Mama!

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU SAID THAT TO ME!" Lisanna yelled. "I can't even look at you right now! I'm leaving!" Bickslow was speechless. He'd done it again. He'd promised himself he wouldn't screw this up, like all the other times before. Not with Lisanna. She was different, special. He wouldn't, couldn't mess up with her. But, here he was again, messing up another relationship. He didn't even know how it had started. He and Lisanna had been sitting together on the couch at his apartment, she was lying with her head in his lap playing with his babies. It was something they'd do all the time. They were happy. Then he'd opened his big mouth.

"Hey, Kid. Why don't you move in?" Lisanna, who'd been playing peekaboo with Poppo, had turned and stared at him in shock.

"What?"

"Jeez, Lis! You need to learn to pay more attention. I want you to move in with me."

"I got that part. I just don't get why?" Bickslow hadn't pictured it going like this in his head. He'd seen her being overjoyed and throwing her arms around him and kissing him the way she did when she was really happy. Then maybe a little something else. He hadn't expected her to question him. It was not making him feel better about asking her. Maybe she didn't want to move with him. They'd been dating for about six months and she stayed over all the time (better than going to her place with her siblings and the Thunder Legion coming and going), so it'd made sense to him.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." He grumbled. She sat up. The babies sensing how upset he was got up and were flying around his head nervously.

"Don't have to! Lisanna!"

"It's not that! I'm just surprised. This came out of nowhere. Why'd you ask?" Bickslow had thought that it was obvious. He knew that he and the babies loved Lisanna and he thought she felt the same way. After all, she'd said she loved him.

"Look, just forget it. If you don't want to I get it." Maybe she didn't really love him. He knew that she'd been hung up on the Salamander ever since they were kids. But he was with Cosplay Girl now. Bickslow had thought that she'd gotten over him before they started going out. At least, that's what she told him. He wasn't so sure now.

"Don't put words in my mouth! I was just asking you why!"

"AND I SAID FORGET ABOUT IT! SO JUST FORGET ABOUT IT!" Bickslow was really upset now. Was he not good enough for her? He knew that he was considered strange by most people at first glance, but he, also, knew that there were a lot of women who would love to have him even glance in their direction. After all, he was a powerful wizard and he knew that he was hot from all his training and acrobatics. But, that wasn't good enough for Lisanna. No, it didn't matter how powerful, hot, and completely head over heels he was for her. She'd always wished that he was that pink-haired, fire-breathing idiot.

"WHY ARE YOU SO UPSET?" She yelled back.

"I'M NOT!"

"YOU CLEARLY ARE!"

"ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?"

"IN THIS CASE, YES!"

"THAT'S RICH COMING FROM YOU!"

"WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?"

"YOU LIED TO ME! YOU'RE STILL HUNG UP ON THAT SALAMANDER! YOU DON'T LOVE ME AT ALL!" And just like that, he'd crossed the point of no return. He could see the pain in her eyes, the disbelief. He instantly regretted it.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU SAID THAT TO ME!" Lisanna yelled. "I can't even look at you right now! I'm leaving!" she hurriedly climbed up off the couch and went to grab her stuff. No! He couldn't lose her. Not like this.

"No! Wait! Lisanna!"

"I told you from the beginning that I was over him. I love you. You, idiot!"

"I know! I'm sorry."

"I don't know what to believe from you anymore. One minute you want me to move in with you. The next you're yelling at me, calling me a liar, and saying that I still love Natsu. If you can't trust me I'm not sure I want to stay like this. I have to go. I need to think about us." Bickslow knew that if he let her leave now, all of this would be over.

"No! Please, Lisanna!" Why'd he have to be so stupid! Of course, she wasn't in love with Salamander. Lisanna was always honest with him. He should have believed her. "Lisanna! Please don't go!" she was already at the door and turning the handle. It was all over. Suddenly, Pappa flew across the room and crashed right into Lisanna's back, rubbing against it like a cat.

"Don't Go, Mama! Don't go!" Lisanna and Bickslow froze. The rest of the babies flew across the room and began copying Pappa.

"Mama!"

"Don't Go! Mama!"

"Mama! Mama!"

"MAMA!" Pippi was practically yelling, he was always so excitable. Bickslow and Lisanna were in shock. Lisanna had never heard them call her "Mama" before. Bickslow had never heard them call anyone "Mama" before. But, in retrospect, he wasn't too surprised. They did call him "Papa" and if they were going to call any of his girlfriends "Mama", Lisanna would be the one. She was special.

Lisanna was different than the others with them. Most of the girls he dates were annoyed by the babies, even worse were the ones who yelled at or just ignored them. But, from the very beginning, Lisanna had been different. She'd loved the babies, playing with them, and caring for them just as much as Bickslow. She hadn't yelled at them, or him, when she found out that they slept in his bed with them. She'd loved it, that first night she'd stayed over, when they'd curled up next to her, Pappa cuddling in her arms (making Bickslow a little jealous) and Puppu, always wanting to be in the middle of something, snuggling right between her and Bickslow. Hell, she'd even sung Pippi a Lullaby to help him calm down enough to go to sleep. She'd never once lost her temper with them, even going so far as to defend wild little Peppe from his angry father when he'd ran into the back of her head and knocked her down, saying "He's only a baby! It was an accident! Don't be so mean to him.", and comforting the little wooden doll. She was the only one besides the Seith mage who could tell them apart and knew that they all had different personalities. Lisanna loved them as much as she did Bickslow. She'd not only accepted that they came as a package deal, she'd embraced it. If anyone was worthy of being their Mama, it was Lisanna. Now, she was standing at the door with tears in her eyes.

"They called me, 'Mama'." She let go of the door handle. Bickslow saw his chance and took it. He stood up and took her hand in his, tilting her chin up to meet her watery eyes with his own.

"Of course they did. You are their Mama as much as I'm their Papa. They need you, and so do I. After all, who else is going to be there for them when I'm being an idiot? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything I said. You were right I was the liar, not you." She buried her face in his chest, crying softly. "I know that I'm not good enough for you. I'm a 22-year-old guy who still played with dolls for crying out loud! But, I can't let you go! I need you. They need you. You're the Mama, after all, and the Mama needs to stay with the Papa. It's better that way! I don't want to ever be a single parent again! So, please! Please, stay, Lis!"

"Stay, Mama! Stay!" the babies mimicked. Lisanna shook her head from where it was still buried in his chest.

"You idiot. There's no way I'm leaving my babies behind." Lisanna looked up at him and smiled. Bickslow's heart fluttered. "After all, what kind of mother would I be if I did that?" Bickslow smiled. She frowned and hit his chest, suddenly. He was shocked. It didn't hurt, but he didn't understand why she was hitting him. Was she still mad? "And don't you ever think that you aren't worthy of me! There is no other guy out there who cares as much as you do about the people he loves. You are a better father to the babies than some people are to their real kids. You are beyond worthy! I'm lucky that I nailed you down when I did!" Bickslow smiled.

"I am pretty great aren't I?" Lisanna rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't you dare ruin the moment."

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Yes Mama!" the babies chimed in as their papa bent down and kissed their mama, who returned it enthusiastically. She pulled away first and opened the door.

"Well come on then!" Bickslow was confused.

"Where are we going?"

"My place. I'm gonna need someone to help me pack up my stuff and break it to my siblings that I'm moving in with my boyfriend!" Bickslow practically glowed.

"Hear that babies! Mama's movin' in!"

"Yeah! Mama's moving in! Love Mama!"

"So do I babies! So do I!"