As promised by the red-headed knight, Levy was not allowed to lift a single finger while the move was underway. Cana even insisted on carrying the cards with her luggage trapped inside, "just in case." So, she sat cross-legged in her desk chair and directed the guild members that had shown up to help them. Pantherlily had taken one look at the dust settling around them and set immediately to cleaning the entire house with a vengeance. He had Natsu and Lucy scrubbing baseboards and dusting the light fixtures until every surface shone. Levy was surprised at just how many people had shown up to assist them; it looked as though half the guild was there. Gajeel carried most of the heavy furniture in. They had decided to keep his bed, for now, since it was bigger, so he worked to set up their bedroom upstairs. Jet and Droy helped Lily carry in his things to the bedroom off the kitchen. Then Lucy and Levy sat at the desk over a catalog of furniture, planning out the rest of the house. They needed a couch, maybe a couple of armchairs, a big rug for the living room, a new dining table and chairs, since Gajeel had just used the bar in his kitchen, a bigger bed, and, of course, several bookshelves. The four shelves she already had were set up in the bedroom across from Lily's. Max made the mistake of trying to tell Levy not to be lifting her books when she began to organize her collection, and ended up doused in water with a Solid Script: Lightning Bolt aimed for him. Gajeel just laughed and leaned against the doorway, content to watch his woman as she lovingly placed each book in its place.

The move didn't take much time at all, with everyone helping. The fairies began trickling out, returning to the guild hall, or to their homes, until Levy had filled her bookshelves. Lucy and Natsu were the last to leave, having stayed to set up the kitchen and make a pot of tea. Finally, they were alone in their new home. Lily was busy in his room setting up his things. Levy sat on a barstool and looked around, a huge smile on her face. Gajeel stood beside her with his arm slung over her shoulder. She leaned against him and sighed contentedly.

"Is this real?" she asked dreamily.

"If it's a dream, I won't letcha wake up," Gajeel replied.

"Good." She closed her eyes, and they rested there in the peace of the afternoon.

A frantic knock sounded at the door. Who could possibly be here now? Gajeel and Levy both moved to the door, opening it with caution. "Why is Juvia the last to know important things?" The blue-haired rain-woman pouted on their doorstep, Gray bent over at the gate, hands on his knees and gasping for air.

"Did you have to run…all the way here…from the guild?" He panted.

"Juvia needed to know if what she heard was true." She took Levy's hands in hers. "Are you two together?" Her eyes shone fiercely.

Levy nodded, and Juvia threw her arms around the script mage with a laugh. "Oi, let my woman breathe. Don't go crushin' her." Levy rolled her eyes. Gajeel was already the hovering father. She wondered what he would be like when the baby was actually born.

"Juvia always hoped you two would get together! Miss Levy is so good for her friend Gajeel." Gray managed to catch up, finally, standing behind Juvia in the doorway. Levy invited them in to sit in the kitchen with them. "So how long have you two been dating, now?"

Levy's left hand fluttered nervously; apparently Juvia had not heard everything. The woman's eyes, though, were drawn instantly to the jewel on Levy's finger, and her mouth fell open. "We sort of…skipped that part." Levy squeaked as Juvia turned a stony gaze on Gajeel.

"Just how much has Gajeel been keeping from Juvia?" She asked sharply.

"Look, it happened so quickly, and I would have loved to talk to you about it, but I knew you and Gray were on a job, and I didn't want to interrupt you, but Gajeel and I are mated, and engaged, and pregnant." Levy blurted out all at once. Gray sputtered, eyes going back and forth between Levy and Gajeel.

"Did Miss Levy say…pregnant?" Juvia asked quietly. Levy nodded. There was a pause, one minute, another. She turned to glare at Gajeel. "Did Gajeel move too quickly for Juvia's friend? Was he a brute? Is that why this has moved so fast?"

