelt something very unpleasant. Her gaze was directed somewhere to Erza's immediate left. The redhead turned and suppressed the anger and fear which flooded her veins as the fair-haired ace of Grimoire Hearts approached her.

He had a steady smirk on his face as he politely greeted Madame Porlyuscia. Turning to Erza, he knelt down slightly and placed a chaste kiss on her hand. Something about him made Erza's skin crawl. It must have been the excited glimmer of a challenge in his eyes as he caught her hatred-filled stare, or it might have been the tone of his voice, a tone of authority, of a man who knew he was capable of destruction, and enjoyed employing it all the same.

'I do believe Miss Scarlet and I have some business to discuss,' he said smoothly to the elderly lady 'would you mind if I stole her from you, for just a short while?'

The Madame didn't reply, staring at him with a blazing, hateful gaze. Zancrow smirked and nodded to the old lady before leading Erza away from the noise of the party. Erza had no doubt that the Madame would immediately inform the rest of her whereabouts.

They walked outside onto a veranda overlooking the gardens. The full moon was out tonight, and it cast a beautiful silvery glow on the marble statues and fixtures which were scattered about the area. If only the company matched the scenery.

'So, I've been wondering what I should do with you people once the company belongs to me,' he began, leaning on the stone banister separating the veranda from the gardens. His maniac grin had finally shown itself on his face.

'The deal hasn't been finalized yet. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. There's still a chance that the company won't be sold tonight,' snapped Erza

'What makes you so sure? I've made quite a good bid,' he snorted 'So much more than your precious company is worth, in fact,'

'If we're not worth it, then why bother spending so much in the first place?' she advanced on him, her hands on her hips, 'I'm sure there are more lucrative drug deals and counterfeit operations that deserve your money; am I right?'

He let out a low whistle and raised a placating hand.

'Easy there, hot stuff,' he laughed 'Don't go making statements you know nothing about. Didn't your boyfriend ever tell you not to go shooting your mouth off about the underworld?'

She gritted her teeth, on a scale of one to ten; her anger level was a fifty.

'Oh that's right,' he sneered 'Fernandes was in league with Zeref! Damn, I suppose I can't touch you now that you have super-villain immunity,'

She slapped him, and the crisp sound rang out through the otherwise silent night. But Erza began to back away in horror as his shoulders began to shake and he threw his head back, laughing like a madman.

'Uheeheehee! Now this is getting fun,' he said, advancing on her 'I always liked my women feisty,'

He managed to run a finger down her cheek before she slapped that away and took a few more steps back.

'Maybe I'll just keep you around after I send your company sinking to Davy Jones' locker! You'll be excellent entertainment,'

'Get rid of your sick fantasies, you monster!' she yelled. Of all times, why did she pick today to leave her weapons at work?

'Shouldn't you be begging me to spare your company, woman?' he turned his voice up a few pitches, 'Oh Master Zancrow, please don't harm us! I'll do anything for you! Anything!'

Her tolerance snapped and she swung a punch at him, failing to notice that he had been expecting just that. He let out a feral grin and sidestepped the swing, only to grab her arm, twist it behind her back and push her up against the far wall. In that instant, she cursed her stupidity for letting him get her alone.

But her survival instincts kicked in almost instantly. Ignoring the pain shooting from her bent arm, and the stale smell of alcohol emanating from his breath as he brought his face close to hers; she lifted her heeled foot and with great difficulty, sent a backwards kick in the general direction of his shin. His yell of pain told her that her attack had hit, and almost instantly, she felt his weight lift off her back.

She turned around instantly and saw Zancrow being slammed into one of the wooden chairs, his assailant gripping his neck, cutting off his air supply. The chair shattered upon impact and sent splinters of wood flying everywhere. Erza's eyes widened as she saw Jellal on top of Zancrow, sending blow after blow onto the man's face with his closed fist. It took Natsu, Gray and two other waiters nearly five minutes to break up the fight, and by that time, the crowd form the party had gathered around the Veranda, eager to see what all the commotion was about.

Jellal, his eyes still wild with anger, broke away from Natsu and Gray, took Erza in his arms and looked her up and down, making sure she was alright. She assured him that she was, placed her palms on his cheeks, made him look into her eyes and rested her forehead against his. He calmed down finally, shutting his eyes and letting his breaths even out.

'You are so dead!' yelled Zancrow 'Just you wait! I'll make sure you suffer so bad, you'll wish you weren't born!'

'Let's get out of here,' said Erza to Jellal 'Natsu and the rest will take of this,'

The blue haired man nodded, taking Erza's hand as she led him into the gardens. As they left, Jellal met Natsu's eyes for a brief moment. A quiet understanding passed between the two men and they each let a single nod pass between them, acknowledging each other's role in Erza's life.

….

They found one of the benches by the fountain and Erza requested a first aid kit from one of the waiting staff, upon noticing a small, bleeding wound just above his left eyebrow; most probably from the splinters of wood.

She swatted his hand away as he tried to rub off the blood with his sleeve cuff, claiming it was nothing. Plucking a damp piece of cotton from the kit, she dabbed at his forehead.

'It might get infected. Honestly, who do you men have to act so macho around women?'

