Don't Go

-Fairy Tail-

-DG-

Gray lounged against the bathroom door. Lucy was inside trying to explain her morning sickness. Food poisoning and the flu had already been eliminated and now they were left fearing the worst. Being that the condom didn't do it's job and Lucy was pregnant, with Gray's child.

Gray and Lucy had been dating for over a year. Since they were twenty-four. Now twenty-five, Gray couldn't deny the fact that Lucy had seriously been thinking about having a kid. The ice mage almost expected to catch her leafing through adoption pamphlets by the end of the week. However, if the test turned out positive she wouldn't have to.

The door Gray was leaning on gave in and said ice mage stumbled back, almost knocking the blonde over.

"Watch it-" she started, pushing him upright. He brushed himself off awkwardly. He was an S-class mage. They both were. Such absentmindedness had become unacceptable; or at least embarrassing. Gray raised an eyebrow at her, waiting.

Lucy graced him with a curt nod before dodging to the other side of the room. He had a sinking feeling that the nod meant the test was positive, not that she wanted to talk. The mage swallowed a growing lump in his throat and followed.

"Lucy... are you?"

Again she nodded. She was pregnant. There was something about her face that was glowing at this, but there was something darker as well. She feared Gray's reaction. To her his next words could possibly make or break a relationship. She was glowing. That was what Gray had to focus on now. This news made her so happy. One day, in nine months, she would have a little boy or girl sitting in her arms and they would be one hundred percent her's. Nothing Gray said could take away that feeling, not completely anyway.

She waited on him patiently. The clock ticked quarter after and Gray smiled.

At first the smile was forced. It pulled at the corner of his lips, making the muscles in his cheeks bunch from the unnatural movement. Slowly, though, it softened. Lucy saw this and mimicked the smile, the tension in her expression drained.

"There's a lot we have to do before the baby comes," she grinned, starting to spiel before Gray could say a word. "There's a new room, a baby cradle, maybe I should see a midwife to and and and-"

"Lucy?"

A tear had scampered down her cheek and Gray quickly wiped it away, his hand lingering against her skin. He was knelt down in front of her, but rose slowly to take a seat by her side. His arm draped across her shoulders as he pulled her in close. Whispering sweet nothings, brushing kisses across her forehead. Lucy wept tears of joy.

-DG-

The guild buzzed when they heard the news. Drinks were passed around, congratulations were shouted, and advice was shouted. The men had dragged Gray away by the thick of his arm while the girls had stolen Lucy. Each half of the guild was filled with a different sex.

The ice mage was genuinely scared to listen in on what the girls were talking about, but he could pick out things like what gender it would be, colour schemes for the child's room, and when it was due. The last part was the one thing they knew; spring.

Lucy had told Gray the night they found out that she wanted a girl. That was what she had dreamed of, a small baby girl with thick, deep golden hair, a healthy skin tone, not too light and not too dark, and a smile that could light up the room. It could have been wishful thinking but the mage wouldn't have but it past his girlfriend to have such a premonition.

It had been a week since that night. It was hard for the two of them to find an appropriate time to tell the guild but both of them had at least wanted Happy, Natsu, Erza, Juvia and Wendy there. The three girls hadn't left for a mission yet, but Erza was due to leave soon. Happy and Natsu had been away. The two boys had just gotten back today, and Lucy had decided that it was then or never.

They'd also gotten lucky. Makarov had just returned from his vacation time in search of a retirement home close to the guild. The old man had claimed that if he stayed in the same building as the rest of them he would never get any peace. So he had handed his room over to the new guild master, Laxus. The years had wizened him up some. A decade would do that to people.

Gray glanced over to Happy. The little cat was poking at Lucy's stomach like he was trying to feel the child inside. This early in the pregnancy there wasn't even a bump but the girls seemed to find it cute that he was trying.

A pint slid across the table, stopped in front of Gray, beer sloshing over the side. "A man's got to celebrate too, when his girl gets pregnant," exclaimed the big man. He had twins and knew exactly what he was talking about. Gray raised his glass and downed half of it in one go.

"You're getting as bad as Cana," Max cheered. The whole table laughed.

Gray smiled. "Not that bad yet, Max. I don't think any man could drink that much." It was true. People have tried and failed to many times to be possible. Except her father, he could rival her. She had inherited her tolerance from Gildarts, after all.

"So," quipped yet another man. "Will you two be tying the knot now?"

He turned to Bixlow. The man had a snide grin on his face. Lyon next too him egged Gray on. "Nope. Maybe a few years after the baby's born. Lucy wants her to be able to walk so she can be the flower girl."

"Her?" That was Natsu, who squatted next to Gray. The fire mage had turned somewhat somber after the girls rejected him.

Gray knew what he was asking. The years of rivalry the two had given them an uncanny knowledge about the others mind. The mage just shrugged. "Lucy's convinced that it'll be a girl."

"What if it's a guy?"

"Then I get to name him. I'm hoping for a guy, just because she wants a girl so much," he joked, taking another swig. Lucy wouldn't care either way. It was just his rebellious nature to want something different then what she did. The years that had past since his adolescence hadn't quelled his teenage spirit. Besides, guys were cheaper. You could make them happy with sports and bruises. But girls liked clothes and clothes were expensive.

They would also have to start earning extra money. Natsu, shockingly, had foreseen this and proposed to the team that they take a big job. For old times sake. And now that they were all S-class mages doing an S-class mission should be a cake walk. They'd agreed to leave after Erza got back from her mission. It wouldn't be the same without her. Lucy would be accompanying Erza on that mission too now. The warrior didn't need the money as much as Lucy always did. The red head seemed to always be loaded.

