The next morning reinforcements from Fairy Tail arrived on the first train into the areal. Juvia was elated to see that so many of her guildmates were able to come and help out. Natsu and Lucy came with Erza, Wendy and Carla. Gajeel, Levy and Pantherlily joined them as well. Another guildmate Laki Olietta came along too. Juvia was excited that she could join them, as her Wood Make magic skills would really come in handy with rebuilding parts of the town. They didn't simply intend to fix the waterways, but to help beautify other Montil as well. The funding from the royal fund arrived the next morning as well, and was delivered straight to Jack.

"So what needs to be on fire?" Natsu asked with a grin.

"Natsu! You will NOT be setting anything on fire, damnit!" Lucy scolded, crossing her arms over her chest while shaking her head.

"Aw Luce, c'mon! You're no fun!"

Juvia laughed and shook her head. "I don't quite need you to set anything on fire, but rather I was hoping you would work with Gajeel-kun to make some new pipes for the water ways. He can manipulate the iron while you use your fire to melt it. With both your powers combined, I figured it would be the best way to get the job done!"

"You mean I have to work with ash-for-brains?" Gajeel complained, crossing his arms over his chest. Levy patted his arm and smiled at Juvia. "And ain't no iron-make wizard!"

"Don't worry Juvia, he'll do it. We're here to help you with whatever you need!" Levy said. Gajeel grumbled under his breath, but didn't argue with his girlfriend. While small in stature, Levy was a strong wizard, and was used to corralling the Iron Dragon Slayer's wild nature.

"I really appreciate this, all of you! I want to do everything I can for this town!" Juvia said, clapping her hands together. "Levy-chan, I thought maybe you could help with making the metal for the pipes, and when there's enough, I thought you could help Jack with some of the organizational tasks."

"You got it! Sounds good!" Levy said with a smile.

"What do you need me to do Juvia?" Lucy asked, hands on hips.

"Oh, Lucy! There's something special we need you for. Several of the tunnels have collapsed and are preventing water from traveling through the pipes. I thought perhaps with the help of Virgo that you could dig some new pathways!"

"No problem! I'll equip Virgo's stardress form and use the power to help her along with it!" Lucy said enthusiastically.

Juvia turned to Laki. "There are buildings in the town that need extensive repairs, and I'd like to build a new community center if we can manage it.That's where you come in, Laki!"

"You got it, Juvia! Do they need a torture chamber in the community center?" Laki asked curiously.

Juvia did her best to not look horrified, and instead laughed nervously and shook her head. "No, I don't think so, Laki. But we'll work out the details with the town officials to be sure."

Erza stepped forward. "Jellal called while we were on the train, and said that he'll be joining us tomorrow. He was on a mission from the King, but will be free to help us after that. So you can count on an extra pair of hands," she said.

"That's great! We can always use an extra set of hands. I really appreciate all of you coming to help. I can't say it enough!" Juvia said, a little misty eyed. The emotion was welling up inside of her as she looked at all of her friends willing and eager to help. It meant so much to her. At one time these people had been her supposed enemies, and now they were her family. It was amazing how time could change things.

Gray stepped up and took Juvia's hand, lacing his fingers through her own. Juvia looked at him, a bit surprised. She wasn't sure what he was up to, but everyone had quickly taken notice of his actions.

"So uh...guys, there's something you all should know,"Gray piped up, clearing his throat. "Since we've been here, there's been some changes. Juvia and I...we're together now. Like, a couple."

Juvia couldn't hold it in any longer and began to cry. She couldn't believe that he had made such an announcement. She never dreamed that he would make it official in such a way. It made her so happy and quelled any lingering doubts she may have had buried in her subconscious.

"Alright! About time!" Lucy cheered, giving Juvia a wink, causing the water mage to blush profusely.

"Oh, that's so great! I'm happy for you guys!" chimed in Wendy.

"My condolences, Juvia," Natsu said and Gray grimaced.

"Can it, fire boy," Gray said through clenched teeth.

"Ah calm down ice princess. I'm just kiddin'," Natsu said, waving him off dismissively.

"We're not here to fight. We're here to help Juvia on her job," Erza said firmly and that put an end to dispute. The requip mage then turned back to her with a smile. "Juvia, congratulations. I'm happy for you both."

"Thank you, Erza. That means a lot," Juvia said, grinning from ear to ear. She gave Gray a little nudge.

