AN: Short chapter, sorry. Haha, I hope you like it anyways!

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What to Expect When You're Expecting

Chapter Twenty One – Baby, Please Don't Cry

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"Don't stand unmoving outside the door of a crying baby whose only desire is to touch you. Go to your baby. Go to your baby a million times." ― Peggy O'Mara

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"I don't like this." Gray had his daughter in his arms and looked incredibly uncomfortable with being in the too colorful room where he and his girls were waiting for the pediatric doctor to call them in.

"It's necessary, Gray-sama." Juvia told him and returned to speak with the mother next to her about some random subject and the man looked down to Aurora and received the most amazing smile and couldn't help but to smile back.

She was the most entertaining little person he ever met. With just two months of life, she learned how to hold her head, liked to move her legs when was on her back and loved bright colorful objects, but what Gray really loved was the way she smiled when he talked to her.

Whenever he arrived at home, he would take her to his arms and tell the small child all about it and she would stare at him with those wonderful blue eyes – just like her mother's – and put her hand on her mouth, making sounds; until, one day, she gave him a toothless smile and at that moment, if Gray had any doubts about that Aurora had him wrapped around her little finger, he didn't anymore.

And that's why he hated the purpose for that doctor's appointment.

"Oh, you have absolutely no idea, do you?" Gray moved her a little bit – she looked rather adorable in her light purple dress with butterflies on it. "It's a necessary evil, I guarantee."

"Aurora Fullbuster?" The nurse called and Juvia said her goodbyes to the other mother and turn to her boyfriend.

"Do you want me to take her?" Juvia got up and Gray nodded.

"I don't want her to think I had anything to do with this." The man got up as well and gave the baby to her mother. "She might relate it to me."

"Don't be absurd, Gray-sama." Juvia giggled as she took her daughter. "Bring her bag?"

"Sure." The man grabbed the lilac bag with butterflies (really, what was with Juvia and butterflies? For goodness' sake, flowers and other fluffy animals were girly as well) and followed his girlfriend.

The doctor measured and weighted Aurora, he proceed in asking them about the new things she could do, and after he receive the answers, he told the new parents that she was developing well for a two month old baby.

"Now, Aurora is old enough to have her shots." The doctor told them kindly. "Shall we, then?"

"This sucks." Gray muttered when the Doctor started to put his gloves on and prepare the vaccines while Juvia held Aurora close to her chest. The man looked to her daughter, who had her tiny fist on her mouth, in all her innocence and unaware of the pain that was coming her way. "This sucks so much."

"It's necessary." Juvia told her boyfriend and went to stay close to the doctor. She put a hand on the baby's head and kissed the light blue of Rory's hair as the doctor finished the preparations.

"Ready?" The doctor asked kindly and Juvia hesitated for a moment before nodding and the man held Aurora's arm and did it.

Gray couldn't watch it; he turned away as the most horrible sound he ever heard echoed through the walls: the sound of his child crying in pain. When she was fussy, hungry or dirty, the sound was unpleasant, but it didn't have that effect on him. It was as if his heart was being ripped from his chest and all he wanted was to take her into his arms.

After an amount of time that seemed like an eternity to Gray, the Doctor finally said: "All done."

The man, then, turned around and saw his daughter's red angry face, thick tears falling over her cheeks and his heart was crushed to see her that way. Gray looked at Juvia and then took the child from her arms.

"Don't look at me like that. It was needed." Juvia dried one tear from her own cheek and Gray felt bad for giving her that look. It wasn't her fault and she hated just as bit as much he did. He sent her an apologetic look and then talked to their daughter.

"Here we go, sweetheart." Gray kissed Rory's cheek as she cried and thick tears fell from her eyes. He found her pacifier and gave it to her; she whimpered, but got a lot quieter with her father's caresses on her head and kind words. "It's over now." Gray cleared his throat and stared at the doctor. "Sorry about… that."

The man just chuckled. "You wouldn't believe the quantity of men who just can't even stay in the room while their child takes his vaccines. I asked a friend of mine to give it to my own children." He smiled. "She probably will become real fussy and she might develop a light fever, but it's normal."

