A/N: Hey everyone. So, my essay got turned in on time. It was garbage, and I hate that I had to turn it in that way, but c'est la vie. -.-

Short chapter tonight, but I wanted to give you guys something to read. On to the story!

Don't own Fairy Tail… yet *shifty eyes*

Bickslow chuckled, thinking She's really something else. He closed his eyes and listened as her breathing evened out. Pressing one last kiss to her hair, he fell into a deep sleep that was filled with nothing but Lucy.

Lucy rolled over trying to find the warmth that was her boyfriend, Bickslow. When her arm landed on cold sheets, her eyes creaked open. It was still dark, that much she could tell. Where is he?, she thought groggily. Sitting up, she got the slightest chill as the blanket fell away from her naked chest. "Bickslow?" she whispered, hoping he was only in the bathroom.

No response.

Lucy's brow furrowed, and she looked to the nightstand and saw her keys shining in the pale moonlight that barely made its way through the curtains. She brushed her fingers across Horologium's key and he told her that it was 4:30. In the morning. Looking around the mostly dark room again, Lucy saw that the babies were still perched on the dresser. Okay, he can't be far if the babies are still here, she thought tiredly. Deciding that she should probably get up and use the bathroom, even if she had to hop on one foot to do it, Lucy slowly got out of the bed. Carefully balancing on one foot, she leaned down to grab Bickslow's shirt from the floor. As she pulled it over her head she could still smell the wonderful scent of him. It was slightly spicy, with a hint of the forest. She smiled happily when his scent engulfed her and held onto anything she could as she slowly made her way to the bathroom.

The hall was pitch black. Feeling along the walls Lucy found the bathroom with no issues—she was refusing to put any weight on her bad leg just in case she fell. Bickslow said that if I fell, he wanted to always be there to catch me. Once she had finished her morning ablutions, Lucy hobbled down the hallway again, hoping to find out where Bickslow had gone. She looked to her left and saw a sliver of light coming from under the door of the spare room. Smiling to herself, she made her way over and slowly opened the door, peaking her head around to see what he was doing.

She first saw a completely wooden floor, stained the most beautifully rich mahogany color she could imagine. Her eyes slowly took in the entire room: dark green walls that reminded her of a forest at twilight, white ceiling, and a single window covered in dark curtains. Against the far wall, under the window sat a long desk covered with hunks of wood. Babies, she thought happily. There was a single desk lamp on the desk, and that was when she saw the broad expanse of Bickslow's bare shoulders hunched over the desk. She marveled at how mesmerizing the small movements of his muscles were while he worked. She knew what he was doing, there was only one explanation. She giggled internally as she thought, He's making more babies. A blush spread across her cheeks as she realized what else that statement could mean. However, the floor was littered with small wood shavings, little spirals and chunks discarded by the man in that chair.

Bickslow sat with the smallest chisel he owned in his hand, expertly making one of the last divots he needed before he sanded it. He had heard Lucy stir and use the bathroom, but figured she had one of her spirits help her and went back to bed. I had hoped for one night… Just one night. His mind was plagued with memories. His mother. His father. His magic. It was all surfacing again, after he had spent so much time trying to bury it. In less than twenty-four hours, the beautiful blonde that lay peacefully in his bed had broken almost everything away, and still loved him. His brow furrowed as he saw a small knot in the wood that could prove problematic. Sighing lightly, he put everything down and ran his hands roughly across his face.

Lucy quietly made her way over to Bickslow. She had taken a chance, and put the smallest amount of weight on her bad leg and had succeeded in limping slowly over to him. She stood just behind him, her hands ready to touch his shoulders. She watched happily as he carved a face onto the piece of wood, although she thought that the wood seemed a little small to be a new baby. Looking to the left, she saw three shelves filled with totems, all of them with different expressions; each one seemed to hold its own personality even though there was no soul in it. When she heard Bickslow sigh, her head turned back. Lucy watched as he carefully placed everything on the table in front of him and then ran his hands over his face. She frowned, thinking something might be wrong, but hoping maybe he was tired and ready to come to bed.