"Oi, don't look at me. The shrimp's the one who got me into bed, not the other way 'round." Gray laughed, and Juvia turned in surprise to a very red-faced Levy, who nodded.

Juvia grinned after the shock wore off, pulling both mages in for a hug. "Then congratulations! Juvia is happy for you two!"

"Yeah, man, hope you're both happy and all." Gray said, awkwardly patting Gajeel on the back; the two had never been close. "Come on, Juv, let's leave them alone. They probably want to, uh, finish unpacking." Juvia blushed and stood, following Gray to the door.

"O-of course. Juvia is sorry to have barged in like this. Good-night!"

"We'll talk later, promise." Levy said, squeezing the woman's hand once before she walked out the door. They watched the two walk to the gate and down the road, and Levy's eyes widened as she watched Gray take Juvia's hand and pull her closer when they thought they were out of sight. "Well, I guess we really do need to talk," she mused.

"You know, the stripper's right. There are a couple of things I'd like to unpack now," Gajeel's voice was low and sexy. Levy's breathing turned heavy instantly.

"Yeah? There's something I've been dying to unpack all day." She answered as the door shut and her mate pulled her up the stairs to christen their new home.

…

Levy didn't want to move a muscle. She was warm and safe, curled up with her mate. They had begun a life together, living together, working together, being together, and it was almost more than she could stand.

"I know." Came Gajeel's deep voice. She smiled. "I can't believe we're here, love."

"I can." She kept her voice soft, not wanting to break the morning quiet. "I have dreamed about this for years."

"Yeah? What parts 'a this have you dreamed?" His tone turned playful.

Levy leaned up and kissed him on the lips, a soft, happy kiss. "Every…Last…piece." She punctuated each word with a kiss, on his nose, his neck, his chest. She proceeded to kiss every bit of scarred, muscled flesh, while he melted under her attention. The time lacrima sounded next to the bed and Levy sighed. She placed one last kiss in the center of his chest before turning to deactivate the lacrima.

Gajeel pulled her back against him with a growl. "Don't get out of bed," He pleaded. "Stay."

"I can't." Levy whined. She wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with him until they had to leave town again, but it just wasn't in the cards. "I have to go talk to Porlyusica, and then the girls wanted to help me go shopping for baby things." Gajeel grunted and nuzzled her neck. "You could always come with us." Levy stated. "I would love it if you did."

Gajeel hated shopping; he would rather sit out in the rain and rust. But Levy had him wrapped around her little finger. "Alright." He sighed.

Levy grinned. "Thank you, silly dragon." She patted his hand where it rested over her stomach. "I promise, I'll make it up to you. Just start thinking of what you want in return, anything, and it is yours."

"Just want you," He whispered in her ear, making her heart flutter.

"Then you shall have me," She whispered back, turning to kiss him again. "Come on," She broke away. "We need to get up, or we'll just have to meet them dressed like this." Which would be a sight, since the only stitch of clothing between them was Gajeel's shirt, which was literally between them, tangled in the sheets.

"I dunno, I kinda like the view." He said as Levy stood, his eyes following her ass as she walked to a box sitting in front of the closet.

She threw a pair of dark wash jeans at him. "As much as I like seeing you like this, baby, I am the only one who will ever get to see you like this, understood?" She was smiling, but her voice was a possessive growl to rival his own.

"Yes, ma'am," He saluted as he pulled the jeans over his hips. He sidled over and yanked her ass back against his now-clothed crotch. "Do somethin' fer me, though?" He growled in her ear. "No panties." Levy shuddered and nodded, breathing ragged.

Levy escaped his grasp and shimmied into a denim skirt that stopped two inches above her knee and a deep red crop top that matched Gajeel's eyes and stopped just above her naval, showing off her belly button ring. She matched it with her red sandals and turned in a circle to show off to her mate.

"Shows off a lot." Gajeel grumbled, pulling her against him so that her shoulders were pressed against his chest. They were both facing the mirror, his head resting on top of hers.