"Thank you very much, doctor." Juvia told him and grabbed her daughter's bag. Gray thanked the other man as well and left the room.

"Well, that is over." Gray sighed once they were out.

"There are other vaccines in two months. Then two months after that."

"Shit."

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"Don't. Even." Gray growled without looking to his side, where Natsu stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a big smile on his face.

"I am not saying anything." The other man shrugged and even if Gray wasn't looking, he knew that his friend's smile just became bigger.

"Your hair is pink." Gray said between gritted teeth. "You do not have the high ground here to talk about the carrier. Just… don't." Natsu snorted but refrained himself of saying anything else: Gray was embarrassed enough wearing that awful thing.

Apparently, Juvia thought it would be 'cute' to buy a pink ergo carrier with colorful butterflies printed all over it and she thought it would be nice for him to wear it for their trip to the mall to meet their friends – only because the stroller's wheel was acting funny.

Knowing that his girlfriend would need more mobility to walk to search whatever she needed in many stores, Gray agreed to stay with Aurora and his male friends at the food court and to his displeasure, she made him wear the distasteful thing.

The baby was quiet – Rory was a silent baby, usually – with the side of her face pressed against his chest and with her pacifier, listening to Gray's voice and making a few humming sounds now and then when Gajeel, he was seated by her father's side, made some weird face and once in a while reached for him (to tell the truth the tough looking man could often be found in their apartment talking softly to the young girl – only if he thought no one else could see him).

Loke was also with them, looking bored, he was told that it would be fun and was still waiting for it to begin. Gray was growling to Natsu, who was smiling and Gajeel was playing with the baby and as adorable as she was, Loke wanted to do something else like pick up girls (the others already have their girlfriends to be happy with, so they didn't seem concerned about all the pretty girls around).

He saw the way some of the girls looked to Aurora and a thought came to his mind; something he had yet to try to score with a woman.

"Gray?" Loke called his friend slyly and the dark haired man look in his direction. "Can I have Rory for a couple of minutes?"

The girl's father narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"I don't have enough time with her." Loke gave Gray a warm smile. "Come on. Let me hold her; you three are having all the fun here."

"Fine." Gray sighed and got up. "I don't suppose you want the carrier as well? I know I wouldn't."

"I do, actually, the most ridiculous, the better." Loke received a hard look from his friend, but just chuckled in response. A few minutes later the orange haired man was all equipped and with the little girl with him. After making sure she was alright, the man said his good byes. "I will be over there, chatting with some girls. Apparently, they love babies."

"Just be back before the girls arrive, yeah?" Gray warned him. "I don't think any of them will be too happy of you using a baby as bait, you know?"

"Sure." Loke waved and walked towards a group of girls, pretending not to notice them. The three other men stared at his actions as the girls stopped their chatter to coo over Aurora and pull a chair over so he could join them.

"No, no. She's my friends' daughter. I love children, but I still haven't found the one, you know?" They heard him say and the three looked at each other in disbelief.

"I can't believe he's using my daughter to score."

"I can't believe he's saying he loves children when he only picks up Aurora to meet girls." Natsu scoffed and decided to order something to eat.

"As long as he brings Aurora back in one piece."

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AN: I have to admit that Gray's reaction to Rory's vaccination was based on my father's when my ears were pierced when I was a baby (in Brazil we usually do it while the girl is still a baby with Rory's age), but unlike Gray, he left the freaking hospital because he couldn't handle me crying in pain. Haha.

Thanks to: blueberry (happy birthday to us, then!), superduperizee, sapphy, XxlighterxX, fyriagita, NollyLvn, Lanvia, Sjelen, juviloxa, Raiimy, Adelram, 7HeartAndSoul7, P. FullbusterBelieve, Jessicutie, Bubblycutie and Awesomenessdude, siriuslight, MrsGooglyBear, Medaka-chan, ColdBurn-3, Guest, Yukistar, Zaahara, BrigitteoO, Mrs Murasaki-sama, Rochi-Chan, AliceCullen3, oraku03, Cookie-chan91, FeatherGuitar, HaruVega, zoxy2 and olej2k10.

I'd like to thank all of you who send me their best wishes for my birthday! You guys are wonderful.

02/02/2014 ~ BonneyQ