((Hey! Ohmygosh. I am SO sorry I haven't updated for such a long time! I've just been really busy with school work ad stuff – had to do catch up art, English and German revision for controlled assessments…a lot of seriously important shit. But it is my half term, so I'll be able to update this! Thank you for all of your patience with me, and thank you to anyone that has reviewed this recently, I appreciate it a lot!

Please enjoy, and please review!))

Chapter 13: Loss

As she ambled numbly along the foresty path that would take her back to her lover, she held her stomach. She was scared; so scared. Scared of the child growing in her - Zeref's child. Scared of Zeref's reaction. Scared of her friends at Fairy Tail's reactions. Scared if the Magic Council ever found about her child, or any other Wizard Organisation – surely they'd come after the child?

"Yuuki-chan! You're back! I missed you!" he called, as he ran to embrace her. She froze in his arms. She didn't know what to do.

"Zeref…" she mumbled.

"Where did you go anyway? What did you get?"

"Zeref…"

"…Because we need some more soup"

"Zeref…"

"And I think one of the tent poles broke when we…you know" he chuckled.

"Zeref! I'm pregnant!"

"What…wait…what?! How is that possible?! How can myself, who is the bringer of death, create that which I bring an end to? Me, a father? I didn't think it was possible!" he fretted, running pale white hands through raven coloured hair, whilst Yuuki fell to her knees, her hands covered her face, her petit frame shaking.

"Yuuki-chan…I am so sorry…" Zeref cried, as he fell to his knees beside her, and touched her hands. She threw her arms around his neck.

"What do we do, Zeref? I'm so scared!" she sobbed.

"As am I…" he whispered.

"You're all ready? Remember the layout of the castle I gave you all?" Yuuki once more asked the team to be sent out to steal supplies from Zeref's castle. Levy, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Pantherlily, Meredy, Angel, Racer, Laxus, Freed and Gajeel nodded.

"Thank you all, for this, it's pretty dang brave, considering what happened last time. Gajeel in particular, stay as far away from Zeref as possible. I sense something…changing in Zeref. The sensory link isn't having the same effect anymore; I think he's losing what little sanity he had left, so all of you be careful, I don't want to lose any of you! And make sure you all treat Angel and Racer and the rest of Oraceon Seis as well as the rest of your comrades" Yuuki told them all, as they prepared to leave.

"Take care, all of you…I'm so jealous I didn't get to go" Natsu pouted.

"There are reasons for you staying here, you dunce" Cobra sighed.

"We'll be leaving now" Laxus announced.

"Alright, be careful, and if any of you die, I'll kill you" Yuuki grinned at them.

"That contradicts your point" Cobra pointed out.

"Shut up Cobra"

Everyone waved off the group leaving, and when they were gone, sat back in their respective places in the eating hall.

"You know, telling new comrades to 'shut up' is rude" Cobra frowned at Yuuki, who poked her tongue out at him. "Childish" he rolled his eyes.

"Shut up Cobra"

"You two seem pretty chummy" Gray raised an eyebrow at Yuuki and Cobra.

"You have a tendency to get along with dark wizards" Lucy chuckled nervously.

"It's not like that! I'm not gonna go havin' kids with Cobra. That'd be weird" she shuddered.

"Besides she's mine" Natsu growled, literally grabbing Yuuki and dragging her towards his chest, holding her protectively.

"Yes Natsu, I'm yours" she chuckled with a sweatdrop in Natsu's arms. Just then, they heard an explosion above their heads.

"What in the…?!" Yuuki gasped.

"It's Zeref, he's after Yuuki" Cobra said, in surprise - why hadn't he heard Zeref's thoughts before?!

"Zeref?! You mean he found this place?! SHIT!" Yuuki yelled, as Natsu's arms tightened around her waist.

"I won't let him get you, or Ryfar, I promise - it would have to be over my dead body!" Natsu growled.

"Yuuki, you need to get out of here! We'll distract Zeref for as long as possible!" Erza told her.

"No! He's dangerous!" Yuuki protested.

"We're a part of your army, we'll end up facing against Zeref anyway" Gray smiled reassuringly at her.

"Natsu, take Yuuki away from here" Jellal told him.

"What about Ryfar? I can't just leave him here!" Yuuki cried.

"Porlyusica's with him, they'll be well protected, after we've got rid of Zeref, we'll find you" Lucy replied.

"I won't leave here! I can't! Not knowing you're all doing this for me! It would be cowardly, and I'm not a coward!"

"Natsu" Erza nodded, in reply, Natsu nodded back, and lifted Yuuki over his shoulder, and ran in the opposite direction, just as another separated the two from their friends.

"Wait Natsu! We have to go back! We have to make sure they're ok!" Yuuki cried.

"We can't go back!" He yelled in response. "I have to make sure Zeref doesn't get you, or their fighting will all be in vain!"

Yuuki looked up at Natsu, and saw the dark shadow cast over his eyes. Yuuki sighed, How could I be so insensitive? Natsu hates leaving behind his friends…

"I love you, Natsu" she whispered, nuzzling into his back.

"I love you too, Yuuki" he replied.

Zeref was close, he knew it. He had knocked out several of the members of her army, and even killed one or two by mistake. Normally, he would hate doing so, but this was different.

Anyone standing in the way of him and his Yuuki will be annihilated.

"Zeref! We won't allow you to progress any further!" the mage named Erza yelled, pointing her sword at him, as several more mages surrounded him – they were from the guild Fairy Tail; Yuulki's guild.

"Where is my Yuuki?" he asked.

"We won't tell you, you scoundrel!" Erza replied.

"Do not anger me, woman" he growled, his magic surrounding him to make him appear more evil.

"As if we'll tell you!" Gray yelled.

Zeref turned his glare to the ice mage.

"I will kill anyone who stands in the way of me and my Yuuki" he growled.

"She's not your Yuuki! She's Natsu's Yuuki!"

"Gray!" Lucy hissed. "You weren't supposed to tell him that!"

"…Shit…"

"Natsu…I'm scared…" Yuuki sighed, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"I know, so am I, I'll protect you, I promise"

"It's not me I'm scared for…I'm scared for you, for my army…for Ryfar…for everyone…they can't stand up to Zeref, especially when he's like this…" she sobbed.

"Have faith in them Yuuki, we'll defeat Zeref" Natsu reassured her.

"I know..." she sighed.

"So perk up, let me distract you" he smiled, as he begun kissing her neck.

"You want to have sex while our friends are risking our lives for us?" Yuuki sighed.

"No, of course not, I just want to see you smile, Yuuki-chan" he sighed, pulling her onto his lap.

"How can I when-"

She was interrupted with a loud crash in the room her and Natsu were hiding in, above ground. When the dust cleared, they saw a very angry Zeref glaring at them.

"Zeref!" Yuuki cried, Natsu pulled her closer.

"I won't let you have her!" Natsu growled. "You'll have to pry her from my dead body!"

"Pry her I will" Zeref replied, as he charged at the pair.

"No!" Yuuki screamed, as Natsu turned her away from Zeref, and was hit in the back with Zeref's death magic, and the pair fell to the floor. "Natsu?! Say something! Please! Don't die! Please don't die!" she sobbed.

Zeref pried Natsu off of her, grinning ecstatically, and threw his limp body across the room.

"Welcome home Yuuki"

/TBC/

((I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was really fun to write! Please review, and again, sorry for the wait!))