How do you tell a man he's going to be a father?

Lucy really didn't know. He wasn't suspicious of her throwing up or her sleeping in, thinking they were after-effects of the witch's magic, although he did pester her to go see Porlyusica. She refused, and he assumed she was only stubborn.

She hadn't been part of his plan for life, but she changed his life and therefore his plans.

Laxus wanted to have a good life with the blonde, and for her to always be happy with him. They were happy together, and he loved her more than he thought he could love anyone. With the curse on him, he hadn't felt safe to consider the future because of the disappointment it might bring, but he was free now.

For this reason, he was walking around with a three carat heart-shaped diamond ring. It was a gorgeous stone, flanked by other diamonds with intricate goldwork. It paid to be s-class, after all.

He didn't know how to ask her to marry him, and he'd tried to ask her to be his wife as many times as she'd tried to tell him she was going to have his baby.

There were internal doubts, where some small still voice asked if he was ready to give up life as a batchelor, and some other voice that mockingly reminded him he already had and currently lived happily in a house with his girlfriend and his little brother. With or without Lucy, the drunken sex nights were long over for him.

He wondered if she was ready to really commit to him, since she was younger and she didn't even know what it was like to be with someone else. Personally, he'd always found it kind of sad when a girl married too early, especially to someone who was older. That was why, even if they did marry when she was younger, he wanted to wait a while to have kids, and he'd expressed that to her repeatedly since they got home and started talking about the future like it was real.

Unaware that this came from his concern for her, Lucy heard him say he wanted to wait to have a kid for years several times and she found herself awkwardly trying to agree knowing he was going to be a father in less than a year.

Lucy really didn't understand life at all; when they were careless, nothing happened. When they were careful, suddenly, there was a baby they weren't ready for.

By the time they'd been home for a month, neither of them had shared their secret.

But Lucy was still sick, and when he decided it had gone on long enough, he went to his grandfather to find out why the black magic would have a prolonged effect on her.

Laxus went to the guild on a crisp fall morning and after asking his grandfather for some privacy, followed the family patron to his office.

Makarov sat down at his desk, and Laxus sat down in one of the chairs across from him. Normally, when they ended up in this room, it was because Laxus had been misbehaving in some way or another, so his soul recoiled a little until he remembered he'd asked to be there.

"Well, what is it, boy?"

Laxus had already told Makarov about everything that happened with the curse when they first got back, so he said, "Lucy is still sick from coming into contact with that witch's magic. I don't sense it on her, but she's still sick. She won't go see Porlyusica about it, and I'm starting to get a little nervous. It must be something serious if it's staying in her body."

Makarov was puzzled by this as well. "Regardless of what kind of magic it was, it should have passed through a long time ago. What kind of illness is she suffering from?"

"She's been throwing up a lot. Certain smells make her sick. Dizzy. Sleepy. Her breasts are sore. I'm starting to be concerned maybe the witch put a curse on her. There's definitely something weird happening in her body," he explained.

Grandfather looked at grandson as one of his eyebrows rose slowly. "Laxus."

"Hm."

Makarov thought about just telling him, because it was painfully obvious. He never imagined his grandson might be so dense, but he clearly was. Most men are naturally suspicious of women that start throwing up and suspect pregnancy, but Laxus was a far more complicated and dense than most men were in some cases.

Instead, he wanted to leave him to Lucy, so he could have that moment of wonder where she looked into his eyes and said the magic words that would change life forever.

"Go home. She'll be fine. Trust me."

"But…"

Laxus was confused, but when Makarov didn't give him any information, he decided to go home anyway.

It was his brother's fourteenth birthday, so he wanted to make sure he was around.

Romeo and Wendy were there in the house, and there was a strange peace among the teens. Laxus felt like his brother was actually kind of ballsy for having the nerve to stay friends with Romeo, who was on a path Laxus himself had walked, and Wendy, who rejected him after he lost half his ear over her.