"Oh uh, yeah. Thanks Erza," Gray said hastily, his cheeks flushing lightly.

"So now that we've handled that, let's all split into our teams and get to work!" Erza said loudly, waving her arm in a forward motion.

Juvia beamed as she saw her friends jump into action to start repairing the town. Sometimes she could hardly believe that she belonged to such a great guild and had such a wonderful family to go with it. Every member was a strange character in their own way, but everyone fit together perfectly. And when it really mattered, they were always there for one another. Years ago, she had been their enemy and fought against them with Phantom Lord, but those days were long gone. Her heart belonged to Fairy Tail forevermore, and nothing could change that. Just then she felt a hand slip into hers and looked up to find Gray smiling at her.

"You ready to get some stuff done?" he asked, giving her a little nudge.

"Yes, most definitely! Let's get to work, darling!" she gushed, giving his hand a squeeze.

They set off to join their friends in the efforts to rebuild the town. Fairy Tail was determined to turn this place around and make it an inhabitable place for all the residents. They worked tirelessly through the days, bringing Montil into a new age of agricultural prosperity. Once the new waterways were built, and a new system of pipes had been laid, the town was able to draw ample water from the aqueduct below the town. Within less than a week, the entire town had running water thanks to the Fairy Tail team. Juvia helped the local farmers to route irrigation paths that would allow their crops to be easily watered. Levy made a call back to Fairy Tail and asked Droy to join them in Montil so that he might help the farmers get a headstart on their crops since it was a bit late in the season. One by one, the bricks went into place, building a foundation like Montil had never known.

After two weeks of hard work by everyone involved, Montil was almost unrecognizable. Once the glamour charms had worn off, the buildings had begun to show their true age. But now everything had been patched and painted, leaving the entire town looking fresh and clean. Even the people were happier with a pleasant glow about them. They had managed to build a large community center like Juvia had hoped for and that meant that the youth of the town would have a place to convene. And she hoped that it would be a place that young wizards could find the beginnings of their magic studies. And there were plants! And trees! Seeing so much green in town almost made Juvia's head spin, but she was so happy to see flowers blooming in the beds outside the Inn.

Before the members of Fairy Tail left town, Jack was officially elected the new mayor of Montil by a unanimous vote. Everyone felt he was the one who should have been running the town all along, and it was high time that he take his place as the town's leader. Juvia and Gray both agreed that there was no better man for the job, and were happy to congratulate Jack on his newfound position. He accepted the post humbly, and promised to do his very best for Montil. No one doubted he would do exactly that, and that he would stay true to his word.

The Fairy Tail wizards refused payment, claiming that the entire venture had been a goodwill mission. Jack tried to convince Juvia to take some kind of payment, and finally after a great deal of convincing, they at least agreed to let the town fund pay for their train tickets home. And every member of Fairy Tail was invited to come stay in Montil free of charge whenever they pleased. The night before they left back to Magnolia, the citizens threw them a huge going away party in the town square. There was music, dancing, food, libations, and a whole lot of fun. Toward the end of the night, Jack got up on stage in front of the microphone and banged together a couple of tin pots to get everyone's attention.

"Listen up ya'll! I got something to say!" Jack roared and everyone fell quiet in an instant. "Now that's more like it. Anyway, I just want to propose a toast to the damn greatest bunch of wizards I've ever known! To Fairy Tail!" A round of raucous cheers, whistles and applause came from the crowd, everyone banging their goblets and mugs together with fervor. It was one hell of a party that went on until well after sundown.

Early the next morning most of the guild members piled into coaches that would take them to the train station. Juvia and Gray stayed behind, planning to leave the following day. She wanted time to say her goodbyes and make sure that everything was in order before they left. Gray had also suggested that it might be nice for them to enjoy the town for a day without their rowdy guildmates in tow. They had barely had a moment alone together in the last couple of weeks, and even the spare moments they had managed to get were fleeting at best. And most importantly, Juvia had someone special to thank. After breakfast, she approached Jasmine and her mother in the front lobby.

"Mornin' Miss Juvia!" Jasmine chirped, grinning from ear to ear. "You sure do look nice today!"

Juvia glanced down at her usual blue duds and smiled a little. "Thank you, Jasmine. You're so sweet."

"Is there anything we can do for you folks today?" Mrs. Campbell asked with a smile.

"Actually, there is," Juvia said and turned to Jasmine. "Do you think you could take Gray and I out to see Miss Willowberry? I'd like to thank her before we go."

