Good afternoon, everyone.

First, let me reply thank the two wonderful people who left a review on chapter 1. Thanks for the support, really. Here's my reply:

Tropicallight: Thank you very much. I hope you'll like this one, it's my second favorite.

Juvia Fulbuster: Indeed, I've been writing nonstop for the past few weeks.

Also, I want to do a shoutout to all the amazing fics that I haven't been able to read because I've been constantly writing for these past few weeks. I really hope once Jerza Week is over I'll manage to get started on Jazz, Silence, You Mean Everything, Written in Pen, Protective and many others.

Anyways, here we go with day 3: Hairbrush. I took some liberty with the concept and decided to add the other couples as well. I've even prepared a little summary for it: One rainy afternoon; Gajeel, Levy, Natsu and Lucy find solace in Gray and Juvia's house. While talking about their lives, Natsu happens to ask why Erza has been rather absent as of late and Lucy and Juvia come up with the obvious response: Love.

WARNING: This chapter has many Jerza flashbacks, to the Tower of Heaven, Oracion Seis, Grand Magic Games and even one about Jellal's life over the 7 years time skip. The last one includes harsh themes such as SUICIDE, so be cautious.

Happy reading! Don't forget to review, follow and favorite.

Love can change everything

It was a rainy day, so no one was outside. Instead, the group of 6 spread across the living room of the small house. Gajeel sat on a chair with the heavily pregnant Levy on his lap; Natsu and Lucy settled for lying on the couch and Gray and Juvia choose to lie on top of the few pillows scattered on the floor.

"I should thank you for hosting us, Gray and Juvia. That storm really caught us by surprise." The petit bluenette turned to the couple who owed the small cottage close to Magnolia.

The meeting that day hadn't been planned; she and Gajeel had been going back home after a small trip to Oak Town when it stated pouring down. Same with Natsu and Lucy, who were coming back from a long mission.

Luckily for them, Juvia and Gray's home was close enough so they managed to avoid the rain.

"Of course, Levy. We're very happy that you're here today." The water mage took her friend's hand and squeezed it before her eyes fell on the her enlarged stomach. "How are the babies?"

"Annoying." Gajeel answered that one, rolling his eyes. "They won't let me get close to her before they start kicking. It's a miracle we're able to stay like this."

"That's because they're asleep." Levy smiled at him.

"I still can't believe you're having twins." Lucy said, turning to face them.

"You sure work fast, don't you?" Natsu turned to Gajeel with a smirk.

"Unlike you, Salamander, I don't waste time." The latter replied, making his smile fall.

"Hey, I didn't take that long to ask Lucy out." He protested.

"Yeah, sure." Gray joined in, rolling his eyes.

"Like you're one to talk, Gray." Lucy told him, raising a brow.

"She's right, darling. You were a bit slow." Juvia added, staring at her boyfriend with raised brows.

"Considering it took Juvia almost dying for you to finally realize that you loved her, I'll be surprised if you two ever tie the knot." Levy joined in with a smile. Much to everyone's surprise, Gray smirked at this.

"Is that so?" He turned to his girlfriend, who smiled as well.

"Well, I guess now is a good time to tell them." She said and many eyes widened.

"Tell us what?" Lucy asked, staring at the couple with interest.

"We're engaged." The bluenette replied while taking out her silver necklace, which now had a ring tied in.

"Oh My God!" The two girls screamed before the blonde stood up from her chair and walked towards Juvia, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. Gray stood up just before this happened and Natsu and Gajeel gave him approving nods.

"Nice work, stripper." The latter praised.

"You really took us by surprise here." The former said, making him smirk even more.

"That was the whole point. You should've seen your faces." While the two glared at him, the three girls laughed at their antics.

"Oh, you boys never change." Lucy told them while Levy snickered and Juvia stared at the scene with a nostalgic look upon her face.

"I wish Erza was here." She admitted and everyone immediately quieted at the mention of the red head.

"She has been more and more absent as of late." Gray said and Natsu frowned.

"I wonder why. She's never been so…" He struggled to find a word to define the Erza's attitude lately.

"She's in love, Natsu." Lucy told him and he simply raised a brow, puzzled.

"Is that supposed to be an explanation?" Gray and Gajeel rolled his eyes.

"You really are clueless." The former told Natsu, shaking his head.

"Love can change everything." Juvia explained afterwards, smiling brightly.

And it was true.

Love could make someone chose to live

Erza and Jellal were holding on for dear life after Nirvana had been activated; one of her hands barely managed to keep a grasp on the building. "Erza." She stared at him, panting.

"The magic circle you placed on yourself. You must undo it this instant." His eyes were glassy when he looked back at her and she realized that he was slipping away. "You have a duty...to stay alive." She spoke more firmly and he blinked before tears brimmed in the corner of his eyes.