Bickslow placed his elbows on the table and dropped his head to his hands. Why… why did it have to be me? Why my mom? He sighed again, taking a shaky breath. He refused to let any more tears fall. He had cried enough for a lifetime as far as he was concerned. She didn't deserve that. No one does. He balled his hands into fists, and slowly reached down, opening the top drawer and pulling out the picture he hated looking at. It was all three of them. When everything was good. She had her hair pulled into a sloppy bun, an apron and dress on, and was hugging the little kid version of himself tightly. His dad was there, too. In the background with a gentle hand on her shoulder and a proud smile on his face. We were so happy. He lightly traced his finger over the family, wishing he could see their smiles again. Even his own. He'd been so different back then. Sure, he had the same blue and black hair, just like her, but his eyes. They had been… Normal, he thought sadly.

When Bickslow pulled the picture from the drawer, Lucy felt horrible. She couldn't force herself to move when she caught a glimpse of what it was a picture of, though she felt deep down that she shouldn't be there. Is that…

"Mom," he whispered, his words barely more than a breath, "I miss you…"

Lucy covered her mouth, fighting the tears that welled in her eyes. She ached to touch him, to comfort him, but felt like she was intruding. She couldn't place why, but there was something that made this feel so… inappropriate; yet, her body wouldn't let her leave as quietly as she came. It forced her to stay and watch.

"I found someone," he continued. He smiled softly as he thought of Lucy. "Her name is Lucy, and she's absolutely perfect. I think… I think you would have loved her. Papa loves her already."

She smiled, the tears finally having broken free from her hold on them. The way he spoke so lovingly reminded her of the countless letters she had written to her own mother.

"I wish you could have met her… But, if I wasn't like this then I never would have met her." His finger still slowly traced the frame, dozens of memories rushing back to greet him after having been locked away for so long. "I don't know if she bakes like you did, though," he chuckled softly. "I don't know if anyone could top you, Mom."

He loves her so much… Oh, Bickslow, what happened to her? Lucy remembered that they had never had that conversation. She dreaded having it now that she saw just how much he cared for the woman, but she also knew that he needed to let it out to someone. He had told her that his mom had called him a freak. She couldn't understand why any mother would do something like that, but he clearly still loved her.

Bickslow took in a shaky breath, still miraculously holding the tears at bay. "I didn't mean to scare you… I just… I'm a monster." He dropped the frame and buried his head in his hands.

Lucy jumped as the frame clattered against the top of the desk. Finally, her body allowed her to move. She rushed forward, almost stumbling in her hurry to get to him, and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. She felt his shoulders tense when they made contact, then he immediately relaxed into her.

Bickslow couldn't believe she was here. How does she do it? Every time I need her, she's there. He'd been startled as Lucy's arms wrapped around him forcefully, but he had heard the softest whisper of encouragement from her. "Shh… I'm here," she'd said. He couldn't help but relax into her warmth. "Lucy," he whispered.

"I'm here, baby. It's okay," she said, running her hands along his cheeks and tattoo while she pressed soft kisses to his forehead. She smiled softly as the tension left his face and kissed his nose when his head fell back to rest on her chest.

Bickslow was content to sit there forever, reveling in the feel of her hands caressing his face, her soft lips brushing against him. He could listen to her whisper those words again and again, and never get tired of them. Lucy always reassured him in the just the right way.

After a while, Lucy smiled and tapped Bickslow on the forehead. When his eyes lazily opened, she giggled softly and said, "You know what I'm going to say, don't you?"

Bickslow said softly, "Come here."

Lucy's smile stayed in place as she carefully made her way around the chair to sit in his lap, her legs dangling on one side. She heard Bickslow sigh before he started massaging her scar lightly.