Levy smiled; they made a much better-looking couple now. Where she used to be a pristine pixie against a back-drop of danger and darkness, she fit in. Her tattoos, along with the nose and belly button piercing made her look kind of bad-ass, which she enjoyed immensely. And Gajeel was smiling, his face not caught in a grimace, or a snarl that made children want to run for their mothers. He still had that shadow around him, following him like an aura, but it was more…sexy than scary—like you could tell just by looking at him how amazing sex with him would be. "I like showing off my mark." She said, turning her head to press her cheek against the hard planes of his pecs, breathing his scent deep. "I like it when everyone else can see I'm yours. I like that yours isn't completely hidden, too." She ran the tip of her fingernail up his arm, tracing the path of the dragon's wing, up his bicep…all the way to his broad shoulder. She heard his breath hitch.

"Well, when ya put it like that…" He growled, pulling her against him more snuggly. Levy nuzzled his chest, turning into him more as his hands wandered over her exposed flesh. "So when did ya get this pierced?" He asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Levy inhaled one last time, then turned back towards the mirror as he toyed with the tiny iron heart. "I didn't." She answered. He gave her a confused look in their reflection. "Did you get all of those studs by piercing?" She traced the lines of studs up his forearms, seeing the lightbulb go off behind his eyes. "Lucy was testing her fire power, and we were bored and nervous and excited and in need of something to kill time, so we…experimented."

"I like it." He whispered as he bent and nuzzled her neck, biting her gently. She gasped, making him chuckle as he pulled his head away again. He looked back up at their reflection, then pouted, a hand coming up to caress where he had just bitten her. "Yer healin' is keepin' me from leaving hickies." He complained.

Levy laughed, turning in his arms. "Baby, you left one hell of a hickie, over 80% of my body. Plus my healing is keeping me and our baby safe."

Gajeel's eyes lit up, and he bent to kiss her. "Say that again." He said against her lips.

"It's keeping us safe?" She asked, confused. Then, she understood. "Our baby." She whispered, smiling from ear to ear. "Our baby."

"Have I told you how happy I am about that?" They stood with their eyes closed, safe and warm in each other's arms, foreheads pressed together.

"Once or twice." She grinned.

"'Cause I am, love, happier than I've ever been." He grunted. "We need to move. 'Fore I decide I'm not lettin' you go."

"Just one more minute." She pleaded. She breathed deeply, their scents combining and filling them like the world's most heady perfume. She groaned as she pulled away, the air cold and dry without him. "We do need to get going. Breakfast first?" He nodded, not letting go of her hand. They went downstairs to find Lily waiting in the kitchen. "We're going to the guildhall for breakfast. You coming?"

"I think I'll stay here. I have a few more things to organize, and we're all stocked up on kiwis. I might just start the yard work today." Lily looked pleased with himself, staring off into the distance, planning where the best place to plant a kiwi orchard would be on the property. He was going to enjoy this new home very much—especially since he couldn't hear a thing from upstairs the night before.

Notes

Okay, boys and girls, hold onto your hats.

I know I said it would be back to normal after last week's crazy binge-posting. But, events have shown that may not be the case. We are having some pretty severe weather here, as in, I am sitting in a closet with my cat waiting on several rotating wall clouds to pass by, hoping they don't touch down, and will likely be here for the next two days. So. As long as we still have power, and Wi-Fi, you are in luck. I don't have a whole lot I can do right now, so writing is about my only outlet, and will likely be posting several chapters in the next couple of days. Hope you enjoy the beginnings of these new adventures for the soon-to-be Redfox family. And yes, I did just say the startof new adventures, because the saga of Iron Laceis far from over (points if you read that in the voice of Princess Irulan Corrino, bonus points if you get the reference). Anyway, here is an extra long chapter, with more to come.

Like always: Favorite, Follow, and Review! I really do read all of those wonderful reviews, and, yes, I really do like the feedback.