Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. That belongs to Hiro Mashima.

The urge to interrupt him before he finished was overwhelming. It wasn't like she was paying much attention anyway. At this point in their relationship his responses were almost always predictable that she could make the argument for him. When Lucy and Gajeel fought, it was only out of courtesy that she nodded empathetically while he made his case. Meanwhile she was rewording her argument in her head repeatedly until she found the right words to spew back. She was difficult but somehow that wasn't enough of a deal breaker for him since he was the idiot that married her.

"- and I really believe the reward from this job will be enough to hold us over for a while. So just…. calm down, ok?"

It's crazy that certain words for certain people could trigger them into an uncontrollable fit of anger. 'Calm down' was Lucy's and he knew that yet he continued to use the phrase. 'Calm down' was commonly expressed by her late father during the beginning stages of her adolescent rebellion and ultimate runaway-teen conclusion. It just brought up a lot of memories of being suppressed by a controlling father. She knew, he knew, everyone knew how much she overreacted to those words. Lucy put her hands on her hips, which in other words meant she was about to blow the situation completely out of proportion. He rolled his eyes as he thought 'Here we go.'

"Calm down?! YOU want ME to calm down, Gajeel? Hmm…How about I GIVE you something for me to calm down from?!" Her voice rose with every word until he was sure their daughter overheard them.

As if on cue, the four-year-old knocked on and opened their bedroom door as soon as Lucy cleared her throat and uttered, "Come in."

Grace peeked her head in sheepishly. Lucy felt all she did was give birth to her daughter while Gajeel gave her all his features. The only thing Grace had that resembled Lucy was her creamy, flawless skin. Other than that, she was the spitting image of her father. Jet black hair that didn't take the same spiky form as her father's – thank Mavis. Ruby red eyes that seemed to capture anyone's soul that dared to gaze into them. Even took on his mannerisms and sided with him always. His own mini me that had him so wrapped around her finger it wasn't even funny. Lucy wasn't in denial anymore and knew that Grace favored her father and if they had another child, Gajeel would favor Grace most of all.

"Is everything ok, daddy?"

"Yes, baby girl," Gajeel replied and covered the side of his mouth and pointed towards Lucy accusingly. "Mommy is just being a little, you know." He brought the finger to his ear to do the universal gesture for crazy.

Grace smiled brightly as the most adorable giggles erupted from her throat. "Yea, I know." She closed the door and went back to whatever it is she was doing. Probably playing – or rather plotting – with Panther Lily per usual. The amount of mischief those two get up to is uncanny. It's as if all the maturity left in Lily flies out the window when in the presence of his true partner in crime.

When the door closed and Grace's footsteps faded, Lucy continued. "Now you have our daughter siding with you when I'm the one defending her."

"First, you knew she would side with me. Second, I'm doing this for all of us… That little girl that just walked in here being the main reason. How many times must I stress that?"

Lucy huffed in frustration because she wanted so bad to stay mad at him but he makes such a great point. Grace will always be worth going through everything and more just to make sure she has a comfortable life. But there was a line between comfortable and spoiled. Gajeel apparently doesn't know the line exists. Honestly, he spends so much money on Grace as if they were living on the long-lost Heartfilia fortune. His strong-willed personality would never let him admit it, but Grace has turned him into a big pile of mush. No one, besides Panther Lily, would believe Lucy if she said Gajeel spent time with his daughter painting each other's nails and discovering stylish hair styles for each other. But he did.

"Maybe you wouldn't have to take on such a high paying job if you learned how to say no to our daughter occasionally. Just because she wants something doesn't mean she needs to have it."

"Coming from an ex-heiress? Rich."

"Ex-heiress that ran away from all that wealth so that should tell you having everything you want doesn't make you happy! The point is…. Grace needs to learn the importance of working for what she wants."

"She's four."

"Even better when a four-year-old grasps a concept adults have a difficulty with."

"Good point but…She's four."

"Learn to say no!"

Gajeel took great offense and glared at Lucy. "I know how to say no…"

"You sure about that, Gaj? You don't sound very sure."

They both knew it was futile to counter that, so Gajeel did what was in his best interest. He changed the subject to what she originally was upset about. "Is that really important? The important thing is that I will be back in time for Grace's birthday."

"Three days before her birthday! We both know that the schedule rarely goes as planned and for all we know you could be out there for an extra week. You, of all people, should be there front and center to watch our little girl turn five."