"You're going to say I'm wrong, aren't you?"

Leaning into his bare chest, and tracing his collar bone, Lucy nodded and whispered, "You know you're not a monster. If you really feel that way, then my work is cut out for me."

Pressing a soft kiss to her brow, he whispered back, "What do you mean?"

She smiled sadly, "Part of loving someone is taking the good with the bad, right?"

"Right…" he said uncertainly.

"And, I'll love you no matter what. But, this stuff that haunts you? Whatever it is… I'm here for you. I'm not trying to fix you, because you aren't broken. You're perfect in my eyes."

He smiled at her words, "Thank you."

"I'm not done," she said teasingly. Her tone got a little more serious as she continued, though it was hard to put much force into it when she whispered. "Your past. You need to tell me about it eventually. I promise not to push you or judge you…" she paused as she tried to find the words she needed. "But whatever happened in your past still tortures you, and what kind of girlfriend, and soulmate, would I be if I let something like that continue? One day, you'll be able to see yourself as the man that I see: funny, inventive, caring, creative, handsome—no, not handsome… downright sex-on-a-stick," she giggled and her smile continued to shine as she heard him chuckle.

"I don't think I will, baby," he said sadly, the smile still on his face.

"Well, I like a challenge." She looked up into his beautiful green and red eyes with a gleam of determination in her own. "I will help you in any way I can. I hate that something has happened to take away the gorgeous smile you have."

Bickslow, trying to make light of the situation due to how uncomfortable he was, gave her a cheesy grin and stuck his tongue out.

Lucy giggled softly and leaned up to kiss his guildmark. "Yes, even your dopey smiles are gorgeous."

Bickslow leaned down and ran his tongue up her cheek, making sure to cover her in spit.

"KYAH!" she shrieked then fought as he began tickling her. His hands hit the sore spots on her waist and she winced slightly.

Bickslow instantly stopped. Shit, I forgot that she was hurt.

Before he could draw back into himself, and beat himself up over hurting her again, Lucy leaned up and licked from his chin to his forehead.

"ACK! You licked me!" he shouted, instantly pulled from his brooding. He rubbed his hand down his face as Lucy rubbed the spit from her own. "You're disgusting," he said smiling at her.

Lucy looked at him innocently, her eyes showing mock pain at his words. "B-But… I thought you loved me…"

"I do," he said. He saw right through her this time.

"Even if I'm disgusting?" she asked, still holding out hope that he had believed her ruse.

"Yep."

She sighed admitting defeat. "Well, I guess I'll never get rid of you then!" She instantly smiled and whispered, "And thank Mavis for that."

He chuckled. Less than a day ago, her words would have caused him to shrivel up into a ball. He would have immediately thought she was trying to get rid of him, and pushed her away. Now, he knew better. He could feel it in every part of his being that she would always be his. "You're stuck with me. Forever and ever, baby."

"Well, I think it's a bit soon for that…" she said slyly, a small smirk on her face.

Cocking his head to the side, Bickslow asked, "Why is that?" They were soulmates, bound for life. Why is it too soon?

Lucy laughed and brushed her hand down his chest. "Because, we've been together less than a day. I've already agreed to move in, but none of my stuff is here…"

"I didn't think you would want to move anything until you were able to move around better… I can tell that you hate relying on people for everything…"

"And you're absolutely right," she said placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "But, if you say forever and ever, then that means a whole lot more than just us being soulmates." Her cheeks were dusted with a fresh blush as she tried to explain to him what she meant. To her, forever was a word only used for married couples; soulmates or not. She knew that being his soulmate was a forever type of thing, but she still held hope that she might one day get married—of course, that hope was to marry the man in whose lap she sat, but she wouldn't be letting him know that tidbit of information just yet.