Romeo was buried under a mountain of sobering guilt as he watched Wendy struggle like hell with her injury, and Wendy was going through a lot worse. She kept the injury hidden, and could barely hop around on her leg, even with crutches.

They seemed to be as okay as they could be, all things considered.

The doorbell rang, and Laxus answered it and found himself staring at a stranger that seemed vaguely familiar for some reason although he was sure he'd never met her in his life. When she entered the house with a cake box and a wrapped gift on top, he placed her as the blonde from some popular advertisements.

Emily Faure was a doll-faced fourteen-year-old girl who was known to all teenagers as the face of Glossy Locks hair company. She had big, loose blonde curls that were ridiculously shiny and stretched down to her waist and the biggest, greenest eyes. She was standing there in a strappy, ruffled dress and little high heels. She had a perfect smile, perfectly manicured nails, and little curves.

Laxus' eyebrows rose as he looked at his brother in question.

Emily practically squealed Nikki's name and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday! I baked you a cake!"

Once introductions were made, Laxus found himself quite confused. During his subsequent interrogation, he found out they met at church, and she was kind of over the moon for his white knight personality. She was never more than about ten inches from the younger Dreyar. She fawned over his little muscles, over his big blue eyes, over how he was a good little church boy.

Laxus watched this development with interest, suddenly engaged fully by the teenagers' drama again. He'd felt bad for Nikki since that night, since he lost half his ear and his hope of making Wendy his girlfriend.

Romeo and Wendy were still caught in the consequences of that night as Wendy tried to find a way to contend with her injury and he struggled with guilt about it. They were a pretty hapless and serious couple because of the disaster that had struck them.

Nikki was meanwhile evidently being spoiled half to death by the sweet affections of a gorgeous nice girl who adored him. They were just two good kids dating for the first time and evidently enjoying it. It was fun and light and sweet and they smiled at each other all the time.

After all the kids went home, Laxus shut the door and looked at his brother for a long while. Finally, he said, "Honestly, I don't think there's a louder or more obnoxious way to say 'fuck you, too' to the girl who rejected you and her boyfriend than that. That takes the cake...you know, the amazing chocolate cake your gorgeous new model girlfriend baked for you."

"I'm kind of over that. That's kind of why we've been getting along. I like Emily a lot."

"She seems like a good girl. Stupidly gorgeous too."

Nikki asked, "Where's Lucy?"

"She said Levy wanted her to help her with something, I'm sure she'll eat some of your Girlfriend Cake with you when she gets back," he said.

Lucy came in right as they were talking, slammed the door behind her, and ran straight upstairs without saying a word. Laxus went upstairs after her and found she was locked in the bathroom.

"Lucy? What's the matter?"

He could hear her crying behind her hands on the other side of the door, but she didn't answer.

Laxus giggled the door knob. "Lucy, what in the hell is wrong?"

"Go away," she cried.

His patience with her mysterious illness had somewhat run out and he suspected at times the reason she wasn't going to doctors was because she had some kind of understand that he did not. With a heavy heart, he went to her room and sat on the bed.

When she finally came out of the bathroom and entered her bedroom, she shook her head once. "Laxus...I…" she started to just blurt it out, but then caught herself, "...nevermind."

Laxus sighed and asked, "Did I do something to make you feel like you need to keep secrets from me?"

"No, of course not. You've always been really good to me."

"So what are you hiding from me? Are you not happy? Did you get tired of me? Is there someone else? I'm a man, and I can take whatever it is. I'm worried," he said.

Lucy approached him slowly as he sat there on the edge of the bed and cupped his face. She was scared, but she wasn't going to get less pregnant and keeping it a secret was wearing on them both. "I've been afraid of how you're you're going to feel when I tell you about the baby."

"What baby?" he blankly asked.

She said it so impossibly quiet he could barely hear her even with his dragon hearing. "I'm pregnant."

