"There you are! Here, bundle up. It's much colder in the fairy kingdom during winter." Mavis shoved a bundle of clothes in Lucy's arms, smiling sadly as she took in the girl's pale appearance.
"Hey, are you ok? You look a bit ill. If you don't want to come, it's fine."
Lucy sighed, she was having a rough morning, but that wasn't anything new. "No, I want to come, I've just had horrible morning sickness." She didn't notice the way Mavis gaped at her as she turned to go to her room to change.
As she got dressed, Lucy grinned at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She wore black leggings and a thick salmon sweater. She couldn't remember the last time she wore pants, and Lucy was definitely feeling this look. When she finished putting on her brown ankle boots, she stood and tied her hair into a side ponytail, throwing on a confident expression as she made her way back to the entrance room.
"Aw! You look really cute! Are you ready to go?" Mavis held Lucy's hands once she nodded silently, leading her outside and to the airship. Lucy kept her gaze down, her brows furrowing when she caught sight of Mavis' bare feet. "Where are your shoes..?" She mumbled, but the queen heard. "Shoes are overrated." She giggled, and Lucy couldn't help but think her bubbly personality was very endearing. Zeref was already inside the airship, and he helped Mavis board while sparing Lucy a look of indifference.
"This should only take about 4 hours. Is there anything I could get you?" Mavis sat next to Lucy as the airship took off, and Lucy noticed the worried look in the queen's eyes.
"Thank you, I'm fine." She idly rubbed at the magic sealing bracelet on her wrist, flinching when Mavis reached over and took it off before standing to sit next to her husband.
"There's no need for this." She said softly as she discarded the bracelet. "Just let me know if you need anything, okay?"
Lucy nodded as she rubbed at her now exposed wrist, wondering what drove Mavis to remove the bracelet. She leaned her head on the window by her seat, and she thought about Natsu as she watched the world pass by. If he were here, she wouldn't be so nervous.
"Why'd you do that?" Lucy heard Zeref, though it wasn't like he was trying to be quiet.
"She doesn't need to wear it." Mavis seemed surprisingly irritated.
"How would you know that?"
"Oh come on. She's clearly harmless, and quite frankly, I think she's too nervous to try anything anyways."
"I think you trust too easily. You've hardly even spoken to her."
"Well I had been trying to talk to her last night. Y'know, before you sent her off."
"I don't like it when you speak so casually with those of lower ranks. I know you mean well, but you come across as a pushover."
Mavis scoffed but said nothing more, and Zeref's words gave Lucy an idea of how Tartaros turned out the way it did. She slumped down in her seat, hoping this trip would go by quickly.
~
Lucy found herself smiling for the first time in a while as they made their way towards the fairy castle. She walked a bit behind Mavis and Zeref, thankful that no other guards or anyone were accompanying them, as it made her feel more normal than she ever had.
The castle was beautiful, and it was the brightest one she'd seen- after the celestial castle, of course. Mavis was right, too, it was exceptionally colder here, and Lucy was happy to see that it began to snow. She reached a hand out to collect a few snowflakes, and she couldn't help but imagine spending winters here with Natsu, the demon keeping her warm as they watched the snow fall.
She patted her flushed cheeks to ground herself. Thinking of Natsu right now would make her sad, and she wanted to be in high spirits when she met the fairies. Speaking of which, Lucy nearly bumped into Mavis when the woman stopped in front of her.
"Here, they've been dying to meet you, I don't want you to get trampled." The queen laughed as she held onto Lucy's hand before opening the large castle doors.
"I'm baaaaack!" She called, the people in the entrance room going quiet before bursting into cheers at the sight of their queen.
Lucy was astounded to see so many people in the entrance hall, in fact, it didn't look like any entrance hall she'd ever seen. It was a very open space, and there were booths along the room and in the corner, there was a… bar? What kind of castle has a bar in the entrance!?
The blonde's thoughts were cut short when she heard someone call her name, and she smiled brightly when she caught sight of Wendy.
"Lucy! You're here!" She said as she jumped into the blonde's outstretched arms. They hugged tightly until the people in the room began asking aloud if this was the Lucy they've been hearing about.
Lucy looked between Mavis and Wendy, the two giving her encouraging smiles. She noted that Zeref wasn't here, and assumed he'd already ventured into the castle. She took a deep breath before facing the crowd of people.