Jasmine looked to her mother. "May I Mama?? I promise I'll come back straight away when we're through!"

Mrs. Campbell chuckled. "You go on ahead, dear. I'll look after this place. Be sure to do any chores old Anais needs done. And you find out a new batch of exercises for your magic lessons! I don't want you falling behind!"

Jasmine beamed and looked back to Juvia. "I'll pull around the cart! Meet you out front in five minutes, Miss Juvia!" And with that the girl was off like a dart. Goodness, she certainly could move quickly.

A short time later, Gray and Juvia were riding in the back of the old cart on the long ride to Miss Willowberry's home. They got down from the cart, and while Jasmine tended to her horse, they walked to the front door. Suddenly, a couple dozen crows were bombarding them like mad, cawing up a storm. Juvia cried out as Gray tried to shield her, cursing under his breath.But they kept coming, one after another, pecking and grabbing at their clothes. Suddenly the front door opened with a sharp snap.

"I don't want none o'yer wares, evil salesmen! Begone with yeh!" Anais croaked loudly. Juvia attempted to find her voice, but could only let out a little yelp. The old woman lifted part of her shaggy bangs and eyed them critically. After a moment, a flash of recognition crossed her face. "Oh for land's sake! CORVUS IMPEDIUM!" And then just as suddenly as they had started, the crows ceased attacking. The entire murder returned to their perches in a nearby oak tree, docile as can be.

"What the HELL was THAT about?!" Gray demanded, sounding rather cross.

"Ah, ma watch crows! They keep away the riff raff!" she said proudly with hands on hips and a gap toothed grin.

"We'll we're not riff raff, thanks," Gray grumbled, picking a feather out of his hair.

"Yeh might be! Couple o'strangers. How do I know yer not out ter sell me somethin' hm?" Anais said critically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What?! You already know who-" Gray began, incredulously, but Juvia cut in.

"Darling, I'm sure Miss WIllowberry knows who we are," Juvia said sweetly, smiling at Anais.

"Course I do! Jus' gettin' yer goat, ice wizard! Sure is easy to ruffle those feathers! Ya ol' whippersnapper!" Anais began to cackle, slapping her knee.

"We just wanted to come by to say goodbye," Juvia broke in nervously, catching a glimpse of Gray's scowl out of the corner of her eye.

"Well don't jus' stand there! C'mon in!" Anais said, turning and quickly disappearing into her ramshackled cottage.

They followed her inside and found the entire place filled with smoke, only there was a heavy perfumed scent to it. It was so potent that Juvia's head began to spin. The room suddenly tilted to one side, and she found herself unable to remain on her feet. Before she knew it, she had gone limp, feeling as though she might pass out.

"Oh goodness, I feel so woozy." she murmured, leaning her weight against Gray.

He quickly caught her and helped her over to a nearby stool. Anais appeared from withinthe fog, waving a burning smudge stick around like mad, muttering to herself.

"What the hell is that? It's making Juvia sick!" he said helplessly, panic rising in his voice as he tried to help Juvia into a nearby.

"Ah, ain't nothin' that's going ter harm her, sonny," Anais said, waving him off before setting the smudge down in a dish. "Just some Alakatasian sweet sage. Helps get rid of mayflies. Open that window over there!"

Gray moved quickly and opened the window, and then returned to Juvia's side. He was holding her steady as she wavered on the stool. "You sure about that? She doesn't look so hot," he said, sounding worried.

"Here, give her this," Anais said, pouring some bright green liquid into a small glass. "Sometimes water wizards are a might sensitive to the smell."

"Here babe, drink this," he prompted, holding it up to her lips. Juvia took in the liquid, finding it surprisingly cool and refreshing. It tasted quite a bit like watermelon. Almost instantly the dizziness subsided and she felt wonderful.

"Wow, that was amazing! What was that, Miss Willowberry?" Juvia asked, head cocked to one side.

"Old remedy for motion sickness," Anais said simply, grinning at her.

"Oh goodness. We have a few friends that could use something like that!" Juvia said.

"Them dragonslayers? Yep, I had old Jack give the celestial wizard a few doses to help them on the train ride back ter Magnolia." Anais said simply, crossing her arms over her chest. "Funny ones, them dragonslayers."

"You disappeared before we really had a chance to thank you for everything," Juvia began. "If it hadn't been for you, we would have never been able to stop Mayor Romsdale- er excuse me, former Mayor."