Yet despite how softly she said those words, they were impossibly loud to him as they echoed in his mind over and over again. He didn't know what to think or feel, but she looked scared, and he couldn't leave her hanging in that moment in fear. In an instant, he was on his feet, and he wrapped his big arms around his little woman and embraced her tightly.

"It's alright, Babe."

She looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "You're pregnant."

In the back of his mind, the timing was probably not ideal and definitely not convenient, and he'd had other plans. Having a baby was part of his five-year plan, but he'd started wanting to have a baby when they were in Indus and if it happened earlier, that was okay. Lucy didn't need him to express any afterthought.

She was a strong enough woman that she didn't always need him to be strong for her, but right now she was in a very vulnerable moment in her life, and he knew he wasn't worthy to call her his if he couldn't look after her.

He was going to be a father, and that concept was a lot bigger than any of his concerns. His first duty as a father-to-be was to comfort the mother, who was still shaken.

Laxus kissed her. "Lucy, I love you. We're going to have a kid. That's...shit, that's the most amazing thing ever. You're going to be a mother."

The blonde was half-crying, half happy as they hugged it out and she felt the anxiety start to fall from her. "I've been trying to find a way to ask you if you're okay with it."

"I'm happy. We'll make some new plans. I've had something to ask you too, but I didn't know how you'd respond."

Lucy squeezed him. "Don't be. Whatever it is, we'll be okay, right?"

"You're already the mother of my unborn child, so…" While she wiped her eyes, he slid down to one knee and pulled a little black box from his pocket. "Will you be my wife too?"

She continued crying, but nodded. Laxus kissed the top of her hand as he took it, and slid that big rock on her finger.

Life was happening in fast motion, and for once, it wasn't because something terrible happened. Normally, good changes took time, but tragedy could shake the world up in a second. In this case, it felt like the opposite.

Lucy felt so relieved, so happy, so exhilarated, and she knew she was such a mess. She felt his hands on her hips as he leaned forward and kissed just below her belly button.

When he stood again, he held her tight for a long time, until her whole body and soul relaxed.

Unplanned pregnancy was a strange thing, and Lucy found he actually took it quite a lot better than she did. Then again, Laxus was a good man, and she knew he loved her more than he ever intended to. Since they'd gotten together, he'd constantly wanted her with him all the time.

They kissed and he grinned.

Lucy put her hand on one of his cheeks. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. We're going to have a kid. You and me."

She nodded.

Laxus pulled her back close and whispered in her ear. "Hey, let's elope."

She looked up at him. "...like, now?"

"If we hurry, we can catch the midnight train south. We'll get married, hide in a hotel room on the beach. Come back next week, and you can move into my room and we'll start turning this room into a nursery for the baby," he said.

Always a tactician, he sprung back from the news of the pregnancy with a plan.

Lucy thought about telling him no, telling him she expected a real wedding with this and that, but the truth was that she didn't. Every step she'd taken since she ran away from home had been a little wild, and when she thought about it, she really didn't want to deal with all that to start with.

She nodded. "Okay."

They kissed again and she threw things into her bag haphazardly as he done the same.

Then she remembered the grieving puppy living in their house and went to his room. "Is Nikki going to be okay? I assume he's probably going through a lot."

Laxus looked up and said, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. We can stop feeling sorry for him. He has a new girl."

"Who?"

"Emily Faure, that girl from the hair ads."

Lucy said, "The Glossy Locks model? You're kidding me."

Laxus nodded. "I shit you not, she was in our house earlier being sweet on him. She baked him a birthday cake. I'll tell you everything on the way down to Hargeon."

"Wow, you Dreyar boys are really quite something," she answered.

When they finished packing, they decided to leave a note for Nikki, and so Laxus scribbled on their grocery list.

Nikki,

Ran off to elope.

Having a kid.

Took your cake.

Tell no one.

Especially not Gramps.