"I failed. I wasn't able to put a stop to Nirvana." Since getting them to the top of the building was the priority, Erza choose to ignore him while focus on that task.

Once they were safely sitting, Jellal spoke again; guilty and hopeless. "Now, the world is doomed." It was strange to think that only a few months before he wouldn't bat an eye when committing the most horrible of sins, such as murder; yet now he struggled with the simple guilt of failing to stop something that was beyond his control.

Did this mean that he was back to his old self; the kind hearted boy who once sacrificed himself for her and constantly helped her? Could it be that the loss of his memories actually pushed him towards the light? After all, with no recollection of being in the dark side; he had no reason to be evil.

"No, there's always hope." Erza said, glancing towards the distant figure of Natsu and the rest of her friends running towards Nirvana. "You see, as long as we draw breath into our lungs, we shall keep hope alive inside our hearts." Jellal stared at her in curiosity and amazement; wondering if she could be right.

"I like the way you think." He admitted, making her smile when she turned back to him.

"Then do as I do. Hold onto that hope, it will guide you through your life. Live." Erza pleaded, wanting so desperately for him to choose life, love and hope. She knew that he still had potential for good, even after everything he had done in the past. He could follow the path of light and become a great wizard, perhaps even an ally to Fairy Tail.

"I will." He replied, smiling as well. Then she stood up while extending her hand and he took it. The memory of the time he was the one giving the helpful speech and then helping her up brought a rush of feelings to her heart.

Nostalgia. Sadness. Hope. After everything that had happened at the Tower of Heaven, Erza had began to lose hope. She didn't even realize it until now; how she'd stopped believing after watching Jellal while he was possessed by darkness.

However, now that he had chosen to live and atone for his sins; hope returned and when she thought about this moment years into the future, she would always smile at the hidden meaning of it.

For it wasn't just her speech that convinced Jellal to choose life; even if neither of them were aware of it by the time, his choice was based on the most complex and beautiful human emotion: Love.

Even if all they wanted was to die

"What are you doing?" A loud scream echoed through the forest once the familiar pinkette found Jellal on the floor. There was a glass in his hands and it didn't take her long to realize that the liquid inside it wasn't wine or juice.

"Ultear!" Meredy frantically screamed for the older woman; who ran towards them.

"What's going on?" She quickly asked, concerned.

"Not so loud, please." Jellal pleaded and she raised a brow, confused.

"What's wrong with him?" The pinkette replied, eyes still wide from shock.

"I think he tried to kill himself." Ultear's face paled.

"What?" Looking back at the blue haired man, her eyes found the glass. Kneeling down, she tried to take it, but he didn't let het. "Jellal, stop being stubborn. Give me that!"

"No, it wasn't enough. I need more." He protested. Unfortunately for him, his weakened state allowed her to take the glass rather effortlessly.

"It's definetely poison." Ultear realized after sniffling the strange liquid inside. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I can't do this anymore, Ultear." He whispered brokenly. "I can't go on without her." He didn't need to say the name; they knew exactly who he meant.

"I know it's hard, but suicide is not the option." Meredy gently told him, kneeling down by his side and touching his shoulder.

"Meredy's right. Didn't you promise Erza to keep living and trying to attone for your sins?" Jellal glanced towards the floor, ashamed.

"I didn't want to break my promise. But I'm not strong enough to live without her; I just can't." He was nearly crying by the end and both women gave him pitying looks.

"Yes, you can. You are stronger than even you know." Ultear also knelt down in front of him. "Trust me when I say that you will get through this."

"Honestly, I don't think I even want to." He replied, giving a defeated sigh. "What's the point of attoning for my sins when the reason I chose to do it isn't here anymore?" He had a point; they couldn't deny. But still; she knew that Erza would never forgive her if she allowed him to just give up.

"You can't give up. If not for us or yourself, do it for Erza." She pleaded, Meredy joining in a second later.

"Please, Jellal. I don't want to lose you." Hearing the sadness in her tone and the sobs that followed her words was enough to remind him why he needed to stay. But still, death tempted him.

He thought about a place where he could be happy and peaceful; free of his past and his sins, with Erza by his side. Heaven. The Tower of Heaven.

Jellal frowned once the memory of what he had done came to mind. Enslavement, kidnapping, murder. He would never go to heaven, there was no way.

However, he was so overwhelmed by pain and sorrow at that moment that even the thought of Hell didn't seem so bad in comparison.

He was just about to reach for the glass once again when another memory stopped him. This time of the promise he had made to Erza once they had met again during the battle against the Oracion Seis. You have a duty...to stay alive.

"I will." He sighed, accepting his fate. Even if she was dead, he couldn't fail her. His heart wouldn't allow him to do so.