"Um… hi, everyone…" Her face broke out in a flush when everyone cheered for her simple greeting. These people were definitely very lively. Wendy grabbed her hand and guided her further into the room to greet everyone.
"No way… I thought you guys were just kidding! Natsu actually managed to get a woman!?" A man said, and Lucy gaped at him.
"Gray?" The man narrowed his eyes at her for a moment and then at Wendy, who merely shrugged.
"How do you know my name? Oh, don't tell me that idiot has been talking about me..." he groaned, and Lucy giggled brightly. Natsu had been talking about him, but she wouldn't tell.
"I know your father, Silver. He showed me pictures of you." She giggled some more as Gray flushed, he probably knew of the embarrassing pictures Silver had shown her.
"I'm happy that you could finally visit, though I wish Natsu could have joined you." The blonde turned to see Erza, the knight in casual clothing and a soft smile on her face.
"Yea, but I'm glad to see where Natsu grew up! I've never seen a castle quite like this…" Lucy didn't realize she'd called Natsu by his informal name, but Mavis was relieved that she'd finally relaxed upon meeting her fairies.
"Who would've thought Natsu would've snagged such a babe!" A brunette came and draped an arm across Lucy's shoulders, flashing a wink as the blonde flushed.
"C'mon Cana, you're gonna make her uncomfortable…" A woman with short white hair said as she removed Cana's arm from around Lucy, giving an apologetic smile. "I'm Lisanna! It's nice to finally meet you! I can't believe Natsu actually has a girlfriend!"
Lucy smiled before she ducked her head down and fiddled with her hands awkwardly. "Uh… well, I'm actually just a concubine…"
The room fell silent, and everyone sent accusing glances to Erza and Wendy. "You never said she was his concubine…" Gray whispered to Erza, the redhead shrugging unapologetically.
"Oh, well that's okay, dear. Any friend of Natsu is a friend of ours. Welcome to our kingdom! I'm Mirajane, by the way." A woman spoke kindly as she approached, patting Lucy on the shoulder comfortingly.
"Please, make yourself at home." Mavis said before walking off, and Lucy assumed she was going to join her husband.
"Follow me, I'll take you to where Levy is. I know she would love to see you." Erza said as she led the way down the halls, Lucy, Gray and Wendy- who was carrying Carla- following behind.
They made it to a room that looked pretty similar to the entrance hall, only a bit more closed off with doors connecting it to different chambers. Levy sat at a booth with Gajeel, Lily and two other blue-haired people, one of which was holding a baby.
"Lucy? Oh my goodness!" Levy exclaimed and rushed over with Gajeel's help. The two hugged and Gajeel ruffled Lucy's bangs, earning a pout from the blonde.
"Lucy, you remember Jellal, yes?" Erza smiled as her husband stood and handed her the baby to shake Lucy's hand.
"It's been a long time, Lucy." He smiled as she agreed, giving a fond smile at the memories of seeing Jellal and Erza train in the celestial castle when she was little.
"Juvia has always wanted to meet you! Natsu having a woman was such a huge surprise!" The other blunette greeted, and Lucy assumed her name was Juvia.
"I can imagine…" Lucy giggled as she remembered how dorky Natsu was when she first got to know him. "Say, you're Gray's girlfriend, right? Silver's told me a lot about you!"
Juvia's eyes shined from being addressed as her love's girlfriend, and she nodded proudly. The group moved to sit on the booth as they continued to talk.
"I didn't know you guys had a daughter…" Lucy smiled brightly as she looked at the baby in Erza's arms, her little brown eyes staring up at her curiously.
"Oh, yes! This is Elizabeth, she's 5 months old." Erza shifted the red-haired baby so Lucy could get a better look, and she noted that aside from the matching birthmark she had with Jellal, Elizabeth really resembled Erza's mother, Irene.
"It seems to be baby season lately," Levy laughed, "A lot of us are becoming parents at the same time. Juvia found out she was pregnant just last month!" Juvia confirmed, smiling warmly as she eased a hand over her stomach. "Yes, Juvia is glad all our kids will grow up together."
Lucy's smile faltered at that, she'd almost forgotten about her predicament until then. Natsu hasn't been with his friends in years, and has always been alone romance-wise. He'd love to have a baby, right? He did say it wouldn't be ideal to have one now… but he also said he'd take responsibility if it happened. This wouldn't be so bad...right? Just as she thought about it, Levy spoke up. "Hey, Lu… when do you think you and Natsu will have a baby?"