Soon the conversations delved into other topics and the night ended with Gray and Natsu leaving the guild as the only sober mages. The rest seemed to party more than Gray. The ice mage could only imagine what it would be like if he did get married. The bachelor party he would have.

Natsu walked Gray home. They talked amiably and shouted even more amiably. The time only with the dragon slayer reminded Gray of times long gone. Namely when Natsu had confessed a secret to Gray. It had been done casually, like he hadn't expected Gray to do anything about it. Natsu had admitted that he had loved Gray. Just like that that had been twenty-two at the time and Gray couldn't return his feelings. Natsu had seemed to know this and didn't let that get to him. Both mages had been pleased that their relationship hadn't changed.

The two halted outside of Gray's – and Lucy's – door. They said the good bye's, a small 'later' and a fist-bump, and Natsu started off him. Gray walked into the house smiling.

-DG-

Days, weeks, and months quickly molded together. The time was spent grinning and earning money. Lucy had to stop the second part though. The child, fetes, had grown large in his womb and had impaired her movement.

Though, to be fair, she hadn't really stopped. She had been forced to stop going on missions and had instead taken a part time job at a local magic shop. Not only did she get a small wage and kept the boredom as staying home back, she also got a small discount for everything at the store. The blonde claimed that the bonus wasn't the reason why she liked it, she claimed it was for the people – Gray didn't deny that, but the tiny bag of goodies she came home with every now and then said otherwise.

Gray continued to work hard on missions and tended to pair up with Natsu, Erza or Juvia most the time. The occasional mission he took on his own were always easy ones. Lucy would worry about him if he tried any long ones. She had lectured him enough times about having to change diapers with a broken arm or take the child for walks with two broken legs; she assured him that if he only broke one then she would be too happy to break the other for him.

Now Gray was taking the week off from doing anything. Erza had insisted that he take all the pay on their last mission. It was a hefty amount that could keep them afloat for a long while. Everything for the baby had been bought and their funds continued to grow. They could afford to relax.

"I think that after Acacia is born I'll continue to work a Bob's and Marsha's," Lucy stated, talking about the store she worked for. Gray gave her a questioning look, he had to look over her bangs, the celestial mage was resting against his chest which made eye-to-eye conversation difficult.

"Well, I want to stay home and take care of her. I know I can't tie you down but I can stay home. And I do enjoy working for them, they're nice to me and already agreed to take care of her while I'm working."

The name repeated itself in Gray's head. When did... "Lucy? When did you pick out a name for her?" The blonde already had him convinced that they were getting a girl, now female pronouns rolled off the tongue like butter, anything but just sounded wrong.

She shrugged. "I thought of it several weeks ago but I wasn't sure. Now I am and I'm telling you." She grinned up at him. He scowled and flicked her nose, muttering vaguely about how sly she was.

The night air wafting in through the window was calming. Spring had come to Magnolia and the time of the games would soon come. The cherry blossoms were starting to bud. It was only a month now before the child was due.

Gray and Lucy both rested their hands on her stomach, the small kicks reassured them that little Acacia was healthy and that they would be able to see her soon.

-DG-

The hospital smelled sickly clean. The was the first thoughts that entered Gray's mind as he and several doctors rushed towards a private room, pushing a gurney down the hall. Lucy's sharp breathing quickly took over all thought. The child was coming a week late but that didn't make them any more prepared. She cried and clawed at the edges of the gurney even as they peeled into the room, coming to a stop in the middle, the doctor taking his place and barking orders.

Gray heard none of those orders. He took his place at Lucy's side numbly, taking her hand in his and feeling the skin split instantly under her labour-strengthened grip.

Everything passed in a blur and minutes ticked by. Gray knew most people could be in labour for a long time but he was not reassured by this. He wanted it to be over quickly. The ice mage couldn't bare the girl's screams.

A nurse came in to collect him, carrying him out into the hall to wait. She promised Gray that everything would be fine but birth was messy and he didn't need to be in there. He knew that he was getting in the way and forced himself to wait outside. That didn't make the lump in his throat go away.

Slowly Lucy's cries ebbed away.

The lump in his throat doubled in size, and slowly he opened the door.

Inside he saw that one of the nurses had turned, ready to come out and get him. He saw that another nurse was cradling a bloody ball in her arms. That was his baby, twitching as she was being wiped down, but silent. He saw the doctor too. He was a grey as death. The lump in his throat dropped, hitting his stomach with a sickening splash.

"Lucy?"

The voice didn't sound like his. It was desperate and strained. He was only met with silence as cold as the grave.

Slowly he stumbled over to her. Her skin was clammy when he touched it, her eyes dull and lifeless. Gray dropped beside her and watched numbly as the doctor pulled her legs shut, straightened her, and covered her with a white sheet. His hands went to pull her eyelids shut, but Gray beat him too it.

Lucy was gone.

Acacia was the first to cry.

A/N: I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I got inspired for this reading some Dragon Age (II) fic but somehow Lucy ended up dying and... I'm sorry.

Good news, maybe, is there's a sequel and both this and it's sequel are prequels to a bigger fic I want to start. No promises, but that's the plan.

And the sequel to this one is finished. I plan to post it in a month but that will depend on you ;) If I reach ten reviews (from different people) I will upload the fic ahead of time.

If I get 9- then you have to wait until July. :P

Tell me what you think~ (Even if you want to punch me. XD)

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Thanks to my darling Miyu for beta'ing this. Though you really should be writing. =P

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edit: To the people who are following this it will not be updated. The sequel is uploaded called Rain. Please see that story instead of following :) I can't promise it'll be worth your time but come on. :P