She applied some disinfectant and after she stuck a bandage onto the wound, she noticed that he was observing her through half lidded eyes. For some reason, the scrutiny and the familiarity of his intense gaze made her blush.

'What is it?' she asked, packing away the first aid kit 'You want me to kiss it too?'

He smiled, making butterflies flutter in her tummy. Was he always this handsome?

'It would help; after all, it's not so often that a man like me experiences such a mortal injury like this,'

She laughed softly and didn't object as he slung an arm over her shoulders, drawing her closer to him. When her side was pressed up against his, and her head leaned on his shoulder, she sighed in contentment and said,

'I miss this. I miss you,'

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

'I miss you to,' he replied in a soft voice 'you were always on my mind, I swear. Every single day, for the past two years, I regretted not telling you the truth sooner,'

'I would have believed you, you know,' she mumbled 'If you told me the truth,'

He looked her in the eye.

'You would have come with me? Even if that made you an accomplice to crime?'

She smiled sadly and tilted her head upwards, laying a soft, chaste kiss on his lips

'Don't you already know? I would've followed you to the ends of the earth if I had to,' she whispered 'I love you,'

Two pairs of footsteps approached them, and upon seeing who it was, Erza sprang away from Jellal, standing up stiffly and bowing.

'I'm sorry chairman! I wasn't able to complete my objective. Please forgive me!'

'Tsk, tsk, child! Stand up straight! Need I remind you that you are a woman, not a warrior?'

Madame Porlyuscia and Chairman Makarov stood side by side in the garden pathway, her towering over the small man. However, Erza was surprised to see that both their faces held similar looks of happiness and relief. Jellal stood up as well, standing beside Erza and greeting the two newcomers politely before taking Erza's hand in his.

Wait, what's going on here?

'Do not fear, my dear,' said Makarov 'Zancrow is currently being restrained by members of security. Rest assured that he will not be attending any society functions anytime soon,'

'But, what about the company? Who won the bid?' she asked

'The second buyer,' said Makarov shifting his gaze to the man beside her 'Which is what brings me here in the first place. I wished to congratulate you, Mr Fernandes, on your spectacular victory,'

Erza stiffened, shock paralyzing her system completely. How on earth? Why didn't she notice? Why hadn't he said anything? He squeezed her hand, drawing her attention back to him. Relief flooded her heart, and she couldn't tell if the tears which sprung to her eyes were from sheer joy or just plain relief.

'But… but… how?' she asked

'Yes, we've wanted to know the same thing,' said Porlyusica in her clipped tone 'Results show that you managed to beat Zancrow by a mere 50 jewels. It feels almost like you knew how much he had put forward. Which should not be the case since bidding is strictly confidential,'

He looked at Erza and gave her a wide grin.

'Let's just say that the secret to success is a sweet one indeed,'

Whether Makarov and Porlyuscia caught his drift, he didn't know, or care. All that mattered was the woman in his arms, laughing along with him and at the same time shedding tears of joy while thanking him over and over again.

'One more thing,' said Porlyusica 'What are your intentions for the company now that you have obtained it?'

He drew in a breath as he looked Erza in the eye.

'Two years ago, I broke the heart of the woman I love. I just wanted to give her back the one thing she cares about most in the world, just so that she could not look at me with so much hatred and anger,' he rubbed away a trail of tears that had rolled down her cheek 'I'm sorry,'

'Oh, you silly goose,' she said, leaning her head against his chest, 'I love you. Always had and always will,'

….

Makarov laughed good naturedly as he and Porlyuscia walked away from the two lovebirds. He sensed that they needed their 'alone time' and realized it would probably be awhile before they rejoined the celebrations going on inside.

'Children these days,' grumbled Porlyusica 'They never learn. The rule of the thumb is to never mix business with pleasure!'

'Oh, is that why you never said yes to me?' joked Makarov.

He laughed some more at the icy stare she gave him.

They reached the veranda, now devoid of people and chair fragments. Before they stepped back into the ballroom, Makarov took one last look at the two shadows by the fountain, still wrapped in each other's arms, swaying to the noiseless music of the night.

'You know what they say about geese don't you?' he asked the Madame

She wrinkled her nose and said.

'No, I never had an interest for farming anyway,'

He smiled at his companion, a cheerful wink in his eye.

'They mate for life,'

Wohoo! End of first mini-story! This ficlet was inspired by the recent Gossip Girl episode 'These Kids Are Not Alright'. For those who don't watch the series, you can skip this paragraph. Lol. I was inspired by the fact that Chuck was almost going to lose his company, and the fact that he would do anything to gain it back. My personal opinion is that he'll seduce Reina and somehow convince her dad not to buy his company 0_0 …

For those who didn't get it, Jellal called Sweets and got the insider information from him. Coz Sweets is Shinra's son in law. And he's able to dig for top secret government info that we underlings have no access to!

Please review and tell me what you think about the story. I think I spent nearly 5 hours on this chapter alone. But whatever, art requires sacrifice doesn't it? Lol. And don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions or requests. I'd like to know what you think or what you'd like to see in future chappies!

Cheers!

Asianpearl