"Let's not be a negative Nancy. Have faith in me, ok bunny?" Gajeel pinched her cheeks and planted a kiss on her forehead. She hummed in reply. He looked down at his watch and sighed. "Shit. I'm late. Got to go."

Lucy stepped back and nudged her head towards the door, arms folded. "Well let me walk you out." She tried to head towards the door but was blocked by Gajeel.

"I'm not leaving until you give me a kiss," Gajeel folded his arms over his chest to mimic his wife. They were mages and they knew the risk they invited once they accepted a job. Which is why no matter their situation, they always made sure to share a kiss before they left. Lucy knew and honored this but she just wanted to mess with him.

"Well then I guess you'll just have to stay, huh?" Lucy pursed her lips together innocently as Gajeel chuckled and shook his head.

He moved in closer until Lucy was sandwiched between the wall and his towering figure. His hands placed on each side of her head, successfully trapping her. "Do you think it might be time for you to have a little bit more maturity than our daughter?"

"No."

This only made him laugh even more. "Come on, babe. The team is waiting just give me a kiss so I can go." Her lover lowered his hand so they cupped her bottom. He squeezed the firm muscle which coaxed a moan from Lucy. "We could have spent our time doing better things but you just had to pick a fight."

The sudden arousal made Lucy abandon her childish ways and give her husband what he wanted. What she wanted. She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him down to meet her lips. She took full control, trying to taste every corner of his mouth. He kneaded more of that backside he could never get enough of. They parted, both left breathless from the carnal kiss and gave each other a knowing look.

"Fuck it. What's 15 more minutes?"

Lucy agreed as they allowed things to escalate further. Adrenaline rushed through her as Gajeel roughly flipped her so her breasts pressed against the wall. He yanked her long blonde hair and ground his clothed hardened member across her rear.

"I never said I was going to be nice."

That's just how their relationship was. Whenever an issue surfaced they found the source of the problem, discussed it, cohesively decided the solution, and moved on. More or less. It wasn't always strawberries and iron bolts and they fought like every other couple. Something they could agree on was that they just wanted to solve their problems rather than hide from them or ignore it like a lot of failed or miserable couples have. Usually it ended in rough sex and Lucy always welcomed that with open arms.

Over the years, life happened, and the concept of concrete teams dissolved within Fairy Tail. For the older generation, at least. Lucy cringed at the thought of her being lumped in the 'older generation' category. It still felt like it was yesterday when Natsu brought her to the place that held people that would become her family. Where she'd meet the love of her life, have a beautiful daughter, and take nest in a charming home.

People got married, women became pregnant, families were created, and some mages retired completely. That's why it wasn't unusual for Gajeel and Panther Lily to be teamed with Gray, Elfman, and Cana on their current mission. Lucy was just happy the main destroyer, Natsu, wasn't on the team. That meant there would be minimal damages to pay for if any.

Gajeel's previous partner, Levy, couldn't exactly go on a mission six months pregnant with Jet's child so he had to improvise. Lucy wasn't worried for the all S-Class team. Especially since Gajeel was on a team with more people than usual so it was comforting. The usual anxiety she felt when they were away from each other too long was less than normal. Besides, the weekly lacrima calls always made things easier.

That's at least what she told herself on the day that marked three days before Grace's birthday. She told herself the same thing on the second day – with slight irritation – because she now knew she was the winner of their argument. The schedule didn't hold up. The day before the party – in between last minute scurrying for Grace's party – Lucy was livid and knew she needed to break it to her daughter that her father wouldn't be to her birthday party.

Grace was in her play room doing one of her favorite things. Drawing. Another thing she took after both parents was a love for the arts. Lucy had writing, Gajeel had 'Shubiduba' – although only the family knows that he can really sing and only does that to piss off fellow guild members –, and Grace had sketching. Sometimes she just follows Reedus around with a marker to try and make her drawings come to life like they do for him. No matter how many times they tell her it doesn't work like that, she refuses to listen. Reedus indulges her and tells her to bring him her paintings and he would make them come to life for her. Spoiled rascal.

Lucy walked in and sighed. "Grace, honey."

"Mhm, mommy," Grace acknowledged her mother but continued to scribble on the paper.

Lucy crouched to get on her level. "Do you know what tomorrow is?"

Grace stopped and scrunched her eyebrows together. Looking more and more like her father every minute. "Of course, mommy! It's my birthday and daddy will bring the cake."

