Hi guys! I'm back! I hope you'll like that new chapter and have a nice day :D

Lily xx

Juvia watched as Gray shaped the stone. In only tree days, she was already used to spend the day next to him. Even though Gray was more of the distant and solitary type of Guy, he didn't seem to be the least annoyed by her presence. He simply did as ever, allowing her to be there. Since the day before, the young woman, now being familiar with the name and the use of the instruments, was act as an assistant once in a while. She even obtained him a contract only by talking to one of the people passing by.

Everything seemed too good to be true. A twinge of regret put her back on earth. "None of it is true" thought the blue haired girl who had to focus to prevent herself from crying. Tree days... Tree day had already passed since she promised Gajeel they were only staying a couple of day to make sure they where all right. And, no matter how Gajeel was denying it, Juvia knew he was believing less in less in Levy's guilt. She had to admit she herself had a hard time believing the small interpret could have done something bad.

Her heart tightened even more. If they where to stay any longer, it would rather be Gajeel and her that would be the real source of danger. But how could she imagine a life of wander in the forest, the fear of being caught by Phantom always present, and that, far away from her precious Gray? There it was! Her tears had escaped from her eyes, now rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Exclaimed Gray, obviously uncomfortable with seeing her cry.

"N...othing" she let out. "Juvia simply likes to look at Gray when he's working..."

"You're looking at me right now so why the hell are you crying?"

"Gray. Juvia has to..."

"Watch out!"

Before Juvia could understand what had happened, Gray had thrown himself at her, flattening her on the ground. She blushed. Since when was Gray so adventurous? Scenarios started to fill her imagination when a voice brought her back on earth.

"What are you doing?" Yelled Gray. "Get up!"

The young woman's brain started to work normally again. A man and a woman where standing before them. It didn't take her much time to recognise them. The woman, Sue, was holding in her hands a dagger identical to the one that barely missed her head. She and Boze, the man at her side, where members of Phantom. "No... not now!" thought Juvia. "Not while Gray's here". She had acted selfishly. She should have left sooner.

"Juvia!" started Sue. "I have to admit I'm disappointed... We thought that Gajeel and you would be more of a challenge..."

"Where's Gajeel?" Asked Juvia with a trembling voice, ignoring the insult of her former teammate.

She knew her friend was a great fighter. She however couldn't help herself from being worried. Gajeel was the only one who accepted her for what she really was, the only one with whom she had develop a real bound. She simply couldn't handle to loose him.

"Totomaru and one of our new recruits are already taking care of him, snickered Sue, nourishing her worries.

"How can you attack your..."

"My what?" Cut her off her attacker "my partners? You aren't one since the moment you decided to betray Phantom".

"Juvia did not..."

"Don't act like you didn't expect what was in store for you!" Intervened Boze, the same coldness in his look as Sue. "You knew very well what would happen when you deserted."

"Juvia isn't an assassin!" She yelled.

"Too bad. A real Phantom member is if needed" she said throwing another knife in her direction.

She barely dodged the later.

"Gray has to go! Juvia has to take care of her problems on her own" she said, lifting her arm before him to separate him from the combat.

"I haven't understood everything, but there's no way I'm leaving you alone with those jerks".

"Juvia is trained for combat since she's a kid. She will be fine, but Gray has to be safe" she said, maintaining her point.

"Are you kidding?" Said Gray, a smile on his face, hitting on of his fists against his other hand "all those battles against Natsu will finally pay off!"

Juvia didn't have time to react before he grabbed one of his sharp tools and used it against Boze. The young woman couldn't however help him, being herself attacked by Sue.

"Don't mind your boyfriend" she said "You wont live much longer anyway!"

Boyfriend? Juvia had a hard time to come down to earth and chase that amazing though of her mind for the moment. After all, she would not be able to see him again if Sue managed to get through her plan. Anger took over her at that thought and Juvia became more formidable. She made her adversary drop the third knife she drew, giving her a succession of agile kicks. With a last one on her temple, Sue collapsed on the ground without getting the opportunity to fight back, allowing Juvia to finally check on Gray.

For someone with no combat formation, he managed to keep up the pace pretty well. However, his lack of experience was starting to show off against someone like Boze and the later managed to make her love drop his makeshift weapon. The blood froze in her veins when he succeeded in drawing a cut on Gray's arm, ready to let down once more his sword on him.

"No one hurts Gray!" She roared, more determination in her eyes then ever, running to her former teammate.

She could see a glimpse of fear in his eyes when she succeeded in disarming him.

"What's with you all of a sudden?" Said Boze, seeing her dark look.

He didn't have time to get any answer before falling in unconsciousness due to the powerful hits of an unbridled Juvia.

Out of breath, the young woman regained her senses an ran to Gray.

"Gray! Tell Juvia you're all right!" She cried as soon as she got to him.

"I'm all right! No need to get all worked up like that!"

She sighed in relief, giving however a look at his wound to make sure he was saying the truth, then scanned the horizon. They managed to get out of trouble...for now.

"Juvia" finally said Gray, startling her. "Who where they? And what's Phantom?"

An uncomfortable silence grew between them. Juvia knew she owed him explanations, but she also promised herself she would not talk about it. She crossed the piercing look of the young man. Yes, she had to tell him the truth.

"Juvia will tell Gray everything".

Her thoughts then turned to her best friend. Had he been as lucky as her?

"Juvia promise" she resumed. "She simply has to make sure Gajeel is all right first".

***

Gajeel's arm was painful. The movement he had to make to protect himself against Totomaru, that bastard, had partially reopened his wound, too fresh and too deep to have completely scared. Even though the recruit didn't seem like much of a challenge, the young man knew that Totomaru had been, with him and Juvia, one of the strongest members of Phantom. "Hope that this rain for brains will look somewhere else then her pervert" he thought, guessing her friend would also have the defend herself against an attack.

"Fight all you want, Redfox" let out his adversary, bringing his attention back on him. "No matter what you do, will get rid of Phantom's vermin and finish the job you where too weak to do all at once".

"The shrimp!" he thought, feeling his teeth and his fists clench.

"Gihi" he however provoked him with his characteristic laugh. "An incompetent like you and his lap dog will do none of that.

He drew out his sword with his left arm, the one that was still unharmed. Happily, during his numerous trainings, he had been bored sometimes and decided to train with his non dominant hand for once. He soon enough became ambidextrous and wielded the sword with almost as agility on the left.

The combat was mostly to his advantage, but in the moment he was about to disarm his opponent, a blade sunk in his flesh, drawing from him a pained cry. Only his reflexes where responsible of the dagger in his arm rather than in his neck, having lifted his right hand just in time to block the attack from the rooky. He would have to keep an eye on that little shit that accompanied Totomaru, he mentally complained. Unless... Following the idea he just had, Gajeel dodged once more the sword that was coming at him and, rather than trying to disarm him, he pushed the guy to meet a second knife that was aimed at him.

"Gihi! Stupid kid! He let out seeing Totomaru who was complaining about the painful projectile in his shoulder.

Having once more the advantage, he managed, barely getting a couple of minor cuts on his arms and legs, to knock out his opponent. As for the youngest, obviously fighting in one of his first real combats, he practically offered no resistance to a guy like Gajeel.

The assault over, he removed the dagger from his arm with a stifled cry. Phantom was quick. The had found them fast, way to fast. On that thought, he didn't loose anymore time an ran to Levy's little house, hoping they hadn't finished the job yet.