Or be willing to sacrifice themselves

"Tell us who came up with your escape plan and we'll just take them and leave the rest of you alone." The guards at the Tower of Heaven had caught them after Erza and her friends attempted to escape. It had been her idea, her plan; and she'd been about to tell them, but Jellal beat her to it.

"It was me. I came up with our escape plan. It was all me." She didn't understand at the time why Jellal so willingly sacrificed himself for her. Back then, they were still children, so their feelings weren't clear yet.

"Aren't you a brave boy?" The guards had told him and he'd stared them in the eye; determined, strong and fearless. She had admired his strength and courage; for Erza felt so weak and afraid.

Unfortunately, the guards had somehow known it was her, so they had come for her despite Jellal's attempt to dissuade them. Before they'd grabbed her, though, he had tried to convince them to take him instead, once again proving how far he would for her sake.

Even when he was being controlled by the darkness, he continued to sacrifice himself for her. He let her go when she refused to stay at the Tower; giving her a new chance in life. After they fought years later and Erza attempted to save everyone by giving up her life, Jellal did it instead. When they met again during the battle against Oracion Seis, he had been ready to die; believing that it would free her from the sadness and traumas she carried because of him.

Erza had also done her fair share of sacrifices for him, even going against one of her best friends when the latter attempted to kill him or refusing to deliver him to the Magic Council.

This was just how they worked; they would always sacrifice everything for each other without a second thought. While some might wonder why they were willing to give everything away just for the other's sake, the answer was obvious: Love.

Erza and Jellal loved each other, which meant there were no limits when it came to how far they were willing to go.

And put someone else's need before their own

After a long awaited kiss, Jellal pushed her away a little, attempting to ignore her hurt expression. "We can't do this again."

"Why not? Why should we deny ourselves a chance at happiness?" She asked, fed up with his attitude. She knew he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with him.

"Because I could never be happy. Not when the weight of all I've done doesn't allow it." Erza sighed, they had had this conversation way too many times.

"You still refuse to let go." Jellal looked almost guilty.

"It's not that simple." Before she could protest, he continued. "But I can see now that it's useless to keep dwelling on it, it will only make us both suffer."

"Then why…" He interrupted her question.

"I do love you, Erza. More than anything. But until I have managed to forgive myself and clear my name, I can't be with you." She was taken aback by the unexpected confession, but her heart was filled with warmth and happiness.

"It doesn't matter to me that you're a wanted criminal. We can find a way." She attempted, but he was determined.

"It matters to me. I want to be worthy of your affections." Jellal explained and she simply nodded. She could see that she wouldn't be able to convince him that he already was.

"Okay. So what do you propose we do?" He smiled, thankful that she wasn't pushing him on the subject.

"I hate to cause you even more suffering, but I need you to wait." Erza sighed. It wasn't what she wanted, but maybe it was what he needed.

"It's not how I wanted this to go, but I agree to your terms." He gave her a thankful smile before taking her hand and pressing soft kiss to it.

"Thank you, Erza. I promise you, when this is all over, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy."

Love could make one do strange, unexpected things. Like when Erza started brushing her hair every day since she learned that Jellal had been finally forgiven for his sins.

"Juvia's right. Love can change everything and I am so glad for that." Levy said, eyeing Gajeel pointedly. The dragon slayer smiled before leaning in for a kiss, ignoring when he felt the familiar push of their children.

"If it wasn't for love, I wouldn't have found the happiness I found with you, so I'm glad for it too." Gray said next, giving his fiancée an unusually soft look. His words brought the brightest smile to her face.

"I love you so much." Juvia replied, cupping his face before they too leant in for a passionate kiss.

"Do you see now, Natsu? It's all because of love." Lucy told her boyfriend and he smiled.

"Yeah, I think I get it, Luce." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and they watched their friends in content.

Not only could love change everything, but it came in my forms and had different symbols, depending on the person who felt it. For Gajeel and Levy, their unborn children were the symbol of their love; while for Gray and Juvia it were the scars of the day they nearly committed suicide to save each other.

And for Erza; it was the hairbrush that she'd began to use every time she visited Jellal. It marked the changes that loving him had made and the hope that one day they would truly be together.

What do you think?

Did you enjoy the Jerza flashbacks? What about the scenes with all the couples?

Tomorrow it will be time for Jerza Family and more flashbacks.

Then we'll get to my favorite, day 5. Here's the summary for that one (too excited to wait until chapter 4 to post it): When Jellal has to go on a last minute mission, he enlists Gray, Juvia and their daughter to babysit a heavily pregnant Erza. Amongst trivial conversation and cake eating, Erza happens to mention how perfect the two are for each other and it leads Juvia to comment how Jellal and her might be soulmates too.

I with you all a great day!