Lucy bit her lip and cursed her husband in her head. She would give him the benefit of the doubt that he will be there tomorrow and raise hell later if he doesn't. Besides, it's pretty rash of her to shield her daughter from heartbreak if there was even a slim chance it wouldn't happen.

So, Lucy nodded and smiled. "Right! I was just checking to make sure we were on the same page."

Grace cocked her head to the side and continued to draw, but not before muttering, "Daddy is right…Mommy is you know."

Even when he's not there, Gajeel has Grace's loyalty. "Hey! I'm right here and I can still hear you!"

It broke Lucy's heart to see Grace so distraught at her own birthday. It was her birthday and she'll cry if she wants to and that's exactly what she did. Among breaking out in tantrums, she threw toys at other children, and tipped the cake over. Grace is an angel most of the time but the time when she wasn't…. She really wasn't. That afternoon consisted of apologizing to the guests and receiving understanding looks and a lot of "Don't worry about it" going around.

Grace was accustomed to both of her parents being absent for long periods of time, but it didn't make it hurt any less. She is such a strong little girl and usually doesn't allow things to get to her much, just like her father. It's just that it was her birthday. That's a big deal for Grace and for her favorite person in the world to miss out on that when he was specifically told he was to bring the cake. Well, it just hurt when Uncle Natsu was the one bringing the cake instead of her father.

Fourteen days, three hundred and thirty-six hours, twenty thousand one hundred and sixty minutes, forty-five seconds and counting since Gajeel's last lacrima call.

It wasn't anger the filled Lucy as much anymore. It was unrestrained dread that affected her so mentally, emotionally, and physically. She just want to know that everything was OK. Obviously, it wasn't but things happen all the time. The amount of lacrima damage Fairy Tail has accumulated over the years is remotely why there are limited lacrimas. Besides, Gajeel didn't always have the option of having a lacrima and she survived in the beginning of their relationship without getting that weekly update. 'It's going to be ok,' she'd tell herself but that still wouldn't settle the gnawing, painful churning in her stomach that she felt more than she reasonably should.

No matter how she felt, once Grace was present Lucy made sure she was her usual peppy, you know, mother. She refused to allow her daughter to see her look weak. That just wasn't an option.

It was dark, about eight in the evening, and time for Grace to get to bed. Lucy tucked her in, gave her a kiss good night, and whispered, "Good night, honey."

"Good night mommy!" Grace closed her eyes and fell into a light slumber. Once her head met her pillow, it was pretty much a wrap and the little girl would enter a land full of whatever little girls dream about.

Lucy smiled and turned off the lights, left the night light on of course, and lightly closed the bedroom door shut. It amazed Lucy how she and Gajeel could make a human being so lovable and completely perfect.

Three loud knocks banged on the door. Lucy's ears perked and her face scrunched in confusion because who possible could come over during bedtime of all times. She approached the door and snorted when she saw Natsu through the peephole. She opened the door. "Natsu, leave it up to you to come over when I just put Grace down to bed."

Natsu didn't reply and didn't look like his usual care-free self. Instead, he looked as if he was in the middle of a fierce battle rather than a visit to his best friend's house. The peephole is also very misleading because she certainly didn't realize Laxus was behind him. Gajeel and Laxus became close over the years and naturally she became close with Laxus, but she wasn't that close for him to pop over for a visit with Natsu. So, it was more confusing that he was there as well.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry," Natsu's voice cracked as he pulled Lucy in a hug.

And then it hit Lucy like a ton of bricks. Her body stiffened and she looked at Laxus whose eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his usual hardened demeanor softened and vulnerable. He wasn't here as a friend but as a guild master. "N-No no no no no no…...NO!"

She ripped herself from Natsu's hold and stared directly into the guild master's eyes. "I-I-It's not true. T-This is just some sick fucking joke. It's...You tell me right now it's not fucking true!"

Laxus found his voice, completely unrecognizable, and said, "It's true…Gajeel didn't make it."

AN: Thoughts? Yea, it went from 0% to 100% really quickly but this will be a two-shot and the next chapter will be much much longer! As in I won't post a the chapter if it's less than 10,000 words. Grief is such a common thing to deal with and I just had this idea, actually today (well yesterday), and I've decided to turn it into a little something something. Also, my favorite time to complete my writing (apparently 2am-4 am) is usually when I'm a zombie. I will edit in the morning.

Review!...Pretty Please :)