The Dark Rose

Chapter 27

Author's Note: Thanks to just+a+casual from Fanfiction, I realized that this story is about to hit 1 year in being made… holy crap.

I want to give all of you a huge thanks! You don't know how much it means to me that we've actually made it one whole year with this story!

I'm really at awe that so many of you have given me the best reception with this story, have given me motivation and best of all, have been here since the very beginning! It means a lot to me as a writer.

Well, needless to say, let us start the chapter now…

Erza had been driving all night. Ever since she destroyed her phone, she had done nothing but drive in silence.

With Natsu still soundly sleeping and the radio's volume all the way down, Erza had a lot to think of.

She had finally made her decision. And a decision she doesn't regret in the slightest. Only think that matters as of now is how? How would she protect Natsu from the claws of Jellal? How would she continue to protect him without him knowing truthfully about her ties with his 'cult' like organization?

Every question bombarded her very mind. And each of them without an answer. She sighed, laying her back onto the seat as she waited for the traffic light to switch it's light.

She turned to look at her loved one. Sleeping soundly as ever, she wondered what would happened if she told him the truth, about the rest of her past? About her initial mission? How would the very man you were supposed to kill, now fully in love with you and vice versa, come to feel as he knew the very truth? Erza shuddered at the thought. He had gone through enough pain as it is, she didn't want to ruin one of the last good things going for him.

She turned back to look at the road and continued to drive. Still nowhere as close to Magnolia City, she knew she had to stop at one point to rest or at the very least, stop at a gas station, maybe put some gas into the tank or buy more heavy coffee.

Her thoughts now lingered to Jellal. She knew someday, sooner or later, the man was gonna strike. Where he was gonna strike was all a mystery to her. She knew, without a doubt, that the man would retaliate against her betrayal, the same way he had done so to her mother.

She came to another stop at a traffic light.

Erza laid back in her chair, sighing as she did. All of these questions, none with the answers she wants.

Night was turning into morning as the sun rose in the horizon, shifting the dark blue skies to a smudge orange clashing with pink.

The traffic light turned green and Erza continued on their way back home.

Trying to clear her mind of the sudden stuff, Erza turned up the radio, just a tiny bit. Nothing was on, just normal radio host talking to listeners. She just turned it off altogether if there was nothing to be heard of.

"Hey Erz…" Slowly waking up, Natsu had turned his body to face the driver's seat.

"Hey." She lowly said back.

"Where are we?" Rubbing both his eyes with his hands, Natsu blinked around his surroundings. He knew that she had been driving while he slept but for how long?

"We're at the outskirts of Sun City," she clarified. She entered a new highway. "A couple of more hours and we should be home."

"Goddamn, have you been driving all night?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." She truthfully answered.

"The next stop, let's switch, alright?" He requested of her. He couldn't have her drive without sleep.