One Shot: The Package
Pairing/s: Gruvia
Rating: K+
Genre: Angst/Drama
Warning: 424!spoiler
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken

(What Hurts The Most ~ Rascall Flats)

"... if she comes here to look for me give her this. And take care of her. Make sure she doesn't break over this. Make sure she doesn't look in the right directions. I want her to be safe. Please. I will contact you when this is over.", he gave Rogue the small package.

"We will take care of Juvia-san. Don't worry. Good luck Gray-san.", Rogue tried not to look at the black marks on the Fullbuster's skin. On the table, Frosch repeated his promise.

"And make sure she gets the package... Tell her to read the letter and to take care of what I left inside for her. It's important to me.", and with that the black haired man pulled a cpe over his head and disappeared from the little cafe the two mages had met at.

Rogue did not understand why the Fullbuster would actually trust him. He did not know why he left the pretty blunette who was waiting for him in the next village. He could not understand why he went on his quest.

But he did understand why he wanted to keep her safe. Thus what Gray wanted him to do.

"Come on, Frosch, let's go home.", he picked up the small Exceed and the package and left.

He always brought it with him, in case he met the addressee, but Gray-san trusted him and he had his orders, so to say. Only give it to her when she looked for Gray at Sabertooth. Because then she would already be too close to the truth.

Of course he wanted to know what was inside. What he protected for the two Fairy Tail mages. But he did not want to disturb their privacy.

Sting, whom he had told about the package, asked him why he did that for Gray. He told him how about half a year prior to Gray, Gajeel had come to find him. He had told Rogue that Juvia and Gray had moved into a hut in the next village. Rogue had promised Gajeel to look after them and to kick the Fullbuster's ass if he ever hurt the rainwoman.

He was sceptical and about to inform Gajeel when the ice mage first came and explained his quest. But Gray made him promise not to do that, for the sake of the whole of Fiore. For their guilds' sake. For her sake. It was something in his eyes that made the Shadow Dragon Slayer refrain from sending Gajeel a message.

He waited for the water mage. She did not come. And when she appeared in the guild hall asking for information, he had just left on a mission. This was why, after several months, the package was still in his possession. Always.

He was surprised when Natsu, Lucy and Happy came to his guild to ask about Gray. He did not expect them to come. He told them he could give them no information, because that was what he had promised Gray. He gave them hints of what he knew, but did not tell them any thing specific. This way they could find him and maybe change his mind.

But he told them he had something for Juvia and to please bring them to her. Upon their questions he just said whom it was from and that he was supposed to give it to her personally.

He was surprised to say the least to find her bed-ridden.

"Her fever is down, but she's still weak and sleeping. You'll have to wait a couple of hours till she's awake, Rogue-san.", Wendy explained and the four mages and three Exceeds waited outside. Wendy went in to look for her in half and hour intervals and after two and a half hours she came out again.

"She really is a fighter. I remember Porylusica-san commenting on that after the Tartaros fight. She was poisoned as heavy as, if not worse than Laxus and up and around again after a week of getting the antidote. She still has a bit of a temperature and seems to have a cold, but she promised she would help you look for Gray-san in a couple of days. I have no doubts that she will.", Wendy smiled.

"She won't help look for him.", Rogue shook his head. He cut off Natsu who was about to retort something "I promised Gray-san to protect her. Not to let her search. And I will keep my promise. If you'll excuse me now. Frosch and I have a package to deliver."

He stood up and gave the package to Frosch, who wanted to give it to Juvia. He knocked on the door. After hearing her voice, weaker than he imagined it from the GMG, he opened the door and went in.

"Rogue-san, Frosch-san, hello. Wendy-san already told Juvia you wanted to see her. Juvia's sorry she looks like this but she seems to have caught a cold.", she smiled from her position on the bed. Rogue was surprised to find her looking so weak and fragile. This was one of the mages making Sting forfeit?

He walked towards the bed and she offered him a chair that stood near it. He shook his head. He was only there to deliver the package.

He looked at Frosch and nodded to his little friend. Clumsily the Exceed brought it to Juvia and she smiled softly at him.

"Thank you. What is this?", she asked and Frosch looked at her with big eyes.

"Fro and Rogue think it will make Juvia-san happy again.", he explained and Rogue could not help but be surprised. He knew Gray and Juvia had helped his little friend back to Sabertooth, but the little Exceed seemed to like Juvia a lot.

"He gave me that letter when he left. He told me to ask you not to search for him and not to bring yourself into danger. You should read the letter and take care of what he left for you. He said it was important to him.", Rogue explained and Juvia's eyes widened. She was about to ask something, but he only shook his head.

"Read the letter. Every thing that he wants you to know is inside. Now come on, Frosch, let's give her some privacy.", he called the Exceed. Frosch looked up to Juvia and hugged her, before jumping off the bed and following him outside.

He did not say anything to the others waiting outside and was about to bid goodbye, when he suddenly found Natsu about to hit him.

A sniff in the air told him exactly why. Salt water. Fresh, warm, salty water. Tears.

He blocked Natsu's attack and explained shortly that he did nothing to upset Juvia. If she was crying it was because of that letter. When he heard her weeping through the door he turned, picked up Frosch and left.

He heard a door open and looked behind to find Natsu glaring at him while Lucy and Wendy were about to head inside, no doubt to calm her down.

The rain around him got heavier.

Three days later he was surprised to find the group he had left behind come into his guild. Natsu and Juvia glowing from determination. They did not ask for answers or information. They wanted a team to help them get Gray back.

When he saw Juvia, he told them he knew how to contact Gajeel and that he would do that immediately.

He saw her look healthy, although she sneezed and coughed now and then. Her hair was hidden under a hat, her style similar to what she wore at the GMG. But all that was not what made her seem ready, what made him break his promise.

It was the cross-necklace around her neck, the one he saw Gray wear last.