The blonde looked at Levy, and then at the other people in the booth. They all had kind smiles, and Lucy couldn't hold it in anymore. Her head fell into her hands as she burst into tears, breathing heavy as she tried not to yell, "I don't know!"
The group panicked, not understanding Lucy's sudden outburst. Levy tried to calm her down, apologizing frantically. "I'm sorry Lucy! I didn't mean to offend you!"
Lucy shook her head, now feeling bad for making everyone worry. "No, it's not that… it's just… I can't take it anymore! I'm freaking out and I don't know what to do!"
Levy looked at the others at the table, everyone looking just as lost as her. Her own hormones were going crazy, and she found herself tearing up at the sight of her friend being so distraught.
"Lu… what can't you take anymore?" Lucy opened her mouth to answer, but shut it tightly immediately afterwards. She'd already told herself she wouldn't get anyone else involved in this until she told Natsu, but she felt silly as everyone awaited her answer.
Defeated, Lucy hung her head, sniffling a bit before she confessed. "I think I might be pregnant…"
The group fell silent, everyone looking at one another. "...And this a bad thing..?" Gray asked, weary of offending her.
"Yes! Well, no… well… I don't know! That's why I'm freaking out- I can't decide if I'm excited or terrified, and I don't even know for sure if I'm pregnant yet!" Lucy blew her nose in the tissue that Juvia got for her, finally looking back up to gouge everyone's expressions. They all looked worried, and she flushed a little at the attention.
"You are." Wendy said calmly, and everyone turned to her, staying silent for a moment before they all collectively sounded a "huh?"
Wendy smiled sheepishly as she stood to move closer to Lucy. "Uh… well, at the ball, my mom and I suspected you were… and then when she came back from her visit with you, she told me that there was a high chance you were pregnant. She said that if you were having symptoms within 2 months, then it would be confirmed."
Lucy gaped at Wendy, the blunette looking away bashfully. "Wait… what? You… what!?" Lucy struggled to collect her thoughts. "Then what was that potion she gave me? And why didn't she say anything!?"
"Hm… it might've been something to help regulate your hormones, like vitamins would… at the ball, it was a bit too soon to know for sure, we just thought maybe you were… I don't know why she didn't bring it up to you, though…"
Wendy fidgeted in her spot, constantly looking back and forth between Lucy and the ground. Meanwhile, Lucy was still wrapping her head around all of this. A part of her wanted to speak to Grandine herself and get some explanations, but that'd have to be done much later.
"Well, there's no sense in stressing out until you know for sure." Carla said, and Lucy had forgotten the exceed was even there. She'd actually forgotten about everyone as she had been thinking everything over.
"That's right. You should take a test, and then we'll talk more about this." Erza was already leading Lucy to a different room as Wendy mumbled "I already told you I know she's pregnant…"
Erza brought Lucy to a chamber, the two women now alone together. She walked into a washroom and brought out 2 boxes and handed them to Lucy. As she read the writings, Lucy flushed. She'd never had to take a pregnancy test before, and now reality was suddenly crashing down on her.
"Go ahead and use my bathroom. Take your time, and let me know if you want any assistance." Erza took a seat in a chaise and motioned Lucy to go, watching as the blonde awkwardly stepped into the bathroom.
Once she closed the door, Lucy had to take a minute to just breathe. She really didn't want to tell everyone about her situation, but it was likely for the best that she caved. She took each test and placed them on the sink counter as she waited for the results.
Lucy wanted to stay in the bathroom until the results showed up, but the longer it took, the more anxious she got, so she walked out to find Erza, who was still sitting in the chaise.
"Well?"
"The results are still pending…"
Erza motioned for Lucy to join her, and the blonde sat down next to her, squeaking when she was pulled into a tight side hug.
"A baby is a blessing, Lucy. Natsu would be so excited to find out you're pregnant, there's no reason to be afraid."
Lucy took a deep breath when Erza finally released her, and she smiled weakly for a moment. "Erza… you know where I come from… who I am."
"I do."
"You know why me and Natsu have to hide our relationship…"
Erza furrowed her brows as she shook her head. "Not exactly."
"Erza… I'm part angel… I'm a princess of the angel kingdom... Natsu is the demon king, our relationship is completely forbidden."
Erza sighed heavily, taking a moment to think before asking, "And you don't think your relationship could help your kingdoms come together?"
