(Just a warning: I got so carried away with this chapter but I am so happy with it! I had so much fun writing it on my trip. Also, sorry if it kind of goes fast... Lol I just wanted to make it all one chapter. (Which also mean a lot of small time skips). That's what happens when I get carried away.)
"Lunch is ready!" I yelled from the house. Gray promised Crystal that she could pick out the horses hooves today since she always begs to do it. I saw the two running from the barn with smiles on their faces. It was so adorable seeing them in such a lively mood.
"What did you make today?" Gray asked as he put his arm on my waist and turned me around. His gray eyes looked into mine in a way I haven't seen in years. Emotionless.
"New recipe." I said with a wink. When he didn't respond I snapped a finger at him, taking him out of thought. "You okay?" He just nodded his head with a smile and walked to the table. I stared at him for a moment before following with confusion.
...
After lunch Gray helped clear the table then told Crystal to watch over Cobalt for awhile and not to go anywhere. Crystal replied with a confident nod. Gray then walked to me, grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. We didn't stop at all. He just kept pulling me along to the forest in the backyard.
"Gray?" I looked up at him, but he didn't look back to me. He still had that emotionless look on his face which made me start to get worried. "Gray, stop!" I demanded. The ice Mage looked at me in the eyes again which made me strangely uncomfortable. I don't think I've ever had that feeling around him ever till now. "You're giving me a bad feeling." I forced Gray to stop and glared at him. "What's up with you today?"
"Nothing."
"What happened?" I snapped. Gray looked at the ground with no response. "Gray, you know you can tell me if something happened. Right?"
"Yah. Just thought we might get out of the house and walk for awhile."
"I know that's not it!" I snarled at him with anger. Why was he acting like this? Whatever it was, it was pissing me off.
"Aurora." He looked away with some kind of worry in his eyes. "You're not going to like it. Master gave me a mission that I have to go on."
"So?"
"I'm going to be gone for a few months or a minimum of a few weeks." He finished.
"What!" I said with shock. "What do you mean 'gone for a few months?'"
"Exactly that. I'll be gone for at least two months. I know you don't want me to go, but I have to."
Fear started to raise in my chest. I remembered back to when the war broke out and Gray came home years after he was supposed to. Ever since then I was always worried when he went on solo quests, but he was always gone for the maximum of a week. "What will you be doing?" I asked nervously.
"Sorry. I wish I could tell you, Aurora." Gray replied. "I promise I'll be fine. Emmie and Erza have also been assigned the same mission."
I leapt into Gray's arms and started sobbing. "Don't leave me again! Please."
"Aurora please. It's hard enough to accept it. You know that I don't want to spend any more time away from you and our kids. Though if I don't accept it that could put everyone in danger."
"How touching." An unfamiliar voice said. I looked down the path and saw three guys. Their faces were covered by black masks so I couldn't tell who they were.
As I started to walk toward them Gray grabbed my arm and pulled me back close to him, putting his arms around me. I looked up at his face that showed protective aggressiveness toward the three men. He seemed to know them somehow.