Laxus

They got on the midnight train to Hargeon, and Laxus watched his pregnant wife-to-be eat cake while he tried not to throw up and they made some plans. They got a hotel room, and rested in the bed while they waited for the courthouse to open at ten in the morning.

Laxus was far too wired to nap, but Lucy was tired, so he watched her nod off while he finished off the cake.

He was really glad she was able to make s-class before she got pregnant, because he knew having a baby was a monkey wrench in the career of a female wizard. He promised himself he would do his best to make sure she was able to keep growing and advancing, because she'd worked so hard. She was somebody in the magic world, and it would be a disservice to let her just fall back on motherhood alone. He was certain she could handle both.

At ten in the morning, he kissed her awake.

They showered together, got dressed, and headed to the courthouse, only stopping to buy a couple of gold bands.

They filled out a form together, provided identification, and waited impatiently until their names were called. They held hands; every few minutes he whispered in her ear, and she giggled. The employees at the courthouse rolled their eyes at them, and one of them tipped the local newspaper off.

XXX

Makarov stared across the desk in his office at Wendy.

Of all the kids he'd raised, he hadn't had many that that were seriously injured. It had hurt his heart when he found out what had happened in the north, but he'd known something bad would eventually happen. Some situations demand harsh lessons, and life never failed to provide one.

Wendy thought often of the conversation Laxus had with her on the way to Indus. He told her that it was harder for women to make it to the top, and advised her strongly against getting involved with Romeo.

Her mind and her body had been completely swept up in this mess, and she felt like her life was in a tailspin and she didn't want any guy to be at the center of it. She didn't even know how to get her life back on track at that point.

Well, she did.

Wendy knew she was at a crossroads, and she had to make important choices.

"I made a mistake, Master."

Makarov nodded. "Every person makes two or three bad decisions that dramatically change their lives forever. What matters now is how you move on."

Wendy said, "Porlyusica said my leg isn't ever going to be able to hold my weight. Gildarts had to cut the muscle and the tissue away to save my life. I'll have to use crutches for the rest of my life."

Makarov had already been told this, and this conversation had been coming. One bad decision and Wendy went from being one of the future of the guild to not having much of a future in the guild. He'd tried to talk his way around it, researching healing magics and therapy, but there was no real hope.

"You're young, so you can retire and still have a different life. Learn to do something, maybe go to school. Grow up, get married. Maybe become Mrs. Conbolt someday," the old man gently said, trying to offer a glimmer of hope.

She answered, "I have a different plan."

"Oh?"

"I'd be able to walk on a prosthesis."

Makarov's eyes widened a little at her unflinching determination. "You'd give up what's left of your leg?"

Wendy nodded. "It can be cut right under the knee. I'll get a metal prosthesis, and it wouldn't be bad. I could still fight."

He didn't argue with her because in the end, they all had to make their own decisions and Wendy was ready to fight to set her life back in order. Without it, she had no future in magic.

"You're sure?"

Wendy nodded.

She went from the guild to the Conbolt house and knocked.

Romeo answered the door and let her in. "What's wrong? You look upset."

"I just came to say goodbye for a while. I'm going to see a surgeon in Crocus to have my leg amputated, and then get a prosthesis. And then also...I need to be my own friend right now. I don't need a boyfriend."

Wendy kissed him on the cheek. "Romeo, I think you're a really special guy and I hope you're able to be okay with everything and not be so reckless. I'll see you around, okay?"

Please Review!

Special thanks to ilarual, w1n6s-0f-f1r3, darkfae7, tiernank, yumeyumi1986, guest, Dragon lord draco, rere97maui, sarasugarbug17, katiekat2001, adabs18, silverghostkitsune, thornado, lunastarlady, miss dany, megumiyoung, illustre, axltz, H.M. Akhlys, CosmoO33, 12rayne, xxpumbaxx, paname, and westerngoddess for reviewing!