The wheels turned in Bickslow's head as her words sunk in. His mouth dropped open just a little, and his eyes widened; he blushed furiously as he understood what Lucy had told him. "O-Oh… Well," he chuckled nervously. "It's probably wayyy too soon for that…"

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww, she squealed in her head. It wasn't often that she got to see Bickslow blush from embarrassment, so she soaked up every bit of this and stored it in her memory. This has got to be the cutest thing I've ever seen! She knew she had a silly grin on her face, and couldn't hold it in anymore. "Do you have any idea how cute you are when you're embarrassed?!"

He blanched. "WHAT?! No I'm not!" Much to his dismay, he blushed further.

Lucy burst out laughing. "You are! You're cuter than a baby panda sneezing!"

Bickslow dropped his head in defeat. What the hell…

Lucy's laughter slowly died down and she picked his head up for him to look at her. As she stared into his eyes, and couldn't keep her little secret to herself. "It's definitely too soon for forever… at least, in the normal sense of the word." She smiled softly at him. "I know that being your soulmate is for forever, but…" She had no clue how to put what she wanted to tell him to words.

"But…?" he asked softly, his gaze fixed solely on the woman in his lap. Forever, he thought happily, I could definitely live with forever.

"But, we're not there," she said, scrunching her face in concentration.

Bickslow sighed internally. Way too soon… I'm surprised that didn't scare her off. He traced her furrowed brow and watched her relax at his touch.

"Not yet," she whispered happily.

"…" Bickslow's eyes widened. "… Yet?"

She gave him her biggest grin as she said, "That's right. Yet. One day…" She paused and blushed, but refused to let his gaze go. "At least, I hope one day…"

Bickslow's heart soared. He felt as if a warmth had spread through him, starting at his heart and filling his entire body. He was ecstatic, thrilled, absolutely giddy. "You hope?"

Holding onto her grin, Lucy nodded emphatically.

He finally let his happiness show through as his eyes softened. "Me too, baby. One day." He leaned down and closed the short distance between them, pressing his lips to hers sweetly. Suddenly he cradled her in his arms and stood up. As she giggled and held onto him, he couldn't help but smile at her. I love you, Lucy. "Well, there's still a couple of hours until the sun comes up. How about we get a little more sleep?"

As if his words had reminded her of how tired she still was, Lucy yawned. Cuddling closer to Bickslow, she closed her eyes as he carried her back to the bedroom and nodded. Once they were settled back under the covers, with Lucy lying on his chest, and her leg draped across his, she asked him one last question. "How long were you up for? Before I came in, I mean."

Bickslow thought briefly before he answered. "About an hour."

"Were you making a new baby—" Lucy blushed at her poor word choice, causing Bickslow to chuckle.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head and said, "No. I was making something else."

Her interest piqued, Lucy yawned again and asked, "What were you making?"

Don't tell her. Let it be a surprise, he thought happily. "Nothing special. More practicing than anything else," he said with a slight shrug.

"Mmm…" she mumbled, almost completely asleep.

"I love you, Lucy," he whispered.

After a moment of silence, Lucy snuggled closer to him and whispered, "I love you too, Bickslow."

Aww! So, much shorter chapter than what I usually put out, but I wanted to at least give you guys something! I hated that I couldn't update… What's worse is that when I was supposed to be writing my essay, I ended up reading random fics all night. So, I had to write my rough draft for my essay in a few hours… Definitely not pleasant stuff. It's total garbage, but it's turned in on time, so I can't really complain.

The next chapter should be finished Tuesday night-ish. Maybe Monday night, but I'm not promising anything. Thank you guys so much for the well wishes on my homework (that I always put off…) and for the words of encouragement.

Also! I love hearing your ideas! I've gotten some great ones from some amazing reviewers, and I'm considering how I'll implement them in this story. If you have an idea that you'd like to see and it doesn't work with my ideas for this story, I can always throw it in another one. I've got a short GaLu in the works, and possibly a FreLu if I feel confident enough to get it right lol.

So, Review, Favorite, Follow. I love hearing from you all! ~~GemNika