Inochi Yori

AN: Written before the 'S' Class Exam arc!  AU but Spoilers for Tower of Heaven Arc, as it does follow the basic plot and what happens.

Prologue

'I'd never given much thought on the events leading up to my death.' A dark haired woman thought to herself as she looked back at the sad face of her last family member. 'Granted I guess if I had done anything differently, a lot of my life and Erza's would have turned out nowhere near the same as it had.' She turned back around to look at the horizon in front of her and then at the hooded man next to her. 'If I'd made one choice different, done nothing when I'd acted, any change to what I'd done in the past, then I may not be here right now next to the man I love.' "Are you alright? You're being awfully quiet." He spoke up, looking at her, his hazel eyes barely visible.

She sighed and said "Just thinking about everything that's happened. How the choices I've made have affected my life and that of the people around me." He gave her a slight smile and said "Well if you hadn't been there for me, I'd be long dead." She chuckled softly and said "I'm thinking about more than just that. But that is one example I guess." He smiled and took her hand in his own. "I know you're worried if you made the right choice about leaving, but we both know it was. Erza needs to be able to live her own life, not one trying to repay you or anyone else. She needs to live for herself, like you told her; you'll always be there for her in her heart and her in yours." He stopped and turned to face her.

"Lilura Ameina Scarlet, you are the most kind and selfless person I've ever known, willing to sacrifice yourself to save someone without a second thought. No matter what you do or where you go, that will never change about you. But that means that you can't stay in one town for the rest of your life, you want to help the world, save those that need saving, that's the whole reason you came to the Tower in the first place. To save your family and all the innocents that were enslaved there. And that, is why I love you and care about you more than anything in the world." He said, kissing her deeply.

"Jellal" she whispered against his lips as they broke apart. He smiled at her and said "C'mon, let's go. We should be able to get to Onibus by sundown."  

When they got onto the train Lilura sat down at the window seat and Jellal next to her. "The last time I was on a train was going from Akane to Onibus." She said with a sigh. "And I was unconscious the whole time." He chuckled and said "Well you had every right to be unconscious." They lapsed into companionable silence as the train began to move.

"Do you ever regret staying with me?" Jellal asked out of the blue. Lilura blinked and said "You mean when we first met?" He nodded and looked her in the eyes. She thought for a second and said "At first I did. But no I don't regret it at all." He fell silent and both went to their own thoughts. Of course by bringing it up, Jellal caused the memory of their past to come to the forefront of her mind…