"Nope. You remember my father, he refuses to listen to anyone's opinions but his own. You do know why I'm here, right? My father is searching for me, and Natsu is confronting him to stop things from turning into a war. This isn't a good time to have a baby, I don't want my child to have to grow up feeling like they don't belong, because I know they'll be shunned by both kingdoms. Besides, being pregnant during a war is not exactly ideal…"
"Hmm… well, if it does become a war, you know you have the fairies as your ally. Have you spoken with your aunt? Maybe you could move to the celestial kingdom, that way your father will know where you are and you'll be free to have a family with Natsu."
Lucy brought her knees up to hug them, tears pricking her eyes as she remembered her life in the angel kingdom. "No. Father wants to know my every move. He won't let me go to the celestial kingdom unless I marry a suitor he chooses. The only option would be to fight until he surrenders."
Erza frowned as she noticed the way Lucy began to cry, and she began rubbing circles into her back to comfort her. "I see. This is a very complicated situation, indeed, but you can trust that we will keep you safe. Let's say you are pregnant, what are some of the pros?"
Lucy closed her eyes as she thought for a moment, a light stream of tears flowing down her cheeks. She thought of Natsu, and about the fairies here. "Natsu won't be so left out around here, all of our babies will grow up together…"
"Go on…"
"And… I'll be a mother… I've always wanted to be a mother someday… Natsu will have an heir, I'll have a higher rank in his royal court…"
"That's right…"
"A-and… I'll finally have a family again… I'll make mama proud…"
Lucy leaned into Erza's side as she tried to compose herself. She wiped at her eyes until her face was dry, and she looked up to see
Erza giving her a sad smile.
"It isn't easy, I know. Elizabeth was very unexpected, but I can't imagine my life without her. Your situation might not be as simple as mine, but I know you won't regret having your baby."
Lucy nodded as she considered the idea of raising a child with Natsu right now. The timing may not be perfect, but it wouldn't matter. Her baby will be her most precious treasure.
"Yea… I know I won't regret it. I'm still afraid that something might happen to my baby, though... Or that something might happen because of my baby… I don't know what my father would do once he finds out…"
"Your own father wouldn't cause you harm while you're pregnant, would he?"
Lucy lowered her knees and sighed as she ran a hand through her bangs. "I honestly don't know. I know he despises demons, though… so there's no telling what he'd do."
Erza clicked her tongue as she thought. She hadn't served for the angel kingdom in ages, having left just 3 years after Layla's death. She didn't know much of Jude, but Lucy was right, everyone who knew of him knew of his hatred for demons.
"Lucy, you know Natsu as well as I do, you know he won't let anyone hurt you or your child."
Lucy smiled fondly as she thought of her king. She'd have his baby, and she found herself hoping the child would take after him. He'd probably freak out for a moment, but Natsu wouldn't let Lucy regret getting pregnant, there was just no way! He's always been so optimistic and understanding… She's so in love with him.
Her smile faltered as she thought about her love for him. He was still confused about his own feelings, which Lucy understood, but having a baby could make or break things.
"I just hope he doesn't feel pressured to love me because of this." Erza raised an eyebrow at her, idly rubbing at the blonde's shoulder as she took in her words.
"What do you mean by that, Lucy?"
"I'm in love with him. He means everything to me…"
Erza smiled softly at Lucy's confession, but she frowned as she noticed the blonde's hesitation.
"Lucy..?"
"I'm sorry, it's just… Natsu is still struggling with his feelings… I don't want him to love me just because I'm having his baby…"
"Oh Lucy… You should talk to him about this. I think he'll understand, but there's no sense in worrying yourself over this until you've spoken to him. And if he hurts you, just let me know. I'll handle him then."
Lucy giggled at Erza's threat, deciding to take her advice to stop thinking of everything that could go wrong. She made her way into the bathroom- there's no reason for any of this if she's not even pregnant. Erza followed Lucy as she picked up the tests, and she reeled back when the blonde gasped loudly.
"What does it say?"
Lucy held the pregnancy tests close, tears flowing down her face as she turned around to look at Erza.
"Positive…"
Erza was relieved that Lucy was smiling brightly, meaning her tears were those of happiness and not sorrow. She pulled the weeping girl into her arms in a warm hug.
"I'm… gonna be a mother…" Lucy hugged Erza back tightly as she cried into her shoulder. At that moment, her heart swelled with unconditional love for the little life inside of her. She made a silent vow to never let anything happen to her baby, that she'd be the mother Layla showed her how to be.
"Congratulations, Lucy."