"Ah ain't nothin' ter it, girl, You whippersnappers needed an ol' pro, and those poor birds ain't done nothin' ter harm nobody. Innocent victims, they were," Anais said simply with a solemn nod.

"Yeah, well, all the same, thanks. We really do appreciate it," Gray said with unwavering sincerity. "You're a real smart cookie, Anais."

"Well, 'course I am sonny! Ain't lived this long by bein' a dummy!" Anais said with a chuckle.

Just then, Jasmine appeared in the doorway with a tray of tea and cookies. They visited with Anais for a long while before being ushered out because she had work to do.

"Thank you again, Miss Willowberry! We'll be back to visit!" Juvia said, waving to her again as they began to pull away in the cart.

"Take care Anais!" Gray called with a wave. The old woman waved at them for a moment before disappearing into her house again.

"She ain't one for long goodbyes," Jasmine called back to them with a smile.

Later that evening the couple dined at Miss Saidy's and were treated like royalty. They were greeted with a round of applause when they entered the restaurant, leaving Juvia with her cheeks brightly flushed as they got to their table. Miss Saidy insisted that they have all the best of the menu and wouldn't take no for an answer when she brought them a bottle of wine she had been saving for a special occasion. Juvia certainly didn't expect such continued reverence from the townsfolk, but she was very glad that she had made them all so happy. At the end of the night, their money was once again refused, and they went home with a fresh baked cherry pie.

That night before laying down to sleep, they packed up all of their belongings. This room had served as their home for nearly a month, and it made Juvia a touch sad to leave it. She really liked Montil and the townsfolk. They would certainly be back to visit, and that thought alone made her feel a bit more at ease. She really hoped that Daphnis and Chloe were alright, too. Those poor dears had been moving here and there, trapped in those tunnels for who knows how long. Juvia knew Mr. Weetz would take good care of them. Maybe they could take a trip north one day to visit the Glacies Strix.

"You ready for some shut eye?" Gray asked her warmly, stepping closer to her and rubbing a hand over the small of her back.

Juvia looked up, gasping. She had been deep in thought and spaced out while folding the last of her clothing to put away in her bag. "Oh, yes darling, I am. Sorry, just thinking.

"You okay?" Gray asked, peering at her.

She smiled. "Yes dear, I'm fine. Let's get to bed. Early day tomorrow!"

They settled into bed, Gray spooning Juvia from behind and pulling her close to him. She smiled as she felt his arm around her, the coolness of his body soothing. As she laid there, she thought again about how much things had changed in the last month of her life. It really was astounding when she thought about it. It had surely been a whirlwind experience, and her head was still spinning a little. She wondered how it would be when they got home. Would she and Gray date for awhile or maybe eventually move in together? Would they court for years to come or maybe even one day marry? Her heart fluttered at the thought of being Mrs. Gray Fullbuster. Well, maybe she would be Juvia Lockser-Fullbuster. She wasn't some old fashion bitty, after all. She giggled silently to herself as she felt sleep begin to claim her.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast and some of Mrs. Campbell's tea, they readied to load into a carriage to be taken to the train station. Juvia did her best to keep her emotions in check, but quickly betrayed herself when she saw Jasmine welling up.

"Oh please don't go, Miss Juvia!" the girl cried, flinging herself at the water mage.

"Jasmine! For heaven's sake, get a hold of yourself!" Mrs. Campbell cried, shaking her head. "I'm sorry Miss Lockser, she's the emotional sort."

"It's alright. I can be rather emotional myself,"Juvia said, smiling as she hugged the girl back, patting her gently. "We'll be back to visit Jasmine, I promise!"

"Yeah, we'll be back in time for the big Harvest festival in the fall," Gray said with an easy smile.

"Long as you promise!" Jasmine said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Pinky promise," Gray said with a chuckle, and offered her his pinky. She laughed and hooked it with her own. Juvia stepped forward and wrapped her own around the other two.

"Double pinky promise!" Juvia cheered and they all began to laugh.

Soon after Gray and Juvia were in the carriage, on the way to the train station. They lounged together in the riding compartment, as it was rather spacious. They had a lengthy trip ahead of them, but soon enough they would be back in Magnolia. And then it would be back to life as usual… only with a few changes. Juvia glanced down at her hand. Gray had threaded his fingers through her own and was lazily stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. She smiled. Yes, a few changes. A few wonderful, happy changes.